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We must better managebridge emergencies

Re: “Richmond-San Rafael Bridge reopens Saturday morning after emergency” (Page B8, July 23).

There has to be a better way to handle the 19-hour Richmond-San Rafael Bridge standoff Friday and Saturday. Officials must find a better way to resolve mental health issues on bridges.

One must consider the hundreds who were held hostage while officials attempted to resolve one person’s issue. Consider the issues of those held hostage against the person with the mental health crisis.

Is there no way to safely open one lane? Is there no way to safely incapacitate the person in crisis?

This should not be allowed to happen again.

Linda QuickWalnut Creek

Native landscapescan help pollinators

Anyone with a bit of lawn or garden can help restore plummeting numbers of birds and butterflies by Planting Native Plants.

It’s a fun neighborhood project: Work with friends and neighbors to create “pollinator pathways” by planting native plants to encourage birds and butterflies. Replace plants you aren’t fond of, remove some lawn, add natives in pots and window boxes.

This fall will be a great time to start. Natives use less water and require no fertilizers or insecticide sprays. Most importantly, they are needed by caterpillars, which produce butterflies and feed baby birds who require many thousands of caterpillars for one nest.

Calscape.org is an excellent source of information on native plants, including size, water and sun requirements, nurseries that carry them and the number of caterpillars supported by each. Bringingbackthenatives.net has virtual tours of and talks about native plant use in landscaping.

Carol GarbersonLivermore

Why do we avoidpopulation-climate link?

Every day, stories about the highest-ever temperatures, vanishing coral reefs and forests, but not a word about the cause, overpopulation.

UN studies show animals raised for meat and dairy produce more greenhouse gas than all the world’s cars, trucks, buses, trains, planes and ships combined.

Not a word about revising our antiquated, agrarian tax code from when more babies meant more hands to work the family farm and half of all children did not survive past age four. 

Why the blackout on these overarching issues?  Every nation with a declining birthrate enjoys higher GDP per capita.

Mike ScottWalnut Creek

Political money isgraft, not free speech

Re: “Ninth Circuit overturns political fundraising ban for local government employees” (July 19).

In every other developed country in the world giving money to politicians is the highest form of corruption; in the United States it is unlimited and the obvious reason why politicians carry out the interest of who pays them, not who votes for them.

Calling this “free speech” is the dumbest, most false argument ever. I understand the dishonesty of the right wing which pursues its plutocratic goals, but it’s pathetic that the media accept it as a legitimate point.

Roberto GarutiWalnut Creek

To defeat Trump, wemust vote for Biden

An open Letter to Greens and Progressives:

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Some of you are encouraging left-wing and progressive third-party candidates for the presidency. Do that and you help re-elect Donald Trump.

Joe Biden is the only thing standing between you and a Trump White House. Is ideological purity more important than that? Remember, in 2016 Green Jill Stein unintentionally helped elect Trump, and in the year 2000, progressive crusader Ralph Nader did the same with Republican George W. Bush. (Left-leaning Independent Nader got over 90,000 votes in Florida, which Democrat Al Gore lost by 500 votes, giving both that state and the presidency to Bush.)

Nader said to “vote your conscience.” What’s worth more, your conscience or your country?

Michael SteinbergBerkeley