Emissions education

On Tuesday evening, March 13, the Atascadero City Council took the responsible action by voting to participate in a program to prepare a climate action plan tailored to Atascadero’s situation. It was also a courageous action, given the comments from most of the speakers opposing this action because of their opposition to AB 32. I congratulate the council members for their courage. Several other local communities are already participating.

As a scientist, however, I found the lack of basic understanding of the problem posed by fossil fuel emissions to be deeply depressing and discouraging. I once again invite those who truly are interested in learning about this problem (and even those who consider global warming to be a gigantic hoax) to come to a public talk to be held Wednesday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Cal Poly’s Spanos Theatre. The basic science is not hard to grasp, and intelligent discussion on policy options to address this issue requires such basic understanding.

Ray Weymann
Atascadero

Defending De Vaul

If what Dan De Vaul did was so illegal, why wasn’t he punished 10 years ago when the harassment began?

If what he did was wrong, why did four local, well-known, dedicated attorneys put their good names and careers on the line while representing him pro bono?

If his actions were so caustic, why did the community rally around him and fight so hard to defend him?

Why did he get invited to speak about homelessness at schools, service clubs and local organizations?

If what he did was so immoral, why did local churches volunteer to help him plant his fields year after year? (One of our own supervisors even came to volunteer.)

Congregation members also brought food and stuffed stockings at Christmas time; local grocery stores brought in turkey dinners every year at Thanksgiving.

If the county and judicial system care so much about the health and safety of our homeless neighbors, why have they done so little over the past 30 years to provide housing for the homeless, and instead try to break the one man who has done more than any of them combined?

Actions by the county were simple: harassment of the indigent, elder abuse, unequal protection under the law and selective code enforcement. He was doing their job — and a good job at that — with no taxpayers’ money. He made the county look bad.

Robin Hervey
Santa Margarita

Earmarks equal bribes

Let’s call earmarks what they actually are: bribes. Bribes by incumbent politicians to ensure that the voters will re-elect them. Bribes with the taxpayers’ own money. Most of the earmark funds are wasted, i.e., roads to nowhere, bridges that serve no purpose, etc.

Sure, there are public works and infrastructure projects that need to be accomplished. These projects are or should be incorporated into a comprehensive public works bill, a bill formulated and voted on by the entire Congress.

In spite of their 10 percent approval rating, it is unlikely that incumbent politicians will embrace the demise of earmarks for obvious reasons.

L.M. Lambert
Cayucos

Cowardly toward lions

Once again another Elmer Thud speaks his mind about hunting mountain lions (Letters, March 13). The reason people in California voted down hunting lions is because we’ve seen the video. The one where the dogs have treed the cat, the mighty hunter takes his sweet time, gets 10 feet away and kills for the fun of it.

That beautiful cat in Idaho died so a cowardly hunter could have a sick thrill. Please stop saying there are so few deer in California. Anyone who lives in the country will tell you the deer are plentiful. Problem lions are hunted by Fish and Game, whereas hunters like killing lions that are out in the wilderness and not hurting anyone.

Steve Parks
Paso Robles