Sunday's Letters to the Editor

<p class="bold allcaps">A bike plan</p> <p>EDITOR: Well, the arrows are flying from each side; everyone is talking but nobody is listening. Where are the solutions?</p><p>Here's one. Since bicycle riders (especially off-road/park riders) have the most to lose, let's get the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, Sonoma bikes shops and any other bike groups together for one big meeting and set up a committee of bike trail monitors.</p><p>These monitors would act as stewards of bicycle riders in the parks and off-road users. They would inform the riders of correct usage and report violations to the appropriate agency. Heck, even take a digital picture or two.</p><p>They could conduct countywide education/outreach programs about correct riding procedure in our parks and bicycle safety overall. Maybe conduct monthly off-road and family-oriented rides countywide.</p><p>And, here it comes — I think a countywide bicycle license is something to consider.</p><p>Your opinion will vary.</p><p>JERRY THOMPSON</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Palin's malapropism</h3> <p>EDITOR: There have been many well-educated and intelligent people who have a way with words and have coined clever phrases. Sarah Palin will never go down in history as one of those people. She ridiculously blundered into the word “refudiate” a la George Bush, because she was too busy at cheerleading practice to learn the difference between “refute” and “repudiate.” I guess the world's most famous quitter and insatiable publicity junkie will always ensure her footing in the public spotlight for some inane reason, making an appearance on “Dancing With the Stars” her next obvious career move.</p><p>NANCI ADAMS</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Shelter firing</h3> <p>EDITOR: I had hoped that we would hear from Amy Cooper (“Animal control chief surprised by firing,” Wednesday). After reading the recent letters and comments, I had hoped that the Board of Supervisors would take steps to investigate the job that Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Neville is doing.</p><p>For years now county animal control has had problems and not a very good reputation for the care of animals.</p><p>It seemed that things were getting better, according to the employees, and Cooper received praise from other executives of animal welfare agencies. She was praised and had improved results. There is something wrong when her superior did not tell her that her performance was not satisfactory. This same superior has not had a satisfactory record if she has not been able to achieve the goals and standards expected in the operation of the shelter.</p><p>It sure looks like a power play and personality conflict. Good managers are judged by the results their employees achieve, not whether they share their superior's management style.</p><p>Nothing will change unless the supervisors take action and review the reasons for the firing and then get input from Cooper.</p><p>R.G. NEACE</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Car insurance</h3> <p>EDITOR: I was surprised at the naiveté displayed by Ronald Lemley in his July 10 letter “Illegal drivers.” Lemley assumes that if an illegal immigrant is allowed to have a driver's license, he or she will automatically also purchase insurance.</p><p>While the state does require a person to provide proof that a car is insured when that person takes a driving test, a driver's license does not have any magical qualities that guarantee that the person will continue to purchase insurance as long as he or she has a license.</p><p>So there is really nothing automatic about the state's insurance requirement. An illegal immigrant could choose to violate the law and drive without insurance just as easily as he or she chose to violate the law by entering the country illegally — or just as easily as he or she currently violates the law by driving without a license.</p><p>JEFFREY BEAN, JR.</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Preventing crashes</h3> <p>EDITOR: I was saddened to read of the fatal accident on Highway 101 that was brought about by an abandoned bicycle in the fast-lane (“CHP: Abandoned bike caused fatal crash,” Friday). In the last six weeks, I have encountered three significant obstructions on major roadways in and around Sonoma County, including a bicycle in the fast-lane of Interstate 80. Luckily traffic was moving slowly each time, and I was able to call the CHP to come and remove the hazards.</p><p>I want to urge everybody to take due care in securing bicycles and other items to their cars and trucks. As we have seen, lack of due care can cost lives.</p><p>I also urge that people promptly report traffic hazards to the CHP; don't assume someone else will. Your call may save a life. Our community has far too many traffic fatalities. Preparing vehicles properly and being conscientious drivers can make a difference.</p><p>EZRAH J. CHAABAN</p><p>Sonoma</p><h3>Who's at fault?</h3> <p>EDITOR: Let's change a couple words in your July 18 article “Payment dispute triggers nightmare.” Substitute “Press Democrat” for “Wells Fargo.” Would anyone think that if I ceased paying my newspaper subscription for 16 months I'd still be receiving home delivery?</p><p>Yet that is the demand of some people these days. Strip away all the bureaucratic problems that are a given with a financial system in turmoil, and rules that change as frequently as the political winds in Washington, and, still, most people understand that if you don't pay your mortgage, you will lose your home.</p><p>No bank forced any of the aggrieved parties here to refinance their homes. Yet they did, taking large sums of money out of their homes and placing each in a financially precarious position should the economy falter or job situation change.</p><p>The last two sentences in the article should have been its first: “The whole thing has been a lesson, a message that she must change her financial practices. ‘We learned it as kids,' she said, ‘that you don't live on credit.' ” </p><p>LYNDON CRAMER</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>Working vacations</h3> <p>EDITOR: This is in response to the Thursday letter by Mike Hawkins, criticizing our president for having taken too many vacations since he took office (“Obamas' travels”). He has taken 65 days while President George W. Bush had taken 120 days at the same point in his tenure.</p><p>Not only that, but many of President Barack Obama's other vacations were interrupted — the trip to Martha's Vineyard by Sen. Ted Kennedy's death, Hawaii by the underwear bomber, the Chicago weekend by the BP oil spill.</p><p>Presidents are under tremendous stress. Already Obama is turning gray. Even when he's on vacation, he's working.</p><p>If I went back through other issues of this newspaper, would I find that Hawkins had also criticized Bush for the many vacation days that he took, almost a third of his entire presidency, or does he only take the time to find fault with Obama? And if so, what conclusion can I draw from that?</p><p>JOAN DENGLER</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>To raise or raze?</h3> <p>EDITOR: Your Tuesday paper shows the madness of the drug wars.</p><p>In one article, you describe how DEA agents are “dropped into” the illegal marijuana farms on the slopes of Mount St. Helena to destroy $48 million worth of marijuana (“Thousands of pot plants destroyed”).</p><p>A front-page article details how the city of Oakland may OK plans for four marijuana factory farms (“Oakland could go for pot in a big way”).</p><p>The government doesn't know what to do about marijuana, obviously. It wants the money from growing it. It wants the money for destroying it. Maybe the government could grow the marijuana and then have its agents destroy it, all at taxpayer expense.</p><p>Put it on reality TV so the citizens get a show.</p><p>TIM McGRAW</p><p>Healdsburg</p>