.LETTERS

THE RULE OF LAW

Although it is a founding principle of our great democracy, many people do not understand what the absence of “The Rule of Law” really means.Because I lived in Guatemala for several years, it means to me that if your car is stolen there is zero possibility that you will get it back. It also means that if you own a business, you must pay “renta” (protection) to the local gang. A big part of the reason that our country is descending into chaos is the lack of respect for our laws. Who is responsible for this? Mostly, our current president, who ignores our laws, and his supporters that, after over 60 lawsuits concurred that Trump lost the 2020 election, continue to believe that the election was rigged. So, if you are one of those folks who believe that the 2020 election was rigged, you are an enemy of our beloved democracy, and I will stand in your way.

Don Eggleston | Aptos

RAIL/TRAIL OVERVIEW

The RTC has a bloated plan that is missing key components and will have to charge a ticket and parking amount that is so high [$21 to $32 per day] in order to cover costs that no one will ride. The rail design is for heavy freight that runs up the cost when there has been no appreciable freight on the present line for years. Where do you park the thousands of cars each day when there are no available spaces today?

This project should be changed to trail only. WHO ARE THE POTENTIAL RIDERS? The present-day traffic on Highway 1 is made up of workers coming from Watsonville to work in the shops and businesses of mid-county and Santa Cruz along with college students. These are the people we are trying to move to our rail system and most of them are low-income or no-income travelers and they cannot afford a break-even rail plan.

The current fare for a Metro all-day pass is $6. The Highway 1 widening project will improve the commute time, especially for buses. So why would a low-income person or student pay over $30 to ride the rail versus ride the bus for $6 which takes the same time to get from Watsonville to Santa Cruz?

Do you really believe that the public will approve a sales tax increase to 12%? I do not and several supervisors do not either.

 Bill Beecher | Aptos

DEFEND FREEDOM

Our democracy is dying. It is being bludgeoned by fascists who care only about power. We have one hope, the same hope that has saved us before: Every American, regardless of party, must stand up and defend freedom. Donald Trump and his sycophants are attempting an armed takeover. Trump has amped up his scare tactics to justify turning our streets into battlefields. Then, by his order, he would pit our U.S. Armed Forces, sworn to support and defend the Constitution, against the very people who believe the same. Statements of solidarity, email petitions or letters to the editor are not enough. It is time to vote in the streets. Show up. Future generations are counting on us to defend the Republic. We are you: your relatives, your neighbors, your fellow countrymen, your fellow humans. We can do this. We MUST do this. We will do this.

Tony Russomanno | Santa Cruz