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Quit your car and
give Caltrain a try
Yes, as Bruce Holley says (“Expand public transit to help middle class” Page A6, March 9) we need more attention to our public-transit systems to lure people out of their cars on our packed highways.
In this car culture of ours, I do wonder whether drivers on Highway 101 realize the pleasures of travel on Caltrain between San Jose and San Francisco. My 45 minutes from San Francisco to Palo Alto recently on the “limited” 7:14 train was quiet and uncrowded, a perfect place to read a good book. Can’t do that driving 101. “Limited” trains take about an hour and a quarter from San Francisco to San Jose. “Bullet” trains take about an hour. There are 52 trains each day.
Why don’t more people use them? Perhaps we are just conditioned to assume it’s not a viable option. Try it. You’ll like it.
Steve Eittreim
Palo Alto
Shame on author
of plagiarized book
You would think that a decent person would have immediately repaid $1 million or any amounts received for attempting to write a history book but being caught plagiarizing. This casts an unfair pall on decent government employees and politicians.
Shame on Jean McCorquodale.
Judy Gergurich
San Jose
Draper wrong to call
for Holmes’ release
Re: “Why venture capitalist believes Holmes should be freed” (Page A6, March 10).
Tim Draper is entitled to his opinion regarding Elizabeth Holmes, but I respectfully disagree. While “Fake it until you make it” may be an appropriate strategy for high-tech entrepreneurs, Holmes’ behavior in the biomedical field was the antithesis of “Do no harm.” Holmes lied to investors, patients, partners (Walgreens), regulators, and Theranos employees and board.
Ultimately, a jury convicted Holmes. It is Holmes’ actions that make it harder for women entrepreneurs to succeed and not the press and government. Draper is correct that VCs take long-shot risks and accept potential financial loss.
In the case of Theranos, the VCs and board failed both themselves and the public in their due diligence on Theranos. My hope is that Judge Edward Davila will send Holmes to prison in April. Draper is flat-out wrong, and Holmes is far from innocent.
Dale Dei Rossi
San Francisco
Time to build out
EV infrastructure
California, and especially the Bay Area, currently leads the United States in EV adoption. However, the United States lags behind both Europe and China in EV charging infrastructure.
Oftentimes, EVs are inaccessible for people living in urban areas or in homes without dedicated garages or parking. This means people rely on public chargers. The city can adopt innovative solutions used in other cities around the world to increase the amount of EV chargers available in San Jose. This could include options such as installing chargers on streetlights as well as curbside chargers. Overall, more chargers should be installed near places of living and work, where people spend the majority of their time parked.
As the future of cars moves toward electrification, our government, including the city of San Jose, needs to increase the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to solve inaccessibility issues and meet demand.
Edin Le
San Jose
Today’s GOP offers
nothing but negatives
Doyle McManus’ op-ed “Biden budget was opening bid. Where is the Republican plan?” (Page A6, March 14) reveals the impotence and fruitlessness of today’s GOP.
This is not your father’s Republican Party; because if it were, there would be a clear platform for issues such as taxes, environment, immigration, health care, gun control, social issues, economic issues, etc . along with an esprit de corps, even if both sides were “worlds apart.” What is the GOP platform for the challenging issues that our country faces? I don’t believe there is a clearly defined one. If there is one, it is shaky at best.
Sadly, the party’s stubborn and win-at-all-cost leadership offers nothing but grievances, hindrance, obstructionism and simple answers (woke spending) to complex problems which, unfortunately, appeal to many who are not willing to think critically, or who are not willing to seek common ground.
Diego D. Certa
Campbell
Universities should
stop DeSantis’ attacks
Recently, one of Ron DeSantis’ flunkies sent in House Bill 999 to the state legislature, reflecting his position on education. It required the banning of gender studies, critical race theory, or any activities that promote or espouse it. It also put limits on teaching subjects like slavery.
When this attack on higher education in Florida is added to his similar prohibitions on the public school teaching of African-American history, his banning of books, clearing of library shelves, and his threats against public school teachers, it seems clear that students in Florida are receiving sub-standard educations.
Perhaps some major universities, such as those in the Ivy League, could help to end this subversion of education by openly taking a stance and declaring that because of this, they would no longer admit students from Florida. Little Ron DeSantis needs much more than two-inch heels to raise himself to the level of statesman governor.
Jerry Krumbein
Palo Alto
Source: www.mercurynews.com