Saturday's Letters to the Editor

Palm Drive turmoil

EDITOR: Once again, property taxpayers of the west county have to watch and read as Palm Drive Hospital officials air their dirty linen in public. Yes, keep the hospital running at all costs, but never mind the can’t-get-along-antics of administrators and board members as they run amuck.

It is apparent that consultants have been brought in to give their opinion about how to generate more income and keep this facility going. Did they read the writing on the wall, too? Is that why this billing of $100,000-plus is being challenged?

If the health care district cannot run this hospital smoothly with west county taxpayer money, maybe it should rethink the alternatives and turn it over to top-rated and proven medical providers, such as Memorial Hospital or Sutter Health, and save parcel taxpayers their $3 million a year.

ED MONROE

Forestville

EDITOR: So Madison Hildebrand thinks that “if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space,” eh? (“Taking risks on the river,” Tuesday.)

Well, then, I’d like to know why he isn’t hanging out in Helmand, Afghanistan, instead of lounging around working and living la dolce vita in Malibu and Healdsburg? Although I have frequently lived “on the edge,” I would never have the hubris to publicly state it as my core philosophy. That belief is the hallmark of foolishness.

HANS KINDT

Santa Rosa

EDITOR: Where to begin? In six months, the House of Representatives and Senate has passed an 11,000-page stimulus bill that no one had time to read and put us in debt to a communist country (China) forever. Now, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her minions have an energy tax that will cost us big time and health care that will cost even more. Where does it end? What’s the big rush?

Hopefully the honeymoon is over before the United States is. Doesn’t anyone realize yet that you can’t spend more than you collect? I am sick and tired of career politicians whose goal it is to get re-elected, get rich and shaft the American people in the process.

CHRISTINA MELVIN

Petaluma

EDITOR: I’m sorry to see that resident Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Charlie Bone is leaving the Bodega Bay area (“Resident deputy gets grateful send-off,” Monday). I know how important resident deputies are to any community.

Here in the Anderson Valley, we have been fortunate to have Mendocino County Deputy Sheriff Keith Squires on duty (still active) for more than 30 years. The community is at a loss whenever it loses a resident deputy.

Bone spent time in Mendocino County in the late 1970s and the 1980s and was famous, in fact legendary, for the notes he left after marijuana garden raids. They supposedly said, “We were here, you were not ... Sorry we had to take your pot” We need to bring him back here and assign him to go after the huge indoor growing operations that have evolved the last several years.

DAVID GOWAN

Philo

EDITOR: Pamela Keller (“Asphalt’s effects,” Letters, June 24) worked in construction and expressed a fondness for asphalt.

However, even with modernized equipment, asphalt manufacturing results in toxic emissions, including nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Lead, mercury, arsenic, formaldehyde, ethylbenzene and xylene also are by-products. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that high concentrations of sulfur dioxide can be immediately life threatening and, at lower levels, chronic exposure can be damaging to health. Many asphalt emissions can worsen breathing problems and asthma, and many are likely carcinogenic.

The big picture is clear: Petaluma and other cities, moms, dads, children, visitors to Shollenberger Park regaining health after illness, employees, businesses, biologists, scientists and tourists have all expressed objection to and concerns about locating the Dutra asphalt plant next to Shollenberger Park. I urge the supervisors to act in the highest interest of the public on July 21 and vote to deny the project.

CHERYL JERN

Petaluma

EDITOR: At last the Minnesota Supreme Court has awarded Al Franken his much deserved U.S. Senate seat. Franken won this seat in November by a margin of only 235 votes, thus causing a recount. That was understandable. The recount gave Franken the seat by a larger margin, which should have been the end of it.

However, Norm Coleman, backed by his Republican Party, spent months keeping Franken from his elected post. They forced recount after recount, each of which gave Franken a larger victory. Yet each appeal kept Franken from giving Minnesota full representation in the Senate as required by the Constitution. If only the Republicans had been so adamant about re-counts in 2000.

In a time when decision-making in the Senate is as important as right now, the Republican machine has put their parties’ politics in front of the good of the nation. Because, for those of you who aren’t aware, Franken gives the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority. Now perhaps this country can finally move ahead again.

MARC GROAH

Healdsburg

EDITOR: The situation in Iraq has clearly passed a major benchmark this week, perhaps not appreciated by many Americans who are dealing with their own problems here at home. So I was heartened to read the column by Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani (“Iraq: The mission is not yet accomplished,” Wednesday).

He said there are many challenges ahead for Iraq. But if he is typical of the officials governing that country today, then there is hope for the future that the sacrifices made by both the American and Iraqi people will not be in vain. He seems willing to do his part in making the hard choices and providing the moral courage to help heal that still divided country.

LEONA JUDSON

Sebastopol

EDITOR: When will Californians realize it is time to get rid of the incompetents in Sacramento? They collect their pay and perks while the people get IOUs. What is wrong with this picture? And, while we are at it, get rid of Washington trough-suckers as well.

Do you really think that our politicians are going to use the same “socialized” medical plan as the rest of us? Write them, and tell them you will remember them at election time.

BARRY COMMERFORD

Rohnert Park