'Excitement and Mayhem'

Editor:

Thank you, Mark Larson, for laying out HSU’s, sorry, CPH’s timeline and budget for all the upcoming excitement and mayhem in Arcata (“It’s Time to Buckle Up,” March 30). Keep in mind that proposed budgets are generally just an idealized suggestion. Assuming my math is correct (and it’s worth checking), the five major construction projects add up to a measly $644 million; that’s almost real money. Reality and experience would suggest that any proposed budget should be doubled and then increased by a substantial “cushion.” The more likely end budget for these projects is then about $1.2 billion plus a $500 million adjustment resulting in a total cost of around $1.7 billion. For safety, this could be rounded up to a simple $2 billion. Mock my words, come back to me in 2027 and tell me I was wrong.

Concerning the Earth flag placement in Arcata (“‘A Symbolic Gesture,'” March 30), what is the bedrock (so to speak) of our existence? What is the Mother that bears us all? What is the underpinning of life?

Earth sustains us all. The Earth flag’s proper place should be at the bottom of all the other flags as it supports all the rest. To have it anywhere else is an insult to Gaia.

Is Dave Meserve aware that there is a statue at the south end of Woodley Island? The work is never done.

Michael H. Morris, Eureka