Font ResizeChevron must do a better job
After Chevron's second fire in five years, I feel they need to make sure nothing like this happens again.
This fire not only had a bad effect on the immediate community, but will affect us all by the probable rise in gas prices.
If you're going to work at an oil refinery, I think that you should live in the community the plant is located in. This way you will feel repercussions of incidents like this fire and work harder to prevent them.
I also think that Chevron should have a plan that they can execute quickly in case of another emergency instead of thinking about what to do while the oil accumulated.
Matt Lichens, age 13
Piedmont
Penalties and fees fuel greed
I recently received a note at my gate and letter in the mail from EBMUD. The letter, received within one week, was a $30 penalty if I didn't remove the obstruction to my meter box that was left half-open.
I checked and called EBMUD. While they were accommodating and the issue was dropped, I feel the accountability was lacking.
In addition, my wife recently went to Oakland Scavenger to drop off four recycle bags of trimmings. She was asked what city she lived in, and received a bill of $38.
My question is this: Are we supporting privatism of our utilities and/or businesses to double
Kenneth B. Tomlinson
Oakland
City should help the poor
We are being treated to the unseemly spectacle of the leaders of the city of Oakland government kowtowing to the tightwad billionaire owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball club ("Oakland pitches waterfront site," Aug. 10). Oakland is trying to help the top 1 percent get even richer, I guess.
Instead, Oakland should be helping the poorest of the poor: the homeless residents. Oakland should open up a couple of acres of land and let the homeless and their Occupy supporters set up their tents and sleeping quarters. The city should provide some port-a-potties, some portable showers and a portable kitchen. Some of this land should be set aside for a community garden.
The city government, in its bizarre rage, spent millions of dollars to brutalize and terrorize Occupy Oakland protesters and the homeless who had set up their tents and other facilities on Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall last year.
They were teargassed, subjected to violent midnight raids by rioting police and attacked with concussion grenades and other weapons of war. All this as punishment for the crime of trying to exercise their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly protected by our Constitution.
The city should stop trying to give away public property to a private moneymaking corporation like a baseball team. Instead, the city should be trying to help its poorest residents, the homeless, with some land and a few amenities.
James K. Sayre
Oakland
Don't move the A's stadium
To me, the site for a new A's stadium is on the same property as the current stadium. At the possible other two sites mentioned, where is the public transportation?
How close or accessible to BART, AC Transit lines are the two other sites? And how about parking?
The current facility has ample parking for baseball. Even a separate football-only stadium being built wouldn't hurt.
They can put in a couple of multilevel parking structures, maybe a maximum of two levels, adjacent to the stadiums and open-air parking on the rest of the spaces.
Tom Matarrese
Oakland
Media images of city wrong
My apology to the city of Oakland. I apologize for my preconceived notions. Television shows riots or shootings, one after another. I let the media influence my decision not to travel there, except to go to the airport. I hear how awful the city is. Not true. I apologize that I didn't see your diverse culture.
One recent Friday, I finally decided to walk downtown and see what's up. I was shocked.
No riots, no destruction, no protesters -- vibrant businesses, smiling faces. I took a free bus from 19th Street to Jack London Square, it was beautiful. From there I walked through Chinatown. Oakland has a Chinatown? Next door was a farmer's market. I walked past a store window and caught my reflection. Had I been smiling the entire time?
I apologize for not understanding how wonderful your city is. I spent two hours walking through Uptown, Downtown, Oldtown, Chinatown and Jack London, not understanding why I had not done this before.
I never understood or believed when Oaklanders say "there is more than what you see on television." I get it. I will return.
Kevin C. L. Jamison
Richmond
This is no way to treat retired cops
I want to single out Oakland City Council member Ignacio De La Fuente for his unscrupulous and total lack of support of the retired members of the Oakland Police Department.
I frequently saw him come begging to the OPOA Board for their support in his numerous election bids, which they granted to him. In return for support, he has waged an attack against the retired men and women of the police and fire departments, whose average age is 73.
This outrageous and unconscionable attack is to take from them benefits that have been promised and awarded over the decades by numerous court decisions and labor contracts negotiated by previous councils.
He has violated his word to support the dedicated men and women of the police and fire departments. Instead of supporting these honorable men and women, and their families and survivors, as he promised, he has used his position to twist his knife in their backs and now brings them undue hardship and pain.
All City Council members supporting his attack should be ashamed of themselves.
Ray Miller
Livermore
Oil companies raising prices
Why is it the refinery fire at Chevron affects all gas stations in raising their prices immediately, if not sooner?
I bet the oil companies are having a field day with the prices going up again.
Cathy Ledbetter
Newark
