Skeptical of vape company’s claims
Regarding “E-cigarette company Juul warns against teen use” (Business, June 7): Call me a cynic in addition to being a skeptic, but I just don’t believe that deep down in Juul’s profit-driven heart, they really and truly think that their “campaign aimed at educating the parents of teenagers” to stop youth from taking up vaping will work.
Did Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign work (rhetorical question)? Why, I might as well believe that Mick Mulvaney actually cares about consumers. And why did Natasha Mascarenhas choose to include the opinion of “Travis Lee, 23, a Redlands (San Bernardino County) resident,” who is clearly neither a marketing maven, nor a youth advocate, in her article?
Juul’s print ad that reads, “Juul is for adult smokers, if you don’t smoke or vape, don’t start,” is so blatantly selfdefeating in its stated purpose that Juul Labs CEO Kevin Burns should be careful that he doesn’t wrench his back trying to give himself pats on said back! Profits, profits, über alles.
Vaping is here to stay
Considering Juul has been in business since 2015 and reports that they’ve sold more than a million vaping devices since then, it seems disingenuous that they would be ringing their hands over teenage use now.
The seeds have been sown. Vaping is here to stay, and the next generation will keep businesses like this solvent until the realization sets in that nicotine addiction is bad for us. The weaning off of cigarettes has been in vogue for decades now.
Vaping is the next iteration. They will continue to hook the vulnerable in order to maintain the bottom line. It’s what they do.
Powerful business
The NFL compromised on player protests only because the NFL is so publicly visible. Another less visible business entity would have prohibited all political expression on company time, then terminated anyone who violated company policy. That raises a larger “can’t see the forest for the trees” issue.
That is that corporations have become the de facto enforcer of our nation’s social and political norms. Not solely in the workplace, either. More often, corporations believe they have the right to dictate their employees’ conduct outside the workplace. The surrendering of our social norms to private business would be bad enough if corporations always acted honorably and made decisions with the best interests of society as a whole in mind. But far too often they don’t. Why then are we allowing business to act as government?
Resist the raids
Regarding “White House takes on 3 state statutes” ( June 8): The Justice Department, which has already conducted raids to round up undocumented immigrants in California, is again trying to intimidate our state by filing a lawsuit to nullify three state statutes offering such individuals workplace protections.
The Trump administration has repeatedly shown its animus to undocumented immigrants by referring to them as “aliens,” “rapists” and “animals.”
I’m glad to live in a state that values diversity and offers sanctuary cities. And I agree with the sentiments of a sign holder featured in a photo with this news story: “Donald Trump, We Are #HeretoResist!”
Toll of mental illness
Concerning “Mental illness took our son, so we aid others” (Open Forum, June 8): My sympathies go to this writer and his wife, who tragically lost their 22-year-old son due to mental illness.
I also have a family member who has suffered from bipolar episodes for more than half of her life and is currently living in a group home with similar individuals. The toll that mental illness takes on sufferers and their relatives is substantial, both emotionally and financially.
And it is an issue that should not be given short shrift by our government. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 million Americans — that’s 5 to 8 percent of all citizens ages 18 and over — suffer from depression annually, and over 50 percent of all people who die by suicide suffered from major depression.
If you have a loved one or a friend who is experiencing this health problem, learn the warning signs and use the resources available to get help.
Dave Murphy, Petaluma
Michael Haworth, Vallejo
Riley VanDyke, San Francisco
Herman Rivera, San Jose
Gloria Curazon, Daly City
Push for action
Regarding “California must control its grid” (Open Forum, June 7): I applaud Wenonah Hauter for her courage to call out Gov. Jerry Brown (and the state Legislature) for his repeated capitulation to oil and gas interests. If California is to be a leader in the fight on climate change, it cannot continue to place its fate in the hands of others — whether they be self-proclaimed climate champions such as Brown or regional boards with concentrated power.
Californians must push for action at the federal level until such adequate equalizers such as a carbon fee and dividend help to level the playing field and make renewables the only economically feasible option. Then, no matter what interests are at stake or what World War II-era authority President Trump might try to invoke, the fossil fuel generation will be off the table for good.
Daniel Tahara, San Francisco
Judge’s dismissal
A judge who is on the bench for 15 years gets recalled because of one case in which, legally, he did nothing wrong. In addition, prior to his unpopular sentencing ruling, he maintained a solid judicial record. His dismissal had no basis in the law, other than the fact that someone with time, influence and money could run a campaign to oust him. I hope this lawful recall is an isolated incident in many ways. Perhaps an effort to change sentencing laws would have been more productive, but that lacks the glamour of getting a judge’s head on a platter.
Mark Allendorf, San Mateo