Letters: Linda Katehi, Hillary Clinton, drought, Trump

Sick of this ethical double standard

Re “UC leader defends Davis chancellor” (Page 1A, March 10): UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, in charge of one of the most prestigious University of California campuses, made more than $500,000 from boards of directors, a clear conflict of interest. For this, UC President Janet Napolitano barely slaps her wrists.

Meantime, Bill and Hillary Clinton cash in on speaking engagements from foreign countries that donate to the Clinton Foundation. I can’t even accept a ballpoint pen from a drug company without being scrutinized.

Little wonder so may people are so disgusted at the privileged class. There is just no accountability.

High school taunts aren’t a big deal

Re “Oak Ridge High School basketball spectators accused of racial taunts” (Page 1A, March 11): At most team sport venues a certain amount of boorish behavior can be expected.

Though regrettable, this was just a local high school game. The bad behavior by some hardly qualifies a front-page news. A better story would be something that affects the majority in this area.

High school taunts sign of the times

The obnoxious and obscene racial taunts exhibited by El Dorado Hills’ students are a byproduct of the vulgar discourse emanating from the right side of the political spectrum. Ten years ago Justin Timberlake brought “SexyBack.” Look what the Republicans are crooning these days: bigotry, sexism and xenophobia – but without the armbands and parades. To parody the Geico commercials, if you’re a Republican, you’re constantly angry, consumed with contempt and invigorated by fear and hate – it’s what you do.

We should have built Auburn dam

Californians have cause to be disgusted by the current release of millions of gallons of water from Folsom Lake for flood protection after several years of drought.

Those of us who obeyed Gov. Jerry Brown, and others, let our lawns and gardens die, changed bathing habits and reduced the flushing of toilets. Now we watch enough water to fill our lakes several times roar down spillways and flow into the ocean.

Would that our leaders had the foresight, a few decades ago, to have pushed for the construction of the Auburn dam to provide more than a million acre-feet of storage upstream of Folsom Dam. Then we would not need to drain a lake which for years has been unable to hold enough water to protect us from floods and serve the people who live and work here.

Brown’s water cuts are purely political

Folsom Lake is at 124 percent, Shasta is at 90 percent, and Oroville is at 81 percent of normal levels for March. Add the snowpack runoff and our reservoirs will be full this spring

Gov. Jerry Brown remains silent on why the water restrictions are still in place.

Perhaps they fit his global warming agenda. I’ll be willing to bet that he will still leave restrictions in place even though water supply will be 100 percent. Meanwhile, the feds are dumping water out of Folsom Lake like crazy.

Trump’s flawed torture policy

So Donald Trump has thrown another hunk of red meat to his angry and distressed fan base by calling for the enhanced use of torture. He doesn’t say what particular techniques should be used other than that they should go beyond waterboarding.

Torture profoundly violates the moral sense of decent people worldwide. The U.N. Declaration of Human Rights categorically rejects torture under any circumstances. There is no good evidence that torture yields reliable information about potential threats to the nation.

Which helps explain why torture by the United States and its allies unwittingly served as a recruitment tool for terrorists.

What about Bill Clinton’s behavior?

Re “Parents debate how to explain Trump to kids” (Insight, March 11): How about how to explain former President Bill Clinton to kids? He constantly lied about his unprofessional and adulterous sexcapades.

Donald Trump may boast about “his sexual endowment,” but at least he’s kept his pants zipped.

This story was originally published March 13, 2016 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Letters: Linda Katehi, Hillary Clinton, drought, Trump."