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State can lead nation
from political trickery
It is sad, but arguably necessary, that California is getting down in the muck of promoting gerrymandering for political gain.
Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming special election, California does have the opportunity to take the high ground here. According to Pew Research, most Democratic and Republican voters are against gerrymandering.
Some alternative approaches:
• Senate Bill 3750, “Redistricting Reform Act of 2024,” addresses the issue through proposed law. Currently dead, but it could be revived.
• Constitutional amendment by Congress, but that’s realistically a difficult path.
• Constitutional amendment by state convention — an amendment to be introduced by a two-thirds vote of state legislatures. Mobilizing public opinion and support would be key to success.
However difficult this task may be, California could provide leadership and advocacy. Let’s lead the national dialogue away from political shenanigans and toward ethical and moral democratic practices.
Charles Beach
Walnut Creek
California must block
democracy’s destruction
What if, during the midterm elections of 2026, one side cheats and one side doesn’t? What if the side that cheats wins and the side that doesn’t lose?
Well, at least the losers will have the benefit of knowing that they lost the right way, while the side that cheated will comfort themselves with the knowledge that they now control the government and can write whatever laws they want, certain that their friends on the Supreme Court will support them as they destroy democracy and enrich themselves and their friends.
Nothing is more important than blocking the destruction of American democracy. Lose it once, and it’s gone forever.
Michael Steinberg
Berkeley
Prop. 50 is only route
to fair midterms
I am intrigued by the opposition to Gov. Newsom’s move to redraw districts in California. I am wholeheartedly in favor of the nonpartisan commission under most circumstances, but these are “unprecedented” times. (I’m so sick of that word.) If California voters are willing to “obey in advance,” then we will indeed have a dictator given more and more power by a Congress that consists of a majority of flunkies.
The only possibility of a fair midterm election for House representatives is if this ballot measure is passed and implemented. The money behind those ads and pamphlets against this measure is totally provided by wealthy Republicans, and the message is being spread by groups who can’t admit the situation we are in right now.
Face it, voters — this is not the America we thought we lived in. Extreme measures are needed to try to right the ship.
Marian Bruns
Newark
Redistricting is our
only weapon in fight
So, if I have this straight, according to some writers, Donald Trump can lob a nuclear bomb into the 2026 election, and we’re supposed to just hide under our desks and pretend that nothing has changed — nothing to see here?
The folks espousing this stance are either totally clueless as to Trump’s sinister march toward dictatorship, don’t care or have signed on to the lunacy of Laura Loomer and other MAGA compatriots.
California didn’t start this democracy-hating process; Trump did. We cannot afford to lay down our only weapon — Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan. We cannot afford to stomp around in a state of high dudgeon while Trump and his comrades crush our democracy. We must vote for the redistricting plan and take back the House. Then, if we survive as a country, we can fix it later.
Rosie Sorenson
Richmond
Science, humanity offer
ways to live with wolves
Re: “We can coexist with predators. Why kill them?” (Page A8, Aug. 3).
Peter Kareiva, former director of UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, wrote an enlightening article for us to learn about living with wolves successfully.
When we’re not driven by fear, we realize we need wolves for the valuable “ecosystem services” they provide. In Yellowstone Park, we learned that lesson: In the 1900s, wolves were killed off to a population of zero. With the top predator gone, major disruptions for other wildlife, plants and the health of the ecosystem developed. Wolves were then successfully reintroduced in Yellowstone, starting in 1995, through a wolf recovery program.
We don’t have to repeat the costly and inhumane mistakes of the past. Managing wolf populations with scientifically based and humane methods requires cooperation between all parties and wise investment of public funds. We know how to do that through solutions that protect both ranchers and wolves.
Deborah Livingstone
Fremont
Recycling can keep
planet safe, healthy
My name is Maxwell, and I’m a 9th-grader at Hayward Twin Oaks Montessori School. I’m writing to you about recycling, which is an important issue because recycling is good for the environment. A lot of people waste materials such as bottles, cans, glass and cardboard. Instead of throwing these things out, we can use recycling bins. When we recycle, these types of materials can be reused.
The problem is that Earth has limited resources. When we reuse materials, we are saving the planet. One thing we can do is make sure that schools have recycling bins. We can also make sure students collect and reuse cans, bottles and cardboard for projects.
Thanks for your time. Let’s keep our planet safe and healthy.
Maxwell Yiu
Castro Valley