Support Addis’ bill restricting battery plants

Moss Landing Power Plant ran on natural gas and oil for six decades without a fire. In 2019, Vistra Energy replaced fuel with thousands of Li batteries. They promised Monterey County Supervisor Church “it was going to be safe” and was approved by the Monterey County Planning Commission.

In January, Vistra’s batteries burned, which was the second fire there. The first fire was in 2022 when a “safe” Tesla Mega Pack burned. Earlier, there were two incidents that shut down Vistra in ’21 and ’22.

Battery apologists say that Vistra’s batteries are “older chemistry” and that state-of-the-art batteries such as Tesla Mega Packs are safer because they are in separate containers. That way, when they burn, they are confined. Spare me. I believe our Assemblymember Dawn Addis is on track with her bill AB303. It will put these batteries away from the coast and urban areas so that they can burn away with less potential problems.

Please look into her proposal and give it your consideration.

— Dennis Case, Aptos

What’s not renewable about ‘renewable energy’

The only thing that is renewable about renewable energy is the sun and the wind. Solar panels are made of non-renewable materials. Wind turbines are made of non-renewable materials. Electrical cables and batteries are made of non-renewable materials. The power plants in California are made of non-renewable materials and they make electricity using non-renewable fossil fuels. Even nuclear power plants are made of non-renewable materials.

— Michael Singer, San Jose

Don’t believe tropes about USAID spending

While fact-checking Trump supporters can be exhausting, I’ve yet to concede that it’s a fool’s errand. A recent letter writer repeated the tired (and inaccurate) trope about “$50 million in condoms to GAZA [sic].” In this day and age, when 10 seconds of internet searching can yield properly-sourced, fact-based results, ignorance is not a valid excuse for such comments. Such statements merely brand the speaker as willfully uninformed. I remain hopeful that the truth will come out and we can resume constructive discourse on real issues. Oh, and here’s a link to the facts, with cites: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/did-usaid-really-spend-50-mill-WxUnxl0tRomDrkehKpQtKQ.

— Doug Engfer, Santa Cruz

Thankful for SC County’s message on values

Dear Santa Cruz County supervisors,

Please accept our very deeply felt appreciation and admiration for your strong and clear message regarding our county’s values and your/our determination to protect them.

We are always so grateful and proud to be a resident of this amazing county but now, even more so, in the face of this recent stream of hate and intolerance emanating from the White House. We are gratefully counting on your continued strength, resilience and determination. Let us all rededicate ourselves and our actions to protecting our freedoms and the freedoms of those among us who have struggled to live in peace and privacy and prosperity.

May it ever be so!

— Molly and Mickey Ording, Capitola

Gault School grateful for SC Warriors’ support

The Gault Elementary community would like to extend a huge thank you to the Santa Cruz Warriors for their continued support of our “Warriors Read to Achieve” initiative that incentivizes and celebrates reading.

Last month, members of the SC Warriors provided rewards for reading achievement to all of our students, read books to our TK and kindergarten students, and helped to referee a spirited staff vs. students basketball game in celebration.

We are grateful for the team members that took the time to spend with our kids and staff and for all that the SC Warriors do to support our schools.

— Amy Spiers, Principal, Gault Elementary, Santa Cruz

A note to our letter writers

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