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S.J. forest management
plan is disappointing
Thank you for calling attention to our city’s dwindling and unbalanced tree canopy in your Jan. 10 article “San Jose losing hundreds of acres of trees each year.” (Page A1) During this climate crisis, planting as many trees as possible is a no-brainer, since trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere, provide shade, and lessen the urban heat island effect.
The incredible disparity between neighborhoods is appalling. I’m so disappointed in the city’s Community Forest Management Plan, which did not meaningfully engage East San Jose residents or organizations like Our City Forest, and left nearly $460,000 on the table. And $210,600 for a measly 250 trees? Our City Forest could do better. As a member of Mothers Out Front Silicon Valley, I urge San Jose to add urban reforestation to the Climate Smart plan. Tree maintenance must also be addressed, as many homeowners cannot afford the cost. Other cities pay for this; why doesn’t San Jose?
Susan Butler-Graham
Mothers Out Front Silicon Valley
San Jose
Make fighting climate
change your mission
This is in response to Wendy Chou’s Jan. Jan. 12 Letter to the Editor about one’s local impact on climate change (“Local actions can have big impact on warming,” Page A6).
A year ago I couldn’t tell you what a Climate Action Plan was, and I have been a climate activist for 15 years. So I decided to get trained by Al Gore to become a “Climate Reality Leader.” Coupled with this knowledge, I felt morally obligated to save the planet for future generations. I live in Campbell where my son recently asked, “Will I be alive when it falls apart due to humans causing climate change?” It turns out that Campbell is one of three cities of the 15 cities in Santa Clara County that doesn’t have a Climate Action Plan, which is a city’s plan to manage our present climate emergency.
It’s my mission and anyone who wants to join me, to get a bold plan to save our future.
Sean Mendelson
Campbell
Plenty of problems
need surplus spending
So, we have this massive amount of money, which the politicians are happily looking forward to spending.
What we do not have is a reliable water supply, decent roads, a workable plan to deal with the horrible and worsening homeless situation, and what is left over (if any) should go back to the real owners, the taxpayers.
Many of the dams are in critical need of repair and we also could use some new ones as our current water supply relies heavily on precipitation which is unpredictable and seems to be getting worse due to climate change. The roads in the Bay Area are despicable, comparable to third-world country roads. Homeless people can be found everywhere, in city parks, under freeways, urban sidewalks.
These issues should be addressed in new and creative ways that may not be elegant, politically correct, but workable and functional.
Peter Ligeti
San Jose
Lurching toward autocracy,
our democracy is in peril
We are no longer a country of political conservatives and liberals. Hiding behind the guise of individual rights and freedoms, many of us are ironically embracing totalitarianism.
Unwittingly, an intermingling of the fed-up, the indifferent and the idealistic social “scientists” (God bless them.) provide cover for the self-centered political cowards and the delusional Trumpers to push the country toward a “benevolent” autocracy, thereby placing our democratic republic in the hands of those who, behind the scenes, carve it up to suit their personal fiscal and power wants, desires, appetites, thirsts, cravings, itches, and lusts (pick one or more).
Jim Hamm
Los Gatos
To defend democracy,
write leaders, not editors
Those who know the truth regarding the danger to our democracy value letters that commiserate, yea, corroborate on that danger from Trump Republicans. But Letters to the Editor are misdirected or second-best in liberal California.
Letters, emails, phone calls or voice messages need to be directed to federal government officials — in support and gratitude to those defending democracy (Reps. Benny Thompson, Liz Cheney et al); in criticism of right-wingers for promoting the Big Lie (Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, take your pick); and to encourage sensible, moderate Republicans to do the right thing (Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse).
Michael Fallon
Santa Clara
Was White fear behind
attack on Capitol?
It seems to me, most White people in America today fall into one of two categories:
Type 1 White people are afraid of “people of color” (PoC) gaining political power. Type 2 White people are deathly afraid of PoC gaining political power. But, Type 1 White people realize they will continue to do well even if PoC gain political power as long as we continue to operate the country as a liberal democracy. Type 2 White people believe it to be an existential problem if PoC gain political power, so they are willing to scuttle the democracy to keep that from happening.
Type 2 White people choose power over democracy. It was Type 2 White people who assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Garey Johnson
Redwood City
