I enjoyed reading Tom Gogola’s article “Making Bank” (June 27, 2019).
In my former life as a legislative staff person in Sacramento, I was the consultant for the Senate Select Committee on Investment Priorities and Objectives, chaired by Senator John Dunlap, who represented parts of Sonoma County, including Santa Rosa, as well as Napa, Solano, Yolo and part of Sacramento County. I wrote a bill that would have created a California State Bank after the committee held hearings throughout the state. The lobbyists for the California Bankers Association (CBA) told me “the CBA does not want to see a pre-print bill hit the legislators’ desks.” Suffice it to say the CBA killed the bill and Sen. Dunlop was defeated in re-election in 1978.
The 15 largest banks in the county hold a combined $13.7 trillion in assets, almost doubling since U.S. taxpayers bailed them out in 2009, after the banks nearly destroyed our national economy with their reckless financial behavior. These are the same banks that finance fossil-fuel caused climate change, and along with PG&E’s negligence, are responsible for many of us to lose our homes, businesses and lives in the 2017 wildfires.
It is about time the citizens of this state created our own public banks as well as a state-owned utility.
John C. Harrington, PhD
Napa
Impeach Now
I watched former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testify before Congress. During his testimony, he confirmed the results of his investigation: 37 indictments, at least seven convictions and guilty pleas, and more than 10 episodes of obstruction of justice by Donald Trump himself.
Given all of the evidence, I don’t understand at this point why Congress still hasn’t moved forward with an impeachment inquiry.
No one should be above the law in our country. Period. I don’t care who you are—if you’re the CEO of a company or the president of the United States of America. Donald Trump must be held accountable, just like any other American would be. If it had been anyone else who obstructed justice as blatantly as Trump did, they’d be behind bars.
Robert Mueller did his job and it’s far past time for lawmakers in Congress to step up and do theirs.
Some people say that we shouldn’t pursue impeachment because there are so many other issues to deal with. What about health care? Infrastructure? Climate change? Immigration?
And to these people, I say: Congress could address these issues and pursue an impeachment inquiry at the same time? That’s what we pay them to do.
It’s time for our representative and all of Congress to take action to hold Trump accountable and open a formal impeachment inquiry now.
We must do all we can to safeguard what we as Americans say we stand for by upholding the laws that support our citizens. To allow our president to act criminally without impeachment threatens America now and future generations to come.
Paula Capocchi
Corte Madera
