Placer Union is the latest Placer County district to fall victim to intolerance, bigotry | Opinion

Shame on Placer Union board

“Placer Union teacher was fired for immoral conduct. He was sworn in as board trustee,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 18)

A teacher who lies, mistreats students and fails to follow district and federal mandates doesn’t belong in a classroom or on a school board. That happened when Jeremy Jeffreys became a Placer Union High School District trustee.

Although expecting Jeffreys to uphold his promise to decline the position is unrealistic, expecting his peers to question his suitability is reasonable. Jessica Spaid, the new board president, and Tom Duncan, a newly elected trustee, had the opportunity to act with honor and integrity and ask Jeffreys to resign. Unsurprisingly, neither did.

Another fine Placer County school district will fall victim to intolerance, bigotry and incompetence.

Barbara Smith

Auburn

Drivers must take responsibility

“Two grandmothers died blocks apart on a dangerous Sacramento road. Will the city fix it?” (sacbee.com, Dec. 18)

This article and many others on the Sacramento area traffic fatality problems fail to identify the cause of the fatalities: drivers. Our fellow citizens are the primary cause of traffic crashes. Wake up, Sacramento residents: You, your friends and your neighbors are the cause of these deaths.

Sacramento City and County can only do so much. The police and the California Highway Patrol can only do so much. Maybe they need to prioritize the dangerous locations and lay wait for the next fatality — like Monroe Street, where, for years, the children crossing Monroe at Latham Drive must face speeding drivers daily.

Wesley Lum

Sacramento

Trump is a domestic enemy

“California Democrats want Trump off the primary ballot. What does that mean for Republicans?” (sacbee.com, Dec. 20, 2023)

Project 2025 will guarantee that Donald Trump’s presidency is unburdened with any accountability, checks or balances. Trump is an insurrectionist.

In 1973, I pledged my life to support and defend the U.S. Constitution against all foreign and domestic enemies when I joined the military. My oath stands.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has already capitulated to the Trump agenda. If our congressional representatives don’t invoke Section Three of the 14th Amendment without delay, we will have a dictatorship on January 6, 2025.

How can we ask our military members to give their lives to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies if we aren’t brave enough to follow the Constitution’s hard won lessons — such as avoiding tyrants and insurrectionists becoming our presidents?

Melvin Garrett Brinkley

Davis

Eliminating an unfair law

“Congress Could Change Social Security Penalties: Here’s Who’s Impacted,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 11)

Eliminating the Windfall Elimination is a game changer. I began working as a speech-language pathologist after getting my master’s. I did not know I would give up the money I had paid into Social Security. Once I found that out, I realized that I could never earn enough of a teacher’s retirement to support me. So I am working past my full Social Security age because I can’t afford to retire even though I broke my back last spring.

The elimination of this provision will mean I can retire before I reach 69 and use my skills for volunteer work. I absolutely love working with children but I need the flexibility to do it on my terms. This was not eliminating a windfall, but eliminating an unfair law.

Melissa Barsam

Woodland

Henderson’s legacy

“Rickey Henderson, the greatest Oakland A’s player of all time, has died at age 65,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 21)

For multiple generations of baseball fans, Rickey Henderson was the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff batting. He was one of the most accomplished and beloved Athletics of all time, and he made an impact during his quarter-century career like no other.

Henderson epitomized speed, power and entertainment, setting the tone at the top of the lineup. When Major League Baseball considered new rules for the game in recent years, they had the era of Henderson in mind.

Henderson earned universal respect, admiration and awe from sports fans. I send my deepest condolences to his family, friends, teammates, A’s fans and baseball fans everywhere.

Paul Bacon

Hallandale Beach, Fla.