PG& E should build power lines underground
We are presently receiving a blitz of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. alerts that blame our circumstances on weather. None of these name the problem: PG& E’s electrical distribution lines are above ground. It’s not the weather — completely predictable — but PG& E shortterm policy. PG& E people know that all natural gas distribution lines are underground. Cheaper, safer and more easily repaired. PG& E people know that all water distribution lines are underground. Cheaper, safer and more easily repaired. PG& E people know that all sewage lines are underground. Cheaper, safer and more easily repaired. But PG& E folks refuse to acknowledge that all electrical distribution lines ought to be underground as well. Why? In the short term, underground is more expensive. ( Some corporations think only quarterly!)
But long term? Underground is far cheaper, considering the fire hazards of overhead wiring and the total cost to society. How to eliminate these dangerous overhead power distribution lines? It is the overhead wiring that is the immediate cause of these fires, continuing over many years. Next year: even worse. Act now: underground them.
Mike Lampton, Berkeley
A harmless hug
I never thought I’d see the day that I would be defending Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but that day has come. In a simple gesture, giving a hug to Sen. Lindsey Graham, Feinstein has become the devil incarnate. Bringing a little civility to a contentious hearing is somehow now interpreted as treason. Democrats, who are known for “eating their own,” proved once again that they want no part of bipartisanship. I would have much rather seen the reaction of the left if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hugged President Trump. Bon appetit.
Raymond Moreno, San Francisco
World peace is the goal
The presidential debates between Joe Biden and President Trump are sorely lacking in the plans of both candidates to lead our nation toward world peace instead of war. With the world’s superpowers continuing to amass increasingly destructive nuclear weapons we, the ordinary people of the world, must fearlessly speak out for sanity and hence for the survival of all life on our endangered planet. We must insist in the strongest terms that our political leaders stop insulting and fighting with the leaders of other nations. We must demand that whoever wins this upcoming election makes world peace our nation’s most essential priority. Our next president must stop foolishly antagonizing our nation’s current rivals but instead make every possible effort to make our former enemies our friends and allies. The entire human race is in the greatest danger of destroying itself with both global warming and the eventual outbreak of nuclear war. So it’s urgent that whoever wins this election works with all available means to find common ground with China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Rama Kumar, Fairfax
Selfserving causes
Regarding “Families need schools to reopen safely” ( Oct. 25): After articles about the San Francisco Unified School District and the school board in The Chronicle for the past two weeks, it seems evident that leadership and board members are inept and incompetent. Heather Knight’s excellent story drove me to write. As a parent of two sons who spent 12 years in the San Francisco public schools, I realize the Board of Education has always had its ups and downs. However, the current board is unique in its ability to focus on the most selfserving political causes at the expense of the serious business of running good schools. The board has spent hours discussing and deliberating whether to rename dozens of San Francisco public schools and wasted valuable time devaluing the outstanding academic education provided at Lowell High School. It is time for new leadership. Mark Sanchez and Jenny Lam should not be reelected to the board. Students are suffering, their education is lagging and stress and strain are endemic in the homes of families unable to send their children to school. When families are moving away, seeking private schools or sending their children to homes of relatives because they are not learning and are miserable, it is time for a big change.
Judith Heuser, San Francisco
A laughing stock
Regarding “A career in comedy” ( Letters, Oct. 24): I have to agree that President Trump has a future as a comedian. My 48yearold son and I laughed so much at Trump’s predicable ridiculousness, we didn’t hear half of what he had to say. Meanwhile, Joe Biden held down the right side of my screen as the adult on the stage, addressing the issues with mastery of the details. When it was Trump’s turn to spew headlines and bumper stickers, Adam and I were, OK. Wait for it. How’s this gonna be Biden’s fault?
And Trump never disappointed. It was a hilarious 90 minutes. Saturday Night Live couldn’t have done a more sidesplitting skit. I thought maybe I should rewatch the debate to hear what Trump had so say, since I had been laughing through most of it, then I thought better. I erased it.
Susan Barich, Angels Camp, Calaveras County
Smart laws save lives
Regarding “Goal to prevent traffic deaths in S. F. by 2024 not going well” ( Oct. 23): Speed kills. And as you report, in San Francisco “Speed is the biggest factor in traffic death— dropping it by 10 mph is proven to halve the chance someone dies in a crash,” according to San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency staff. But because the California Vehicle Code generally sets speed limits, local government is restricted in reducing these limits. So what can be done to bring down the number of traffic deaths and injuries caused by reckless drivers on our streets? In my view, our local state senator and assemblymembers should introduce legislation to empower San Francisco and other cities to reduce more easily the residential speed limit from 25 mph to 15 or 20 mph.
In particular, this change in law would allow San Francisco City Hall to reduce the current 25 mph speed limit in parts of what the SFMTA calls the “highinjury network” of streets. Speed kills, but smart laws can save lives.
Bob Ryan, San Francisco
Convert Kezar Stadium
After reading John King’s article, “Sign of the city’s times” ( Oct. 25), I couldn’t help but remember that, when Candlestick Park was still standing, I thought it would be an easy place to convert into a homeless shelter. It had kitchens and bathrooms with showers in the locker rooms and plenty of space to put tents on the field ( way softer than concrete) and plenty of space to convert into actual rooms. Today, the same can be said of Kezar Stadium. The people who might live there could enter through the park and avoid overwhelming surrounding neighborhoods. I’d like to believe that there’s a real drive to actually solve the problem and not just politicize it or profit from it.
Michael Foley, Pacifica
Protect most vulnerable
Regarding “Herd immunity plan flawed, Bay Area health experts say” ( Oct. 15): The U. S. reached a record high of over 85,000 new cases in one day and it amazes me that people are still talking about herd immunity. As a Masters student in the Public Health program at UC Berkeley, I agree with the majority of the scientific community that there is not enough evidence to support this approach in the current climate. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said that he would be in favor of a national mask mandate, which is an approach that would protect everyone and help to bring infections down. Even if we disagree on the merits of herd immunity, the real question is whether our values align. A country is judged on how it treats the most vulnerable. If we effectively accept that the vulnerable are expendable, what does this say about our society?
Hina Mahmood, Berkeley