Letters to the Editor 7-28-16

Right-thinking
Editor: Diane Tomczak’s recent letter (“Love conquers,” July 21, 2016) is about the most important one I’ve seen in a long time. She nailed a critical and far-reaching concept in her second paragraph.  She wrote, “… we do what we think is right, at least what is right for us.”  How true, and how foolishly we act when we forget to apply this simple idea.
I suggest that in public affairs we stick with Diane’s wisdom, at least until proven otherwise. For example, look at the growing problem of unfunded public employee pensions. This problem, at the city, county and state level has been forced upon us all by politicians insisting they were thinking right for us, but in reality, thinking right for themselves and their election campaigns (pandering to public employee unions).
When Donald Trump came out in favor of farm subsidies just before the Iowa Caucus, was he thinking right for America, or right for himself, trying to win a primary election in a farm state?
Regardless of the issue, when some group is attempting to force their ideas upon others (bullet train, growth management ordinance, rent controls, etc.) you can be sure that right-thinking for “themselves” is trumping right-thinking for “us.”
 
James R. Oglesby
Santa Rosa