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San Jose squanders
its creeks and rivers
Re. “San Jose: $100,000 worth of tools recovered in homeless encampment bunker near Coyote Creek,” July 13:
San Jose doesn’t know a civic asset from a hole in the ground. Many cities have beautified and opened the rivers that run through them for public recreation: Reno, San Antonio, Boise, Great Falls, D.C. But not San Jose. Its rivers and creeks are inhabited by individuals who set fires and pile up trash. And now we know there is a den of thieves inhabiting Coyote Creek in a bunker with stolen tools and weapons.
Where are the police patrols? Valley Water’s clean-up workers? Calls for creek clean-ups and patrols have been asked for numerous times from bordering schools, bikers and citizens wanting to restore fish habitat. We should restore the creeks to their natural state.
Ken Colson
San Jose
Conserving water
is getting harder
Re. “Water saving still missing target,” Page A1, July 9:
As we all work together to conserve water, we need to be careful about how we use statistics to characterize the level of public altruism.
Urban water use increased almost 20% in March and April compared to the same period in 2020. Those discouraging numbers improved somewhat in May. It’s important to note that landscape irrigation makes up a large portion of a household’s discretionary water consumption, and our yards demand more water when natural rainfall disappears. In March, April and May of this year, 1.39 total inches of rain fell at the San Francisco International Airport and 1.85 inches fell at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. During the same three months in 2020, 2.93 inches fell in San Francisco and a whopping 8.06 inches fell in Burbank.
It was much easier for households to conserve water during the spring of 2020 than it was this year.
Doug Peterson
San Jose
‘Fractious council’
is a fairy tale
Re. “Fractious Council costing Cupertino leaders,” Page A6, July 14:
There seems to be a Q-Anon-like obsession with Better Cupertino — members are accused of imaginary crimes, some that predate the group’s existence.
Staffing in the public sector waxes and wanes based on demographics and proximity to work. Several senior members of staff left because of retirement; another, to work closer to home. No toxicity there.
As to nonprofits, it was discovered one nonprofit was being paid on a verbal contract, with no deliverables, just paid. That hardly constitutes a “good” relationship.
Government works best when it works for the majority, not the few. Government works best when business is conducted in public, not backroom deals.
Brooke Ezzat
Cupertino
GOP testimony lends
credence to hearings
Re. “Republicans should be paying attention to Jan. 6 hearings,” Page A9, July 10:
Roughly 70% of Republicans don’t see Joe Biden as the legitimate winner and still believe in the “Big Lie.” Nothing is going to change that. Mick Mulvaney is correct that GOP leaders and members are choosing to ignore the hearings. A strong belief exists that in the midterms, they are going to be the majority and control both Senate and House. At that time the commission findings will be moot.
The Jan. 6 commission using only credible Republicans under oath are methodically laying the groundwork to change that. There are yet more GOP players to be interviewed and credible facts are going to emerge. After September or sooner when the commission finishes the work, maybe the DOJ will charge Donald Trump with criminal intent to stay in power.
Already Trump’s efforts to pressure state officials and the DOJ and Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony lay out the intent.
Mohan Raj
San Jose
We have ways
to wage climate fight
Doyle McManus asks, “Is the country headed for a new war between the states?” (Mercury News Op-Ed, Page A6, July 8).
As the Confederacy refused to give up slavery without a great Civil War, the fossil fuel industry and their hired guns will not give up black gold without a colossal struggle. Republican obstruction prevents Congress from passing bold climate legislation. SCOTUS limited the EPA’s authority to regulate CO2 (WV v. EPA decision) and opened a Pandora’s Box of litigation.
Feeling climate anxious? Join the fight. Divest your stock portfolio of fossil fuels and electrify everything; voice your climate concerns to your employer and elected representatives; and vote out Republicans up and down the ticket in the 2022 and 2024 elections. The power of the purse, the pen and the vote will bind up Mother Earth and our division. Let’s dare to do our duty as we understand it.
Lisa Oliver
Milpitas
Source: www.mercurynews.com