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Drop San Francisco
and add Bay Area
Re: “Name change flying in adversity” (Page A1, April 14).
I agree that a name change to Oakland International Airport will clarify where air travelers will land in California. However, including “San Francisco” in the new name is sure to cause more confusion rather than more clarity.
It can be called “Bay Area Oakland International Airport,” which will suffice to indicate that Oakland is indeed in the San Francisco Bay Area without needing to use that city’s name. Perhaps that will get the naysayers on board and give Oakland an opportunity to receive more travelers and increase airport revenue.
Best of all, this conundrum will be resolved and we can all continue to strive to support each other during these very challenging times.
Rosa Leon
Fremont
Airport names should
be more accurate
Re: “Fight looms as Oakland votes to add ‘San Francisco Bay’ to airport name” (Page A1, April 12).
The kerfuffle over local airport names might be resolved by a simple disambiguation identifying the locations where they are actually situated: Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport and Millbrae San Francisco Bay Airport.
Alternatively, one might dispense with city locations and instead use the names of politicians as in LaGuardia and Kennedy airports near the Big Apple. In that scenario, the Bay Area might honor two former mayors with Willie Brown International and Jerry Brown International airports.
Ed Green
Oakland
Paper should focus
on its own backyard
Re: “Biden set to expand 2 national monuments” (Page B1, April 13).
The East Bay Times had an excellent opportunity to showcase the Biden adminstration’s effort to expand the Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Monument of Napa, Lake, Solano and Yolo counties. Instead, the Times article focused on the administration’s efforts for a monument over 400 miles to the south — an area most East Bay residents will never visit. The Berryessa expansion wouldn’t be considered without the tireless efforts of local members of Congress Mike Thompson and John Garamendi.
The Times’ attention paid to the Southern California monument was misplaced. Highlighting the prized Berryessa landscape in our backyard, and the local leaders who are making it happen, would not only give its readers a sense of pride but more information about the wonderful public lands that are a short drive away. I hope the Times will print a follow-up story on this area, which is closer to home.
Jonathan Birdsong
Lafayette
Redirect water policy
with salmon in mind
Re: “Coastal salmon fishing banned” (Page A1, April 12).
For the second year in a row, salmon fishing is not allowed in California. This is devastating for people who rely on salmon for a living, for ceremony and for sustenance. It is equally detrimental to the salmon that rely on people to keep their genetic pool healthy by allowing those with the strongest genes to survive.
Instead of focusing on outdated, misguided plans like the Sites Reservoir and Bay-Delta Plan, Gov. Newsom should direct agencies to increase flows in the rivers and tributaries that salmon call home. Without proper science-based instream flows and temperature protection for baby salmon, they’ll die before they reach adulthood.
Water is continuously being diverted to big agriculture and the closure of salmon fishing the past two years is symptomatic of a much bigger problem — the imminent collapse of the California river ecosystem and the economy they have provided salmon-fishing people since time immemorial.
Francis Mendoza
Fremont
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Japan prime minister
exposes GOP hypocrisy
Re: “Kishida addresses Congress to consider U.S. obligations” (Page A8, April 12).
In the article, we learn that “Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this week that he hoped Kishida’s visit would underscore ‘that we’re in a worldwide situation here against the enemies of democracy — led by China, Russia and Iran.’”
McConnell should have added “and my own party.” The GOP walks and talks and quacks like Putin’s ducks, and it’s unconscionable.
Doug McKenzie
Berkeley