Water recycling
EDITOR: As I drive around Santa Rosa, I see many large apartment complexes under construction. Clearly, there is a real need for more housing. There is also a shortage of water due to drought. Many hectares of agricultural land and golf courses are irrigated with water recovered from treatment plants. Even if the water were treated until it was safe to drink, it would be difficult to convince the public that this was true. Surely we could be convinced that this water could be used to water our yards and flush our toilets.
Why not require all new construction to install two water supplies? Drinking water for sinks, showers and bathtubs, reclaimed water for outside taps and toilets. Because we do not currently have the infrastructure in place to support both systems, they would now both be connected to potable water. At a later date, when the city and county caught up with the need, separate water lines could be installed on all structures. No renovations would be required for any buildings constructed from now on.
Surely, if we could build a pipeline to the Geysers, we could install the necessary pipelines in town.
LEW LARSON
Sevastopol
Warriors can afford stars
EDITOR: On July 30, there was a long article about the Golden State Warriors’ ability to retain key players, especially Draymond Green (“Warriors May Face Salary Crisis”). Currently, the Warriors have the highest payroll in the NBA and pay $170 million in luxury taxes. It seems like a lot.
However, owner Joe Lacob and company paid $450 million for the Warriors, and the team now has an estimated market value of $5.6 billion. Additionally, the Warriors’ projected annual revenue is $700 million, second only to the Dallas Cowboys in US professional sports.
Given those numbers, it’s hard to see why the Warriors would skimp on anything. And more than any other NBA team, the Warriors developed most of their talent from within. Stephen Curry, Green, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney and James Wiseman are all rookies. With the exception of Michael Durant, the Warriors are tasked with nurturing their stars and showcasing their high salaries.
In my opinion, they have nothing to complain about.
MICHEL BURWEN
Petaluma
Exploitation at the fair
EDITOR: I read that there will be a “dwarf wrestling” program at the Sonoma County Fair. It is a hurtful, callous, exploitative and unintelligent choice. Midget is a painful word to describe a human being.
ROBERT BLOOM
Sainte-Rose
Deplorable conditions
EDITOR: How is it possible that Santa Rosa city managers and city council members don’t see what maintenance crews aren’t doing? These “leaders” travel our roads every day. All. Only. Day.
Our medians, islands, sidewalks, etc. have been in a deplorable state for years. Weeds and trash abound. This dereliction of duty has nothing to do with the pandemic or the drought. The interview went off the rails years ago. Why don’t we regularly see maintenance crews taking care of our city? There must be a maintenance schedule. The schedule must be published.
And speaking of our highways – Caltrans Project signs proclaim “Your Taxes at Work.” Oh good? The shoulders and medians are overgrown with weeds and rubbish. When it comes to freeway projects, the Petaluma Corridor is a glorious example of a seemingly open checkbook to a local contractor for an endless project that yielded poor results.
I’m sure I’m not the only driver who hit the grossly uneven asphalt while climbing the Petaluma River Bridge. Why is this not corrected? Caltrans managers encounter this same flaw on a daily basis. All. Only. Day.
No view.
No monitoring.
No end in sight.
MORIA ZIMBICKI
Sainte-Rose
Religion and abortion
EDITOR: Editor Emily Wilder’s beautiful article on opinions on abortion in different religions points out that many people here in Sonoma County support legal abortion because of their religious faith, profiling Muslim religious leaders , Buddhists, Jews and Hindus (“Not So Simple,” July 31). It should be added that many Christians are also pro-choice by religious conviction. While conservative Christian voices are strong, they represent only one interpretation of Scripture. My own Episcopal tradition has officially opposed anti-abortion legislation since 1967. Human life is indeed sacred, and the tough moral choices regarding abortion should not be made by the government but by the person carrying that life. potential.
THE REV. RAZOR STEP
Rector, Episcopal Church of the Incarnation
Surprise tricks
EDITOR: Anticipating the likely Supreme Court ruling banning left turns in California, some Sonoma County residents are now playing it safe and eliminating turn signals altogether.
STEVEN NIELSEN
Sevastopol
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