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States cited in letter have low unemployment
Re: “GOP Chairman’s anger for workers misdirected” (Page A6, Jan. 14).
A letter writer takes issue with the GOP Chairman of Santa Cruz’s lament that “Gavin Newsom and California Democrats have sabotaged” state legislation that would have eliminated taxes on tips for “low-wage heroes like servers and bartenders.”
Her complaint is that Republicans blocked legislative efforts to raise California’s minimum wage, implying that if Republicans really cared about workers, they would support a higher minimum wage. She lists a group of U.S. states that have no state minimum wage law and thus “take advantage” of low-wage workers. Her question to the chairman: “What do the states on that list have in common?” The states are Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
In case the GOP Chairman in Santa Cruz is too busy to reply, I offer the answer on his behalf. All those states have substantially lower unemployment rates than California.
David Reynolds
Scotts Valley
Trump is moving toward using military on citizens
Re: “Trump sharpens protest rhetoric” (Page A1, Jan. 16).
The ICE secret police are absolutely not patriots; they are nothing but goons and gangsters hired by the Trump-Noem administration to terrorize honest citizens.
Renee Nicole Good was neither a domestic terrorist, nor a corrupt politician nor an illegal immigrant. It is obvious from the video that she was not using her car as a weapon; she was driving way too slowly. Yet she is now dead. Trump has not only bombed Syria, invadedVenezuela, and threatened to bomb Iran again and annex Greenland from Denmark; but he has also effectively declared war against the United States and put boots on the ground to prove his intentions.
And now he threatens us with, via the Insurrection Act, deploying U.S. troops, with his Supreme Court’s and Congress’ blessing.
Thomas Rudolph
Brisbane
Can ICE supporters justify their support?
The most disappointing thing in recent events is not that masked and armed agents are trying to dominate American cities or that a protester was shot three times and killed. No, what’s disappointing is that three different polls show that many Americans (28-38%) support these actions.
Can one of these supporters please write to the Mercury News to explain their support? Is it for law and order? If so, then how do theysupport Donald Trump’s pardon of the Jan. 6 protesters who attacked police defending the Capitol building? Every day, Trump ramps up his lying, bullying behavior, threatening our allies and pushing investigations of those who won’t do his bidding.
After they’ve finished watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” this Christmas season, which America did theywish for, Bedford Falls or Potterville?
Tom Calderwood
Los Gatos
Protesters shouldn’t demonize ICE agents
ICE isn’t the problem. The problem is that federal officers are now operating in cities where they are openly opposed by local leadership. Protests are encouraged, enforcement is politicized and officers are portrayed as villains. That environment raises the risk for the men and women tasked with enforcing the law and raises the risk to the communities that local leadership pretend to protect. This is not about whether you like ICE. This is not about immigration ideology. This is about public safety and the rule of law.
5.2 million were removed or returned during Obama’s presidency; 4.4 million during Biden’s presidency. Why no protests then?
You can debate policy without demonizing the people enforcing it. If leaders can’t do that, they shouldn’t be shocked when chaos follows.
Thomas Ferro
San Jose
Congress must stop Trump’s militarism
RE: “Denmark official: ‘Fundamental’ differences with U.S. over Greenland” (Page A4, Jan. 15).
First Venezuela, now Greenland. Everything the United States wants from Greenland and Denmark, we already have (military bases) or may obtain (rare earth minerals) through mining contracts or treaty. By threatening a NATO ally, Trump endangers the coalition that has (Bosnia aside) kept the peace in Europe for the last 80 years.
When a nation unnecessarily threatens or uses force for territorial or other gain, it violates the rules-based order that replaced the chaos of World War 2. No nation is so strong that it can afford to tout “might makes right.” And someday we all, even the most powerful nation ever, need friends. Congress must act to end Trump’s unlawful and unwise expansionism. History is littered with the bones of hubristic tyrants.
Amy Yee
San Jose
His psychology feeds Trump’s Greenland lust
Controversy swirls around President Trump’s lawful use of military action in Venezuela and even more so with threatened attacks on Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Iran and Greenland. We are not at war with any of the target countries.
Trump, in his latest revenge campaign against critics, has attacked Sen. Mark Kelly and is taking action to try to reduce his rank and pension for stating the U.S. Military Code of Justice requirement that unlawful orders that violate the Constitution are to be refused. Nevertheless, questionable orders have been carried out on the thinnest of pretenses. Trump’s continued threats against Greenland are probably just more bluster, but absolutely under no circumstances could orders to use the military to attack and occupy Greenland be construed to be lawful.
The president’s persistence in the use of military force has come down to his admission that ownership of Greenland is psychologically important for him.
Warren Seifert
Gilroy
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