Effects of ‘Trumpism’
Concerning “Where ‘truth isn’t truth’ ” (Editorial, Aug. 20): Actually, hearing White House counsel Rudy Giuliani state that “truth isn’t truth” makes perfect sense for this “theater of the absurd” administration. For President Trump and his GOP supporters, scientific facts about global warming aren’t real, and any media outlet that presents evidence contradicting his often misleading statements is providing “fake news.” When historians look back on this era in which a ranting reality TV show host became the commander in chief of the United States, a term that will become synonymous with dishonesty is “Trumpism.”
Xavier Betancourt, San Francisco
Dress with some decorum
Regarding “Shaming tossed out in district dress code” (Page One, Aug. 20): So now the schools in my hometown of Alameda are going to allow students to wear torn jeans, halter tops, and even pajamas to school in an effort to prevent “body shaming”? In this #MeToo era, there should be an effort to decrease incidences of sexual harassment by having adolescents wear less provocative clothing and focusing more on their education. This new dress policy will instead create an unnecessary distraction in classrooms, and make teachers’ jobs even more difficult. Let’s prepare our children for success in the future by having them dress with some degree of decorum in the present.
Eleanor Fischbein, Alameda
Defense of teachers
Regarding “More cash going to schools, but classrooms getting less” (Insight, Aug. 19): Joe Mathews’ helpful article explaining how classrooms were getting less cash couldn’t help but take a dig at teachers. He slips in that cost of living increases should freeze. If that happens, how do teachers afford to live in the Bay Area and how do districts recruit our best and brightest young people into the profession? If we want quality teachers, we must pay them a competitive wage and that means matching cost of living increases. While I agree that charter schools are not a “bogeyman” there is a good reason the “powerful” (I wish we were powerful) teacher’s unions often oppose them. They can hire costly consultants who try to run schools like a business.
They can require teachers to work well beyond a 40 hour week because they don’t have unions, which means teachers can be exploited in a myriad of ways. They can pick and choose which students they take, leaving the most challenging to the public schools. Some charter schools are good, but research shows no evidence that they are a panacea to what ails public education. Vincent Furia, Berkeley
Useful to keep clearance
Regarding “No need to know” (Letters, Aug. 19): The author argues that retired people don’t need security clearances. I too had a top secret clearance while I was in the Navy and didn’t need it afterwards. But some, especially higher level officials such as Cabinet members, might be consulted after their retirement and would obviously need clearances to be useful.
Ralph Kratz, Richmond
Concern over student clothing
Having worked in schools for 40 years, I didn’t mind kids wearing jeans and T-shirts to school, but now students are allowed to wear what I call “going to the beach clothing.” This includes tank tops that show cleavages, nipples, midriff, belly buttons, shorts that are cut so low that butt cheeks are hanging out and show everything, hoodies that hide heads/faces and pants whose waist hangs so low, the individuals underwear brand name is showing. Kids wearing slides is dangerous, too.
I’ve seen way too many boys who wore them trying to play basketball and football (before school, after school and during lunch) slip and fall, injuring themselves. School is a steppingstone to college and a job, and students need to realize one has to dress properly. I’ve had foreigners ask me time over time, why students are allowed to dress this way and aren’t in “uniform”? I’ve had to constantly tell them it’s called “freedom.” Laura Hurley, San Francisco
Fare evasion on Muni
Considering BART’s willingness to spend $150 million to $200 million on new gates to reduce fare cheating, what is Muni contemplating to reduce their fare cheating problem? If one sits by the rear doors of crowded bus lines such as the 38 Geary/38 Geary Rapid and 14 Mission/14 Mission Rapid, I counted, on multiple rides, that between 33 percent to 50 percent of riders entering these doors likely did not pay a fare (using a Clipper Card or a transfer). I assume this evasion would be lower on the less crowded bus routes, but still substantial.
Further, on over 50 rides back and forth from the Richmond to Union Square and Third Street, there were exactly zero fare inspections. This fare evasion is costing the system millions of dollars that could go toward hiring more drivers and improved transit timeliness. Importantly, how can Muni get an accurate accounting of ridership since it has no way of determining the true extent of fare evasion?
Dan Levitt, San Francisco