Readers’ comments: March 21, 2025

The best and brightest in Washington?
Dear editor:
Mick Rhodes again hits the nail on the head with his column on Pentagon absurdities [“Laughing in the face of absurdity,” March 14]. I’m a fan.
Personally, I am delighted to hear that our new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is hard at work, keeping our nation safe for democracy — by banning paper straws. Yes, that is the memo he has worked tirelessly over on our behalf, making sure paper straws are banned from the Pentagon and all military outposts. With Russia threatening to overrun Ukraine, Europe endangered, the U.S. abdicating its role in the world — and we’re worried about paper straws? For real? This obsession with paper straws is actually for the good.  Better than drawing up battle plans for the Panama Canal, Greenland or Canada.
If this is the best we can manage in our former role as the “leader of the free world”? That title probably will now devolve to Lichtenstein or Tuvalu. So go the “Days of Our Lives” in this shambolic administration.
BTW, have you recently checked your 401k?
John C. Forney
Claremont

More on ‘Trump derangement syndrome’
Dear editor:
Three cheers for Campbell Wright’s March 14 letter [“‘Trump derangement syndrome’ explained”] explaining “TDS” to the editor. I’ve lived in Claremont for most of my life and I know that dissenting conservative viewpoints in our small town are like extremely rare earth minerals. I’d like to add to Mr. Wright’s partial list of “TDS” symptoms:

• Condoning the disastrous Afghanistan war withdrawal.
• Giving free passes to the Palestinian protesters for leaving their garbage behind, graffiti, and blocking students from attending classes on Claremont College campuses.
• Voting for Joe Biden in the Democratic primary and telling themselves that he is still sharp and capable of vigorous thought.
• Cheering on over $200 billion in Ukrainian limitless support behind Joe Biden’s “whatever it takes” mantra.
• Shrugging their shoulders at $37 trillion in debt, $2 trillion deficit and $60 billion in annual remittances to Mexico by illegal immigrants.
• Indifference to many European countries and Canada playing the U.S. like suckers while for years not paying their 2% of GDP NATO commitment.
• Yawning over the $11 billion plus paid since 2015 for the California bullet train without one section of track yet laid down.
• Gazing at a Chinese spy balloon traversing the country like a kid at his first visit to Disneyland.

I’m not an M.D., but perhaps “TDS” can only be treated with a vaccination, facemask, hand-sanitizer, and six feet distancing mandates.
Alex Pilz
Claremont

DEI is ‘racism?’ Gimme a break
Dear editor:
Those who have studied Trump over the years have found Trump’s base to be a cult: a group with total devotion to a leader who has excessive control over members’ thoughts and deeds. We have just such a person (at least one) right here in Claremont: Campbell Wright who signs off his letter to the Courier (March 14) as MAGA. Not being able to learn from research what the historical record says about the adored leader, the cultist thinks criticism of Trump must come from a “disease,” a “sickness,” a mental “derangement.” The possibility that the facts show Trump to be disgusting as a person, a businessman, and a political leader cannot be imagined by the MAGA cult.
So we informed critics are claimed to exhibit several deranged “symptoms.” Wright lists some, all misguided. Let me reply to one swiftly. In our pursuit of the equality mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, Wright charges Trump’s critics with “racist policies” policies that do not evaluate individuals in terms of “hard work,” “deeds,” and “character,” but in terms of (say) skin color. In Wright’s way of reckoning merit, there are only individuals.
The truth, however, is that groups of people (e.g. Blacks, Muslims, females) no matter what “individual” talents and how hard they work, are subject to discrimination, which has prevented them from achieving equality with the rest of us. The aim of DEI policies is to achieve equality for those people by temporarily providing extra opportunities to make up for past (group) discrimination.
It is those who reject DEI policies, who are working, intentionally or not, to maintain inequality.
Merrill Ring
Claremont

An executive order to help Americans
Dear editor:
The U.S. currently lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of oligarchs into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for all Americans and that protects Americans’ safety and security.
Therefore, we are unable at this time and for the foreseeable future to continue massive tax cuts to people earning over $500,000-a-year. Additionally, beginning immediately — or actually retroactively, and will apply to taxes filed for 2024 — the government will tax all capital wealth over $5 million at 20% a year. The top three wealthiest people (oligarchs) in the U.S. hold more wealth than the bottom 60% (you and me). This new tax structure will also permanently eliminate the temporary massive tax cuts for the wealthy to ensure effective and drama-free functioning of our government for all who live here.
The revenue generated will be used to fund a newly created We Care About People (WCAP) Department. Half of the revenue generated by this executive order will fund WCAP programs to improve the lives of middle and working class American families with a focus on the welfare of low-income children. The WCAP Department will provide detailed reports every 90 days tracking improvements in the lives of WCAP families related to housing, childcare, nutrition, wages, education, health status, and overall improved living conditions. Thirty percent of revenues will be used to pay down the national debt, and the last 20% will be given to the Internal Revenue Service to restore basic operations and enable the service to enforce the collection of all revenue generated by this executive order.
Joy Hofer
Claremont

Taxpayers need to read up on LA water laws
Dear editor:
Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District Board of Supervisor LA, stated in public news March 7 that the fees for Los Angeles County Flood  Control District have not been raised on property owners since 1980. That is true. However, in 2018 instead of raising fees the Board of Supervisors opted to raise new property taxes for flood control with Measure W Storm Water initiative parcel tax 2.5 cents per square foot, which was approved  by voters in 2018 after having failed in a previous attempt in 2013.
In Section 17.07 of Measure W, legal language states all money received shall be deposited with the county treasurer and credited to general fund of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District.
In 2004, Los Angeles voters approved Proposition O, the Clean Water Bond Measure, $500 million in general fund obligation bonds for projects for water quality protection of rivers, lakes, beaches, flood water reduction, neighborhood parks, storm water capture, and to improve and protect water quality.
Today the average taxpayer is not aware of the legal language of both Measure W and Proposition O, and the supervisor of the third district advocating for fee increases for flood control.
The City of Los Angeles is double dipping into the Measure W pot, requesting funds for a scientific study for best practices for removing contaminants by way of street sweep using different brushes.
Other LA city projects have been funded by Measure W, as many other cities are not being communicated to by their watershed coordinator about funds available as required by legal language of Measure W.
Budget problems resulting from loss of tax revenue for recent fire damaged areas are financially curtailing revenues for both the city and county of LA. Finding funds by taxing residents is their only solution.
John Mendoza
Pomona