Water hogs wallow here in River City

Water hogs wallow here in River City

Re “California’s big water hogs need a little sunshine” Editorials, Oct. 13): Sacramento Bee editorial board members only need to take a 30-minute walk from their offices to see many water hogs in Land Park.

For many who live there, they think they are better than others simply because their incomes are higher. I see so many bright green, lush lawns. It’s difficult to come to any conclusion other than that we have our hogs, too.

Harris’ distinction without difference

Re “Kamala Harris on Congress: ‘How is it they don’t act’ on guns?” (sacbee.com, Oct. 9): Attorney General Kamala Harris suggested that members of Congress should view all the slain children, and vote their conscience. Harris also expresses pride for co-sponsoring a bill that forces Christian women’s health centers to notify patients that they can get abortions.

Harris is using murdered children to take away my Second Amendment rights, while at the same time taking First Amendment rights from people who are trying to stop the murder of children.

Don’t silence abortion critics

Re “Pregnancy centers sue to block abortion information law” (sacbee.com, Oct. 12): Good lawmaking doesn’t generally entail forcing people to do something against their moral compass, values or beliefs.

Requiring clinics that abhor abortion services to advise where an individual can go to obtain an abortion smacks of this. If ideologues insist on this type of path, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

How about a law forcing clinics that provide abortion services advise their clients where they can go to get advice about pregnancy options other than abortion from clinics that do not provide abortion services? It’s not difficult to predict that neither law would work very well in practice.

Beware of bagmakers’ ploy

Re “Bagmen try cynical new ploy” (Dan Morain, Oct. 8): Many thanks for bringing to our attention the proposed Environmental Fee Protection Act. This is the candy-coated initiative created by Novolex, the biggest maker of plastic bags in the United States.

It is meant to make us all think that they care about the health and environment of California, but it would block the legislation that would remove plastic bags from the stores of retailers across the state. These are the same plastic bags that clog city storm drains, litter our roadways and threaten the health and lives of wildlife.

Don’t be fooled by the wording that will appear on your voter’s ballot in 2016. Educate yourself by researching Environmental Fee Protection Act. Backers are not who they would like us to think they are. The environment in California is not their priority.

Drugmakers gouge people in need

Re “Drugmakers donate millions to fight price cap” (Page 7A, Oct. 7): The goal of any American business is to gain direct, unfettered access to the United States treasury. Pharmaceutical industry lobbyists inserted a provision that barred the government from interfering in price negotiations between the pharmaceutical companies and health-care-providing companies.

That’s why we have the highest medicine costs in the world. That’s why Gilead can charge $85,000 for cancer treatments. That’s why Turing Pharmaceuticals tried to acquire a 62-year-old generic drug used to treat a serious parasitic infection, and raised its price to $750 per tablet, from $13.50.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has proposed an initiative, the California Drug Price Relief Act, to impose price controls on state-funded drug purchases. Drug companies poured in $10 million to fight it. They have $10 million. You have one signature. Give it to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and get this initiative on the ballot.

Mayor Johnson should not quit

Re “Old video may pose new political risk for mayor” (Page 1A, Oct. 14): Women who come out with claims against celebrities 20 years after the fact are after money. Mandi Koba proved her intent by accepting money originally and reneging on her agreement. A 16-year-old being interrogated by a policeman, of course, looks vulnerable.

I am a Democrat, but Sacramento County Democratic Party chair Kerri Asbury does not represent me. She is the one who should resign.

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 3:54 AM with the headline "Water hogs wallow here in River City."