Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
Agriculture’s greed
pinches water supply
Re. “The importance of California’s agricultural water supplies,” Page A6, Jan. 4:
This article fails to mention California farmers are multibillion-dollar corporations that only care about money. These corporations depleted groundwater levels to a point where the aquafers can’t be replenished due to ground settlement, and now they want our surface water.
Regarding almonds, what is not mentioned is 70% of California almonds are exported. One individual Stuart Resnick and his almond crops consume an estimated 100 billion gallons of water a year, equivalent to what San Francisco’s residents consume in a decade. Imagine, “poor farmer” Stewart Resnick (worth $5 billion), using enough water in a year to supply San Francisco for 16 years to supply almonds to foreign countries.
California needs to take back its water from these megabillion-dollar corporations. We need our water to restore our rivers and our quality of life. California residents are required to conserve water, but only use 5% of California’s water. Save California water for Californians.
Johnny Johnson
Danville
Public needs more detail
on COVID transmission
I am tired of reading how coronavirus-infected celebrities and others of fame state they are OK when what I really care about is who they were close to and who else might be infected. It seems to me that without compromising privacy concerns, general statements could be made of behavior that may have resulted in infections. We could learn from this and save more lives.
There is such a large database. The paper should publish, rank and rate the suspected behaviors that lead to infections. Going mask-less, or not wearing a mask around mask-less and unvaccinated people is obvious, but one wonders if it could be more specific. Where do people get COVID? One wonders how do indoor events, churches, schools, airports, airport bars, restaurants, stores or movie theaters fare.
Donald Jedlovec
Fremont
Having toy guns didn’t
influence adult opinion
Re. “Toy guns as gifts teach poor lesson,” Page A16, Dec. 5:
I grew up with toy guns. I had a lot of fun playing cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers, as did everyone in our age group.
Fast forward to age 14. My grandfather took us rabbit hunting. I was excited. And then I saw him shooting at a poor defenseless rabbit. I was appalled.
Since then I have been turned off by guns and have no desire to ever be around them. I don’t think my enjoying childhood fantasies had any influence on my current thoughts concerning guns. Fun and games and reality are not that hard to separate as we mature.
Jan Brandt
Antioch
Gender politics at heart
of abortion debate
I wholeheartedly agree with the letter to the editor of Dec. 10, “Endless abortion debate distracts troubled nation.” (Page A6)
Much time, energy and politicking have been spent peering into the private business of a girl or woman and her uterus. I guarantee that if men were the child bearers — the ones to conceive, carry and birth babies — their individual right to choose would be embedded and granted automatically through their (White) patriarchal privilege. Further, their ability to seek a safe, affordable and in-state abortion would be assumed as a non-issue.
Sharon Brown
Walnut Creek
New laws benefit
mobile-home owners
Re. “New laws: Housing, police, mail ballots,” Page A1, Dec. 31:
Here are two more new laws for mobile-home owners in the state. AB 861 allows mobile-home owners to rent their homes if the park owner rents homes in the park. This law means residents and park owners have equal rights to this economic necessity or benefit.
Also effective Jan. 1 is AB 1061 (A. Lee). It prohibits outrageous and unfair charges for water service in parks. Charges are limited to actual water use plus fair charge for the water meter.
Mobile home residents and park owners can find more on each law at the state’s legislative information website. These laws affect many of the approximately 400,000 mobile homes in the state. Thanks for the recent article on new legislation for 2022.
Henry Cleveland
Aptos
Source: www.mercurynews.com