The GOP we once knew Sense of humor
President George H.W. Bush was a brave, patriotic, kind, moral person, and the country will sincerely mourn his loss.
With his death we are not only burying the 41st president of the United States, but in a real way, the Republican Party as we have known it. Melvin Cheitlin, San Francisco
In 1992, a gracious outgoing President George H. W. Bush invited actor/comedian Dana Carvey to the White House Christmas Party to perform his Saturday Night Live impersonation.
Do you think Donald Trump will invite Alec Baldwin when he departs?
Jerry Azzaro, San Francisco
A different time
The death of President George H.W. Bush made me reflect of our politics of just 30 years ago. It was a time when our politics was about civil disagreements about policy and not attacks on personal character; where decency, integrity, fidelity to one's family, meaningful public service, and respect for one's opponents mattered; where patriotism was defined by loving one's country and not one's party.
Indeed, this defined George H.W. Bush's legacy. Today, we've lost sight of this dignity once embedded in our politics for hyperpartisanship.
It is a politics so sorely missed and needed today. It is a politics I hope we all relearn and rediscover in the future.
Cirian Villavicencio, Sacramento
A better use
The U.S. military should not be sent to the U.S./Mexico border.
It should be deployed to the North Pacific Gyre to clean up the plastic garbage polluting the ocean.
Jim Frazin, San Francisco
Expensive meals
After reading “New spots shine in Michelin list” (Business, Nov. 30), which mentioned that dinner at new “three star” restaurants like Single Thread starts at $275 per person and Atelier Crenn begins at $335 per person — either amount exceeding my single household monthly grocery bill — I’ve decided that I’ll just “dine in” until I make my first million dollars.
Lisa Samuelson, Mountain View
Let it go bankrupt
Maybe California should let Pacific Gas and Electric Co. go bankrupt and then buy all the infrastructure for a fraction of a cent on the dollar and make it a state-owned utility.
Taxpayers who are on the hook anyway could feel they were investing in ownership rather than a corporate monopoly. John Hopper, Walnut Creek
Peskin’s play
Regarding “Love it or troll it” (Editorial, Nov. 29): Bravo. You took the words right out my mouth. Right after being infuriated with San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s request to remove Mark Zuckerberg’s name from San Francisco General Hospital, I run right into your editorial. Another self-serving politician at it again! Is he giving back the money too? Alex Fernandez, Novato
Life savers
While I'm no fan of Mark Zuckerberg it was the equipment at San Francisco General, paid for in part by the $75 million donated by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan that helped save my husband from any lasting effects from the heart attack and two strokes he had earlier this year. With stateof-the-art equipment in every room and fantastic doctors and nurses, patients have a greater chance of recovery and survival. My thanks go out to all. Rose Marie Sicoli-Ostler,
San Francisco
NFL hypocrisy
Just wondering if former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick had been arrested for a domestic violence incident, instead of his “crime” for kneeling during the national anthem .. would he currently be on an NFL roster?
Al Comolli, Millbrae