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New shelter director
offers a fresh start
Re: “Troubled shelter to get new leader” (Page A1, Oct. 17).
As founder of Sustain Our Shelters, I welcome the opportunity to work with Monica Wylie, San Jose’s selection to lead the city’s animal shelter. After years of systemic failures and eroded public trust, we need bold leadership that disrupts the status quo and restores confidence in our sheltering system.
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Wylie enters a tough environment, but her fresh perspective could be just what the community needs. We at Sustain Our Shelters stand ready to collaborate — offering support, transparency tools and community engagement strategies — to help her succeed.
We are hopeful that under her leadership, we’ll see meaningful change and a shelter the city can trust again.
Rebekah Davis-Matthews
San Jose
Measure A shenanigans
deserve a no vote
Re: “Should Santa Clara County raise sales tax? No, end excess spending first” (Page A9, Oct. 12).
Santa Clara County passed a budget that grew by $1.2 billion for 2025-26 without any additional revenue sources. Then the Santa Clara County Board approved Measure A for the ballot in hopes of addressing some shortfall, claiming the money is needed for hospitals. Unfortunately, the money from Measure A will be dumped into the general fund, and who knows where the money will really go?
I would have voted yes on Measure A if the county hadn’t increased its budget for 2025-26. I decided to vote no, as I feel there is something fishy and scummy going on here, and we are not being told the truth.
Michael McWalters
Alviso
Don’t build houses;
stabilize salaries
Re: “Newsom gets ‘B’ for effort but ‘F’ for results on new housing” (Page A6, Oct. 17).
I give Dan Walters an “F” for his latest thoughtless opinion piece. Sorry, Dan, housing instability isn’t the problem here in the Bay Area.
The real problem we have here are too many people moving here for high-tech jobs who can afford the ever-increasing exorbitant rental prices. Walters and his ilk will have us building a million new apartment complexes to fix this “problem.” Meanwhile, the rest of us sit in endless traffic, conserve water, and fight and jostle through ever-increasing humanity. No thanks.
The only solution is to create laws forcing employers to maintain an employee’s salary if they are able to leave the area for a less expensive location or work remotely. That one thing keeps legions of people here when they would and could leave and still perform their jobs capably — their Bay Area-based salaries. Change that one thing and people will leave in droves.
Joe Picone
San Jose
Firsthand knowledge
could blunt antisemitism
Re: “U.S. Jews think Trump exploits antisemitism” (Page A6, Oct. 17).
The question of how antisemitism is utilized in our political atmosphere is a crucial one, and the answer, as James Druckman pointed out, is incredibly nuanced.
As a representative with the Borgen Project, my mission is to advocate for those internationally who may not have a voice to do so.
Druckman highlights real cases of antisemitism in tandem with real politically disingenuous uses, creating real political victims. We see a similar occurrence abroad. Where there is real antisemitic violence, there are also real Palestinians living under the most debilitating conditions.
To aid those left voiceless in the rubble of violence, those here at The Borgen Project ask everyone to demand that our leaders witness the situation firsthand and push for more aid to Gaza. With the U.S. providing billions in funding to Israel, we must ensure our government is doing everything possible to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
Ethan Fusilero
San Jose
Protect patients’
right to choose life
When my mother was hospitalized, a doctor said she was suffering. I asked her directly, “Mom, are you suffering?” She said, “No.” That moment revealed how easily patient voices can be overlooked in end-of-life care.
Decisions to stop life-sustaining treatment are often made without clear consent, guided by assumptions about age, disability or perceived “quality of life.” This is wrong.
I am proposing a Life Preservation Act to protect patients’ rights. The law would require written consent before withdrawing treatment, ensure families are fully informed, and create an independent review process for disputes.
This isn’t about prolonging suffering — it’s about respecting choice, dignity and compassion. No family should feel powerless at their loved one’s bedside.
I urge California lawmakers to support my proposal, the Life Preservation Act, and ensure every life is treated with respect.
Kathy Alexiou
Pacifica
Santos is second
fiddle to liar-in-chief
After pardoning 1,500 insurrectionists, which included violent felons, it should come as no surprise that Donald Trump just commuted George Santos’ sentence. Santos is a kindred spirit who has lied, stolen and cheated with the best of them.
Still, he has a long way to go before matching our current champion, the president.
Irv Brenner
Palo Alto