Letters: Forget the Great Highway. This is what the S.F. recall of Engardio is about
Regarding 'S.F. recall is overkill' (Letters to the Editor, May 30): By focusing on the closure of the Great Highway to vehicle traffic, those against the recall of San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio are missing the point.
Engardio failed to represent the wishes of his constituents when he spearheaded the campaign for Proposition K, which closed the Upper Great Highway to cars for a park.
Engardio had no interest in a compromise solution like the one that had been in place for weekend closures. Instead of working to improve pedestrian safety and easing traffic congestion, he has made both issues worse.
Engardio appears to be more interested in pleasing his big-money backers like Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, Ripple founder Chris Larsen, tech investor Ron Conway and Twilio co-founder John Wolthuis than the constituents in his district.
Engardio has said traffic is not as bad as people had expected. Some studies found it to be much worse.
Over 10,000 valid signatures were submitted to get the recall on the ballot. The voters of the Sunset District decide Engardio's fate.
Kenneth Jones, San Francisco
How Dems can win
President Donald Trump has been caught in another scandal: He recently pardoned a man — who had pleaded guilty to tax crimes — a month after his mother attended a $1-million-a-head MAGA fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago.
This is a blatant quid pro quo that would have led to the impeachment and conviction of any other president. With Trump, it is par for the course.
Sadly, few Trump supporters will care about this suspicious action. However, MAGA folks will take great joy in watching Trump detractors whine and complain about this fishy pardon. As one of my friends wondered, are we witnessing the death of outrage?
As a scholar who studied political rhetoric for four decades, I believe the rules of the game have changed, and the rhetorical playing field is no longer the same.
The moral of the story is clear: Democrats can't regain control if their message is exclusively or primarily 'not Trump'; they must convince Americans that they will fix the problems that negatively impact people's lives.
This can be contrasted with what Trump has and hasn't done. Such a message offers the best persuasive strategy for Democrats.
Richard Cherwitz, Camas, Wash.
Keep lid on Dead tickets
While tickets for the Dead & Company concerts in Golden Gate Park this August are listed at $245 for single-day admission and $635 for three-day passes, many fans worry Ticketmaster will quietly introduce dynamic pricing — sending costs skyrocketing in real-time based on demand.
This controversial model has already priced out many fans for Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift shows. If implemented for Dead & Company, it would turn a community celebration into an exclusive, high-cost event — on public land that's supposed to belong to everyone.
San Francisco should take a stand. The city should demand transparency from promoters and prohibit surge pricing at events in public parks. Dead & Company's shows should reflect the inclusive spirit of the band and the city that helped shape it.
Let's make sure these shows are a celebration for all — not just the wealthy few.
Dan Steiger, San Francisco
Pictures tell story
I see these events live every day because I walk for exercise in areas where there is drug use. It's disgusting and needs to be shown to emphasize the need to clean up the streets. Putting lipstick on a pig does not change the pig.
Good for San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie for trying to address the problem.
Catherine Maxey, San Francisco
Prioritize teaching English
Regarding 'S.F. parents are trying to start first K-8 Mandarin immersion charter school. It won't be easy' (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, May 24): I was disturbed to read about Mandarin-immersion education for children.
Judging by the lack of literacy and poor communication skills of today's youth, we should be immersing our students in English, which should be the official language of the United States of America.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
17 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
President Donald Trump tax bill will add $2.4 trillion to the deficit and leave 10.9 million more uninsured, CBO says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's big bill making its way through Congress will cut taxes by $3.75 trillion but also increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO also estimates an increase of 10.9 million people without health insurance under the bill by 2034, including 1.4 million who are in the United States without legal status in state-funded programs. The package would reduce federal outlays, or spending, by nearly $1.3 trillion over that period, the budget office said. What is the CBO? A look at the small office inflaming debate over Trump's tax bill'In the words of Elon Musk, this bill is a 'disgusting abomination,'' said Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, reviving the billionaire former Trump aide's criticism of the package. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he called Musk late Tuesday to discuss the criticism but had not heard back. 'I hope he comes around,' Johnson told reporters. The analysis comes at a crucial moment in the legislative process as Trump is pushing Congress to have the final product on his desk to sign into law by the Fourth of July. The work of the CBO, which for decades has served as the official scorekeeper of legislation in Congress, will be weighed by lawmakers and others seeking to understand the budgetary impacts of the sprawling 1,000-page-plus package. Ahead of the CBO's release, the White House and Republican leaders criticized the budget office in a preemptive campaign designed to sow doubt in its findings. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the CBO has been 'historically wrong,' and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the CBO was 'flat wrong' because it underestimated the potential revenue growth from Trump's first round of tax breaks in 2017. The CBO last year said receipts were $1.5 trillion, or 5.6% greater than predicted, in large part because of the 'burst of high inflation' during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. White House Budget Director Russ Vought said when you adjust for 'current policy' — which means not counting some $4.5 trillion in existing tax breaks that are simply being extended for the next decade — the overall package actually doesn't pile onto the deficit. He argued the spending cuts alone in fact help reduce deficits by $1.4 trillion over the decade. Democrats and even some Republicans call that 'current policy' accounting move a gimmick, but it's the approach Senate Republicans intend to use during their consideration of the package to try to show it does not add to the nation's deficits. Vought argued that the CBO is the one using a 'gimmick' by tallying the costs of continuing those tax breaks that would otherwise expire. Leavitt also suggested that the CBO's employees are biased, even though certain budget office workers face strict ethical rules — including restrictions on campaign donations and political activity — to ensure objectivity and impartiality. 'When it comes time to make prognostications on economic growth, they've always been wrong,' House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said at a press conference. Asked if it's time to get rid of the CBO, Scalise did not dismiss the idea, saying it's valid to raise concerns. Alongside the costs of the bill, the CBO had previously estimated that nearly 4 million fewer people would have food stamps each month due to the legislation's proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. The bill, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act after the president's own catch phrase, is grinding its way through Congress, as the top priority of Republicans, who control both the House and the Senate — and face stiff opposition from Democrats, who call it Trump's 'big, ugly bill.' All told, the package seeks to extend the individual income tax breaks that had been approved in 2017 but that will expire in December if Congress fails to act, while adding new ones, including no taxes on tips. It also includes a massive buildup of $350 billion for border security, deportations and national security. To help cover the lost revenue, Republicans want to slash some federal spending. They propose phasing out green energy tax breaks put in place during Democrat Joe Biden's presidency. New work requirements for some adults up to age 65 on Medicaid and SNAP would begin in December 2026 and are expected to result in less spending on those programs. Republicans argue their proposals are intended to make Medicaid and other programs stronger by rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. They want the federal funding to go those who most need health care and other services, often citing women and children. But Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said those claims are bogus and are simply part of long-running GOP efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as most states have expanded Medicaid to serve more people under the program. 'They just want to strangle health care,' Schumer said. The package also would provide a $4 trillion increase to the nation's debt limit, which is now $36 trillion, to allow more borrowing. The Treasury Department projects the debt limit will need to be raised this summer to pay the nation's already accrued bills. Now in its 50th year, the CBO was established by law after Congress sought to assert its control, as outlined in the Constitution, over the budget process, in part by setting up the new office as an alternative to the White House's Office of Management and Budget. Staffed by some 275 economists, analysts and other employees, the CBO says it seeks to provide Congress with objective, impartial information about budgetary and economic issues. Its current director, Phillip Swagel, a former Treasury official in Republican President George W. Bush's administration, was reappointed to a four-year term in 2023.
Chicago Tribune
17 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
What is the CBO? A look at the small office inflaming debate over President Donald Trump's tax bill
WASHINGTON — A small government office with some 275 employees has found itself caught in the political crossfire as Congress debates President Donald Trump's 'one big beautiful bill.' The Congressional Budget Office has projected that the legislation would increase federal deficits by about $2.4 trillion over 10 years. That's a problem for a Republican Congress that has spent much of the past four years criticizing former President Joe Biden and Democrats for the nation's rising debt levels. The White House and Republican leaders in Congress are taking issue with CBO's findings. They say economic growth will be higher than the office is projecting, resulting in more revenue coming into government coffers. Meanwhile, Democrats are touting CBO's findings as evidence of the bill's failings. President Donald Trump tax bill will add $2.4 trillion to the deficit and leave 10.9 million more uninsured, CBO saysHere's a look at the office at the center of Washington's latest political tug-of-war. Lawmakers established the Congressional Budget Office more than 50 years ago to provide objective, impartial analysis to support the budget process. The CBO is required to produce a cost estimate for nearly every bill approved by a House or Senate committee and will weigh in earlier when asked to do so by lawmakers. It also produces a report each Congress on how to reduce the debt if lawmakers so choose with each option including arguments for or against. Plus, it publishes detailed estimates when presidents make proposals that would affect mandator spending, which includes programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Lawmakers created the office to help Congress play a stronger role in budget matters, providing them with an alternative to the Office of Management and Budget, which is part of a Republican or Democratic administration, depending upon the president in office. CBO hires analysts based on their expertise, not political affiliation. Staff is expected to maintain objectivity and avoid political influence. In evaluating potential employees, the CBO says that for most positions it looks at whether that person would be perceived to be free from political bias. Like other federal employees, the CBO's staff is also prohibited from making political contributions to members of Congress. The CBO's director, Phillip Swagel, served in former Republican President George W. Bush's administration as an economic adviser and as an assistant secretary at the Treasury Department. The stakes are incredibly high with Republicans looking to pass their massive tax cut and immigration bill by early July. Outside groups, Democrats and some Republicans are highlighting CBO's analysis that the bill will increase federal deficits by about $2.4 trillion over 10 years and leave 10.9 million more people uninsured in 2034. Republicans spent much of Biden's presidency focused on curbing federal deficits. They don't want to be seen as contributing to the fiscal problem. GOP lawmakers say the CBO isn't giving enough credit to the economic growth the bill will create, to the point where it would be deficit-neutral in the long run, if not better. 'The CBO assumes long-term GDP growth of an anemic 1.8% and that is absurd,' said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 'The American economy is going to boom like never before after the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' is passed.' Republicans began taking issue with the CBO even before Trump and the current Congress were sworn into office. 'CBO will always predict a dark future when Republicans propose tax relief – but the reality is never so dire,' Rep. Jason Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a December news release. Recently, House Speaker Mike Johnson has been taking digs at the office. 'The CBO is notorious for getting things WRONG,' he said in a Facebook post. In April 2018, CBO said that tax receipts would total $27 trillion from fiscal years 2018 to 2024. Receipts came in about $1.5 trillion higher than the CBO projected. Republicans have seized on that discrepancy. But the numbers don't tell the whole story. Some of the criticism of the CBO ignores the context of a global pandemic as the federal government rushed to prop the economy up with massive spending bills under both Trump and Biden. In a blog post last December, Swagel pointed out three reasons for the higher revenues: The primary reason was the burst of inflation that began in March 2021 as the country was recovering from COVID. That burst of inflation, he said, led to about $900 billion more in revenue. There was also an increase in economic activity in 'the later years of the period' adding $700 billion. Also, new tariffs added about $250 billion, with other legislation partially offsetting those three factors.
The Hill
20 minutes ago
- The Hill
Israel signed a record $14 billion in defense deals last year despite Gaza war criticism
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel signed defense contracts worth nearly $15 billion last year, surpassing its all-time record, the country's defense ministry said Wednesday, even as international outrage mounts over the war in Gaza. Over half the deals were with European countries. The contracts — a 13% increase from 2023, itself a record year — came as Israel faces growing international condemnation and isolation over the nearly 20-month war. Some of Israel's closest allies, including Canada and France, recently stepped up their censure of Israel's actions in Gaza, and the U.K. suspended free trade talks. Some critics of Israel's conduct in the Palestinian enclave have called for countries to suspend trade with it. Some countries have taken steps to suspend defense contracts with Israel. Spain on Tuesday said it had canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company. A breakdown of Israel's 2024 defense deals by region: — European countries: 54% — Asia-Pacific: 23% — Arab countries that have normalized ties with Israel under the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords: 12% — North America: 9% — Latin America: 1% — Africa: 1% Nearly half the deals were for missiles, rockets and air defense systems, Israel's defense ministry said. Others included the sale of vehicles and armored personnel carriers, satellite and space systems and intelligence and cyber systems, among others. More than half of the agreements were worth over $100 million each. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the record amount was a 'direct result' of Israel's battlefield achievements throughout the wars that have roiled the Middle East since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. 'The world sees Israeli strength and seeks to be a partner in it,' Katz said in a statement. The war in Gaza has left much of the territory in ruins from Israel's punishing air campaign. The fighting has killed more than 54,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. A nearly three-month blockade on aid into Gaza also strained ties with Israel's international allies. Israel began allowing limited aid into the territory last month.
