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Liccardo loses supporter
over Russian sister city
Having read the article in the Mercury News (“Zelenskyy calls out San Jose for keeping ties with Russian city,” Page A1, June 7) I have a response for Mayor Sam Liccardo and his position on Ukraine and how it applies to San Jose.
Liccardo is wrong, and history will be the proof. How sad and ironic this article falls on a day recognizing the ultimate sacrifices of so many on D-Day.
Having lived and worked for almost 40 years in San Jose I vote and stay out of the trivial local politics. Here comes my final point.
Liccardo now has zero support from me on any subject matter he may offer.
Lynn Caldwell
San Jose
Council, mayor should
reconsider sister city
Re. “Zelenskyy calls out San Jose for keeping ties with Russian city,” Page A1, June 7:
Shame on the San Jose City Council and Mayor Sam Liccardo for refusing to terminate the Sister City relationship with Ekaterinburg, Russia.
This relationship enables Vladimir Putin to claim diplomatic ties with the west. One wonders if the council would have maintained a relationship with Nazi Germany during World War II.
Kathleen Hall
Mountain View
Water restrictions should
apply to all in California
On May 26, 2022, The Mercury News and East Bay Times editorial boards’ editorial, “Will Gov. Newsom ever require mandatory water cuts?” (Page A6) says: “The problem with empty threats is, after a while, people just stop listening.” Yes, people do stop listening to empty threats; metaphorically speaking, they also listen to halfway-told lies.
Rachel Becker’s May 10, 2022, article states, “While the data reflects water used by residents and industries statewide, it does not include agriculture, which accounts for roughly 40% of the total water used in the state.” The halfway-told lie is that no one mentions agricultural producers. On April 8, 2015, Vauhini Vara’s article stated “that farmers have two additional options for acquiring water. They can buy water rights from one another and pump as much groundwater as they like.”
New restrictions should implement for residents and local businesses and agricultural producers.
Lydia Lopez
Arvin
Nuclear may be boon
in transition from gas
Re. “Climate change may force giving up gas stoves,” Page A1, May 31:
Aw, the irony. Gas stoves are being phased out, and new developments often have no gas hookups. Even though cooking with electricity is problematic in restaurants, the real problem is assuming that electricity will always be there at the flip of the switch.
However, more electric hookups, hot summer air conditioning, charging electric cars and phones, coupled with the drought that has lowered reservoir levels that are putting hydroelectric generating dangerously close to not working – perhaps one day soon flipping the switch will do nothing.
So, now what? Gas-powered generating plants? Everything is connected. Fix one problem, create another. Perhaps nuclear power might be the answer.
Meade Fischer
Soquel
U.S. experiment
is a deadly failure
In her June 5 letter, Celeste McGettigan noted legislation in Australia and New Zealand that addressed gun violence and she asked, “Why can’t we do the same?” (“Look to New Zealand, Australia for solutions,” Page A8)
The answer is simply that we are very different from Australia and New Zealand. Those countries have populaces that have national identities and, although not in agreement on everything, that populace sees a national common good.
In the United States (really, the dis-United States), we have a populace that identifies principally with their home state. Yes, we occasionally come together in a time of crisis (World War II), or not (Vietnam), but on the whole, we are Californians, Texans or New Yorkers. Our Constitution deliberately established a weak central government with an emphasis on states’ rights. Thus, no national education system, health care or gun laws. Those are up to the states.
Ours is a system doomed to fail, and it is failing.
Kirch DeMartini
Saratoga
Source: www.mercurynews.com