18-05-2025
‘Shame on them': Salary hikes for Sacramento officials spark criticism
'Sacramento mayor, council salary increases amid budget talk,' ( May 14)
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and city council members clearly do not prioritize serving their constituents.
They could have worked within the charter rules to route more money to public safety and less into their own pockets.
Shame on them.
Barbara Stockman
Sacramento
Opinion
'Newsom calls for cities, counties to adopt policies eradicating homeless encampments,' ( May 12)
It boggles the mind that Gov. Gavin Newsom thinks that banning homelessness will make the problem go away. It will take a coordinated, multi-faceted effort — without egos, turf wars or NIMBYism — to solve the problem.
Like when California ignored the Employment Development Department and Department of Motor Vehicles debacles, those problems did not fix themselves. What world does the governor live in?
Daniel W. Christensen
Folsom
'Newsom calls for cities, counties to adopt policies eradicating homeless encampments,' ( May 12)
If Gov. Gavin Newsom is going to advocate for policies beloved by the GOP, including not funding social programs, he should change parties officially.
PJ Evans
Chatsworth
'California has highest estimated Alzheimer's cases in US. These counties have the most,' ( Aug. 3, 2023)
California Alzheimer's Disease Centers are in trouble, with some at risk of closure by July, leaving many with Alzheimer's unserved.
Established 40 years ago at university medical centers, California's 10 Alzheimer's Centers leverage federal research dollars to expand access to diagnosis, treatment and training for primary care providers.
They're critical educational centers for caregivers, medical students and communities of color, who are disproportionately affected and face challenges accessing experts and care.
These centers have been consistently underfunded, while demand for their services grows. If they close, patients will face longer wait times and travel longer distances for appointments. State legislators must increase funding for these centers. Without action, we'll lose critical infrastructure and risk being unprepared to serve an aging population.
Mark White
Sacramento
'340B fails Black Californians and helps corporations profit,' ( May 7)
NAACP California/Hawaii State Conference President Rick Callender's op-ed claims 340B no longer helps low-income Californians. In decades of practicing medicine and leading a health care organization that served millions of low-income patients, I've seen nothing like it.
In California, hospitals used hundreds of millions of dollars in 340B savings in recent years to keep clinics open and medications accessible. UC San Diego and UC Davis alone reported over $560 million combined. That funding supports cancer treatment, prenatal care and prescription access for people who often have nowhere else to turn.
340B isn't perfect, but it is working. If we cut 340B, we won't be fixing a problem. Instead, we'll be cutting off cancer treatment, closing clinics and leaving people without life-saving medicine.
Dr. Mario Molina
Arlington, Va.
'CA must stop using forever chemicals that harm our health,' ( Aug. 11, 2023)
Senate Bill 682 seeks to broadly ban perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, without fully assessing individual risks. It is a costly and premature measure that threatens over 500,000 jobs and nearly $150 billion in gross domestic product.
These substances are essential to sectors like aerospace, semiconductors and air conditioning technology. A sweeping ban would burden small and mid-sized businesses, increasing prices and risking job losses.
Legislators should reject SB 682 and, instead, back targeted, science-driven regulations that protect public health without jeopardizing California's economy and innovation.
Kevin Fay
Executive director, Sustainable PFAS Action Network
