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Alameda, Livermorespared fusion folly
Re: “Livermore, Alameda lose new fusion site” (Page B1, Oct. 1).
Two East Bay cities dodged a bullet when they lost to Pacific Fusion’s selection of Albuquerque for its $1 billion fusion site. All three cities offered excessive tax breaks, land and other perks for an enterprise that may never be operational, let alone profitable.
Recent reports of fusion research labs achieving just a few moments of more energy created than the energy expended to spark fusion indicate that productive sustainability is decades away. And by then, the Alameda site may be underwater due to climate warming. Expensive taxpayer perks avoided.
Meanwhile, Proposition 50 must win or Donald Trump’s dictatorship will smother any and all renewable energy projects.
Bruce JoffePiedmont
Mallard Fillmore’sskewed attacks continue
Re: “Mallard Fillmore” (Page B11, Oct. 9).
“Mallard Fillmore” is about as funny as an old man yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off his lawn.
On Oct. 7, Mr Tinsley implied that liberals are “celebrating the cold-blooded murder of conservatives and calling for more of it.” What’s humorous about that?
The next day, he again accused liberals of quoting Charlie Kirk “out of context to tacitly justify his murder.”
Again, the next day, he blamed the left for all political violence, accusing the media of falsely portraying some on the violent left as being on the right.
This guy is certainly on the wrong page.
Gary SharpConcord
Continue pressurefor ceasefire’s success
Re: “Israel, Hamas nearing a truce” (Page A1, Oct. 9).
There must be serious and continuous efforts to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza, the release of all political prisoners and detainees, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and allowing uninterrupted supplies of food, medicine and construction materials.
Later on, real negotiations must begin to peacefully end the Arab-Israeli conflict by concluding a peace treaty and economic agreements between all the Arab states, including Palestine, and Israel.
Amer AraimWalnut Creek
Keep up pressureto ban ‘steer tailing’
Back in 1994, California outlawed the Mexican charreada’s brutal “horse tripping” event. Accordingly, the U.S. Charro Federation changed its rules for the entire country.
Charreadas feature an even more brutal event, “steer tailing” (aka “colas” or “coleaderos”), wherein a mounted charro grabs a running steer by the tail, wraps the tail around his leg, then rides off at an angle, slamming the hapless animal to the ground. Tails may be broken, stripped to the bone (“degloved”), even torn off. “Steer tailing” is not a standard ranching practice anywhere in the U.S., and is already banned in Alameda and Contra Costa counties (1993 and 1994), and Nebraska (2008).
Passage of a California ban would likely result in a U.S. Charro Federation rule change banning “steer tailing” nationwide. Even Cesar Chavez was an outspoken critic.
More county ordinances are in order. Let your county and state representatives hear from you.
Eric MillsOakland
Saving republic is ourmost pressing question
On Sept. 17, 1787, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Benjamin Franklin whether we have a republic or a monarchy. Franklin’s response: “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Recent events call into question the nation’s desire to keep this republic. The federal government-led suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, a direct assault on the First Amendment, followed up by the indictment of the former head of the FBI, a blatant use of the DOJ to exact personal retribution, are just the most recent assaults on democracy and the rule of law from this administration.
There is no issue before us greater than the preservation of the American experiment in democracy. The question is, do we want to keep it?
Barry GardinHayward