Public transit

So, our public transit system is in desperate need of billions of dollars to upgrade all of our existing “fleets.” Pleas from mostly Democratic senators and union officials have fallen on deaf ears of our Democratic governor, as he is so busy getting his revised downward budget ready for next year. When approached, our governor merely brushed the senators and union officials off with a vague pledge “to work on the problem, later.” Wow.

Solution: Governor, stoop funding the “Bullet Train” to nowhere, and use those funds where they will do the citizens the most good. Can you just imagine how many desperately needed projects could have been accomplished if we hadn’t wasted billions and billions of our taxpayer dollars over all the years on this useless project, and yet not 12 inches of track has been laid after all these years?

— James McKellar, Arcadia

Incarceration

A recent article covering the mandate for numerous prison closures included interesting data pertaining to operations at levels below capacity, and incarceration rates. What it did not include is corresponding correlation with crime rates. This is extremely important, because if a decline in incarceration cannot be directly correlated with reduced crime rates, we can be certain that our cities and neighborhoods are more dangerous. If favorable data of this nature was available, I am sure it would be highlighted to justify the benevolent release and rehabilitation policies. The fact of the matter is our communities are more dangerous. Does the data show people feel safe utilizing public transportation? Clearly not the case.

— Tim Woodington, Glendora

The past

Re “Biden speaks out against ‘antisemitic bile’” (May 18): Why are we astonished that so many Americans hate Jews? Aren’t they just following an established tradition of anti-Semitism?

As we all know, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt designated Dec. 7, 1941 a “day of infamy” after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

Another day of infamy, in my opinion, was June 6, 1939, when a committee of passengers aboard the MS St. Louis fleeing from Nazi Germany addressed a telegram to President Roosevelt asking for help to save the 907 Jewish passengers, “of which more than 400 are women and children.”

FDR never acknowledged that request, and when the vessel returned to Europe, the Nazis sent those Jews to their death camps. Hitler, of course, was ecstatic with the American president’s unwillingness to save 907 Jews.

To him, it was proof positive that the U.S. didn’t want the Jews any mor than he did.

At that time many believed that God sent Hitler to punish the Jews for not accepting Jesus as their Savior.

It only proves how right William Faulkner was: “The past is never dead; it’s not even past.”

— David Quintero, Monrovia

The big lie

Two and a half years and still no accountability for Donald Trump! Just imagine someone commits an act of treason, our democracy is threatened, lives are thrown into chaos and our Department of Justice has nothing to say except “everyone responsible for Jan. 6 will be held accountable.” Garland should have added sometime in the far distant future! Trump is already well on the way to rebuilding the Republican Party around his big lie. He is purging the GOP of critics and installing loyalists in key state positions. And he is inspiring GOP-state legislatures to enact election sabotage laws to rig congressional election results. Failure to hold Trump accountable for what he has done will pose a far greater risk for American democracy, permanently entrenching distrust in our election system and legitimizing future battles and provoking repeated rounds of violence. The sooner Trump is held accountable for his criminality, the safer American democracy will be.

— Richard A. French, Pasadena

The stratotanker

I read with great interest Jeff Horseman’s article on the stratotanker on the front page May 31. I flew several times as a KC-135 spotter in the Air Force during the 1960s. The refueling experience was overwhelming to say the least! A huge salute to all the terrific military folks, in the air and on the ground!

— Jerry Selby, Pasadena