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Facing fires’ tragedy,
GOP offers nastiness
On Jan. 12, Margaret Brennan interviewed Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso on “Face the Nation.” When asked about the horrific California fires, he replied that Wyoming did send help and immediately blamed the California government for being unprepared. Can he or anyone else control 100 mph winds caused by climate change, which he, Donald Trump and Trump supporters in and out of Congress deny? They cannot.
These fire victims are now homeless and their lives have been shattered. They need compassion, encouragement, physical help, shelter, food, clothing, etc., not meanness and criticism of their California government.
First responders, those who opened their homes to strangers, those who are providing meals, clothing, shelter and donations are “working with the angels” to help those in such dire need. To Sen. Barrasso, Donald Trump, et. al., stop it. Stop the nastiness, have a heart, do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do.
Ramona Krausnick
Dublin
Pleasanton to offer more
of the same on deficit
Re: “Council focuses on budget solutions” (Page B1, Jan. 11).
The Pleasanton city budget deficit represents a state of uncontrolled financial affairs not so uncommon in many cities and public agencies. They took a lazy and easy way, which failed, to try to solve the problem by increasing taxes on residents. The mayor expressed lame optimism and fluffy words, but no specific actions, in a hopeful attempt to predispose the residents to approve tax increases in the future.
The city is now considering cutting funding throughout several departments but does not seem to have a specific action plan. They don’t seem to have any idea how to address unfunded pension liabilities either — a common problem. It is a misnomer to characterize the council as laser-focused on fixing the city’s budget in light of their proposed solution of spending more money on hiring a consultant and a very likely ineffective 11-member advisory committee.
Good luck to the residents of Pleasanton.
Kirit Shah
Fremont
Trump should negotiate
peace in Ukraine
Re: “Ukraine will make Trump a winner or a loser” (Page A9, Jan. 12).
Trudy Rubin’s delusional screed attempts to make the case for Donald Trump continuing Joe Biden’s failed Ukraine proxy war against Russia so he can be perceived a “winner.” She argues for the new Trump administration to continue Biden’s losing and unwinnable war against Russia in order to signal that America is still the sole world leader over Russia and China.
Rubin, a consistent critic of Trump, is ignoring the obvious reality that Ukraine is losing this war, a priority project of Biden’s since his days as Obama’s proconsul in Ukraine as vice president. The current dangerous situation of a deepening stand-off between the world’s two biggest nuclear-armed powers in the absence of any direct negotiations must not continue.
Hopefully, the new Trump administration will break with the failures of Biden’s “no negotiations” policy and engage with the Russians to find a negotiated end to this disastrous war.
Michael Dunlap
Oakland
Republicans embrace
anti-American expansion
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was quoted recently as proudly telling Donald Trump that making Canada a state is a bad idea because Canada would just elect two Democratic senators, and that making it a territory might be better. Talk about missing the point.
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Americans are proud because they revere freedom, having fought a revolution against the British to establish their right to self-determination. Now Trump would deny that same right to the Canadians? How could these two great patriots, Donalds and Trump, be so blithely discussing the anti-American idea of taking over other countries without regard to the wishes of their citizens?
But this is the Trump world, where up becomes down and convicted criminals somehow become the victims. It should be a great four years.
Jay Chafetz
Walnut Creek
