Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for March 13, 2024

Mill Valley needs to show the school board respect

I have lived in Mill Valley for over 60 years and I have no preference as to where the new middle school will be built. When the Mill Valley School District announced that the option of using the district-owned property known as Friends Field was a possibility for building the new school, district officials began their due diligence to explore that option. Then deep pockets and politics got in the way.

I found it highly unusual that the city’s email newsletter informed members of the public about the school board meeting. It encouraged people to attend. Never before have I seen information about the school board meeting posted there. I think the city was setting the district up to be criticized.

During one of the meetings, I heard implications that members of the board felt bullied by some on the council, as well as residents, who were against the idea of using the field for the new campus. It didn’t take long for the damage to be done. The board was given no choice but to take the field option off the table.

I encourage Mill Valley residents to watch the video of the meeting from Feb. 27. It’s posted on the district’s YouTube channel. Voters should pay particular attention to the board’s discussion toward the end of the meeting to get a better picture of what they have been subjected to. I also encourage Mill Valley voters to consider the true character of the candidates when they cast their ballots for City Council members.

I commend the board and MVSD Superintendent Elizabeth Kaufman for their resiliency and hard work on this project. I am hopeful for respectful discourse going forward.

— Ellen Frazier, Mill Valley

Zero-emission vehicles lead to better child health

I am writing to bring attention to the recent report from the American Lung Association, which highlights the significant positive impact that transitioning to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) can have on childhood health. The report reveals that a shift to all new ZEVs by 2035 could prevent almost 3 million childhood asthma attacks, 147,000 childhood bronchitis cases and 508 infant mortality cases.

The findings are particularly compelling, as the underlying research indicates a 3.2% decrease in emergency visits for childhood asthma attacks in areas with a higher density of ZEVs. This positive correlation is further supported by a noticeable decrease in nitrogen dioxide, a harmful air pollutant.

There is good news in California. New ZEV sales continue to rise. In 2023, approximately 25% of all new car sales were ZEVs. The North Bay region was even better. In the last quarter of 2023, ZEV sales in Sonoma, Napa and Marin were 26.5%, 30.1% and 38.0%, respectively.

While progress is evident, there is still room for improvement, especially in low-income communities along freeways where childhood asthma rates are higher. There are rebates available for low-income families interested in purchasing new or used electric vehicles. Ride and Drive Clean, a local nonprofit organization, provides information about cost-saving opportunities associated with EV purchases.

— Dr. David Rempel, Inverness

Don’t let AT&T remove landlines in Marin County

Of course AT&T’s getting rid of landlines (“AT&T’s getting rid of landlines,” Feb. 24). It thinks newer technologies will save a lot of money. But those lines are the best and, for some people, they are the only way to be connected to the outside world or summon help in an emergency.

A lot of rural properties have connection issues with cell phones. So do some urban areas, such as the Tiburon Peninsula. My cell phone barely works in my house and calls routinely fail. I tell people to call my home phone first because my cell is so unreliable. My AT&T internet is so slow it resembles the old dial up connections.

All of these new ways to get connected sound nifty in theory, but copper phone lines still work when the power lines, the internet and cell phones are down. I registered my dissatisfaction with the Federal Communications Commission over the demise of copper lines.

Some people have concerns about the safety of radio waves near new wireless towers. Some of that research is questionable. But building a few more towers will help people get reception. I suspect those opposed wouldn’t be so vocal if they had a poor cell connection at their homes.

In the meantime, it seems logical that all communications companies should be required to chip in to keep these copper wires active for those who need and pay for them.

— Diane Lynch, Tiburon

Joe Biden gains wisdom, understanding from age

I am a senior citizen. In a recent study of the impacts of aging, I read that age does not affect recognition, intelligence or long-term memory. Marin’s older population is living proof of that.

The rewards of having lived a long productive life are the gifts of wisdom, understanding, perceptions and judgment. They can all be found in President Joe Biden. He has shown us that his gift of wisdom and his years of political experience have, in difficult times, held the country and the world together.

I urge everyone to vote for this very wise, old man.

— Doris Law Bagley, San Rafael

Attacks on Trump are starting to go off rails

Dennis Kostecki’s recently published letter about misinformation asserted that Adolf Hitler’s book “Mein Kampf” is practically a textbook for current events. I believe the Democratic Party’s plan is to paint presidential candidate Donald Trump as Hitler. That’s unfair.

Kostecki cites the research of Ramani Durvasula, who notes in her diagnosis that Trump is a narcissist. That’s no surprise. I doubt there has been a president that is not a narcissist considering the insanity involved.

Instead of looking at the issues, those opposed to Trump appear to make up “psycho babble.” The punchline seems to always come back to Trump’s concerns about 2020 election fraud.

When you have a country of 360 million (with about 312,000 undecided voters determining the election) there will always be claims of fraud. I think our system is fraud prone. It should be more secure.

Until we return to only voting in person (with an ID as proof) to create a paper trail, I don’t think we will ever know who really wins elections.

— Tim Peterson, San Anselmo

Israel is facing a moment of existential danger now

A United Nations report has belatedly acknowledged the rape, mutilation and murder of Israeli women on Oct. 7 during the Hamas rampage (“A UN envoy says there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 7,” March 5). I guess it is better late than never after five months of seemingly ignoring the savage reality.

However, the larger context is that the Israeli public awoke that day with an understanding that the normalization of terror in all its forms was no longer tolerable. The conception that terror could be managed and assuaged by economic development and Hamas would buy in for the welfare of Gazans was a chimera of hope that faded with that terrorist attack.

Some believe that denying arms to Israel will force the country to accept a Palestinian state ruled by whomever the Palestinians choose. If this happens and the Palestinians select members of the Hamas group, it seems clear that Israelis will be expected to deal with it. These Americans, it seems, appear to believe that they would have no responsibility for the consequences. I think the demand to deny arms to Israel is a pernicious abandonment of an ally in existential danger.

Israel is beginning a long war on all their borders that will unfortunately lead to the death and injury to many. Let’s at least be humble and not be enthralled by neat packages for instant peace. No one should foist this ideology upon Israelis, who are now determined not to be under illusions of easy solutions.

— Jeff Saperstein, Mill Valley