To address homelessness, we need affordable housing and addiction treatment
An audit done in 2024 revealed that the state spent $24 billion over five years to solve our homelessness crisis. Sacramento Homeless Union President Crystal Sanchez said recently that a real solution to homelessness is more affordable housing.
Proposition 1, passed last year, and CARE Court, established by Gov. Gavin Newsom, aim to address other root causes of homelessness by compelling treatment for mental illness, drug addiction and alcoholism.
Both these solutions are paramount to addressing the scourge of homelessness we see around us. We need shelter and jobs. We also cannot accept non-treatment of mental illness, drug addiction and alcoholism as merely 'lifestyle choices.'
Our society can have standards, allow for quirky eccentricities and honor those who flaunt convention without okaying behavior that adversely affects everyone.
Leslie Shaw Klinger
Modesto
'Trump's Medicaid cuts versus California's healthcare stance,' (modbee.com, May 15)
In the Republican's so-called 'big beautiful bill,' Medicaid is the biggest loser, and 13.7 million Americans will lose their health care.
We, the people, get no tax on tips and overtime. Meanwhile, the rich will pay less taxes thanks to President Donald Trump. This alone would increase our national deficit.
The nation's credit rating just got downgraded, and our interest rates and borrowing costs have increased. This bill would just make everything worse.
Elected officials making decisions for the rest of us are only benefitting the rich and defrauding every other American. It's much easier to please Trump and the Republican party than represent us — the majority who aren't rich enough to help officials get elected.
Diane Kroeze
Modesto
'Rooftop solar subsidies raise electricity costs in California,' (sacbee.com, May 16)
California has long established rooftop solar as a cornerstone of its energy and climate goals. Rooftop solar is a key tool in providing affordable housing for all, allowing middle class families to maintain control over their energy bills.
Assembly Bill 942, however, threatens to inject chaos into the housing market. Under the bill, new homeowners purchasing properties with existing solar installations would have their contracts retroactively changed to the less favorable Net Energy Metering 3.0. This would diminish the value of homes with solar panels to buyers and create unnecessary friction in the home sale.
For homebuilders, this is particularly problematic. AB 942 will create new housing market risks, exacerbating housing costs. While AB 942 claims to address energy 'affordability,' it will have the opposite effect.
California should be doing everything we can to help homebuyers enter into affordable and energy resilient homes. AB 942 undermines that goal.
Chris Ochoa
Senior counsel, California Building Industry Association
'Prison closure, Ozempic limit, cap-and-what? 5 takeaways from Gavin Newsom's budget,' (sacbee.com, May 16)
It would be a mistake for Gov. Gavin Newsom to restrict Medi-Cal coverage of weight loss drugs, like Zepbound and Wegovy.
Medi-Cal will continue GLP-1 coverage for diabetics, meaning California won't offer overweight Medi-Cal patients access to GLP-1 drugs to help them avoid becoming diabetic, but it will pay for these treatments once they put on so much weight that they develop the disease. This is illogical.
GLP-1 drugs will save Medi-Cal money. It is common sense that a person who is not obese or diabetic will need less medical care over time.
Hank Naughton
Clinton, Mass.
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San Francisco Chronicle
5 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Plan for California's largest reservoir in decades gets big funding boost
The effort to build California's largest new reservoir in decades received a welcome commitment of cash on Wednesday — nearly $220 million — which will help keep the project on track to break ground as soon as next year. Planned for 70 miles northwest of Sacramento, the proposed Sites Reservoir won the bulk of the funding because plans to expand the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County fell through, freeing up money in the state's 2014 water bond. The remainder of the money for Sites came from last year's state climate bond. The California Water Commission, a state advisory board, decided on the bond allocations at its regular monthly meeting. Two other water projects, a groundwater banking program in Kern County and a combined water treatment-groundwater facility in the Inland Empire, were awarded lesser amounts of the bond funds. 'It's progress,' said Jerry Brown, executive director of the Sites Project Authority, the agency that's managing the bid to build the new reservoir in rural Colusa and Glenn counties. 'I think it's good that we're seeing the commission take action and show interest and support for these projects.' Brown is not related to the former governor with the same name. The 13-mile-long Sites Reservoir, if built, would be the biggest reservoir constructed in California since New Melones Lake in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties in 1978. The project would expand water storage in preparation for a potentially hotter, drier future. The new facility would hold up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, enough to supply more than 3 million households annually. Perched across a sparsely populated valley where cattle now graze, it would be the eighth largest reservoir in California. The new funding for the project comes at a critical time: just weeks after the Sites Project Authority confirmed that the estimated cost of the new reservoir had ballooned from $4.5 billion to between $6.2 and $6.8 billion. Rising construction costs are to blame. The 2014 water bond, also known as Proposition 1, initially allocated $875 million for Sites Reservoir, before this week's bump. On top of the bond money, the federal government has pledged $780 million for the project. The nearly two dozen water agencies that want to use the reservoir are on the hook for the balance. Final funding commitments from the water agencies are due next year, a point at which it will become clear whether the project has the needed financing to move forward. The biggest beneficiary of the new reservoir and, as such, the agency responsible for ponying up the most money, is the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The Bay Area recipients include the Tri-Valley's Zone 7 Water Agency and Santa Clara Valley Water District. The federal government is also set to get a share of the water, most of which would go to agriculture. Should any of the water agencies decide that the project is too expensive, there is a waiting list of at least a dozen more suppliers that want to participate, according to the Sites Project Authority. 'We're still seeing a strong participation outlook,' Brown said. Brown is planning for construction of the reservoir to start late next year and wrap up by the end of 2032. The project still needs to obtain a handful of permits and approvals, including rights to water to fill the reservoir. The State Water Resources Control Board is amid a months-long hearing to decide on whether the project should be allowed to divert water from the Sacramento River. Several environmental groups and tribes oppose granting the water rights. While Sites is an off-stream reservoir, which means it doesn't sit on the Sacramento River and directly disrupt flows or fish, critics say piping in water will still reduce what the river holds, potentially hurting salmon runs and degrading water quality downstream. A lawsuit filed against the project in 2023, claiming that environmental reviews didn't adequately address ecological concerns, was dismissed. At Wednesday's water commission meeting, a handful of people spoke in favor of giving additional money to Sites. 'Having this reservoir is essential,' said Colusa County Agricultural Commissioner Anastacia Allen, noting that a local water shortage in 2022 forced growers to fallow farmland and businesses to close. 'We can't see our generational family farms face bankruptcy because of the lack of water.' While awarding funding to Sites and two other projects, the water commission chose not to provide additional bond money to two other projects. The proposed expansion of Pacheco Reservoir in southeastern Santa Clara County and a groundwater storage development in the Antelope Valley haven't made adequate progress per the terms of the bond, according to the commission. However, the commission set aside money should the projects make headway. A sixth project, a groundwater storage initiative in Sacramento County, was awarded additional bond money earlier this year. Plans to expand the Los Vaqueros Reservoir, which had received an initial funding commitment from Proposition 1, collapsed last year when the Bay Area water agencies that supported it couldn't agree on how to finance it. The failure of the project left $454 million of water bond money to reallocate. The 2024 climate bond provided an additional $72 million to distribute to the water projects.
New York Post
5 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump's White House merch room thrust into spotlight after Zelensky pictured with ‘4 more years' hat
WASHINGTON — President Trump's photographed offer of a '4 More Years' hat to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Monday cast a global focus onto one of his lesser-known White House remodels: turning a room off the Oval Office into a free-of-charge gift shop. The merch room was previously a private study — which also saw action as President Bill Clinton's love den with intern Monica Lewinsky. A treasure trove now awaits the president's biggest supporters and visiting heads of state. 'Some people leave with bags of stuff,' a source told The Post. 4 A behind-the-scenes photo of Trump showing Presidents Zelensky and Macron his merch room this week. Margo Martin/X Coveted souvenirs include Trump's golden 'Never Surrender' high-top sneakers, which launched last year for $399, and custom-made ties by Stefano Ricci, whose standard offerings retail starting at $330 at Neiman Marcus, sources said. Trump 'loves being generous' with visitors, said one person who has been to the room. 'Fellas, come on, grab what you want. It's OK,' Trump told aides to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following a peace deal signing with Armenia on Aug. 8. The room serves multiple functions, including playing to Trump's strengths as a host and fulfilling the branding and hospitality executive's desire for a lasting positive impression. It also serves as a polite way to end Oval Office encounters, turning potentially curt send-offs into a memorable moment. 4 President Trump shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his White House merch room Monday. Daniel Torok/White House/UPI/Shutterstock Although a prior iteration existed during Trump's first presidency, this second-term upgrade features a broad inventory. A recent visitor recalled neat shelves of photobooks, candles, golf balls and tees, travel mugs, cufflinks, enameled boxes, small dishes and hand towels. Another source spotted Bibles autographed by the president. The West Wing room, reputedly used by former President Joe Biden to rest, also has special boxes of M&Ms that the candy maker Mars produces with the signatures of chief executives from both parties. Visitors generally receive a paper bag adorned with the presidential seal to stuff with keepsakes. 4 Trump presented Zelensky and other European leaders with symbolic keys to the White House, shown in wooden boxes on the Resolute Desk, ahead of the gift-room visit. Daniel Torok/White House/UPI/Shutterstock Trump has made substantial changes to the White House grounds since reclaiming power in January, adding dramatic golden refreshes for the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, enormous flagpoles to the lawns, a paved patio for the Rose Garden and fresh marble for the Palm Room linking the West Wing to the main White House. He plans to turn the East Wing into a ballroom. The relatively small gift room's diplomatic utility was on display this month when Aliyev visited — as Trump asserted US leadership in a conflict between two nations historically in Russia's sphere of influence. Trump picked out a scarf for Aliyev's wife, handing it to the strongman, and instructed aides to make sure that a symbolic 'Key to the White House' that he personally designed was put into Aliyev's swag bag, as the guest thanked him for the gifts. Trump showed Aliyev, who does not have free elections, a 'Trump 2028' hat, telling this counterpart, 'You know, you're not allowed to run [for a third term]. I'm 28 points higher than anybody. Everyone wants me to run.' 'Including us!' added Aliyev, who inherited his position from his father. 'This drives them crazy,' Trump said, turning slightly to point out the same hat he showed Zelensky. 'Look, '4 More Years.' They go, '4 More Years!' So it's sorta cool.' 4 Trump previously took Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the room and picked out a scarf for his wife. Getty Images Stacks of red 'Make America Great Again' hats are also available, as are newer versions that say 'Gulf of America' and 'Trump Was Right About Everything.' French President Emmanuel Macron, who joined Zelensky in the room, clutched his recently received 'Key to the White House,' contained in a wooden display box that had moments earlier been on the Oval Office's Resolute Desk. What, if anything, Zelensky chose to take was unclear to The Post's sources, but he also left the White House with a revived relationship with Trump and pledges for US and European backing for 'security guarantees' against further Russian invasions if peace is achieved.
Chicago Tribune
5 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
‘South Park' targets federal takeover of Washington, DC, police in latest episode
NEW YORK — 'South Park' is continuing its cartoon assault on the Trump administration, with an episode on Wednesday that addresses the federal takeover of Washington, D.C.'s police department. A 20-second promo of this week's episode released by Comedy Central depicts the show's recurring character 'Towelie' — an anthropomorphic towel — riding in a bus past the U.S. Supreme Court building and White House, where armed troops are patrolling. A tank rolls by in front of the White House. 'This seems like a perfect place for a towel,' the character says upon disembarking the bus. 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently signed a reported $1.5 billion, five-year deal with Paramount for new episodes and streaming rights to their series, which began its 27th season this summer. Their second episode of the season depicted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shooting puppies, a reference to a story from the former South Dakota governor's biography where she said she killed the family dog because of its behavioral issues. Noem is also depicted being trailed by a team of beauticians having to reattach her face. 'It's so easy to make fun of women for how they look,' Noem told Glenn Beck in response to the episode. The season premiere mocked President Donald Trump's body in a raunchy manner and depicted him sharing a bed with Satan. The White House has dismissed 'South Park' as a fourth-rate, no-longer-relevant show. But it has been attracting attention; Comedy Central said the Noem episode had the highest audience share in the show's history, a reference to the percentage of people with televisions on watching the cartoon.
