Fresno County DA must not make a plea deal in case against Bobby Salazar | Opinion

Do not plea deal Bobby Salazar case

Mr. Salazar does not deserve a plea.

It is simply inconceivable that a man who made $1 million with a single illegal contract could rely on a lawful insurance company to pay him his ransom without a plethora of support from other illegal acts.

I cannot sit well knowing that a man of such dishonesty would give up his entire secret identity in a swoop and at a single moment. It goes against everything Fresno is known for

I truly apologize to the better of us, and I hope that may win the public eye and save others with our communities of compassion. A tsunami of harm has been hitting our lands for years, one after another, and it has always come after our smallest choice to hide, to capitulate, or to believe in a law of our own.

How, I ask you, could such a dominant public figure produce a pattern of crime without getting caught? Because crime was his way of life.

I urge you to write our officials. I believe the DA is responsible for this case, and tell them no, do not accept his bargain.

Andrew Owens Whalen, Sanger

Prepare for disasters now

September is National Preparedness Month. Now’s a great time to ask whether your family is ready if something unexpected happened tomorrow.

Disasters don’t wait for the right time — they can happen at night, during your commute or while your kids are at school. Taking a few simple steps now can make all the difference.

Your local Red Cross urges everyone to prepare for disasters by creating a safety plan, gathering essential supplies and knowing how you’ll stay connected. Start with these actions:

1. Depending on the emergency, you may need to go somewhere else to stay safe. Think about where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, where you’ll stay and what you’ll take.

2. Gather and organize critical supplies — like food, water and medicine — into a go kit and a stay-at-home kit. Make sure to include backup batteries and chargers, supplies for pets and kids, a radio, and critical personal records.

3. Make a plan to reconnect with loved ones if you are separated or if the phone is down. Write down important phone numbers on a contact card and carry it with you.

Learn more at redcross.org/prepare or by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency app.

Lori Wilson, Fresno

Wonderful Co. disputes Bee editorial

The Bee’s cynical editorial about The Wonderful Co.’s No. 1 ranking on People’s “Companies That Care” list was a terrible disservice to its readers. What should have been a celebratory moment for the region became an attack on those that earned this national recognition, while neglecting to mention the reason it’s so significant: it’s a direct result of confidential feedback from thousands of Wonderful employees.

Wonderful was recognized ahead of countless American companies because of what it does for its employees in the Central Valley: free health care; farmworker pay increased well ahead of California raising the minimum wage; affordable housing; revitalized parks; college scholarships — over $1 billion that helps all farmworkers, direct employees and seasonal workers alike.

In what upside-down world is this a basis to criticize and attack?

Apparently, our dispute with the United Farm Workers. The editorial left out that nearly 150 Wonderful Nurseries workers testified under oath about intimidation by UFW organizers that included being tricked and pressured into signing union authorization cards, of organizers showing up at their homes unannounced, of being told their signature was needed to receive $600 in COVID relief funds

So, we defended them, knowing our position would be mischaracterized — and The Bee did just that. They didn’t reach out to fact-check, and its editorial contained numerous inaccuracies. They also didn’t ask us for comment while giving the UFW and others that opportunity.

Our workers’ own testimonials earned this prestigious People recognition. It belongs to them and the Valley they call home.

Seth Oster, chief corporate affairs officer, The Wonderful Co.

Editor’s note: The Bee’s editorial gave numerous examples of the good practices done by the Wonderful Co. Here is a link so readers can review it for themselves..

Defining the role of the Coast Guard

Andreas Kluth (Bloomberg News on “war” 9/10/25) included the U.S. Coast Guard along with other services in the Department of Defense.

That is incorrect. The Coast Guard, with civil maritime law enforcement authority, is under the Department of Homeland Security for that civil law enforcement reason. The other military services within the Department of Defense (now Department of War) do not have civil law enforcement authority.

So, as Kluth explained, the Coast Guard would not have summarily destroyed a boat with 11 people aboard. The Coast Guard would have stopped the boat to see what the operators were doing. If their activities were found to be illegal, the Coast Guard would then have arrested them. If the boat operators taken evasive or offensive action, the Coast Guard would have acted essentially in the fashion of any other civil law enforcement agencies.

Richard Kangas, Selma