Letters for the issue of October 25, 2012

Morality at the polls

Proposition 39 on the California ballot, which would close a corporate-tax loophole, is a moral issue. Our faith principles lead us to support it enthusiastically.

Since 2009, the state has discriminated against California-based businesses that create jobs here. It has allowed out-of-state businesses to pay a lower tax rate than California businesses. This is unjust, and it drives businesses and jobs out of the state. Prop. 39 will do away with this discrimination and help keep jobs here.

Prop. 39 also will provide more jobs in California by creating green-energy jobs. By being better stewards of creation, we can create good jobs with a real future.

the Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser

executive director, California Council of Churches IMPACT

Double illegal?

Re “Vote with us!” (SN&R Opinion, October 18):

Thanks for clearing up the deal with Proposition 35. I always wondered when people told me it was to stop [the] sex trafficking of children why we needed a new law for that. As far as I know, all these arrests we see in the paper are proof that molesting kids is already illegal, and it looks like the police are doing a decent job of arresting the pervs who do it.

Now that I know somebody will be getting tax money from this proposition, I know it’s not what it seems to be.

So when are you going to go after these two-faced props, anyway? They shouldn’t be able to get away with hiding who will get the money or with making it sound like something is legal when it’s not.

Mitch Martinson

Sacramento

Yee in District 4

Re “Vote with us!” (SN&R Opinion, October 18):

Sacramento is at a crossroads. We continue to experience challenging economic times and are experiencing a continued flight of businesses from our community. Joe Yee brings the insight of a successful local business with proven leadership abilities.

I served with Joe Yee on the city’s General Plan Advisory Committee for four years. Joe led this successful effort to create a new general plan and vision for the city which was unanimously supported by committee members representing each council district and diverse interest groups, which was adopted by the [Sacramento] City Council. This is the leadership we need in District 4. It is one thing to have a great idea, it is another to bring the business acumen and leadership skills to bridge diverse viewpoints and develop consensus in the divisive political environment we have today.

Steven Kahn

Sacramento

A psychic prediction?

Re “Vote with us!” (SN&R Opinion, October 18):

Hold on to your coffee cup: [Barack] Obama by a landslide—or wins easily.

Why do I say this? Because Republicans and their tea-party mistress have tried 50 different ways to blame and tag President Obama for failing to improve the economy but to no avail. Republicans are a day late and a dollar short as usual.

Another problem for the Republicans is that the economy has turned around. Any of you who don’t live in ivory towers have seen the change every time you walk out the door. People are having a good time again, eating out, partying till the break of dawn, shopping, spending money.

There are even stats to go along with this consummate turnaround: The housing market is making a comeback after years in hiatus; housing prices and sales are up around the country; stock markets have surged to the highest point in years; car sales are up; retail sales are up; and construction workers are back on the job.

So, my question is, who are you going to believe: [Mitt] Romney and Republican lies or your own eyes and common sense?

Ron Lowe

Nevada City

Let the time fit the crime

Re “Blue state, red meat” and “Minority report” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R Frontlines, September 27, and October 4):

Thank you for reporting on Proposition 36.

California’s three-strikes law is a form of enslavement. People punished by three strikes are lifers, because their sentence will state 25-[years]-to-life or more. This is crazy. The punishment shouldn’t be worse than the crime committed.

Resentencing on crimes for which someone has already served prison time is against our constitution, plus, it is just cruel. I believe victims deserve to see their offenders locked up, but the sentence needs to be proportionate. Something is terribly wrong and unjust when property theft becomes more serious than murder.

I am voting yes on Proposition 36. Let the time fit the crime.

Elizabeth Stewart

via email

Don’t generalize about homeless people

Re “War on homelessness” by Nick Miller (SN&R Midtown&Down, September 27) and “SN&R doesn’t really see homeless” (SN&R Letters, October 18):

Nick Miller’s piece is some of the most accurate local journalism on homelessness I have seen in a long time. Most news on the subject is extremely biased. Having 19 years of field experience in homelessness, including service-provider experience, I can say so with a level of authority.

I can also state with authority, concerning David Gonzalez’s letter on October 18 addressing homeless issues, that he is highly misinformed. I interact with homeless on a daily basis also, and have for a long time. It is my job. This blanket assumption made by him and many people that the majority of homeless are homeless because of mental illness and/or drug addiction, or they are somehow to blame for their misfortune, has no factual basis [whatsoever], and in reality, these people’s circumstances vary as much as mine or yours from every other person on the planet.

We do not know these people’s history, and/or what lead them to where they are. To assume they are to blame, that they choose that life or otherwise, is purely ignorant. We have a responsibility as productive members of society to avoid such ignorant acts for the humanity of everyone.

Sonny Iverson

Sacramento