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State PG&E takeover
carries its own risks
Clearly, PG&E has a lot to be responsible for due to fires in Northern California, as well as the gas explosion in San Bruno a few years ago.
But you’re talking about a state-of-California takeover (“PG&E takeover needed to end the deadly fires,” Page A12, Jan. 16). The California state government is the same organization that brought you the EDD and DMV, organizations that are notorious for mismanagement.
As culpable as PG&E is for the fires, when the badly mismanaged state-run power system causes a fire through neglect, who are you going to hold responsible? Some mid-level manager will get blamed and then sent off to retirement with his $100,000-plus annual pension.
Russ Button
Alameda
HSR ruling makes ballot
language meaningless
Re. “Newsom’s lie in bid to fund high-speed rail,” Page A6, Jan. 19:
The Third District Court of Appeal, in a published decision, has ruled that what the voters were promised in the 2008 ballot measure doesn’t matter. Big projects always change, and as long as the money is spent on something related to high-speed rail, promises put on the ballot are only a “detail of the construction and financial planning process” that could be brushed aside if it didn’t fit with later planned uses for the money.
The plaintiffs in that case have sought review in the California Supreme Court. If the Court of Appeals’ decision stands, promises made in any large bond measure will become meaningless. Caveat voter.
Stuart Flashman
Oakland
Let Hanford voters
judge impeachment vote
Regarding “Impeachment vote deserves support” (Letters to the Editor, Page A6, Jan. 18), the writer is grateful for Rep. David Valadao’s impeachment vote.
Thankfully, the Bay Area does not vote for Hanford. Let the voters there decide. I anticipate they do not care about Trump’s persona or how the media portrays him, but his policies. If they believe that Trump had a great economy, made the world safer, lowered minority poverty and unemployment to the lowest levels, allowed the rule of law to govern at our borders, and got a vaccine for COVID in a year, so be it.
If they find one thing that Biden has done right, good for them.
Douglas Abbott
Los Altos
Canceling student debt
unfairly transfers wealth
I have previously written to the Times, pointing out that lockdowns and other liberal government restrictions related to COVID have had the consequence of transferring wealth from low-income families (who lost work, child care, meals, and education) to higher-income families (who in many cases just yawned and worked from home).
Now liberals in Washington are talking up a new program to “cancel student loan debt,” which, if enacted, would likely have a similar wealth-transfer effect. All taxpayers will, of course, end up footing the bill for such a program. But notice how those blue-collar workers who went to work right after high school will end up subsidizing those folks who spent up to six years in college, perhaps pursuing a degree in a field that it turns out can’t even pay their bills.
What our country really needs are more truckers, machinists and plumbers, and fewer unemployed gender studies majors.
Mike Heller
Walnut Creek
Attacks on voting merit
verbal fireworks, justice
Steve Koppman (“Heated rhetoric plays role in threat to democracy,” Letters to the Editor, Page A12, Jan 16) stated, “suggesting democracy lives or dies on whether each state allows voting by mail or early voting senselessly exacerbates tension … . (We) need to cool the verbal fireworks.”
It isn’t just GOP state legislation that reduces early voting or voting by mail that is concerning, it’s also the adjoining reduction of drop boxes. Where’s legislation to shorten voting lines in precincts of color?
Isn’t it also the post-election shenanigans that threaten democracy? Five states that Joe Biden won submitted GOP-fabricated electoral college documents(“Trump allies created fake Electoral College certificates,” Jan. 12) for Trump to the Senate. Verbal fireworks and justice are required.
Additionally, some GOP states have granted themselves unprecedented latitude to overturn election results. Aren’t verbal fireworks needed to ensure that latitude is never abused?
Democracy is at a live-or-die tipping point. It goes beyond voting by mail and early voting. I’m good with verbal fireworks.
Barry Brynjulson
San Ramon
Source: www.mercurynews.com