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Board must deny
builder’s remedy plans
Santa Clara County’s rural areas are threatened by a flood of harmful “builder’s remedy” development proposals that could result in an unprecedented loss of farmland and open space throughout unincorporated Santa Clara County.
The builder’s remedy law says if a city or county doesn’t have a state-approved plan for building enough homes, developers can ignore zoning rules and build anywhere they wish, as long as the project fits certain criteria.
Unfortunately, while Santa Clara County was waiting for the state to approve its housing plan, developers submitted almost 40 builders’ remedy proposals located on farmland or hillside habitat, in floodplains or wildfire hazard areas, and lacking water and sewer access.
The builder’s remedy law isn’t supposed to apply to this type of land. But that hasn’t stopped developers from submitting these proposals anyway. Green Foothills urges the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to deny these ill-advised projects and protect farmland and open space.
Ann Monroe
San Jose
State should update
our voting systems
Re: “State leader wary of voting proposal” (Page B4, May 5).
In the article, California’s secretary of state complained that too many voters slow down the counting process. Instead of blaming turnout, officials should focus on modernizing outdated systems.
Neither the governor nor the secretary of state has shown leadership in adopting 21st-century voting methods that would simplify the process and deliver near-instant results. With the tech capital of the world in our backyard, why hasn’t California implemented a secure, open-source mobile phone voting app? Voters could choose the app or vote traditionally, starting with local elections.
David Lamar
Mountain View
Support for Gaza war
is a critical moral choice
Re: “Gazans are dying daily. Do not forget us.” (Page A7, May 2).
Thank you for printing this opinion piece. It states the reality of the genocide in Gaza.
We as Americans can’t claim we didn’t know. The question now is how we will deal with our complicity. Will we stop the flow of American bombs? Or will we stand silently by as our tax dollars fund bombs that are killing women and children?
It will be one of the most important moral choices of our lives.
Forrest Nixon
San Jose
Opinion piece is a call
to arms, not an obit
Re: “After 236 Years, our democratic republic is dead” (Page A6, April 25).
Joe Matthews’ column was the most amazing, exciting piece of commentary I have seen anywhere since the election.
I know you’ve had several reactions to the column before, and I can identify to some degree with sadness, but not with surrender. Realizing that we’ve been in one war after another without a declaration from Congress throughout the 20th century was quite a wake-up call. But the most exciting thing was designing a new American governing system, with California likely to be the center of any effort. And the invitation at the end, “In lieu of flowers, Americans can honor the deceased by creating a new republic.”
California is the fourth-largest economic power in the world. Let’s take heart, fellow Californians. The next election is near.
Magda Grant
Palo Alto
Defending Constitution
an obligation, not choice
Re: “Trump says he’s unsure if he backs due process rights” (Page A4, May 5).
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Someone needs to remind the megalomaniac president that he swore an oath a little over 100 days ago, stating “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
In a recent network TV interview, he answered questions regarding whether everyone in the United States, citizens and noncitizens, has the right to due process with “I do not know,” as well as to if he has to uphold the Constitution with “I do not know.”
Donald Trump should know his sworn obligations to our country.
Kent Littlehale
Saratoga