State must prioritize protecting the coast

Re: “Coastal panel hit by right and left” (Page A1, March 23).

Protecting the California coast used to be a priority for our state government. Not anymore. For over 50 years, the Coastal Commission and environmentalists have tried to keep sprawl from beaches and oceans, and we have all benefited from this access. Previously, more conservative federal governments have tried to take away protections, and we’ve fought against oil wells, pipelines, power plants and military base incursions along the shoreline. Now, however, our own left-leaning California government is so obsessed with overpopulating and overdeveloping the state that they are willing to roll back environmental protections and lessen support for the Coastal Commission.

We don’t need Miami-like high-rise towers, over-developed malls and private beaches. We don’t need millions of more people and their associated infrastructure. It is time to strengthen environmental laws, stop overbuilding and lessen the impact of previous zoning mistakes that allowed development in inappropriate places — like coastal areas.

— Tina Peak Palo Alto

Trump’s economic agenda is the same GOP failure

Re: “Trump’s agenda aims to boost the economy” (Page A6, March 19).

I’m compelled to respond to the notion that Donald Trump’s agenda aims to boost the economy. Trickle-down economics, which grants tax breaks to businesses, has been tried before with underwhelming results.

These tax breaks often don’t translate to job creation, but instead further enrich the wealthy. We give away substantial tax breaks, only to receive minimal economic growth in return.

A more effective approach would be to tax the wealthy and invest in supporting those who need it most. This aligns with the values of empathy and kindness that are central to Christianity.

Let’s focus on creating an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

— Ann Morrison, Menlo Park

The MAGA economy is only for the rich

The cornerstone of Republican economics they say is to balance the budget. To this end, Elon Musk and Donald Trump have cut subsidies for affordable housing and fresh food for school meals, with the elimination of SNAP cards and SSI not far behind. Additionally, DOGE has laid off tens of thousands of workers and shut down countless programs that aid the general public.

It’s worth noting here that despite all their posturing, the GOP hasn’t balanced a budget since Dwight Eisenhower in 1960 and Trump in his first term ran up $7.8 trillion in debt.

The GOP still believes that if you give the wealthiest Americans big tax breaks and government subsidies, eventually their wealth will filter down to our poorest. Unfortunately, this has never worked, so instead, we’ve wound up with a grotesque gap between rich and poor.

Don’t be fooled. MAGA has nothing to do with Making All of America Great Again.

— Bob Parker, San Jose