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Torres’ ample experience
a boon for voters
The campaign hit piece by candidate Irene Smith crosses the line. Her claim that Omar Torres has “only worked in government and nonprofits – leaves him wanting when it comes to addressing real-world problems” is false, misleading and most of all wrong.
Nonprofit leaders bring experience in budgeting, strategic planning, management, facility maintenance, and most importantly, address the real-world issues of lack of affordable housing, food insecurity, affordable child care, economic instability and workforce development. Omar brought leadership to help address these problems, leadership that is exactly what District 3 needs. In addition, his government experience means he knows how to get things done at City Hall.
Don’t let Irene Smith make disparaging remarks about those of us in nonprofits. I am proud of the work Omar has done in the nonprofit and government sectors, and his experience is what we need.
Patricia Gardner
Former CEO, Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
San Jose
PG&E’s fragile system
is far from reliable
I had a dream in which I lived in a world where locally produced, reliable, 24/7 carbon-free electricity was provided to residences at a reasonable price.
When I woke up I realized I lived in a nascent dystopian state where distant sources provide unreliable electricity transmitted over power lines with the potential of igniting wildfires at a cost of 80% more than the national average price of $.12-$.15 per kilowatt-hour.
The fragility of our present system is best summed up by the Sept 8 Mercury News front-page headline, “Text message helped to avert blackouts.” Thank you, PUC. Our tax dollars at work, indeed.
K.R. Kummerer
Saratoga
Reinstate truth-telling
journalism teacher
Re. “Daniel Pearl’s family, journalists rally behind California school magazine adviser facing suspension for naming unvaccinated librarian,” Sept. 12:
Brave journalists go to work each day to report the news so we may have an informed democracy, often risking harassment, assault and even death. Reporter Daniel Pearl was beheaded by Al-Qaeda after Sept. 11. He is one of the few journalists whose good works are honored.
It is appalling that the public journalism magnet school named in his honor suspended its journalism teacher Adriana Chavira for her refusal to censor her students – for reporting that the school librarian refused her employer’s mandatory vaccination which lead to the closure of the school library. She was suspended for disobeying Principal Armen Petrossian’s unlawful order goes against California Education Code 48907, which makes its censorship and unlawful retaliation.
Petrossian should be removed from Pearl Magnet and any leadership post. Adriana Chavira should be reinstated with back pay and her record expunged.
Cliff Cheng
Los Angeles
Mermaids now reside
in nonfiction section
Sunday’s article, “Mermaids are Real,” (Page F3, Sept. 11) reminded me of a previous tutoring incident, when I was helping an 8-year-old distinguish between fiction and non-fiction texts. After finishing a Disney book about a mermaid, I asked my student, “So, is this fiction or nonfiction?”
Her emphatic answer: “Nonfiction!”
Uh oh. Hoping to get her to rethink her response, I quizzed, “Are mermaids real?”
“Absolutely!” (Her answer was accompanied by a look that questioned how I, as an adult, had missed out on this truism.) Her additional proof: “My 12-year-old cousin saw a mermaid swimming off the pier in Santa Cruz.”
I gave up and switched to Pinocchio – definitely fiction. However, since then, whenever I was near the ocean, I’d quickly scan the water on the off chance of a mermaid sighting. Nowadays, it’s probably a mermaid class graduate. Or maybe …
Marialis Seehorn
Sunnyvale
The world needs
a democratic America
There are two kinds of people dominating the news these days: Those who want our democracy strengthened and those who don’t.
Those who don’t want our democracy strengthened are afraid that it would mean more sharing of power – and they prefer power to democracy.
Lord Acton warned us that “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Since its inception, America has seen one group enjoy absolute power: That group is European-American men. The Jan. 6 insurrection was a clarion (and, unfortunately, violent) declaration by some in this group of their fear that a democratic America means sharing power – and they prefer power to democracy.
We need to help these folks get over that fear and realize democracy is best for America – long term. And, a democratic America is best for the world – long term.
Garey Johnson
Redwood City