Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
Gioia falls short
on open space
I take issue with certain content of your editorial endorsing John Gioia for supervisor. (“Supervisor Gioia has well earned four more years,” Page A16, April 10)
While he may have many fine qualities, he is not a strong supporter of the county’s voter-approved Urban Limit Line. Last year he voted to approve the “Tassajara Parks” development east of Danville, breaking the county’s then-existing ULL. A condition of approval was the developer’s promise to “donate” more than $6 million to the county.
This development’s approval violates the county’s Measure L and therefore is illegal. As a result, lawsuits have been filed against the county and developer by Danville, EBMUD, Greenbelt Alliance, the Sierra Club and private citizens.
In summary, just like you can’t be a little bit pregnant, you must be consistently for the protection of the ULL, not just when it is convenient.
Richard Fischer
Unincorporated Contra Costa County
Ice shelf collapses
are a call to act
The headline “Scientists solve Antarctic ice collapse puzzle” (Page A4, April 15) made me think.
I’m glad scientists have solved their puzzle. But the solution shows climate change is even worse than they thought. The headline I want to see is “Humans solve Antarctic ice collapse.” It’s time for each of us to do what we can to solve the various climate change problems.
Personally, I believe a fee on carbon, with the fees redistributed fairly, is the way to go. But anything that moves us faster into reducing carbon is OK with me. We must do something.
Cliff Gold
Fremont
Honor the humanity
of the mentally ill
Re. “For Kanye West, what does getting ‘help’ really mean?” April 6:
Kanye West displays almost all the hallmark signs and symptoms (e.g., grandiosity, poor judgment, impulsivity, paranoia, etc.) of bipolar disorder type I. Still, this does not completely justify some of the inappropriate actions he has done in the past.
Despite his actions, I think it’s important to remember that he is a human too, and we all need to remember that highlighting the worst in people who are mentally ill only stigmatizes mental health disorders even further and perpetuates the negative way people see others with psychiatric disorders. Displaying high-profile individuals with such a negative lens on bipolar disorder may deeply impact how some view their own mental illness and possibly dissuade them from seeking treatment.
I’m responding to this article as a reminder that we can all make a difference in how we can advocate for mental health in our daily lives.
Mark Tungol
San Francisco
Single-party dominance
is bad for democracy
I frequently challenge progressives on the campus of UC Berkeley (the vast majority of this community) with conservative perspectives because too many today just aren’t challenged in this way. And it’s impossible to know for sure that you are on the right side of issues unless you are willing to seriously consider all relevant perspectives on the issues.
Furthermore, though many Democrats celebrate this, it is not healthy that there is not a single Republican elected official today in the Bay Area on the state level or in Congress. Sorry, folks, but a Democrat monopoly of government power is the destruction of democracy, not the “preserving” of it. And, as a Republican, I would say the same of any area where there is a GOP monopoly.
Democrat dominance would be bad even if progressives were right on most of the issues. But it’s even worse if the left isn’t right.
Christopher Andrus
Dublin
Musk’s Twitter bid
latest play in old game
Many are quick to point out that Elon Musk’s actions set a negative precedent of billionaires taking over forms of media for the purpose of political gain. Is this a valid concern?
The notion that in the past billionaires have simply stayed out of media and politics ignores examples such as Jeff Bezos buying the Washington Post, and Michael Bloomberg famously founding Bloomberg Media. Elon Musk attempting to buy out Twitter is just him playing the game fair and square.
As for the claim that Musk doesn’t have the cash: Musk is the world’s richest man; somehow he will find a way to pay.
Manny Hals
Richmond
Biden should do more
to lower drug costs
One in four Americans is struggling to afford the medication they need to stay healthy and alive. People of color disproportionately bear this burden. And we also know that at the same time, Big Pharma continues to drive up prices, for no other reason than to pad their pockets.
Congress knows how important action on this issue is, which is why I’m pleased to see members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus continue to fight in the reconciliation bill to lower prescription drugs. However, President Joe Biden also has the authority to unilaterally lower drug prices right now. We need both legislative and executive action to meaningfully save patients money and get them the medicines they need.
Millions of people are counting on him.
Janet Saevitz
Oakland
Source: www.mercurynews.com