Defend our sanctuary
Are we supposed to take comfort by reading that “Federal immigration officials won’t make courthouse sweeps (Feb. 1)? The very notion that the White House is sending federal agents to conduct raids on undocumented immigrants is an affront to our sanctuary cities. This antiimmigrant administration’s overt fearmongering and race-baiting tactics are not welcome here in the Bay Area. We respect diversity and the basic civil rights of all of our residents.
Takeshi Hashimoto, San Jose
Trump first
Regarding “Trump puts Russia first” (editorial, Feb. 1): The 45th president can claim that he never sought Vladimir Putin’s intervention during the 2016 election, but meetings by his surrogates with Russian officials — son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign adviser Jeff Sessions — suggest otherwise. Trump had Russia on his radar long before these meetings occurred. According to the Washington Post, he was trying to negotiate to build one of his eponymous hotels in Moscow back in the mid-2000s, and continued to do so even after he began his improbable quest for the Oval Office.
A better title for this editorial would have actually been “Trump puts himself first.”
Jean Louis Cook, San Francisco
Apply the pressure
Regarding Heather Knight’s heart-wrenching story “Shocked by the misery on San Francisco's streets; Tourist industry struggles to explain squalor to horrified visitors” ( Jan. 30): I think the convention and tourism industry could do us a huge favor in the long run if they did boycott the area until things improve. Only when faced with loss of tax revenues resulting in budget cuts and layoffs will City Hall and the police finally take the necessary steps to get the criminals, homeless and mentally ill off the streets and restore some semblance of normalcy to this city.
Nick Yale, Oakland
He’s acting guilty
The Republicans’ so-called classified memo smells to high heaven of a cheap political trick to smear the FBI and distract from the real issues. This Trump administration campaign to disrupt the investigation into Russian meddling in the election is very telling. If Trump isn’t guilty of any crimes, he sure is acting guilty.
Bruce Roberts, Oakland
Double standard
Donald Trump tried to wave the flag of nativism and present himself as a champion of the American worker during his State of the Union address. However, his words are not backed by his deeds. This “America First” president recently obtained visas to hire 70 foreign workers to work as servers, maids and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. So in his next tweet about our country needing to stop the outsourcing of American jobs, Trump should add these words: “unless it applies to me.”
Carolyn Crawford, San Francisco
Texting insanity
On a recent trip over the Bay Bridge in the rain, numerous drivers’ heads were bobbing up and down as they were texting and not paying attention to the traffic around them. Obviously the “social campaign” to eliminate texting and driving is not succeeding. At any one time in the USA 600,000 people are texting and driving. To many of these people, a fine is “cheap” and worth it — until they kill someone.
We need a more effective alternative deterrent, like mandatory social work, that consumes a person’s time and not money. Eight hours of community service for a well-paid CEO will hurt more than a $500 fine. Kingsley Chatton, Orinda
Power play
Regarding “Brief stint as mayor is it, says Farrell” (Feb. 1): Seems to me we’ve heard this song before. Prior to this latest power grab, I had intended to vote for Mark Leno. Now, I have decided to throw my support behind a “moderate woman” because I surmise a “moderate woman” is probably going to be more “progressive” than a “progressive” rich white man. So tired of this! Candace Forest, San Francisco
Shame on S.F.
So, perhaps the embarrassment of being outclassed by the Fremont Police will inspire SFPD to be a little creative and start looking for and busting car burglars. I’m tired of listening to our officials whine about how hard it is to catch and prosecute these parasites. I could hardly believe it when I heard the lame excuse that the law requires “proof ” that the car doors were locked in order to charge as a felony. Of course the burglar has unlocked the doors once inside.
A simple declaration from the owner that the doors were locked should be proof enough. Perhaps any single broken window is merely a misdemeanor, but it’s obvious to any thinking person that car break-ins are connected to organized crime. We pay cops and prosecutors to fight crime. Just do it. Roger Drosd, San Francisco
An unhealthy choice
An award for “Most Misguided Federal Agency Director” goes to Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, who has just resigned as the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the CDC is tasked with the goal of improving our nation’s overall health, Fitzgerald was buying and selling tobacco stocks during her tenure.
But why should Americans be surprised by this revelation? Our obese, junk-food-consuming president, who appointed Fitzgerald, has as much interest in the health of Americans as he does in his own. Rhonda Jackson, Oakland
Douse that idea
Flamethrowers aren’t toys, Elon Musk. The catastrophic nature of your “fun” product belongs in the incinerator. Are you ready to be responsible for the massive destruction and loss of life such a product will no doubt cause? Until you torch this latest venture, I’m boycotting Tesla and any companies you profit from.
Sarah Smith, San Francisco
Don’t go there
Elon Musk: You had me at Tesla. You lost me at flamethrowers. John Madison, Novato
Mark his words
Didn’t Ed Lee also begin his mayoral career swearing he wouldn’t run for office once his interim appointment expired? I realize that politicians never lie, but could that soft whoosh you just heard be the sound of Mark Farrell throwing his hat into the race? David Kelso, Oakland