Letters: Newsom stunt | Straining taxpayers | Interested in Putin | Advertising hypocrisy | Paying their share

East Bay Times Letters to the Editor for Feb. 20, 2024

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CHP deployment
another Newsom stunt

Re: “Details unclear on CHP role as city’s new crime fighters” (Page A1, Feb. 13).

This is clearly another political stunt by Gov. Gavin Newsom in an effort to show that he is tough on crime and trying to do the right thing.

In reality, this plan is three years too late (we needed it during the 2020 George Floyd riots). No one seems to know how the CHP officers will be used to combat the excessive crime and how they can efficiently and effectively integrate with the Oakland Police Department.

Another phony, lackluster effort by Newsom. He ruined San Francisco, ruined our once beautiful state and continues to fail us at every turn. Here is an idea: Enforce all the laws on the books, get rid of cashless bail, prosecute every criminal for every crime, and be willing to put and keep the criminals in jail.

David Ott
Pleasanton

Trump more interested
in Putin than the U.S.

There are many reasons to rule out Donald Trump as being worthy of once again being President — more reasons than this space allows.

Trump recently indicated that he had warned NATO allies who did not spend enough on their own militaries that he would not come to their defense if Russia attacked them. Trump further added that he would “encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want” against them.

While not ignoring the multipronged attempt to overthrow a free and fair election, the 91 criminal counts, a sexual assault finding, paying off mistresses while he was married, wanting total immunity while promising “if you come after me, I’ll come after you,” these NATO/Russia comments alone are enough to disqualify Trump from holding our highest office. He is clearly more interested in doing Putin’s bidding than he is in the well-being of the citizens of this country and its formal allies.

Barry Brynjulson
San Ramon

Trump’s NATO comments
advertise his hypocrisy

Re: “Trump’s the one not mentally fit for office” (Page A7, Feb. 14).

So Donald Trump won’t have NATO defend a country that hasn’t met his standard for financial contributions to the organization: “No, I would not protect you. … You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”

This from somebody who habitually stiffs employees, contractors, lawyers; who owes millions in unpaid bills. Do as he says, not as he does.

Merlin Dorfman
Livermore

Top earners pay
more than fair share

Have you heard politicians whose policy is “tax the rich” say “the rich don’t pay their fair share” of income taxes?

The IRS has something to say about that, and in its recently released analysis of personal income tax data covering 1980 through 2021, makes clear that the answer is no — they, in fact, pay way more than their fair share.

The IRS uses Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) as a proxy for how “rich” people are. Taking the 1% of taxpayers with the highest AGI, the IRS reports these few filers paid, in 2021, 46% of all personal income tax money received by the federal government; in other words, a share about the same as the other 99% combined. This is the largest share ever in U.S. history. In 1980, for example, the corresponding figure was only 19%.

I wonder exactly what share these politicians would consider “fair”?

Mike Heller
Walnut Creek