Vintners battle for Napa Valley’s soul
Esther Mobley’s article (“Napa Valley split over land’s future,” Page One, April 9) brought up many important points. But two essential pieces were left out. The reality in Napa these days is that much of the winery and vineyard expansion is fueled by international conglomerates whose primary focus is shortterm profit. This is not the Napa of yesteryear, with independent vintners who saw winemaking as an art.
Today the Napa Valley is often peddled as a commodity rather than a community where vintners and growers hope their children will take over the family business. However, most longterm Napa vintners — luminaries like Randy Dunn, Warren Winiarski and Andy Beckstoffer among them — emphatically support initiatives like Measure C that protect community resources such as water. The article also didn’t mention that Napa County changed the definition of agriculture in 2008 to include “wine marketing and sales,” creating a de facto zoning change from agricultural to commercial use. In other words, throwing a wedding party for 200 now qualifies as farming in Napa County. With these dramatic changes pushed through local government by the increasingly corporatized wine industry, it’s no wonder locals are fighting back with initiatives like Measure C.
Steve Kuhler, Angwin
Scooters invade streets
On rampant rental scooters and other sidewalk clutter: My wife’s being of Czech descent, it was a great delight to her when a few years ago we were finally able to visit the beautiful city of Prague. The visit was, however, sadly ruined by the city’s foolish allowance of rampant Segway rentals by unskilled, selfish and unconcerned visitors. Being partially blind, I walk city streets and sidewalks slowly and carefully, yet our attempts to view the Old Town Square, the Tyn Church and the famous Astronomical Clock were thwarted or ruined because of being constantly brushed, blindsided and even getting our toes run over. No one ever stopped, apologized or even looked back to see if we were OK. We vowed never to return.
Happily, later that year the city fathers seeing the light, banned all Segway rentals from the City Center. As a result, June will mark our third revisit to Prague since that decision was made. Money isn’t everything, folks. Aesthetics matter too. Noel Robertson, Fairfax
Helping war refugees
In case of Syrian missile strikes that are under consideration in the name of accountability for latest chemical weapons attack, how about the U.S. also show some accountability by way of admitting war refugees attributable to our bombings? Chris Church, Montara
Pelosi’s time isn’t up
Regarding “Pelosi’s time to step aside” (Letters to the Editor, April 13): Are we to allow blitzkrieg campaigns by any opposition party to determine when one of our most effective, ardent legislators should step down? What happens when the negative campaign transfers to the next, then to the next, etc.? It is exactly because she is formidable that she is being targeted. Are we not better served by such a champion rather than presume a new, younger replacement can bring a win for the Democratic Party? Billie Soward, San Francisco
Voters need new leaders
The central problem with Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Nancy Pelosi isn’t whether they’re too old to continue playing insider politics. The central problem is that they embody affluent senescent dotage at a time when voters young and old are desperate for vital, energetically expressed opposition to government of, by and for a corporatecontrolled kleptocracy. Riley VanDyke, San Francisco
Speaking of slime ...
So Donald Trump, president of the United States and supposed leader of the free world, has chosen to react to former FBI Director James Comey’s new book, “A Higher Loyalty,” by calling him an “untruthful slimeball”? The same Donald Trump whose personal lawyer paid hush money to a porn star who had sex with him, bragged about grabbing other women by their genitalia, branded African immigrants as coming from “shithole countries” and claimed that not paying taxes makes him smart? Well, to borrow from an old adage, it takes an “untruthful slimeball” to know one.
Fred Van Vliet, Petaluma
Aiding homeless youths
I was thrilled to read Jill Tucker’s article (“Bold idea: Nighttime homeless shelter in school,” Page One, April 11). The statistics I have read about the great number of public school students who are homeless are disheartening. I have found that when most San Franciscans discuss homeless people, they mean the people we see on the streets. When I mention the homeless children in the schools, I get a surprised look. It is hard to imagine how children can get a decent education when they do not have a home. Richard Hewetson, San Francisco
Supes missing in action
Regarding “Supes’ spotty attendance” (Page One, April 13): Will San Franciscans continue to vote for politicians who have such spotty attendance records and continue to accept their disingenuous excuses? Will San Franciscans support this blatant disregard, contempt and neglect for constituents and the process at the grassroots level? Can you imagine if a teacher, who probably makes half of a superintendent’s salary, had a similar spotty attendance record? What would happen if the teachers en masse decided to have the same spotty attendance record? Would the public accept that?
Frank Price, Berkeley