Letters to the editor | Monday, July 13, 2020: Modesto mayor panders to political base
Modesto mayor doesn’t get it
Thank you to the Modesto City Council for listening to our community and sticking with the proposed budget instead of caving to the mayor’s inaccurate fear-mongering. His unwillingness or inability to listen to (City Manager) Lopez, other council members, and (Police) Chief Carroll about MPD staffing levels, related costs, and how it effects the city’s other departments’ abilities to function was distressing. He does not seem to plan on listening to his colleagues or his constituents. I plan on finding a new mayoral candidate to vote for in November since it is obvious the current mayor is afraid of his constituents.
When the budget improves, instead of hiring more officers as some mentioned, please distribute the money to other departments like Public Works and I.T.
Nick Donegan, Modesto
Special interests ogle Wood Colony
A letter by the mayor of Modesto to residents in Wood Colony states that the City Council is committed to hearing our opinion before it acts on Urban Limit Lines. How can that be, since I live in the heart of the south portion of these proposed lines and I have never been asked my opinion or received the letter?
My neighbors to the west got a personal visit from one of the land investors pushing this proposal. Now the line has been drawn on the west side of their property. Does their newly acquired support trump my voice or the fact that my family has farmed this land for more than 70 years?
There are new voices asking the city to slow down and do their due diligence. The editors of The Modesto Bee spell out very fair and logical reasons to do so. LAFCO has also said the same. I hope the full council will not vote to put this on the November ballot. Right now this has the appearance of special interest groups who have the mayor’s ear. This should not be how a city is governed.
Joel Richards, Modesto
Just cover your face
Trumpers, you’ve had a few weeks to express your love of the First Amendment and twist it into an excuse not to wear a mask. Time to put on your big-boy clothes and apologize to the rest of us for rendering our sacrifices meaningless and extending our reopening dates. Put on a mask and help save the country.
The rest of us need to organize, mobilize, and vote out every Republican in all levels of government, beginning with our city council and board of supervisors. In this time of upheaval and reaffirmation of our values, we have a mayor that will not disavow a candidate’s xenophobic posts, and a board that tried to open up early.
There are reasons Stanislaus County is now a hot spot. We’ve done a good job statewide holding the Republicans at bay. But locally we have our own Republican hot spot and that must change. If you value brotherly love, if you respect the environment, vote straight Democrat in November. Teach your children how democracy can work.
James McGrath, Modesto
Profound failure of leadership
Presidential historians have stated that Donald Trump’s legacy will be his fascination with conspiracy theories and misinformation. I believe his legacy will be his utter incompetence and unique ability to make any situation worse.
For example, Trump believes the failed mercantilist ideology that trade deficits are bad. Therefore he enacted a punitive tariff on goods from a select country. The cost of these tariffs is ultimately borne by US consumers in the form of higher prices.
Trump believes tax breaks would further stimulate the economy. However, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service stated that Trump’s tax cuts “produced no increase in wages or capital investment.” They did, however, add billions to our national debt.
A global pandemic threatens the economical and physical health of our country. Trump ignores our scientists, while spewing flat-out lies.
And finally, a long-overdue discussion on racial injustice is taking place. However, Trump has remained bunkered in the White House, while using code words to fan the flames of racism.
These are profound failures of vision and leadership. Sadly, when Trump leaves office, we really will need to “make America great again.”
Christopher C. Doll, Salida