Letters to the editor

Grants to Amazon from state, city are repulsive

The New York city and state grants of public monies to Amazon are repulsive because public financing of private enterprise is wrong.

This is just as wrong as local government financing sports arenas.

It seems that Amazon could face an antitrust lawsuit. That is what happened to Microsoft. Public corporations (federal, state and local governments) are obligated to spend money so as to benefit the public, not private enterprises or private individuals. — Kevin Fish, San Jose

Time for one person, one vote of equal value

A voter in Wyoming has more than three times the voting power, in a presidential election, as a voter in California.

When civil rights activists in the ’60s worked for “one person, one vote” they didn’t specify that each voter’s vote should be of equal value (weighting) to every other voter’s vote.

It’s time for a new civil rights movement, campaigning for equality of voting rights: One person, one vote of equal value. Will any party or politician support it? — Howard Thomas, Los Gatos

Jim Jones was powerful figure among SF Dems

Re: “Trump echoes of Jim Jones, David Koresh” (Letters to the editor, Nov. 16):

I thought I would help Mr. Parker with his research. Jim Jones was a powerful figure within the San Francisco Democratic Party. He was revered by Willie Brown, Jerry Brown, Harvey Milk, Phil Burton and many more Democrats. — Dan Hill, San Jose

My children cannot breathe, neither can I

We are burning up here in California. I can’t breathe, and neither can my children.

Scientists have been predicting extreme weather as one of the first effects of climate change. Floods, fires, hurricanes, heat and cold — all are occurring at never-before-seen extremes. Climatologists have been correct in their predictions. So why we are not making changes?

Fortunately, there are things we can do. Citizens Climate Lobby is working hard to introduce bills to charge a fee for carbon production, and then distribute this money as a dividend to all citizens. Canada will enact this plan in 2019. Industry would have an incentive to invest in green energy that would help us get back our beautiful world.

Please, anyone who wants to preserve our wonderful state of California and, in fact, our world, get involved in this or other organizations that work to improve climate. — Alison Buchter, Santa Cruz

You must do your part to reduce carbon footprint

After reading about all that the wildfires have destroyed, I was devastated. Our planet is becoming uninhabitable. There were 669 people unaccounted for and 79 known dead as of Monday in the Camp Fire.

When will we begin to care about global warming? It’s important to do your part by reducing your carbon footprint. The U.S. transportation sector produces nearly 30 percent of all U.S. global-warming emissions. When we burn less fuel, we create less emissions and when emission production goes down so does the pace of global warming.

Being eco-friendly can be pricey. Reducing water waste and taking the bus more often are both ways to help the environment without putting a dent in your pocketbook.

There have been more signs of climate change in recent years. Reduced rainfall means grasslands become extremely dry and more susceptible to fires. If global warming persists, so will devastating impacts of climate change. — Marcela Cardenas, San Jose

Plan to rebuild a better Paradise offers hope

The article “Camp Fire: How do you rebuild Paradise when all seems lost?” (Mercurynews. com, Nov. 19) discusses the tragedy of the devastating wildfires in Paradise and its effects on the people of Paradise, including what they’re doing after fleeing from their homes. It also looks at the future of rebuilding the town.

Here in the Bay Area, we are close enough to the fire to feel the smoke in the air but not close enough to truly understand the pain of the Paradise families. We need to remember that in a community of 26,000, 90 percent have lost their homes and everything they own.

Looking at the positives and having optimism is always helpful. I believe the idea of returning to an improved Paradise with parks, businesses and buildings is necessary to give the people of Paradise the strength and hope that they need in this hard time. — Mahima Desai, San Jose