Letters: Bee-killing pesticide | DA’s reform | Antioch positives | PG&E rates | Israel lacks choices
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State should end useof bee-killing pesticide
Especially in California, it can often be easy to take a bountiful agricultural sector for granted. However, with the decline of animal pollinators, the future we leave our children may not be so simple.
Over the past year, commercial beekeepers nationally have lost about 39% of the colonies they manage. These bees are essential for regional and national food production. Locally, bee decline risks staples of Californian agriculture such as almonds and grapes.
This cannot continue unabated. I’m calling for a ban on the needless use of neonicotinoid pesticides for lawns and landscaping. California nearly passed AB 2146 last year before Gov. Newsom vetoed the measure. The proposal isn’t radical — six other states have passed similar legislation — but would have a real impact on bee populations in California.
Gov. Newsom must help keep California ecologically rich and naturally beautiful by limiting the use of harmful pesticides.
Tariq RavasiaBerkeley
Alameda County DAreforming racist system
Re: “Alameda County needs DA who will enforce law” (Page A6, April 26).
Chris Wood seems to have an issue with the word “ideological,” so allow me to introduce him to another term, “systemic racism.”
Historically, the outcomes for people of color who find themselves inside the U.S. criminal justice system don’t always have the same results as our White counterparts. DA Pamela Price’s reform efforts seek to even the playing field.
There are those who don’t want change and will use fear-mongering and other racially motivated tactics to keep the good-ole-boy system of meting out justice in place. Change is never easy. I support Pamela Price. In fact, a lot of people do.
Malik WashingtonDublin
Antioch mayor shouldput focus on positive
The mayor of Antioch needs to focus on all aspects of what makes the city great not just focus on the police.
For example, the highway sign that identifies the L Street off-ramp is riddled with graffiti. It has been that way for several months. Another sign nearby is also riddled with graffiti. While it may not be his responsibility to pay for the new sign it certainly must be in his power to contact the entity who is responsible and get that sign fixed.
We are building new subdivisions that are nice. Do we want that sign directing these potential buyers to be so riddled with graffiti that the driver has to rely on their GPS to figure out what exit to take?
Nora SanchezAntioch
Support law to evenPG&E rate structure
Re: “Customers deride electricity bill plans” (Page B1, April 22).
We all want our power lines fixed after a storm; people who’ve adopted solar don’t want to pay for it.
For years, urban customers have been subsidizing suburban and rural communities. Lower-income, often urban customers have installed less solar and often live in areas with few trees. Meanwhile, high-income customers regularly live in treed residential neighborhoods and have solar. With net metering benefits, solar customers largely stopped contributing to the cost of maintaining and repairing power lines (and pay for environmental programs our laws require to be paid through rates). Everyone else pays when storms fell branches and knock out their power lines, including the lowest income “Care” customers, who pay 70% of the transmission and distribution costs reallocated when solar customers receive net metering benefits.
After years of solar net metering, California has the most regressive rate structure in the country. Let’s support laws that fix that.
Alex PligavkoOakland
Animosity leavesIsrael few choices
Re: “I had feelings of disgust, guilt and shame over Israel’s actions” (Page A8, April 23).
The paper recently published an opinion piece by David Matz where he criticizes Israel for defensive actions to ensure its people’s security. Unfortunately, Matz ignores continual terror attacks against Israeli civilians which leave Israel no choice but to clamp down on Palestinian villages that source terror. He also ignores Israel’s attempt to negotiate a lasting peace that would have formed a Palestinian state under the failed Oslo accords, and the second intifada, initiated by Yasser Arafat, which left thousands of innocent people dead on both sides.
Two weeks ago, a mother and her two daughters were murdered in a drive-by massacre by Palestinian “freedom fighters.” It is a common occurrence. Palestinians celebrated the slaughter by singing and distributing sweets to celebrate the terror attack. How can Israel make peace with those bent on destroying her? Who can blame Israel, or any nation, for taking security measures to protect its people?
Michael JacobsSan Ramon