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San Francisco Chronicle
20 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Taking Harvey Milk's name off Navy ship won't silence what he stands for
Regarding 'Trump reportedly to strip Harvey Milk name off naval vessel' (Politics, June 3): The order to remove Harvey Milk's name from a Navy ship is a stunning and shameful act of political erasure. Milk, a Navy veteran who served during the Korean War, was assassinated after becoming one of America's most courageous and pioneering LGBTQ+ civil rights leaders. To claim that his name no longer reflects 'the Navy's values' or the 'warrior ethos' is not just revisionist — it's malicious. The timing is no accident. On the first days of Pride month, this move speaks volumes about the stories the Trump administration seeks to silence. This decision is not about standards. It's about politics and an insult to every LGBTQ+ American who has served this country with honor. I am the beneficiary of Milk's groundbreaking efforts to have LGBTQ+ people treated with respect, dignity and the opportunity to love who we choose. The name Harvey Milk endures — in the hearts of those who carry his legacy forward and in every Pride flag raised this month. Jonathan Finck, San Francisco Stand with veterans On Friday, the anniversary of D-Day, I'll be in Washington, D.C., marching alongside thousands of other veterans and families at the Unite for Veterans rally. We're not showing up to make noise. We're showing up because we believe in something worth defending: the promise this country made to those who served. I served in Afghanistan as an Army infantry officer. I've spent my civilian career working to improve systems for veterans, at a Bay Area tech company and at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and I can tell you this: Undermining veteran care doesn't reduce waste, it reduces access, stability and dignity for those who earned it. The Department of Veterans Affairs is under threat. The systems veterans rely on for health care, housing and mental health are being hollowed out. At the same time, disinformation is spreading about how these systems work and who they serve. This isn't about one party or one president. It's about priorities. We've never hesitated to invest in national defense and caring for veterans is part of that commitment. So I'm standing up. And I'm asking others to do the same. Demand that this country keep its word to those who wore the uniform. George Chewning, San Francisco Train not so smart Regarding 'Enthusiasm 'sky high' as Sonoma-Marin rail service expands northward' (Bay Area, May 31): The story about SMART train reaching Windsor reads like a promo piece. A deeper look shows that the boom in ridership occurred after SMART started giving free rides to kids and seniors. And even with that incentive, it has yet to reach the 5,000 riders a day to which it aspires. SMART has been a huge boondoggle. It's a single-track rail line that runs through flood-prone fields, utilizing diesel engines, with no flexibility in case of earthquake or fire (unlike unsexy buses). The policy seems to be to build so much infrastructure that citizens will feel they must send good money after bad, but they're not consistently biting. Jean Arnold, Mendocino Learn more languages The more languages you know fluently, the better you understand your native language. I helped write courses of study for many languages. My granddaughters attended Spanish immersion classes and are now bilingual, opting to study additional languages. While I agree that English literacy should be better, students are immersed in English all day long though social media is eroding their grammar and punctuation. This is a separate battle that won't be improved by outlawing immersion classes. To improve communication and alternate ways of organizing reality, I say we should offer more immersion classes.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Refinery leaving will hurt Bay Area town's economy, but there will be a big benefit
Regarding 'This Bay Area town grew into a prosperous suburb — but is now facing fiscal crisis' (Bay Area, June 1): A key point was left out of the story — the Valero refinery's adverse impact on the health of Benicia residents. Despite being an otherwise healthy city, our rates of many cancers are much higher than Solano County and the rest of the state. Benicia's rate of lung cancer is between 14.5%-21.8% higher than the county's and about 44% higher than the California rate. Our prostate cancer rates are 32.8% higher than the county's and 70% higher than the state's. For breast cancer, we have a 36% higher rate than our county and a 94% higher rate than our state. This data comes from Solano County and state public health sources. While it cannot be definitively concluded that these higher cancer rates are due to refinery emissions, they are similar to the higher rates near refineries elsewhere that are well-documented in medical studies. Yes, it will be economically challenging to weather Valero's exit. But there is little doubt that when this happens, our community's risk of cancer will drop. Many Benicia residents are looking forward to being able to breathe healthier air and are willing to work with our city government to move into a post-refinery future. Dr. Richard Fleming, Benicia Build Petaluma's future Regarding 'A luxury hotel could transform this California town. Some residents are fighting back' (Bay Area, May 30): Thirty years ago, while campaigning door-to-door, I met Jane Hamilton. She was working as a cleaning lady when she opened the door with hope and determination. We later served together on the Petaluma City Council, and my mother was her treasurer when she ran for county supervisor. I believed Jane stood for hard work and community progress. I was wrong. Jane helped create Petaluma's Downtown Specific Plan over three decades ago. That plan, now outdated, includes a 45-foot height limit being used to oppose the EKN Appellation Hotel — a five-story, 93-room hotel with a rooftop bar, proposed for a lot that was once a gas station and has sat vacant for 30 years. More than 50 downtown businesses support this project because they see its value for our economy and community. Here's the irony: Under today's height restrictions, Petaluma's historic downtown couldn't be built. The very buildings we now celebrate would be prohibited. We're not trying to replicate history — federal preservation standards discourage that. We should build for today, with the same ambition and purpose that built the city we love. Petaluma's future deserves vision, not fear. Janice Cader Thompson, member, Petaluma City Council Oust S.F. Zoo leader News reports have provided a consistently long list of concerns about San Francisco Zoo CEO and Executive Director Tanya Peterson and her tenure: mismanagement, animal safety, toxic work environment/retaliation, lack of transparency into zoo operations/finances, nepotism, and now a required city audit, and the list goes on. The zoo seems to be mired in conflict due to Peterson. Why does the zoo board continue to support her? Why all the effort to retain one person who is causing so much conflict? Why not part ways and move on so the zoo can thrive? Likely, based on the recent resignations of five members, the board has some cronies who push to keep Peterson in place — to the detriment of the zoo, its employees, animals and reputation, and the community and city. It's time for Peterson and the cronies to go. Suzanne Eisenhut, San Francisco Tighten S.F.'s belt Arnaldo Dallera, Tiburon
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: How a trans high school athlete is making me rethink my sports fandom
Regarding 'Trans athlete embraced as California track and field champion by peers while adult activists duel' (High School, June 1): As a child in the 1960s, my hero was Willie Mays. As an adult and 72-year-old lifetime sports fan, I had no sports heroes — until now. The accomplishments of Jurupa Valley High School track standout and trans female AB Hernandez at the state championship made me reconsider my hiatus from worshipping athletes. As a high-jumper, long-jumper and triple-jumper, AB has persevered and soared (pun intended), while tolerating the relentless bigotry, hatred, religious intolerance, transphobia and the profound ignorance of adults led, shamefully, by our president. These adults not only protest against this young woman's participation in sports, they deny her very existence. Let me add Brooke White as a sports hero. The cisgender River City High-West Sacramento long jumper who competed with AB said, 'Sharing the podium was nothing but an honor … she's a superstar, she's a rockstar, she's representing who she is.' As for 'local right-wing activist and blogger Josh Fulfer,' who says young people like White have a 'fear of speaking out' and need 'adults in the room to be the voice for them,' I trust these young people to get this right. Condescending bigots like Fulfer notwithstanding. Barry Goldman-Hall, San Jose Refocus LGBTQ+ lens Most of the LGBTQ+ community are just people living their lives openly and freely. Drag and being trans are a part of this community, but it is a small part. During this time of assault against the LGBTQ+ community, it may be smart to focus on people such as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, or Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. Emphasizing drag and trans people adds fuel to the fire that President Donald Trump is igniting around the country. This is the mistake that the Democratic Party made, and look where it got them. Gloria Judd, San Francisco Losing small-town charm Regarding 'A luxury hotel could transform this California town. Some residents are fighting back' (Bay Area, May 30): When I moved to Petaluma in 1986, it still had the feel of a small town. That, of course, has changed. But, until recently, it still had the feel of a town whose stores and restaurants were there to serve the people of Petaluma, not tourists. Petaluma used to have visitors. People from the Bay Area who wanted to see the Butter and Eggs Day parade or the antiques fair or just visit family. We had some nice clothing stores and some decent, unpretentious restaurants. Now we have trendy boutiques and expensive, fancy restaurants that bring in rich tourists. It's a sad commentary if the only way a city can survive is with an economy based on tourism. As a society, our hobbies are now eating, drinking and shopping. And we like to travel all over the world to do it. Sometimes, change is good. Sometimes, it means improvement. But sometimes, it means taking something fine and twisting it to meet the demands of a privileged few who are just trying to make more money. Gail Sickler, Petaluma Hold a benefit concert The Golden Gate Park shows by Dead & Company have stirred up a lot of debate and anger about high ticket prices, especially since the original band used to play there for free. But there's one option that might take away some of the rancor and keep with the original band's ethos: Make at least one of the three shows a benefit concert. There are plenty of worthy organizations, soon to be more needy than ever in these trying MAGA times. There's also the Dead's longstanding and fine Rex Foundation.
San Francisco Chronicle
7 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: California's top environmental safety law does what it's supposed to do
Regarding 'California environmental law nearly killed a childcare facility in our community. Enough is enough' (Open Forum, May 27): Napa County Supervisors Anne Cottrell and Liz Alessio say in their op-ed that they want to make it easier to build projects like affordable housing and childcare centers, but bulldozing our state's most important environmental and public health law is not the solution. Drastically weakening the California Environmental Quality Act, as state Sen. Scott Wiener's SB607 proposes, would include allowing polluting projects in neighborhoods with minimal to no environmental review. That's bad for children and families. Deregulation of projects like freeways, power plants and railyards will increase air pollution and lead to public health problems. CEQA is one of the primary tools California communities have to protect their residents' health and safety. The Senate Appropriations Committee rightly saw that SB607 was too extreme and, on May 23, refused to pass it as drafted. S.F. recall is overkill Regarding 'Engardio recall to make S.F. ballot with enough signatures verified, organizers say' (San Francisco, May 24): The story says that San Francisco District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio 'came to prominence by ousting officials through recall campaigns.' This diminishes Engardio's years of work before any recalls. As the story acknowledged, Engardio 'campaigned on a platform of public safety and transparency.' Engardio has also worked to engage residents in the city's political process and holds town halls and meetings, not to make speeches, but to listen. He thoughtfully considers everyone's opinions — agree or not — and consistently advocates for our kids, seniors and small businesses. Recalls have been reserved for egregious, unethical behavior, misconduct or corruption, not for disagreeing with a proposition -- in Engardio's case, his advocacy for Proposition K, which closed the Upper Great Highway to cars. I did not support Prop K, but I don't support short-sighted, knee-jerk reactions to a single issue that doesn't go my way. With many people running for office to be something, we need more people like Engardio running to do something. That's why I will vote no on the recall. Amy Bacharach, San Francisco Parrots are endangered Whether flying free in the wild or locked in cages at pet stores, private homes or rescues, parrots are in urgent need of our help. The picture is bleak as we recognize World Parrot Day on Saturday. The escalating demand for pet parrots has resulted in overcrowded rescues and sanctuaries worldwide. Pet stores and online breeders have made it all too easy for anyone to purchase these complex animals. An estimated 3 million to 5 million birds are bred in the U.S. per year. However, captive parrots are among the most frequently abandoned pets. Their wild nature and inclination for loud and frequent vocalizations, flying and destructive tendencies are often too much for guardians. Meanwhile, the demand for parrots as pets drives the capture of parrots in the wild; 28% of all parrot species are endangered or threatened and 58% are in decline. In many areas, the poaching rate is 100% — no chicks escape the illegal wildlife trade; 90% of trapped birds die after capture, and it is estimated that for every bird smuggled across a border, up to 90% die within the first year. To end this global parrot crisis, we must collectively advocate for an end to the sale and breeding of these majestic wild animals. Lucy Pax, Walnut Creek
San Francisco Chronicle
29-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: What the Yosemite reservation system tells us about our dependency on cars and traffic
Regarding 'Here's how it went on the first day of Yosemite's controversial reservation system' (Outdoors, May 24): The Yosemite reservation system should be a nonstory but, unfortunately, it has become one. I am an annual-ish visitor to Yosemite National Park and have visited multiple times during the COVID-era reservation system. I've been before and after that iteration of the reservation system. It was significantly easier to enjoy the park without having to deal with delays and traffic. Going back to the reservation system seems like a no-brainer. I hoped that the reservation system and the ease of transport in Yosemite Valley could have translated into some moving opinions about our over-reliance on automobiles in San Francisco and elsewhere. With BART, Muni and other public transportation agencies facing financial uncertainty, a system that is already over-reliant on private automobiles will face the traffic and lack of parking that Yosemite had without reservations. We must rethink the place cars have in our society. Brian Hoang, San Francisco Photos too graphic But the pictures of a tattooed shirtless male kneeling over a depressed woman on the street and a tent with a woman surrounded by three San Francisco police officers are troubling. Other photos are of two guys smoking fentanyl and a couple out of a Dickens novel on the street. This hardly invites sympathetic appreciation. The story talks about a woman defecating at a bus stop and rendering it unusable. Another woman is quoted as saying she wished she had never started fentanyl and details how she spends most of her days trying to score the drug with her husband. How is the average reader to see these individuals as worthy of care and treatment? Treatment is available, and I commend Mayor Daniel Lurie for his focus on the problem. These are real and needy people. Mel Blaustein, San Francisco Bill discriminates Regarding 'California anti-discrimination bill faces blowback' (Politics, May 21): The story underrepresents the opposition to AB715 and fails to recognize the fallacies in the arguments about antisemitism in our schools. At the Assembly's Education Committee's hearing, over 140 people opposed the bill to 70 in support. Many organizations not listed also filed letters in opposition. AB715 was rushed, requiring a waiver of legislative rules — an abrogation of the democratic process. The voices of BIPOC communities were never included in the process, and that constitutes racism. The bill would allow for anonymous complaints against teachers accused of antisemitism. It is important to allow time for teachers and the California Teachers Union to discuss the bill. Studying Palestine and the politics of Israel has led to the censorship and reprimanding of teachers. This creates an environment of fear and silencing. Criticism of Israel, studying and critiquing the genocide against Palestinians — as it has been named by several human rights organizations — should not be conflated with antisemitism. If AB715 passes, it will set a dangerous precedent for attacking teachers for curriculum that only a small and specific group of parents don't like. Carla Schick, Oakland No free lunch But I have to respond to her comment, 'Everyone in this country deserves to live a life of ease, and so do we.' Sorry, Carolyn, but no one deserves a life of ease. Here in the U.S., you have to earn it. Give the people of East Oakland the opportunity of education, good jobs and affordable housing, and your mission will succeed. Kevin Hangman, Yountville
