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Withdrawing support
for Tesla and Musk
To the employees of Tesla, I apologize.
You have made an amazing car. I believed in Tesla and waited in line to put my deposit down on a Model 3 before it was even in production. I believed in the vision of Elon Musk to change the gas-emitting auto industry to electric.
I drove my two Model 3’s for 100,000 miles and loved the car, but I was duped by Musk. I believed he cared for the environment, but now I know he only cared about power and wealth. He is actively dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency and stands by while Donald Trump cuts federal funding for electric vehicles and infrastructure.
Goodbye, Tesla. I sold my Model 3 and bought another wonderful electric vehicle at another dealer. I cannot stand by and show any kind of support for Elon Musk.
Mike Brandy
Walnut Creek
DOGE should turn
its sights on itself
Re: “Trump, DOGE will soon end wasteful spending” (Page A8, Feb. 9).
DOGE, an entity that destroys the most beneficial elements of our government, needs to go.
This purely transactional disaster tries to justify eliminating health care programs, educational support for poor children, and government programs that protect our environment, workplaces and hard-earned benefit programs. The letter writer celebrates actions that are frankly illegal and unconstitutional. It appears that the conservative element of our society has become cruel and favorable to criminals that sacked our Capitol, and will promote the rich over the average citizen who depends on traditional government programs to protect their well-being, provide food to struggling families and keep them healthy.
These programs are not free; they’re funded with the taxes paid by the average citizen. Elon Musk does none of that with his billions. His “wood chipper” is best used on himself and his minions.
Scott and Christina Loeliger
Benicia
DOGE’s indiscriminate
cuts costly to the U.S.
Letter writers have expressed a belief that DOGE will wave a “magic wand” and eliminate all wasteful government spending.
This simplistic thinking might very well remove funding for research that protects our food sources (NIH funding that ensures E. coli is not a part of our lettuce and other food crops), monies to pay U.S. farmers for the corn and grain crops they’ve produced that are sent around the world to feed starving people (USAID), or cutting NOAA (weather) or FAA (air traffic control) funds and personnel with unpredictable, unsafe outcomes.
These kinds of reckless and ill-conceived actions should be halted until Congress — our representatives — are able to weigh in.
Michele Brynjulson
Pleasanton
More than votes needed
to undo Trump’s harm
Re: “Like it or not, Trump is America’s president” (Page A6, Feb. 5).
Christopher Andrus’ recent letter to the editor was very frightening to me.
Yes, Donald Trump is the president, but no, just voting in a new president will not repair the disaster that Trump is stirring up. If you think firing all those people with no warning, stopping aid to desperate people, unilaterally and unconstitutionally trying to revoke birthright citizenship, and declaring that there are only two sexes is “loving thy neighbor,” there really is not much more to say.
Carol Solomon
Oakland
Gutting USAID will cost
us globally, at home
USAID has extended America’s generous hand to the world for more than 60 years. During my 38 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, I worked closely with and depended on the expertise of my USAID colleagues to deliver critical food assistance, fight AIDS and other diseases and help bring conflicts to an end in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. When China is expanding its development activities, the United States must not withdraw from global competition or pull its USAID experts from their assignments in many of the most difficult countries in the world.
The proposal to return the 1,400 USAID overseas employees to the United States in 30 days would gravely damage U.S. national interests, cost the United States $20 million just to get them home, and tear apart the lives of dedicated public servants and their families.
Joseph Sullivan
Walnut Creek
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Nation experiencing
a replay of 1936
Re: “Today in history” (Page A2, Feb. 10).
Did anyone else note the irony regarding the Today in History feature noting that on the same day in history (year 1936), “Nazi Germany’s Reichstag (their legislature) passed a law investing the Gestapo Secret police with absolute authority, exempt from any legal review”?
As Yogi Berra said, it is truly “déjà vu all over again” and should give everyone pause.
Robert Francis
Danville
