Dear Editor,
I am totally despondent over news headlines. The eviscerating of bedrock environmental laws in California by Governor Newsom and state Democrats is shocking. Studies show that the California Environmental Quality Act is not a major barrier to building affordable housing. It rarely stops a development and usually makes it better. Developer profits will certainly rise as well as unhealthy, polluting urban sprawl. The Governor has finally lost my vote forever.
Then the big ugly bill combined with Neanderthal policies from the authoritarian White House will further unravel environmental protection for our forests, deserts, rivers and ocean. Clean air and water and a healthy environment will be seriously eroded.
The remains of our social safety net is being shredded so the rich get richer. It seems that we are going backwards by decades to when ancient forests were clear cut, mining stripped mountains, buffalo were hunted to near extinction and fisheries decimated. Back to the times when the poor and sick were disposable. And when profits, greed and wealth ruled even more than today. How did all that turn out?
Teri Shore, Sonoma
Yeah, it’s gotten to the point where every morning I awake wondering what horrendous decision/situations will be topping the news headlines today; not to mention all the back-page stories of equal dread. How much more of this craziness can the American people take. It’s like deja vu all over again, to quote Yogi Berra.
Less than a year ago South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached when literally millions of citizens took to the streets and descended on the capital demanding his removal when he attempted to declare Martial Law. We were witnessing the power of the people at it best.
There are times when I feel that Americans are too complacent to take on the establishment, to literally demand change. Like lemmings we just take it on the chin and follow the muses of der leader. After all, our government has always provided for us… right?
I, for one, am very fearful of our current president and the MAGA extremists. I would not be surprised to see martial law declared during an uprising by the American people. As citizens we all bare the responsibility of keeping our democracy intact, not to just be here to witness it. This is not a free ride. I suggest paying close attention to those who are in power and watch very closely to what their agenda is. You might wake up one morning to find that your freedoms have somehow disappeared.
There’s a lesson to be learned from the South Koreans
Thank you for for speaking out,Teri
Thanks for your thoughts Gregg.