Increase the access of antiHIV medication
Regarding “Newsom signs antiHIV drug bill” (Oct. 8): Gov. Gavin Newsom signing a bill to make an antiHIV drug available without a prescription heralds progress in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. Policymakers should be applauded for increasing access to preventative medication, but the question remains about whether or not the drug will make it into the hands of the people who need it most. As a Master of Public Health student and as someone who has spent most of the past decade working in HIV care and prevention, this is not the first time I’ve seen lifesaving and lifesustaining medications reach too few people too late. I recall as early as 2008, the preventative quality of Truvada was known and was being used for prevention in queer communities most vulnerable to HIV, years before it was approved as PrEP. Now, our more pressing barriers remain cost, stigma and systematic complexities that hinder adherence. Increased PrEP access is only a piece of the puzzle.
For sustained progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, we must also see policy improvements that address health care access and affordability and normalize the stigma associated with taking an HIV prevention medication.
Andrew Hockman, San Francisco
Consider carpooling
Concerning “State’s gas prices, already high, spike to well above $4” (Page 1, Business, Oct. 8): With our state’s gas prices now north of $4.00 per gallon and heading higher, more commuters should consider using public transit or carpooling.
Of course, the best option would be for all drivers to switch to electric vehicles, and to truly make gasoline become what it is: a fossil fuel.
Richard Fairchild, Walnut Creek
Clean up the streets
Concerning “Ambitious MidMarket makeover finally near” (Page 1, Oct. 8): No matter what design improvements are made to the city’s MidMarket area, including wider sidewalks or repaved streets, one necessary makeover that John King neglects to mention is ensuring greater cleanliness.
Many streets in this part of town are filthy, with too much trash and other forms of waste having damaged residents’ sense of civic pride and visitors’ desire to walk there. Part of this problem is due to our unresolved homeless population, and part is due to uncaring litterbugs. Any real MidMarket makeover needs to include more “Please don’t litter” signs as well as the construction of more affordable housing.
Annabelle Devereaux, San Francisco
Carbon fee’s benefits
Regarding “Move puts Bay Area in line for oil drilling” (Page 1, Oct. 5): Recently, the Trump administration approved efforts to expand oil drilling to 720,000 acres of land between Fresno and the Bay Area — a move that threatens California’s natural landscape and impedes the state’s efforts to combat the climate crisis through a transition to clean energy. Rising global temperatures threaten the survival of humanity, yet some politicians continue to focus on appealing to interest groups instead of promoting efforts that reduce our country’s carbon footprint.
Fossil fuels pollute our air, increase global temperatures and are the subjects of international tensions, so why are we expanding the scope of drilling instead of investing in renewable energy operations? If immediate action is not taken, the catastrophic impacts of climate change will only increase. To galvanize the shift toward responsible consumption, Congress should pass the bipartisan, revenue neutral Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which would place a carbon fee at the producer level and distribute 100% of the revenue to American families in the form of dividends. Individuals must unite to advocate for the passage of this bill and protest against destructive expansions instead of staying silent while the earth is destroyed for oil.
Anna Novoselov, Saratoga
All about approval
When the time comes for formal impeachment, lawmakers should have only one question: If the president had told me what he was going to do, would I have approved? Pierre Messerli, Pacifica