Monday’s Letters to the Editor

Stick with online classes

EDITOR: Recent negotiations have left students, teachers and families of Santa Rosa City Schools with promises of switching to a hybrid learning model (“Deal struck on return to campus,” March 6). Proponents of hybrid learning say that the model will provide students with the social enrichment they need. However, the many problems this plan will bring outweigh any benefits.

The proposed hybrid schedules only allow students to be on campus for a few hours each week. School start and end times often interfere with average work schedules and will inevitably leave many parents in crisis.

Since schedules would dictate that students still sometimes attend school virtually, teachers would be required to concurrently teach two groups of students — those in the classroom and those at home. Altering lessons to simultaneously fit both formats would prove to be nearly impossible.

The confusing and inconvenient schedule coupled with an endless pile of logistical issues would cause the quality of academic instruction to slip.

Online school and the pandemic are not ideal for anyone. However, hybrid learning is not the answer to the educational problems caused by COVID-19. At this point, distance learning is the only viable option.

EMILY RICHTER

Santa Rosa

County and cannabis

EDITOR: How is it possible that the supervisors are considering an ordinance that would allow more than 65,000 acres of commercial cannabis to be grown outdoors in Sonoma County (more than our current winery acreage) and amends the general plan, giving cannabis right-to-farm privileges that don’t exist at the state level (no permit hearings, no neighbor notification, no nuisance restrictions) with no California Environmental Quality Act review required, and The Press Democrat doesn’t mention it?

Please let your readers know that after two or three years of working with cannabis industry representatives, county staff gave residents one month, which ends Thursday, and four virtual town hall meetings to participate in the process.

We’d appreciate an article on all the ordinance details and changes to inform people about this important change to our county culture, appearance, safety and smell. How about it?

PAUL DECKER

Petaluma

Protect the environment

EDITOR: It’s exciting to witness environmental-protection legislation being enacted at the state and federal levels. I hope we can work together to increase bipartisan support for such legislation, as economic and ecological health go hand in hand.

Specifically, I ask legislators to safeguard our state’s natural places, including grasslands, coastlines, forests and water bodies. These are beloved by residents and visitors alike, contributing valuable tourism money to our economy. They enrich our physical and mental health when we hike, bike, recreate and soak in their beauty.

Imagine the possibility of protecting 30% of America’s wild and scenic lands by 2030. This commitment is being adopted by other countries as a way to protect humans and biodiversity.

Fostering the health of wild species is essential. They provide valuable ecosystem services, such as pollination. I hope state elected officials, including our governor, will safeguard bees and other pollinators (and thus our food supply) by funding native plant gardening incentives and banning bee-killing pesticides.

We can exercise our citizen power by nixing pesticides and other harmful chemicals from our gardening routine and increasing the native plant quotient of our yard. Pollinators, other wildlife and the whole ecosystem will benefit.

REBECCA CANRIGHT

Sebastopol

GOP cancel culture

EDITOR: I think we can all see what the Republican Party platform is going to be for 2024: cancel culture. I’m sure they’re already in negotiations with Mr. Potato Head’s manager, as Mr. Potato Head appears to be the face of the Republican Party going forward. Apparently addressing the dire needs of millions of Americans, many of them their own constituents, is too insignificant for Republicans to seriously address.

And please tell me what it is when Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz flies all the way to Wyoming in an attempt to cancel out his colleague, Liz Cheney, or when multiple state GOP committees censure their colleagues for voting their consciences.

If you are Republican, and do not worship at the altar of Donald Trump, Republicans have proven they have no problem eating their own. No cancel culture here.

There are three things Republicans are really good at (and no, legislating is not one of them) — obstruction, deflection and hypocrisy. The latter they have truly mastered.

LAURA GROSS

Petaluma

‘Neanderthal’ Biden

EDITOR: So, Joe Biden chastised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi for their “Neanderthal thinking” in reopening their states, completely lifting the mask mandates. Now, I think both governors and a few others should have held off on these pronouncements and taken smaller steps in the opening process. Maybe, Biden was right and, then again, he may be wrong.

But I think Biden is a charter member of the Neanderthal thinking club for his opening of our southern border to illegal immigration. A number of these undocumented immigrants never got COVID-19 tests at the border, and it wasn’t until they crossed the lines that they tested positive. Now, American taxpayers are on the hook for paying the housing, feeding and any needed medical care for lawbreakers.

It seems that the Neanderthals have put another one over on us chumps. Will it ever end?

RONALD CROWLEY

Cotati

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.