‘Prayers answered’ to MAGA under Trump

Through novel new media like X and podcasts, Americans have sufficiently found truth instead of the legacy media lies. They came to understand borders matter, culture matters, the new crime waves matter, socialist economics are a failure, woke DEI destroys economies and promotes mediocrity and a small woke Democrat autocracy rule elevated a nothing burger, unelected diversity hire, empty suit to run against Trump with nothing but a broken social contract with the people to protect them and to allow prosperity and freedom.

My prayers are answered and may Donald J. Trump Make America Great Again.

— Garrett Philipp, Santa Cruz

Our presidential elections truly are democratic

That a presidential candidate might win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote is not prima facie evidence of the iniquitous nature of our electoral system (LTE, Nov. 8). The central principle of our government holds that responsiveness to public opinion is a necessary but not a sufficient condition.

Our presidential elections are democratic. We have one-person, one-vote — in the states. Elections are democratically contested — in the states. Victory always goes to the winner of the popular vote — in the states. Direct popular election, is a misnomer; our presidential elections are directly popular — in the states.

Eliminating the Electoral College won’t make our presidential elections more democratic. It will only make them directly national by removing the states from the electoral process. Democracy is not the fundamental question regarding the Electoral College, federalism is: should our presidential elections remain in part federally democratic, or should they be completely nationally democratic?

We should retain our federally democratic system.

— Dario Caloss, Santa Cruz

Don’t blame NIMBYs for the cost of housing

I read the Nov. 1 article about a developer acquiring a site for a 289-unit “affordable” housing project on Soquel Avenue to be built on a 2.5 acre vacant lot. The article said that the total cost would be $200 million of which $10.35 million would be the cost of land. That comes to $692,041 per unit of which $35,813 would be the cost of land. Only about 5% of the cost of the project is for land.

Personally, I think that $10 million is a bit steep for a 2.5 acre lot. The rest, approximately, $656,000 per unit, goes for profit, materials and labor. This is proof NIMBYs have little impact on the cost of housing. NIMBYs can only affect the cost of land. Obviously the blame should be on the cost of materials and labor, not to mention profit for developers.

— John F. Hudson, Ben Lomond

E.coli outbreak: Problem with our food systems

There is a problem with our food systems. The recent E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has led to illness, hospitalization and even death. The CDC, FDA and other health agencies are investigating, with fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties as the suspected sources of contamination. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen outbreaks linked to meat-based products, and it underscores a larger issue with food safety in animal agriculture.

There is a better way. By embracing a plant-based diet, we can avoid these risks and enjoy delicious foods that are not only safe but also optimum for human health, the planet and the animals. Now is the time to make compassionate choices for a better future.

— Solomon Levine, Santa Cruz

‘Die is cast’ for Trump’s assault on democracy

I’ve heard all the analysis of the election ad nauseum. It all doesn’t matter. The American people have elected a man who is lurching to the right and they elected him because they like what he is selling. They have bought the whole package of his criminality, his dangerous threats, cruelty and brutality. They are OK that he will act on his worst instincts and fulfill his promises of retribution and revenge. This election will be giving him total control of all the parts of the government, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the courts to help him carry out his promises with no accountability. He will chip away at democracy in bits and pieces much like Hitler did in the 1930s when the German people freely elected him.

Trump’s corruption will make his first term look like child’s play. All those billionaires will want their piece of the pie, not to mention Trump himself. The die is cast.

— Christine DeLapp, Aptos