Sen. Dianne Feinstein and clean energy money for California; Jonah Goldberg on unions; protesters in L.A.

No federal gold for the Golden State

Re “Robbing California of energy,” Opinion, Feb. 23

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) berates the House for cutting tens of billions of dollars of funding that would have gone to California businesses for projects in the field of renewable energy. As the senator explains, these funds would serve as loan guarantees for various industries that would then create thousands of jobs.

What she fails to explain is that if these industries have so much potential, why are they unable to find private funding that would “invest in the future” and reap a fortune at the same time? Surely there are enough billionaires in the ranks of the Democrats who would be willing to invest in such incredible opportunities and get in on the ground floor of a new and promising industry.

Of course, if the projects turn out to be abject failures, the federal government would be left as the guarantor of the loans.

Barry Nichols

Los Angeles

So House Republicans want to kill California’s energy future, presumably to balance the budget. But this appears to have more to do with spite than responsible cost cutting. It’s no secret that Republicans would love to diminish our “liberal” influence.

The problem is that killing these loan guarantees will also kill tens of thousands of jobs. More important, it will set back America even further in our fight to stay competitive on renewable energy so we can all be prepared for a future without oil — a future that is guaranteed.

President Obama was right: This is our “Sputnik moment.” Let’s not kill the goose that might lay the golden egg.

Todd Mason

Mar Vista

Feinstein writes, “Twenty-four California companies have applied for a total of $16.2 billion in loan guarantees that would bring tens of thousands of jobs to California,”

Why didn’t she mention the $535-million loan guarantee the Obama administration awarded to Fremont-based Solyndra Inc. in 2009? Solyndra was the first recipient of an Energy Department loan guarantee under the stimulus, which was intended to finance construction of the first phase of the company’s new manufacturing facility for solar panels.

The administration said the loan guarantees would help create 3,000 construction jobs and 1,000 more jobs after the plant opened.

Instead, troubled Solyndra announced in November it planned to close the plant.

The myth of “green jobs” will not lead this state or the country to prosperity.

Gwilym McGrew

Woodland Hills

Almost everything Feinstein writes makes sense. There are only a few words I disagree with: “clean energy technologies like nuclear.”

To me that’s an oxymoron. Nuclear energy is not clean.

Esther Levy

Sherman Oaks

Public unions, pro and con

Re “Public unions must go,” Opinion, Feb. 22

Jonah Goldberg said it well. I would add another difference between unions in the public and private sectors: Public sector jobs cannot be outsourced. We can’t send teaching jobs or motor vehicle department jobs overseas.

This means that government unions never have to negotiate as carefully as private unions do. They cannot lose members and dues to disappearing jobs.

What the demonstrators in Wisconsin don’t understand is that Gov. Scott Walker isn’t trying to get rid of their pensions; he’s trying to save them. If Wisconsin goes bankrupt, even their existing pensions will be at risk.

Wilma Bennett

West Hills

It’s no surprise that Goldberg takes the so-called conservative side in the Wisconsin union-busting debate. Unions, Social Security and Medicare have always annoyed the right-wingers, possibly because they give a bit of self-determination to the ordinary American.

The right wing is determined to ignore the true causes of America’s economic downturn, which must be laid at the feet of its own. Before George W. Bush’s tax breaks, wars and globalization on steroids, government surpluses were projected.

Public unions were part of America at that time, so any rational analysis could not target them as the culprit.

Geoffrey N. Lachner

Laguna Niguel

Goldberg has a point that there is a conflict of interest when unions help elect the politicians with whom they will negotiate their salaries. But he conveniently forgets that corporations are in the same situation but worse: They also contribute to the election of those with whom they will negotiate regulations, taxes, subsidies and so on.

I am all for keeping union money out of politics, but only if corporate money is kept out as well.

As for the right to form unions, that is a basic right that should not be abridged except in extreme circumstances, and being a public employee is not one of them.

Jean Lecuyer

Los Angeles

The limits of protesting

Re “L.A. protesters have their say,” Column, Feb. 23

Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich does not determine whether a protester will be sentenced to serve time in jail.

If one is convicted, it is up to the judge to make that determination. Trutanich may make recommendations, but he has absolutely no power to force any defendant to agree to serve any time in custody. Judges also do not have to go along with the prosecutor’s recommendations concerning an appropriate sentence.

Larry Mason

Marina del Rey

In America the right to protest is sacrosanct. But protesters should be prevented from abusing this right by interfering with the right of others to free passage.

There are many places where they could protest while respecting the rights of others.

Don Gately

Valencia

Tax decisions

Re “GOP group vows to fight tax increases,” Feb. 24

I would just like to tell Assemblyman Donald Wagner (R-Irvine) and the rest of the members of the new “taxpayer caucus” how good it makes me feel to know they are keeping me from having to make a decision on raising taxes.

I just hope they step up and keep me from having to decide other things, like what church I must go to or what I can write in a letter to the editor. I am sure they think that kind of effort on their part is what makes our nation so great.

Pat Ormsbee

Newport Beach

Less Lindsay

Re “Times receives Polk Award for Bell stories,” Feb. 22

Congratulations to The Times on winning the George Polk Award for local reporting. Now please, more coverage of stories like the city of Bell scandal and less on Lindsay Lohan.

Ron Tom

Pasadena