Dear Editor,Why are there budget cuts after budget cuts to California’s education system, to our state parks, environmental protection and to so many more of the institutions that had made California the best of our 50 states?  The reason is that our state government is not a democracy.  In our state, the majority is ruled

Dear Editor,I was saddened to see that awful depiction of our president in the Capitol Weekly (Pg. 3, April 21).

This letter is not a challenge to your First Amendment Rights, it is simply to convey to you that some things that hurt may not need to be repeated by the media to make a

Dear Editor:

The oil industry is proud of its contributions to the California economy, including 370,000 jobs for hard working men and women throughout the state.  That’s why it is frustrating to see the continuing mischaracterization of California tax policies regarding oil production. (“Oil severance tax plan slips into view,” Capitol Weekly, April 14).

Companies

Dear Editor,Regarding former lawmaker Niello proposing a pension rollback initiative, we state workers have quite a span of incomes. Some of us take home less than $2,000 per month; that works well when you live with mom and dad, but most of us are adults. Can you imagine having that salary with three furlough days

Dear Editor,America’s health care law, the Affordable Care Act, turns a year old on March 23.  That’s good news for California one-year-olds – and seven-year-olds, and lots of other California kids.

California leaders have worked hard to build a track record of success on health care reform, especially the portions which deal with children’s health

Dear Editor, Your paper has had lots of articles the past few weeks on public pensions, bargaining rights and other public employee issues. However, I have not seen any articles on a current election that should help shape all of these issues.  That election is the election of statewide and local officer for SEIU 1000.

Dear Editor,The new legislation introduced last week by Assemblymember Paul Fong, D-Mountain View, AB 376, seeks to protect sharks by banning the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in California.

Each year, tens of millions of sharks are killed for their fins, mostly to make shark fin soup. The demand for shark

Dear Editor, Shark finning, as currently practiced, is truly barbaric, wasteful and unsustainable. To allow it is sinful towards posterity and shameful for any civilized people.Jeffrey Caldwell,Horticulture consultant, San Jose

Dear Editor,Kudos to Assemblyman Paul Fong for putting environmental protection and animal welfare ahead of his own cultural tradition (“Paul Fong to introduce bill to

Dear Editor,Gov. Brown deserves credit for the most honest state budget in years, one that addresses our state’s fiscal crisis without tricks and gimmicks. But balancing the budget isn’t the same as restoring California’s prosperity, and that must be our goal.

In his speech, Brown asked for suggestions. Here are some approaches that can revitalize

Dear Editor,In March of 2010, the State Fish & Game Commission directed the Department of Fish and Game to cease issuing permits for the importation of live frogs and turtles for human consumption, the culmination of a 15-year struggle.

The commission received nearly 4,000 letters supporting the ban, from conservation and sporting organizations and