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Homeless must obeythe law as others do
Re: “Shelter refusal may be a crime” (Page A1, March 7).
Mayor Matt Mahan is right on the mark regarding our homeless crisis.
How should we address the homeless people who decline shelter? Many are drug addicts and are unwilling to accept any version of shelter that requires sobriety. Instead, they prefer the squalor of the encampments, where they are free to ingest illegal substances, generate huge amounts of trash, pollute our waterways and commit property crimes.
With no legal deterrence in place, the homeless will continue wreaking havoc in San Jose. Mahan clearly understands the situation and wants to crack down. Our biggest challenge is not lack of affordable housing or even free housing. It’s the incorrigible drug addicts who couldn’t care less about the financial, ecological and social burden they impose upon hard-working, taxpaying citizens.
It’s time to enforce our laws and eliminate encampments.
Dave SalleSan Jose
Bill is a good steptoward cutting red tape
Re: “State leaders told to reduce their red tape” (Page A8, March 9).
Dan Walters is well justified in caring about our ability to build big things in California, but I’m concerned about the local level, too, where contractors and residents who want to install a heat pump must contend with local city building departments. Different cities have different rules and processes, some of them onerous and not very efficient.
Fortunately, there’s a bill, California SB 282, that will help smooth out the process with a consistent set of streamlined rules that can be efficiently applied by every city.
We need more action like this.
Robert MayoMountain View
Human nature isdriving red tape
Re: “State leaders told to reduce their red tape” (Page A8, March 9).
It’s worth asking why there is so much red tape, resulting in bureaucracy holding back development.
Well, a possible answer is that there are greedy, inconsiderate people out there who will do things like cutting corners, building shoddy houses, rushing projects without consideration of the environment, ignoring objections to size, location, traffic, etc. Of course, the majority aren’t in this category — it’s the few who ruin it and cause laws, more laws and bureaucracy.
Cut the red tape? The enemy is us, homo sapiens. It’d be nice to hear a better solution to this greed problem.
Joe MargeviciusPalo Alto
Age of Trump demandsthat we all speak up
Donald Trump’s not our biggest problem, merely a symptom of deeper underlying problems.
At every turn we prioritize self interest over public interest: Demonizing woke, aka empathy, to the point of dehumanizing large segments of the population; devaluing public education and discrediting the professionals who’ve given their lives to this effort for little reward; discrediting science to the point health care outcomes are leading to shorter lifespans, but at much higher costs. Social media, the most inapt two-word phrase ever created in the English language; disruption for disruption’s sake, without thought to improving existing institutions; a sclerotic two-party system fixated on white octogenarian males for president; obscene income inequality.
Millennials and the alphabet generations bemoan the world given to them by the boomers. Yes, participation trophies were probably not a good idea, but it’s past time to put up or shut up. TikTok videos aren’t cutting it.
Eugene ElySan Jose
Citizens must insistwe restart Ukraine aid
Re: “Trump pauses U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine leaders” (Page A4, March 6).
Even President Trump must know that ceasing intelligence sharing and stopping new arms shipments and replenishments are killing Ukrainians. There is even talk of cutting off Starlink internet service from Elon Musk.
If you voted for Trump and continue supporting his abandonment of democracy-striving Ukraine in favor of Vladimir Putin, then accept the reality that you are complicit and will have Ukrainian blood on your hands.
Please, return our self-respect by telling your representative and senators to vote to re-establish support for Ukraine. Down with Putin’s Russia, resist the invaders and support Ukraine.
Duncan MacMillanLos Altos Hills
Likely effect of tariffs:Costlier U.S. goods
Re: “Trump’s tariff tactics carry more risk than during his first term” (Page A1, March 4).
When I was young, I read and thought of the pitched positives of tariffs to help U.S. car manufacturing compete with Japanese economy imports. But my Dad said one brief statement that made me think. “They will allow the U.S. carmakers to charge whatever they want.”
This is missing from most articles describing the effects. The wise realize the secondary effect will be higher prices on U.S.-made products once the competition is lessened. The consumers lose again.
Pete MooreMorgan Hill