California budget being misused to provide goodies

Last week was when Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders were supposed to agree on a more or less final state budget for the 202324 fiscal year that began July 1.

The negotiations were conducted in secret with the main hang-up being the authority Newsom seeks to streamline environmental clearance for some big public works projects, particularly a long-proposed tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to enhance water deliveries to the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.

Letters to the Editor

Unfair fee

EDITOR:

Republicans to look at the big picture and select someone who not only wins the general election, but helps down-ticket candidates to win also.

While I believe Trump has been mistreated by the media and his political rivals, he’s also committed quite a few unnecessary self-inflicted wounds. And he is the type of person you either love or hate. And today more people in the country hate him.

Summary

There’s no logical reason for California Environmental Quality Act changes Newsom wants to be part of the budget process, but it continues the Capitol’s bad habit of using the budget for contentious policy changes because it bypasses the scrutiny that most legislation must endure.

Over the last weekend in June a flock of budgetrelated measures were introduced, thus minimizing a voterapproved law that requires measures to be in print for 72 hours before final votes. Bills placed in their final form on Saturday can be taken up as early as Tuesday, and while most do pertain to the budget, nuggets of special interest items are buried in their hundreds of thousands of words.

One example is a few dozen words dropped into the main budget bill relating to one of the Capitol’s most contentious issues: state regulation of wages and working conditions of fast food employees.

Last year, at the behest of unions, the Legislature and Newsom created a state commission to impose such regulation, but the industry responded with a petition drive to place the issue before voters in 2024. When the referendum qualified the new law was suspended.

Guest Column

Irepresent the Ponte Palmero Residents Association. As president of the association I respectfully request that county leaders consider interceding on our behalf in a very serious and consequential issue for which our senior citizens have been unable to resolve.

Our residents have been charged a fee by the Cameron Park Fire Department on numerous occasions. The description of the fee is First Responder Fee, $214 per occasion.

I though the fire department was a community service and funded by our taxes. Imagine my surprise when I found out Ponte Palmero also pays for this specific service for our residents in a special tax every year. Why are these fees being charged? There doesn’t seem to be any reason for this.

On behalf of the residents at Ponte Palmero I am genuinely appalled at this disservice by our respected and beloved fire department. I ask for your help in getting this practice stopped and I further ask your assistance in getting a refund of the fees that have been charged to these trusting seniors.

MAGGIE MATOUS Cameron Park

Not a hill to die on EDITOR:

The last two election cycles have taught us two important things. 1. Trump, having a formidable base with very loyal voters, will get most all the candidates he endorses elected in the Republican primary. 2. Neither the candidates Trump endorses or Trump himself win swing states. Georgia (Walker), Pennsylvania (Oz), Arizona, (Lake), Nevada, (Laxalt), Michigan (Dixon) and Wisconsin (Michels), to name a few, lost to very vulnerable opponents.

While it is true Trump’s base in the Republican Party is solid, it is also true that whatever candidate wins these swing states for president during the general election will win overall. And I don’t believe Trump will win these states so I want my fellow

For the life of me I can’t see why anyone wanted Joe Biden to be president. But I’m shocked that people in Pennsylvania elected Fetterman. I also see that Biden loses to everyone else running for POTUS from the Republican Party other than Trump, who is currently losing by four points.

While I’m forever grateful for Trump’s three Supreme Court justices, he, himself, as my representative is not a hill worth dying on.

KEN STEERS Cameron Park

Statehood

EDITOR:

The thought of El Dorado statehood is appealing as it would separate us from the PRK (People’s Republic of Kalifornia), but not realistic or economically viable.

However, the state of Je erson, of which El Dorado would be a part, is possible. Now, I know what you’re thinking: With Congress having to agree, the chances of a well-run, commonsense conservative state like Je erson getting congressional approval are slim to none. But there is a microscopic chance.

If the Democrats are really interested in fairness and not crass political advantage in their promotion of D.C. as a state, perhaps a deal could be struck — Je erson for D.C. Granted the chance for this scenario to play out is microscopic, but it is a chance.

GEORGE ALGER Placerville