Editor’s note: Following is a rebuttal to last week’s “Other Voices” column, which questioned the benefits of Silicon Valley Clean Energy.

The mission of Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is to provide clean electricity and innovative decarbonization programs that will bend the carbon curve downward and contribute to the health and wealth of our region. The original 12 cities that banded together to form SVCE did so to achieve two goals simultaneously: to offer our constituents competition in a marketplace that previously had none, and to procure and supply cleaner, greener power for our communities. Simply put, SVCE is the evolutionary outgrowth of market forces and customer wishes.

Recall Persky effort is ‘nonviolent,’ ‘democratic’

In his March 14 letter, Dinesh Desai implies that the campaign to recall Judge Aaron Persky is a form of “mob rule.” This is fundamentally untrue. Mob rule implies violence and intimidation outside the lawful realm. In clear contrast, the campaign to recall Judge Persky is democratic, squarely within the bounds of law, and not only nonviolent, but explicitly antiviolent.

First, within a democracy, we as citizens have not only a right to vote officials in, but a fundamental right to vote them out. Additionally, the reason behind this campaign is because we as citizens have had enough with violence, especially sexual violence against girls and women.

Our children grew up thinking that Rancho San Antonio was their playground, all 3,988 acres of open-space preserve, combined with the adjoining 165-acre county park.

We were assured that competition is good and that Silicon Valley Clean Energy would be way better than the “dirty, bad old PG&E.” In essence, all SVCE is doing is forcing its choice of which “clean” energy it deems best, rather than what could save us money.

As I walked into the cafeteria that warm October day in 1969, I noticed my Mercy High School besties huddled at a corner table. There was nothing unusual about this scene, for this is where we juniors congregated every day. Then, suddenly, I froze. By the sheepish grins on their faces as they quickly turned away, I sensed the topic of conversation was me.

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked the group, slowly approaching.

There are a few professions out there where it’s very difficult to separate the individual person from the job.