Letters for June 4, 2015

More on vaping

Re “On your vaping ads” (SN&R Letters, May 21):

Michael Shaw is right to ask whom the self-pitying vaping outlets that bought a two-page ad in SN&R on May 14 are competing with. The answer: They're not competing with anyone, because they're not paying the taxes they should be.

Shaw is right to point out that vaping outlets sell “an addictive nicotine product.” Vaping should be taxed like the government taxes tobacco companies because all addictive substances should be legalized, licensed and heavily taxed. The more addictive the substance, the higher the tax.

As we have so often seen, victims of addiction will pay whatever it takes.

There are two main benefits: Prisons will become less crowded and cheaper to manage, and the government will finally have the money to pay the medical bills of the millions of underpaid Americans that the overpaid health-insurance mega-corporations refuse to insure.

J.O. Daunt

Davis

Amazing interpretations

Re “Performance, painting and police” by Aaron Carnes (SN&R Stage, May 21):

If I were a betting man, I would put up money that Aaron Carnes has never seen David Garibaldi perform, though he is indeed herein writing about him.

Or rather, that if he ever did find himself in such an audience, his reaction and the explanation he offers certainly ran the gamut from A to B. As he wrote: “The most amazing thing about his work is that he does it in front of a live audience.” I disagree.

Having seen Garibaldi live many times I can assure you that the most amazing thing is that until he is finished, you have no idea of what he has painted.

Stu Goldberg

Sacramento

Criminal charges for Kings?

Re “Sacramento arena lawsuit unearths new emails, documents that suggest illegal collusion and gifts to the Kings” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R News, May 21):

Great writeup. Any prospects for criminal malfeasance in office, or other criminal or civil charges, against the mayor, city staff or Vivek Ranadive?

Jan Bergeron

Sacramento

Correction

In the May 28 issue, we ran the same The 420 column that appeared in our May 21 issue. Apologies—we’re human!