Yes, the desert is disappearing. Why? Developers' greed and local officials' weakness

Reader submissions

Greed is transforming the desert

Re: "The desert I knew is disappearing" (Letter, May 11):

Thank you, Kristen Walker!

The answer is greed, pure and simple. City councils have been bought out by mega-companies whose developers don’t live in the desert.

Those people don’t care about anything other than their bottom line. We have to suffer the consequences of decisions made by so-called city planners. They’re really city destroyers.

Fern Miller, Rancho Mirage

The costs of abortion policies

Re: "How abortion ruling could boost California" (Column, May 10):

I am not really sure in what aspect Tom Elias thinks abortion could “boost California.”

One wonders if he was referring to women seeking abortion making up for the mass exodus of Californians. Even now, women seeking abortion do not leave their lives and families behind. The California Future of Abortion Council plans to strengthen and expand access to abortion in California. This untried program will no doubt be costly beyond what can be imagined, on the shoulders of California taxpayers.

Those seeking abortion will make a short visit, most assuredly, when exposed to the homeless crisis, gas prices, uncontrolled crime, mismanagement of funding, fire prevention failure and drought, to name a few.

The reality is this is not just a moral issue. Such a massive program will involve practicalities of funding and development, impacting other areas of need in California. 

Does Gavin Newsom really care about Californians, or is this just a morality ruse to become the "abortion czar" and skip to the next step of national political stardom?

Then such existing problems of California would no longer be his concern, would they?

Debby Aiton, Indio

Students should not be burdened with debt

Re: "Canceling student debt only puts the burden on all of us," (Letter, May 5):

I, for one, am willing to assume part of that burden.  I consider it disgraceful that students must finish their higher education burdened by debt.

My parents started saving for my higher education as soon as I started elementary school. Out of my father's earnings as a meat cutter, they were able to save enough to put me through UCLA.  At that time, tuition at UC was free to California residents; the only expenses involved were room and board, plus school supplies.

After finishing at UCLA, I put myself through graduate school at UC Berkeley by means of teaching and research assistantships, and finished my education without a cent of debt.

Today, California residents must pay $13,258 in yearly tuition and fees at UCLA. Students who do not come from well-to-do families are forced to seek aid in the form of scholarships and loans.

The idea of tuition-free higher public education, which started in this country, appears to be dead. People no longer seem to regard a well-educated populace as a good investment and are unwilling to have their tax dollars go to benefit anyone but themselves.

Dwight Fine, Palm Springs