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Reelect Monroe to run
Alameda County schools
L.K. Monroe, Alameda County’s superintendent of schools, is an experienced leader with a statewide reputation. She has served as the president for the organization of 58 county superintendents, the first woman of color to hold that office. She is best able to advocate at the highest levels of government for resources to improve educational outcomes for all our students during this time of rapid change. With all the challenges that public education faces, we need the experience and leadership that only Monroe can bring to the table.
The county superintendent is responsible for monitoring the fiscal health of all school districts. Monroe has made tough decisions in the best interests of students to ensure our school districts remain financially sound. Alameda County voters who care about the financial solvency of their local school districts should support Monroe.
Please reelect Monroe for Alameda County superintendent of schools.
Robert Spencer
Oakland
Reproductive choice loss
threatens other rights
If the recent leaked draft Supreme Court decision holds, it would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey that have protected pregnant people’s rights to bodily autonomy for decades. Generations before us have fought tirelessly to gain and protect the rights we have today. We are in a fight to make sure that everyone has the power to control their own bodies, lives and futures.
True democracy depends on equal rights for all people. Losing our right to reproductive choice would open the door to the loss of other fundamental rights like marriage equality, contraception and gender-affirming care. We stand with our allies and leagues across the nation, to protect every individual’s access to reproductive health care.
Anne McKereghan
President, League of Women Voters of Alameda
The time has come
to reform high court
The Supreme Court whistleblower should be seen as a call for action to reform the Supreme Court. There are individuals on the court who would tell us that the Constitution and its protections do not mean what the originators intended.
The Jan 6 event is rightly seen as an overt attempt to take away our democracy, but the draft for an upcoming Supreme Court decision is a covert implementation of the same thing, only stripping our rights one at a time.
Each citizen should write their senator and congressman. Congress has the power to overhaul the Supreme Court. Article III Section 2 US Constitution places limitations on the Supreme Court: “… with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.” Article V could initiate an amendment that would require minimum age, fixed-term, high ethical standards, judicial experience standards, or other criteria for Supreme Court candidates.
Edward McCaskey
Dublin
Democrats must stay
focused on campaigns
Campaigns are kicking into high gear and politicians are working to ensure their constituents know exactly where their priorities lie. There is little room for off-topic messaging or policies that distract from real progress. The party needs to stay cohesive.
Pursuing policies that create no tangible, positive change for people while siphoning time and resources from where the work should be done is a mistake that we must avoid.
Democrats are aware of what’s at stake this election cycle and so they know how important it is to give voters what they want and need in the months leading up to November. Let’s hope California Democrats continue to reign in the outliers of the party and ensure their focus is on the truly consequential issues of the moment.
John McGinnis
Danville
Until we stop spending,
inflation will continue
In “GOP offers obstruction but no new solutions” (Letters to the Editor, Page A6, May 6), the writer appears to contend that if it weren’t for President Biden’s masterful handling of the economy, we would never have survived COVID.
In reality, Biden has unnecessarily gotten our country into an economic pickle. It won’t get any better until we simply stop spending so much money; and the longer we wait, the worse it’ll get. Right now, our debt exceeds our decreasing GDP, and our inflation rate is the worst it’s been in 40 years. We’re looking down the barrel of a recession fueled by inflation, and our president’s treatment is to spend even more money.
The writer complains Republicans are obstructionist because they fail to offer an alternative. But that alternative is that legislators stop acting — simply stop spending so much money.
Daniel Mauthe
Livermore
Source: www.mercurynews.com