SAN LEANDRO, CA - AUGUST 21: Former San Leandro City Councilman and founder of GrilleeQ, Lee Thomas, checks on an order of tri-tip grilling in his backyard as part of his home kitchen barbecue business in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021 Thomas' business is one of the first to be licensed under a new law in Alameda County.(Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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Barbecue spat about
environment, not race
Re: “BBQ Beck notoriety continues to resonate” (Page A1, July 4).
This issue is a fraud.
Mr. Smith knew that using a charcoal grill in that area was prohibited by the city of Oakland because of the noxious fumes generated by petroleum-based charcoal briquets and lighter fluid. He could have used a propane grill but decided that the rules didn’t apply to him. He chose to make the argument that expecting him to obey the rules had to do with his race and not his air-polluting behavior.
He’s not George Floyd, he’s an attention-seeker wrapping himself in the serious issue of racial discrimination. Shame on the East Bay Times for perpetuating this fraud.
Patricia Coffey
Orinda
Today’s citizens
shouldn’t pay for slavery
Re: “Harvard admissions policy favors children of university alumni, says an activist group” (Page A1, July 4).
Quote from front page article. “Why are we rewarding children for privileges and advantages accrued by prior generations? … Your family’s last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process.”
If I may paraphrase, “Why are we contemplating ‘punishing taxpayers‘ for wrongs and harm done by prior generations?”
Today’s citizens had nothing to do with slavery.
Elliott Dushkin
Walnut Creek
Monetary reparations
are a pricey bad idea
Re: “Task force suggests restitution for slavery” (Page A1, June 30).
Monetary reparation is a bad idea, for the following reasons:
1. The June 30 Evains article suggests the cost as $800 billion. The 2022 California census was about 39 million. The financial cost to each man, woman and child would be about $20,500. We cannot afford this. Local governments are hurting for more income and our governor cannot balance the state budget without severe cuts to major programs.
2. The article claims only those who establish ancestry will get a payout. With DNA testing, every descendant of an emancipated slave can establish ancestry. The number of claimants would be much higher than estimated.
3. California cannot prohibit descendants in other states from moving to and establishing residence in California so as to receive a monetary payout from California taxpayers.
Edward McCaskey
Dublin
Escaping methane our
biggest climate worry
The PBS NOVA documentary “Arctic Sinkholes” shows global temperatures will keep rising because thawing permafrost and fault lines in Earth’s surface are releasing massive quantities of methane and carbon dioxide gasses.
Gas from billions of metric tons of carbon in Arctic permafrost and 1.3 trillion tons of methane deposits miles beneath Earth’s surface are beginning to escape. Esieh Lake in Alaska is emitting 3,650 tons of methane per year. Explosions from rising methane are creating 100-foot-wide craters in Siberia.
The future of humanity depends upon stopping all carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The United States needs to lead in establishing a global refundable price on carbon by passing the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, HR 2307. America should lead in preventing, capping and capturing all Arctic methane emissions.
Mark Altgelt
Vallejo
Biden economy is
money well spent
Re: “By treasury secretary’s definition, it’s a recession” (Page A7, June 16).
What EJ Antoni from the conservative Heritage Foundation left out of his critique of Joe Biden’s economy is that we have very low unemployment and increasing job growth in this country, plus a decreasing inflation rate.
Antoni claims that government spending is driving up inflation. However, if we let wealthy Americans keep more of their income, we will not get better roads, bridges and fire departments.
Wealthy Americans will buy more shares of stock, mansions, yachts, etc. Then when they drive on our city streets, they will wonder why there are so many potholes.
Good government spending improves transportation, health and public safety. It promotes commerce and quality of life for all Americans. It enforces the rule of law. It defends freedom. Biden’s economic plan is money well-spent.
Percy Honniball
Oakland