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Unrestrained growththreatens sustainability
Re. “Downtown S.J. will be getting two tall towers,” Page A1, Sept. 16:
Besides the locational environmental concerns, there is another area of concern that never seems to be brought up on these new developments.
It seems to be accepted without question that continual job growth is “a benefit to our community.” We are already suffering from crowded freeways, pollution and lack of housing for the workers currently employed here. Continual growth is just not sustainable in my opinion.
Natural systems have the means to control growth to remain viable with the resources available. If we don’t pay attention then nature will continue to rudely remind us with fires, dramatic storms and epidemics. We humans need to start looking at our growth in terms of the costs to our overall environment and well-being.
Janet HoffmannCampbell
Boost wages to drawsubstitute teachers
The reported substitute teacher shortage is a direct function of supply and demand.
Substitute teachers are paid paltry wages and receive no benefits. Broken down into hourly equivalent compensation, substitute teachers aren’t paid much more than workers at fast-food restaurants. When you factor in low pay with the on-call, hit-and-miss nature of being a substitute, it is little wonder capable individuals are looking for gainful employment elsewhere.
School districts have nobody to blame but themselves for this sorry state of affairs.
Nick CochranSan Jose
No on recall not a yeson Newsom in 2022
Even though I was strongly opposed to the gubernatorial recall, I believe that Gov. Gavin Newsom should not run for office again as I, for one, will not vote for him again.
As we have learned in this election, if he had lost the recall by just a single vote, a new governor could have been chosen with far fewer votes than those who voted to keep him in office. If he and the Democratic Party were truly concerned with California’s welfare, they would have backed a worthwhile candidate in the pool of contenders.
By his opposing such a candidate he has shown that he is more interested in his own power and prestige than the welfare of the state. We do not need such a governor again.
Joseph RichSanta Clara
Recent laws show GOPnot pushing freedom
It occurs to me that one factor, possibly a major factor, underpinning the puerile anti-mask rantings of the venal wing of the current GOP might just be preventing the Biden administration and the Democratic Party from actually getting the pandemic under control before the upcoming midterms and reaping broad electoral gains or, at least, preventing any GOP gains.
In light of recent anti-freedom schemes to restrict voting rights, rights of assembly, and abortion rights, it cannot be the phony and hypocritical claim of protecting individual freedoms.
Wes ChristensenPalo Alto
Pick the right wordsto stop the Big Lie
The otherwise-fine article “Ideological, cultural and political schisms have metastasized over the past 20 years” (Page A1, Sept. 11) states, “A throng of former President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters, enraged by the unproven claim that the Republican lost his re-election bid because of fraud …”
“Unproven” is not the correct term here, it’s “disproven” (or disproved). It’s been more than 10 months since the 2020 election, and all rational people know that Trump lost being re-elected, fair and square. Please use correct terminology in the future, so as not to perpetuate bogus claims from the loonies.
Peter RossSan Jose
Manchin’s public protesthurts infrastructure bill
Sen. Joe Manchin agreed last month to approve a budget resolution with the Democrats. The number agreed upon was $3.5 trillion. Now he is suggesting a strategic pause (“Manchin favors trimming Biden social spending by more than half,” Page A4, Sept. 13). He is for the bipartisan Infrastructure bill only.
His major concern seems to be the suggested tax increases on the wealthy and the corporations. He is also not in favor of spending on climate mitigation and the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. He is against child credits for lower-income families and free prekindergarten and spending on seniors for dental, vision and hearing aids.
Considering he is one of the wealthy senators and being the founder of a few businesses dealing with coal, we can understand his reservation. Live TV is not a medium to start negotiation. He needs to do this privately with the Senate leadership. Climate change is real and time is of the essence to act.
Mohan RajSan Jose
There are better voicesto represent the right
I’ve been pleased to see recent opinion columns by Tyler Cowen, David Brooks and Ross Douthat. I often disagree with those people, but there is no question they are smart, honest folks trying to understand events and share their understanding with their readers. There are other good choices for conservative voices – perhaps David French or David Frum.
Your usual right-wing columnists, Marc Thiessen and Victor Davis Hanson, are by contrast just dishonest propagandists and a waste of electrons. If you required contributors to make good faith arguments with some relation to reality – and you should – you’d never touch those two. Why degrade the quality of the paper by publishing crap when there are good alternatives available?
Peter GarstPalo Alto
