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Article out of step
with housing crisis
Re: “I don’t know how we got so lucky” (Page A1, Dec. 2).
I am disgusted by the Mercury News’ feature on buying a house in the Bay Area.
Most recently you featured a family that bought a home in Cupertino for almost $4 million. The article talked about how they suffered because their Menlo Park home wasn’t everything they wanted, and they were determined to buy a home that met all their needs — in a good school district, with a big yard for their dog, home offices for their work-from-home tech jobs, and how awful it was that it took two years to buy what they had their hearts set on.
In comparison, we see almost daily news articles about the thousands of Bay Area families who are homeless or desperate to find an affordable home to rent or buy, and those who don’t have enough money to buy food and medication.
Sharon Jones
Mountain View
Front-page space could
have been better used
Re: “I don’t know how we got so lucky” (Page A1, Dec. 2).
Is this article worthy of front-page news? How many people in the Bay Area cannot afford a $3.7 million price tag on a house?
Most of us cannot afford to live in a quiet, wooded area with plenty of space. Was it necessary to rub your readers’ noses in this story? We already know how difficult it is to buy a home in the Bay Area.
We would be better served if your reporting focused on the ever-increasing need to obtain affordable housing or improving mass transit (BART delays) that would allow others to acquire more affordable housing.
Mary Ann Ramirez
San Jose
AI features should
be firmly regulated
Re: “Apple readies more conversational Siri in bid to catch up in AI” (Nov. 22).
With AI becoming more prevalent with each passing year, tech companies are further putting people at risk. As of right now, AI is being woven into every facet of online interface without proper public consent.
There is currently no way to opt out of most AI features, even in cases of simple Google searches. Data mining is rampant, especially from online artists, without any compensation or accountability from tech companies.
AI is also projected to consume millions of gallons of our water in order to cool the machines that run it. In a time of environmental crisis, it’s crucial that we keep communities safe by protecting our water supply.
Unfortunately, AI will not be going anywhere in the near future, but we as consumers can boycott these projects until there is proper data protection, user copyright laws and environmental regulations against AI.
Sam Laurence
San Jose
Hunter Biden pardon
is right thing to do
Re: “Biden’s pardon of Hunter only strengthens hatred of ‘swamp’” (Page A6, Dec. 3).
Bret Stephens’ essay proposes that Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter shows Biden’s “mendacity, political hypocrisy, naked self-dealing.”
Ah yes, how far better to turn his only remaining son over to a Trump-dominated Justice Department. Remember, his oldest son, Beau, died as a consequence of his service to our country. Are we now expecting Joe Biden, after his many sacrifices, to give up on Hunter?
Even God himself only gave up one son. Enough.
Laura Mello
Milpitas
Biden’s pardon of son in
line with other pardons
Re: “Biden’s pardon of Hunter only strengthens hatred of ‘swamp’” (Page A6, Dec. 3).
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I vehemently disagree with the op-ed by Bret Stephens. Joe Biden’s pardon is certainly in line with previous pardons and actions by then-President Trump, including the pardon of his son-in-law’s father.
One thing is clear, Hunter Biden was used to attack the president. Political adversaries dragged his name everywhere, before every possible committee, until it became the Biden crime family. But there was no family crime. There was no proof and no charges except for Hunter’s indiscretions. If not for his name, Hunter’s case likely would have never made it to the courts at all.
The president was correct to apply a political solution to the politically motivated circus. If this troubles you, how will you react should Trump pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists?
Mark Grzan
Morgan Hill
