Should we sacrifice for billionaires’ tax cut?

We are all willing to make sacrifices for a worthy cause. The proposed budget will cost you and me more for groceries and doctor’s visits. But billionaires will get another $1.7 trillion tax cut and our nation’s debt will go up $4 trillion. Is that what we should sacrifice for?

When all of us pay our fair share, that’s a worthy cause.

— Stephanie Singer, Santa Cruz

Trump prefers ‘his circle of unmitigated wealth’

Many believe Trump plays the game for personal reasons. Making money (disallowed) for himself and family, eviscerating sectors by replacing highly qualified employees with the inept, the unqualified. They’ll do his bidding, ignoring courts and Congress while bringing hateful vengeance to those who speak of his manifold lies.

In “Citizen Kane,” Mr. Bernstein says: “It’s no trick to make lots of money if all you want is to make lots of money.” That’s who Trump likes, his circle of unmitigated wealth. Uninterested in any good their dollars might do. (Bill Gates propels the betterment of humanity. Others quietly support good causes in a greedy, corrupt world.)

They’re easily spotted. Those refusing to say the 2020 election was fair. Testifying in Congress they answer straightforward questions with rehearsed responses containing nothing new, true, or useful. Department heads tacitly admitting their own absolute, ongoing corruption.

(Is his goal America as a Russian colony?)

— Edgar Ross, Scotts Valley

Address what’s good for all of SC community

Since Fred Keeley has been mayor of Santa Cruz, all I have seen is build baby build, local business shutting their doors downtown, traffic increase on residential streets, crime and drug use.

I’m sure being mayor is a tough job, and I have no objection to building homes for hard-working teachers, firefighters, police and everyone else who wants to make Santa Cruz their home. However, you need to put the brakes on. Families don’t want to live in high-rise boxes.

I’ve been through three droughts, one earthquake, a pandemic, two tsunamis, and numerous other disasters that have hit this area. What’s the plan if we have another drought, fire, and what about traffic, crime and infrastructure? By the way, the city is raising sewer rates. Water will be next, and no end to PG&E rates, taxes, insurance, bonds and maintenance … good luck in lowering rent and housing costs.

Please take a pause, let’s address what is good for the community as a whole, not just the Santa Cruz Warriors, developers and the university.

— Anthony Loero, Santa Cruz

Banned words undermine DEIA priorities

Wow, wow, wow! I sat quietly for hours, contemplating the words banned from federal websites and government-funded school programs. Understandably, it’s common for new administrations to update the language in official communications, but the list of banned words undermines diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) priorities. This anti-DEIA crusade represents illiberal democracy. It’s troubling that words such as “female” and “women” are being banned while their antonyms, “male” and “men” remain untouched.

This is particularly frustrating when the list of banned words advances an ideology that promotes stereotypes suggesting women should be subservient in terms of how they behave, express themselves and interact with men. For fun, I looked up the DEIA words in Microsoft Word’s thesaurus and found that the antonyms are uniformity, injustice, exclusion and inaccessibility.

In response to transitioning to an illiberal democracy, I’m committed to the ideals of civic responsibility. I will continue to practice respect, tolerance and peace. And with hope, I eagerly look forward to celebrating when the next administration announces the unbanning of the list of banned words.

— Sean Livingston, Santa Cruz

Musk should have advised firing entire GOP House

Elon Musk missed the biggest waste and fraud in Washington when he didn’t recommend firing the whole Republican House of Representatives. They do nothing and get paid a lot, not to mention all the insider trading they do.

— Tom Mason, Scotts Valley