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Plastics initiativedeserves yes vote
It’s great to hear that environmental groups have stepped in to do the work that eludes our elected officials. They have qualified a ballot measure to start rolling back the plastic tidal wave that is destroying the environment (“State initiative aims to reduce plastic waste,” Page A1, July 21).
The measure would require plastic packaging to be recyclable/reusable and establish a tax on it. Plastic waste is one of the world’s worst environmental problems, killing fish, birds and sea life while entering the ocean food web.
It would be wonderful to one day find products not encased in plastic. Or packages not delivered in plastic envelopes or boxes packed with the stuff. Despite what the plastics manufacturers say, their products pollute the environment and add to global warming and there are alternatives.
It is time to rein in the toxic dumping of 13 million tons a year. Make plastic obsolete. Plan to vote yes for a plastic tax to end this disaster.
Tina PeakPalo Alto
Justice not servedby reducing felony
What a terrible injustice for everyone when the judge reduced the felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence felony to a misdemeanor (“Traffic fatality reduced to misdemeanor,” Page B1, July 21).
Jennifer Higgins was driving under the influence of a medication that states she should not be driving. She was driving with a high level of distraction. A 6-month sentence is a “slap in the face” for real justice.
It doesn’t matter that she has a “clean record”; we need some tougher judges.
Roberta WillefordSan Jose
Biden’s vaccine pleato Fox is good strategy
The Biden administration asking Fox News to help promote vaccines is a brilliant strategy (“White House talks with Fox News about COVID-19 coverage,” Page A4, July 21).
If all three of the most ardent anti-vaccine hosts genuinely change and convince their audiences that COVID is not a hoax and vaccines indeed provide protection against serious illness, it will be a heroic service in saving lives. The sooner we reach herd immunity the better off we will be to tackle many pressing issues facing us. The Fox hosts can even share their own vaccination records to be even more convincing. They can also show Rupert Murdoch receiving the vaccine in the United Kingdom last December, which will be further validation.
Let’s now wait for tangible results in getting their audience vaccinated.
Mohan RajSan Jose
Zoning change may helpin conserving water
Re. “Officials urging water conservation during drought,” Page B1, July 21:
There’s an unlikely bit of state legislation that could make a huge dent in reducing residential water consumption, as Gov. Gavin Newsom has called upon Californians to do. SB 9 permits Californians to build up to two housing units on lots currently zoned for one, which opens up a whole new world of “work smarter, not harder” for both the housing crisis and the drought.
A key point here is that only about 10% of California’s water use is “urban water,” and a staggering half of that is spent on landscaping. While not everyone in the state will choose to live in a duplex, many such as myself would love to economize in this way. If it means young people starting their families can add new housing without adding new yards, then SB 9 is a winner from a water perspective.
Brian PreskittSan Jose
Remote work should stanchthe tide of H1-B visas
With all the high-tech employees willing and able to work remotely, one wonders why high-tech companies still are bringing thousands of H-1B visa holders to the Bay Area each year.
Technological improvements make it so much easier for these workers to live in their current locations. This would help alleviate the housing and traffic crises here as well as help in our efforts to use less water. We simply can’t go on as before especially since we don’t need to. We need to be smarter.
Joseph GemignaniSan Jose
Instead of hiking taxes,train a new middle class
President Biden’s budget shows a deficit of $1.4 trillion over the next 10 years, after his campaign promise to make corporations and the rich pay their fair share of new taxes.
No surprise, there aren’t enough corporations and rich people to tax to pay for his agenda. Plus, it will compel companies and jobs offshore – again. The new debt, piled onto the current, crippling $28.5 trillion/$85,580 per person, will force the government to do what it has for decades: tax the middle class, which continues to shrink.
Government at all levels wants to legislate a middle class through a higher minimum wage, instead of training one through aggressive funding of K-12 career education and 11-14 career technical education to make new taxpayers earning living wages in growing, robot-proof career paths.
Biden’s tax plans are unsustainable, bad business. By the time those that voted for this figure it out, it will be too late.
Jim StochMetroED FoundationSan Jose