Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.

District 3 needs rep
who reflects its views

I hope the District 3 election sends a signal to the San Jose City Council that the No. 1 issue for D3 is a councilmember who listens to our community and votes in its interest. We don’t want another rubber stamp for unanimous citywide priorities that fly in the face of D3 public sentiment.

You can probably guess that I’m referring to the recent unanimous vote on billboards that our appointed “representative” Carl Salas voted in favor of, despite overwhelming evidence that his district does not support it, and that D3 bears the burden of light pollution and blight while the city at large reaps the benefit.

But don’t mistake me for a single-issue voter — this is just the latest example of establishment representatives going with the status quo. Let’s send a message in April by voting in a D3 representative who listens and truly represents our interests.

Chris Kurose
San Jose

Homeless must meet
responsibility to others

Re: “Homeless have responsibility to the wider community, too” (Page A8, March 9).

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s opinion piece in the Mercury News last week was spot on. Thank you for the thoughtful but respectful approach to this issue.

Asking the homeless to be held accountable for their actions is key to resolving this crisis and ending it in our communities. We all care about the individuals choosing to live on the streets, but we also care about the effect this has on the quality of life for the rest of us. The long-term damage being done to our environment and our own health is yet to be determined.

Many living on the street are there because they do not want their lives controlled by any person or laws, and many lack the ability to understand or care about the impact this has on our everyday lives.

Joan O’Reilly
San Jose

Colleges must stand
against antisemitism

Being a Jewish student on a college campus, I see a rise in antisemitism in many classrooms and campus protests that end in the harassment of Jewish students.

Antisemitism is a form of hate speech, just like any other. It attacks the idea of inclusion in communities around the world. On college campuses, students should feel comfortable with their religious backgrounds and what they believe in. Students of all backgrounds should be protected by the policies of universities that have unfortunately failed them in education and in the protection of ideals.

A college education is of high value, and students, along with staff, should challenge hate speech, whether it is antisemitism or something else.

Jacob Levine
San Jose

Trump’s policies put
American dream at risk

Donald Trump’s approach to immigration has always been about control, deciding who deserves a place in America and who doesn’t. His so-called “gold card” reflects a pattern of rewarding certain individuals while enforcing strict deportation policies on others.

Under his administration, immigration crackdowns mainly targeted Latino and other marginalized communities, yet exceptions were made for wealthy investors and those who aligned with his political interests. This selective treatment raises a bigger question: Is the American Dream truly for everyone, or only for those deemed worthy by the people in power? The idea that hard work and perseverance can lead to success fades when policies favor money and influence over fairness.

Trump’s stance shows that citizenship isn’t just about following the rules, it’s about who benefits those in charge. As long as leaders pick and choose who gets a shot at the American Dream, it will remain just that: a dream for many.

Amaia Vargas
San Jose

Agenda is government
by and for the wealthy

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Donald Trump’s goal is to privatize current agency services.

Trump and Elon Musk’s current destruction of the federal government is not a plan to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse”; it is a pretense in the initial stage of privatization (as has happened in Russia). Who will take over these services? The uber-wealthy will, and the objective will be profit rather than service to the citizenry. The federal agencies that supply critical services have been accountable to Congress; when privatized, they will only be answerable to the oligarchs that run them, not Congress.

We are in the midst of the conversion of America from a government “of the people, by the people and for the people” to a government “of the wealthy, by the wealthy and for the wealthy.” President Lincoln would be horrified.

Lawrence Koepke
San Jose

Trump, Musk acting only
in their own interests

Insatiable greed is a common thread in historical American politics and explains much of current political events. Elon Musk and Donald Trump exemplify that obsession, not only by their shared love of wealth but also in their habitual aversion to sharing.

Related Articles

Letters: Oakland leaders must address antisemitism, make city welcoming to all

Letters: San Jose homeless must obey the law like everyone else

Letters: Gavin Newsom’s podcast shows he’s out of step with state

Letters: Holding homeless accountable is good for them and cities

Letters: Donald Trump is right to seek lasting Ukraine peace

Trump loves the idea of imposing tariffs to collect billions from foreign producers, even though it’s apparent even to a high school scholar that American families have to pay for them. Musk still claims that his leadership at Tesla is worth a $56 billion price tag even after the company has lost half of its market value. Clearly, neither cares about anyone else’s economic well-being as they plot to boost their own goals.

In the meantime, they conspire without common civility and decency to summarily (and illegally) fire federal workers at jobs authorized by Congress to maintain, sustain and secure our democratic society.

Jerry Meyer
San Jose