City should tighten belts like rest of us
Editor: In response to a letter by James E. Lanchester: Mr. Lanchester states, “If the half-cent sales tax doesn’t pass we will lose some services.”
If we lose services, the city should eliminate some of its employees. When money is tight, city residents tighten their belts which is what the city should do as well. Why doesn’t the city fix the problem by putting a cap on their retirement plans, cutting expenses wherever they can?
There are so many ways they could cut expenses without reaching into our pockets for more money. Why do they always threaten our services such as police and fire? Because those are the two services that would hurt the public the most if services are cut.
It is a scare tactic that has been used for years because it works. Don’t let it work again. Vote no on the tax increase. JOYCE FRANCIS Lodi
Reader supports proposed legislation on deadly force
Editor: California can and must hold police to a higher standard to reduce the number of deadly shootings. Only then can we save lives and begin to repair police-community relations.
Current law justifies and gives legal cover to police killings that are not necessary and has widened the rift between grieving communities — particularly communities of color — and the law enforcement agencies that exist to protect them.
AB 931 will change California’s legal standard for when police can use deadly force to match best practices already in place at some departments — and that we know work to reduce police killings. AB 931 will clarify that police should use deadly force only when there are no alternatives, and consider the officers’ conduct leading up to a shooting in determining whether deadly force is justified.
AB 931 will save lives and hold law enforcement accountable. ROSETTA BACHAND Stockton
Where will gas tax revenue end up?
Editor: My reason for not supporting the gas tax is Governor Brown lied to us twice.
The first was that there would be no tax increases without the consent of the people. The second one was when we had the last gas tax increase for the roads, in no time the monies went into the general fund.
So with the new gas tax, are they going to lie to us again? Use the money for the train to Bakersfield and the water tunnels to take our farm water to the south for the green grass and swimming pools? PAULINE MEYER Acampo
Letters invited
The Lodi News-Sentinel welcomes opinions from its readers. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address and phone number for internal verification purposes. All letters are subject to editing. Letters from local readers dealing with local issues are given priority. Letters from outside the local area are published at the editor’s discretion. Letters longer than 350 words will be cut to fit or returned to their writers. There is a holding period of 30 days between publication of letters by the same person unless no other letters are queued. Send letters to P.O. Box 1360, Lodi, CA 95241-1360; or email to letters@lodinews.com.