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Becton has made
Contra Costa safer
Re: “Group that wants to recall District Attorney Diana Becton gets OK to circulate petition” (Page B2, April 24).
I was disappointed to learn that a campaign seeking to recall Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton is collecting signatures.
Crime trends aren’t a consolation to victims, but Contra Costa County crime data show violent crime is lower since Becton has been in office.
Becton is very different than recalled district attorneys Chesa Boudin of San Francisco and Pamela Price of Alameda County. Becton was a well-respected judge in Contra Costa County Superior Court for over 20 years before becoming DA. Her balanced approach has cracked down on violent offenders, gang crime and organized retail theft, while championing initiatives to keep at-risk youth on the right path.
Becton is intelligent, thoughtful and articulate. She has made our community safer and more just.
I urge residents not to sign the recall petition. A recall will cost taxpayers $8.5 million — money we critically need for basic services, given federal funding cuts.
Jennifer Huber
El Sobrante
CEQA reform would
be a good start
Re: “Bills are taking aim at land use” (Page A1, April 20).
Your article on CEQA abuse blocking affordable housing could have included any number of Eden projects, which have faced NIMBY lawsuits all over the Bay Area. Our 130-unit downtown Livermore apartment project may be the definitive example of how one wealthy resident can use CEQA to delay housing for years, even when projects have unanimous support from elected officials.
Reforms are sorely needed, and Eden supports legislation like AB 609, introduced by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, which will make it harder for NIMBYs to kill housing projects.
But after CEQA, there is another obstacle ahead: Our Livermore project, years after courts dismissed challenges against it as “almost utterly without merit,” still hasn’t broken ground. The reason: More lawsuits, brought by the same opponents, over whether these projects should also be required to go before voters.
If policymakers want to build more affordable housing, it’s time to fix CEQA — and then to ballot-proof these projects as well.
Linda Mandolini
President, Eden Housing
Hayward
After Pope Francis, who
will stand for peace?
Re: “How Trump plays into Putin’s hands” (Page A4, April 27).
I grieve the passing of Pope Francis, who was the world’s most prominent public figure who spoke out for peace and rejected all wars. He denounced the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and called for ending the war in Ukraine.
Ironically, the New York Times articles this paper chose to print following Francis’ funeral all advocated continuing the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and failed to address the Gaza disaster.
Despite dispatching billions in U.S. arms, the campaign to bleed Russia has backfired, only fueling Russian delusions of achieving total military victory. Massive military aid to Israel also fueled their delusion of total conquest of the Palestinians, but they cannot bomb their way to lasting peace. Peace can only be achieved by addressing the existential needs of all combatants. In a world where nuclear weapons are proliferating, we must all work together for peace in order to survive.
Mike Dunlap
Oakland
Zelenskyy, Trump
a study in contrasts
As Volodymyr Zelenskyy entered St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ funeral, he was met with rousing applause. This humble Ukranian leader, who has for three years staunchly fought the monstrous Putin regime, to protect his country and his people, was duly respected by many world leaders.
On the other hand, Donald Trump was not honored but publicly vilified by Cardinal Giovanni Battista for his policies regarding immigrants. Battista reminded Trump to “build bridges, not walls,” a favorite theme of the late Pope Francis.
Charlotte Orren
Walnut Creek
We all must take
steps to save bees
Some beehives in the area are showing evidence of poisoning. Beekeepers are asking for your help. Bees can travel several miles to find food and visit your gardens. When used improperly, pesticides kill thousands of bees and potentially entire colonies. Other native pollinators will perish as well.
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Here’s how you can help:
• Avoid pesticides whenever possible, and choose organic options if you can.
• Never apply pesticides when a plant is blooming.
• Always follow the directions on the bottle. Most products are best applied in the evening when there are fewer pollinators present. If a little is good, that doesn’t mean a lot is better.
• Avoid products marketed as all-in-one care. These are extremely toxic to bees and are found in many home garden products.
Paula Breen
San Leandro