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closeNuclear energy is safe
Jane Swanson’s July 10 letter titled “Working for safety,” could not be more of a misnomer!
The Nuclear Industry is the safest industry in the U. S., far safer than construction, agriculture, mining or any other business. There have been a total of three deaths from the U. S. nuclear industry during the last 50 plus years.
Mothers for Peace love to speculate on the possibility of “what ifs.” Why don’t they use their energy for more pressing issues? The obvious answer is that the end game is to shut down Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant completely.
As far as the dry cask storage project, I have worked as a contractor on site for more than 17 years. The storage area is within 100-200 yards of where I work.
Ms. Swanson, you state that small missiles could penetrate the casks. Please advise us what specific small missiles you are referring to as I would really like to know what may be heading my way!
As I drive home tonight, I won’t be concerned about a possible terrorist attack, I’ll be looking out for that errant coyote darting in front of me. You see, Ms. Swanson, I live in the real world. I’m not going to ponder the odds of the next asteroid hitting our planet.
J. R. Sturges
Arroyo Grande
No replacement oil
I was sorry to see Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s July 4 Viewpoint, “Declare independence from foreign oil sources,” in which he wrote that, “We can once again declare independence — independence from foreign oil.”
To call this statement deceptive would be an understatement. Politicians have reached a point where truth is no longer relative, it is irrelevant. Oil production in the United States peaked in 1970 at a rate of 11,673,000 barrels per day, and it has declined ever since. Last year we produced an average of 8,481,000 barrels per day.
In the meantime, our population has grown from 203.3 million in 1970 to 304.5 million in 2008. In 2007, Americans consumed an average of 20,697,000 barrels of oil, owned a fleet of perhaps 250 million passenger vehicles and had to import an average of around 12 million barrels of oil per day, or nearly 60 percent of our oil needs.
Politicians need to tell Americans the truth: no amount of drilling in this nation will even come close to replacing the 12 million barrels of oil we need to import every day, and no new technology will solve this dilemma any time soon.
Gary Peters
Paso Robles
Reject failed sewer ideas
Bo Cooper, a constant fixture at Los Osos Community Services District meetings, wrote supporting STEP collection and attacking county staff’s latest update mailing as biased (Letters, July 20).
Unlike Cooper, most in Los Osos sit quietly at home, grateful that Mr. Ogren and staff appear neutral and not single-mindedly enthralled with oddball STEP hardware. And we’re grateful that county staff is (hopefully) bringing us conventional wastewater treatment and collection.
We reject the unusual and disastrous ideas of our failed district board which was wisely stripped of wastewater authority by a rare unanimous vote of the Legislature. We don’t want our property values to stay low due to wide public knowledge of our sewer oddities, and STEP would forever brand Los Osos as “different from everybody else” with “tanks still in the ground,” lack of normal purely centralized treatment and STEP pumps and alarms wired into every household.
Forget the extreme ideas of the Schicker/Tacker
/Cesena/Senet/Fouche board which bankrupted our town and install what the rest of the country uses, gravity collection and downslope treatment location. If they hadn’t barely won election and killed our going project, our homes would already have a working simple sewer and plant.
Bravo Mr. Ogren and staff for your work.
Richard Clark
Los Osos
Kudos for the fair
Bouquets to the Mid-State Fair! Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to bring this experience to the community. We are newer residents, and this was our first year to visit the fair. The cattle drive — what fun to see! We were so impressed by the entertainment, displays, safe environment and the school bus transportation. What a concept — free parking, free transportation. What a breeze to get there and get home.
We were amazed by all the thought and planning that went into the fair and thoroughly enjoyed our Mid-State Fair experience. We can’t wait until next year.
Patrick and Cyndi Egan
Paso Robles
Transparency in Atascadero
O n Tuesday, the Atascadero City Council will consider requiring greater transparency and accountability from its members regarding campaign contributions by posting them on the Internet and declaring them when contributors’ items are on the council agenda. While the contentious debate over campaign contribution limits has been deferred, a broader consensus appears to have developed favoring greater disclosure of contributions.
Currently, contribution forms are available only to those with the time and inclination to view them at City Hall. Exploiting a loophole in state law, council members may deliberate and vote on agenda items in which their campaign contributors have a financial interest without divulging those contributions for the record.
It’s time to provide the citizens of Atascadero with access to campaign contribution reports on the city’s Web site. It’s also time to provide those assembled at council meetings with on-the-record declarations of campaign contributions to council members from applicants and appellants with items on the agenda.
All council members and top city staff have received a comprehensive brief advocating these advancements in transparency and accountability and citing the city’s authority to enact them. Citizens in favor of these initiatives are encouraged to support them at Tuesday’s council meeting.
David Broadwater
Atascadero
Google as Big Brother
It’s of little surprise that the Justice Department, attorneys general and members of Congress are looking skeptically at Google’s proposed partnership with Yahoo! (“Congress explores Yahoo-Google antitrust questions,” July 15). By giving a single company control of the online-advertising market, the deal raises concerns for business owners and consumers online.
Google already controls an estimated 70 percent of online advertising, the fastest-growing marketing tool in the country. By making Yahoo! reliant on Google’s ad technology, the deal would turn the online search kingpin into a gatekeeper over Internet advertising with unchecked power to raise ad prices.
Google denies any plan to raise rates, insisting that prices are set by auction. But consider this: forcing all advertisers into the same auction will inevitably lead to much higher rates, especially with the number of online advertisers growing each year. The only way to keep rates affordable is through competition among several providers.
In addition, many consumer advocates have raised red flags about Google’s practice of compiling data on everyone who uses its search engine. With most Internet users channeled through Google, these privacy concerns will grow. Where will those of us who prefer anonymity turn when Big Brother Google stands at every door?
Harry C. Alford,
National Black Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D. C.
Liddell made Dad’s day
I just wanted to say thank you, Chuck Liddell, for taking time out of your day and making my day a very special one.
I just happened to be in a very hot room the size of a small bathroom recently. I looked over to my left and there was the Ice Man, about 3 feet from me. I thought I was in a dream because of the heat of the room, but after talking to the champ, it was as real as it gets.
Chuck not only answered all the questions that I’ve wanted to know the answers to for years, he took time to sign a simple paragraph for my dad, Joe Gold. Chuck, the smile you put on my dad’s face was priceless. He was on the phone with all his buddies.
Chuck, for taking that time out of your day, you helped repair a father- and-son relationship. I can’t thank you enough.
Joe Gold wanted me to tell you, kick some butt in September and bring the title back home.
Scott Cursey
San Luis Obispo
To the things that matter
Kudos to your staff for offering a bouquet (Aug. 1) to the fallen police officer who offered forgiveness to the person who harmed him. I especially appreciated reading the 10 suggestions offered on how to forgive.
In a time when the media picks up and embellishes every kind of violent story and celebrity drama, this is a refreshing perspective and great reminder of the things that are important in life. Thank you.
Cindy Maynard
Morro Bay
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