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Lack of cabs hurts
SJ airport’s image
Taxicab service is totally inadequate at Mineta San Jose International Airport.
On a recent return to San Jose airport, my husband and I wanted to use a taxi to get home because we know their drivers pay a large fee to service the airport – unlike Uber and Lyft. When we left the terminal, we expected to see a line of taxis waiting. Instead, we found a notice that said to go to Pick up Station #1 for taxis. We made it across the lanes of traffic to the pick-up station and found a notice posted that said we should call a taxi company for pick up. This is certainly an unfriendly welcome to San Jose for arriving passengers.
How can San Jose airport consider itself a fully functional airport when cab service is so hard to access? It’s unfair to the taxi drivers and to passengers who should reasonably expect taxis at the ready.
Carol Wilson-Linney
San Jose
Fund state program
to quell gun violence
Last week, our community lost multiple victims to gun violence. Too often violence causes suffering and pain, and leaves behind lasting traumatic impacts on families and communities. We need action to address gun violence with common-sense solutions that work. Fresh Lifelines for Youth is a solution. FLY provides teens with tools, mentors and life skills to disrupt the impact of violence in communities. Last year, 100% of youth who participated in FLY’s CAFA Mentor Program did not sustain a new juvenile justice offense. Additionally, 87% of youth who have participated with FLY have fewer unmet needs, making them less likely to get caught in the pipeline to prison.
One crucial source of funding for these programs is California Violence Intervention and Prevention funding. Communities that received CalVIP grants in 2018 saw homicides decrease nearly three times more than those without CalVIP support. Across California, programs like FLY work and save lives; CalVIP needs long-term sustainable funding.
Cassidy Higgins
Milpitas
New city landscaping
irresponsible in drought
I was greatly surprised to see all of the plants and trees being installed along the Lark Avenue and Los Gatos Boulevard medians near the North Forty development in Los Gatos given the dire drought conditions reported by the media and water district officials.
Apparently, although the residents are expected to take drastic measures to reduce water usage, the town officials felt that approving landscaping plans that will result in long-term water usage and maintenance costs (on the taxpayer’s dollar) was prudent. Please remember this when election time rolls around.
Bill Hubbard
Los Gatos
Trump’s praise for Putin
shows deeper problem
Former President Trump’s praise of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sheds light on his past record.
Trump received substantial support from Russia in the 2016 presidential election for the purpose of undermining democracy here and abroad. Trump’s longstanding relationship with Russia was leveraged by Putin to further his goals of weakening the NATO alliance and relations with EU members. Trump denigrated European allies routinely, sided with Putin at the Helsinki Summit against FBI findings of Russian election interference and withheld military aid to Ukraine while attempting to extort personal favors and exonerate Russia in its involvement in election interference.
Trump’s irrepressible pattern of complicity with Putin’s goals is beyond doubt. His presidency left an open invitation for Putin to invade Ukraine, whether Trump was re-elected for a second term or not. Putin was emboldened after the heinous coup attempt of Jan. 6, a clear signal of Trump’s ultimate attempt to subvert democracy.
Warren Seifert
Gilroy
Potshots at Biden come
off as Putin support
Bill Graham (“Poland speech affirms Biden unsuited for crisis,” Letters to the Editor, Page A12, April 3) picks on President Joe Biden’s speech impediment and blasts him as being too strong on Putin.
Is this the cry of the pro-Putin Republicans – picking on our wartime president? Biden has shown clarity of purpose and unified the western world against a madman. To appease, to cower and hide is not a viable strategy.
Dave Clark
San Mateo
World must stop
war crimes in Ukraine
The current war crimes we are witnessing in Ukraine cannot and should not be allowed to persist.
Ukrainian children are lying dead in the streets while Russia continues its march towards a pointless goal. Millions are suffering from the hubris of a dictator.
Dino Granzella
San Jose
Source: www.mercurynews.com