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The funds Prop. 4 are
necessary now; vote yes
Re: “Now is not the time for Prop bonds.” 4 blurred” (Page A6, September 11).
If only we had the luxury of waiting for perfect political and economic conditions to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate crises.
We don’t have that luxury. With each passing day, the costs—measured in human lives, irreversible carbon emissions, diminished quality of life, and dollars and cents—mount. Now is the time to invest.
It is disappointing to see the drafting committee’s position on Proposition 4, a $10 billion climate bond that will invest in proven solutions. Proposition 4 will move us from responding to disasters to preventing disasters before the damage becomes too costly and unmanageable – by preventing wildfires, providing clean water for all, and protecting our forests, our beaches and our coasts.
TOGETHER, Bay Area member organizations are waiting for significant investments, like Proposition 4, to implement more than 150 projects throughout the Bay Area. We encourage voters to vote yes on Proposition 4.
Annie Burke
Berkeley
Re-elect Shelley Clark
for San Ramon schools
I am writing to encourage voters in Zone 2 of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District to re-elect Shelley Clark to the school board this November.
Shelley Clark’s experience and qualifications are extensive. She has the support of a growing list of teachers, librarians and students in the district.
I recently spoke with Shelley and was blown away by her concern for our children, their emotional well-being, and their academic performance.
Let’s make sure our students have the best possible advocate on the board. Vote for Clark in November.
Katie Mahon
Danville
Keep a light on Khosla
disregard for beach access
Re: “Beach Brouhaha Sparks Billionaire Feuds: Musk Trolls Khosla Over Limiting Public Access” (Page A1, September 23).
Many thanks to Paul Rogers for continuing to follow the saga of Vinod Khosla’s refusal to provide access to Martins Beach despite the law.
Like many parents, my husband and I often took our children to this place in the years before it was illegally closed by Khosla. His practice of flaunting a 50-year-old law and denying access to people who may be the children and grandchildren of the employees who built his fortune is nothing short of outrageous.
Huge fines are appropriate, and I hope the courts will have the courage to impose them.
Robbie See
Pleasanton
Newsom must respect
smoke-free protection.
The Legislature recently passed the Cannabis Cafes Bill (AB 1775), allowing cannabis consumption sites to serve food and drinks. Cancer advocates are appalled and are calling on Governor Newsom to intervene.
If signed, this bill would violate Proposition 64, which prohibits smoking marijuana where smoking tobacco is prohibited. It would also weaken and make it more difficult to enforce state law requiring restaurants to be smoke-free. This could reverse many years of progress in protecting our right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.
Second-hand marijuana smoke contains many of the same carcinogens and toxic chemicals found in second-hand tobacco smoke, affecting lung function and increasing the risk of heart disease. We should ensure that tobacco policies are strengthened to cover marijuana smoke.
I am joining the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in urging Governor Newsom to prioritize public health and veto AB 1775.
Pewter tanka
La Fayette
The State must act to repair
lack of family placement
California’s foster care system is on the brink of a crisis. Nearly 9,000 children in foster care could be displaced because of an insurance gap caused by a poorly worded state law. The law unfairly holds foster care agencies (FFAs) responsible for incidents beyond their control, leading insurers to withdraw from the market.
As a pastor who has worked with foster families, I have seen the stability and care these homes provide. Now these children face additional trauma due to government failure. We need the state to act now by providing at least one year of interim insurance, giving FFAs time to recertify and remain operational. It is essential to fix this law so that foster families are not punished for things they cannot control.
Children deserve protection, not bureaucratic failures.
Matt Hall
Martinez
Prioritize human costs
rare polar bear, his life
Re: “A rare polar bear has appeared on the shores of Iceland; the police shot him” (Page A2, September 21).
I was heartbroken to read that the police had killed a polar bear in Iceland. Last week I attended an event in San Francisco hosting Jane Goodall who taught me about the article’s anthropocentric narrative.
First anthropocentric statement: polar bears are a non-native species. But while humans can’t live in Iceland without electricity or heat, polar bears can survive on their own in Iceland.
Second statement: The polar bear was rummaging through the elderly resident’s trash. But in our Tahoe house we have bear canisters to prevent this. The resident was tempting the bear with poor waste management practices.
Third Claim: The story says: “Loss of sea ice due to global warming has led to more hungry bears coming ashore. » Climate change is caused by humans: polar bears are forced, for their own survival, to find other sources of food and a new way of living.
Until we share planet Earth with all living organisms, we will destroy them and ourselves.
Andrea Bloom
Pleasanton
