Letters – Orange County Register

The January 5 Opinion section includes a passage by Dan Walters discussing California’s “budget surplus”. Almost every article or opinion piece that I read about the budget surplus in California leaves out a very important fact. If unreimbursed retirement liabilities are included, California is still in the red. I have seen an estimated $200 billion in unfinished retirement liability. When it comes to pension liability, California politicians have been throwing stones at them for decades. I’d rather see them solve the tough problems facing Californians than ordering sexist toy aisles in department stores or mandating coffee grounds in the compost pile.

– Rick Hofmann, Dana Point

Wastewater overflow

Whenever something happens like a recent sewage spill or an oil leak, a politician or two will show up and start causing a big “stink”. As LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn has stated, “A sewage spill of this magnitude, is dangerous and unacceptable.” Two recent disasters were accidental. However, there are other spills that are intentional, in fact these have been going on for decades and are allowed by these politicians. An 8 million gallon spill of sewage or oil is amazing, but how come about a billion gallons of microbial waste is dumped into our oceans by cruise ships each year, waste laden with pathogens, viruses and drugs. For politicians, this is acceptable and permissible. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, just one 3,000-passenger mid-size cruise ship generates in a typical cruise a week: 200,000 gallons of sewage, 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water, 100 gallons of toxic waste damage, 17 tons of solid waste, 1 million gallons of gray water plus diesel emissions. These “floating cities” are allowed to pollute due to weak pollution control laws. And what happened to the 25,000 barrels of DDT found off our coasts? How did that investigation and cleanup go? It was clear that the legislators had their hands in the sand and that they were only interested in life on land. This is not only disaster, but also horror.

– William Sisler, Fullerton

January 6 protesters Ashli ​​Babbitt

Re “Was Ashil Babbitt a Martyr?” (January 4):

I find it disconcerting that you choose to publish the AP’s long-winded hit related to past misdeeds alleged by protester Ashli ​​Babbit on January 6. The author, Michael Biesecker, calls Babbitt is a “futurist”, as he accused her of being in a love triangle and having violent confrontations with other women involved. When George Floyd died in police custody, we were told his criminal history was irrelevant, so why do we need to hear about Miss Babbit’s alleged bad behavior? It seems that the alleged adultery is either a private matter or a scandal, depending on the political views of the accused. Does “wearing the Trump campaign flag around her shoulders like a cape” justify her being shot? The poor woman is dead. She was punished enough.

– John Knapp, Long Beach

Fake News Jan 6

Anyone who thinks January 6th is a real uprising probably believes in the tooth fairy. Those entering the capital cannot run a roadside lemonade stand and we believe they can take over the country. This is no big deal and libertarians, CNN, MSNBC are banking their entire futures on keeping this myth alive in the hopes it will help them in the election. in November 2022. Dream on, no one will believe your one-sided investigative report will be released the day before the November election and blame Trump for everything.

– Leonard Musgrave, Orange

Recommend 12

So Susan Shelley (January 5), with whom I rarely agree, argues that the new law for the humane treatment of animals will cost California consumers higher prices for eggs, pork, other meats and poultry. So what.

I would rather pay more for food that is humanely raised or just not eaten. I have changed my eating habits to a healthier diet. Maybe we wouldn’t have as many obese people if the prices of certain products went up. Good.

– PS Hayes, Long Beach