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Trump presidency a sign
of a nation in decline
Re: “Trump is sworn in, vows to end ‘America’s decline’” (Page A1, Jan. 21).
The Mercury News headline the day after the Inauguration quoting President Trump’s promise to “end America’s decline” is the irony of all ironies.
He’s a convicted felon, bringing an inner circle with absurdly obvious conflicts of interest and lack of experience to his administration, which perfectly illustrates our decline. Within hours he pardoned the Jan. 6 violent participants, repeated his threats of retribution against his perceived enemies, and openly admitted his plan to take back the Panama Canal by force.
His election is the perfect mascot for the decline of America.
David Wilkins
San Jose
Investors have created
state’s housing crisis
I am sick of reading lies about the housing crisis here in California due to inadequate supply. The only “crisis” we have is one of avarice and selfishness due to the glut of ravenous investors who devour all available property before anyone else has a chance to buy.
After the housing market tanked in 2008 banks refused to negotiate with struggling homeowners to adjust their mortgages because they knew there were hoards of investors ready to scoop up all the forfeited properties. Rampant, uncontrolled investing has decimated our housing market, with 35% of all single-family homes in this state investor-owned. Someone with a spine needs to put a stop to this carnage by mandating owner-occupied housing purchases only. And no foreign investors period.
I can imagine the throngs of vultures currently salivating over the smoking ruins of L.A. The playing field needs to be leveled once and for all.
T.A. Barbella
San Jose
Trump’s inaugural
speech is rambling mess
I made the mistake of reading the text of Donald Trump’s inauguration address.
Its disconnected rambling, ranting and whining is occasionally interrupted by a few words of optimism and aspiration. However, on balance, that address provided strong evidence that its authors and the speaker have extreme difficulty defining a direction and even greater difficulty sticking to a direction.
The speech also includes a number of truly bizarre positions that will have psychiatrists all over the world stroking their beards.
It is sad that a plurality of Americans hired this man when no sensible and responsible employer would have done so after reading this person’s application essay.
But the most inane paragraph has to be: “But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face. While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing in the United States of America.”
George Licina
Santa Rosa
Start of Trump’s term is
MAGA thumb in the eye
Re: “Trump issues sweeping pardon of Jan. 6 rioters” (Page A4, Jan. 21 ).
Donald Trump’s pardoning of Jan. 6 “hostages” created a ready-made, and expanding loyal militia. Hitler had his SS, Mussolini his black shirts, the Ottoman ruler his Janissary, Putin has his Wagner Group, all military groups sworn to protect the ruler.
I question why the Drill Baby Drill hyperbole when we outproduce every country in the world. Trump will try to kill Joe Biden’s climate warming programs by ending electric car support and leaving the Paris Accord. I anticipate moves against Social Security and Medicare in an effort to save enough money to fund an extension of the tax cuts for the super-wealthy.
Seeing Google, Tesla, Meta and the Washington Post all bow to the emperor, and ABC’s court capitulation and payment of $15 million to finance Trump’s campaigns, has shaken many. I was hoping for some opposition, but it won’t come from the Republican rank and file. MAGA is riding high.
David Eisbach
San Jose
Trump as peacemaker
is wishful thinking
Re: “Gaza truce reflects on ‘shining city on a hill’” (Page A6, Jan. 22).
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The perspective taken by Mr. Mostamandy that Donald Trump was responsible for the Gaza peace agreement sounds straight out of social media fantasyland, the notion that world leaders fear the most gullible president they’ve known. Remember the United Nations laughed at Trump 45 when his boasting balloon didn’t fly.
It was President Biden who made an astute choice to include the new administration on the negotiating team to present a united U.S. front. That’s Joe Biden at his best. Months of hard negotiating and battlefield results led to a temporary agreement.
Allen Price
Montara
