CalSTRS investment in fossil fuels stokes debate among students, teachers | Opinion
CalSTRS must divest from fossil fuels for the future
"Sacramento students strike to demand CalSTRS divest from the fossil fuel industry" (sacbee.com, Sept. 20)
As a retired teacher and California State Teachers' Retirement System member, I urge the CalSTRS Board to respond to the concerns of our young people and divest from companies in the fossil fuels industry.
Being invested in fossil fuels is costing the system and beneficiaries like me a lot of money. No, divestment won't solve the climate emergency. But it would show young people that we care about their future, and would begin the inevitable process of disentangling our financial systems from the disastrous fossil fuel economy.
I hope CalSTRS will do right by both older, younger and future generations, and lead the way to a sustainable future.
Trina Lee
Elk Grove
CalSTRS goal is making money, not saving world
"Sacramento students strike to demand CalSTRS divest from the fossil fuel industry" (sacbee.com, Sept. 20)
The young people protesting CalSTRS investment in fossil fuels might not understand that the primary responsibility of that retirement system is to maximize returns for their members' retirement pensions.
They are a traditional defined benefit plan, not a Socially Responsible Investment system. They do not follow negative screening policies that could entail excluding companies involved in weapons, defense, tobacco or fossil fuel extraction and production.
The recent outperformance of energy stocks would have reduced CalSTRS return on investment had they excluded fossil fuel producers or the entire energy sector. Again, CalSTRS' responsibility is to maximize returns for their members' pensions — not to make a political statement.
John Hightower
U.S. military spending must be checked
"Defense spending bills see another surge in unrequested items" (sacbee.com, Sept. 12)
One category of unrequested military spending (i.e., unrequested by the President) that is mentioned in the is the "Unfunded Priorities List," which for fiscal 2025 totals around $30 billion.
We each should ask senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler to support bipartisan legislation that would end this list. Even Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed he "would support" ending the requirement.
Ask our senators to support federal funding to address more pressing needs.
Stuart Pettygrove
West Sacramento
Congress should vote to repeal mandate
"Defense spending bills see another surge in unrequested items" (sacbee.com, Sept. 12)
The I'll-scratch-your-back-you-scratch-mine dealmaking between members of Congress and defense industry lobbyists is impossibly tangled, unmonitored and a lucrative resource for their campaign coffers.
But do we need $38 billion more than either the president or the Pentagon have proposed to feel safe?
I'm grateful that Representative Doris Matsui brings technology and infrastructure dollars back to Sacramento. I hope she'll pay attention to all the money leaking away in other directions that are not beneficial to Sacramento.
Cynthia FowlerSacramento
Morse is the right candidate to take on Kiley
"Kevin Kiley vs. Jessica Morse for Congress: Why analysts are watching this California race" (Sept. 20, sacbee.com)
Empathic, forward-thinking, experienced and competent — Jessica Morse's qualities are needed to replace Kevin Kiley's small-minded, angry partisanship. We are tired of the stale anger about fabricated fictional grievances. We need positive problem-solving for our future.
Jessica used her experience working with CalFire to develop an effective, bipartisan program to reduce the damage from wildfires.
Now, we need a congresswoman who will protect our environment and protect women's right to healthcare nationally.
Bruce Joffe
UC Regents suppress students' right to protest
"Protest and get arrested? What the new rules at Sacramento State and California campuses mean" (sacbee.com, Aug. 27)
UC Regents have supported 12 months of genocide in Gaza and now Lebanon. The press covers protest restrictions and not what protestors are saying, as Israel attempts to distract from the Gaza genocide by starting a war with Lebanon. The real issues are that U.S. arms shipments grow and U.S. concern is a farce.
If too many withhold their vote in disgust and former president Donald Trump wins, I'm sure protestors will be blamed, and not the elected officials and UC college regents' suppression that makes illegal, indiscriminate mass killing possible.
Scott Steward
