San Francisco’s progressives haven’t produced results

Regarding: “Voters make it clear: San Francisco can no longer be called a progressive city” (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, March 6): Many voters have progressive goals but reject the actual performance of our professed “progressives.”

The 2014 San Francisco Board of Education decision to not allow our students to have the option of taking algebra in eighth grade was done with the goal of equity, but it was a bad intervention and disadvantaged our children.

City voters are appalled that mentally ill people are left to live in the gutter. Voters are sick of not being able to assume that their car will not be broken into. They are dismayed that looting is rampant and that hard-working merchants are the victims.

Restorative justice is a valuable goal but persons repeatedly committing crimes hurt us all.

San Francisco voters are expressing frustration at the neglect of enforcing civilized behavior in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

It really has nothing to do with being progressive-moderate-conservative.

It’s time to fix the problems.

True accountability

Regarding “Young, progressive Democrats are standing up for their values. What are older moderates doing?” (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, March 8): The writer makes a cogent argument about the failure of the Democratic Party to connect

with and address younger voters, but she dismisses the “if you don’t vote, it’s your fault” argument, and pushes it back on the older generation to “organize and hold politicians accountable.”

Holding politicians accountable is the very definition of voting.

A “protest” vote is the

equivalent of a child screaming in a grocery store until the parent gives in to buy a favorite snack.

An election ballot is the only poll that matters; a protest vote or abstention is a vote for the other candidate.

I have rarely had the luxury of voting for someone who I wholly supported, but I have always voted for the candidate who I think will move the needle in the direction I want it to go.

It’s the mature thing to do.

Don’t blame police

Regarding “Police chases are killing more and more Americans. With lax rules, it’s no accident” (In-Depth, SFChronicle.com, Feb. 27): I’m dumbfounded by this story that essentially blames police officers for injuries and deaths caused by dangerous drivers fleeing from police cars.

The police don’t cause these wrecks.

Negligent drivers do by refusing to pull over when they see police cars flashing red lights behind them.

These reckless people make the decision to evade police vehicles instead of pulling over and stopping, as required by law.

The police and other law enforcement personnel are just doing their jobs to prevent potential injuries and/or deaths.

Put the blame where it belongs — on careless, self-serving drivers who flout traffic laws.

Benjamin Fanjoy/The Chronicle San Francisco Mayor London Breed promotes measures to loosen restrictions on the police and screen welfare recipients for drugs on Election Day. Both measures passed.