Letters: It’s up to all of us to get tough on crime

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Getting tough on
crime requires buy-in

Re: “State vows to get tougher on crime” (Page A1, Jan. 1).

The story is correct about describing how most of us feel about property crime and the lack of attention it previously received.

The passing of laws and propositions without the cooperation of the police, prosecutors and the courts will not accomplish anything.

Offenders must be held accountable and that requires that the courts give appropriate consequences and set appropriate bail when an offender has a sufficient record and continues offending. Thus far, especially in misdemeanor cases, this has not been the practice.

Many offenders have substance abuse problems. Drug treatment courts save lives. In order for them to work, offenders must be brought to court and given a choice to participate or face other consequences that they might feel are less desirable.

If we want safer communities, we must take stronger action.

Eugene Hyman
Los Altos

Labels offer first move
to break alcohol’s grip

Re: “Surgeon general warns of alcohol” (Page A1, Jan. 4).

I was heartened to read that the surgeon general is calling for warnings on alcohol products about the risk of cancer. Quite frankly, this has been long overdue.

While I respect the right of everyone to choose whether or not they would want to imbibe alcohol, I strongly believe that providing relevant information to consumers is very important. It is high time we begin taking measures to combat the threat of alcohol on our youth and to fight against the idea that somehow alcohol is an integral part of our culture. No need here to remind everyone of all the harm that alcohol can cause and has caused to our society. Yet, we as a society continue to promote the consumption of alcohol.

I see this proposal as a welcome first step toward breaking the stranglehold alcohol has on our youth and on all of us. Kudos to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

Myokyaw Myint
San Jose

Band story is positive
start to new year

Re: “Japan band excited about big day” (Page B3, Jan. 1).

Thank you for running the article covering the Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School Green Band preparation for the Rose Bowl Parade in your Jan 1 edition. It was a perfect news item to help ring in the new year.

Like the band itself, the story was positive. It was a welcome departure from the polarizing and divisive drumbeat that often passes for news. The dedicated members, teachers and staff of the Kyoto Tachibana band are to be commended. They bring joy to the world, smiles to countless faces and make us all better. Their effervescent spirit, animated performance and beautiful music are the product of high standards, hard work and practice, a wonderful message for the new year.

Brent Jones
Santa Clara

Fight oversized vehicles
with laws on the books

Re: “Plan addresses oversized vehicles” (Page B1, Nov. 18).

San Jose has an Oversized and Lived-In Vehicle Enforcement program to help address the environmental and safety issues of oversized, lived-in vehicles. One of the suggestions is to install permanent parking restrictions at select locations. But for RVs, San Jose is not currently enforcing the parking restrictions it already has.

A good example is an RV that parked outside my house a month ago in downtown San Jose, a block away from Lowell Elementary School. This area has Residential Permit Parking and was recently designated an Illegal Encampment Abatement Area. But after reporting the RV and its leaking sewage, the city told me that “most investigations do not result in the vehicle being towed,” and nothing has been done.

Mayor Matt Mahan has been touting ”back to basics.” Why isn’t he getting the ordinances we already have on the books enforced?

Matthew Hall
San Jose

As Trump takes office,
remember Jan. 6

For the last four years, Donald Trump used the “Big Lie” propaganda technique to exploit the gullible into believing that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol wasn’t an insurrection.

As Trump returns to office those misguided souls would do well to remember the words of Voltaire: “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

John Fioretta
San Jose

Host of problems built
on housing scarcity

Re: “‘Bedroom community’ residents pay a price” (Page A1, Jan. 5).

Luis Melecio-Zambrano’s article on the choices people make to find affordable housing was excellent but missed important points.

People in north Santa Clara County and south Santa Clara County who own houses and have lived in them for decades are the first to blame traffic on new housing in their communities. What they do not want to confront is that the traffic they are experiencing in their communities is mostly coming from communities several towns away by people using Waze or other apps to find faster routes to jobs many miles from their homes.

While it is true that cities do not have sufficient revenue to provide public safety and other needed services to residents, it is the developers and purchasers of the new homes that are paying far more than their share of the costs with impact fees and property taxes.

Thomas Scott
Morgan Hill