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PG&E charging for
excess energy unfair
Years back I invested in solar panels. My Net Energy Metering, the annual solar adjustment from PG&E, is negative $1,200 because I produce way more than I use. Without this surplus production, PG&E would bill me. They take the electricity my private resources produce (no consent necessary) and resell it to others.
So I have never owed an NEM — until now. Despite the huge credit balance in my account, I received nothing (they always simply cancel it) and they billed me $100 — essentially making me pay them to take my power and resell it.
I am 100% ready to hang the batteries on the house and cut the cord — in which case the excess power helps no one — but I refuse to be charged for freely supporting the community.
So someone at PG&E, please respond and give me a reason why I should not do this. Otherwise, goodbye.
Stacy Spink
Castro Valley
Negotiating Ukraine
giveaway is nonsensical
Re: “It’s time to end slaughter in Ukraine” (Page A6, Aug. 23).
If I understand Michael Dunlap’s logic, because of the costs and deaths/injuries of the war in Ukraine, the United States should not oppose talks with the Russian government about conceding some parts of Ukraine to Russia and it is time to negotiate. There’s a certain appeal to that if you don’t look too closely.
I guess if the Mexican army were to invade Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California and cause enough casualties and damage, the United States and Mexico should negotiate how much U.S. territory becomes part of Mexico and convert the nationalities of the people living there.
As for the climate crisis red flag, I don’t see the logic in assuming that various governments can’t do two things at once, such as opposing Russian annexation of parts of Ukraine and handling climate mitigation efforts at the same time.
Phil Albert
Oakland
Attorney might talk
Trump into trouble
Attorney Alina Habba is a legal spokesperson for Donald Trump. Her pronouncements may cause Trump problems.
Trump’s lawyers in the federal election interference trial have said that they have so much preparation that they want the trial postponed until 2026. On August 27, Habba completely undercut this position when she told Fox News that Trump won’t need much prep time: “You don’t have to prep much when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
Then a classic Freudian slip on August 31 in a Newsmax interview: “Elected officials have to do what’s popular and sometimes now what’s right. … That’s, I think, why people get nervous about Trump. He doesn’t do what’s popular or what’s right. Or what I should say. I should say he only does what’s right, he doesn’t do what’s popular.”
I am fine with her gaffes, but no wonder she was removed from his legal defense team in July.
Bob Benson
Lafayette
Union dollars drive
government growth
Why do Democrats love ever bigger government at every level? Look no further than labor unions.
The percentage of Americans who are members of private sector unions, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, is now about 10%, which is the smallest on record. (Back in the 1950s, the figure was almost 35%.)
Is there any growth in union membership? A little bit at Starbucks, but mainly it’s in the public sector, such as teachers unions, where about one in every three government workers now belong to a union, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Public sector union members overwhelmingly support Democrats.
And with many union bosses able to make political donations with or without the consent of their members, no wonder that Democrats want the size of government to grow and grow and grow.
Mike Heller
Walnut Creek
Scheme to steal
election is beyond belief
Former President Donald Trump continues to howl about a fraudulent election. With the November 2024 election coming soon, our country needs to have confidence in the election results.
Republicans who continue to make claims of massive voter fraud must explain how this happened on a national scale sufficient to tip the election in favor of Trump or stand charged with sedition and the abuse of our democracy.
Robert Douglass
Fremont
Democrats happy
to disregard GOP voters
Regarding “GOP’s lasting embrace of Trump is disgusting” (Page A6, Aug. 30), the writer contends that the issue of the 2020 election being stolen is tearing our country apart. It is not, anymore than Hillary Clinton telling people Trump stole the election in 2016.
No, what is tearing our country apart is the unadulterated hatred and persecution of a presidential candidate that about half of the country supports. Yes, those millions of deplorable people who are hoodwinked and don’t know anything. We need to set them straight and prevent these people from voting for the candidate of their choice. Democrats should not only run the country, but they should also determine the GOP presidential candidate. Or better yet, can’t we just disenfranchise half of the electorate?
Douglas Abbott
Union City
Source: www.mercurynews.com