Letters: Homeless help | Misdirected outrage | Cancer screening
Mercury News Letters to the Editor for May 21, 2022
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S.J. must help homeless
get back on their feet
As some who has lived in downtown San Jose for more than 10 years, homelessness was always something normal to me. Not until I was around 14 did I realize that it was an actual problem.
In 2023, a survey was done determining that San Jose is the leading city for homeless people in the South Bay. San Jose has 85 people living on the streets for every 100,000 people.
If San Jose was able to create more housing for the homeless then rates could be cut down by a third, leaving more people to be able to worry less about housing and more about taking the next step in life and getting back on their feet.
Melissa Gutierrez
San Jose
Will’s outrage should be
directed at abortion case
Re: “State pork ruling invites interstate economic war” (Page A7, May 18).
George Will’s paroxysms over the Supreme Court’s decision to not hear a case that challenged California’s humane pork law should be saved for more urgent legal matters. A recent ruling by federal District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The Supreme Court blocked Kacsmaryk’s ruling temporarily allowing access to the medication to continue.
Conservative religious interests effectively challenging the FDA drug approval process is far more troubling and consequential. If the high court later affirms the case, it would deny access to most abortions and could be the beginning of more drug challenges, including contraception. Judge Kacsmaryk was selected by the challengers because of his history of opposition to abortion. Kacsmaryk ruled on crucial medical and regulatory matters, in which he has no expertise. Will’s concern over coercive evangelism is indeed on full display in the judicial system.
Warren Seifert
Gilroy
Support critical for
new cancer screening
As a three-time cancer survivor and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network advocate, I’m excited about new technology to improve cancer early detection.
Several companies are developing blood tests to detect multiple cancers early. These multi-cancer early detection tests will complement existing early detection tests. They can also screen for many different cancers at once. These tests could be life-changing. But only if people can access them.
Congress is considering the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act which will allow Medicare to cover this technology following FDA approval and once clinical benefit is shown. Medicare already covers early detection tests for common cancers and people on Medicare must have access to new screening options.
Detecting cancer early could be the difference between life and death. Rep. Anna Eshoo can help save lives in California by supporting this legislation.
Jim Murphy
San Jose