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Walters adds balance in Newsom column
Re: “Newsom’s managerial errors do not equal ‘empire of fraud’” (Page A8, April 5).
In his opinion piece, Dan Walters defends Gov Newsom against accusations of rampant fraud. This exception to Walters’ normal Newsom negativity is welcome if also overdue. We have some truly odious governors, not to mention “our” president, but Newsom, while marred, for example, by letting his hand-picked CPUC trash home solar, is hardly odious as he navigates wildly different constituents, from State of Jefferson to urban progressive voters.
Honest, evidence-based reckoning is what we need from journalists, and Walters delivers here, painting the presidential candidate-to-be, not as a caricature but as a complicated person responsible for a very complex role.
Doug McKenzie
Berkeley
Top-two primary offers shortcut to a winner
Re: “Top-two open primary is not serving us well” (Page A7, April 3).
The reform, which produced the top-two open primary, has a little-known or discussed feature. If a primary candidate receives over 50% of the vote, he or she is declared elected to the office. Therefore, there is no election for that office in November.
As an example, in the June 2022 primary for Alameda County Sheriff candidate Yesenia Sanchez received 52% of the vote compared to the other two candidates. Sanchez is now the Alameda County sheriff without having campaigned for the November 2022 election.
Charles Bellavia
Livermore
Hegseth’s military is letting standards slip
While the lawlessness of the Trump administration is well-documented, we must continue to acknowledge each one. I’m referring to the Army flyby at Kid Rock’s house.
Years ago as a young Naval aviator (back when ethics and discipline mattered more than fealty to a wannabe dictator) if I had pulled such a boneheaded stunt, my Navy pilot wings would have been pulled so fast it would have made your head spin. A six-month grounding, maybe a permanent one, would have been the result. And a 34-year career as a Delta Air Lines captain would have been stillborn.
Pete Hegseth said there would be no suspension, no discipline, not even an investigation. I would hope that this incident would lead to at least one MAGA to unhitch their wagon from the Trump dictatorship, but I don’t hold my breath.
Brian Sanborn
Pleasanton
Power of war was never meant for one man
Re: “War with Iran is a calculated move” (Page A6, April 2).
The writer states that Donald Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran was not a sudden ego-based decision but was well thought out as “necessary to protect his nation, his allies and the world.”
I’m not in a position to argue Trump’s mental processes, but I will point out that the U.S. Constitution and laws specifically prohibit the president from starting a war because he thinks it’s necessary. The authorization must come from Congress and, presumably, as a result of convincing the people of the necessity for war. There was zero pretense of that in the case of war with Iran — in fact, the people are heavily against it, and Congress was not asked for any kind of authorization and would not give it if asked.
The authors of the Constitution knew that it was far too dangerous for one person to have the power to start wars.
Merlin Dorfman
Livermore
Measure H will keep Lafayette schools strong
Lafayette’s schools — Burton Valley, Happy Valley, Lafayette Elementary, Springhill and Stanley — are the foundation of this community. They’re why families move here. They’re why Lafayette is Lafayette.
But California’s funding formula shortchanges our district, ranking us among the lowest-funded in the state. Over three years, our schools have absorbed millions in cuts. Teacher salaries have fallen behind neighboring districts. And Measure L, the parcel tax that helps close the gap, expires next year.
Measure H is the replacement. Every dollar stays local. It includes a senior exemption, citizen oversight and mandatory audits.
During my time as mayor, I saw firsthand how our schools drive our property values, our sense of community and our identity. The state won’t fix this. It’s up to us.
Please vote Yes on Measure H on June 2.
Cameron Burks
Lafayette
It could take decades to undo Trump’s harm
The three branches of American government (executive, legislative and judicial) are designed to work together to manage our country. Today, we see that they are no longer working as one, but instead as disparate units. And this all happened because of one man and his acolytes, the person who swore an oath to be president of this wonderful country full of immigrants, and failed miserably.
James Carville suggests that Donald Trump will finally get tired of not succeeding at anything and being blamed for it and just quit the job of being president. Trump has no empathy, and he doesn’t care about anything but himself, so quitting would be easy. We can only hope. And then the country will require years, or even decades, to undo what he and his supporters have done.
Stuart Shicoff
Martinez