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Housing bill further
threatens neighborhoods
Re: “We need more housing next to mass transit” (Page A6, Aug. 8).
Do not let SB 79 destroy our neighborhoods.
SB 79, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, mandates that six- to seven-story residential buildings be built within a half-mile radius of any qualifying transit stops, which include some bus stops. This is beyond what has already been mandated along linear corridors and with the housing elements plan. A single-family home neighborhood currently has about eight houses per acre. These will be near developments that cannot be stopped if this bill passes. Cities will be forced to upzone more and more areas as more qualifying transit stops, including bus stops, are added.
This bill has already narrowly passed in the California Senate and the Assembly will be voting on it very soon.
Carol Herzog
San Jose
Rockstroh touched lives
with column, teaching
Re: Dennis Rockstroh obituary (Page B5, Aug. 15).
My thanks to the family of Dennis Rockstroh for including his life story in the “In Memoriam” page of this week’s newspaper.
As always, I learned much more about this reporter whose name and face had been so familiar to me. For 10 years, he wrote one of my favorite Mercury News columns, “Action Line.” He was our go-to resource when all else had failed. We knew we could count on him to research our toughest problems and give us his best guidance. He had our backs, and we counted on him.
I am grateful to know that he not only gave invaluable help to his newspaper readers, but also to the students he taught and to many new arrivals to our country.
Bonnie Home
San Jose
Public health workers
deserve our praise
Re: “Suspected gunman, officer dead in shooting near the CDC, Emory University” (Page A4, Aug. 9).
I wanted to take a moment to tell public health workers something they may not hear nearly enough: thank you.
Thank you for showing up. Thank you for staying committed to the health and safety of others in the face of challenges, falsehoods and rumors, and, too often, hostility.
I know the past few years have been unlike anything public health has faced in modern history. The pandemic, the politicization of science, the constant barrage of crises — all while you work to solve problems that rarely make headlines but deeply shape lives. I also know that you may sometimes feel unseen or unappreciated.
Please know this: You matter. You have saved lives, prevented suffering, and made your community stronger, even on the days it feels impossible.
I hope you can take a moment to remember there are people who value you and stand beside you.
Marilynn Smith
San Jose
Trump-Putin summit
was designed to fail
Re: “Trump: No deal to end war in Ukraine” (Page A1, Aug. 16).
The Mercury News front-page story was the outcome of the summit in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
The two spent less than two and a half hours together. Knock off one hour for the work of the translators and the two had one and a half hours of real talk together. That comes out to each having three-quarters of an hour to lay out their summit material. Millions of dollars to displace the president with great pomp into the middle of nowhere to talk about crucial world affairs for less than an hour. Only in Trump world can this happen.
No one can lead me to believe Trump succeeded in accomplishing anything of value within three-quarters of an hour. Impossible. Yet the adulation of the electorate for Trump remains limitless and infinite. Don’t count me in that group that worships him.
Guy Vigier
San Jose