Letters to the Editor, Nov. 1

Readers weigh in on the PG&E blackouts.|

Shut THIS off, PG&E!

EDITOR: Hello, I am a senior citizen living in Northern California. After experiencing a power shutoff two weeks ago, and now again faced with another, I along with many in my community are left feeling, a sense of hopelessness and despair because of PG&E.

During the first shutoff, not only was I left literally wandering around in the dark, I lost my monthly food supply due to spoilage. I had spent a large chunk of my social security on food for the month and it was gone in the blink of an eye. So, as I was wondering what I was going to eat for the rest of the month, I received an alert notice to be prepared for yet another blackout.

The first one had left me in fear for my safety and livelihood, but knowing I had to face another was almost more than I could take. I, along with many other seniors, families and businesses are not able to be quote PG&E 'prepared' for these shutoff because they can't afford the expense of a generator.

To avoid wallowing in self pity, I decided to fight back. I started a petition on Change.org against the forced power shutoffs. Then I emailed, Gov. Newsom, the CPUC and numerous news outlets. I did get our local, Lake County News to publish my letter and petition info.

I am almost 70 years old, but I continue this fight against injustice to the vulnerable people of California to my last breath. The public health, safety and financial crisis that PG&E has created is unacceptable.

I have read the facts, 90 percent of wildfires are caused by people and 10 percent by nature, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior and countless wildfire experts. Not power, as PG&E would like the public to believe. I might be old, but I'm not stupid. The facts speak for themselves. So I would like to make aware the CPUC email address. news@cpuc.ca.gov for anyone that would like to join me in my fight for justice.

Judy 'Granny for Justice' Nylander

California

Breakup PG&E

EDITOR: After slogging through two power shut offs with another one on the horizon, it's clear that PG&E's Public Safety & Power Shutoff is an expensive and ineffective failure. The human and financial cost to impacted communities and uncertainty resulting from PSPS supports the case for the breakup of PG&E to be replaced by regional/local utilities which are more agile, better managed and employ innovative technology.

Bob Kraynak

Sonoma

PG&E lined own pockets

EDITOR: The Public Utilities Commission gave PG&E half a billion dollars to upgrade its infrastructure, but they decided to give half of it to shareholders instead, and have been paying off our elected officials. Our Congressperson, Rep. Mike Thompson, for instance, has taken 50 donations from PG&E over the last 20 years, adding up to tens of thousands of dollars. That's why we have 'preventative black outs.'

So when you see Andy Vesey, incoming CEO of PG&E on TV, saying they aren't shutting off power because it's easy, they care about safety, it's dishonest. If PG&E really cared about our safety they would have placed cables underground instead of lining their own pockets.

Jason Kishineff

American Canyon

Fool me once, shame on me…

EDITOR: Now all the climate scientist experts are adding the fire season to the long list of maladies brought on by global warming. Maybe one of these experts can explain why the experts told us kids in the 1970s at Sonoma Valley High School we were all going to freeze to death. I suspect that the same students who pushed the Volkswagen down Broadway on the first 'Earth Day' from Mr. Clausen's science class are the same folks wringing their hands and carrying signs in front of the Plaza claiming the exact opposite is about to take place.

Just like today, the scientist of the recent past produced scientific models and graphs to prove their claims of global freezing and they attacked anyone who refused to believe in their 'science' and they never apologized for misleading the public when the earth refused to freeze. These climate change scientists cherry pick graphs and information that support their religion of climate change. They discard anything and anyone that has information that may spoil their theories and the future those theories allow of moving vast sums of capital. They manipulated the data 50 years ago and they are still doing it today.

Labeling people 'deniers' who decline to join the climate change hysteria is the same as labeling them 'won't be fooled again.'

Ben Hardister

Sonoma

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