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Research funding
should not be cudgel

Re: “Harvard sues Trump administration to stop the freeze of more than $2 billion in grants” (April 22).

You reported that Harvard University is suing the Trump administration after a freeze on more than $2 billion in federal research grants. This is alarming because it suggests federal funding may now be conditioned on compliance with political demands, rather than academic merit or public benefit.

As a public health student, I am deeply concerned about the implications of using research funding as leverage. Much of this funding supports scientific and medical advancements that impact communities far beyond Harvard’s campus.

What people don’t realize is that this sets a precedent that any university that challenges government policy could face similar consequences.

One thing that would make a difference is a bipartisan agreement that federal research funding should never be weaponized to influence university policies or suppress student expression. This ensures that scientific progress and intellectual freedom remain above political agendas.

Olinha Tan
Stockton

Pope Francis recalled
as friend to animals

Animals everywhere have lost a true champion with the passing of Pope Francis. Consider this excerpt from his 2015 “Encyclical on Climate Change & Inequality“:

“It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings. We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty toward any creature is contrary to human dignity.” All you rodeo fans, take heed.

Rest in peace, Pope Francis, and heartfelt thanks. May your tribe increase.

Eric Mills
Oakland

Prop. 13’s legacy still
hurts our schools

Re: “Teachers union hints at possible strike” (Page B1, April 10).

The looming teacher strike in Fremont isn’t just about salaries but a symptom of decades-long failures to prioritize public education. We wouldn’t be in this position if Proposition 13 hadn’t gutted school funding overnight back in 1978.

Teachers are now forced to fight for basics: competitive wages, affordable health care and smaller classes, which should already be the bare minimum. How is it acceptable that in one of the wealthiest states in the nation, educators have to pay for medical and dental expenses out of pocket?

District leaders are claiming financial limitations, which are the direct legacy of Proposition 13’s corporate tax loopholes that cost California between $8 billion and $12 billion per year in lost revenue. Until we reform Proposition 13, our students and teachers will keep paying the price.

Jules Pizano
Berkeley

Ad dollars could be
much better spent

I’m curious if the taxpayer-funded $200 million ad campaign featuring Kristi Noem heaping lavish praise on Donald Trump and the countless and endless PG&E ads glorifying the wonderful work the monopoly is doing — as they rack up billion-dollar profits — could be put to better uses.

How about rehiring some crucial federal employees, or maintaining or lowering the constantly rising utility bills of Californians? With little resistance from the cult-led federal government and state regulatory agencies, I guess I just have to sit back and enjoy the artistry of the ads featuring the dog-shooter and all the earnest PG&E executives so concerned with the feelings of the common people and their pain.

Robert Mariotti
Livermore

Musk’s money no license
to ruin government

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If Elon Musk divided one of his billions evenly among 40 21-year-olds, then told the young adults that each could spend the money as they wished as long as they limited themselves to an average of $1,000 in expenditures per day, some would likely not outlast their gift, since each would need nearly 70 years to spend it.

While part of me does not begrudge Elon Musk his billions, that kind of wealth does not entitle him to deplete the staffs at national parks, deny U.S. farmers the ability to provide vulnerable Africans with much-needed food, nor dismiss well-intentioned federal employees, those who don’t have even $100 to spend as they wish at the end of most days.

Douglas A. Crockett
Clayton