Land, formally part of the Concord Naval Weapons Station, and downtown Concord seen looking west from Bailey Road in Concord, Calif., on Monday, April 5, 2021. Concord is officially re-starting the process of figuring out how to develop the former Naval Weapons Station. The city council on Tuesday will discuss staff’s new proposal for finding a new master developer. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
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Demand accountability
for CNWS development
Why do we care about a Contra Costa Civil Grand Jury report on the Concord Naval Weapons Station project which includes a $14.06 million taxpayer question? Why do we — the Concord community; the business communities; our BART ridership; Highway 242, I-680 and Highway 4 commuters; families with children in school; environmental organizations; those needing affordable housing; water and electricity users — care?
We care about the $14.06 million that is a city loan without specific accountability on how it was spent on the project and how it will be repaid. We care because decisions were made without the Concord City Council following their own procedures to gain detailed information for each developer, and their financial capability.
We don’t want a third time like this. CNWS is such an important opportunity that we must get this right for all of us. Read Concord Naval Weapons Station Grand Jury Report: A Promise Unfulfilled. Email all Concord City Council members to follow the grand jury recommendations and request a financial audit.
Suzan Requa
Concord
Fossil fuel workers
face familiar fate
Re: “Fossil fuel workers could be left behind during energy transition” (Page C7, July 31).
History is full of times when workers with good-paying jobs are displaced by societal changes.
The headline in the East Bay Times is part of long list of industries that changed: Eastman Kodak, film cameras; Western Union, telegrams, telex, livery stables and hay farmers. During engineering college orientation, we were told that we would likely work for seven different companies during our careers. Today the statement may be that one may work in several different industries. Ask the people of Lynn, Mass, the “Shoe Capital of the World” in the early 20th century.
My dad retired from Western Union with a fixed pension and a medical benefit that was not fixed. Over 25 years of retirement inflation significantly devalued his pension and shrinking Western Union decreased his medical benefit.
A good-paying job today is no guarantee of long-term well-being.
Bob Sanchez
Pleasanton
Democrats’ policies
drive surge in crime
The article “Spike in shoplifting hits some store owners hard” (Page A1, July 31) laments the explosion of shoplifting in the Bay Area.
But the headline is misleading. Shoplifting doesn’t just hurt some store owners; it hurts all store owners and hurts all law-abiding citizens.
Second, it’s not “shoplifting” anymore. Shoplifting used to mean the petty stealing of a couple of items; and, if caught, facing punishment and embarrassment. But now, it has become the brazen hauling off of thousands of dollars worth of stuff with absolutely no recourse.
The article correctly attributes the crime explosion as being due to “a societal move away from incarceration for less-serious crimes.” Excuse me for noticing, but this is not a “societal” move. This is, in fact, Democrat policy. Democrat politicians have eliminated the punishment. Democrat policies have created the crime wave. We need to blame them, and we need to stop electing them.
Jay Todesco
Concord
Where is the courage
to stand up to Trump
This is an open letter to Republican members of Congress and Americans who still support Donald Trump: Why are you so terrified of Trump that you won’t stand up against his obvious crimes and won’t support the impeachments and indictments against him?
He was impeached for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and inciting an insurrection on the Capitol. A few of his crimes are his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, expressing support for hanging his vice president during the insurrection, missing government documents, inflation of his net worth, hush money payments to a porn star. Is it the power and money you crave so much? How will that help your constituents who need your help?
If, God forbid, Trump gets reelected, do you and his supporters want to live under a criminal who will also be a “dictator”? Please grow a spine and stand up against this madman.
Ramona Krausnick
Dublin
Originally published at Letters To The Editor