Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Nov. 29, 2023

Parents must actively teach that all are equal

I feel great sadness regarding student behavior at Hall Middle School in Larkspur (“Larkspur-Corte Madera School District faces bigotry outbreak,” Nov. 21).

I’ve lived in Marin County for 73 years and I’m appalled that antisemitic and racial gestures with hate-motivated statements have been made toward other students. Where is this coming from? There certainly is no room for this kind of behavior. I’m a firm believer that children need to be educated at home by their family. We all need to do our job.

Growing up in this county is a privilege. We are blessed to live in this beautiful place where education is a priority. Being that this is a highly educated community, this type of thinking and behavior is especially unacceptable. Please educate your children and share that everyone is an equal, no matter their race, color or religion. We all need to show respect for one another.

— Jacqueline Louis, Greenbrae

Santa Cop program helps get holiday gifts to kids

The San Rafael “Santa Cop” program is a great and worthwhile cause that benefits less fortunate children. It’s back again this year.

The program isn’t just a toy drive, it’s a not-for-profit charitable organization that accepts checks and has numerous volunteers sorting toy donations by age and wrapping gifts. So while you are out doing holiday shopping, you might consider children who could use a little joy in their lives.

There are several locations to drop off toys, including the Kentfield Fire Protection District headquarters and all San Rafael Fire Department stations, as well as in Marinwood. One year, I rode with volunteers delivering toys to children who were very surprised and appreciative to receive a gift. No matter how small or how big, every gift is special.

— Ron Naso, Kentfield

Communicate with your gardener for solutions

Gasoline-powered leaf blowers were banned in Novato effective July 1 of this year. Yet some professional gardeners are still using them. Not only are these gas blowers somewhat more noisy than battery powered blowers, but they are oversized contributors to air pollution.

I reminded one gardener who tends to the grounds around a neighbor’s house about the new ordinance. At first he pretended he was not aware of the ban, but later admitted he has not complied because the cost of an electric blower that a professional would need to purchase is $2,000. He told me that my 40-volt household blower ($300) was inadequate primarily because the battery would not hold a charge for his day’s work.

The gardener who works at another neighbor’s house has switched to an electric blower. His solution is to rake some of the leaves and not worry about scooping up each and every leaf and blade of grass.

If you honestly want to help reduce air pollution and somewhat reduce blower noise that annoys your neighbors, I encourage you to discuss with your gardener how to comply with the law. They certainly can find creative ways to make the switch. Inaction means you are part of the problem the ordinance aims to remedy.

— Mark Hall, Novato

PG&E’s profit history is hard to understand

I wish to concur with Christine Clayworth’s recently published letter regarding the outrageous raises in rates the California Public Utilities Commission allows Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to charge its helpless regular customers. I was appalled to read that CEO Patricia Poppe made more than $50 million in 2021. The company’s profits may have soared that year, but so did the cost to customers.

PG&E equipment is blamed for starting fires that have burned down huge parts of Northern California. Officials have been found guilty of neglecting their infrastructure, yet now we have to pay for the mess. I generally like most of what Gov. Gavin Newsom does, but I hate the idea that he may have helped create such a cooperative CPUC.

I hope the citizens that are impacted by this get cranky. Since just about everyone in the Bay Area uses PG&E, I feel like we are stuck with whatever officials do. I wish this utility — needed by most everyone — wasn’t a private, for-profit company.

— Sally Seymour, Larkspur

Support SMART as it preserves Marin’s future

Decades ago, foresighted people — too many to list — came to a general agreement on a layout for Marin and Sonoma counties. The eastern sections became north-south residential and commercial corridors. The central part is reserved for agricultural purposes. The western section is for environmental and recreational purposes.

The proximity and access of the agricultural and recreational sections are in large part what makes the residential areas such wonderful places to live — certainly some of the best living in the entire country.

Wherever development is needed (people are still moving to the Bay Area) urban sprawl and traffic must be managed. The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District is here to combat that — not today, but decades from today. Not only will SMART move people and reduce the need for roads and cars, it will encourage development near SMART stations. It encourages managed density and relieves it.

SMART is an investment in our future — each generation must do that. If past generations hadn’t, we would still be moving on dusty footpaths in our loincloths. We must support SMART for the future. It should be the preferred mode of transportation north and south along the eastern corridor.

It saves time while being much more environmentally acceptable than highways and cars. It is comfortable, efficient and relatively quiet. Like organizations preserving agricultural and park lands, SMART is helping preserve the way of life that our forebears gifted to us. It is for our descendants and their children.

— David McConnell, San Rafael

Key point was omitted from Prop. 19 discussion

I am writing in response to Roy Fray’s letter to the editor published Nov. 25. It advocates for repealing Proposition 19 because the property tax rate is reassessed after the death of the owner.

I think he omitted a very critical point. The amendment limits people who inherit family properties from keeping a low property tax base unless they use the home as their primary residence. Why should beneficiaries be allowed a low property tax on property that is a vacation home or becomes rental property? Proponents of repealing Proposition 19 conveniently leave out this important factor.

If the beneficiary uses the home for their residence, there is no increase in property tax.

— Ruth Jaeger, Corte Madera

Carter deserves credit for hard economic decisions

Barbara McVeigh’s letter about former President Jimmy Carter is a very positive contribution to our thinking. Carter lost the 1980 election in part because he was considered weak and not politically skilled. He seemed to annoy those on both sides of arguments at times. The fact is that he contributed mightily to Middle East peace efforts, and these need to be reinvigorated today.

Carter is not given public credit for his major contributions to our national economy. He deregulated oil, following which supply-and-demand forces led to the collapse of the oil price in 1985. There can be no doubt that if the prior administrations had done so, there would have been no second oil crisis in 1979 and subsequent runaway inflation.

He also deregulated transportation: airlines, shipping and trucking. This led to an economic boom. He appointed Paul Volcker as chairman to the Federal Reserve, who managed the inflation crisis skillfully.

Former President Ronald Reagan got credit for the economy in the 1980s, but I think much of it depended on Carter’s moves. Carter’s decisions were much more in line with economic conservatism as well as optimism than party affiliations might have suggested.

We should recognize the positive actions that Carter took, and encourage our politicians to work together for the national good and for international peace.

— Toby Marion, Tiburon