Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Sept. 11, 2023
State wildfire policies need to be changed
California’s current fire regime, like most of the nation, appears to have been formed in the process of burning off forest and other natural cover to make way for agricultural and pastoral uses.
Continued burning in many industries, like the annual burning of rice fields or of clear-cut logging operations, have contributed to the fire-adapted landscape we have now.
Unfortunately, I think these various uses have shaped our wildlands for burning. It is off-base to solely blame government policy. It is true that governments have also had a hand in this process. Historically, our government has attempted to suppress wildfires.
According to the online data platform Statista.com, California spent an estimated $1.2 billion in fire suppression processes in 2021-22. Past calls for a “let it burn” policy have been ignored due to the tremendous push to develop wildlands for housing, farming, energy production, mining and recreation.
We should stop building in the wildlands, especially in wildland urban interface regions. Additionally, considering that over 80% of wildfires are started by human activity, we must limit the use of open space as recreational areas.
Just “letting it burn” by stopping all government fire suppression tactics is a bridge too far, even though doing so is likely the only alternative to the current waste in government efforts.
As climate change drives more intense and larger fires, it will become increasingly necessary.
— Niccolo Caldararo, Fairfax
With crime rampant, we need to amend the law
The 2014 state election included a proposal to raise the floor on felony punishment for shoplifting and related crimes to $950 per occurrence. California voters passed it with nearly 60% of the vote. However, according to secretary of state data, only Marin and San Francisco counties voted in favor Proposition 47 at a rate of 80% or higher.
Many believe the law has directly led to this unprecedented and brazen crime wave. Isn’t it time for our elected state legislators to amend this law?
Marin and San Francisco voters should realize we reap what we sow.
— Val Hornstein, San Rafael
It is long past time to reject Donald Trump
On Aug. 24, the four-times indicted and defeated former president said it was a sad day for America. Donald Trump is right. It is a sad day when a man who swore to protect our Constitution had to be indicted for apparently trying to overthrow the Constitution so he could stay in office.
Trump has always been a sore loser. Before both the 2016 elections he tried to undermine the faith of Americans in our elections when he said that if he lost it would mean that the elections had been rigged.
In 2016, after he lost the Iowa caucus to Sen. Ted Cruz, he made unsubstantiated claims and accused Cruz of rigging the caucus. He stooped into his personal sewer of insults and accused Cruz’s father of being involved in the assassination of President John. F. Kennedy. I think Cruz was right when he said that Trump is a pathological liar.
When Trump got into the White House he formed a commission to investigate illegal voting in 2016. His handpicked commission found not one shred of evidence to support his lies.
I wonder how long America’s Republicans are going to support Trump. Remember that even after being told that he had lost the 2020 election, he seemed ready to stoke the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. When will Republicans open their eyes to the history of this severely damaged man and reject his cult?
— Jan Bauman, San Rafael
Key details about Georgia election investigation
In his recently published letter, Rick Johnson mentioned a report about 1,000 “double voters” in the 2020 Georgia primary held months before the November presidential election.
Johnson failed to mention that an investigation concluded only one of the voters had any bad intent with the double votes. History shows that elections frequently have some accidental double voting with mail-in and in-person Election Day voting.
I would hardly compare accidental double voting in a primary with the attempts by Rudy Guliani to overturn a free and fair presidential election. His accusations have been proven time and again to be ludicrous.
— Michael Sillman, Larkspur