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Trump’s dismantlingof USAID is immoral
Re: “World’s richest man takes on poorest children” (Page A7, Feb. 7).
Nicolas Kristof’s column was front page-worthy.
In 1961, JFK saw that basic nutrition and health care were lacking in much of the world and that we, who had been blessed, could afford to share. So USAID was created and has made a huge difference in bringing down childhood malnutrition and birthing deaths, and in suppressing deadly viruses. Yet Elon Musk, who has already made enough money off Donald Trump’s policies to finance most of USAID’s budget, without a second thought, has “put that program in the chipper.” Is it because the greatest needs are in Africa? Make no mistake, people will die.
What Trump is doing to people’s lives here and around the world is immoral and against all that Lady Liberty stands for. He believes and acts like he is above our laws. Trump said ”radical lunatics” are running USAID; I think they are running the White House.
Sandy FoehrSan Jose
Congress cannot allowthe end of USAID
Re: “World’s richest man takes on poorest children” (Page A7, Feb. 7).
Nicholas Kristof’s column about the end of U.S. programs that save and educate children around the world makes me feel like I woke up in the wrong country.
Up until just a few weeks ago we, as Americans in 2023 alone, helped save 238,000 newborns who weren’t breathing at birth. We reached 28 million children under 5 with basic nutrition and made sure that 12 million women had safe facilities for childbirth. All these programs and many more are now gone. Even children and their parents who were undergoing treatments for malaria or TB are no longer allowed to be treated, even though their life-saving drugs are just sitting in warehouses.
Is this what we now stand for as Americans? Congress approved and funded these programs, and Congress must take back its constitutional authority and restore them.
John TupperSan Jose
California needs newstrategy for housing
Re: “Bay Area still nation’s tech center — for now” (Page A7, Jan. 22).
California’s plan for solving the housing crisis is always “build a lot everywhere.” Of course. More supply means lower prices.
The problem is that demand is not static (given that the population here or coming into the state is not static), and incomes are rising, especially among some segments. How well has runaway building lowered prices in major global metropoles? It often hasn’t because demand is not static.
Also neglected is whether any new supply will be delivered at affordable prices — which often doesn’t happen. Developers have to make money.
Additionally, no one is talking about all the money needed to enlarge schools and to expand transportation and emergency management systems to cope with massive amounts of sprawling new housing.
California needs to move away from its illogical (and dangerous) focus on quantity and emphasize quality, which requires it to construct more sophisticated policies than just build, build, build.
Jean-Marc BlanchardLos Gatos
If DOGE wants to cutcosts, start with Trump
Re: “Courts last hope to stymie Trump?” (Page A1, Feb. 10).
The first target for cost-cutting by DOGE should be Donald Trump.
How much did his attendance at the Super Bowl cost the taxpayer, and how many school lunches could that fund? How much money will be spent on his meaningless name change on the Gulf of America, a name that will only be acknowledged by the United States? How many afterschool programs are killed to pay for his golfing expeditions at his own clubs for which he charges outrageous rates? What does taking Panama and Greenland by force have to do with cutting costs? How much will his crazy Gaza plan cost the taxpayer?
To paraphrase Walt Kelly’s “Pogo” cartoon back in 1970, “You have met the enemy, and he is you.” I hate to use his own fear phrase, but he is the enemy within.
David WilkinsSan Jose
Foreign aid should beredirected to U.S. needs
We have a big homeless problem in the United States. We also have a big affordability problem for many low-income communities. How do we absorb more poor people from around the world into our country when there is plenty of need right here in our backyard?
The nonprofits are committed to making sure refugees are sheltered and fed. The nonprofits should be making the same commitment to homeless Americans. There is always going to be plenty of chaos, war and poverty around the world but there is never going to be enough taxpayer money in this country to solve these problems.
The United States spent $71.9 billion in foreign aid in 2023. The United States deficit cannot sustain all this spending and still be able to help our needy and pay our bills.
Patricia Marquez RuttRedwood City