Musk should invest in easing homelessness
Regarding “S.F. officials find at least two bedrooms at Twitter HQ as investigation continues” (SFChronicle.com, Dec. 8): Elon Musk takes offense at San Francisco Mayor London Breed for criticizing Twitter rather than focusing on the city’s drug problems.
Perhaps Musk could invest some of his own money toward alleviating homelessness. After all, he is one of the richest people in the world these days.
Showing a little humanity might take some of the heat off him.
Bill Wagman, Davis
Support justice for all
Last month, The Chronicle covered revisions to California’s climate change strategy — including more ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets.
I’m proud of our state’s leadership on climate action, but we must do more around justice.
Fossil fuel extraction has caused decades of harm to historically marginalized communities. The clean energy transition is a new opportunity to correct those wrongs.
Given that California was one of the first states in the nation to codify environmental justice in statute, I’d expect our representatives to be leaders at the national level. But currently, only Sen. Alex Padilla has co-sponsored the Environmental Justice for All Act. So far, Sen. Dianne Feinstein hasn’t joined Padilla, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi hasn’t co-sponsored the House version.
This is a critical moment for Congress to pass the Environmental Justice for All Act before losing the pro-climate majority in the House after the new year. It’s also an opportunity for California to demonstrate true leadership, ensuring no one is left behind in the transition to a sustainable future.
Matt Carona, San Francisco
Using time wisely
Regarding “One huge trial proved the 4-day workweek can be successful. Will it take off in the Bay Area?” (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 6): Bolt employees are reported to be discovering a new idea that’s been around for decades — you can be as productive in four days as in five.
In 1955, British historian Cyril N. Parkinson published an essay explaining that work expands to fill the time allotted for it, a concept that became known as Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson also noted that in meetings participants tend to spend less time discussing large, critical issues (they are so complex) and devote an inordinate amount of time to trivial topics, which may explain why so many work meetings drag past the time they stopped being productive. Sound familiar?
Jon Bashor, El Cerrito
Watch out for bikes
Regarding “Cyclists need space, too” (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 7): The letter bemoaned the treatment of the author by a nasty driver who thought he didn’t belong in the lane. Those markings on the road the author referred to are called “sparrows” and are meant to convey “share the road.”
Most cyclists, including me, try to ride as far to the right as they safely can when there’s no bike lane, but we need to be far enough away from parked cars so that we don’t get hit by someone suddenly opening a door and clobbering us. (It happened to me once resulting in three broken ribs.).
So drivers, let’s share the road and be nice about it.
Bill Pinkham, Richmond
Political theater
Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s comment on Brittney Griner’s release in prisoner swap: “Leaving Paul Whelan behind for this is unconscionable.” What is “this”? Griner’s life?
President Biden said he and his administration have not forgotten about Whelan. “We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release.”
Whelan has been held in Russia since 2018. Did McCarthy discuss his release with Donald Trump at any time from 2018 to 2020?
McCarthy’s words are unconscionable and hypocritical, aimed simply for political gain.
Karen Friedman, Berkeley
Get out of my head
Regarding Elon Musk’s brain implant startup Neuralink aiming for human trials next year (Tech, SFChronicle.com, Nov. 30): The notion of allowing anything Elon Musk has been involved with to be implanted in my brain is, to say the least, highly unappealing. William Raffetto, Moraga