Wednesday’s Letters to the Editor

Finding common ground

EDITOR: Like many people, I’m tired of the anger and hostility between warring political factions. While disagreements are natural and can be healthy, I think that despising everyone on “the other side” and refusing to even talk with them is corrosive to use personally and as a society.

That’s why I’m excited to become part of Braver Angels – a group that is working on depolarizing society both nationally and right here in our Sonoma County chapter.

If you’re interested in learning how we are working to bridge our political divides, so we can disagree when we do but still find some common ground to move forward, come join your neighbors at our open house on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rohnert Park library. Please sign up at https://qrco.de/bdCLbS.

ELAINE COOK

Rohnert Park

Alternative energy

EDITOR: I have been musing about alternative energy. The thing I hear the most is that “it will never work, because what happens when the wind stops and the sun isn’t shining?” This suggests the need for power plants, and since we are on a path, I’d hope, to eliminate fossil fuel burning, nuclear comes up as the source of power for those plants. Fact: Worldwide, 400 nuclear plants and three have exploded, causing enormous damage each time. Another thing I hear is “more dams,” as if water isn’t a finite resource.

A solution occurred to me. Every new house must have solar panels and a battery, heating and air conditioning must be converted to electric, with a federally standardized charger for e-cars. Total cost, and I am converting now, is $35,000.

Cheaper prices could be mandated and, eventually, economics of scale apply. Order banks to include this in loan packages, and the monthly additional mortgage cost is $168. This equates to PG&E monthly costs. Doesn’t matter if the wind is still, or the sun has set. No nukes. No dams. Then, a need in any case, upgrading the grid is the new moon shot.

Not perfect. But like this, right?

BOB MARKETOS

Petaluma

What’s the plan?

EDITOR: As a taxpayer, I’m getting very near my boiling point on this homeless issue. I don’t think the City Council knows how angry people are. I watch as my city continually degrades with garbage, fires, blocking of public thoroughfares, etc. As upset as I am with that, I’m much more upset with our City Council’s lack of any comprehensive plan. If it indeed exists, what is the plan? Got one? I’ve never heard of it.

It would go a long way with the public if there was a plan and it had some reasonable merit. My opinion is they don’t have one, because any constructive plan is going to require difficult decisions. Unfortunately, reelection and making really hard choices are inversely proportional. I’m sure this paper would give them all the column space they needed to lay out their plan, if it existed.

Oh sure, they bought a few motels for housing. And it’s shown to be completely inadequate in making a significant dent in this problem. Everything else the city has done has been reactive, not proactive. One last question, did Nero get elected to the City Council and I didn’t hear about it?

GREGG GRUBIN

Santa Rosa

Coping with vacation rentals

EDITOR: Gary Marsh writes that he’s had a good experience with the short-term rental near his home (“Room for rentals,” Letters, Aug. 6). What a pleasure it is to hear from one whose life isn’t disrupted on a daily basis by out-of-town guests here to party. What he’s not saying is that he has firsthand experience with rowdy revelers. If he had, his letter would most certainly have been flavored differently.

He sings the praises of the thoughtful, quiet and considerate guests who have frequented the home nearest to him. He asks that the county “tax them. Regulate them. Enforce the rules. Allow them.” Doesn’t he understand that the idea of regulating vacation rentals scattered around the county (not to mention city laws and taxes versus county laws and taxes) can and will be expensive and unreliable and will leave permanent, taxpaying community-building, local residents with a lack of sleep, disruption to their lives and a diminished sense of community?

And then he disparages the county about the homeless problem? Didn’t he just solve both problems? Get rid of the plethora of vacation rentals, reduce the rent so your local waitress, busboy or dishwasher can afford to live here and maybe both problems can be solved at once.

GWEN JONES

Santa Rosa

Disappointing dog park

EDITOR: Behold. Tucked away in a useless corner of Keiser Park is Windsor’s new half-baked dog enclosure. It is another small adobe surfaced, wood-chipped site not unlike the one on Pleasant Avenue.

A questionably appointed committee studied canine needs for almost two years during COVID-19, then declined to vote on all proposed grassy sites. Years of petitions, campaigns and public hearings on the matter went in vain. Following the voting failure, Mayor Sam Salmon and parks director Jon Davis quietly reselected the remote Keiser site for the “park.”

There are now more American households with dogs than children — 43 million and 38 million respectively. If Windsor seeks to be “family friendly,” kindly allow dogs off leash in any of the many grassy parks near our homes to chase a ball and roll on irrigated grass.

Note to our leaders: Calling a dusty enclosure a “park” is like calling backward parking on Old Redwood Highway in front of Oliver’s Market a grand civic achievement.

DAVE HEVENTHAL

Windsor

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