Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
The great problem I see with our government on every level — is that our politicians are becoming more and more remote from the common citizen who casts his/her vote.  On the federal level, those that rule us do not always live by the rules they impose on us.  Congress passed ObamaCare for everyone but themselves and government workers.  If it was so good, why did they not want it?
They are eager to pass a gun law in which only we citizens would be disarmed while they would continue with their armies of armed guards and  heavily fortified armada which follows them wherever they go. They do not drive on our crumbling highways but majestically fly over those who do. Also, prisons too crowded — no problem, just release prisoners early and change the laws regarding what is criminal and what is not and lower jail time or change their classification to something that will not require as much time in prison. No problem, the decision makers won’t have to deal with this on a day-to-day basis — no one is ever paroled into the neighborhoods of the decision-makers — are they? There are more examples but you get the idea. 
If I had the power, I would limit the terms of every elected leader, state and federal.  I know there are good arguments against this but there are also good arguments for it.  As I have been voting since 1957, I have seen our ‘rulers’ grow old and wealthy in their positions.  This means they ‘owe’ someone or something for seeing that they remain in power. It has become essential to their lives that they remain in office — in other words, way too rewarding in many ways, power being not the least of these rewards.  It was never meant to be a lifetime occupation. 
On a local level, it also obvious as with the ‘sanctuary’ cities, San Francisco is an example. I do not believe that most elites shop in downtown San Francisco although it may be going through a period of ‘gentrification with all the new buildings going in and so that may change.  If that area becomes a destination again with wonderful shopping and great restaurants and if the elites take public transportation, it may change but as of now the beautiful downtown area of San Francisco is a place I avoid rather than a destination as it once was.  Don’t get me wrong, we still visit the coastal areas, the Presidio, the many great trails to walk along the magnificent coastline and Golden Gate Park.  Regarding the downtown merchants, a while back there was a request by shop owners in downtown SF regarding the many homeless who used their storefronts as toilets and places to sleep —  they wanted to be able to put a stop to it — they were turned down. This further degrades the downtown.
Climate change - has anyone else noticed that the biggest (or best known) of the climate change advocates fly their planes magnificently above those of us that have to live with using decaying roads and public transport; supporting electric cars that run on electricity provided for them by the government free — that means no gasoline or electric taxes to keep our roads maintained 
Also, buyers receive a hefty ‘kick back’ from the government for buying electric cars — forgetting that electricity is just not magically flown down to us from some entity up there somewhere so that the privileged can have ‘clean’ cars.  Electricity must be ‘manufactured’ from naturally-produced products such as sunlight and water.  This also takes power, structure, transport, workers, etc.  Each takes structure to collect and develop into electricity.  In other words, it is manufactured.  Consider climate change — there is no climate without change.  Without change we would still be covered in ice. I would prefer to see magnificent glaciers and gorgeous ice-bergs but I don’t think we can stop climate change and if we could, what would happen?
If we could control climate could we control the result?  I don’t think we have to worry about it, I do not believe we are anywhere near being able to control our climate — we just got out of a drought , we had a flood,  it gets uncomfortably hot in the summer, volcanoes still erupt and still cause changes in climate and this list could go on and on and on.  We simply do not have the knowledge or the skills to effectively control climate worldwide; not only that, there are those who would control it for their own benefit if they could — there are so many, many variables and unseen or unknown hazards in just the idea of controlling climate that I shudder to think of what would happen.  I for one do not trust our politicians or anyone else to have that kind of power in his/her hands and use it for peace.  It simply is not in our history.  There is money being made on climate change — that is the driving force, money and power.

Marie Evans
Manteca