Whose houses do measure backers care about?

First “Our Downtown Our Future,” now “Housing for People”? At least the hair-on-fire crows tells you exactly what they think of you.

If those residing in a 12-story, 80% market rate building don’t qualify as “people” in their mind, then what exactly are they?

And if the only development they do support requires so many subsidized units that it’s actually infeasible to build, whose houses do they really care about?

They choose their words more precisely than they realize.

— Alex Vartan, Live Oak

Need for hydrogen fueling station in Santa Cruz

Great to hear Santa Cruz Metro is leaning into hydrogen with its purchase of 57 hydrogen fuel cell buses as reported in the Sentinel on Aug. 13. Having driven fuel cell electric vehicles for six years (Toyota Murai and Hyundai Nexo), they are quick to fill (3-5 minutes) and emit only water. Honda also has the Clarity and others are in development. But the nearest public hydrogen fueling station is in Campbell. The state’s goal is to have 200 public hydrogen fueling stations opened by 2025 and trucking is embracing this technology because it is lighter and more weather resilient than batteries. The federal Department of Energy is also involved with the expansion of transportation hydrogen production with its h2@Scale initiative (energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/h2scale) to bring the cost of hydrogen down.

Santa Cruz is a priority area for state funding per the 2022 Annual Evaluation of Fuel Cell Electric Deployment from the California Air Resources Board. Perhaps Santa Cruz Metro/SCCRTC can take the lead to have a public hydrogen fueling station located in Santa Cruz?

— Mark Johannessen, Aptos

Don’t equate Trump and Biden for 2024

The 2024 contest projected Aug. 30 in a Sentinel Editorial pits Biden against Trump and asks if the contest is indeed viable. I beg to differ with those who in any way equate the two.

On one hand, we have a multi-indicted (over 90 criminal charges), twice impeached rather dimly-brained liar leading a cult of hapless sheep. There is no message nor policies attached to this candidate except that he was cheated out of his rightful place as emperor … er, president. What are his goals other than this? Retribution? Vengeance? Pardons for insurrectionists? Does he address alternative energy or abortion bans? Tax or immigration policy? I only hear grievance and deep, violent anger.

On the other hand, we have an internationally respected, admired veteran of foreign and national affairs who has gotten bilateral legislation passed for infrastructure, pharmaceutical relief, inflation reduction, employment opportunities, international agreements and more, with steady progress. Yes, he is older than we might like but to contend this makes him senile or unable to fulfill the job he has been fulfilling successfully is misplaced.

— Susan I Stuart, Santa Cruz

Where is news on all Biden administration is doing?

Tired of reading and seeing the ex-president so often and reading news like “even if voters don’t want it.” Where is the news of all the Biden administration is doing — funding for sustainable energy, support, emotional, financial and resourced for victims of disasters in blue and red states, support for rural communities to grow and develop, protecting more land, air and water, leading the effort to build global alliances, talking about and focusing federal resources and policy toward justice, supporting the people who labor for a living, working to decrease Medicaid and Medicare costs.

Where is the positive news about the economy? Yes, we need more, we need child tax credits to go out monthly, we need huge support for public child care, we need real conversations about justice for all and federal protections for voting rights. Come on Sentinel, you can do better: no more pictures and long articles about the ex-president until there is real news about him.

— Jan and David Mintz, Santa Cruz

Mug shots of indicted Trump, aides are scary

The majority of those indicted with Trump look as if the whole process is unsettling. Then there is Jenna Ellis and Trevia Kulti grinning like they are posing for their high school yearbook! And Trump — who must have practiced his mug shot photo in front of a mirror — looks defiant, menacing, and threatening all at once. And this is what his minions want to be president? Scary.

— Martha Dolciamore, Soquel