Letters to the Editor Reflect Concerns Over SAVE Act and Climate Change

Readers comment on the impact of voter ID laws and the need to address real challenges.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 7:04am

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An extreme close-up of a weathered, metal mailbox standing on a sun-dappled street corner, its surface reflecting the warm, golden light. The image conveys a sense of civic engagement and community concerns through its minimalist, cinematic composition.A quiet, contemplative scene of a lone mailbox on a sun-drenched street corner, symbolizing the civic engagement and community concerns expressed in these letters to the editor.Santa Rosa Today

In a series of letters to the editor, readers express concerns over the potential disenfranchisement of patriotic Americans under the SAVE Act's voter ID requirements, as well as the need to take meaningful action on global climate change. The letters also criticize the Santa Rosa school district's decision to pave over a beloved school garden and the Trump administration's shifting stance on Iran.

Why it matters

These letters highlight the ongoing debates around voting rights, climate policy, and community engagement, reflecting the diverse perspectives and concerns of local residents. They underscore the importance of transparent decision-making, civic participation, and addressing complex issues with nuance rather than dismissal.

The details

The letters cover a range of topics, including the SAVE Act's voter ID requirements, the challenges of global climate change, the Santa Rosa school district's plan to pave over a school garden, and the Trump administration's shifting stance on Iran. Readers express concerns about the potential disenfranchisement of patriotic Americans, the need to take meaningful action on climate change, and the lack of community engagement in the school district's decision-making process.

  • The letters were published on April 13, 2026.

The players

Dan Schmitt

A resident of Windsor, California, who expresses concern that the SAVE Act's voter ID requirements would have made it difficult for his late father, a World War II veteran, to exercise his right to vote.

Lisa Rice

A resident of Santa Rosa, California, who argues that dismissing concerns about climate change as 'hysteria' or 'virtue signaling' avoids engaging with the real challenges we face.

Linda Jacobs

A resident of Santa Rosa, California, who is angry about the Santa Rosa school district's decision to pave over a beloved school garden to build new district offices.

Nanci Adams

A resident of Santa Rosa, California, who comments on the Trump administration's shifting stance on Iran, giving a 'new and less appetizing meaning to TACO Tuesday'.

Gene Gross

A resident of Santa Rosa, California, who contrasts the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt with that of President Donald Trump, arguing that under Trump, 'we have everything to fear'.

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What they’re saying

“If he were alive today and the SAVE Act were the law of the land, he would have a difficult time exercising his right to vote. According to the act, Dad would have to show a state-issued driver's license or a U.S. passport to vote. In his waning years of life, he had neither. He gave up his driving license at 94 (rightfully so), and he never had a passport.”

— Dan Schmitt, Resident

“Reducing complex issues like climate change to 'hysteria' avoids engaging with the real challenges we face. Saying 'the Earth isn't dying' similarly misses the point. The question is not whether the planet will survive, but whether the conditions that support stable communities and economies are being put at risk.”

— Lisa Rice, Resident

“Bond money is still community money and to see it spent without consideration of those directly affected isn't heart-wrenching, it's inexcusable.”

— Linda Jacobs, Resident

“To the surprise of nobody, the 'king of credibility' backed off his bloated and empty threat to obliterate Iran into the stone age, giving a new and less appetizing meaning to TACO Tuesday.”

— Nanci Adams, Resident

“Unless we remember once again who we really are, our country and the world, have everything to fear.”

— Gene Gross, Resident

The takeaway

These letters highlight the diverse perspectives and concerns of local residents, underscoring the need for transparent decision-making, civic participation, and nuanced approaches to complex issues like voting rights, climate change, and community engagement. They serve as a reminder that progress often depends on individual actions, however small, and that dismissing concerns outright does little to move important conversations forward.