Letters to the editor | Sunday, April 19, 2020: Think before attacking millennials on coronavirus

What’s our obligation to the young?

There has been much criticism of younger people for failing to adequately put their lives on hold in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Before we point blame, let’s look at ourselves in the mirror and reflect on our failures to do the same for them. We are leaving them a planet of depleted resources, devastated ecosystems, polluted air and water, and a dangerously unstable climate. Now we demand that they sacrifice their educations, graduations, job hunts, and careers to save our bacon. And of course, they must. But older generations hold no moral high ground here.

Perhaps a gesture of goodwill between generations is in order. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to re-imagine how our economy works. Why does it take a wholesale shutdown of our economy to breathe clean air and reduce carbon emissions? Because our economy, as currently designed, does not adequately account for the costs of pollution and resource depletion.

Let’s fix that. A good start would be the passage of HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. After all this, we certainly owe it to them.

Noah Hughes, Modesto

City Hall did this one wrong

Re “Modesto plans to install bathrooms for homeless” (Front Page, April 13): The parks aren’t closed; they are closed to vehicle traffic. Bike riding, jogging, walking and Frisbee golf continue in the parks.

The bathrooms should have remained open until an alternative option was in place. To expect homeless people to use alleys and other public areas for bathroom needs, which is what the city did, is just plain wrong.

Jim LaGrone, Modesto

Howze is helping underserved

I want to thank Ted Howze for stepping up to the plate to help our community. He is going beyond the call of duty. Ted personally works with his team to hand out free meals and bread. On April 8, Ted and Operation Compassion hosted a massive barbecue and served over 900 free meals to veterans, active military, first responders, healthcare workers and seniors.

Connie Goesch, Modesto

We’re lucky to have Harder

These are definitely difficult times for all of us. We in Stanislaus County are fortunate that our medical workers have stepped up to meet the challenge and that our congressman, Josh Harder, is using his position to create real solutions for the many problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine.

To protect our front-line workers, Josh has demanded that they receive hazard pay and updated safety standards. Josh has also introduced and helped pass the “Paid Sick Leave Credit Act,” now part of the Second Emergency Response Package, to ensure that businesses that pay sick leave will get tax credits as recompense. Josh has introduced the “Universal Coronavirus Vaccine Act” which will allow everyone access to a vaccine, when available, at no cost.

During the crisis, Josh has been holding tele-town halls at least once a week to keep his constituents informed, and is always available by phone or email. He should be commended for concentrating on practical solutions instead of trying to score political points during this difficult period.

Suzanne Autry, Modesto

He cares about only one thing

Donald Trump wants his face in front of a camera and his name on everything. That’s just him at his narcissistic best. Bigger and greater is his motto.

He has his name on buildings, golf courses, jumbo jets, a university, a casino, steaks. His latest self promotion is to have his name printed on the stimulus checks.

While the Cheeto didn’t cause the pandemic, his denial, inaction and misinformation have certainly exacerbated the situation in the United States. In keeping with his self-promotions, COVID-19 should be renamed the Great Trumpademic.

Jim Hoagland, Ripon

Respect your leader, people

As usual, most Sunday letters were against President Trump. Nothing he does will ever be enough to make the haters happy.

After 9/11, I saw what strong Americans New Yorkers are. Governor Cuomo deserves credit, and so does our Governor Newsom. Like President Trump, they put their people first. They both gave Trump credit for giving them everything that they asked for; why can’t you?

We are all Americans and we will be much better off if we put the hate behind us. I am sick of “Orange man bad” and other snarky remarks. I was no fan of President Obama, but he was our president.

We will have an election in November. The Democrats chose their candidate — an old white man. Republicans had no vote there. Thankfully, the Electoral College is still the law of the land.

Gene Dias, Modesto

Conservative writer missed the train

Re “Will socialism follow the virus?” (Page 8A, April 14): Jay Ambrose’s recent column is a reminder that The Modesto Bee isn’t all that particular about what it prints. Or maybe it’s just sad reality that guys like Ambrose are the best that conservatives can offer up. There is little to be learned from these pointless diatribes. He doesn’t even attempt to answer the question in his title.

Ambrose rides the journalistic express, occasionally sticking his head out the window to observe the blur from which he extracts his conclusions. Here are a few of them: “Bernie Sanders wants collective control of the economy;” really blurry. “Sanders wants private property to become public property;” blurrier still. “Sanders wants nationalization of medical care;” Hey, Jay! “Google nationalization.” “Medicare for all is a payment mechanism that leaves infrastructure, hospitals and doctors offices privately owned.”

Ambrose attacks Sanders for saying that literacy improved under Fidel Castro. Our ConManDer-in-chief loves murderous dictator Kim Jung Un. His affinity for brutal dictators is uncontested, many of whom would be offering Ambrose a one-way ticket on another express, straight to the nearest forced labor camp.

Wayne Rutledge Howard, Ceres

Americans love social programs

Re “Will socialism follow the virus?” (Page 8A, April 14): That ship has sailed, Mr. Ambrose. He decries the possibility that socialism is coming to America and will subvert democracy and freedom. Polls show that millennials overwhelmingly favor socialism. He forgets two things: socialism is not a political system — it is an economic one; and, capitalism is not democracy, and socialism need not be dictatorship.

Our society is, and has always been, a mixed system. From the very first bills passed by Congress in 1789, government-funded supports have existed: subsidies for geographic development and public education. The great middle class in America was not built by capitalists — it was the labor union movement, progressivism, and the three most popular pieces of legislation in modern times: Social Security, Medicare and the G.I. Bill of Rights. The truth is we like socialism just fine, if we don’t call it that.

So, let’s take a page from President George H.W. Bush and don’t use the S-word; let’s call it broccoli. After the $3.3 trillion stimulus package passed, we have either gotten broccoli in our checking accounts or we have hands out waiting for our helping of broccoli.

Harold Crumpley, Modesto

China and WHO deserve blame

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) bears full burden of responsibility for this outbreak due to cover up, disinformation propaganda and silencing of whistle blowers. They outright lied. Had they been forthcoming the world would have not suffered as much. The world needs to unite all infected countries, band together and let China know that we are not going to condone their actions. The entire world will enforce sanctions.

The WHO (World Health Organization) is politically influenced by the CCP and is a useless organization due to its inaction. Taiwan notified them weeks earlier of the problem and prepared its country but the CCP instructed the WHO not to listen or act. The CCP’s actions are an act of war against all countries.

Mike Simpson, Modesto

Grocers doing what they can

“Thank you” is hardly enough to express our gratitude to the multitudes of grocery workers who greet us, stock shelves, check us out, help with the groceries to our vehicles, all the while endangering themselves to this awful disease. Thank you for the special hours for seniors and other accommodations you’ve made on our behalf. I personally saw Chuck O’Brien (O’Brien’s Market) and his family unloading trucks and stocking shelves at 6 a.m. so that their customers were served during this crisis. Believe me, he’s not doing this for the money.

Let’s all make sure we remember these unsung heroes and support our local businesses when normalcy returns.

Norman Porges, Modesto

Here’s another good school

Re “St. Stanislaus sets good example” (Letters, April 12): Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School also did an amazing job preparing for and implementing distance learning. The faculty and staff worked tirelessly to provide no interruptions to learning. The teachers have been patient with parents and students alike as we all learn how to navigate distance learning.

These four weeks away from in-school learning have made my children appreciate their school and teachers even more. They can’t wait to return to their friends and teachers at Our Lady of Fatima.

Mara Mullins, Modesto