Trump’s meager list of accomplishments
Concerning “Trump is compiling a list of accomplishments for 2020” (Opinion, Feb. 15): It’s laughable that columnist Andrew Malcolm is trying to rehabilitate the reputation of President Trump, a.k.a. America’s Worst President, ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Only Trump’s base will crow about the nation’s low unemployment rate, which he inherited from former President Barack Obama. And Trump’s assertion that the U.S. has defeated ISIS is, like so many other things he’s claimed to have accomplished, pure hyperbole.
Trump’s list of accomplishments is meager when compared with the damage he has caused to our country’s reputation overseas, his mistreatment of migrant families, his dismantling of environmental protections, and his inflaming of our nation’s race relations with his nationalist pride. That is the sorry record that Trump will be judged by when he runs for re-election in 2020.
Jeremy Davidoff, San Rafael
Remove incentive
If illegal immigration is really a crisis, why is President Trump proposing a solution which will take years to put into effect?
Instead, how about legislation to penalize employers of undocumented immigrants? Take away the incentive for illegal immigration.
Wallace Murfit, Menlo Park
Seeking help
Regarding “When it’s deeper than a toothache” (Bay Area, Feb. 15): I was so pleased to see a dental clinic screening patients and offering on-site mental health counseling.
The majority of people facing mental health challenges do not seek help, either because they can’t define what they are experiencing or because the stigma of a diagnosis keeps them silent.
As many as 1 in 4 people would benefit from professional or peer help; offering it in a variety of venues could alleviate a lot of pain. I hope this concept spreads to other agencies and businesses, but individuals, too, need to keep our eyes and ears open.
Just the other day, I dropped off my car to be serviced at the garage. I looked at the mechanic and asked, “Are you OK?” He wasn’t. We talked. Be that person for someone else.
Vivian Imperiale, San Francisco
Paid to resign
I suggest we give President Trump his wall money but not for a wall. The $8 billion will be given to him directly if, and only if, he agrees to resign the presidency, leave the country and never be heard from again.
He’s only in the presidency for his own profit, so let’s give him a reason to cut his stay short before he does any more damage.
Laura Jacoby, San Francisco
Ready for a change
Regarding “High-speed rail reality check” (Front Page, Feb. 13): Gov. Gavin Newsom is a man with no vision. China, Japan, Europe and Russia all have high-speed rail.
High-speed rail is a major cause for the environmental community. High-speed rail gets cars off the road and planes out of the air.
We have some of the worst air quality in the nation. Hopefully, we will get a Democratic candidate next time around who has the guts and vision to complete what our best governor ever started. The environmental community is ready for a change.
William Strojny, Walnut Creek
Trump’s name
Anyone who watched President Trump’s announcement regarding his declaration of a “national emergency,” his patently false statements, and his follow-up press conference should now understand why, when you mention the name Donald Trump anywhere in the world, people generally respond with derision and laughter.
Al Comolli, Millbrae
Easier to fly
Gov. Gavin Newsom is right that we shouldn’t spend billions on a new high-speed rail system.
We already have a transportation system that travels twice as fast, without any rails at all.
It rides on free air, which is everywhere. It’s the airlines.
Jim Heldberg, Pacifica