My insurance company just dropped my fire coverage. How can I get it back? | Opinion
Keep homeowners insured
“How California’s home insurance crisis is trickling down to SLO County,” (sanluisobispo.com, Sept. 12, 2023)
My insurance carrier, Farmers, just notified me that they will drop fire coverage on my home as of June. Friends and neighbors tell me I’m hardly alone in my plight. My agent suggested I re-landscape my house, including removing all plants within a 5-foot perimeter in order to qualify. But even then, she couldn’t guarantee coverage.
We need to ensure that even in the face of climate change we can continue to live on this beautiful Central Coast at an affordable price. Among other things, we need to harden our homes against the risk of wildfires and require insurance companies to cover homeowners who take recommended steps to protect their homes.
We also need to cut way back on burning fossil fuels and encourage other countries to do the same. For starters, Congress should pass the PROVE IT Act of 2024 which would assess the carbon intensity of American products versus our trading partners such as India and China, and lead to carbon tariffs on products of those countries that do not reduce their emissions.
I encourage Congressman Salud Carbajal and my state legislators, Dawn Addis and John Laird, to take action on these important matters.
Don Gaede
San Luis Obispo
Disappointed in police response
“Pro-Palestine protesters arrested after clash with police outside Cal Poly Rec Center,” (sanluisobispo.com, Jan. 23)
Concerning the use of force at Cal Poly where a police officer threw a protester to the ground and then appeared to punch him multiple times: Why are our city leaders not calling for an outside investigation? Why do we allow the police to investigate themselves? Why hasn’t Chief Rick Scott released the videos?
We should expect more from our city leaders and police department.
Mark Swain
San Luis Obispo
Opinion
Renewable energy, not nuclear
“PG&E files to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant open,” (sanluisobispo.com, Nov. 8, 2023)
I am concerned about the cost of keeping the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant running beyond the previously agreed upon dates for closure of 2024 (Unit 1) and 2025 (Unit 2). Financial costs for ratepayers will rise exponentially without guardrails. Billions of cost dollars are on the table, plus utility taxes that would increase our bills to three times the national average.
More affordable clean energy will be crowded out by Diablo Canyon being kept online. As a ratepayer here for over 65 years I strenuously object. I want my energy dollars to support clean power sources, not uranium mines and nuclear waste generation in a seismically crisscrossed area not far from the San Andreas fault.
Retire the built reactors from the ’70s and replace them with renewable energy sources as approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in 2018. Our next generations will be thankful.
Marty Brown
Atascadero
Funk, not Moreno
Election letters: Susan Funk or Heather Moreno for SLO County supervisor? | Opinion (sanluisobispo.com, Feb. 6)
Last week, a letter published in The SLO Tribune claimed that Heather Moreno is a housing champion and has been “a forceful advocate for economic and housing development.” Based on what? What has happened on her watch as mayor of Atascadero to back up that claim?
In contrast, Susan Funk has led the effort to reduce homelessness in SLO County. She built consensus around a plan which was adopted by the county that will significantly increase the pool of affordable housing. The housing issue is very complicated, and has been bad for many years. Even if Moreno were able to reduce planning department red tape and permit processing times, that wouldn’t be enough to solve the problem.
It’s better to elect Susan Funk, who has spent the time and effort to understand all aspects of this issue.
Michael Swan
Atascadero
Funk is fair
Election letters: Susan Funk or Heather Moreno for SLO County supervisor? | Opinion (sanluisobispo.com, Feb. 6)
SLO County needs new, real leadership — not a hand-picked successor for the current, contentious supervisor from District 5. Susan Funk is a successful business woman and a two-term Atascadero City Council member with a master’s degree in public administration who fully supports law enforcement and all first responders; helped formulate the new county plan to address homelessness; and knows how to balance a budget.
We need Funk’s fair, impartial, non-ideological leadership to work with all parties to get things done at the county level just as she’s done in Atascadero.
Eric Michielssen
Santa Margarita
There’s more to the EV story
“More Californias are driving EVs, making charging a ‘potential nightmare,” (sacbee.com, Jan. 21)
As an owner of an electric vehicle, I read with great interest the article about charging challenges in California. The biggest problem seems to be too few chargers for too many EVs. They are not cheap and finding chargers can be inconvenient. But there is another equally interesting side to the story. Why are there so many EVs on the road? I would love to read that story.
Sara Kelly
Los Osos
