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San Leandro deserves better on City Council
An independent investigation found that San Leandro Councilmembers Victor Aguilar Jr. and Fred Simon retaliated against Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen and engaged in gender-biased and abusive conduct following her vote to censure them in November 2024.
This finding should concern every San Leandro resident. Disagreements are inevitable in public service, but retaliation, harassment and gender-based abuse are wholly unacceptable — especially from elected officials entrusted with serving the public.
When council members respond to accountability with intimidation, it undermines democratic governance and erodes public trust. Such behavior discourages participation, silences dissenting voices and sends a troubling message about whose leadership is valued in our city.
San Leandro deserves leaders who model professionalism, respect and integrity. The council must take these findings seriously and ensure meaningful accountability. Anything less signals tolerance for conduct that has no place in our local government.
Residents are watching, and we expect better from those elected to represent us.
Molleen Dupree-Dominguez
San Leandro
Media should give context in ICE stories
For every article that the paper prints about an ICE raid, for every human interest article that you write about one individual’s life that has been upended because of their undocumented presence in the USA, would your publication please counter that article with reporting that will broaden knowledge about immigration?
Present facts about current immigration laws, statistics and quotas, such as types of visas, methods of obtaining them and the time it takes to secure them.
Put forward debatable points, such as ideas for legislative reform, centering on birthright citizenship and chain migration.
Finally, be informative about the complexity of becoming a citizen, such as the civics test of 128 questions, English proficiency and the associated costs.
Marilyn Bremser
Walnut Creek
Letter ignores evidence of bias from ICE
Re: “ICE must enforce immigration laws” (Page A8, Jan. 11).
To claim that ICE is only targeting “convicted criminal aliens or people with clear gang or terrorist associations” ignores extensive evidence to the contrary.
Video recordings, court filings and reporting by civil rights organizations have documented ICE agents questioning and detaining people with no criminal history — individuals stopped in public places such as gas stations or airport pickup areas, arrested at immigration courthouses after complying with lawful summonses, or taken from their homes or while accompanying their children to school based on tips. These actions disproportionately target nonwhite immigrants, revealing an enforcement pattern that relies heavily on racial profiling. Unfortunately, this reality receives little sustained coverage in major news outlets.
When we eventually find we can no longer hire gardeners, house cleaners, nannies or farm workers, and there are no longer any ethnic restaurants, we may realize — too late — that we should have spoken up.
Liz Kestler
Danville
ICE shooting drawing snap judgments
I am reminded of baseball’s instant replays, which are used whenever there’s a close play. Umpires don’t depend on one view to make the call. Most of us would agree that we wouldn’t either. We see all the angles.
Unfortunately, too many people have made up their minds after watching one video of the shooting death of Renee Good from Jonathon Ross’ camera.
Although umpires only have minutes to make their decision, the killing of Good by Ross will take much longer. And it’s super-imaginatively being spun by the right-wing. Fox News on Sunday played Ross’ video twice, but both times didn’t have her last words, “That’s fine, I’m not mad at you,” audible. We have a big problem here with their never-ending spin.
As most already know, the president, vice president and secretary of Homeland Security, among others, are already pronouncing Good the guilty one. Don’t they ever watch baseball?
Lisa Rigge
Pleasanton
Facts cast positive light on U.S. incursion
I will stick to the facts vs. fiction regarding Venezuela.
Fact: The U.S. president removed the country’s illegitimate dictator who oppressed its democratic election. Fact: More than 7 million Venezuelans have left the country. Fact: The United States is taking Venezuelan oil to help rebuild its shattered economy.
Those are the facts. The U.S. is acting in the best interests of Venezuela.
John DeMartini
Danville
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