Letters for September 14, 2017

Farm to Fork: silly and too short

Re “Diner of the dead” by Becky Grunewald (Dish, August 10):

Ms. Grunewald’s comment about not using the term “foodie” to describe oneself really hit home with me. I am a gourmet cook. I prepare food for friends who like good food. Not a one of us is a foodie. My beer-drinking friends like quality beer—this does not make them “beer geeks.” And while on the subject, all of these wannabe bartenders who make “craft” cocktails; give me a break. I do not require a rosemary, rose water and rose blossom in my cocktail. It is called bourbon & branch (wild turkey and spring water). In closing, this so-called “farm-to-fork” thing just makes us look silly.

And one last shot: This “dinner party” on the bridge needs work. Way too many people are being shut out of this thing. This event needs to be held more than once over the course of a long weekend.

John Orrin Gann

via sactoletters@newsreview.com

Respect the river

Re “Inanimate objectives” by Cynthia Spencer (Essay, August 31):

I found myself growing angry at the conclusions while agreeing with the main points that the homeless problem has grown exponentially, people are more important than things, and politicians have patted themselves on the back while having no new real ideas on what to do.

I fished the I-80 green bridge up to Watt Avenue in the 1970s, concentrating on the area below the Fair Oaks/ H Street bridge. A devoted yet not spectacular fisherman, I caught striped bass, steelhead, American shad, and an occasional salmon. This May I parked and tried to access my time-tested “hole” and was prevented by a newly formed camp of homeless. I could no longer get down to the river via my trail because a tent the size of my kitchen and dining room combined intervened. On the city side of the levee, 20 to 40 people had thrown up tents against one of the buildings, and the place was trashed like I have never seen.

The river is not a “thing.” Rivers are the source of life and should be respected as such. The Nisenan Maidu people thrived along the American River for centuries. May we continue to be good stewards of the river in our personal lives, help those we can, homeless or not, not get ahead at others’ expense, and not ignore problems because they are so obvious. I write this out of frustration because I feel no one gives a crap.

James Kramer

Sacramento

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Say ‘no’ to pork

Re “An eye for an eye” by Marc Perkel (Letters, August 31):

To suggest that the good people from Texas would deny aid to fellow Americans is downright hard to swallow. The gent from Gilroy should have added that the Sandy relief bill had been commandeered and turned into a pork barrel … over $50 billion, which a large portion of the appropriations had nothing to do with the aid package. Texas objected and was right to vote “no” to such corruption. It passed, of course.

Joe Rothwell  

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Love, don’t judge

Some tidbits of love, happiness and truth to counteract and dispel Donald Trump’s hate, ignorance and lies. Hey Donald: The more one judges, the less one loves. The most powerful force on earth is love. Great truths and great achievements involve great risk. It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness; you ought to know that. How about this Donald? Do all things with love. Try to be the president for all Americans like you promised.

Ron Lowe

Nevada City

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