Sunday’s Letters to the Editor

‘Biggest environmental mistake’ in history

Editor: Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zelden are going after climate change regulations with a vengeance. They’re proposing to repeal the “endangerment finding,” the legal foundation for regulating greenhouse gases. If they have their way, 31 key environmental regulations from clean air, clean water and climate change would be rolled back. That means more floods, wildfires, droughts and extreme heat. It means more lives lost and communities wiped out. It means more wildlife habitat destroyed.

Scientists are already telling us that we’re running out of time if we want to curb the worst effects of a changing climate. Worse than the Texas flash floods? Or the massive fire in the Grand Canyon? Or the suffocating heat in the East? This summer should make us all terrified of what could come if this administration has its way.

Zelden brags that repealing the finding would be “the largest deregulatory action in the history of America.” It would also be the biggest environmental mistake in the history of this country.

Tell our senators and House members that they need to stop this madness. You can try contacting Zelden as well, but frankly I don’t hold out any hope for him. Or Trump.

— Jane Bender, Santa Rosa

Rising prices are driving down wine consumption

Editor: Paying more for wine tasting does not seem logical to attract more visitors and support wineries. They might start by reducing exorbitant tasting fees as well as bottle prices that seem to increase at every visit. Maybe consider offering discounted tasting fees for locals to increase year-round traffic. Wineries also don’t need an estate chef to prepare expensive food pairings — people are there to taste wine not to have a gourmet meal or a three-hour experience.

If the price goes up, locals and tourists may tend to visit fewer tasting rooms instead of more. Perhaps encourage wine sales by waiving tasting fees with any purchase (not six or more bottles like some places). It’s not difficult to grasp that excessive fees and taxes will take that money away from wine purchases.

Wine club discounts are also becoming a misnomer as members are already paying more with increased bottle prices and a tip line on the receipt that cuts into any discount. We also now pay a recycling deposit on each bottle that you’ll never get back without a major inconvenience.

Hopefully the wine experts who dream up these ideas will realize the actual reasons people have cut their wine consumption.

— Steve and Laura Baker, Healdsburg

There’s nothing funny about the ugly dog contest

Editor: Out of respect for the semi-cruel canine entries in the ugly dog contest, it seems only fair that there should be an ugly owner contest as well, if only to provide some balance (“Perfectly imperfect, Petunia is World’s Ugliest Dog,” Aug. 10). Contestants would not be required to have a contender in the ugly dog contest; ownership of any dog will do. Who’s laughing now?

— Wayne Gibb, Forestville

County should declare itself a sanctuary

Editor: After reading about the hunger strike outside the Board of Supervisors building, I was curious to learn more about why local faith leaders are taking this big step (“Sonoma County immigration advocates launch hunger strike,” Aug. 6). I know it’s not for the fun of it. I’ve been following the “sanctuary county” debate since spring, and I wasn’t sure where I had landed on the issue.

On one hand, I could see the points offered by the supervisors — that we as a county should lay low and not draw attention from an administration that loves making a spectacle. But after reflecting on this moment and seeing that San Diego County (a much more conservative place) has taken declared itself a sanctuary, I remember what it means to have courage. I am now in full support of the hunger strikers. This is a moral question, and I am convinced that declaring Sonoma County a sanctuary community is the right thing to do. I encourage each supervisor to meet with the strikers and hear their points.

— Joey Smith, Santa Rosa

We cannot be silent about starvation in Gaza

Editor: “We are just numbers.” That’s how it feels reading about a child starving to death in Gaza — a baby, Esraa Abu Halib’s daughter, who weighed less than she did at birth. She was taken to the pediatric department at Nasser Hospital, but it was too late. She was already dead.

How is it possible that we, as human beings, allow this to happen — and worse, that some actively support it? Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced two resolutions to block specific weapons transfers to Israel. These measures could have prevented more horror, but they were defeated. California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla voted in favor of sending more ammunition to Israel, further fueling this humanitarian catastrophe.

As I imagined what it must feel like for a mother to watch her child die of hunger, I couldn’t stay silent. What if it were your child? As women — mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers — we must stand up. Our children are the future. If we stay quiet while this continues, what kind of future are we allowing to take shape?

— Elaine B. Holtz, Santa Rosa

Who pays, and how much, for SMART?

Editor: I’m pleased SMART ridership has increased (“SMART moves to the forefront of North Bay transit,” Aug. 10). But I and others want and expect to know more. Might extending free ridership play a part? Everyone under age 18 and over 65 rides free. What percentage of riders pay any fare? Do fares pay even 10% of operating costs? Voters will soon be asked to extend taxes in support of our train service. Will The Press Democrat be a source of information or cheerleading?

— Lyndon Cramer, Santa Rosa

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.