Letters for July 15, 2010

Letter of the week

One city or another, it’s inevitable

Re “Is Sacramento cracking up?” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Feature, July 1):

It is amusing that both sides in the Arden Arcade incorporation debate claim to agree that Arden Arcade should not be annexed by the city of Sacramento. Given how poorly run Sacramento (city) proper is, understandably so.

Yet the article notes that “The county is finding it more and more difficult to provide urban services, something that counties really aren’t designed to do.” So, in other words, it is a matter of time before either Arden Arcade incorporates or it gets annexed by the city of Sacramento. Perhaps Mike Duveneck and his “Stay Sacramento” (county) group ought to be honest and rename themselves “Join Sacramento” (city).

As for the implication that Sacramento (the region) is “cracking up,” it was never united to begin with. The proposals for a Sacramento city-county merger were voted down because such a megacity would be unwieldy and far more unelectable and unaccountable than what the region has now. Far better to have local cities, no matter how Balkanized they are, that have to respond to the local citizens. Neighborhoods that have incorporated have taken control of their destinies and improved conditions for their residents. Citrus Heights (1997), Elk Grove (2000) and Rancho Cordova (2003) are all more pleasant now than they were before incorporation.

Nicholas Byram
Roseville

Less aid means hungry kids

Re “Will welfare still work?” by Amy Yannello (SN&R Frontlines, July 8):

What do you think will happen when cash aid and food stamps are reduced, even gradually?

The answer is that children will go hungry and be homeless.

It’s easy to say welfare recipients are just feeding off “the system” when you have a regular income and can afford to feed and house your child. Try using a little empathy. What if you lost your job, and couldn’t find a new one? Your choice is starving on the street or in a dangerous, overcrowded shelter, or asking for help from an agency designed to keep your children fed and housed. Would you choose to give your kids away or sleep on the street?

I doubt it, and if you puff up your chest and say you would never take government money, then you are fooling yourself. I sincerely hope none of you are ever on so desperate a situation that you need government aid, but that’s what folks who use aid are: desperate to feed their kids.

David K. Aslanian
Sacramento

Everybody is going on welfare!

Re “Will welfare still work?” by Amy Yannello (SN&R Frontlines, July 8):

I think this program should be cut 100 percent. I think it is abused in every way. I realize the economy stinks, but everybody is going on welfare. Now, people are going to have kids or take others to court just to make sure they can be on assistance.

The other problem of welfare is the child-support issue, [which] they have connected to making sure the government gets their money back. They go after the opposite parent that is not on welfare, regardless [of] if they take care of their kids or not, just because someone signed up for assistance and the kids’ names were listed. I mean, you didn’t tell that person to sign up for welfare and you didn’t give “permission” for your kids to be on welfare, either.

This system is a mess. They need to think outside the box.

Maggie Darling
Sacramento

Aid to citizens, and send the noncitizens back

Re “Will welfare still work?” by Amy Yannello (SN&R Frontlines, July 8):

“Welfare to work” will only work when significant jobs are developed. Right now, there is a shortage of jobs for all those on welfare and all those on unemployment who are trying to find work. However, a welfare system needs to be in place. Dumping the state’s budget problems on the backs of the already poor and downtrodden is not the answer. Maybe take a look at setting realistic wages for state workers. Some of them make an insane amount of money and brag about being on the “gravy train.”

We are in the second Great Depression, and the government is too afraid to say it. To get America out of the last Great Depression, more aid to the poor was given, not cut. And sadly, California is not the Golden State anymore, and [the] U.S.A. can’t really afford to take in other countries’ poor. It’s time to send back those that are here illegally and make it harder for those in other countries to get here.

There are lots of folks on welfare that would love to get the child care, field work and gardening jobs that are not given to American citizens.

Susan Pedersen
Sacramento

Harsh return policy

Re “One mall under God” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Frontlines, July 8):

Was [the youth minister] also trying to return something? That kind of sounds like the treatment you get when you decide to take back those green, spandex biker pants you thought were a good idea at the time. I’m just saying …

Jon Waldrep
Sacramento

The devil made ’em do it!

Re “One mall under God” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Frontlines, July 8):

It’s the Devil, trying to stop the word of God from being heard again.

Reggie
Sacramento

Investigate telecom companies

Re “Cell-phone racket” by Scott Thill (SN&R Frontlines, July 8):

Finally, an article that spoke for a lot of us who felt continuously duped by these telecom companies! However, my question remains: How come nothing has been done to investigate them?

Dina Gregorio
Citrus Heights

But she is angry

Re “Raising Arizona” by Blair Stenvick (SN&R Frontlines, July 1):

Angry white men? I am not white. I am Hispanic, and I am mad! Not all Hispanics support illegal immigration. I am [a] very concerned citizen that opposes the city council’s boycotting Arizona!

Maria
Sacramento

Seven is a lot of ‘no’

Re “No, no, no, no, no, no, no” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Cut&Paste, July 1):

Kevin Johnson’s outburst proved to the city council that they were right in voting against the strong-mayor initiative. He’s going to have trouble reassigning seven council members to lesser committees.

James Sakauye
Sacramento

Correction

“Beware of the dog” by Kel Munger (SN&R Feature, July 8) incorrectly stated the date when Indigo Moor first began using his pen name. It was in 2001, before he became a Cave Canem fellow. The story has been corrected online.