High-speed rail a test for Gov. Gavin Newsom
Regarding “A reminder of why we need highspeed rail” ºEditorial, July »: The editorial on highspeed rail, again points to the change in the 5.S. from the “can do” country to the “can’t do country.”
China built well over 2,000 miles of high speed rail in about three years. What have we done hereAE Politics and corruption are running this. "o wonder people are losing their interest. There is nothing to show for the time and money spent.
I would like to the see whether the governor, who I hoped would be a “can do” kind of guy, can get this moving and to conclusion. It really is a test of who he is as a governor — talker or doer!
Leonarf orin, afaðette
commitment to safety
Regarding “Hold off on new housing construction” ºLetters, July ~»: The author recommends a slow track for new housing starts here in the Bay Area until engineering principles for reliable structure design and maintenance are better understood.
I would argue that these principles are already well known: Build only on land situated well above sea level, provide for yearround gravity drainage, inspect structures thoroughly and frequently, and ºperhaps most important» arrange immediate repairs wherever corrosion and damage are found. Surfside, Fla., is home to dozens of beachfront properties, not just Champlain Towers currently in the news. Perhaps Chronicle reporter Bob Egelko will explore that community’s commitment to building safety.
!ie ampton, ereleð
Governor did his best
It isn’t easy to be governor in the midst of a pandemic. Before we vote to recall Gov. Gavin "ewsom, replacing him with some unknown, perhaps we should ask ourselves honestly, what would we have done differently last year if we had held the jobAE
Would we have eschewed shutdowns, thus risking a medical disaster with thousands dying in hospital hallways and tented parking lots vainly waiting for unavailable IC5 bedsAE Would we have vetoed bills granting eviction relief to millions of unemployed renters, many of them caring for themselves and sick at homeAE
Would we have defied the call of medical experts worldwide urging the wearing of masks as a limited precautionAE "ewsom and every 5.S. governor dealt with an almost impossible situation.
Let’s judge him when the crisis eases, during a regular election campaign, with serious candidates contending, and in a calmer setting. Let’s not take our pandemic frustrations out on the governor.
He didn’t cause the pandemic. He just did his best to deal with it, as arguably as we likely would have done in his shoes.
Darrell 1alomon, 1an Anselmo
:accination confusion
Regarding “Fauci laments scores of deaths as Ìpreventable’” º July ~»: :accination works only if all are vaccinated× masking works the same way. Since vaccinated people are now allowed to shed their masks, it is impossible to tell who in a crowd has been vaccinated or not, since the nonvaccinated and nonmasker crowds seem to overlap.
Ads warning about the dangers of not wearing a mask and promoting the benefits of wearing them have run daily for well more than a year. The benefits of vaccination have been out there almost as long.
If either ever had any effect, that’s long gone. Governments can’t even bribe people to save their lives. So why are these ads still runningAE The only way to tell if someone has been vaccinated is to ask them.
"ot very practical and potentially hazardous if your query is directed at a diedinthewool nonmaskerÚantivaxxer, who will also probably heatedly inform you that you are impinging on his of her constitutionallyprotected freedom to kill others and commit suicide without a gun. So we are left scratching our heads in a situation where masking now identifies a person protected by the vaccine. It’s not supposed to work that way.
Richarf rieflanfer, ereleð