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Independent truckers
lack deep pockets
All your reports on the trucker protest frame the issue as “AB 5 could end their business model.” Stop soft-balling and tell it like it is.
That model is owner-operator, the most prevalent and vital business model in our daily lives. Suppose the state suddenly told a mom-pop grocery they must work for a chain or close their doors? That would “end their business model.” Readers would call this reprehensible; so what about truckers?
Independent truckers mortgage their homes and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their dream. But labor unions donate millions of dollars to politicians, so if they want to upend people’s lives so they can add to their dues collections, the Legislature and governor go along.
Labor unions, teacher unions, almond growers — donate, and the politicians are yours. The Times should give the truckers a break and push Sacramento to exempt them; it’s only fair.
Eugene Paschal
Danville
Walnut Creek doesn’t
make cyclists welcome
You might know me. I’m one of many who are discriminated against. Although my numbers are many, some say a majority, I’m treated as less than — compared to others.
I’m not allowed in places my neighbors are allowed. I’m denied resources — because I’m different. I’m treated like a third-class citizen. Many see me as a nuisance. Some would like to see me banned from everywhere — even the few places I’m allowed to go today.
Nearly everywhere else in California, I have equal access and I’m allowed to enjoy myself — my way. Not in Walnut Creek. In Walnut Creek I’m marginalized, I fear for my safety due to poorly maintained resources and other human-caused conflicts. Some tolerate me, others despise me. Few make room for me. I am the lowest form of recreant in Walnut Creek.
I’m a mountain bike rider.
Clayton Dewberry
Walnut Creek
Electric vehicles
have a silent flaw
My wife and I own an electric car. It’s zippy, fun to drive and of course very cheap to run given today’s gas prices.
However, there is an important drawback. It’s very quiet and pedestrians often don’t hear us coming, especially if they’re immersed in their phones or wearing earbuds. Our neighborhood has little traffic and often people walk down the center of the road. We don’t want to warn them by using our horn and making them jump out of their shoes, so I think electric cars need a different signal.
How about a bike bell sound? Everyone knows what that is and they usually get out of the way. The “bell” would need to be louder than the one on a bike, but it would beat the heck out of the sound of an ambulance’s siren.
Bill Pinkham
Richmond
Moraga does its part
to preserve monarchs
Re. “Beloved monarchs now endangered,” Page A1, July 22:
On July 21 the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared the monarch butterfly an endangered species. For years environmentalists, scientists and monarch-lovers have urged the EPA to make a similar declaration, but the EPA has not, citing other more critically endangered species.
Acknowledging the catastrophic 99.9% decline in the Western monarch population, in January 2021 the Moraga Garden Club began building a 2,600-square-foot monarch habitat at Rancho Laguna Park in Moraga, completed in June 2021. The park, which has abundant milkweed and beautiful nectar plants, educational signage and a 6-foot metal sculpture of a monarch, was gifted to the town on June 5, 2022.
Although no monarchs were previously seen at the park, now there is at least one mating pair laying eggs in this beautiful certified monarch joint venture. Come to Moraga and see what community effort can do.
Bobbie Preston
Moraga
Record schools money
demands accountability
Dan Walter’s “Will more school money improve California’s academic outcomes” should be required reading for the California legislators who are now sending out emails boasting about allocating more money to schools.
There is no mention of accountability to confirm actual results or any guarantees that the money won’t be diverted into purposes that are unrelated to education as has been the case in the past.
Spending money without any accountability is easy but irresponsible governance. We should expect better.
Bruce Schine
San Leandro
Congress must expand,
rebalance Supreme Court
I am furious and deeply concerned that our rogue U.S. Supreme Court is systematically dismantling our democracy. It’s bad enough that they have stripped away bodily autonomy from tens of millions of people, prevented states from passing common sense gun laws and gutted the EPA. Then they announced they will take a case that may give state legislatures the ability to decide election results.
These are fundamental attacks on our government. Congress needs to do something, quickly, while it still can. We’re in a constitutional crisis.
Democrats need to expand and rebalance the Supreme Court and fill every vacancy on the federal judiciary with pro-democracy, pro-choice and pro-environment judges.
We also need to pass the climate reconciliation bill immediately, as we are running out of ways to protect our children from the climate emergency.
Stephanie Dark
Walnut Creek
Source: www.mercurynews.com