Letters for January 25, 2018

Manteca

14 years later: still no dough

Re “High-stakes standoff” by Bob Speer (Feature, February 19, 2004):

Mooretown Rancheria has never taken care of its tribe. It has disenrolled people and lowered their status so they cannot [receive] per capita payments—we receive nothing. Once a year, we get a $50 Walmart gift certificate. I’ve been a member since before any casino—now they have a casino, gas station, smoke shops, RV shops and are working on a second casino. And they’re worried about taxes—they have stolen our identity, eliminating us from the tribe, creating genocide, to where our people will be wiped off and forgotten while the conquerors reap the rewards of the land under a front claiming to be indigenous. One forgotten native feeling like Ishi.

Carlos Solorio

Sacramento

White blindness

Your quote [in the Sacramento Bee article regarding the BLM protest of the SAMMIES]: “I never would have thought we’d have gotten this reaction,” [publisher Jeff vonKaenel said].

Sir, can’t you see/understand, based on your quote—this is exactly the problem? Your newsroom’s lack of black voices—not only writers and contributors, but editors and mentors, is one reason “you never would have thought …”

That is the very definition of white male privilege. You didn’t and don’t have to because you’ve never had to consider because you simply cannot. You are not a black man, woman or child and thus you do not have the experiences in this country, community, city of our lived experiences that so clearly enabled us to see your paper’s article and immediately know what was wrong.

That you have no one in your newsroom who could have told you that is further, and longstanding, indictments against what on first glance appear to be a progressive publication but when one looks deeper… it’s white male dominated and thus limited in so many race/gender issues.

The SAMMIES boycott and the word on the street should tell you something. It appears your stubbornness is preventing you from listening. The community is upset because so many root for you all and for you to just so clearly drop the ball and paint a killer like you did. There are not always “two sides.”

There’s a lot of listening and learning that needs to take place in that office. I hope you start soon.

Myron Clifton

via newsreview.com

Anger addicts

Re “Help us diversify’ by Eric Johnson (Editor’s Note, January 18):

At what point does apologizing for something as inane as tagging a person in a Facebook post become enabling victim mentality? Activists who take offense to such minutiae can no longer differentiate between actual injustices and perceived sleights to their own fragile egos. They are addicted to the feeling of self-righteous outrage, undermining their movement and revealing themselves to be of weak moral fiber—as thin skinned as the president they love to loathe.

Nathan Muniz

Sacramento

Rethink immigration and gentrification

Re “Happy New Year—you’re evicted!” by Scott Thomas Anderson (Feature, January 11):

The SN&R advocates reckless immigration policies and then wonders why the area is overcrowded. The SN&R demonizes gentrification, but fails to mention that it is what is causing construction of new units in now desirable and formerly undesirable areas.

Bill Zaumen

Sacramento

Some tenants deserve eviction

Re “Happy New Year—you’re evicted” by Scott Thomas Anderson (Feature, January 4):

It appears that SN&R had no way to differentiate between evictions for no payment of rent and evictions for profit. [Tenants Together Executive Director] Dean Preston is obviously a hack if he is suggesting that a vast majority of renters are being evicted due to a landlord wanting to raise the rent. I had the fabulous experience of spending five months trying to evict two tenants. The police knew my house very well from visiting every week. They destroyed the house/carpets. And after the “judge” gave them another month to stay in the house, they managed to break every inside door. The bedroom was used as a dog breeding room. Metal weights were stuck to the carpet by piss and rust. Poor renters. Each and every rule about evictions benefits the tenants. No, sirs, the vast majority of evictions are because tenants stop paying the rent or break other rules in the rental contract. Oh yeah, and rent control is really going to help the rental market. It will help property owners to stop renting and get out of the market. It will kill property values in Sacramento if people are trying to dump rental property.

Steve Little

Sacramento

Gambling commission cheating?

Re “Towering doubts” by Scott Thomas Anderson (News, January 18):

There appears to be no legal reason whatsoever for the commission to deny this license. It’s simply based on personal opinion and not the law. It seems the commission has overstepped its bounds. It’s also been suggested that Commissioner Evans has a political agenda as a hardline Democrat and is opposed to approving Mr. Ayers’ license for the cardroom because of his Republican affiliation. The commission should carefully review the laws, specifically “Ineligibility for Licensing,” which they recently approved. Nothing that Mr. Ayers has done falls into any category of the law. It’s like disapproving someone because they don’t like their Facebook page. Cardrooms that have committed multiple felonies are still in business and yet this honest businessman is being held up from establishing a legitimate business in Sacramento. Nothing the Elks Towers or its future owners have done is wrong as it applies to license denial.

Mitchell Goldstein

Trump and anti-abortion terrorists

A week ago, Donald Trump was playing to the white racists in the Republican Party; Saturday he was playing to the anti-abortion activists in the GOP. Doesn’t Donald know the anti-abortion religious right is the largest domestic terrorist group in America? Forget the white supremacists. These anti-abortionists hidden in the Republican Party have committed over 60,000 offenses against clinics and Planned Parenthood; have firebombed over 400 clinics; have killed 18 doctors and staff members; have harassed and stalked doctors, staff and supporters nonstop for two decades.

Donald Trump and VP Mike Pence’s priorities are sadly misplaced as they play to these Republican anti-abortion extremists, or should I say homegrown terrorists? And Donald, what happened to your promise to be president for all Americans? You’re playing to a small sliver of society.

Ron Lowe

Nevada City