Letters for October 12, 2017

Thoughts on Vegas

Re “A shameful legacy” (Second & Flume, by Melissa Daugherty, Oct. 5):

As a society, America now faces its greatest challenge since the Vietnam era. We have experienced a collective loss of life of epic magnitude, all within a matter of minutes. As it was during the war in Vietnam, we will carry the images of human combat with us for much of our lives.

During that war, new but delayed images came to us day after day for too many years. After Las Vegas, it will be the images of instant replay. No matter the timing, death is death. Vietnam was senseless, Las Vegas was senseless.

To this day, some of us are still seeking answers to understand that long-ago Southeast Asian conflict. Decades from now, others will still seek answers to understand Las Vegas. For all of us, now is the time to come together. Now is a time to try to heal.

Look around you—people are hurting. Please reach out and listen and talk. As a culture, we have now had our greatest wake-up call. To move forward, we can only turn to reason and turn away from the unreasonable.

Ronald Angle

Chico

‘Master of deflecting’

Re “Act now on guns,” Editorial, Oct. 5):

The Republican Congress has become the master of deflecting common-sense dialogue in order to stay on message for those who pay them to be their spokespeople. When Trump administration EPA chief Scott Pruitt was asked to comment on how climate change was affecting the intensity of the hurricanes that had hit Texas and Florida, he stated that now would be an insensitive time for dialogue when so many were suffering.

When insane gun laws allowed a law-abiding citizen to accumulate a massive arsenal of firepower and 59 people died, Republican congressional leaders reiterated that now is the time for prayer, not the time to politicize the tragic event, which is what Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell immediately did.

Imagine going into your doctor’s office to discuss the results of the tests you recently undertook. The doctor tells you the tests show you have cancer, and when you ask, “What do we need to do?” the doctor replies that now is not the time to discuss it, now is the time to pray. I assume at that point you would change doctors. Isn’t it time we changed the politicians who are negligent in promoting the safety of American citizens?

Roger S. Beadle

Chico

POTUS and Puerto Rico

Re “Not a ‘real catastrophe’?” (Editorial, Oct. 5):

Already, private German company Sonnen GmbH will start installing more energy storage microsystems around Puerto Rico and Tesla’s Elon Musk is sending hundreds of Powerwall battery systems that work with solar collectors in small systems in an effort to get people back electricity as soon as possible. These are common-sense alternatives to rebuilding the antiquated and mortgaged electric grid that was mostly dependent on fossil fuels. These systems can be scaled up to power the whole island.

After tossing some “beautiful, soft” paper towels last week [to Puerto Ricans], the guy in the White House played golf on Columbus Day. He’d already dedicated a trophy to the victims of this fall’s storms at the Presidents Cup, showing his empathy for Puerto Ricans. His EPA administrator denies climate science, plans to repeal the Obama-era Clean Power Plan for the coal industry, and does everything in his power for their main objective, the roll back of all of President Obama’s accomplishments.

Does anyone believe that our government will favor the common-sense renewable alternative over trying to make sure the Wall Street boys get their blood money for the fossil-fuel grid to be rebuilt?

Rich Meyers

Oroville

Speaking of the climate

Seven in 10 Americans believe climate change is affecting today’s weather patterns. Almost half of Republicans say climate change is real, a number that has almost doubled in just the last three years. There are now 60 members on the House bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, 30 of them Republican. Cities across the country, including Oroville last week, have passed resolutions demanding that Congress act to limit greenhouse gas releases.

Attitudes are changing in part because the climate is changing. Record heat waves (San Francisco hit 106 over Labor Day weekend), unprecedented wildfires, hurricanes (such as Harvey and Irma) and flooding on scales we haven’t seen before are making obvious to most what scientists have known for years: The buildup of heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere is warming the planet and intensifying extreme weather events.

Congress needs to pass comprehensive climate change legislation that puts a price on carbon. The best plan is called carbon fee and dividend. If you’d like more information about this proposal, come to Wine Time this Sunday, between 6 and 8 p.m., where Dr. Robert Beggs, the national chair of the conservative caucus for Citizens’ Climate Lobby, will discuss the issue in full.

Gordon Gregory

Paradise

Mind-boggling, indeed

It remains a ceaseless wonder how the mightiest nation in history cannot summon the courage and decency to have already replaced this massive imbecile at the helm.

Kenneth B. Keith

Los Molinos

Looking for transparency

Chico’s lack of 24/7 restroom access is bad enough, but this summer it was made even worse.

Sometime in early summer, AG Security received instructions to begin locking the plaza restrooms at 7 p.m., not 9 p.m.—and this they did. But, at the Internal Affairs meeting on Sept. 11, Public Works Director Erik Gustafson stated that restrooms were open until 9 p.m. This was not the case, as I informed him at the meeting. After the Sept. 11 meeting, AG Security was once again contacted and instructed to return to the 9 p.m. closure time.

Since those living in the public space were deprived of restroom access for many more hours, I’d like to know the origin of the instruction to close early. I’ll guess there are emails. If so, who emailed AG Security? Is this public information? Gustafson was apparently out of the loop. Why?

Since AG Security takes orders from Chico PD, was this yet another tactic meant to drive the homeless from City Plaza? Can we get some transparency so this doesn’t happen again? Mayor Morgan? Chief O’Brien?

Patrick Newman

Chico

More beer, please

Brewfork had great food trucks, however, the breweries ran out of beer early. Standing in line for 30 minutes only to be told they were out. No lighting to speak of and holes in the ground. Very poor planning.

Maybe you should consider selling fewer tickets or have more staff for the breweries as well as more beer. Better lighting is a must. It could have been a wonderful event if these things were taken into consideration. I feel like I threw $36 away. Two hours and two beers. At least people weren’t too drunk—the only plus for this event.

Sandy McMahon

Chico

Correction and clarification

Last week’s feature on Secret Trail Brewing Co. (see “Beer trailblazers,” by Landon Moblad) misstated brewery co-founder Jesse Fischer’s title. He is a partner and operations manager.

In the same issue, the wording in a Newsline about the death of Tyler Rushing (see “On-screen violence,” by Ken Smith) could have incorrectly given readers the impression that Chico police handcuffed Mr. Rushing prior to using a Taser on him.

We apologize for the errors, which have been corrected online. —ed.