The real world in contrast to Keeley’s version of SC

I wish I lived in the same city as Mayor Fred Keeley’s fantasy world. In my world, a transient is continuing to live in front of my family members’ house despite reporting to the city about it. In certain areas of the city they tolerate this behavior. Upper Westside or City Hall, I don’t think so.

While he was in the parking lot of Trader Joe’s recently my son was grabbed and screamed in his face by an insane druggy. He was lucky the lunatic let him go and wandered off. I know if he was hurt there would be no justice. The private security working the lot are no match for the horde of miscreants hanging out on the mayor’s beautiful Riverwalk openly drinking and drugging daily. A real no man’s land at night.

So glad a regressive soda tax and student housing downtown will save us. Where can I get these rose-colored glasses you seem to be wearing, mayor, where everything looks so good?

— George McCombie, Santa Cruz

Rail bank rail corridor for modern throughway

While the RTC pursues its laughable public input campaign promoting a pointless passenger train, the real issue is we need to rail bank the rail corridor between Santa Cruz and Watsonville so that we can build an affordable, wide, safe, continuous and environmentally sound throughway over the existing rail bed at a fraction of the cost of what the RTC is doing now (constructing the trail next to obsolete tracks.) And we can do it much sooner because of fewer constraints like concrete retaining walls, fences and enormous earthworks.

Mike Rotkin and Andy Schiffrin are longtime RTC commissioners that should be termed out. They continue to hold onto the archaic notion that a fixed rail system is the future of Santa Cruz County transportation. Moving large amounts of people along the corridor should incorporate technologies that are just coming on line — autonomous platforms that can pick up varying amounts of people at their doorsteps and drop them off at their place of work. A train will never be able to do that.

Rail bank the corridor for Pete’s sake!

— David Smith, Santa Cruz

Time to do something about Trump’s actions

Are you feeling worried, stressed and angry about what Mr. Trump is doing to our beloved country?

I’ve been feeling that way for nine years, and I have a partial solution.

Gary Patton (former supervisor of Santa Cruz County) made a speech a few years ago, which I condensed into this quote: “Action creates hope.”

It doesn’t solve the problem, but it helps you feel better at least.

It’s time to DO something.

Since World War II, our democracy has been the envy of the world, and our standard of living has been consistently rising. That is over (as we will see in the coming months) and now we have to fight just to preserve freedom of speech and the rule of law.

— Don Eggleston, Aptos

Cruel attacks on cancer research hit home

The Trump administration just released its FY26 budget, proposing a $17.5 billion or about 37% cut to the National Institutes of Health, which includes the National Cancer Institute.

“Two out of every five Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.” I’m one of them. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer in 2023. There aren’t a lot of advocates for this disease because we don’t live long enough. The vast majority of all biomedical research funding comes from the federal government. I am devastated about what these cuts will mean for the researchers and more importantly, what this will mean for patients.

Who thinks this is a great idea? Cancer doesn’t know or care who you voted for. Anyone can and does get sick. Stop this cruel, incomprehensible attack on cancer research.

— Myra Eastman, Live Oak

Parade: Trump needs to get military facts straight

The Continental Army was disbanded in 1784, after its great win in the Revolutionary War with our now friends, the Brits. It was replaced in 1784 by what is now known as the U.S. Army.

But enjoy your parade, at whatever costs the already overburdened American citizens carry.

— Art Bray, Felton