Monday’s Letters to the Editor

Male responsibility

EDITOR: So, with the Texas law, it appears that men want to take control of women’s decisions about whether to have a child. In that vein, why don’t men take all control of this issue? How about a law saying that any man who has sex must wear a condom unless he and the woman involved intend to conceive a child? In a case where this was not discussed, if the condom fails, he would have sole responsibility for care of the unintended child. It seems like a simple solution for men to take control of this issue. We’re tired of men not being part of the solution and not taking care of the children they conceive. It’s so very old.

SHERALYNN FREITAS

Santa Rosa

Get the full story

EDITOR: I hope the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol will give us closure on who aided and abetted the rioters and who defended Congress and our democracy. The role of two principals should be fully clarified. First, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who seems to have a different story every other day about what happened and what he did. Second, former Vice President Mike Pence. who, despite immense pressure from the president and the mob searching for him, certified the election of President Joe Biden. His actions saved our republic, and I have never heard the full story about his actions that day (e.g., did he have support, or did he act alone?). The full story will clarify the extent of his role in saving our republic

JON YATABE

Bodega Bay

Shameful recall

EDITOR: Enough is enough. How low can Bill Gallaher go? The fact that he has radio ads and pamphlets berating District Attorney Jill Ravitch’s brother as if it pertains to her is disgusting, hurtful, irresponsible and disingenuous, but most importantly a lie.

Gallaher’s campaign to recall Ravitch is vengeful, ruthless, unforgiving, vindictive and filled with half-truths and lies. Her brother happens to have been a member of a car club, and a lawful rally was being held in Napa County. He committed a minor infraction, which sadly caused the death of his friend. Jill Ravitch had nothing to do with any subsequent prosecution or defense.

As a matter of fact, if he had a different last name, he may never had been prosecuted for the traffic accident. To suggest that his sentence was lenient because of her title is ridiculous and an outright lie.

Gallaher is a pitiful rich bully. Couldn’t his riches be better spent on things this community really needs, like affordable housing? Oh, that’s right. He apparently saves that for friends and relatives.

KATHLEEN POZZI

Santa Rosa

Zombie energy

EDITOR: How best to stop this cockamamie coal train (“Fight brewing over coal train,” Sept. 4)? I’d sit on the tracks if it came to that. But it needn’t, not if we go to cclusa.org/senate and ask our members of Congress to support carbon pricing in the budget reconciliation. Projects like coal trains, Keystone XL, even the Petaluma gasoline superstation are hanging by one financial thread: the assumption that someone else will pay the spiraling costs of their pollution. Enact a law that makes coal and oil companies pay people in advance for that pollution, and that thread snaps.

Simple calculations show that carbon fee and dividend bills, like those co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Huffman and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, would double the cost of power plant coal in the first year alone. It would continue to rise steeply. Meanwhile, the International Renewable Energy Agency reports that utility solar costs declined 82% over the past decade, a trend they expect to continue.

When President Joe Biden signs this legislation, fossil project investors will do the math and cancel their zombie fossil projects. We will be left with cleaner air, better jobs and more affordable energy.

BRUCE HAGEN

Petaluma

A postelection challenge?

EDITOR: Flash back to fall 2003. Arnold Schwarzenegger engineered the first statewide gubernatorial recall. A little more than 55% of California voters, unsatisfied with the performance of Gov. Gray Davis, voted to remove him from office.

This year’s attempted recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom is similar. If more than 50% vote “yes,” Newsom must leave office, and he will be replaced by the leading candidate out of 46 names on the ballot. One of the most likely replacements is Larry Elder, a Republican supporter of Donald Trump.

Elder already said he plans to contest the recall results as his mentor did in 2020, contesting the election of President Joe Biden. This could be an even greater mistake than the recall of Davis.

FRANK BAUMGARDNER

Santa Rosa

Men avoid blame

EDITOR: Whether you are pro or con, the Texas abortion law clearly lays all blame and responsibility on women while conspicuously ignoring any blame or responsibility for the men who initiate pregnancies. And it offers absolutely no solutions for this ongoing dilemma.

JOE CLENDENIN

Santa Rosa

Disgraceful mailer

EDITOR: I received a mailer bankrolled by Bill Gallaher promoting the district attorney recall. It displays the photos of three Petaluma City Council members, implying that they support the recall. While it includes text to the contrary, visuals are the most powerful part of this kind of advertising. I find the exploitation of our elected leaders’ portraits in this fashion to be utterly contemptible. Gallaher’s use of his wealth to sabotage the democratic process is a disgrace.

ANN EDMINSTER

Petaluma

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