A massive smoke plume is seen above Chico on July 26 as the Park Fire continued to burn through Butte County. Proponents say Prop 4 will fund measures to prevent damage caused by wildfire smoke. With a detailed plan of action, Proposition 4’s $10 billion in bond money provides hope that California will invest to prevent calamities and mitigate the effect of climate change rather than the current pattern of responding to disasters. In medicine, we strive for a similar goal; prevention is better than a cure. As a psychiatrist, I’m dismayed by the preventable cost to human life and environmental health. I see patients impacted by heatwaves leading to sleep deprivation, panic and emotional volatility, while eco-anxiety among parents risks destabilization of young families. Wildfire smoke alone contributed to more than 52,000 premature deaths across California from 2007-18, equating to an economic impact of about $430 billion. Nearly a million Californians face possible long-term negative health outcomes of liver and kidney problems as well as cancer due to receiving unsafe drinking water. Keeping in mind the existing disparities, Prop 4 ensures funds for underserved communities to address concerns around climate justice. More Opinions Letters: If you vote for Prop 35, the state’s most vulnerable residents get better health care Letters: Why is S.F. cutting affordable housing requirements when there’s a housing crisis? As a physician and a mother of two young children, I say yes on Prop 4 and so must California. Hina Fullar, Alamo The $25 burger lie Regarding “Impact of rising wages” (Letters to the Editor, Sept. 20): In his argument not to raise the minimum wage, letter writer Rocco Biale uses an old tired capitalist lie to defend his position. He claims paying a living wage to workers will result in $25 hamburgers. Well, McDonald’s […]