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Price is unfit to
continue as DA
Re: “Swalwell voices support for recall of DA” (Page B1, Oct. 3).
Rep. and former Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Eric Swalwell said, “There are two defense tables and no prosecutor in the courtroom.”
Alameda County’s 14 police unions came out in support of the recall of Price, saying her policies are failing to keep the citizens of Alameda County safe and hold criminals accountable.
Brenda Grisham, one of the organizers of the recall effort, said it best: “Fixing the system is one thing, but destroying the system is another.”
Judge Scott Patton dismissed manslaughter charges against two police officers in the Mario Gonzalez case because Price’s office failed to file charges against the officers within the statute of limitations as required by law.
Pamela Price is not fit to be DA; she has taken a once highly respected office and turned it into rubble.
If Price is not recalled, her term runs through 2028.
Ninfa Wood
Walnut Creek
DA has failed to
fairly do her job
Re: “Murder conviction show dishonesty of recall” (Page A6, Oct. 8).
The letter writer fails to understand the method of DA Price’s prosecutions. This was a case that my grandchildren could have prosecuted, but it was noteworthy to Price because the defendant was a police officer; she has shown to be biased against all of law enforcement. Refer to the reasons the state DOJ has taken over the prosecution of a San Leandro police officer and dropped the prosecution of Assistant District Attorney Amilcar Ford.
She has shown in the press to be biased against both of these individuals, and she has continued to support defendants over victims.
She was elected to fairly represent both the victims of crimes and those who commit those crimes. She does not.
Christopher Lux
San Ramon
Stacey Schweppe
for AUHSD board
We urge voters in the Acalanes Union High School District to join us in voting for Stacey Schweppe for the school board.
Stacey has the experience and the temperament to be an effective board member who is committed to educational excellence and the well-being of all district students. She has spent over a decade serving our public schools, including as PTA president at Las Lomas High School, Las Trampas Creek Council board member, and citizen representative to the local parcel tax oversight committee. She is fluent in public finance and budgeting, and she has deep knowledge of every district school, especially Las Lomas.
Moreover, Stacy has impeccable integrity, and her record bespeaks a steadfast devotion to exemplary public education for all. Vote for Stacey Schweppe.
Matt Francois, Walnut Creek City Council,
Amy Worth, former Orinda councilmember,
and Renata Sos, Moraga City Council
Parents should take
back their authority
Re: “New law protects children from dangers of addictive technology” (Page A6, Oct. 9).
Samuel Chapman’s warnings about teen cell phone uses and abuses are without question correct.
However, as CEO of Parent Collective Inc., Mr. Chapman should have advised parents in his group to employ an immediate fix to the problem of teen cell phone abuse: physically take away their children’s cell phones.
Parents need to reclaim the authority that they have long ceded to their children in modern society. When parents allow children to make all of their own “choices,” then one must expect their children to do precisely what they want.
Brian Foster
Castro Valley
California’s unfriendly
policies create vacancies
Re: “Office vacancies hit record high” (Page A1, Oct. 10).
Office vacancies are at a record high? Really? Let’s see, California’s anti-business policies are only getting worse: lawsuits against companies by the attorney general, excessive permitting requirements, overly restrictive environmental requirements vs. other states. We see the news monthly of companies moving their headquarters, employees and office space needs elsewhere.
Locally, San Francisco has added regulation after regulation with associated surcharges and taxes which make the cost of doing business prohibitive in the Financial District.
No one should be surprised that the result of Gavin Newsom’s leadership is record office vacancies. He rolled up the welcome mat for businesses in California a long time ago.
David Platt
Walnut Creek
AI bill veto was
essential for research
Re: “AI bill veto grabs national attention” (Page B5, Oct. 9).
The article is misleading. The veto of SB 1047, which would have set limits on California AI development was “backed by the Center for AI Safety” which “had previously gathered signatures from 350 researchers, executives and engineers working on AI systems to warn of an existential risk.” Signers included Geoffrey Hinton (2024 Nobel Prize in physics) and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
It would be easy to conclude from the article that Hinton, Altman and the others were all for SB 1047. But the letter they signed was very general and didn’t support or mention the bill at all.
SB 1047 would have hobbled AI innovation prematurely, like setting a top speed of 20 mph on cars 100 years ago, and it would have done so only in California, to the benefit of China and everywhere else. The veto was valid and essential.
Doug McKenzie
Berkeley
Israel-Iran war is
our ally’s prerogative
Re: “An Israel-Iran war would be a deadly mess” (Page A7, Oct. 8).
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The writer contends that if the conflict in the Mideast were to grow into a regional conflict, the situation could become deadly, and possibly further involve the United States. While this is unfortunately a definite possibility, the writer has little alternative to suggest.
However, let’s not forget our other proxy war in Ukraine. Our “opponent” is one of the largest nuclear forces in the world, and Russia is certainly not a friend. But they’re also not a bunch of soon-to-be nuclear-armed lunatics like the ones in Iran, who have been yelling “Death to America” for decades, and awaiting eternal bliss in heaven if they succeed.
Israel is our strongest ally in a part of the world that is very important to us. Our resources aren’t unlimited, and I suggest we keep our priorities straight.
Daniel Mauthe
Livermore