Letters: Undergrounding bill | Human rights

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PG&E should foot bill
for undergrounding

Re: “Urge CPUC to support PG&E undergrounding” (Page A6, Oct. 12).

If PG&E wants to underground lines then they should do it at their expense. Their profits-over-safety policies have cost too many lives and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to the citizens of the state.

Pacific Gas & Electric’s gross profit for the 12 months ending June 30, 2023, was $17.225 billion, a 1.47% increase year-over-year.

They can afford to pay for the undergrounding themselves at their own expense. No more rate increases. It’s time they paid for their own sins instead of passing it on to the consumer.

Jim Wissick
San Jose

Stalled peace process
plays role in conflict

The ultimate cause of the horrific bloodletting that began with the savage slaughter of Israelis on Oct. 7 and continues with the merciless bombardment of the Palestinians in Gaza is the total collapse of the peace process to create a viable Palestinian state conditioned on recognition of Israel.

This collapse was predicated by the acceptance by many Israelis of the false alternative policy of periodically “mowing the lawn” and the failure of the international community and especially the United States to condition their support on maintaining the peace process. These failures enabled the reactionary Netanyahu government to unleash the extremist settlers and their supporters on the Palestinians of the West Bank and Jerusalem. The crushing of hope reinforced by these assaults set the stage for Hamas’ nightmarish retribution.

While we deal with the immediate disasters confronting us, we must not forget that the ultimate goal must be to restore the peace process.

Michael Dunlap
Oakland

Human rights must be
embraced to halt war

Re: “Palestinians suffer from their own acts” and “Letter ignores history of Mideast conflict” (Page A12, Oct. 15).