Readers’ comments: March 14, 2025

It’s indeed time for some Good Trouble
Dear editor:
Kudos to Mick Rhodes. Your assessment of last Tuesday’s address to the joint session of congress [“It’s time for some Good Trouble,” March 7] was right on. It was a litany of vituperation, grievance and lies — a shameful spectacle. Farcical, if the moment were not so serious.
When Rep. Al Green was ejected, every single Democrat should have left with him. We are past treating “incivility with civility.” As editor Peter Weinberger makes clear [“Signs are clear: our democracy stands at a fragile crossroads,” March 7], we are at an existential turning point. Our institutions are in tatters, with no adults in the room to provide guardrails this time.
To cut off all aid to Ukraine and intelligence sharing is nothing short of treasonous. It would be as if FDR suddenly in the midst of WW II sided with Hitler and the Nazi hoard pillaging Europe and committing genocide against the Jewish people, Roma, and the handicapped. “High crimes and misdemeanors” for sure!
As the great John Lewis said, it’s time for some trouble, “good trouble, necessary trouble.” I’m looking for my representative Judy Chu to be holding town halls in the red districts of California, up and down the San Joaquin Valley, informing Trump’s supporters of why their Medicare and Medi-Cal payments are being cut, why their farms are on the auction block because USAID, FEMA and WIC are no long purchasing their crops. Let alone, there will be far fewer farmworkers to pick them after the deportation of some 12-20 million immigrants. Oh, and did I mention the upcoming trade wars?
Rep. Chu, it’s time for John McCain’s “Straight Talk Express.” Hit the road. We desperately need some trouble, “good trouble, necessary trouble” to redeem the soul of this nation.
John Forney
Claremont

Kudos for speaking up against Trump
Dear editor:
The pieces you wrote [“It’s time for some Good Trouble,” and “Signs are clear: our democracy stands at a fragile crossroads,” March 7] were powerful. Also satisfying was to see members of the press speak up. By doing so, I was reminded of how important your work is.
I am going to send by USPS a “widow’s mite,” with a wish that others are inspired to do what they can to keep you all in business.
Nan Cooney
Claremont

Trump-related acronyms decoded
Dear editor:
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been misleading us for a long time. Here is what their logos really stand for:
MAGA = Make America a Great Autocracy
DOGE = Department of Government Evisceration
Jay B. Winderman
Claremont

No sympathy for Trump buyers’ remorse
Dear editor:
The quote, “If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth,” is often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels. This is a tactic that Donald Trump has embraced.
Less than 60 days into the new Trump administration and many of his supporters are already regretting electing this narcissistic convicted felon for a second time. They naively thought changes promised by Trump would only negatively affect those they hate (blue states, LGBTQ+, minorities, etc.).  Now they realize that tariffs, massive layoffs to needed government experts, turning America’s back on our allies, embracing Putin, and removing immigrant workers impact everyone, and that they themselves are part of the collateral damage.
Supporters are now realizing that Trump doesn’t care about anyone but himself and the billionaire class. He and Musk callously call the projected downturn in our economy “… just an interruption.” Next up on the chopping block is Social Security (Musk calls this “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time”), Medicare, and Medicaid as Trump and his cronies want to privatize and/or eliminate all necessary safety nets left in our country.
The price of eggs will be the least of our worries. Expect more of the same. The saying is “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” This administration is going to eliminate any oversight and regulatory agency so they can enrich themselves, installing only inexperienced loyalists, and controlling everything. This is almost exactly what Hitler did soon after being elected.
For most of us that voted against Trump, we have zero sympathy for his supporters that are finally seeing the truth.
Sydney Pollard
Claremont

‘Trump derangement syndrome’ explained
Dear editor:
Seemingly intelligent, educated, and hardworking people all over the world have succumbed to its symptoms. Our local Courier editor and owner can’t help themselves but to foam at the mouth with the sickness. Social media, network news and others are infected by its ability to warp common sense thinking, report outright lies to others and turn people into walking zombies spouting inaccuracies perpetrated by the likes of Maddow, Scarborough and most mainstream media.
The disease is Trump Derangement Syndrome or “TDS.” Our country and the world have been afflicted with this disease at pandemic levels for nearly eight years. Never has one man held so many captives. Some had thought this was improving after November 5, 2024, but clearly that is not the case. You can recognize those with this disease by some of the following:

• Decry democracy and their rights are under siege.
• Support open borders and unlimited benefits to non-citizens entering our country illegally.
• Favor unmitigated government spending, corruption, fraud, and waste.
• Don’t know the difference between a man and a woman.
• Support racist DEI policies that separate people by immutable characteristic of skin color instead of the merits of one’s hard work and deeds and the content of one’s character.
• Are emotionally triggered by red hats, American flags, patriotism, and some guy named Elon Musk.
• Vote for corrupt, lying and incompetent leaders like Karen Bass, Adam Schiff, Kamala Harris, and the entire Los Angeles City Council.
• Like to remind us of what a great state California is, while it circles in the toilet.

Just a partial list of symptoms, but you can generally tell an afflicted person by their hate for America, capitalism, and freedom of expressing opposing thoughts or ideas.
Let’s pray for a cure and their swift recovery.
MAGA!
Campbell Wright
Claremont

‘Don’t lose me’ evacuee welcomed at Mt. San Antonio Gardens
Dear editor:
In reference to the March 7 edition of the Courier [“‘Don’t lose me’: Claremonter saves elderly women from Eaton Fire”] it is a shame that LA County Sheriff’s Deputy Quinn Alkonis and her partner Nicholas Martinez did not know that one of the women they rescued from Monte Cedro, in Altadena was living right here at Mt. San Antonio Gardens in Pomona.
Jean Bruce Poole was one of 18 members of the Altadena retirement community to be housed at the Gardens from early January until Tuesday, March 11. The deputies could have driven west on Harrison Avenue, right to Mrs. Poole’s temporary and most welcomed “home,” and met the charming guest. I feel that Mrs. Poole would have loved to replace “Don’t lose me” with a hug and a well-earned “Thank you” to those two wonderful deputies.
Jean Bruce Poole told me that she was born in Scotland and is a direct descendant of Bruce, the hero of Scotland. She is 100 years old and a lot of fun to be with. She enjoyed all my British royal magazines and a number of my books, including “Spare,” by Prince Harry. Jean was also given headlines by the Los Angeles Times in an article about being left behind.
It was a pleasure for Mt. San Antonio Gardens to be able to provide a temporary home for these 18 guests from a close by retirement home during these past two months.
Jil Stark
Pomona

Who should pay for LA County street sweeping upgrades?
Dear editor:
On  March 5, 2025 the Safe Clean Water Program Measure W held public hearing for various water projects. The City of Los Angeles submitted a funding request for a scientific study to the Upper Los Angeles River Watershed that aims to evaluate street sweeping practices and enhance pollutant removal efficiency to improve water quality in the Upper Los Angeles River Watershed. The study builds on previous efforts and would evaluate what types of brushes can best remove contaminants and the mapping of city streets needing prioritization for contaminants removal.
Funds are derived from Measure W, passed in 2018 by a supermajority of voters, a parcel tax that generates $285 million per year. Decreased taxes from fire damaged zones are not expected to affect funding. The five member County Board of Supervisors has oversight to prioritize funds for Measure W as the county faces a fiscal crisis and cuts to services.
Los Angeles’ city street sweeping website states that due to a budget crisis street sweeping days have been curtailed. There are 4,700 miles of curbs to sweep in LA, and new street sweeping brushes to collect contaminants are expensive. Who should pay cost for the new brushes? Should a county wide parcel tax imposed on property owners pay for the scientific studies?
John Mendoza
Pomona