State should deny new needle exchange program

The HRCSCC previously operated a needle exchange program in a manner that posed a serious threat to the health and safety of all of the citizens of Santa Cruz County. The HRCSCC had a practice allowing clients as many needles as they asked for, regardless of how many used needles they exchanged. The distribution practices of HRCSCC, which differed vastly from the Santa Cruz County SSP exchange practices, resulted in thousands upon thousands of used syringes being disposed of improperly and littered irresponsibly throughout Santa Cruz County.

Unlike the Santa Cruz County SSP, the HRCSCC did not offer any treatment or prevention services to their clients. The HRCSCC did nothing more than enable drug users and the proliferation of illegal drugs throughout our community by providing their clients with as many syringes as they asked for. Local law enforcement agencies in Santa Cruz County were opposed to the HRCSCC’s application from the beginning.

I urge the California Department of Public Health to deny the latest submitted application for a needle exchange program.

— Kevin Vogel, Santa Cruz

What are governments doing with all this money?

Every election ballot brings urgent requests from the state, the county, the city for more funds. These are always identified as being for voter-friendly causes, rather than the mundane day-to-day costs of running a government. Recently, they have started to be presented as parcel taxes which — unlike bond initiatives — are permanent additions to property taxes.

I have a question. Whenever wages go up, which they have, income tax income to the state government goes up. Whenever retail prices go up, which they have, sometimes significantly, sales tax income to the governments goes up. Whenever real estate prices go up, which they have astronomically, property tax income to the governments goes up. (A home in my neighborhood saw its property tax bill go from about $2,000 to about $15,000 when it was sold.)

Isn’t it fair to ask the state, the county, the city what they are doing with all this new money and why they have to keep coming back to us for more?

— Alex Monroe, Santa Cruz

What will billionaires supporting Trump expect?

According to Forbes, some of the nation’s wealthiest people are powering Trump’s bid to return to the White House: The article says he has 26 biggest billionaire backers, worth a combined $143 billion, pouring in $162 million into the effort. This was as of August. With Musk ponying up, the billionaires’ (now 27) worth is $343 billion with total donations of $237 million, which accounts for about 67% of all the money Trump has raised.

Apparently Trump has suggested oil executives to give $1 billion for his campaign. Hmm … seems he’s promising to roll back pollution regulations and bend the tax structure in their favor. So what do the 27 billionaires expect? Maybe it’s not politics but an investment in their economic future. Maybe this is a billionaires’ club election?

Trump will do anything for anyone who’ll talk nice to him. Don’t trust me, ask Putin.

— Tom Ellison, Santa Cruz

Trump supporters believe and repeat falsehoods

A recent Letter to the Editor described Kamala Harris as “the most unqualified person to ever run for president.” As San Francisco’s district attorney, elected state attorney general, U.S. senator and vice president, Harris is probably one of the most qualified persons ever to run. But the scare of four more years of “open borders, higher gas prices, destruction of our military, a weak foreign policy,” (none of which are true) goes on about $640 million from FEMA “given to undocumented immigrants” and how “Trump left this regime a safe and prosperous America.” Just complete falsehoods. (The national debt grew from $19.95 trillion to $27.75 trillion under Trump.)

As I continuously wonder how Americans could vote for Trump, this is a stark reminder that those who do seem not to read newspapers, nor listen to reliable news sources. The U.S. economy is the envy of the world. Stock markets reach record highs for months. Biden/Harris have returned soured foreign relations to global admiration.

Trump has no policies … just grievances, slander, lies. Some people seem to not notice nor care.

— Susan I Stuart, Santa Cruz