{"id":1303,"date":"2026-06-05T23:36:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T23:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1303"},"modified":"2026-06-05T23:36:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T23:36:57","slug":"letters-californias-clean-skies-are-worth-the-price-of-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1303","title":{"rendered":"Letters: California’s clean skies are worth the price of gas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Our state\u2019s clean skies are worth the expense<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cState\u2019s gas mandates drive unaffordability\u201d (Page A6, June 3).<\/p>\n

The writer wonders why the costs necessary for clean air should make Los Angeles so much more expensive than, say, Dallas, Texas.<\/p>\n

Read more Letters: California should support Hawaii\u2019s Citizens United challenge<\/a><\/p>\n

There are at least two major reasons why: First, the Bay Area and Los Angeles are metro areas surrounded by high mountains on all sides, trapping dirty air. Second, California\u2019s natural drought means that during the summer months, no rain falls to clean out such dirty air. Dallas has none of these problems.<\/p>\n

I remember the 70s pics of filthy air in Los Angeles that were dramatically cleaned up in later decades due to gas regulations, smog checks and other efforts. We cannot go back to filthy air.<\/p>\n

Jim Hammond<\/strong>
\nCastro Valley<\/em><\/p>\n

Marine protected areas can bring ocean balance<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cLooking for edible uni from California\u2019s coastal tide pools also helps the environment\u201d (Page 2F, April 19).<\/p>\n

Who doesn\u2019t love eating sushi or, even better, sustainable sushi? Rather than tuna or salmon, along the Sonoma coast, sea urchins are being foraged and harvested.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The sea urchin species have increased their population by up to 10,000% in some areas, partially as a result of their primary predator, the sunflower sea star, being wiped out. This isn\u2019t a secluded event. The most recent extreme marine heatwave has caused devastating consequences for ocean life. Specifically, our bull kelp forests in Northern California have decreased by 95%\u00a0due to the sea urchins eating the kelp.<\/p>\n

Due to rapidly warming temperatures, animals are losing food sources and growing more vulnerable to diseases. Our solution is to expand marine protected areas to grow resilience and increase fitness in marine life. We\u2019ve seen the changes brought about by pre-existing marine protection areas and urge the Newsom Administration to be in favor of expanding these areas this summer.<\/p>\n

Veronica Garcia<\/strong>
\nOakland<\/em><\/p>\n

US must release resources to fight Ebola<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cWHO chief visits epicenter of Ebola outbreak in Congo\u201d (Page A6, June 1).<\/p>\n

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A rare strain of Ebola is spreading rapidly through war-torn provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Bundibugyo strain (BVD) has no known treatment or vaccine. Ebola circulated for weeks without detection, and is spreading towards the Kivu region and into Uganda.<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. An American doctor is infected.<\/p>\n

Instead of responding, the White House kept frozen $19 billion in public health and international assistance funds. The administration refuses to address the growing public health crisis, despite having funds Congress appropriated for this issue. Its policy of quarantining Americans abroad is creating violence in Kenya.<\/p>\n

The Alliance for American Leadership calls on California representatives and senators to work with the White House to release these public health funds and contain Ebola before it reaches California.<\/p>\n

Read more Adames, Chapman, Schmitt hit 2 homers each as SF Giants blast Cubs at Wrigley<\/a><\/p>\n

Nikole Morales<\/strong>
\nHayward<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s still time for us to save democracy<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s difficult these days to have any confidence or trust in our federal government since Donald Trump arrived.<\/p>\n

Almost every government system or program has been impacted. Congress can\u2019t solve America\u2019s problems, the Supreme Court has lost its independence, and voters across the country are being gerrymandered out of existence. Someone wrote that the president in the future will not be able to restore the dignity of the office due to these problems.<\/p>\n

Can democracy be saved? Yes, I believe it can, but it\u2019s going to be slow and painful, unless the MAGA supporters finally wake up.<\/p>\n

Stuart Shicoff<\/strong>
\nMartinez<\/em><\/p>\n

Congress must assert a check over Trump<\/h4>\n

The \u201cClear and Present Danger\u201d is upon us. We can no longer pretend that \u201call is well\u201d in our government under Donald J. Trump. The corruption is unprecedented.<\/p>\n

This is the most incompetent president in the history of the United States. He appoints only \u201cyes men,\u201d those who \u2018kiss the ring,\u201d and incompetent, unqualified lackeys. He doesn\u2019t know what he is doing most of the time. A \u201ccircus barker\u201d who only thinks of how to enrich himself. He doesn\u2019t care one iota about the people of this country or the struggles they endure under his leadership.<\/p>\n

We must fight back, for who knows what he will do next. Will Congress wake up from its deep sleep and put the brakes on his corrupt ideas? Will it be too late?<\/p>\n

Joanne Wilfong<\/strong>
\nSan Ramon<\/em><\/p>\n

For safety\u2019s sake, tighten driver\u2019s licensing rules<\/h4>\n

Five died and 34 were injured when a bus in Virginia failed to slow for a highway work zone and hit several other cars.<\/p>\n

The driver, according to state police, cannot read or speak English, yet held a commercial driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t yet know which state issued him that license, but the California DMV has been accused of \u201csoftening\u201d the rules for some drivers in the past.<\/p>\n

I hope the families of the deceased sue the driver, the responsible DMV, the bus line, etc. This should not be happening.<\/p>\n

Read more Disaster drill training to take place in East Bay city<\/a><\/p>\n

Mike Heller<\/strong>
\nWalnut Creek<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Also: Balanced ocean | Release resources | Still time | Check Trump | Tighten rules. East Bay Times reader letters to the editor for June 7, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nLetters: California’s clean skies are worth the price of gas - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1303\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letters: California’s clean skies are worth the price of gas - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Also: Balanced ocean | Release resources | Still time | Check Trump | Tighten rules. 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