Letters to the Editor, Feb. 17, 2019 | Why didn’t city consult us on changes in garbage collection?

Changes in garbage shocked many of us

Recently the city of Modesto sent a letter informing residential customers using 60-gallon garbage cans that they would be charged the same rate as those with 90-gallon cans. The letter arrived Feb. 1, and the 40 percent plus price increase is retroactive to Jan. 1. There is no item on city council agenda during their January meeting to consider this increase.

Some questions immediately come to mind. What happened to transparency in local government when votes are taken without posting them on the council agenda? Is citizen input unimportant? Are city finances lacking, making it necessary to increase utilities without proper notification?

Since the average person produces over 4 1/2 pounds of garbage a day and existing state laws require annual reports of progress in reducing solid waste, what was the real motive for the increase? This increase contradicts the well known logo of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” promoted each year by the city for Earth Day. With limited resources and increasing population, the goal is obviously to encourage less waste rather than more.

City won’t answer my info requests

Under the California Public Records Act, I have requested specific information from the city of Modesto Risk Management department four times. Each time the city responds by sending information – often numerous pages – that has nothing to do with my request. What could be the the reason? Does the city’s responses have some bearing on their insurance company considering bankruptcy?

Champion for kids and water rights

I take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to our newly retired Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools, Tom Changnon. Tom’s devotion to county education is well known. He has been a leader in K-12, vocational and adult education. During his tenure, the Office of Education was fully engaged in every aspect of our community and the challenges we face.

Tom helped lead the effort in Stanislaus County to identify for the State Water Resources Control Board the impacts the proposed state water grab would have on local schools and our economy. Legislators from around the state told me they had never really viewed our water issues as anything other than an agricultural problem. Tom and the testimony from other educators helped change some minds.

Our water fight isn’t anywhere near over, but we have a good ally in Tom’s successor, newly elected SCOE Superintendent Scott Kuykendall. Scott spoke of the water challenges facing us during his campaign. He joined me and 1,500 others at the water rally in Sacramento last September. He will continue to impress on state authorities that their water policies have very real impacts on our classrooms and students.

What we’ve got isn’t capitalism

Don Trump and his cabinet of capos vow we will never be a socialist state. They are off to a good start. A tax system that favors the biggest hogs already at the trough, stomped on regulations that remove protection from everything from climate change to opioid overdosing and policies designed to keep it that way.

Of course none of this is capitalism. That’s the system where free and equal opportunity is promoted for everyone willing to work and the government guarantees the right to do that work. Trumps system is what you call attaching fence boards but not using nails.

Quit lying about Trump’s economy

Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer has told Americans “the Trump economy is failing America’s middle class” while another leading Democrat, Stacy Abrams, says, “rather than bringing back jobs, plants are closing, layoffs are looming and wages struggle to keep pace with the actual cost of living.” These statements are essentially lies.

In recent months, the unemployment rate has been as low as 3.7 percent, an almost 50-year low. Currently, there are nearly 7 million job openings unfilled. Since the 2016 election, 4.6 million Americans have been lifted off of food stamps. Due to President Trump’s pro-growth policies, real gross domestic product growth has exceeded 3 percent over the last four quarters. Unemployment for African-Americans, Hispanics and the disabled are at record lows. Overall, average hourly earnings have risen 85 cents in the past year, a 3.2 percent increase.

It would be beneficial if Trump’s opponents, such as Schumer and Abrams, would quit lying and maybe go suck on some sour lemons.

Socialism? Let me count the ways

The right in this country is freaking out about the idea that socialism is taking over America because “Medicare for all” has been proposed many of the Democratic candidates for president. Are these the same people holding up signs reading, “Keep your socialist hands off my Medicare”?

For my comrades on the right, this county has been infiltrated for decades with Socialist policies. Social Security and Medicare are, of course, the most obvious. Let’s discuss a few more examples of socialism in our beloved country.

Police departments. City utilities. Fire departments. The interstate highway system. Public schools. And of course the largest Social welfare program of all – our Military. Each of these are paid for by you, through your tax dollars, and are administered by the government. By definition, that’s socialism.

This country is lousy with socialist policies. Listening to the President say, “We will never allow socialism into our country” I can see he wasn’t paying attention during class at his private school. More of his father’s money well spent.

Harder stands up for veterans

Our new Congressman, Josh Harder, led a bipartisan amendment to provide free childcare to veterans suffering mental health emergencies. Josh also launched the Congressional Veteran’s Advisory Committee in our Valley. I served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corp in WWII and fought battles in Saipan, Tinian and the Marshall Islands. I made landings in each of these invasions under the most hazardous conditions coming directly into our enemies’ established defenses. Though I have not personally had to deal with any mental conditions resulting from my service, I empathize with those who have served and are dealing with PTSD and depression. I saw things no human should ever see, and I had to block them from my mind for decades to live a normal life. Helping veterans with these services is the right thing to do.

Some 34,000 veterans living in Josh Harder’s district currently suffer from traumatic brain injuries, severe depression and PTSD. This is over triple the rate of non-veterans. Thank you, Josh, keep up the good work and like those who serve, we appreciate that you are also working in a non-partisan manner to get things done.