Letters: Reduce bureaucracy | Extend Medi-Cal | No new laws | Climate damage | Judges’ discretion

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Reduce bureaucracyto tame project overruns

It seems every time we build something for the future there are overruns and costs go up.

San Francisco Bay Bridge 2,500% overrun, the new MTC building in San Francisco, high-speed rail $100 million a mile while France can build it for $20 million a mile. BART to San Jose is not finished, the intersection of 880/101 will cost $1 billion to fix and I am sure it will cost closer to $2 billion, and now Caltrain (“Caltrain electrification now delayed until 2024, and price tag’s going up,” Page A1, June 4).

It’s time to have one San Francisco Bay Area Regional Transportation Agency and none of the existing board members will be on it. The board should be voter-approved and get re-elected every two years. This way if voters do not like you, we can get rid of you. I will not accept that COVID is our new excuse. One wonder if having anything on time and on budget is too much to ask.

Michael McWaltersAlviso

Extend state Medi-Calcoverage for pregnancy

We are OB/GYN physicians working at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center — a county hospital serving a diverse and underserved population in a county with one of the largest socioeconomic gaps in the country.

Many of our patients gain insurance during pregnancy and lose coverage shortly after – just 60 days after giving birth, regardless of any pregnancy-related conditions that require longer follow-up. Losing coverage at this critical juncture puts patients at increased risk for health complications.

We are advocating for our patients by asking legislators to support a California budget proposal to extend Medi-Cal coverage for pregnant people from 60 days to 12 months postpartum. We hope to join states including Illinois and Indiana that have expanded Medicaid coverage to 12 months.

All people merit quality health care, and this budget proposal will allow us to provide our patients with the ongoing care they need and deserve.

Dr. Natalie Egglestonand Dr. Olivia Marik-ReisSan Jose

Stop writing new laws;enforce those we have

When will the citizens of this city, state, and country ever learn? We are told that the zoning laws must be changed because they are not working. The homeless crisis and trash along our streets and freeways are getting worse. Our porous borders are overwhelmed with people from all over the world. The crime rate is soaring, and people who should not have guns drove a record spike in murder.

Our elected officials are telling us that we need to pass more laws. Perhaps the laws and regulations we have are being ignored to the point where we have crises. If our immigration laws are ignored, we have a crisis. When vagrancy laws are ignored, we have a crisis. Refuse to enforce the three-strikes law, we have a crisis.

Elected officials: Stop writing new laws and put energy into enforcement of the laws you already have.

Jay MorrettSan Jose

Carbon dividend couldslow climate damage

And the beat goes on! Thursday’s paper tells us how declining oxygen in lakes is killing fish and causing methane emissions (“Hundreds of lakes in U.S., Europe are losing oxygen,” Page A3, June 3 ). We need to finally put an end to climate change.

The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307) will help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It will provide affordable clean energy. The dividend will put money in the pockets of half of American households. The reduction in pollution will save more than 4 million lives over 50 years. It has been endorsed by 59 members of Congress, including our Rep., Anna Eshoo. Let’s ask Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Ro Khanna to support it, too.

Martin DelsonSan Jose

Give judges moresentencing discretion

This reform of sentencing for accomplices is well worth reevaluating and SB 300 looks to address this problem. The experience of Tammy Garvin as an accomplice, not a perpetrator, is probably not unique (“Reform unjust sentencing for unwitting accomplices,” Page A8, June 4).

Giving judges discretion in sentencing is something that all judges should have available; but is there a judge in the state who does not remember Aaron Persky? He was ridden out of the Santa Clara judiciary, despite following the advice of the county Probation Department and despite support from many other judges.

I have high hopes that individual situations could be weighed in criminal sentencing, but it may require a great deal of courage on the part of any judge.

Jeanette KennedyPalo Alto

Time for maturityto return to GOP

Many of Donald Trump’s faults, lying, bullying, denial, temper tantrums, lack of empathy, etc., can be attributed to his extreme lack of maturity. This immaturity, unfortunately, infected his followers, who found euphoria in their freedom from reality and responsibility.

From the Lord of the Flies insurrectionists of Jan. 6 to the “I won’t eat my vegetables” anti-vaxxers/maskers, and the “I’ll just knock the game off the table if I can’t win” obstructionists in Congress lead by Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Trump and his Republican mob refuse to act like adults.