Outages a failure of leadership Put lines underground

The massive planned power outages seem outrageous. There must be a better way of handling the situation.

On the other hand, a lot is at stake. It is true that power lines can cause wildfires, but power outages can also be dangerous. What are we to do? The state of California must act, but we need to do so carefully. Rather than rushing to legislation, there needs to be a full investigation of the problem. This is an issue that encompasses public policy, finance, law and especially electrical engineering and land management.

The governor or state Legislature should convene a special panel of independent experts, including engineers, firefighters and land management and public policy experts, to perform this inquiry and make recommendations to the people of California. Hopefully, we can keep the lights on while also keeping our communities safe from fire.

Eric Katz, Oakland

Regarding the wildfires in the west and east sides of California: After taking the chances to build homes and stores in the beautiful mountain areas of the woodlands: Why build too many in those areas in the first place, and for heaven’s sake, put the electrical lines below ground. We live in a mountainous, drier area than the wooded mountains of California. Our lines are underground, and most being built are also underground.

Get with it!

Thomas Carey, Alpine, Utah

Wake up, Democrats

I congratulate the city of San Rafael for contacting people with disabilities and medically fragile people to make sure there is a plan in place to assist them during outages. However, I decry the crocodile tears of Gov. Gavin Newsom and PG&E. The governor and Legislature in this overwhelmingly Democratic state are more concerned about resisting the policies of President Trump than fixing the infrastructure of their own state.

Also, “progressive” Berkeley showed its real face when people with disabilities and severe medical conditions were told to use their own resources if they depend on electricity. After there was an outcry, the mayor stated that the message was packaged wrongly. Whatever happened to the cradle of the independent living and disability rights movement?

Wake up and smell the coffee, Democrats, unless the coffee machines do not get electricity either.

Marianne Haas, Berkeley

Train entertainment

Regarding “Panhandler debate roils BART board” (Bay Area, Oct. 24): Here’s a suggestion to handle BART’s panhandling pandemic. Create “club cars” on BART with one car on every line clearly marked and set aside as a performance space. Riders who wish to enjoy their privacy can avoid these cars while riders looking for entertainment and diversion can settle right in.

This will allow some BART riders to bask in solitude while others can enjoy the riffs and moves of some of the Bay Area’s finest buskers. Could be a winwin.

Gar Smith, Berkeley