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BART had its chance to right-size
Re: “Rail future on shaky ground” (Page A1, Feb. 23).
The recent front-page story about BART needing to close 10 stations and reduce service without a tax increase is another ploy to hold the public hostage. True, COVID began five years ago and caused significant loss in ridership and revenues. BART could have temporarily closed stations and reduced service then, when ridership was at an all-time low. It would have reduced costs without a severe public impact.
Instead, it increased service and ran mostly empty trains, while avoiding the tough decision to right-size themselves. Now, with ridership back up, it is threatening to close stations and reduce service unless the taxpayers bankroll a bailout .
The solution was obvious — they simply chose to avoid making the tough decisions and wait for another handout. Reject this proposed tax increase. We need a new direction at BART that will lead us to a better future and not just pass the buck.
Louis Lucibello
Alamo
The truth is one step toward justice
Re: “City’s first Black family seeks restitution in suit” (Page A1, Feb. 21).
We need to hear more of this. Thank you, Chase Hunter, for the great investigative research bringing us to the current day.
Relearning the truthful, horrific history of our time, both bad, good and anything in between, brings understanding and validation of the present in a different way — and restitution (I hope) as well — but will never right the injustice and wrongs mankind has created for itself.
Cathy Jefferson
Alameda
Trump’s Iran goal is expanding power
Re: “Trump: Supreme leader killed” (Page A1, March 1).
How can the American people stand to let their convicted felon president unilaterally start a war with Iran? Or do what he’s done in Venezuela? Where are our elected members of Congress who are supposed to be the ones who are responsible for declaring war?
Iran is not in any way an immediate threat to us. It is so obvious that this is strictly a personal power move by Donald Trump to control the world because he has the most powerful economy and military at his fingertips. He personally is benefiting from his business ventures in the Middle East far beyond any previous president.
Gordon Monroe
Concord
Encourage Senate to continue climate policy
Re: “Appeals court questions shifting reasons for Trump’s EPA killing clean energy contracts” (Feb. 24).
Michael Phillis is right: The Trump administration’s termination of “Green Bank” contracts and attack on the EPA’s endangerment finding (“Trump revokes climate finding,” Page A1, Feb. 13) are direct assaults on serious climate action. I’m grateful that Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have been strong climate voices, even though they voted no on HR 6938. Their votes reflect a painful trade‑off: The bill blunts some of the worst cuts to environmental programs, but also locks in expanded funding for ICE and CBP without meaningful reform or accountability for cruelty and abuse — something Padilla has explicitly condemned.
What has not changed is our responsibility. Let’s keep calling our senators: thank them for defending climate science and EPA funding, urge them to oppose rolling back the endangerment finding and insist that future bills never force a choice between a livable planet and basic human rights.
Laurie Manning
San Leandro
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