State homeless encampments

Re “Homeless camp purge sought” (May 13):

Let’s not bury the lead here. Gavin Newsom wants to run for president. His homelessness record in California will not be an asset nationally like it was here, where the spending effectively got him elected, despite the results. He’s spent the past six years making California a state not to be from in a national election, as Kamala Harris found out.

So, a few weeks back, he came out against transgender athletes competing in girls sports. Now he’s fed up with the lack of real results in homelessness. He’s even softened on fossil fuels, noting that he didn’t want Californians to suffer through shortages as he legislates refineries out of existence.

Californians have already shown they’ll fall for a good power point. They elected him twice, had a chance to change their minds, and didn’t. But the rest of the country isn’t nearly as gullible.

— M. J. Knudsen, Trabuco Canyon

California EV mandates

Re “EV mandates at risk as U.S. Senate mulls state waver” (May 12):

No, Sen. Alex Padilla, you do not have “overwhelming bipartisan support” for the elimination of gas-powered vehicles in California. This is your made-up utopian idea that you want for the voters of California to believe.

It is quite the opposite, if you want to drive an EV, have at it, but don’t try to push an agenda that the majority of voters do not want.

It’s deceiving to poll only the people that agree with your proposals then try and make it a mandate. The voters have spoken and no, we don’t want the elimination of petroleum-power vehicles in California!

— Mike Scanlon, Temecula

Testing the Constitution

Is Trump “testing” the Constitution (May 6)?

No. In order to test something (in this use of the word) it requires respect for and acknowledgement of authority, and then pushing the boundaries to see how far that authority goes.

Trump has no understanding or knowledge of the Constitution, no respect for it and definitely no acknowledgment of its authority.

What Trump is doing is what he always does: whatever he wants, with blatant disregard for the Constitution, the law, people’s health/lives/rights/freedom, or anything else that he considers trivial.

— Lorian Adams, Oak Glen