Where water goes
Re: “‘Everyone loses’” (Newslines, by Rachel Becker, June 9)
I read with interest your article about the ongoing drought. Agriculture, however, is only 2 percent of California’s GDP. Finance makes up the lion’s share. Losing ag won’t hurt us.
Hydrologists warned us a quarter century ago that California would be running out of water about this time, so why is everyone in panic mode?
Also, California grows luxury crops like almonds, walnuts, avocados, dates, plums, etc. Nobody ever starved to death because they didn’t get enough almonds on their chocolate sundae. California used to grow a lot of wheat until the railroad came through; then farmers found they could make more money by growing luxury crops and shipping them.
It takes one gallon of water to grow one almond and five gallons of water to grow one walnut, then we ship the nuts off to China—so they are stealing our water by proxy. Saudi Arabia has drained its deep aquifers and now has to import food and build desalinization plants. China has drained some of its major aquifers. What little water we have left in California should be used for everyday citizens.
I grew up in the middle of a 300-acre almond orchard. The agricultural heyday is over.
Michael M. Peters
Chico
Gun control
Re: “JC & the real WMDs” (Second and Flume, by Melissa Daugherty, June 9)
I was raised around guns also, Melissa, and I can hardly call myself an advocate or enthusiast. When I had young children, I didn’t keep guns in the house because I believe in the statistics. But over the years, especially if you watch and read progressive ideology, I begin to realize that yes, they are coming for our guns (if they never get true and absolute power).
Even your own column shows that in a very modest way: “Ban assault weapons and … buy back [the 20 million in circulation].” That is a rather passive way to look like it’s not really a ban but accomplish the same end and act like it’s common sense populism.
James Jenkins
Oroville
“Everybody is talking about gun control … we need some bullet control. I think every bullet should cost $5,000. … You know why? ’Cause if a bullet cost $5,000, there would be no more innocent bystanders.”—Chris Rock
Neither the NRA nor the GOP cares about the American public at all. Regular incidents of mass murder by pro-Trump misogynists and right-wing Republican racists have become commonplace in the United States, and the ridiculous Republican Party continues to insist that passing laws to protect the American people from weapons of war and domestic terrorism isn’t worth their time or effort.
The GOP “leaders” don’t want gun control. They don’t even want bullet control. They want door control! Turning every single public building in America into a deadly firetrap with only one way in and out sounds like another brilliant “conservative” idea.
Here’s my idea that’s actually sure to make America safer: fewer Republican officeholders. To borrow an often-used firearms-related phrase from gun-hugging hunters, isn’t it about time that we the people “thin the herd” of do-nothing, know-nothing, gun-nut NRA stooges? Make sure to send an unmistakable message Nov. 8 by defeating the Republicans who are awash in blood money from the NRA.
Jake Pickering
Arcata
Write a letter
Tell us what you think in a letter to the editor. Send submissions of 200 or fewer words to cnrletters@newsreview.com. Deadline for August 4 print publication is July 22.
Be the first to comment