Fresno’s trashy highway: Letters to the editor, Nov. 22, 2019

Begin highway cleanup already

To the Republicans, Democrats and independent elected officials whose districts include Highway 41 in Fresno: It’s an embarrassment to our city. I don’t care about jurisdictional politics. Clean it up.

The trash and homeless are an eyesore and a health and safety issue. You have two weeks before the ads start naming you all by name. Enough is enough. Spotless is our expectation and demand.

Poor reasoning in teen shooting

Thank you to Todd Frazier, president of the Fresno Police Officers Association, for unintentionally supporting Fresno Bee reporter Marek Warszawski’s position on the shooting of a fleeing teen by police in Fresno.

Frazier tells us that getting a warrant would have made no difference in apprehending the teen. However, a warrant would have shown everyone what evidence existed to support the attempted arrest and allowed time for input from a judge and police supervisors.

Frazier also tells us that: “In my experience, violent, dangerous, antisocial criminals don’t obey authority and don’t submit to arrest.” So, one day after the murder occurred and in the very early stages of the investigation, these police officers already believed they knew all the facts, that this teen was “violent, dangerous, and [an] antisocial criminal” and they killed him.

The officers are obligated to protect all of us, including this teen, and to act in accord with due process. A warrant would not have excused their actions, but it might have changed the outcome. A SWAT team might have been able to bring him in alive.

Law enforcement has a long way to go to eliminate the attitudes that lead to this death.

Wildfires are not PG&E’s fault

I know it's hard for people when their power is out, but don't blame PG&E, for heaven’s sake. Put the blame back on past and present leaders of California and the environmentalists who are responsible for not clearing the forests ... spotted owl!

Because of those groups we face terrible forest fires, a crippled logging industry, as well as loss of jobs. Just imagine all the wildlife that has been lost because of the fires. So many dead trees standing that should have been thinned out along with the brush. I don't blame PG&E. They have been strapped with so many lawsuits, why would they risk more?

Now here’s a real welcome

Looking at the current woes affecting California, I have a hard time with why the state is encouraging people to move to it. Sacramento should be more realistic to its possible immigrants, and its message should go something like this:

“Come to California! Here you’ll find the highest taxes and gas prices in the country as well as the highest cost of living, a massive lack of affordable housing and water, whole encyclopedias of restrictions of every kind, a bankrupt and sometimes unreliable electrical system, major wildfires and earthquakes, policies that are determined to kill off the most productive agricultural area in the world, and a state Legislature that cares only about the coast and regards the Valley as a third-world colony to be exploited at will. But come here anyway.

“Why? We need you to replace the millions that want to leave due to the above; we also want your vote so that we can stay in power and keep everything exactly the way it is, or, if we’re lucky, make it even worse. In the meantime, welcome to California!”

This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Fresno’s trashy highway: Letters to the editor, Nov. 22, 2019."