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Mayor is the wrongjob for Barbara Lee
Re: “Lee wants to be mayor. What’s her platform?” (Page A1, Feb. 22).
According to your profile Saturday, Barbara Lee has accepted large donations from PG&E as well as from unions representing Oakland city employees. Do we really want a mayor beholden to PG&E, the criminal utility ripping us off, and to the unions she would be negotiating with on behalf of the city? I think not.
Further, Lee doesn’t seem to understand some real basics about Oakland realities, like why Oakland police work so much overtime — we don’t have enough police. And we can’t get more of them on patrol if there aren’t enough bodies, no matter how much “bureaucracy” we cut. We also can’t solve immediate budget problems by addressing the long process of modifying Oakland’s governmental structure.
I supported Barbara Lee as our representative in Congress, where she did a fine job, but she’s not the right person for mayor of Oakland.
Beth WeinbergerOakland
Tyler’s Law could domore for transparency
Re: “New anti-hazing law aims to hold California colleges accountable” (Feb. 20).
It’s unfortunate that it took a hazing death from six years ago for California’s government to hold colleges accountable, especially for Greek life.
Fraternities and sororities can only do so much to maintain the secrecy of some activities under the guise of “protecting tradition” and fostering brotherhood and sisterhood. I know how significant tradition is, but pledges’ safety is more important. Although I’m not involved in Greek life, I’m concerned about my peers planning to join recruitment. I sometimes wonder if they’re hiding pain from hazing under color-coordinated initiation posts.
I’m glad the Hilliard family coordinated with a past assemblymember to draft Tyler’s Law. If the law can be extended to require schools to publicize cases on their Greek life pages and have fraternities and sororities mention their number of violations (similar to Sam’s Law in Washington), it can encourage transparency and accountability.
Victoria Rose LeonAmerican Canyon
Trump, Vance corruptingdemocracy for own ends
Re: “Vance’s Munich disgrace is an echo of the past” (Page A6, Feb. 21).
Bret Stephens’ commentary about J.D. Vance’s trip to Germany to “lecture” attendees at the Munich Security Conference raises an important consideration for all living in democratic societies.
Basically, democracy’s liberal process can be “weaponized”; that is, it can be used, often through lies or other devious means, to install regimes that are the antithesis of “democratic.” Once installed, such regimes can quickly proceed to destroy established government and democratic processes and to install totalitarian rule.
Anyone who fails to see how all this might relate to what presently is happening in our own country should schedule an appointment with their optometrist.
Bill GilbertLafayette
Congressional GOPholds blame for Trump
Donald Trump’s tendency to lie, bully, cheat, and misuse laws and policies for personal gain were well-known by all prior to the election, as was his lack of interest or knowledge about our country’s Constitution, system of checks and balances, laws and policies. Yet I don’t blame those who voted for him. Nobody, regardless of their political allegiance, ever expected him to misuse and abuse his powers to the extent that he has and continues to do.
Instead, I blame the congressional majority who knows better, those whose oath of office pledged them to uphold the Constitution and the system of checks and balances created to assure this endeavor.
Since that majority have placed loyalty to Trump and his agenda above their oath of office, their constituents are our nation’s last hope. Only you, their voters, have the power to hold them accountable for their inactions.
Linda ThorlaksonCastro Valley
Is time running outon U.S. democracy
On Feb. 19, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who is Jewish, delivered his State of the State address to the people of Illinois.
He described how the Nazis destroyed Germany’s Constitution post-election in 1933. He stated that the “root that tears apart your house’s foundation begins as a seed of distrust, hate and blame.” The everyday Germans were angry about inflation and looked for someone to blame, so they blamed all who didn’t look exactly like them, especially the Jews.
Given what has occurred here since our election, he stated the “authoritarian playbook is laid bare here” and asked, “What comes next?” He stated, “It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and forty minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic. Tyranny requires your fear, silence and compliance. Democracy requires your courage.”
Feb. 20 was one month since Trump took office. Is our time almost up, too?
Ramona KrausnickDublin