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Carbon fee will
incentivize EV sales
Re: “Electric, hybrid cars reducing carbon footprint in region” (Page A1, April 4).
For California to meet its goals on climate change we have to be all electric. Success requires us to double our current emission reduction rates.
One surefire way to eclipse those goals is to introduce carbon pricing into the economy. A revenue-neutral carbon fee with cashback would grow American jobs, improve public health and drive down carbon emissions by incentivizing more people to make the switch to electric vehicles.
What is the price we pay for not pricing carbon emissions? Cheap gas results in urban sprawl, long commute times and increasingly polluted air. One way to solve all three problems and achieve our climate-change goals is to support a carbon fee and dividend. As a bonus, we will see more cybertrucks on the road. They are so pretty.
Carlos Rodriguez Santiago
Mountain View
Utilities are bleeding
Californians dry
Every time I turn around another state-regulated company is fleecing California residents. First it was PG&E who demanded the PUC raise rates by over 20% this year. Now San Jose Water is asking the California Public Utilities Commission to allow average water rates to increase by 22% over three years beginning in 2025.
These for-profit companies should not be allowed to increase rates on the backs of hard-working residents. PG&E neglected wildfire mitigation and now wants residents to pay for their mismanagement. San Jose Water wants residents to pay for their “unforeseen costs.”
Enough is enough. There is no money left. Between the high cost of housing, food, insurance and transportation, the average Californian is tapped out. And to add insult to injury all these companies pay executives lavish salaries while demanding struggling residents pony up.
Nina Seth
San Jose
Water still being
wasted at restaurants
I dine out regularly, and most of the restaurants I dine at automatically bring water to the table without my asking.
I always tell my server that I feel they should say to all diners, “Let me know if you’d like water.” They usually agree with me that that is a good idea, then do nothing different as more diners arrive. Water is often left untouched at the end of meals. Water poured out, glasses washed, repeat cycle.
Can’t the city put some teeth into an “official request” to restaurants? Surely the owners would like a smaller water bill. There’s just so much waste.
Lynda Martinez
San Jose
Proud to be a
California resident
Re: “California is ‘not really American.’ Thank you” (Page A9, March 31).
I feel the same way Joe Mathews does, that I am not an American but could not be prouder that I am a Californian.
Joe describes how many Americans, especially conservatives, across this country believe our state is in decline, is anti-democratic, filled with rage and violence and is less than American.
So, if being in support of California’s position on women’s rights and reproductive rights; our extension of health care insurance to all Californians; our higher-than-American standards for fighting climate change and improving air quality; our commitment to effective gun control; and our protection of immigrants and their rights means that I am not really an American, then I will take being a Californian over being an American any day and would not want to live anywhere else.
Peter Schmidt
Santa Rosa
Women’s rights
are human rights
I cannot emphasize the importance of women’s rights enough.
First, we’ve decided to overturn the right to an abortion, and now, we’re thinking about taking away the FDA-approved abortion pill? People need to realize that we don’t just use the pill for abortions. They help with miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies as well. To take that safety net away from women would be a violation of human rights.
As our knowledge grows on reproductive rights, our country continues to divide due to controversy of opinion. This also tears at my heart considering the “one nation” that society builds upon is dividing. I acknowledge that at the end of the day, we all have our opinions, but don’t take away a human right based on different opinions: That’s helping no one. Our country needs to come together and unite for the best interest of human rights.
Emma Davidson
San Jose
How to punish
a talkative Trump
Re: “Judge expands Trump’s gag order to halt attacks” (Page A2, April 2).
A gag order is useless unless it has enforceable and meaningful consequences.
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While a $25,000 fine may seem like a lot of money to most of us, it’s a mere nuisance for Donald Trump. Locking him up might be “equal justice under the law,” but is unrealistic for many reasons.
For Trump, an active presidential candidate, how about the following consequences for a gag order violation:
1. An ankle bracelet (that he can show off at rallies)
2. Surrender his passport (more as a symbol than for a flight risk)
3. Restrict travel to only mandatory court appearances and court-approved major campaign-related events (so that he can’t claim election interference)
4. And the most punitive one; impound his golf carts and do not allow any golfing (with the exception of mini-golf)
Barry Bronson
Saratoga
