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State’s vital efforts
lead climate fight
Re: “Cap and trade has turned into a backdoor tax on Californians” (Page A6, Dec. 12).
Dan Walters again attacks Gov. Newsom, this time targeting our cap and trade program, now called Cap and Invest. Walters argues it’s a “backdoor tax,” but in so doing, he makes two errors. First, he implies that the “Cap” doesn’t cap emissions, that “It’s an alternative to actually reducing emissions.” But it does cap them, lowering them by about 5% a year.
Then, in slamming our high gasoline prices, Walters neglects to mention that climate change poses an existential threat. We’re not taxing emissions just for revenue. We’re trying to lead in preventing the ever-worsening catastrophes that essentially all climate scientists say we’re causing. Every gallon of gas burned releases almost 20 pounds of CO2 into the air.
As our country foolishly strives to thwart clean energy, California’s efforts, even if imperfect, are vital.
Doug McKenzie
Berkeley
Trump shows disdain
for Native Americans
President Trump continues to show his disdain toward American Indians by taking down a report that focuses on both missing and murdered American Indians. It was produced by the Not Invisible Act Commission and had been displayed on a Department of Justice website. According to it, 84.3% of American Indian women have dealt with violence in their lifetimes, with 49% becoming victims of rape.
The report has information that both organizations and law enforcement need to fight the crisis of American Indian women and children who are missing and murdered.
For President Trump to eliminate this report shows that he does not value the lives of American Indians.
Billy Trice Jr.
Oakland
Trump’s Reiner rant
shows lack of empathy
Re: “Son arrested in Reiner slaying” (Page A1, Dec. 16).
One of the most decent people on this planet, Rob Reiner, was murdered in his home, along with his wife.
Then, moments later, the worst person on the planet attacked him on his Truth Social site. We have a president who has to be the most hated person for his unending vitriol. If empathy were a vaccine that could be injected into people, Donald Trump’s body would reject it.
Stuart Shicoff
Martinez
Treat immigrants with
deserved humanity
I am writing this out of fear for those around town. I have lived in this town for many years. I have experienced so much joy living here.
However, as the Trump administration is cracking down on and deporting immigrants, I am in fear for those around us. Immigrants are what make America. They have helped grow and blossom our country to the fullest. Seeing the horror of people being deported (whether they are documented or not) has filled my heart with such sorrow coming from an immigrant family. I want to know, how can we best support our immigrants at this time?
The misconceptions of how we are painting immigrants are utterly inhumane and have disgusted me fully. They are not as they are being painted. We are all human beings, no matter what race we are.
Sage Trapp
Brentwood
Second strike was war
crime, plain and simple
Re: “Lawmakers suggest follow-up boat strike could be war crime” (Page A3, Dec. 1).
What is wrong with people? Regarding the headline, “Lawmakers suggest follow-up boat strike could be war crime”: Could?
Even if their boat was stuffed to the gills with narcotics headed for the United States (which has not been verified), the surviving sailors being deliberately killed is a war crime (not that the U.S. has even declared war).
It harkens back to World War II and German U-boat commanders ordering the machine gunning of survivors from sunken American ships. It really is that simple.
Mark Gabin
Concord
Immigrants treated like
props by Trump officials
Re: “L.A. man detained in an immigration raid is lost” (Page B3, Nov. 24).
I read with anguish the report of the Mexican immigrant detained in Los Angeles last month who is now apparently lost.
It seems our government has no concern for immigrants as individual human beings and sees them only as anonymous bodies to be removed. They can’t even keep track of them.
I am left thinking about the line from the Woody Guthrie song: “You won’t have a name when you fly the big airplane. All they will call you will be deportee.”
Peggy Moyers
Oakland
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