Improving Senate bill would aid mosquito fight
Senate Bill 1251 is an important bill to help eradicate disease-spreading mosquitoes. SB 1251 would compel electrical corporations to enter into jointly developed vector management agreements upon request of the mosquito control agency for purposes of mosquito surveillance, treatment and post-treatment inspections.
SB 1251 needs to be amended to allow for these agreements to be entered into within six months of the mosquito control agency's request. Utility vaults are enclosures above or below ground owned by the electrical corporation and water accumulation can be a byproduct of the design. Mosquito-transmitted diseases are a major threat in our state and water retention in utility vaults promotes the development of mosquitoes that can spread West Nile virus and other diseases.
Unfortunately, mosquito control agencies throughout the state have inconsistent access to utility vault information,, which limits their ability to inspect and apply mosquito control products to the vaults.
— Subru Bhat, trustee, Alameda Mosquito Control Abatement District, Union City
Ranked choice hurts democracy
Re: “Garvey's win marks loss for election reform” (Page A6, March 14).
The content of the above opinion piece doesn't translate to me about protecting democracy or the integrity of our election process; it was about maintaining Democratic control of California.
More and more it is obvious California is controlled by the tyranny of the coastal liberal Democrats over the more conservative inland. We now have a deteriorating society in California, spiraling costs of living and people living in fear of being the victims of crime committed by people with no fear of consequences.
The authors don't seem to have an understanding that a diverse mix of opinions and views leads to compromise. Tyrannical control has no need to compromise, and that's what ranked choice leads to. As it is now, voting in primary elections in California is a choice between either vanilla or vanilla with nuts.
— Ray Winther, Livermore
Third-party vote is a vote for Trump
Re: “Kennedy would chart new course for nation” (Page A6, March 1).
A vote for anyone but Joe Biden is a vote for Donald Trump. One of them will win. Biden may have done things you disapprove of, but if you can't tell the difference between Biden and Trump, where have you been since 2016?
Biden isn't perfect. I get it. But do you trust Trump with control of our government, one he tried to steal on Jan. 6, 2021? Remember when the president of the United States sat in a room for hours watching television as a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol and did nothing? Senators and members of Congress fled for their lives … and Trump did nothing.
A vote for anyone but Joe Biden is a vote for Donald Trump. You may choose to “vote your conscience,” or you may choose to vote in the best interests of your family, your friends and your country.
— Michael Steinberg, Berkeley