Letters to the editor | Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020: Pandemic suffering that no one sees
Pandemic worsens abuse
Re “Oakdale doctor accused of molesting stepdaughter” (Front Page, Oct.18): It brought back memories of when I was with Family Awareness of Child Exploitation In-Truders (F.A.C.E.I.T.) in the mid-’80s. I remember sitting in the Stanislaus courtroom when a man was being charged with sexually abusing his daughter, listening to the details. Then the wife of the accuser said, “What happens behind closed doors is nobody’s business.”
If you think this horrendous abuse is not going on while people are being told to stay home, think again.
Charmaine Dennis, Modesto
The price of disobedience
I was disappointed to see The Bee’s photo of the Velvet Creamery supporters crowded into the hearing room; at least most of them seemed to be wearing masks. The restaurant is protesting accumulated fines because of its failure to abide by the mandate to stop indoor dining. The behavior is similar to a misbehaved child who complains about punishment.
Perhaps, after defying the first notice to cease indoor dining, the city should have given 24-hour notice that the restaurant’s power and water would be shut off, allowing time for the removal of perishable items. The mayor would then have been deprived of the opportunity to sit outside and watch people going in and out of the restaurant in defiance of the mandate.
No one denies that the closures were financially difficult for both restaurant owners and staff members. The Velvet Creamery needs to learn that not following rules can be expensive.
Jeanine Clarke, Salida
All of us end up paying
I’ve read two articles in The Bee regarding Prop. 15 expressing opinions on what will and won’t be subject to property tax reassessment and the resulting impact on the property owner and the general public. Let’s cut to the chase and get real. All businesses owned or leased, whether Gallo or Doc’s Q-In Pit Shop, are in business to make a profit. Without profit, they are out of business. You don’t have to be a mental giant or the proverbial rocket scientist to understand that increased costs in the form of a property tax is a cost that will be passed on to the consumer in higher prices. If those costs create a competitive imbalance, there is no question there will be some shops that go out of business.
It was good to see our local tax assessor, Don Gaekle, express opposition to the measure. With his years of experience he undoubtedly knows that equitable application of the provisions will be an administrative nightmare and require additional staffing in that office, adding more tax burden.
Gary Ervin, Modesto
Prop. 22 exploits drivers
The issue around Proposition 22 isn’t whether the state’s new law forcing Uber and Lyft to treat drivers as employees will make the price of rides go up. To generate more business, the companies keep fares artificially low — too low to treat drivers fairly, conditioning riders to believe they are entitled to prices that exploit workers. The companies make billions while the drivers barely scrape by.
It’s the same with $5 T-shirts and $1 fast-food meals. Somebody, whether a worker in a Chinese factory or a South Dakota meatpacking plant, is paying the price. I voted “no” on Prop. 22 and urge anyone who cares about worker fairness to do the same.
Bill Walker, Modesto