Letters: Put fire safety focus on neighborhoods, not backcountry

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Focus fire safety
on neighborhoods

Re: “Landmark study gives pathway to fire safety” (Page A1, Sept. 7).

The front-page story from Sept. 7 underscores an important truth: California’s wildfire strategy must evolve.

As catastrophic fires become an annual reality, our leaders must prioritize protecting lives and homes — not remote wilderness areas. Scientific evidence continues to show that thinning forests in distant backcountry areas does little to shield communities from fast-moving, wind-driven wildfires. Instead, resources should be redirected toward proven measures: defensible space around homes, ember-resistant building materials, community wildfire preparation and local fire mitigation efforts. Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders must recognize that the frontlines of wildfire defense are neighborhoods, not remote ridgelines.

Every dollar spent thinning forests far from people is a dollar not spent making our communities safer. Californians deserve a fire strategy rooted in science and focused on safeguarding people, homes and communities. Let’s stop pretending that backcountry thinning is the answer and start investing where it truly matters — at home.

Jennifer Normoyle
Hillsborough

Country can’t afford
Trump immigration plan

Re: “Letter misses the big picture on immigration” (Page A6, Sept. 12).

In 1994, I voted for Proposition 187 for some of the arguments Fred Gutmann makes, mainly over the disproportionate financial impact illegal immigration had on local government services. My views have since changed.

Half of California’s agricultural workers are illegal and probably a high percentage in agricultural sectors throughout the country. That goes for landscaping, hospitality, restaurants, construction and house cleaning jobs Americans won’t do. Farmers are unable to attract domestic labor to do difficult field work for even $30 an hour. Deporting millions of law-abiding, hard-working illegals will not get Americans to take jobs immigrants do.

Immigration has contributed to making the U.S. one the most productive economies. Concern over the negative balance of payments requires a deeper grasp of economics and an understanding that rising prices and lower economic output will be the result of the Trump administration’s misguided immigration policy.

Warren Seifert
Gilroy

Isolationism won’t
make nation great

Re: “Trump’s policy temporarily blocked” (Page B1, Sept. 13).

In the 1930s, Franklin Roosevelt understood that America could not retreat behind its borders in the face of fascism, economic collapse and totalitarianism. He built a framework of alliances and institutions that safeguarded both national well-being and global stability.

Today, the challenges are different but no less urgent, as climate change, pandemics, failed states, nuclear proliferation and AI all transcend national boundaries. Yet, current proposals adopt isolationist instincts, ignoring Roosevelt’s lesson: Interdependence is security. Ronald Reagan, though different in style, also embraced internationalism, free trade and strong support for allies as central to America’s leadership.

Retreating now would not make us safer; it would leave us vulnerable to the very forces that thrive in fragmentation. America’s strength has always come from engagement with the world through leading, partnering and building. To forget that is to risk both our prosperity and our security.

Akeem Mostamandy
San Jose

Congress is allowing
Trump to overrule them

I am flummoxed. A majority of U.S. senators and representatives voted to approve each of the appropriations that the president is cancelling. He is one person overriding decisions about how our tax dollars should be spent, negating the decisions of a majority of members who represent us.

Each of these appropriations was thoroughly vetted. One or more Congress members proposed each one, each was debated in one or more committees, sent to both the Senate and House, debated, passed and sent to the sitting president, who signed them.

Were a majority of our Congress members (voted into office by thousands of us) wrong in hundreds of decisions? That would indicate that they had terrible judgment. If our elected representatives’ decisions are what we taxpayers want, why is Congress allowing President Trump to overrule them?

Susan Swope
Redwood City

U.S. must not enable
Mideast forever wars

Re: “Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar shocks Gulf allies, tests U.S. ties” (Page A4, Sept. 10).

The United States should stop enabling the “forever wars” in the Middle East.

Against the advice of Israel’s esteemed intelligence service, the Mossad, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the Air Force to bomb a residence in Qatar, a U.S. ally. The objective was to kill the top Hamas leadership. Although many were killed, most, if not all, the leadership survived. Mossad had advised against this because they were hopeful that Qatar would continue to assist us in establishing a ceasefire and perhaps a more lasting peace.

Apparently, Hamas was considering a ceasefire proposal as the bombs fell. Let’s hope Qatar continues to allow us to maintain our largest military base in the region, even though we have violated their sovereign territory.

Gary Latshaw
Cupertino

Brazil has right tactic for
convicted ex-president

Re: “Brazilian court panel sentences Bolsonaro to 27-plus years in prison” (Page A4, Sept. 12).

The former president of Brazil was just sentenced to over 27 years in prison for attempting a coup.

Our former president did the same, ending in an insurrection, and how did we punish him? By electing him president again, what else? Seems to me there is something wrong with this picture.

Katie Dent
Sunnyvale