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Lottery should sharewealth of huge jackpots

Re: “Station sells winning Powerball ticket” (Page B3, July 12).

The Powerball article in today’s Mercury News reveals that the next winner will get an outrageous $725 million, and the record-breaking ticket was worth $2.04 billion.

Think of the number of needy people who could benefit if these wins were to be divided into reasonable amounts — like $1 million each.

Kate BrophyLos Gatos

Restitution will comewith better education

Re: “Task force suggests restitution for slavery” (Page A1, June 30).

Giving some people money and calling it restitution will look good for politicians. Real restitution will take work and money — money better spent on fixing the real problem. The U.S. Department of Education shows 85% of Black students lack proficiency in reading skills.

If one looks at what slaves were deprived of, it was learning to read and write. Real restitution would require the state to bring all students up to proficiency in reading and writing. Math skills should also be included. All resources, tutors, computers, AI, and most importantly higher pay for lower-grade teachers must be employed. If a child does not have basic proficiency and is just passed along to the next grade, they are likely to fall further behind each year with a higher drop-out rate.

A race-based money giveaway will be taxpayer money wasted in court fights, instead of fixing real problems with real solutions.

Jane PowerSan Jose

Little changes criticalin climate battle

Re: “Newsom heralds budget package” (Page A1, July 11).

The $311 billion budget signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom focused on expediting clean energy projects and generating employment opportunities is commendable. However, it also prompts us to reflect on the actions that led us to require such extensive environmental initiatives, as not everyone is fully committed to protecting our environment. A simple observation at Valley Fair highlights this discrepancy: Recyclable materials and non-recyclable waste often end up together, making it challenging to effectively reuse our waste.

It’s crucial for us to come together and revive our planet, but we needn’t wait for sweeping government initiatives. Each one of us can contribute on an individual level, starting with something as basic as properly sorting our trash. By taking the time to ensure that recyclable items are placed in the designated recycling bin, we can make a significant difference.

Let us join forces and embrace our individual roles as stewards of the Earth.

Yiwen GuoSan Jose

Danger of overgrownforests are exaggerated

Regarding: “Are we wrong regarding sequoias, wildfire,” July 11, A7, the observations of Chad Hanson make it clear, the common narrative about “overgrown” forests is exaggerated, and the purported need to thin and, thereafter, manage them with low-intensity fire to “save” them is bogus. Higher-intensity fire benefits sequoia forests and, post-fire, with time and patience, they recover and regenerate.

Hanson’s findings strengthen the argument against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s fear-based, timber-interest-friendly Save the Sequoias Act. Provisions in the bill waive environmental reviews under the guise of a forest “emergency” due to overgrowth. If enacted, the bill will enable hasty, unnecessary, environmentally harmful logging operations that sabotage recovery and regeneration. The act won’t save the sequoias and could hasten the demise of these majestic giants.

How best to describe the bill? Greenwashing. We must all call on our federal legislators to oppose what is really just a timber-interest boondoggle.

Jennifer NormoyleHillsborough

Fireworks enforcementmust begin before July 4

Law enforcement can’t be expected to stop illegal fireworks usage in one night.

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Instead, the only way to begin to stop this is to go after the suppliers. The time for enforcement action isn’t the night of July 4, but rather, in the months before. It would require San Jose to partner with allied agencies in California including the state and federal AGs to aggressively target the suppliers. It has been estimated that the bulk of the illegal fireworks used in California comes from a handful of distributors in Nevada.

Put a huge dent in the illegal supply. That’s the law enforcement side of the equation.

Why be ashamed of our country? It shouldn’t require law enforcement for everyone to respect the “peace and quiet” of everyone else yet we continue to witness the selfish, self-centered behavior of those who have no regard for anyone else.

Jeff LevineSan Jose