Letters to the editor

Inaction on climate change due to money in politics

Re: “Paradise climate refugees will need help for years,” “We need to do more about climate change” and “Climate change linked to more destructive fires” (Letters to the Editor):

Three letters to the editor in Nov. 20th’s Mercury News mentioned climate changes as an underlying cause of California’s fires, two in reference to a prior letter which had neglected to cite climate (“Sierra’s western slope poised for disaster,” Nov. 16).

We need to remember, however, that an underlying reason our government has failed to take action to deal with climate change is the domination of big money contributors and special interests.

Until we limit the influence of money in politics, we can expect to see inaction, especially at the federal level, on vital matters such as climate change, health care and common sense gun control.

We need to tell our representatives that if they want our votes, they should support effective campaign finance reform.

— Brian Carr, San Jose

PG&E has now become a believer in climate change

Re: “State lawmakers drafting wildfire relief bill for utilities” (Page A1, Nov. 21):

Absolutely no to any state bill to remove liabilities from utilities.

If we want to get the rest of the nation to recognize that climate change is real, make the utilities responsible for fire and any other related disasters that can be attributed in whole or in part to the climate.

The fear of being financially responsible will stimulate a plethora of local, state and federal HAVE YOUR SAY Letters to the editor: Commentaries: lobbying efforts for new policies and laws.

PG&E is now a strong believer in climate change and seeking relief from its associated costs. However, if we remove the liabilities and the public assumes the cost, the utilities will not have to do anything. This cannot ever be fair or good for mother earth.

— Mark Grzan, Morgan Hill

Voter inequities in state’s primaries, electoral voting

According to Howard Thomas in his letter “Time for one person, one vote of equal value” (Nov. 21), “a voter in Wyoming has more than three times the voting power, in a presidential election, as a voter in California.”

Many of us (regardless of political affiliations) are unhappy over the election of President Trump. But were it not for the Founding Fathers’ foresight in allocating electoral votes, Wyoming’s voters would have had virtually no say.

Even so, California has 18 times more electoral votes than Wyoming. More to the point of voting inequities, conservatives in California have effectively no power at all in national elections due to California’s preferential primary election system and the winner-take-all electoral vote count.

The latter inequity exists also in Wyoming, but — if equal voting rights is the issue — that should be the first inequity to correct. — Jerry Meyer, San Jose

System meant to protect rural states — it’s worked

Re: “Time for one person, one vote of equal value” (Letters to the editor, Nov. 21):

The Founding Fathers after much thought set up Congress with equal representation for the states in the Senate, and population representation in the House of Representatives: two senators from each state and the number of representatives based on each state’s population.

The system was designed to provide protection such that urban states wouldn’t rule over rural states and vice versa.

The system has worked well for over 200 years. We don’t need San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles and New York City running roughshod over the rest of the country.

— Wallace S. Gardner, San Jose

Reject Whitaker with all speed and by any means

The former attorney general Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III was anti-civil rights and an extremist, but he was more or less law-abiding.

Acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker has clearly been engaged in shady practices in his civilian career. He must be rejected with all speed, by any congressional means possible. He is an embarrassment, and a danger to the Mueller probe.

I would consider it a good use of tax dollars to prosecute Whitaker in the next administration should he interfere with the Mueller probe in any way. The crooked sheriff must not be allowed to abuse his office. Thank you.

— Mark Pickens, Saratoga