SN&R Letters 2012-03-01

POS for dummies

Re “Thinking big for dummies” by Cosmo Garvin and Nick Miller (SN&R Frontlines, February 23):

Shame on the sorry souls who wrote this horrid piece of fake journalism. To compare a nonexistent Seattle tax-increase plan to Sacramento’s real, tangible plan is pathetic. I can’t even comment on half of this POS because it looks to be the work of the same idiots who wrote [city Councilwoman Sandy] Sheedy’s push poll.

Stick with smoking pot, SN&R writers. That’s probably the only thing you guys are good at.

Mike Obad
Sacramento

What would Jesus do about birth control?

Re “Contraception” (SN&R Editorial, February 23):

It is amazing that men who are sworn to know nothing about the subject on which they are pontificating (what does a bishop know from personal experience about conception and birth control?) should presume to speak in the name of God on a subject of personal choice and responsibility.

Do the married Episcopal priests who are now accepted in the Catholic Church practice contraception? How large are their families?

Refer to Jesus’ description of the Last Judgment, as recorded in Matthew 25:31-46. He refers to problems that are with us today, including hunger and homelessness. Does he refer to sex?

John Andrew
Gold River

Collusion in gas prices

Re “True price of gas” (SN&R Editorial, February 23):

When it comes to rising gas prices, the problem is not with instability overseas or, as the media like to spout, “supply and demand.” It’s collusion between the auto industry, the oil industry and stock-market speculators that drives prices up to make a fast buck off the working poor.

If you watch the movie GasHole, you will see how the industries have stymied motor technology and stolen real advancements. If you’re not angered and brought to tears by the manipulations of these criminals, then you are doomed to suffer at the hands of the rich 1 percent! The time to revolt against these revolting crooks is now! Say “No more” to the Wall Street elite.

William Suhar
Sacramento

The Supremes and gay marriage

Re “Victory for equality” (SN&R Editorial, February 16):

You really believe U.S. Supreme Court will be in favor of marriage equality? The same Supreme Court that anointed George W. Bush as president?

Gary Miller
via email

Dump the Sacramento Welfare Kings!

Re “Yes, parking for arena” by Tom Ziller (SN&R Guest Comment, February 16) and “Cheerleaders and boiling frogs” (SN&R Letters, February 16):

There is no organized opposition to the arena plan because you didn’t organize it. Nor did I, or anyone else, although someone might have tried.

The NBA is big business. The Maloofs are rich. The average salary of an NBA player is $3.4 million a year. I don’t resent them for their money. I resent them for expecting us to give them our money—public money—again and again and again.

I wouldn’t resent it near as much except for this: “Years of deep budget and staffing cuts have left many (city) departments almost inoperable” (Steve Hansen, candidate for city council). Public pools, parks and community centers have been closed. Fire stations have been closed and police services cut. On top of that, the Department of Utilities plans to raise water and sewer rates by up to 14 percent a year for 15 years to pay for underground-pipe maintenance.

What is going to do more to make Sacramento a better place to live for everyone? A new arena for those who can still afford the prices, or public libraries, parks, playgrounds, pools and community centers for everyone; fully staffed fire stations that are open every day, a fully funded and staffed police department? …

How about investing in the present, in the public, in the communities and neighborhoods where people live now!

Some say it’s too late for the public to vote on this. Says who, the NBA? They don’t run our city! The city council doesn’t take orders from them, do they? …

While they won’t let us vote on this deal because they know we’d vote it down, they can’t prevent us from voting them out of office. Dump the Sacramento Welfare Kings! Who wants to organize that?

Jan Bergeron
Sacramento

Retirees in poverty

Re “No pay hikes” (SN&R Editorial, February 9):

The [county] executives and board of supervisors always get while the rest of the people starve.

When I retired after 25-plus years of service, I was guaranteed full medical and dental coverage for the rest of my life. Now I pay 100 percent of these costs and am expected to live on $649 per month from the county. With my Social Security, I receive less than $2,000 per month. I would like to see these people live on that amount of money.

If something happens to my husband, I will be one of the people living on the river banks or under a bridge. Thanks a lot to our retirement board and the board of supervisors.

Kathryn Scott
Orangevale

Greek analogy

Re “No pay hikes” (SN&R Editorial, February 9):

Not only are raises not needed, but reductions are needed. We, the people paying these wages, have been forced to take pay reductions and reduced hours. Most of us work part time with no benefits or retirement.

Let me repeat that: The people paying all public-employees wages are making less money and the older generation which had higher incomes and retirements are dying. Just like Greece, we simply cannot afford public employees making six-figure incomes or retirements! This is an excellent example of why nobody should be allowed to determine their own rate of pay, especially public employees.

George Selkirk
Carmichael

Men: Keep the putter in your pants

Re “Women should keep their legs together” (SN&R Letters, February 9):

Remind letter writer Tom Orsat that men also have a choice in the decision: Keep their “putter” in their pants except to pee.

Sheila Robinson
Sacramento