Celebrating Maurice Hill’s legacy

Editor: Vibrant and curious communications are interesting. Complaints and threats based on hysteria, ignorance and jealousy are harmful at best.

The Hill House, Lodi's favorite and only historical museum, is still open. Cleaning, restoration, repairs and reorganization are time-consuming activities, but the Hill House is as open as ever. Maurice Hill prizes for poetry and for painting, and possibly for musical composition and performance are in the works.

The input from youth with their tremendous creative energy is sought. We are joined together by our love and devotion to the Lodi community and a better future. This is Lodi in June 2017, not Salem, Mass., in 1692.

Those with sincere questions are always welcome. There is much historical scholarship still to be done. Maurice Hill was a talented, warm and giving person. We celebrate Maurice Hill, Lodi and the Hill House. SUSAN LEA Lodi

Is my agenda wrong?

Editor: The hatred, violence and uncivilized behavior by the radical left, media, some of the Democratic members of Congress and the foul-mouthed acting out of some of the Hollywood persons is somewhat reminiscent of the start of the Nazi movement.

The Brown Shirts, a group of thugs, marching in the streets spewing hatred, destroying property and assaulting people were followed by the S.S. Hilter’s elite forces. Plus the Gestapo. The news media — all radio, publications and information — was controlled by the Minister of Propaganda. We know what then took place — the arrest of all Jewish persons, any who were considered unfit or enemies of the Reich which led to the extermination of 6 million Jews, and others either gassed or forced into labor camps.

This is what college students and protest marchers are displaying — violence, destruction and hatred egged on by unsubstantiated news reports day after day.

Why is the Republican Party and those of us who voted the Republican ticket the enemy?

I’m a former Democrat who stood by eight years of an administration without protesting. I exercised my right in November because I wanted the agenda of businesses brought back to the U.S. jobs for Americans, securing our borders with a wall to help curtail drugs, human trafficking and illegals, reducing government, strengthening our military and fighting radical Islamic terrorism. Is this agenda wrong? I would listen to positive solutions, facts and action but what I hear is dissension.

I love my country and want success, progress and peace. There are many who share my values. We need to step up and be heard. Remember, nothing is free. Freedom isn’t free. BETTY PFEIFLE Lodi

Democrats have questionable playbook

Editor: If California Democrats are writing a playbook on how to invite electoral blowback by legislative overreach, they’re doing a bang-up job.

First, Democrats pushed through a massively unpopular gas tax proposal — which polling shows 58 percent of Californians oppose.

Then, they passed a single payer health care plan forcing a $200 billion tax increase — costing more than the entire state budget. Polling shows that public support for such a proposal is only 40 percent, well short of a majority even in progressive California.

Now, the legislature is pursuing a plan that one California law enforcement official says “essentially provides sanctuary for criminals,” leading the Los Angeles Times to pose the question: “How far left can California’s legislative Democrats go before Republicans benefit at the ballot box?”

Given polling on the gas tax and single payer, I’d say we’re already there. Keep it up, guys! JACK PANDOL Regional Press Secretary National Republican Congressional Committee