TNT letters to the editor: March 6, 2021

Police violence

Re: “With 8 dead and hundreds injured, Tacoma grapples with how much police force is too much,” (TNT online, 3/4).

I notice that the TNT plans has started a three-part series on the use of force by the Tacoma police.

This issue is on the minds and hearts of many Americans. However, it appears to me that the TNT plans to focus on race.

I believe a more significant contribution could be made by focusing on additional characteristics of those who have force used against them, such as level of education, gender, financial wherewithal, age and prior criminal record.

A focus on race fails to highlight the needs to provide financial, educational and emotional development for those who are marginalized.

When federal Department of Labor and Education statistics on educational success are reviewed, it is clear that we have an entire class of citizens who could use assistance in getting educated and getting good jobs.

Don’t continue to fan the fires of racism; it sub-optimizes our opportunities for success by redirecting our attention.

Dan Fannin, Steilacoom

Pandemic teachers

As a 21-year teacher, being fully remote for a year has been difficult. The teaching environment has new demands and complexities. On average I put in a 13-hour work day.

Despite the challenges and missing our students, the one positive of this tough situation is the preservation of life.

Now districts in Washington are starting to physically open for face-to-face learning. Those plans are inconsistent as to the level of safety investment each district is willing to make.

Ventilation, PPE, COVID-19 testing and cleaning are being implemented differently statewide. An article from the New York Times showed how air is still in circulation with viral transmission possible even when masked. Without a simple window to open in a classroom, the risk is higher.

Many districts are only giving staff single-layer cloth masks, which the CDC now says is less effective.

Public schools were underfunded before the pandemic. Now 100% safety is also underfunded and inconsistent.

Who will end up paying for it in the cost of a life?

Ann Kormos, Tacoma

Electric vehicles

Re: “By 2030, we should shift to all-electric new cars,” (TNT, 1/21).

Pierce County Council member Ryan Mello makes a persuasive case for electric vehicle penetration in Washington. I agree with the goal of House Bill 1204 targeting EVs as a carbon mitigation strategy.

The methods used to achieve the goal, however, are incomplete. Mello appears to base his case for EV integration on technology and government mandate. The target date of 2030 is noble but from an engineering economic perspective, unrealistic.

What’s missing from his advocacy are EV prices, customer demand and power grid reliability resulting from 100% EV penetration.

Price matters. EV prices have not reached parity with internal combustion vehicles. Customer demand matters. Missing is any reference to recent surveys in our state indicating that a majority of vehicle owners are willing and able to make the switch.

Finally, the bulk power grid matters. One hundred percent EV integration will have a huge impact on electric transmission reliability.

It will take more than Mello’s “field of dreams” approach to get us there. Incentives, beyond government and supply-side infrastructure, matter.

Bill Dickens, University Place

This story was originally published March 6, 2021 at 8:47 AM with the headline "TNT letters to the editor: March 6, 2021."