What if the homeless won’t accept help? | Opinion
Homeless or helpless?
Re “It’s high time to end Modesto’s intractable homelessness problem” (Page 1C, March 12): I thank Mr. Jamieson for his opinion. I found it to be truthful, honest and needed to be said. Being from Turlock, I wish the City Council and police, who have been doing more lately, would read it and consider some additional ideas.
I would agree, enough is enough. If the homeless are unwilling to accept the help being offered and not follow ordinances and laws of our city, then they should be held accountable, like the rest of the general population. For those who think this too harsh, I would suggest you feed them at your house on your side of town. You could sponsor one, while having them camp on your property until they get their life back on track.
If there’s one thing the homeless are not in short supply of, it’s the excuses they have for being where they are and why they can’t or won’t get any better.
Marcial Garcia, Turlock
Toxic water mystery
Re “Toxic substance temporarily closes Modesto dog park” (Front Page, March 15): Thank you, Erin Tracy, for putting the facts into print. I was appalled to hear that some evil person had tried to poison dogs visiting the enclosed dog park on W. Morris.
If a dog was exposed to antifreeze, the owner needs to know to be able to tell the vet immediately. If the fire department tested it and deemed it antifreeze, that should be noted on the closure sign. I want to know whether the police department has asked for information from citizens. The puddle is in an enclosed area not accessible when the park is closed. Somebody might have seen something.
For many of us, our pets are our children and this is not a minor incident and certainly not an accident.
Candice Carleton, Modesto
We mustn’t ignore racist past
Re “County to search records for racist property covenants” (Front Page, March 19): When I read this article about redacting “grotesque covenants” on property records, my immediate reaction was, “whitewashing the truth.” And I was glad to read Ms. Byrd’s and the Frobas’ similar response, that taking such an action because of concern for upsetting future buyers was, to use an old expression, hogwash. To me this is analogous to the arguments against critical race theory — that students will be upset by the facts of slavery. Or that the herding of Japanese Americans into California prison camps makes people cringe (did Germans get herded into camps?). Or how the Irish were treated when they arrived, or numerous other immigrant groups that were sneered at and discriminated against over the decades.
Despite America’s ongoing insistence and need to portray itself as being an inclusive country of long-standing, whitewashing, redacting and canceling the truth with a black marker does not negate what happened. Someone unknowingly buying a property in a formerly restrictive area should instead use the fact to reflect on what that meant at the time, and use it as a teaching tool for themselves and others so that such travesties do not occur again. Those who ignore history risk repeating it.
Claudia Walsh, Modesto
Check for thee, but not for me
I recently read that certain city employees will be receiving a hefty check of $7,500 for working through the (COVID) lockdown. Apparently their lives are worth more than mine. I also worked through the lockdown. Where’s my check? Is my safety and well-being worth less? To top it off I have to chip in involuntarily to pay them? This is clearly discrimination of non-city or county workers.
Here’s a good idea: no more checks, period.
Ronald Hall, Modesto
Next generation in Congress
I was inspired by the article “A California Democrat is the first LGBTQ immigrant in Congress. Now he’s ready to work” (Online, Feb. 1). The article covers the experience of Congressman Robert Garcia as a public figure who represents two minority groups.
While I am not an immigrant or part of the LGBTQ community, I did find his early connection to superheroes relatable. The part of Superman being an outsider and living in the shadows before being given a chance to be heroic connects to Garcia’s development of character through the use of positive role models. His actions and the roles he takes define his character. For example, he started taking leadership roles as an undergraduate and that led to him running for public office.
His ideas resonated with me, and I hope I will be able to see some of them put into place in the future.
Kristina Solomita, Modesto
Governor Grammar
It seems to me that Governor Newsom has abandoned the use of those big flowery words in his speeches. Not since Spiro Agnew had we heard of a public figure who so enjoyed impressing us with his vocabulary. I bet one of Newsom’s aides told him that it made him sound sophomoric and that he should strive to eschew obfuscation.
Paul Desrosiers, Sonora
More math
Re “Junk math” (Letters, March 19): The letter writer suggests that the combined IQ of Congresswomen Boebert and Greene would likely not reach 100. Whatever their individual IQ may be, when compared to Maxine Waters they would each appear to be an absolute genius.
Ray Walker, Turlock
Can we figure this out already?
Are these new blue cans that the trash companies now expect us to use a serious attempt at waste management, or are they just another way for them to make their job easier?
I doubt that the alternating blue-green cycle is needed. I’ve yet to fill the blue can halfway since receiving it, and there are a few times each year when one green can pickup per week doesn’t seem enough. I’m sure that many other customers feel the same.
And why must we prewash all recyclables? Isn’t it enough that we presort from the real trash? It seems like they’re just messing with us on that. Do the people who work at the trash facilities suddenly care about getting their hands dirty? Seriously, wouldn’t it be more efficient and less wasteful of water to clean all these items in bulk at their facility rather than demand that we also do more of their job? You know there’s going to be enough noncompliance that they’re going to have to do it anyway.
Robert Land, Modesto
