Tuolumne River deal leaves fish behind | Letters to the editor: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022
Deal leaves fish behind
The Modesto Irrigation District, Turlock Irrigation District, and San Francisco reached a deal on water releases that are far less than recommendations made by the state Water Resources Control Board in 2018. While money is set aside for non-flow measures such as predation control and gravel for spawning salmon, Peter Drekmeier, policy director of Tuolumne River Trust, informs that this agreement falls short of what is needed for the waterway. It fails to provide fish the deep, cold water they require.
My question when reading the article about the agreement in The Modesto Bee: Who was at the negotiating table representing the river itself and the biodiversity it supports? Why were the Sierra Club, Tuolumne River Trust, or any environmental advocacy group not invited to the table? To view our natural waterways through strictly utilitarian lenses is unconscionable.
Kent Mitchell, Riverbank
Riverwalk? Bad idea
There is a statue on the corner of I and 11th streets in Modesto that the mayor of Riverbank should pay homage to, and he should apologize for desecrating this man’s legacy. Estanislao led an uprising in 1827 of indigenous Californians against the corrupt Mexican government. Estanislao’s stronghold in these battles was the area where Riverbank’s governing body has proposed to develop, building million-dollar homes and cementing everything else.
Modern Riverbank has a great deal in common with the Spanish rulers of old. Instead of forcing the native peoples into the mission system of forced labor and slavery, the city forces its residents into higher property taxes, higher water, sewer and garbage rates, adds to an already terrible traffic situation, and hampers law enforcement and social services. Not to mention the elimination of cultivated farm land.
The city plans to release its environmental report soon. A written or email response to this travesty can only help in the protest of short-sighted government. Let us teach the City Council a lesson in civic matters.
Rick Kimble, Riverbank
Oil penalties hurt consumers
Love or hate the man, you can’t deny the shrewdness of Governor Newsom. When he announced his campaign against price gouging by big oil, who would have thought it would lead to an under-the-radar tax on Californians. Nothing else explains the governor’s course of action.
It’s no secret that the governor and oil companies have been at odds over drilling off the coast of California. Hundreds of permits have sat idle in the governor’s office in the name of ecology. Payback against the governor’s idleness appeared in the form of price-gouging on the governor’s constituency. To his credit, the governor not only weathered the bad press over high gas prices, but he’s now turning the situation into a huge tax increase. The oil companies are going to make their profits; they’ll simply pass all of those Newsom penalties on to the consumer, and meanwhile, state coffers balloon with all the so-called penalties.
And the best part: Newsom gets to blame this massive hidden tax on the oil companies. It’s a shrewd win for Newsom and big government, and the only losers are taxpayers.
John Orcutt, Ripon
Another hidden tax
So, Gov. Newsom has signed into law a new CRV charge on wine and alcohol containers. What next, CRV for canned soups, sauces, and beans? How about frozen food products in plastic bags? How about everything with any plastic content, like the plastic bags used for loose produce or those purchased at the checkout stand to carry out plastic-laden purchases? We even have to pay for paper bags, which can be composted. Will this lunacy ever cease? This is nothing but another hidden taxation program.
Does this law require all sellers to establish a convenient, simple means to return empty containers to the point of sale for cash? More likely, consumers would be expected to bring them to cashier stations, which would only further slow the shopping checkout process. How sanitary will that be?
Household recycling containers are on their way and with that we can await visits by homeless scavengers the night before garbage pickup. What could possibly go wrong with that? Who is getting rich on this program?
Tim Hodgson, Modesto
Help a child at Christmas
Every Black Friday I make my way to the Soroptimist Tree at Vintage Faire Mall (second floor) to a pull a tag or more off the tree. I check many tags before deciding. The tag has the first name of the child, the age, and sizes. Also listed are things the child needs (clothes) and wants (toys). I take my tag and have a great time shopping over a few days to find things. As a retired teacher, I always add a book.
Then I take everything back to the tree at the mall. Soroptimist members wrap and get the presents to the child. I have a great time and the child has a brighter Christmas. It’s a win-win!
Joyce Starkey, Modesto
Medicare is a winner
There is a lot of focus this time of year on Medicare due to the open enrollment period. In past years I never paid much attention but when you hit that certain age suddenly you start doing your research. I discovered that Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to grow for simple reasons: People get high-quality coverage that is affordable, accessible, and comprehensive. For 2022, the average Medicare Advantage premium decreased to just $19 per month. Even with low premiums, Medicare Advantage offers benefits that original Medicare does not cover, like integrated hearing, vision, dental, and wellness benefits.
The midterm elections featured plenty of Republican rhetoric about slashing Medicare. It’s my hope that Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will continue supporting this program and the over 3 million California seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in it.
Medicare Advantage is a prime example of what makes the American experience special. It shows that the free market and government can work together to deliver comprehensive coverage for seniors.
Mark Looker, Modesto