YOUR AD HERE »

Readers write

Frustrated and angry that a small town in Mississippi had not seen FEMA nor the Red Cross (as reported by Good Morning America), I asked my local small grocer, Steve Ames, of Ames Deli in Truckee, if I could have a box; that I was going to buy food for this church where 100 or so people were staying and had run out of resources. Ames not only gave me a sturdy box, but told me to “fill it up.” Surprised and warmed by his donation, there is almost 50 pounds of non-perishable food items ready to go. Now, all I have to do is find a way to get it to the people in that church. But I wanted everyone to know that our community in Tahoe Donner has a wonderfully caring and supportive member. Thank you, Steve.Dina BensenTahoe DonnerHere, hereThank you, Paul Duggan for stating so eloquently (“Some answers for your questions to Bush” Sierra Sun Sept. 7), what I, and many of my friends and associates, would love to have stated ourselves. I intend to keep your response and use it any time someone comes up with the lame assertions that you responded to from the previous, ill-informed writer.Keith ThomasTruckee Katrina: Reality and responsibility The wind and water of Hurricane Katrina exposed it clearly; the growing and appalling moral injustices of poverty and privilege in America, which is still much linked to race. The initial attitude and slow response by the leader of our country only confirmed this reality. Thank God for the honest, independent and unscripted reporting. This was the real act of God. As the good and moral conscience of many people all over the world responded, our federal government realized they better get on board. Too little, too late, especially when you look at the record, which includes funding cuts for social programs that benefit the poor, tax breaks for the rich, funding cuts for environmental programs that address global warming (spurring an increase in hurricane activity?) and funding cuts on federal assistance for infrastructure repairs. The right thing to do is to continue our personal response giving generously. But we must do more. We need an independent investigation to examine what contributed to this disaster and the severity of the aftermath. How else can we learn to prepare for and prevent future disasters? Use your voice. Write to your representatives. Demand an independent and honest evaluation of Hurricane Katrina. We need an investigation independent from the politicians, with its own investigators, budget and subpoena authority. Your voice will honor the victims of Katrina.It would be wrong to allow one political party – especially the one running the government – to control the investigation of the federal response to this disaster. Constance WhitfieldTruckee


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.