At Rep. LaMalfa’s chaotic town hall, Californians refuse to submit to Trump | Opinion

LaMalfa town hall inspires

“Hundreds boo GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa at raucous Northern California town hall,” (sacbee.com, Aug. 11)

Amid the chaos at this Chico town hall meeting, I saw refreshing evidence that Americans are not ready to submit to the kind of inhumanity many Germans accepted in the 1930s.

Informed people are aware of the massive damage being done by the Trump Administration to public education, health programs, innocent immigrants, reliable media outlets and the arts. The result has been a growing sense of fear, anger and mistrust among neighbors.

Our decision to secure our democracy against the looming threat of living under a dictatorship should be a clear one by now.

Alvin Vopata

Antelope

Authoritarian takeover

“Do Americans back Trump’s takeover of DC police? Here’s what a new poll found,” (sacbee.com, Aug. 12)

The Trump administration has decided on a federal takeover of Washington, D.C., and promises to come for Los Angeles and Oakland next. I believe them.

This is not about crime, which is down in D.C. It’s an authoritarian takeover of this country.

My Republican Congressman, Kevin Kiley, is all in favor of states’ rights when it comes to outlawing abortion. But he also appears to be in favor of President Donald Trump taking over our cities. Kiley, through his ongoing silence, has been complicit in everything Trump has done — from imposing illogical tariffs to cutting MediCal and allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to terrorize communities.

Congress has ceded all of its responsibility toward governing and now exists only to prop up whatever Trump says.

Edward Farinsky

Browns Valley

High-speed rail is a solution

“Gov. Newsom is suing me to build a multi-billion dollar train to nowhere | Opinion,” (sacbee.com, July 30)

Calling California’s high-speed rail a “train to nowhere” ignores key facts and reflects a deeply cynical view of public infrastructure. Yes, the project has faced delays and budget overruns, but calling it a total failure is misleading. Construction is well underway, and track is now being laid in the Central Valley. Over $15 billion has been invested in real infrastructure.

Rescinding $4 billion in federal funding isn’t a taxpayer “savings,” it’s a broken commitment. The idea that America should forever lag behind Europe and Asia in clean, efficient rail transportation is both defeatist and wrong.

Abandoning progress isn’t leadership. It’s surrender.

Katherine Perrone

Sacramento

Trump’s big government approach

“Why California’s wealthiest taxpayers could get less of a Trump tax break,” (sacbee.com, Aug. 11)

Most of us grew up with the myth of the conservative-favored small government approach. A big government, the GOP warned, would harm taxpayers and businesses.

Yet, in President Donald Trump’s second term, Republican politicians are taking over local police forces, targeting residents for free speech and demanding ransoms to release promised funding to states and colleges like UCLA.

Alexander Rony

Richmond