RFK Jr. is fueling needless confusion about COVID shots

Editor: In search of an updated COVID vaccine, I've contacted two of my doctors. No one knows anything. The new vaccine is yet to be released. To complicate matters, I am a few months shy of 65 and have no serious medical issues. According to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this makes me ineligible for the vaccine without a doctor's authorization to prescribe it for "off-label" use. The Centers for Disease Control are expected to send an update sometime this month, when my doctors might get clarification. Or not.

Meanwhile, travel plans to see my 93-year-old mother in a skilled nursing facility are now extra fraught because I might not be able to boost my immunity in a timely manner. With the effective dismantling of the CDC, the chaotic rollout of the newest COVID vaccine and its eligibility restrictions, I ask GOP voters and elected officials: How can you justify the destruction of our nation's public health system? A system that was one of the world's models for cutting-edge medical research and enviable vaccination rates. As we watch our foundational systems collapse, you will someday be held responsible and accountable. The whole world is watching.

-- Marya Glass, Cotati

Santa Rosa should pay for damage trees caused

Editor: I am writing to share my frustration with the city of Santa Rosa regarding an unfair sidewalk violation I recently received. My sidewalk has been damaged and lifted by a tree the city planted years ago -- long before I owned this property -- yet they now demand I pay for repairs within three weeks. Every licensed contractor I contacted quoted $15,000 or more, money I simply don't have, especially as I am currently out of work. To make matters worse, the city's permitting process takes months, but they still enforce the three-week deadline and refused to grant me a reasonable extension. I later discovered that the city had previously agreed, in writing, to share repair costs with the former owner, a commitment they now will not honor. Meanwhile, sidewalks across my neighborhood -- and much of Santa Rosa -- are lifted by the same city-planted trees, creating a widespread issue that the city continues to push onto homeowners. This policy is unreasonable and unethical. The city should take responsibility for the damage it caused and work with residents instead of burdening us with impossible timelines and costs. Santa Rosa can, and should, do better for its residents.

-- Mike Swanson, Santa Rosa

Boomers learned to be frugal from Depression era parents

Editor: Why do boomers have more money ("Why boomers have more money than everyone else," Sept. 1)? Personally, I believe they were raised and taught by parents from the Depression era. They took care of and respected every object they had because they had very little. They had very little money, and when they did acquire it they spent it wisely. We were taught to work for what we wanted and not to throw away our hard-earned money for things that were considered frivolous. These qualities were passed down to their children.

-- Chris Downing, Fort Bragg

People are misunderstanding opposition to recycling plant

Editor: For those who have apparently not read past the first paragraph or two of news stories about the company that wants to recycle plastic waste in Somo Village in Rohnert Park, please read this: no one I know of or have heard from is against the company's lofty goal. We all want to find a safe way to deal with plastic waste. The complaint from almost all concerned, as far as I know, is the location of the business. Because of the unproven nature of the process and the danger of the release of toxic chemicals, it should not be operating in a neighborhood of any density or near a school. Place it in a proper location and I think we would all applaud their efforts.

-- Lindee Reese, Cotati