Readers’ comments: January 17, 2025

Leaders: allocate more Measure W funds for fire prevention
Dear editor:
Fires in Los Angeles County coastal areas are nothing new and are recorded in many history books. In the book “Two years before the Mast,” written by Richard Henry Dana in 1826, he records a vast blaze of fire while sailing north from San Pedro to Santa Barbara along the Malibu and Topanga mountains.
In 1903, a great fire raced from Calabasas to the sea in a few hours.
Problematic in the current fires that destroyed home and property are available water supply which is now being investigated.
Common among water districts and consultants seeking more revenue are issues related to treatment to remove ash and contaminants.
The five member Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and L.A. County Public Works have oversight of Measure W parcel tax of 2.5 cents per square foot to capture storm water raising $300 million annually. As fire prevention funds are cut, special funds for capturing and treating water are being allocated for scientific studies for turf grass, dry wells and park and recreation programs that cost millions of dollars, far from the original intent of the measure.
Perhaps it time the Supes stop putting the cart before the horse and insure more funds approved by the voters are for prevention of disasters caused by fires.
John Mendoza
Pomona

Stand up against hate
Dear editor:
A friend recently showed me a plastic baggie they found on their lawn in Rancho Cucamonga on January 6. It contained a message of white supremacy, its text reading in part: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” with “Aryan Freedom Network” and “white-power.org” as the source, and the claim it was, “Distributed randomly without malicious intent.”
The Aryan Freedom Network is an American neo-Nazi group based in Texas with chapters in 25 U.S. states. Claremonters are generally not exposed to these kinds of overt displays of racism and intimidation. But in 2011 and 2017, groups of neo-Nazis did rally here. It is upsetting to think that we may have neighbors who are sympathetic to messages of hate like this.
The first election of Donald Trump gave permission to white supremist groups to step out in public, as evidenced by the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump proclaimed that there were very fine people on both sides. It is naive to think that his reelection won’t further encourage their hate, not only in Rancho Cucamonga, but in many communities, including Claremont. We must do everything we can to fight this.
Stand up and speak out. Others will join you when they know they have an ally in the room. People need to know you are standing there with them. This can be a scary, but we must be willing to resist in public, not just behind the scenes. We must speak at City Council and school board meetings. We must write letters to the editor. Call or send messages to our state officials. Resist hate and racism whenever we see it. This will give permission to others to do the same. We are the resistance.
M. Boos
Claremont

Name calling, gas price claims are childish, disingenuous
Dear editor:
Reading Doug Lyon’s continual finger pointing [“Gas prices are outrageous: vote out all Democrats,” January 10] has become so old.
The name calling is so childish and so Trumpian. Doug continually shows his lack of critical thinking skills by always taking a complex issue, expecting a simple fix and assigning blame. I will try to keep this to a child’s level of intelligence so he may be able to grasp this.

“Primary” reasons:

1. California’s “unique” cleaner burning blend costs much more to produce, unlike Oklahoma. Perhaps I need to make it more simple for Doug; if everyone in the U.S. is eating the exact same chocolate chip cookie, but I want nuts in mine, then I will need to first find a bakery willing to add nuts. And I’m going to have to pay much more for a custom cookie just for me!
2. Our “summer blend” costs more to produce than “winter blend.” California is the world leader in its efforts to fight climate change, which I’m proud to be a part of, and yes, that means more regulations that cost more money. I enjoy seeing our beautiful San Gabriel Mountains all year long, unlike when I was a child and they were obscured by unhealthy smog.
3. California refineries don’t just make gas for us, Doug. They also export. As our needs increase, at times we also need to import, which takes three to four weeks to deliver. Our prices rise to secure these imports, so you don’t complain about running out of gas.
4. As a result of our state’s unique fuel market, unplanned refinery outages significantly impact our supply, resulting in price spikes.

This is a state of 40 million people. It costs a lot of money to keep it running and meet the multitude of services.
Move to Oklahoma!
Pam Stevenson
Claremont

Conservatives and ‘The Blame Game’
Dear editor:
In recent years, certain politicians have made it a practice to resort to juvenile name calling, using derogatory nicknames and fixing blame, but only on those they dislike. How difficult it is to take these people seriously, even if they make a valid point every now and then.
With that as my inspiration, I came up with a great idea for a quiz show which I plan to pitch to my friends in Hollywood. The working title is “The Blame Game”! Here’s how it works: two contestants, both conservatives, must come up with the most outrageous blame and nasty insults to hurl at a progressive liberal. President-elect Trump, the master of this, scores a win for recently blaming Gov. Newsom for the numerous Southern California wildfires with no mention of the record-breaking Santa Ana winds, the low humidity, and scant rainfall. He gets extra points for referring to him as “Gavin Newscum,” and for not showing an ounce of empathy for California. That’s hard to top. A runner-up might be a recent letter to the Courier [“Gas prices are outrageous: vote out all Democrats,” January 10] in which said governor was referred to as “Goofy Newsom.” First prize winner in each episode, as scored by the judges, gets a copy of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” a dart board with a picture of Rachel Maddow on it, and a one-week intensive cotillion class. I think they’ll green light this baby in a heartbeat!
Don Linde
La Verne