Swap the BART system for Caltrain instead
Why is there no consideration of swapping BART for Caltrain? In my youth, BART was envisioned as circling the bay, and unsurprisingly, the system was opposed by Caltrain and a host of naysayers. Now BART has succeeded in nearly circling the South Bay at least, doing it the hard way at a far greater expense. The only apparent advantage of Caltrain at present is the freedom to consume alcohol on board, and just how valuable is that? Why don’t the planners stop the turf war, subdue their egos and work together to consolidate into a single system that benefits passengers to a far greater extent? Neither system is perfect; maybe reducing the problem to one will enable the fixes to happen sooner. This is a prime opportunity to put the nostalgia for Caltrain in the rearview mirror along with the key system and other anachronisms.
Robert Riemer, Half Moon Bay
The fight against fires
Some pointed questions were asked in a letter titled “Forest maintenance” (Letters, Sept. 12): Has any of this (controlled burns and thinning) been done since the last fire? The answer: Yes, it has! The two major agencies for fire limitation and suppression, Calfire and the USDA Forest Service, have employed prescribed burns, and constructed shaded fuel breaks by thinning and pruning the trees left standing, as well as clearing brush, dry grasses and other potential ladder fuels.
This has been an ongoing process for decades. Homeowners, and local firesafe councils work diligently on defensible space near residences. There are limiting factors to all forest maintenance. Beginning with controlled burns, the fuel moisture and weather conditions must be in an appropriate range. Cold days and calm winds produce an inversion layer: noburn day. Gentle breezes can benefit the spread of the prescribed fire; strong gusts can easily lead to disaster.
Availability of human resources and, of course, money play major roles in forest maintenance. One more limitation: the middle fork of the Feather River, and the canyon on both sides, are designated wild and scenic, no intervention allowed.
Gene Nielsen, Crescent Mills
Lamentable industry
With respect to the article “Taxis ready if their time comes again” (Business, Sept. 12): Has there ever been an industry as lamentable as the taxi industry? They rail against Uber and Lyft while foisting the same exploitative conditions on their divers (who are independent contractors) while at the same time providing dismal service to the public. Uber and Lyft copied their scam from the taxi industry! They use technology to solve the industry’s service issue but retain the abuse of the worker feature. This model is now extending into many industries. Rather than the rapacious practices of the taxi industry invading the economy in general, we need to halt them by reinforcing the power of government to protect labor from capital by enforcement of the California Labor Code as required by AB5.
Greg Mcverry, Albany
Oversight for MTA
I read Heather Knight’s article “In climate crisis, city squabbles over fixes” (Sept. 13) that mentions that the process lets “just one person stop a project that might benefit many thousands.” I agree that the singleperson objection under the California Environmental Quality Act just adds to the byzantine process of approvals in San Francisco. Yet Knight fails to recognize that in this instance, it is used in attempts to stem the overreach of the Municipal Transportation Agency. The MTA is unelected and answerable to no one, yet has the authority to impose drastic measures on residents and visitors without regard or care for the real impact of its decisions. Perhaps a better approach is that any decision or project of the MTA that faces any opposition must then go to the Board of Supervisors for approval. At least the supervisors are accountable to their constituents.
Peter Armstrong, Lafayette
Web of deceit
Here is my evaluation of why President Trump told Bob Woodward that he knew the coronavirus was deadly and that he didn’t disclose this information to the public because he didn’t want people to panic. He obviously knew well what the experts were telling him but he didn’t actually believe them because, well, he truly believes that he knows more than the experts themselves. If the virus was not as bad as the experts were saying, he could subsequently claim that he was right all along. He has been caught in his own web of deceit ever since.
John Nelson, Albany
Reality of wildfires
Regarding “Warming, forest growth converge in fires” (Front Page, Sept. 14): As some of the largest wildfires in history are burning in California, Oregon and Washington, along comes one of the finest articles I have ever seen on the wildfire problem. The article cut through the smoke to explain how complex the wildfire challenge has become. Unquestionably, wildfires are heavily influenced by multiple forces, such as firesuppression policies, forest management, drought, bark beetles, prescribed fire, how and where homes are built and yes, climate change.
That is the searing reality of wildfires today. One fact is clear: It will take a major, sustained financial investment in forest restoration, utilizing an array of tools, including prescribed fire (not just in forests, as much of the burned lands aren’t conifer forest), fuel reduction, and forest thinning of highly flammable, smalldiameter trees. There is much work to be done.
A 21st Century Conservation Corps composed of the Student Conservation Association, California Conservation Corps, and other youth groups can provide costeffective assistance to the Forest Service and Cal Fire to get that necessary work done. Let’s get to work!
Jay Watson, western regional vice president, Student Conservation Association, Oakland
Defiant president
Despite gatherings of 50 or more people having been prohibited in Nevada since May due to the coronavirus, the president openly defied this state health directive and held an indoor political rally for thousands (many unmasked and not social distancing) of supporters during this past weekend. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak was right in calling Trump’s actions reckless and selfish. This president, who never thinks that rules and restrictions apply to himself, shamefully boasted, “He tried to stop us. He couldn’t ... ” Well, I hope enough Americans will stop this dangerous and egomaniacal behavior from continuing by voting President Trump out of office on Nov. 3.
Lillian Hermann, San Francisco
Fearmongering
Regarding “Insult to intelligence” (Letters, Sept. 14): I agree wholeheartedly with the letter writer’s opinion, but what the writer doesn’t understand is that people of a conservative bent are more likely to respond to negative stimuli with fear. This has been borne out by psychological research. President Trump knows that liberals are not going to respond to his fearmongering, but conservatives will. This basic psychological factor is the main reason why it is so hard to convince conservatives of facts that are plainly evident to liberals. They are scared, and we’re not going to convince them otherwise.
Paul Sheeran, Davis