San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Pass Alzheimer’s bill
Regarding “Not everyone can afford to buy an electric car” (Letters to the Editor, Sept. 8): Michael Santos accuses me, in my letter (“Ready for electric cars,” Aug. 28), of assuming that a $20,000 to $30,000 range is affordable for everyone. Evidently, Mr. Santos missed the final line of my letter, mentioning the availability of many used electric vehicles for under $10,000, with many from $7,000 to $9,000.
And EVs are less costly to run and require less maintenance compared to conventional autos. There are also incentive programs available to make new and used EVs more affordable. Pacific Gas & Electric Co., for example, has one.
Also, letter writer Pete Linn states that California residents were advised to not charge their EVs (“Power grid not ready,” Sept. 8). The truth is, Californians were advised to not charge their EVs during the 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. peak power hours, which as The Chronicle pointed out in a Front Page story (“Electric cars don’t cause blackouts,” Sept. 8), is not really an issue. Most EV owners charge their autos overnight. Kudos to The Chronicle for placing this important report on the Front Page.
Sept. 11 is National Grandparents Day, and I’m writing in honor of my grandmother, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease. Growing up with her and being a witness to the progression of this disease, from her being my caregiver to me being hers, has shaped my desire to become a geriatrician and help others like her manage their health.
As a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, I’d like to share some numbers: There are about 30,000 people living with Alzheimer’s in Alameda County and more than 6 million nationwide. The number of Californians with Alzheimer’s is projected to more than double in 20 years.
Fortunately, in 2011, Congress passed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act to address this looming public health crisis. The law has led to a decade of progress, including rapid advancements in research. The law will expire in 2025, however, unless Congress acts.
I hope your readers will join me in urging Rep. Barbara Lee to join 37 of her colleagues in co-sponsoring the bipartisan NAPA Reauthorization Act, to build on the last decade of progress and help change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s too late for my grandmother, but it’s not too late for her daughter.