Letters to the editor | Sunday, May 31, 2020: GOP leaders don’t want Howze; why should voters?

Howze too vulgar for his party

The Modesto Bee, Politico and The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the racist and xenophobic comments written by Ted Howze, who is running against incumbent Congressman Josh Harder here in District 10.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has deemed Ted Howze too extreme and vulgar to support. The NCRR (National Republican Congressional Committee) has pulled their endorsement. It is critical that our local elected officials — those running for office and municipal agencies — follow suit and publicly denounce Mr. Howze’s beliefs. Mr. Howze is not an acceptable candidate for office here or anywhere else for that matter.

At a time when we are facing uncertainty and economic destabilization, we need moral leadership which will reassure and unite our community. Our leaders must reflect the good American values of integrity, acceptance, and truth.

Susan A. Goodman, Manteca

He doesn’t represent our values

In a series of social media posts from 2017 to 2018, Ted Howze made it abundantly clear how hateful he is.

Howze deleted many abhorrent messages from his social media pages shortly before his first congressional bid in 2018. They speak for themselves.

It is my belief that Howze does not represent our community’s values. To those of you considering voting for Howze this November, and to those public officials who have yet to rescind their endorsements of him, please understand that your choice is no longer between a Democrat and a Republican but between right and wrong. Choose wisely.

William Cooke, Turlock

Brandvold won’t disavow hate

Re “Several local officials withdraw support for candidate Ted Howze” (Page 3A, May 24): I was beyond disappointed to read Mayor Ted Brandvold’s refusal to disavow the hate speak from a radical right congressional candidate, because of Brandvold’s loyalty.

Mayor, what you tolerate, you condone. Clearly you lack the empathy and intellectual and emotional maturity to lead this city another four years.

Larry Bolton, Modesto

Harder’s harmful, blind loyalty

I was stunned to find that Nancy Pelosi submitted a $3 trillion, 1,800-page bill for vote without any floor debate. And further stunned to find Josh Harder voted yes. Josh, how can you vote for a bill that was not debated? How can anyone read a bill that’s 1,800 pages in three days?

Our congressman, Josh Harder, voted for a bill that does not have thoughtful, focused content with broad bipartisan support.

Thomas Cipielewski, Newman

Harder stays focused in pandemic

As a global community we face a situation that has required everyone to change the way they live. Never before in modern history have people been laid off for a pandemic, been told to stay at home, while at the same time they have family and financial responsibilities to consider. Despite this, we have seen good in our community, such as schools working to provide food for students, efforts to keep the homeless healthy, and the hard work of emergency responders.

Some of our local representatives have been working hard to pass needed legislation for Stanislaus County. Congressman Josh Harder has been working with other members of the House to introduce a bill that would allow student loan payments to be deferred for three years. As a senior college student, I know this is an important and needed bill. With the duration unknown, students who cannot work right now are falling behind on payments.

He has also asked the Department of Education to provide more funding for rural schools in our district during this crisis, while some representatives are playing party politics.

Mateo Maldonado, Turlock

Pause to reflect on deity

One benefit of the quarantine is time to think deep thoughts about life, death, and eternity. One realization is that we are all people of faith: faith in God, faith in other paths to heaven, faith in atheism.

There are many who believe in some unknown god. To those searchers, consider whether there is a known god who made the world and everything in it. Consider a god who gives us life and breath, time and history, earth and nature. Would he do this so that we would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us? What if we live and move and have our being, in him?

If this unknown god was going to reveal himself to us, might he enter into nature and do things that are beyond the natural? Might he say amazing truths and perform miraculous deeds like no one had ever said or done before or since? His identity would be proven to everyone by rising from the dead.

Congratulations if you survived the pandemic. The deep question remains: What will I do when death does finally come for me? Ask God.

Ross W. Lee, Modesto

Value in depression-era programs

The American public deserves much more than what we received during this pandemic; 40 million (and climbing) on the dole, 8 million high school and college grads looking for work, an economy on the verge of collapse, thousands still vulnerable to sickness and death, local politicians challenged way beyond their abilities, an infrastructure still in free fall.

Those of the 202 area code, who should be unemployed this November, need only to revisit the WPA/CCC of the Roosevelt era to aid this country and its citizens. The boilerplate for these programs is still available, right out of the great depression. And the program worked.

Today’s roads still need to be repaired and improved, we need homeless shelters, the education system needs to move into the 21st century, the power grid is antiquated. Dams and levees continue to fail all over this country. Clear the debris from the forests and reduce fires, child care centers need to be established, improve the living conditions of the inner cities. There are so many improvements that could be made to this country if those who pretend to be leaders would just lead.

Please remember in November who helped us and who helped themselves.

Rick Kimble, Riverbank

Please don’t sacrifice our health

Recently an anti-Governor Newsom rally was held in Turlock promoted by pro-Trump and State of Jefferson advocates.

The protesters including some children who were not wearing masks. Unhappy with Newsom’s cautious approach to reopen California they demanded that Newsom incorporate a laissez faire philosophy and immediately reopen schools, businesses, and restaurants. They asked, “Who gave Newsom this power to keep California closed?”

It was Trump. Completely overcome by presidential responsibilities and unable to handle the pressure of leadership, Trump gave up. Unable to make a logical presidential decision Trump ceded all the responsibilities of re-opening the states to the governors.

Proceeding with justifiable caution, Governor Newsom laid out a safe, sane, practical return for a new normalcy. Putting our citizens at risk, especially our children, is certainly not a tradeoff any intelligent elected official should or would consider.

There is no political event or rally that could ever sway me to place my children or grandchildren in an unhealthy coronavirus environment solely to make a political point.

Brooks Judd, Turlock

No escape for the abused

During this time of pandemic and “stay-at-home,” there is a topic I’ve either not seen or has not been addressed: Children who want to go to school because their home life is unsafe. Every day, children are neglected and abused. School is their light; for a short time they are treated like people. Those children do not have anyone to speak or look out for them and are now at home all day, every day in an unsafe environment and are helpless. Schools and day cares are no longer able to notice if a child is not safe.

Neighbors or friends, relatives, even strangers — if you see a child you might think is in an unsafe environment, please call the appropriate authorities. Say something to someone who can help. Please don’t put yourself in danger, but take steps to take them out of their danger.

They are just children and deserve to wake up every day without fear of pain or punishment for being born. They should not be forgotten.

Susan Collard, Modesto

Not bad, in comparison

Trump should send a letter of thanks to the president of Brazil. His handling of the virus epidemic makes Trump look good.

Neal Gittleman, Sonora

Some fuzzy pandemic math

Some politicians including President Trump have been comparing COVID-19 deaths out of context. They compare the number of deaths for suicide (48,000), vehicle accidents (40,000), and deaths from the common flu (36,000) as being about the same as those from COVID-19.

The fuzzy math starts when you compare the actual numbers. Yes, 48,000 suicides is tragic, but those numbers are taken from 200 million adults and children. Yes, 40,000 dead from vehicle accidents is also tragic, but those numbers are from 227 million licensed drivers. Again, 36,000 deaths from the common flu is tragic, but that’s from approximately 35 million people in the U.S. who get the flu. COVID-19 deaths are about 57,000 per 1 million. If you were to multiple that by the number who get the flu, the deaths would be 1,995,000. You can’t compare apples to oranges, but that’s what they are doing.

Thomas J. Koehler, Turlock