Diplomacy best course with North Korea
Regarding “A plan to end the nuclear crisis with North Korea” (Open Forum, Jan. 19): War is not the answer. It wasn’t the right response to Saddam Hussein’s despotic regime in Iraq, and it isn’t the answer to Kim Jong Un’s even more despotic regime in North Korea. As Rep. Ro Khanna makes clear, diplomatic engagement is essential to avoid a war that would be devastating for the United States as well as both North and South Korea. Fourteen members of California’s congressional delegation are currently co-sponsors of Khanna’s bill, HR4837, the No Unconstitutional Strike on North Korea Act, to prohibit a first strike on North Korea without congressional authorization. California voters should let their representative know that they want to see this bill passed.
Elizabeth Ralston, Los Angeles
Small numbers
Regarding “Trump tweets black approval has doubled” (Main News, Jan. 18): Does that mean that his approval rating has jumped from four people to eight?
Judith Keenan, San Francisco
Toxic agenda
So it seems that our 45th president is endlessly obsessed with “sticking it” to California by sending federal agents to enforce U.S. laws on undocumented immigrants and marijuana, opening our coast to more oil drilling and limiting our deductions for state and property taxes through his “gift to corporate America,” also known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Apparently, he only accepts the principle of “state rights” when it comes to restricting voting rights or enabling businesses to discriminate through “religious freedom” legislation. Well, I hope California responds to this hypocrisy by leading a “blue tidal wave” at the voting booth in November. Let’s make 2018 the year we end Republican control of Congress and resist the toxic White House agenda.
Divya Gupta, San Francisco
Beyond coal
Last week began the trial for Phil Tagami’s lawsuit against the city of Oakland to force through his dirty coal terminal. West Oakland, where the coal terminal would be located, has a long history of negative impacts from policy decisions. From the destruction of businesses to build the BART station, to the loss of grocery stores which created a food desert, to the proliferation of liquor stores that became havens for unhealthy food consumption and street violence, West Oakland already has many issues that must be addressed through public policy. West Oakland residents are already twice as likely to go to the emergency room with asthma as people in Alameda County overall.
I urge the city to reinvest in West Oakland to create an environment that fosters quality jobs, strong public health and a community where working-class families can afford to live again. The city should directly fund workforce development and increase funding for the West Oakland Health Center. We must also ensure the sustained presence of a full-service grocery store such as Mandela Foods, and invest in and directly subsidize affordable housing. Investment is what West Oakland needs, not dirty coal.
Chris Jackson, Oakland
Climate solutions
The Chronicle’s “2017 was among the hottest years ever” (Bay Area, Jan. 19) makes passing mention of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but mostly it’s another contribution to the narrative that our situation is getting worse. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication has found that the overwhelming majority of people in the Bay Area already know this. What is needed is serious coverage of the public policies that could comprehensively address the problem. Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the Climate Leadership Council and several members of Congress have offered such proposals.
Alan Mattlage, San Mateo
Racist agenda
In answer to columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr.’s question “How can Trump lead a country that he doesn’t understand?” ( Jan. 18), I would like to offer the following response: This president, who refers to immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa as being from “shithole countries,” cannot accept that he lives in a multiethnic society. His desire for fair-skinned immigrants from places like Norway is a blatant attempt to “Make America White Again,” despite the fact that the majority of foreign-born U.S. residents come from places like Mexico, China, India and the Philippines. Sadly, America now has to worry that if President Trump doesn’t trigger a nuclear war, he will trigger a race war.
Phyllis Ramirez, San Francisco
CEO’s vast wealth
The reported wealth of Jeff Bezos is $105.1 billion. If you were hired by Bezos, and he assigned you the job of spending $1 million of his money a day, every day of the year, guess how long it would take you to spend his entire fortune? (Answer: 287 years!)
John Kirk, Redwood City