Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Dec. 6, 2023

SMART needs to take closer look at freight plan

As reported in a recent article on Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District management of freight trains (“SMART leans toward gas tanker storage to regain revenue,” Nov. 17), it is clear to me that our Measure Q sales tax dollars are being used to subsidize freight operations in the North Bay rail corridor.

Based on SMART’s staff report, this subsidy is costing SMART between $500,000 and $700,000 every year in lost revenues. The subsidy is the result of the SMART Board of Directors’ 2021 decision to give up the revenues earned from parking tanker cars on their track in Schellville at the southern end of Sonoma Valley.

Tanker cars are parked for various periods on rail right of way to store the substances in the tanks for use by local industries. So, the number of tanker cars parked at any one time is a function of the demand storage by industry, not decisions by the directors.

In essence, the only effect of the SMART board’s decision was to move the cars to some other privately owned track, where the owners of that track are now earning parking revenues once earned on behalf of Marin and Sonoma taxpayers.

— Mike Arnold, Novato

Right now, water district must focus on supply

MMWD officials just announced it is developing a five-year plan for watershed stewardship (“Marin Municipal Water District develops five-year strategic plan,” Nov. 30). While the five objectives of this plan seem very nice, I question its importance.

Marin has a much more important job of providing a reliable and sustainable water supply. After many years and millions of dollars spent on multiple studies, we have yet to implement plans for providing adequate water in years of low rainfall.

Yes, habitat restoration, hiking, biking and so on are wonderful. But at what cost? Are we going to pay millions for more studies? I urge the MMWD Board of Directors to first solve the problems of a reliable water supply. We can do without the extras until the water supply plan is implemented.

— Alan Blumenthal, Corte Madera

Removal of Hamas critical to next steps

The Hamas massacre of noncombatants in Israel on Oct. 7, as well as its aftermath, returned focus to several critical issues: First, how can Israel protect its citizens from such barbaric actions? Second, how can the Palestinians in Gaza improve their lives? Third, how does Hamas affect solving the first two issues? And, finally, is antisemitism involved in the resolution of these things?

Hamas has boldly reaffirmed its charter, calling for the extinction of Israel and the Jews that reside there. Hamas promises more attacks until the Jews are gone.

Demonstrations erupted on U.S. campuses and elsewhere blaming Israel for Hamas’ actions in response. It’s true, threats and aggressions against Jews have exploded in the US and elsewhere.

Hamas is different from the best interests of Palestinians. Hamas brutally suppresses any opposition to its authoritarian rule of Gaza. It ruins Gaza’s economy by diverting humanitarian and economic funding to its military efforts. Hamas are clearly prepared to continue to use Gazans as human shields.

To negotiate improvements in the Palestinians’ lives, we need negotiators who are not committed to the destruction of Israel. Such moderates surely exist. They must be allowed to speak publicly without retribution from extremists. A new approach is needed to break the cycle of Hamas attacks, Israel responses and world pressures on Israel to stop its military efforts.

Removal of Hamas is the critical piece. Handled properly, a transitional government could improve Gaza’s economy and facilitate rational negotiations with Israel.

For the integrity of the resolution process, it must not be tainted with antisemitism. Attacks and threats against Jews must be opposed. Each of us should communicate our personal support to our Jewish friends. They are facing trying times here and elsewhere.

— M. David Minnick, Kentfield

Nothing antisemitic in calling for a cease-fire

I was sad to see that some believe calling for a cease-fire in Gaza to stop the killing of innocent people is antisemitic. Many Jewish Americans across the country have been calling for a cease-fire.

Jews in New York took over Grand Central Station to call for one. Jews have sat in congressional offices urging their representatives to call for a cease-fire.

No, a cease-fire will not bring back the 1,200 Israelis who were killed in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, nor will it bring back the 11,000 Palestinians, some of them women and children, who were killed in the Israeli response. But it will end the carnage that is enabling antisemitism around the world, including here in the United States.

— Jan Bauman, San Rafael

Consequences for bridge shutdown should be dire

Let me see if I understand this correctly: A group of protesters, to seemingly advance their political agenda, intentionally planned and completely obstructed our region’s busiest traffic artery (the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge) for hours during rush hour (“Protesters escalate stakes, traffic impacts with shutdown of Bay Bridge during APEC summit,” Nov. 17).

They likely prevented thousands of law-abiding citizens from attending work, school and medical appointments. In general, the protesters created havoc and civic chaos.

According to early reports, there were 80 arrests, with only one person booked. Those are minimal consequences. How do the authorities think this won’t be repeated? I think this sends a message about the concerns of the majority of law-abiding citizens.

— Val D. Hornstein, San Rafael

CPUC, PG&E relationship needs to be investigated

I would like to add to Sally Seymour’s excellent letter to the editor concerned about rates Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is now allowed to charge.

Southern California Edison is setting a model that PG&E should follow. According to my research, it appears to deal safely with dryer regions (including Los Angeles County) while keeping its rates lower than PG&E. Unlike PG&E, SoCal Edison does not have a track record of starting deadly fires.

Now is the time for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review the actions and inactions of the California Public Utilities Commission regarding PG&E. The commission is a check-and-balance group. It should be engaged when our governor and state politicians fail to regulate the CPUC when it fails to regulate PG&E.

The feds should start with a review of PG&E’s donations to state politicians, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Newsom family’s foundations. Then, they can interview the CPUC members about possible promises from PG&E that could be considered conflicts of interest.

The commission needs to investigate the PG&E executives who made the decision to funnel money away from powerline maintenance, and who were untouched for their actions and are now retired, living off the profits of those decisions.

There needs to be a review of how much of the new rate increase includes the fines for PG&E’s 85 felonies (85 people killed) from the fires caused by its faulty powerline maintenance.

Also, how much of this rate hike goes to advertising, lobbyists and the bonuses and salaries of executives? Seymour was right to point out that $51.2 million to Patricia Poppe for being PG&E’s CEO in 2021 sounds outrageous. The feds need to make PG&E accountable to the citizens of California instead of to its shareholders on the New York Stock Exchange. I urge all of us to ask Rep. Jared Huffman to investigate the CPUC.

Finally, when you see a PG&E line crew, thank them for risking their lives for us.

— Curtis Panasuk, Sausalito