Letters: Eric Swalwell is a great choice for next California governor

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Swalwell is a greatchoice for next governor

Re: “No Democratic frontrunner giving GOP a chance to win” (Page A6, Dec. 23).

I’ve never had an opportunity to vote for Eric Swalwell. Now that he’s running for governor, I can — and I will. Vote Swalwell.

In 2012, while Swalwell was serving on Dublin’s City Council, he knocked off 40-year incumbent Congressman Pete Stark for an Alameda County seat in the House of Representatives. Swalwell entered Congress contemporaneously with Hakeem Jeffries, and both ascended House leadership. Swalwell is often interviewed in the media, was a Trump impeachment manager and is often attacked by Donald Trump.

I had hoped that Swalwell would stay in Congress. Then, on Dec. 16, I heard Swalwell speak at the Livermore Library for 10 minutes about running for governor. Swalwell had been precinct walking for Proposition 50 when he realized that he could leverage his Washington connections to protect us from Trump and to lead California into a prosperous, post-Trump future.

Swalwell spoke eloquently, pithily, substantively and inspiringly. I’m persuaded.

Diddo ClarkWalnut Creek

Richmond’s mayordeserves censure

Re: “Mayor deserves praise for calling out brutality” (Page A6, Dec. 23).

The fact that antisemitism’s ugly flames were fanned by the sadistic, wanton slaughter of Israeli innocents and the war crime kidnapping and incarceration of people, under hideous conditions, by Gazans, should have generated condemnation by Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez and by the world that financed Hamas’ crimes.

The U.S. has given the Palestinian territories over $11 billion since 1950, including the $6 billion given to United Nations Relief and Works Agency . But Hamas misappropriated our tax dollars and invested enormous manpower into building a costly terror tunnel network, instead of the essential infrastructure of a civil society. Hamas’s focus was never on the quality of life of Gaza residents.

Martinez inverts reality and supports Hamas’ corrupt misuse of our tax dollars and destructive misgovernance of Gaza. He should be censured, not applauded.

Julia LutchDavis

Letter disregards Jewishcommunity’s concerns

Re: “Richmond mayor champions underdogs” (Page A6, Dec. 23).

When Marilyn Langlois sought public office, she pledged to serve Richmond’s residents with respect, fairness and a commitment to human rights.

Her recent letter defending Mayor Eduardo Martinez falls short of that promise. She dismisses concerns from Richmond’s Jewish community by minimizing antisemitism. Invoking “Zionist ideology” as a pejorative stand-in for Jewish identity does not reflect respect for human rights or a vulnerable minority in our city.

Langlois previously served on the Human Relations and Human Rights Commission. Yet now when Jewish residents expressed fear over the mayor’s rhetoric, she chose not to listen, but to minimize and misrepresent.

Richmond’s Jewish community is part of the “everyone” she envisioned. We deserve the same dignity and truth as any other community.

Holding leaders to their stated values is a civic responsibility.

Vered CohenRichmond

Don’t give unresponsiveelected officials support

As we head into an important election year (U.S. Congress, state governor, many local offices), the most important criterion for me, beyond any single issue, is responsiveness to constituents by elected officials, and I find most of them seriously lacking.

Example: A query to frontrunning candidates for California governor regarding donations from and concerns about the regulation of our investor-owned utilities has not received a single response. Another example: A query to Oakland City Council members and the mayor about Oakland’s regressive parcel taxes has also received no response. And yet my inbox is full of their emails requesting my support and money.

Answering a question from a constituent should be a priority, and the least we should expect from elected officials, and I won’t help reelect any who fail this basic test.

Beth WeinbergerOakland

Time to switch PG&Efor local public utilities

The Hayward gas explosion and San Francisco blackout exposed PG&E’s failures. Californians shouldn’t keep paying for corporate negligence.

The California National Party calls for bringing PG&E into public (state) ownership, then distributing its assets to counties or regional public utilities while keeping the high‑voltage grid publicly administered. We must protect employees’ jobs and pensions, bury lines, accelerate decentralized renewables, strengthen building codes and complete the transition to zero-emission vehicles and 100% renewable electricity.

Public ownership and local control will make our grid safer, greener and more accountable.

Maya RamCalifornia National Party, Northern California secretaryUnion City