Wednesday’s Letters to the Editor

Government shutdowns

EDITOR: Has anyone ever noticed that when the Republicans control the presidency, there is never any talk in Congress about balancing the budget or cutting spending? Funny, how the topic only seems to come up when there is a Democrat in office, and it is always Republicans who then talk about cutting spending and/or shutting down the government.

Does anyone remember Sen. Ted Cruz shutting down the government when Barack Obama was in power? The event turned into a mess for the Republicans and caused all sorts of harm to hardworking Americans, with no other result except to assist in downgrading the credit rating of the U.S.

Here’s what we should be asking Congress: “Isn’t it your job to pay the bills and keep the government going?” I suggest we pass an amendment that stops the people in Congress from ever being paid for days lost during a government shutdown. This might make everyone in Congress think twice before pulling such shenanigans. After all, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

CARL MERNER

Holualoa, Hawaii

Public displays of bigotry

EDITOR: I’m heartbroken over the behavior of certain online audience members at Santa Rosa school board and Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meetings. I’m deeply disturbed by the blatant displays of racism and antisemitism by certain members of the public.

As a parent, educator and human, I’m concerned about the rhetoric and language being used in these public spaces. Especially around the time of Rosh Hashana, Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month and commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the bombing that killed four Black girls, these open displays of hate are unacceptable.

I stand with the Santa Rosa school district and the Sonoma County Office of Education in condemning hate, uplifting marginalized communities and standing firm in our efforts for anti-racism and empathy.

We can no longer pretend that we are a post-racial society. For those who were still operating under this illusion, the disruptive, deplorable behavior should stand as a wake-up call and an example of how far we still have to go as a society. I call on educators, elected officials, community leaders and parents to stand with me in condemning this hate and working together to ensure all members of our community feel safe.

JOANNA PAUN

President, Petaluma school board

The crisis is now

EDITOR: One of the signs of climate change is frequent floods. The heated atmosphere takes up more moisture, which tends to fall in a deluge. In approximately the past month, China, India, Mexico, Spain, Greece, Algeria, and Libya have suffered serious flash flooding. This is why United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says we’ve entered climate dystopia. The crisis is not in the future. It’s now.

ANDY FERGUSON

Petaluma

Burying the evidence

EDITOR: In the Sept. 17 Forum section, you published a column by David French of the New York Times declaring that there is no evidence of wrongdoing by President Joe Biden (“Where is the impeachment evidence?”).

William McGurn, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, said: “The party line is that there’s no evidence that Joe Biden profited from his son’s dealings. But the administration has stonewalled any effort to get at the truth, and the White House is now building a war room of lawyers and communications staffers to fight the investigations. It’s disingenuous to argue there’s no evidence while you are working overtime to thwart any attempt to find evidence.”

For a White House that declares they’ve done nothing wrong, they’re sure acting like they’ve done something wrong. Also, when someone declares that “you can’t find any evidence,” that doesn’t mean that evidence doesn’t exist, but that they’ve buried it so deep you’ll never find it.

JOE GAFFNEY

Rohnert Park

California disasters

EDITOR: Good grief! California has always been a climate disaster zone. Look up the Great Flood of 1862. The whole Central Valley was several feet deep in water. It didn’t quit raining all winter. The capital had to be moved from Sacramento to San Francisco. So many farmers and ranchers lost crops and livestock the state couldn’t and didn’t try to collect taxes that year. Then there are earthquakes, wildfires and other floods. Isn’t that why the leadership in Sacramento in the 1960s built the dams?

California is Crazy Town. If you want to live somewhere safe, move to Nebraska. That is where I’m from. It is safe, but you may find it boring. Little Bill in “Unforgiven”: “Thought I was dead once. Come to find out, I was in Nebraska.”

If you don’t like the risks of living in California, move. Many have.

TIM McGRAW

Healdsburg

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