Get rid of the extra plastic
Although the ubiquitous Starbucks coffee chain might be “Taking a flyer on recycling” (Daily Briefing, Business, June 11) by partnering with environmental charity Hubbub to offer passengers at Britain’s Gatwick Airport reusable cups, here’s a question for company CEO Kevin Johnson: When will Starbucks eliminate those green plastic coffee cup splash stoppers, which are certainly not environmentally friendly? Josephine DiCostanzo, Brisbane
Questions for Karl the Fog
Regarding “Author of new book has his head in the clouds, in best way” ( June 11): Thanks for Chronicle columnist Heather Knight’s amusing faux interview with weather system Karl the Fog. Here’s two other questions I would have asked: First, where the heck were you the last few days as Bay Area temperatures soared into the 90s? Second, are your hovering days being threatened by Clara the Climate Change?
Arthur Leibowitz, San Francisco
Vulnerable moment
This is an open letter to Golden State Warriors General Manager Bob Myers. Bob, I was so moved by your tearful interview following Monday night’s victorious rally. Your humanity was on full display and all I wanted to do was walk through the TV screen and give you a hug. Thank you for being so vulnerable about one of your players. Most importantly, thank you for showing your heart. This is a textbook moment to show those in leadership positions how to truly connect with their people. I hope I get a chance to meet you one day because you are the real MVP. Sincerely, a forever Warriors fan, Merissa Green. Love you 3,000.
Merissa Green, Winter Haven, Fla.
Increase sick leave days
Regarding “Teacher docked pay during transplant” ( June 9): While it does sound shocking to read a headline about someone’s pay getting docked when they’re sick, to me, the more shocking detail was that teachers can get paid for up to 100 days of sick leave. The majority of Americans receive a fraction of that, if any at all. For most, if you’re sick for very long (more than two weeks), there is no pay at all. The biggest cause of homelessness in America is illness that leads to loss of job, then loss of income, then loss of housing. Most of us are one serious illness away from financial disaster. Sad to say, disability insurance or a huge savings account are needed to ensure we keep a roof over our heads. Or paying into the California disability program, which the teachers union should look into. Holly Hadlock, Mill Valley
Start impeachment inquiry
My wife and I are former Republicans who switched to the Democrats after 2008 as our personal politics changed and as we saw the Tea Party and GOP move right politically. In 2018, we worked hard for the Democrats. My wife and I did phone banking. We both canvassed for Josh Harder. We did this because we desperately wanted a check against the current GOP and President Trump, and we were so happy when we won the House back. But now, I’m increasingly frustrated with the House’s response to the current crisis. We cannot let the GOP and Trump run roughshod over our Constitution and Congress’s Article I oversight responsibilities. I realize we may not get a conviction in the Senate, but it seems to me that we need to at least start the impeachment inquiry in order to break through the obstruction of justice and to raise public awareness of the crisis (including of the contents of Robert Mueller’s report, which most people have not read). I agree with Rep. Jerry Nadler that the Judiciary Committee should tackle this inquiry, leaving the rest of the House to pursue legislative priorities (most of which will also not pass the Senate). William VanderWall, San Francisco
Hire customer service agents
Regarding “‘Blitz’ on fare cheats big boost for BART” (Page 1, June 9): It is no surprise that deterring fare evaders from using BART would bring positive results for the agency and the law-abiding public. I believe that the cost mentioned in the article to increase barriers ($135 million!) would be better spent on hiring personnel to be present at every ticketing area. And I don’t mean police! I mean good old customer service agents in bright vests who can assist travelers when needed while watching and discouraging gate jumpers. They can be authorized as traffic enforcement to ticket those individuals. Please consider putting people to work instead of buying more machinery.
Marcia Wertz, San Francisco
Beware of voter suppression
Regarding “Fair redistricting should be bipartisan cause” ( John Diaz, Insight, June 9): Although gerrymandering has unfairly advantaged the GOP in the House of Representatives, it is just one of many dirty tricks that it has used to build its majority status. Voter suppression through oppressive ID laws and limited polling hours are other tactics that Republicans use to decrease Democratic voter turnout. And even if some states pass legislation to restrict gerrymandering, an upcoming Supreme Court decision in the case involving whether or not a citizenship question will be permitted on the 2020 U.S. Census — if ruled in favor of the Trump administration — will likely nullify any attempts at creating more fair redistricting. It will, instead, decrease the number of representatives in Congress for Democratic-leaning states due to population undercounts, and create even more political gridlock in Washington, D.C. Suzanne Peterson-Reed, Santa Rosa
A disgraceful act
Concerning “YouTube video dispute riles board of S.F. Pride” ( June 8): It’s disgraceful that Google allowed its YouTube subsidiary to continue monetizing videos that contained homophobic and ethnic slurs directed at a Vox video producer, until an outcry from LGBT advocates and activists. Google’s slogan used to be “Don’t be evil” and is now “Do the right thing” after changing its corporate name to Alphabet. Unfortunately, it did not live up to either of these phrases in a timely and responsible way in this matter.
Takeshi Hashimoto, Redwood City