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Yes to Joe’s
To the editor:
I have to say that Scot Turner’s letter on Trader Joe’s (Feb. 16) had me going, until I finally twigged that it was tongue in cheek.
Personally, I don’t have the same paranoid reaction to big-box stores that some people have. Living in the Bay Area part of the time, I appreciate the variety and low prices that such stores bring to the community, especially TJ’s, which has food products that are hard to find in Tuolumne County.
As to the local economic impact, I suspect it will be slightly positive, as there aren’t too many small stores selling what TJ’s sells. It may take some business away from Safeway and Save Mart, but, hey, they are big guys, and can afford it.
It will create a few extra jobs at least, which is what Tuolumne County needs at this point, plus much needed sales tax revenue.
I personally don’t regard the retail market as being a zero-sum game either, with only so many dollars to go around. New stores like this actually increase the overall level of retail activity, by injecting additional income into the county, and also bringing in customers from outside.
So we ought to be welcoming stores like TJ’s, not trying to keep them out.
Malcolm Carden
Long Barn
Jobs needed
To the editor:
I want to see more jobs brought to our community. That is why I support the Wal-Mart Supercenter expansion. Allowing our Wal-Mart to expand may seem like a small step in relieving our high unemployment rates, but it is a big leap in encouraging development within our region. Sonora needs the additional 85 jobs that the Wal-Mart Supercenter will provide, and I look forward to being able to shop there and continue to save, which is something we all need with the unemployment rate being so high.
I have been out of work since last April, and I am very glad to be able to shop and save at Wal-Mart.
Jody Bennett
Sonora
Enough
To the editor:
How much is enough?
Wal-Mart wants to increase its square footage to become a Supercenter. It says that will create jobs, low paying jobs.
If this is allowed to happen, how many jobs would be lost from established stores in our community? Safeway, Save Mart, Price Co., Grocery Outlet, Cost U Less and many small mom and pop stores would certainly lose jobs.
Good paying jobs having medical and retirement benefits. Get a replacement for Gottschalks and Mervyns, and put in other business buildings which could add jobs.
Do not let Wal-Mart expand. Enough is enough.
Bill and Dorothy Broderson
Groveland
Socialism revisited
To the editor:
Re: Jay Bunton’s Feb. 9 letter, “Definition of Socialism.” Your letter got me to thinking, and I believe I would agree with you.
My next thoughts went to city, county, state employees, police, fire, educators and prison guards. Would you consider these workers recipients of, or participants in, a socialistic system? All are paid by tax monies, taken from workers in both the private and public sectors. All control and pay of the above mentioned groups is administered by government agencies in charge of each group of workers. None perform their jobs for profit, so only money taken from taxpayer wages pays them.
I ask you Mr. Bunton, do you agree? If not, what would you call the system by which these workers are controlled and paid? As you said, “Let’s learn what these terms mean and what is happening to our country.” One last question for you Mr. Bunton. What is your definition of Social Security? I’m sure I’m not the only one that would like to hear your thoughts.
Should you think these are programs of a socialistic nature, have you got a remedy? It sounds like you disapprove of socialism. Is that all forms of socialism?
Dennis Del Corno
Sonora
Delta plea
To the editor:
I am a California native, born in Sonora and raised in the Bay Area. I ended up with a family of my own here in the Central Valley. So my roots are in Northern California, and our surrounding waterways and recreational wonderlands have always been a big part of my life.
As a kid, I would fish the Delta often and wonder why the South Delta always looked so horribly unfishable compared to the Sacramento Delta. I began asking questions and I eventually found the source of this mess. The huge pumping stations in Tracy. I don’t know how to put it in other terms, are flat out stealing water from rivers that flow to the San Francisco Bay estuary.
In light of recent events, such as the collapse of the commercial and recreational salmon fishery and the decline of other fisheries, such as steelhead trout and green sturgeon, in our delta and river system, we have to ask ourselves if we really want to let the wealthy few in Southern and Central California obliterate what’s left of the biggest freshwater estuary in western North America?
Please read my words knowing that I am one voice among tens, even hundreds of thousands of Northern Californians trying to figure out why we have let this happen so long and what we can do to keep these people from sucking the heart right out of our beautiful state and further wreaking havoc on local economies and ecosystems.
I simply cannot stand on the sidelines anymore and allow this happen, and I strongly urge anyone else living, loving and prospering in the northern part of the state to speak up to local newspapers and local lawmakers.
It’s past time and, with what time we have left, I’m afraid it may already be too late
Aaron Gonzales
Manteca
Wake up
To the editor:
Re: Phil Gross’s Feb. 11 letter to the editor, “Just Absurd.”
Wake up, Phil. I will tell you what is absurd: Every average citizen can only donate $3,000, while corporations, unions, and foreign corporations can donate billions.
To think that politicians won’t or don’t already do what they want is absurd. The union political action committee donated $8.1 million to Obama’s campaign. Union officials will not back ObamaCare unless they are tax exempt, and now they are.
Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., and Morgan Stanley together donated $2,462,985 to Obama’s campaign.
Remember the bailout that we the people did not want? Obama promised “We will get off Wall Street and get back on Main Street.” One year later, where is Main Street? It’s looking for “hope” in a homeless shelter, applying for job after job, or trying to find “change” to make ends meet.
Where is Wall Street? Not lending money, but giving themselves large bonuses. There will be no “Hope and Change” with Obama bin Lying.
I don’t know where your country went, Phil, but we the people’s country was just sold to the highest bidder. The American people will no longer be citizens of the U.S.A., but consumers of the U.S.S.A. When your country looks out for the banks, corporations and unions, not the citizens, that’s a form of socialism.
We are a Republic “for the people, by the people.”
Jesse McKay
Sonora
No sidewalk ‘bombs’
To the editor:
Today my daughter and I enjoyed a shopping day and lunch in downtown Sonora. The sun was shining and it was a lovely day — except for the dog “bombs” on the sidewalk of our beautiful town.
I realize you can’t control your dog’s actions while taking a walk, but you can at least pick up their messes so we don’t have to maneuver around them while walking.
It would be wonderful if the City of Sonora would provide a couple dog poop disposal stations with baggies for owners to use in case of accidents. I am a pet owner who has a bag ready on Mickey’s leash if needed, but not all pet owners are as prepared.
This would be a great community project. Lets keep the sidewalk a “poop free zone.”
Karen Scruggs
Columbia
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