Friday's Letters to the Editor

<p class="bold allcaps">Of trains and water</p> <p>EDITOR: So Sonoma County has decided it doesn’t want to ship Marin County the water it agreed to a couple decades ago? I’m curious whether Sonoma County still wants us in Marin County to help pay for the stupid train to ease their commute problems? I suddenly am feeling my generosity toward our neighboring county “drying up.”</p><p>PETER B. NEWMAN</p><p>San Rafael</p><h3>Petaluma raises</h3> <p>EDITOR: Members of our family have attended Petaluma schools since the beginning of the last century. Several, including myself, have taught here. In all this time, we have had cause to be proud of our schools and teachers. We still are. </p><p>Yet, now we are disgusted as well. At a time when the economy is suffering, workers are being laid off, furloughed or asked to take pay cuts, the Petaluma school district has seen fit to grant large raises to several administrators. This, while teachers and other staff are having their pay reduced. Classes are larger. At least one teacher was laid off after school started.</p><p>It appears that canceling these outrageous raises could fund the return of at least one teacher. Come on, board members and administrators, just what are your priorities? How can you justify raises to the highest paid district employees while taking money from teachers, students and classrooms? As for those individuals receiving these raises, how can you face yourselves?</p><p>IRENE COLLINS</p><p>Petaluma</p><h3>Providing insurance</h3> <p>EDITOR: My husband and I own a small business. We view our employees as our most important asset. So we offer health insurance and pay 75 percent of the premiums. Like Sterling Michaels (“Why we’re angry,” Letters, Sept. 10), our payroll is a substantial part of our business overhead. Our comprehensive health insurance plan costs us 4.25 percent of our payroll expense — and that includes insurance for myself and my husband. If Michaels is worried about an 8 percent penalty for not providing health insurance, perhaps he might consider showing his workers that he values them and begin offering a health insurance option. </p><p>CYNTHIA HARMON</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Losing docents</h3> <p>EDITOR: Assemblywoman Noreen Evans’ letter (“Saving parks,” Monday) fuels a concern that I had when the idiotic idea originated to close more than 200 parks, including almost all the ones in Sonoma County, a Democratic stronghold. I sensed political shenanigans then; hitting Democrat-dominated counties hardest shelters the Republicans, since there they don’t have votes to lose. Evans is similarly suspicious that Republicans are seeking exemptions in their own counties, where they do have votes to lose. Why aren’t we furious about this?</p><p>My wife and I have both been state park volunteers, and I continue as one of the piano players at Jack London. Both of us have witnessed in depth the docent programs, at Jack London and in the Russian River to Goat Rock region, where for five years my wife did seal watch. These volunteers are encouraged to participate in ongoing training. </p><p>I add this issue of the inevitable loss of continuity and personnel in any docent program that goes down with any park. There is a sizeable number of retirees in these docent programs. How many of them might return many years downstream to redeem what they can of a long defunct program’s continuity? </p><p>So why aren’t we all in the streets raising Cain about this imminently threatening travesty?</p><p>JOHN DINWIDDIE</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Picking on Wiggins</h3> <p>EDITOR: Regarding Thursday’s article about state Sen. Pat Wiggins and lobbyist gifts (“Wiggins ranks in top 10 of legislators for lobbyist gifts”), I can see the purpose of making this a banner headline if she was running again. But she is not, and she may be ill, and what is the point of flogging her mistakes and faults at this point? I think it’s mean-spirited.</p><p>PAULA SHATKIN</p><p>Occidental</p><h3>It’s still a drought</h3> <p>EDITOR: Your large Saturday headline “Water shortage over, Santa Rosa panel say” was irresponsible. If one took the time to read the article, it is obvious that we all still need to conserve water usage as much as possible. After three years of below average rainfalls, surely it would be best if water conservation was a way of life and not an occasional effort.</p><p>If indeed the water shortage is over, which I doubt, I’m reminded of the boy who cried wolf. Don’t be surprised if none of us listens when the reservoirs really are running dry. How many people turned on their sprinklers and reverted to 20-plus minute showers after seeing your headline? What you printed will likely be detrimental to Sonoma County. </p><p>ELLIE JONES</p><p>Windsor</p><h3>Rising premiums</h3> <p>EDITOR: A headline on the Wednesday business page stated that health insurance rates have increased 5 percent. But my employer-based rates have increased 17 percent, a portion of which I pay. Perhaps this is balanced by my son, who lost his health insurance when he was laid off. How can Americans not support reform of the U.S. health care system?</p><p>CAROL EBER</p><p>Petaluma</p><h3>Generosity in action</h3> <p>EDITOR: I was standing in the checkout line at the Lucky grocery store in Montgomery Village recently. A young mother with two small children was standing off to the side. She had already been through the line, but apparently did not have enough money for the entire purchase. As I waited, a pleasant woman interrupted the checker and asked to pay the remaining amount for the young mother. It was a small amount, yet she paid with a $100 bill. When the checker tried to return the difference, she said, “No, give it to her” and left. Although the mother accepted the gift hesitantly, you could see the sense of gratitude on her face. Daily we read of hard times for many, but I saw generosity in action. </p><p>WES DOERR</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Jones’ downfall</h3> <p>EDITOR: Van Jones was outed for his inflammatory remarks and opinions, not to mention his being an anti-American apologist and an avowed 9/11 truther. You did not learn this from the mainstream media either, as they have abdicated their responsibility for reporting stories like these. If given enough rope, people like Jones tend to hang themselves, contrary to Moss Henry’s assertion about the influence of “right-wing bullies” (“Giving in,”¬Letters, Sunday).</p><p>ROB MILLER</p><p>Santa Rosa</p>