We must expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk | Opinion
Expand Berryessa National Monument
“This ridge is considered a California ‘jewel.’ Here’s how tribes are trying to protect it,” (sacbee.com, May 1, 2023)
At the end of 2024, I attended a local community meeting with the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service to discuss the proposed expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. More than 200 people attended the meeting in Woodland, where residents, tribal leaders, elected officials and outdoor recreationists like myself unanimously expressed support for the expansion of the monument to include Molok Luyuk (Condor Ridge), located east of the existing monument.
As an off-highway vehicle user, I believe the expansion of the monument will be a win-win for recreation. We can improve land management and public access to recreation opportunities while making sure these public lands are permanently protected and passed down to our children and grandchildren. I was glad to make my support known for this effort at the community meeting.
I urge President Biden to take action on expanding the monument.
Don Amador
Cottonwood
Customers beware
“California reconsiders new income-based electricity charge,” (sacbee.com, March 1)
It’s misleading to compare the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s $20 infrastructure charge to the proposals for PG&E customers.
SMUD is a much smaller and less complex service area than Pacific Gas & Electric. Given PG&E’s size and customer base, its utility tax should be a fraction of SMUD’s. The proposed $10 per month utility tax cap in Assembly Bill 1999 — with an allowance for inflation adjusted increases — should be more than sufficient. That is, unless lawmakers bow to PG&E’s lobbying power and insatiable appetite to suck their customers dry.
As for SMUD, customers beware. The SMUD leadership is actively talking about hiking their infrastructure charge in coming budget cycles. Remember, in California, rates and taxes only go up, never down.
Lee Miller
Sacramento
Opinion
Delayed safety check
“California is losing its monarch butterfly population,” (sacbee.com, Nov. 2, 2023)
Your health has been at the bottom of California’s to-do list for 13 years. In 2011, state scientists identified 82 pesticides as “high priority” for safety reevaluations. So far, they have reevaluated only nine.
California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation’s budget proposal neglects reevaluations in favor of faster pesticide approval. Tell your legislators to amend DPR’s budget to prioritize safety.
Californians are exposed to 1,052 pesticide chemicals in agriculture, buildings and parks. DPR’s budget proposal promises 3,500 “actions” each year to approve new pesticides. But DPR only commits to safety reevaluations of five pesticide chemicals per year. At that pace, it would take decades to reevaluate even a fraction of California’s pesticides.
We need state scientists working for us, not the pesticide industry.
Catherine Dodd, PhD, RN
Michael Zeiss, PhD
Suisun City
Missing Hax’s witty, insightful columns
“Big business funds Maggy Krell’s campaign, raising concerns,” (sacbee.com, March 3)
I want to strongly second the March 3 letter to the editor entitled “Bring Hax Back.” Carolyn Hax is a witty, insightful columnist whose perspectives are so valuable that I often pose the problems they present to my law school negotiation class. The advice column you replaced hers with is insipid and shallow.
Since a print newspaper no longer can compete in terms of immediacy of headlines, your best bet is to publish high quality writers that your readers want to read. Please bring Hax back!
Claudia Wrazel
Sacramento
Working against consumers
“Proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger is a ‘rotten deal’ for California, argues AG Rob Bonta,” (sacbee.com, Feb 27)
Contrary to the Federal Trade Commission’s statements, blocking Kroger’s merger with Albertsons will actually harm the very people the FTC purports to serve: America’s consumers and workers.
The FTC’s decision makes it more likely that consumers will see higher food prices and fewer grocery stores at a time when communities across the country are already facing high inflation and food deserts. This decision only strengthens larger, unauthorized retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon by allowing them to further increase their overwhelming and growing dominance of the grocery industry.
Paul Bacon
Hallandale Beach, Fla.
