Remember that trickle-down theory of economics?
To PG&E: How dare you think that your profits are more important than the people of California?????????????? You want to give higher amounts to shareholders so they will invest? Sounds a bit to me like Koch/Reagan/Friedman talk, the famous trickle-down theory that proved to be bunk, and so do you! If Chris Rogers and his allies in the legislature will kindly think more of the people they represent instead of a profit-sucking company, perhaps the people in this state will be able to weather the slash-and-burn tactics of the Trump/Musk administration … talking about companies and their profit: I would strongly suggest the people in California sign onto the California Nurses assoc. petition to save Medicaid/Medical; for the slashing of $880 billion will not only affect the poor, although some of you may not care about the poor, it will definitely affect YOUR health insurance, for blood-sucking insurance companies will surely make the amount they save through Medicaid paying for the poor by increasing your premiums and copays…
— Pat Kanzler RN, Eureka
Reader decries ‘independent journalism’ statement
Evan Kopalds’ description of the Times-Standard as an “Independent source of news” is wrong. The Times-Standard is owned by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund based in Manhattan which owns approximately 200 American newspapers, making it the second-largest news publisher in the US. Alden Global was started by Randall Duncan Smith in 2007, a pioneer of vulture capitalism, which is the purchase and dismantling of distressed firms. The Alden Global Capital hedge fund has a diverse investment portfolio and Smith himself owns sixteen residential investment properties in Palm Beach, Florida through LLCs. I am a Times-Standard subscriber mostly because I enjoy reading the letters to the editor from my working-class neighbors. But this doesn’t mean that I don’t understand what the Times-Standard is today. I recommend folks like Kopald watch the 2024 film, “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink” to learn more about how un-independent the Times-Standard is.
— Shannon Townsend-Bettis, Eureka
What about all the nicotine-related deaths?
The CDC reported a 24% decline in drug overdose deaths from October 2023 to September 2024 during the Biden administration. In 2022, Opioid deaths reached 81,806, and overdose deaths from stimulants 57,497. As the total for 2022 was 107,942 some must have been a combination of drugs. Now compare this with the 480,000 nicotine addiction/tobacco-related deaths for 2022. More than 4 times these deaths often come with extensive healthcare costs, for multiple cancers requiring radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke, COPD and other respiratory problems, oral disease and it exacerbates every disease. Yet nicotine, the deadliest drug, is legal. Congress should mandate the Nicotine Drug Cartel aka tobacco industry, gradually lower the level of nicotine in all products containing the drug over a period of years so nicotine addicts are weaned off the drug. This would not only save the lives of millions of Americans but save a staggering $600 billion a year, and set an example for the rest of the world. For 80 years, Congress has known tobacco use causes cancer. $6,827,763 was received by legislators from 17 tobacco industry PACs, $22,004 to Republican Senators and $6,057 to Democrat Senators. Republicans voted pro tobacco 73% of the time and Democrats 23%. Instead of getting money out of politics and saving money and lives we now have the richest man in the world gutting our government and bringing America to its knees.
— Larry DePuy, Eureka
A thank you to Supervisor Steve Madrone
Dear Supervisor Madrone,
Thank you once again for calling into my show yesterday on KMUD.
I was pleased to hear your willingness to introduce a resolution to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to ban county purchases of Tesla vehicles, products, and services due to Elon Musk’s and DOGE’s many conflicts of interest with the federal government.
Such conflicts undermine the public trust.
A sample resolution is found at the following: Stop Funding Elon Musk: Local and State Government Resolution – draft 1.0 – Freedom Forward (https://freedomforward.org/2025/03/21/teslaresv1/)
I am copying Mendocino County Supervisor Madeline Cline (my representative) on this email in the hope Supervisor Cline will do the same.
I will also copy other members of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.
Thank you for your support of KMUD.
— John Sakowicz, Ukiah
