Dear Editor,

I was rather appalled to read a recent letter “Guess what” by James Dowd in the Warren Times Observer. His thought that the Democratic Party is opposing the President merely because of the election is nothing more than a diluted hypothesis. It seems the only thing “out of step” as Mr. Dowd would say, is his elaborate “theory” that concludes the election results if California had been removed from the equation.

Before you so quickly shove CA, one-eighth of the country’s population, down the drain to twist the election into your favor…let me remind you of the following:

¯ California is one-seventh of the nation’s gross domestic product of $2.3 trillion.*

¯ California’s economy is bigger than ever, rivaling the U.K. as No. 5 in the world.*

¯ Much of the U.S. growth can be traced to California laws promoting clean energy and government accountability.*

¯ No state or country has created as many laws discouraging fossil fuels and carbon while promoting clean energy which is clearly paying off in the stock market.*

¯ California clean energy companies reported annual revenue growth of 26 percent and turned more revenue into profit with an average gross margin of 46 percent.*

¯ California’s revenue from agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting totaled $39 billion in 2015, plus $279 billion from manufacturing.*

¯ The 2016 revenue from California technology companies was around $720 billion, or 54 percent of the U.S. industry.

Unfortunately, our Constitution states that a state cannot leave without the permission of all other states. The loss of California’s output would create a mess within the U.S. for at least a decade. It’s a rare thought that the U.S. is going to give up California anytime soon. Like it or not, California is one of the economic powerhouses of the country, sending far more in tax dollars to Washington.

Somehow we are going to have to learn to live together. It is just as challenging for many in California to live with views of rural Americans in the rust belt, as it is for you to live with them. In my opinion, what we need less of in this country are the mindsets that of James Dowd. Our country will never unite and move forward when we simply want to disregard (or literally cancel out) folks with different views.

#BitingTheHandThatFeedsYou

Amy Millard Willson,

Warren, PA Resident for 22 years,

San Diego, CA Resident for 13 years