Safety should take priority over preserving Fresno air traffic control tower | Opinion
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fresno faces public concern over balancing safety and design in tower rebuild.
- Supervisors end needle exchange support despite claims it saves 15 lives weekly.
- High-speed rail backers promote unity and economic gain through Valley service.
New airport tower needed
“Fresno seeks to rebuild air traffic control tower. Why it’s facing backlash” (fresnobee.com, Sept. 2)
I am no aeronautical engineer, pilot or expert in air traffic control. I love Fresno’s older architectural gems. Too few remain.I love Fresno history. I love Fresno! All this despite still another day hovering near or above triple digits. (In fact, I believe that the excessive heat we suffer summer after summer unites the people of Fresno and our Valley; brings us feeling closer together.)
Concerning FAT’s air traffic control tower, shouldn’t we be most concerned with keeping passenger jetliners from colliding above our Valley or colliding with other aircraft? Doesn’t this enjoy obvious priority to the tower’s architectural significance?
Jim Steinberg, Fresno
Needle exchange needed
“Needle exchange clinic loses Fresno support. It saves 15 lives a week, staff says” (fresnobee.com, Aug. 19)
I am deeply disappointed in the Fresno County Board of Supervisors’ decision to end support for the county’s needle exchange program. This program, supported by the Department of Public Health, has been a lifeline for our community for years. Its success is not a matter of opinion — it is backed by decades of research showing that needle exchange programs reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis, prevent costly medical crises, and connect people to treatment and recovery services.
Ending this program does not make drug use disappear; it only makes it more dangerous for everyone. When people who struggle with addiction lack access to clean needles, the entire community pays the price —through rising infection rates, higher medical costs, and unnecessary suffering.
This decision ignores science, public health best practices, and the well-being of our residents. Instead of pulling support, our leaders should be investing in evidence-based strategies that save lives, reduce harm, and ultimately strengthen the community we all share.
I urge the Board of Supervisors to reconsider this harmful decision. Public health should never be sacrificed to short-term politics. The people of Fresno County deserve better.
Alan Gilmore, Fresno
Support high speed rail
“CA high-speed rail passenger service could start in Central Valley before 2033” (fresnobee.com, Aug. 23)
I recall one tremendous feat of the revolution of 1776: we won the right to travel through each-others’ state. Forget about the tariffs from King George III for a moment, we demanded of each other an end to self-exacted tolls.
While we are known for being some of the toughest folks on the planet, we are also known for the greatest gifts of nature too. It should be part of us to greet each stranger as a gift, as they thank us for Yosemite Intl, and our foods.
So, please support the rail project! Just imagine how much money could come on the daily train.
Andrew Whalen, Sanger