It’s no joke. Cartoonist Leigh Rubin has a thank-you gift for fans | Opinion

Thanks a bunch!

To all the wonderful folks who helped restore my cartoon Rubes® to The Tribune’s comic page last year, a belated but very grateful thank you! I really do do appreciate each and every one of you who took the time to write in on my behalf.

As a special thank you I would like to invite you all to a public event, “Think Like a Cartoonist,” being hosted by the downtown SLO Library on Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. It’s free, family friendly and worth every penny. I absolutely guarantee an afternoon of laughs or your money back! For more details please see: sanluisobispo.librarycalendar.com/event/think-cartoonist-leigh-rubin-5986

Leigh Rubin

Nipomo

New rules for BESSes?

“Report says Morro Bay battery plant won’t harm the the public or wildlife. Residents disagree” (sanluisobispo.com, May 8, 2024)

The San Diego Board of Supervisors, in response to recent high profile lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) fires, recently voted unanimously to develop safe BESS siting standards to protect communities in their unincorporated areas. To my knowledge, this is the first of its kind in California and paves the way for small cities like Morro Bay to do the same.

BESS facilities can play an important role in our country’s energy production, storage and consumption infrastructure, but unsafe siting decisions cause delays and potentially disastrous unintended consequences. BESS safe siting standards are best established to prevent delays and protect communities. The many documented BESS fires and explosions around the world can attest to that as can Vistra, whose proposed project in Morro Bay remains unpopular and highly contested.

Joan Behrick

Morro Bay

Here’s your answer

“Letters to the editor” (sanluisobispo.com, July 28)

J. Paul asked for reasons to vote for the Democratic Party.

Here’s a dose of reality: The Democratic Party stands for voting and civil rights. That party accepts the results of the “most secure election” in the U.S., as well as the peaceful transfer of power.

Compare this to the Republican Party, a party for one man. Trump knows that he lost the 2020 election but publicly denies it. The GOP want to erase the ACA, drastically change Social Security and ban abortion rights.

Republicans ask voters to elect a man who is immoral, unethical, doesn’t know right from wrong, lies easily, respects laws only if he benefits, and whose advisers have criminal histories. If Donald Trump were a Democrat, The GOP would be crying “character counts.”

The former president admires dictators, and aspires to be one. Just listen to his words and his intentions. He has said that if elected we won’t have to vote again; he intends to stay in power.

Add to the above, Agenda 2025 from the pro-Trump Heritage Found, which wants to impose its radical plan on the U.S. and that it will be bloodless if there is no opposition!

Bert Townsend, former Republican

San Luis Obispo

More reasons to vote Dem

To those who aren’t sure why voting Democratic is critical for this time in history, here are just some of the reasons: If you care about your children, if you care about education, reading, your family’s health, your parents’ well being, Social Security or the future of our planet, then you’ll want to vote Democratic. If you appreciate the ocean, the mountains, the sky, then vote Democratic. If you care how others are treated, vote Democratic.

There you go and hope that helps.

A. Piette

San Luis Obispo

Good luck in Texas

The California New Car Dealers Association has reported that Tesla registrations in California were down 24% in the second quarter, maybe because Tesla now faces more competition but also because Californians are not fond of supporting Trump-endorser Elon Musk.

California by the way accounts for around 12% of Tesla global sales. On one level, Musk’s Trump endorsement makes sense because Trump has announced that all federal government policies are for sale, and Musk wants to get his bid in early.

Whether it makes sense for Californians to keep buying Teslas is something else. As a proud third-generation Californian I know that the policies of my state, though well-intentioned, are sometimes misconceived and screwed up, but I also know that they are not for sale.

If Musk doesn’t like that, he should get busy selling Teslas in Texas, except for the fact that oil and gas Texas are a religion in Texas and except that direct car sales to Texans are prohibited by state law, what could possibly go wrong?

Chris Toews

San Luis Obispo