Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
Time to start tough task
of water conservation
Re: “State water conservation idea raises uneasiness” (Page B1, Oct. 18).
Apparently measures to conserve water enacted by the Legislature might actually have some teeth. How do we know this? Water providers across the state complain that “steep cuts to outdoor water use” would be required; “it’s awkward”; “we won’t be able to convince our customer base to participate.”
Nobody said this was going to be easy. “It takes decades of time, a significant investment of resources, as well as a population and a culture that want to participate,” according to Santa Rosa’s water efficiency supervisor. Well then, we had better get started now, hadn’t we?
Mother Nature’s turning off the tap and turning up the heat, and she doesn’t care how difficult that makes life for us. This notion that we can’t do things because they might be difficult flies in the face of everything America claims to be.
Eugene Ely
San Jose
Biden administration
offers only conflict
The Biden administration’s recent moves to further restrict China’s access to leading-edge semiconductor devices will prove to be shortsighted and will backfire as have so many trade sanctions over the past few years.
China will not lie down and surrender. They will develop their own technology (likely superior to that of the West eventually). And they will retaliate as well. China remains a huge market for Western business interests. For how much longer remains a question.
As far as economic growth goes, the Biden administration seems hell-bent on causing a deep recession.
Trade wars never end well, and they never can be “won.” Both sides suffer, with no clear winners. Trade wars and hot wars. Is this all the Biden administration has to offer to the American people?
Anthony Stegman
San Jose
GOP needs to add
‘tax’ to its vocabulary
When will Congress wake up?
As the country ages and expands, it will have a growing list of demands from the voters and events. This is normal. This demand creates growing expenditures.
What has been Congress’ reaction? It has been to give a growing set of tax benefits to the wealthy and corporations.
That dog won’t hunt.
If the Republicans want to reduce the debt, it must have a program to increase revenue, i.e., tax those who can afford it.
They must add the word “tax” to their vocabulary.
Robert Greene
Mountain View
IRS should be thanked
for free e-file plan
In the midst of war abroad, and squabbling leadership elections at home, little else is likely to attract much attention. However, it should not escape notice that the IRS announced a new e-file program Tuesday.
While the rollout will be limited in its first year, the IRS estimates that hundreds of thousands of taxpayers will file their 2023 taxes using the new system. Those using the program will e-file directly with the IRS and for free.
This is welcome news and will save taxpayers from having to pay unnecessary fees to file their taxes.
Joe Collett, CPA
Mountain View
Source: www.mercurynews.com