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President should not be
enemy to half the nation
Re: “‘No Kings’ rallies galvanize region” (Page A1, Oct. 19).
A sign at the Walnut Creek “No Kings” protest said, “America shouldn’t have to protect democracy from the President.” Because what Donald Trump wants is not a democratic system, but one in which he always wins.
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The idea of winning every time is the antithesis of democracy. We must all understand that sometimes the Democrats win and sometimes the Republicans do. Each side gets its chance to be in charge until the people decide they want change.
The thousands of people who went to the streets to vent their anger at Trump and his followers did so out of fear. The horrors of the past, when tyrants brutalized people to retain power, are all too real. The president should be our ally. We may not always agree with his policies, but we should never have to fear that he’ll destroy the very democracy that gave him power in the first place.
Teri Shikany
Danville
BART has work to do
to restore riders’ trust
Public transportation is supposed to help make life easier, but for residents in the Bay Area, BART has become an unreliable mode of transportation. BART is a vital part of the Bay Area; it reduces traffic, lowers emissions, and connects people to work and school. However, the BART system is flawed with many concerns about safety, cleanliness and delays.
Many stations are poorly maintained, leaving people feeling uneasy with the lack of security and cleanliness. This discourages people from using public transportation, pushing them back toward driving, worsening traffic.
Delays also create major issues for commuters and can often cause them to be late while on their way to work. While many delays are caused by the weather, plenty of delays are caused by BART’s computer system.
Improving security, updating equipment and ensuring more consistent service would restore the public’s trust in BART, a system the Bay Area depends on.
Maddux Ligon
Brentwood
Yes on Prop. 50 will
break GOP stranglehold
My opinion is that having Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans in charge is a very, very bad thing for our country and our world.
If you agree with me on that, then I hope you will also agree with me on this: Vote for Proposition 50. Support it with your work, dollars, yard signs, etc.
Most of us agree that gerrymandering is a bad idea in general. MAGA Republicans are pushing gerrymandering to its limits in the red states to maintain their control — effectively rigging elections against the majority — so unfortunately, we need to gerrymander California as well. If we lose this election, we will have virtually no chance of winning back the House.
It’s a temporary measure; it will expire in 2030.
Please ignore all the slick marketing materials coming from the MAGA crowd, and make sure you vote yes on Proposition 50.
Larnie Fox
Benicia
Sticking it to Trump
is no way to legislate
I’m guessing Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50 will pass without Tom Steyer’s embarrassing “Stick It To Trump” TV ads.
However, it does lead me to ask the leaders of the Democratic Party how sticking it to Donald Trump will make California a more affordable place to raise a family and run a business. How will sticking it to Trump reduce our state taxes, keep companies from leaving, including insurance companies and health care providers? How does sticking it to Trump make our streets safer, ensure only citizens vote and receive the benefits only citizens deserve? How does sticking it to Trump make California streets safer and improve school scores?
The Democratic Party’s solution is to always blame the other team for their failures while sticking it to us taxpayers to pay the bill. Maybe next year we start telling our career politicians where to stick it and vote them out of office.
Bill Behan
Brentwood
No legal obligation
for CSU to give names
Re: “Faculty file suit against leaders” (Page A1, Oct. 17).
The article quotes someone in the CSU administration saying that they are obligated to follow federal law as the excuse for handing over the phone numbers and email addresses for all of their faculty to President Donald Trump.
There is no federal law that requires submitting such information. There is only a president out of control.
Eloise Hamann
Dublin
Take a step against
climate change today
A recent poll indicated that 18% of Americans think about climate change every day; I am one of those people. More than half of Americans say that addressing climate change is “extremely” or “very” important.
Sometimes climate action can seem too overwhelming or too far from our daily lives. But good climate choices exist right in our local communities and make a difference. We can reduce, reuse, recycle, pick up trash, plant native and/or low-water-use landscaping, eat and dress more sustainably, drive less, use hybrid or EV vehicles and educate friends. We can also support nonprofit climate advocacy groups.
By the end of the year, we can also send letters to our city councils and county boards of supervisors urging them to support the Climate Superfund Act now in the California Legislature.
Take a step towards greater climate engagement now.
Kimberlee Staking
Fairfield