BART should open restrooms to public
Regarding “Let’s ban ‘for customers only’ ” (Open Forum, April 26): Thank you for the article about the lack of public restrooms and the problems it causes. I hope the solutions it suggested are followed. Otherwise, hepatitis A will soon be another reason not to visit San Francisco. Both the public and business needs to work on solving this problem. A good first step would be BART opening all its restrooms and designing better ones for future and remodeled stations.
Joe Lowry, Milpitas
Doctor drops out
Dr. Ronny Jackson’s decision to drop out of consideration after being nominated by the president to be the next head of Veterans Affairs is welcome news. While Jackson claims that all of the allegations against him, including his freely prescribing opioids, drinking excessively on several occasions and creating a toxic work environment, were a distraction, I’d say the public was being given an idea of his integrity and honor-character traits that are not associated with the Trump White House.
Carolyn Crawford, San Francisco Accountable model
Regarding “Firm creates ‘safe space’ for white men” (Business, April 22): The article about workshops left us wishing the author had investigated the following: Is Paul Mann’s work accountable to women, black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC)? Anti-racism organizations that educate and mobilize white folks typically build intentional relationships with BIPOC organizers. Following the lead of BIPOC breaks the harmful pattern of white men deciding what’s best for women and BIPOC. Will Mann share his proceeds with BIPOC-led organizations?
Accountable white antiracist groups typically dedicate most or all of their workshop funds to BIPOC-led, frontline racial justice organizations. Our society is already a safe space for white men. We agree that white folks need to dedicate themselves to racial justice and that affinity spaces can have value. However, we wonder whether Mann’s model can accomplish the difficult work of challenging internalized gender and racial bias if it does not also explicitly include critique from and collaboration with BIPOC. There are many brilliant and dedicated BIPOC already doing this work, especially in the Bay Area. We hope that Mann will make sure that they get the corporate gigs with “technology companies, schools and education nonprofits.”
Jennifer Raviv, San Francisco Bike support
I would like to offer my support to any improvements made to Caltrain regarding bicycles. I hope that with longer electrified trains, Caltrain will be able to include more space for bicycles and for riders to stay near their bicycles so that they feel their bicycles are secure. I support funding for longer trains/more overall capacity, increased on-board bike capacity and bike security, and increased and more secure bike parking options at stations. I applaud Caltrain for moving forward to hire a bikespecific staff person.
Joanna Teubert, Mountain View End clear-cutting
Regarding “Where top candidates to succeed governor stand on climate issues” (Page One, April 23): As to how the candidates for governor stand on climate change issues, curiously not one mentions the vital need for preservation of California’s many forests. Healthy forests everywhere are a potent force for keeping tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, as they absorb that greenhouse gas for their metabolism, and also host our primary state water supply. But commercial logging companies use the destructive timber harvest called clearcutting, which removes large tracts of mature trees to prepare their tree farms, badly impairing that natural buffer against climate change. So while we still have Gov. Jerry Brown, a known protector of the environment, let’s ask him to declare an emergency proclamation prohibiting clearcutting statewide. It would a fitting “beau geste,” or farewell gift, to California, its citizens, plants and animals.
Bob Moncrieff, Monte Sereno Flood control
Regarding “State at greater risk for flooding” (Page One, April 24): The article points out that our state’s current flood control systems are not up to the task of protecting communities from the flooding predicted to become more common under climate change. That’s why the Central Valley Flood Protection Board recently adopted a multi-benefit approach to flood control. This approach works with nature, instead of fighting against it, by setting back levees in strategic areas and creating river overflow areas to give rivers room to spread out and slow down when waters run high. The aptly named multi-benefit approach provides more effective flood control than relying on levees alone, while also creating multiple additional benefits. Depending on the situation, these benefits can include enhanced habitat for wildlife and native fish, improved groundwater reserves, new or expanded riverside parks and outdoor recreation opportunities and related economic benefits for communities.
Curtis Knight, Mt. Shasta Harmless agency
Concerning “Consumer contempt” (Editorial, April 26): Like so many of President Trump’s other administrative appointees, Mick Mulvaney has utter contempt for the department he heads and is seeking to weaken it. Why have a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if you’re not going to investigate predatory lenders or regulate the banking industry? Under Mulvaney, this “watchdog agency” is being turned into a harmless puppy.
Divya Gupta, San Francisco