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Gas ban lines PG&E’s pockets

Re: “Ban on heaters may be tweaked” (Page A1, May 6).

Trying to be a good citizen of the planet, I replaced my nearly 100-year-old gravity furnace (which operated completely silently and worked even when electric power went off), and a gas water heater that worked just as silently, with a heat pump HVAC and a heat pump water heater. What a huge mistake.

Both are extremely noisy, and although my gas bill is now near zero, my electric bill has more than doubled. The project cost a total of $40,000 (electric service panel upgrade, appliances, installation, permits, and $6,800 charged by PG&E to move the wire connected to my house to the new service panel), after a rebate of $5,000 and a tax credit of $3,000. I will die long before I net any savings whatsoever on this.

We are being bamboozled by PG&E, which doesn’t tell you about their charges in advance.

Carol Zink
Redwood City

Let homeowners replace gas with gas

Re: “Ban on heaters may be tweaked” (Page A1, May 6).

Having replaced my gas water heater with a heat pump this year, I have real-world experience. The cost, without a panel upgrade, was about $9,000. It took 10 days to schedule installation, and two days to install.

My brother replaced his gas with gas. It cost $2,400 and was installed the next day. There must be tens of thousands of gas water heaters in the Bay Area. They seem to fail after about ten years. This means thousands of replacements in the next decade. Under this law, there will be a lot of people without hot water for a long time. They will be justifiably angry.

It would be better to mandate heat pumps in all new construction and major remodels, and let homeowners replace gas with gas when they fail.

James Parissenti
Santa Clara

Social worker support makes system work

Re: “Toddler dies after alleged sex abuse” (Page A1, April 15).

I’m writing about the article on the toddler who passed away in a foster care placement in Santa Clara County. This case is heartbreaking, but it also raises serious concerns about the child welfare system.

Children in foster care are supposed to be protected, yet this is not the first time a child has passed away under the county’s supervision. Reports show ongoing issues and repeated failures, which suggest deeper systemic problems rather than a one-time mistake.

It’s not okay that vulnerable children, especially those already experiencing trauma, are placed in unsafe environments. All children deserve equal protection, regardless of their background or circumstances.

This tragedy should be a turning point. We need more support for social workers so that children are not overlooked. Equity means ensuring every child is safe, not just hoping the system works.

Cassandra Fonseca
San Jose

San Jose can’t leave history to chance

Buried deep in the budget on Page 618, the mayor and city manager are proposing eliminating all staff at the California Room, which houses priceless historical artifacts from San Jose and Santa Clara County. Countless historians, developers, realtors, educators, students, the media and others have visited the room to gather valuable information, 5,442 visits in 2025 alone.

Beyond research, the staff curates exhibits and educational talks, including: Eastside Dreams: The Untold Story of East San Jose;  Pinoytown Rising: Filipino Americans in Santa Clara County; Women on Wheels, California Wind Dancers; Hidden Heritages: San José’s Vietnamese Legacy; and Black History Month at the California Room.

During these unprecedented times when the Trump administration seems intent on erasing or altering American history, we cannot allow the city of San Jose to do the same. By removing staff and access, our rich and diverse cultural history will remain hidden and forgotten.

Darlene Tenes
San Jose

Gas station gimmick helps pad the cost

It’s time that gas stations do something about their ridiculously high prices. Get rid of the 9/10 of a cent. This was an asinine marketing gimmick back when gas was less than a dollar a gallon.

And in case stations need a reason to do this, soon they will need the space on their signs and pumps when the price reaches $10 a gallon.

Keith Moe
Cupertino

Hold administration to account for Iran error

President Trump “obliterated” Iran’s ability to make a nuclear bomb last June. Their enriched uranium was buried deep in the Earth. Most experts agree that they are a long way from completing the bomb.

So, given all of that, why did we start a war when, if Iran had enriched uranium again, we could have just bombed the facility again, and any time in the future, to destroy their ongoing capability? It would have been a whole lot less expensive in terms of lives lost, the costs of maintaining a lengthy war, and the turmoil our country and the world have suffered both economically and politically.

It’s too late now, but the present administration has to be held accountable for its grievous error in judgment.

Jerry Zanzinger
Santa Cruz