Climate coverage
EDITOR: E.J. Dionne Jr.’s May 21 column highlighted the troubling lack of coverage of the climate policies of our two presidential contenders (“Trump is revealing his anti-climate agenda”). The seriousness of our climate crisis should make it a top priority among voters and journalists.
The candidates’ policies could not be more different. Donald Trump would basically shut down all programs aimed at protecting America and the world from ever-increasing climate calamities, even soliciting payments from the oil industry to do so. Joe Biden, on the other hand, has consistently supported and enacted programs that will go a long way toward reducing global heating, including the Inflation Reduction Act and executive actions.
Inflation, wars and immigration are all important issues, but meanwhile extreme weather is pounding our country and the world on a daily basis. Nearly two-thirds of Americans are worried about climate effects on their communities. The next election will be crucial in determining which direction our country goes. We need to hear more about this.
PAUL LARKIN
Sebastopol
Shortsighted decision
EDITOR: Let’s hear it for Supervisor James Gore who voted against changing Sonoma County park rangers from peace officers to public officers (“Policing fight looms,” May 24).
Let me be the first to say that Sonoma County Regional Parks Director Bert Whitaker should be fired for incompetence. His excuse for changing the officer status is, “We need more bodies, and we need to get folks on board in a quicker way.” The current peace officer process requires background checks and psychological evaluations.
Whitaker’s plan is to hire personnel, give them a badge and a uniform without appropriate training or a background check … to save time? Don’t worry, I am certain the county will have time for the ensuing problems and lawsuits that will inevitably occur as a result of this shortsighted and incompetent decision.
Don’t we want a stringent process that ensures we are only hiring people qualified to be in a position of trust and authority as park officers? We can start by firing Whitaker.
RICHARD TAYLOR
Santa Rosa
Recusals required
EDITOR: If Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito do not recuse themselves from all Jan. 6 and Donald Trump appeals, they must be removed from the Supreme Court. Their corrupt behavior and gross bias are beyond obvious.
WILLIAM CAMPAGNA
Cotati
‘Moral issue of our time’
EDITOR: Award-wining journalist Max Blumenthal recently said, “This Gaza issue is the moral issue of our time, this is the Trail of Tears of our time, this is the Middle Passage of our time.” We need to take heed.
Many of our children, young students and some of their teachers worldwide are taking heed and showing us how to stand up for this moral issue of our time. It is a beautiful thing to behold. They are risking their safety, their careers, their future to teach us what it takes to live in a moral and free world, moral and free for everyone. It is time for all of us, especially those in power, to take heed.
What is happening in Gaza today is a continuation of an ideology that has been going on in Palestine for a hundred years. One people is better, more deserving than another. One people can subjugate, kill, drive out another people and take their land. This is the core of the issue. It is not complicated. There is room for everyone in Palestine/Israel who wants to be there. I pray that all who want to live in Palestine/Israel can be equal and free.
THERESE MUGHANNAM-WALRATH
Santa Rosa
Forgiving loans bad idea
EDITOR: The Biden administration has added another $7.7 billion to its funding of student debt relief (“Billions more in debt canceled,” May 23). Certainly, most members of our increasingly complex society would be well-served by education past high school, and providing that with inexpensive (or free) tuition and fees would benefit all. But unilaterally erasing the existing debt of what is now over 5 million people seems bad public policy in many ways.
One rationale for forgiveness is that many of the debts were acquired while attending inadequate or fraudulent schools. Should we also forgive home improvement loans to victims of shoddy contractors? Or should we improve the standards of contractor licensing? And of for-profit schools?
Should we excuse debts for those who haven’t paid back while ignoring efforts of those who have? Is that fair? Or might that discourage others from paying debts, educational or not?
Are we trying to insulate people from their own bad judgments? Will that lead to people making better, more responsible judgments?
While we are trying to combat inflation (too much money chasing limited products and services), we are adding billions of dollars to the nation’s purchasing power.
The $7.7 billion adds to an already ill-advised program.
HANS MATTES
Petaluma
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