Electric prices are high in California because of governor’s failed policies | Opinion

PG&E serves shareholders, not customers

“Gavin Newsom has a plan to lower California electricity bills. Here’s what it would do”

Electric prices in California are high because of the failed policies of the legislature and the governor.

President Pro-Tempore McGuire says in this article that California has always been an economic and climate leader. Nothing could be farther from the truth. California leads the nation with the highest housing costs, taxes, gas prices, utility rates, homeless population, welfare cases, unemployment, etc. Its carbon cap and trade program is just another tax to fund pet projects like a train to Bakersfield. It has no impact on climate change.

The California Public Utilities Commission doesn’t regulate utilities, it enables them. PG&E announced record profits last week. It’s a convicted felon that blew up San Bruno and burned down several communities because of greed and incompetence.

Why are SMUD and Roseville Electric rates half of PG&Es? Because they serve their customers. PG&E serves its shareholders at its customers’ expense.

Michael Bloom

Auburn

Opinion

Spicy VP? Let’s do this

“Harris picks a spicy VP in Minnesota’s Tim Walz, who called Trump ‘weird’ and it stuck” (sacbee.com, Aug. 6)

Vice President Kamala Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people.

They won’t back down under tight odds, either — from healthcare to school lunch. Let’s do this.

Paul Bacon

Hallandale Beach, Florida

Civil rights for humans just as important

“Wild horse collapses during roundup, then federal worker kicks it in face, video shows” (sacbee.com, Aug. 6)

While the video of Nevada federal agents “abusing” a wild horse possibly going viral worldwide, would there be the same equal kind of public outrage if the beating victim here instead was a human being accused for instance of being an “illegal immigrant” or being homeless?

Nevada laws since 1971 have been apparently enforcing fines and prison terms for the “protection” of its wild horses and burros, while not emphasizing the civil rights for human beings to not be unjustly attacked by either federal agents or civilians because of who they are or their situation.

There should be a federal investigation not only of Nevada’s law enforcement but also of other U.S states on the Mexico border, because there are far too many unnecessary deaths of human beings.

Michelle Kunert

Sacramento

Walz now on the main stage

“Kamala Harris selects Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate” (sacbee.com, Aug. 6)

A critical part of successfully campaigning for the presidency is a candidate’s ability to define themselves in positive terms — and avoid being defined negatively by their opponent. Kamala Harris’s choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice president may provide us with a unique approach to the issue of how a candidate is defined.

Why is this so?

As a scholar of communication who studied political discourse for more than 45 years, I believe it rhetorically will be hard for Trump and Vance to define (actually “redefine”) Walz, a person who has not been on the national stage and someone most Americans don’t know. Unlike other politicians, Walz’s words and images paint a picture that is clear, genuine, authentic and understandable; and hence, hard to dispute.

Moreover, Walz proudly owns his identity and will use it to persuade independent and undecided voters — people who will like and identify with Walz’s down to earth (tell it like it is, often humorously) discourse and common sense approach to governance.

Richard Cherwitz

Camas, Washington