Letters: Toll hikes | Don’t flee | Reflecting poorly | Wrong elites | Youth’s voice

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Toll hikes restrict
residents’ mobility

Re: “Toll hikes could rise to more than $11” (Page A1, Oct. 26).

As a lifelong Bay Area resident I have seen the bridge tolls increase since the 1980s from 40 cents per crossing to $7, soon to be $8. Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments are now proposing another increase to $10.50 by 2030.

Freedom of movement is important to everyone and establishing economic barriers such as these tolls affects residents’ ability to move around the Bay Area.

I believe all bridge and road tolls need to be eliminated completely throughout California. The publicized argument for more increases is the need for bridge maintenance, yet current bridge tolls are used for projects not related to bridge work.

Michael Hayes
Benicia

Don’t flee; stay and
fight for our future

I have no patience with those who talk of fleeing to Canada. Don’t cut and run; stay and fight for California.

I was born here; this is my homeland. If you weren’t, you came here for a reason. Was it the mountains, the ocean, the rivers and trees that we protect and conserve? Was it to build a better life in the fifth biggest economic engine in the world? Was it that we embrace people who are just like us, only different?

Don’t abandon us. We need your skillset, your values, your commitment. Resist. Make your voice heard. Support your beleaguered elected officials and nonprofits. You are not alone. Roughly half the nation feels just like you do.

Raise your kids not to be bullies, liars and jerks. The grass may not be as green as you think elsewhere. Regroup, dig in and defend California.

This is your country now.

Rosalie Howarth
Walnut Creek

Election result reflects
poorly on our nation

What does it say about our country when a majority of Americans elect a president who is a convicted felon; is an adulterer adjudicated to have committed sexual assault; pushed for fake electors to steal the election; told Mike Pence, the vice president, to ignore the Constitution and not count electoral votes; wanted to use federal troops to seize ballot boxes; ran a campaign filled with lies; used racism to stoke fear; has vowed to deport immigrants; has vowed to ignore freedom of the press and prosecute companies who report things that he doesn’t like; wants to weaponize the justice system to take revenge.

What does it say? It says you can’t fool all the people all the time but sometimes you can fool enough people to be elected president. It shouts that poor character, criminal convictions, illegal and unethical past behavior, and promised future behavior that ignores the Constitution aren’t important.

Larry Bieber
Castro Valley

Democrats aren’t elites
we should worry about

Re: “Voters to Democratic elites: Do you see me now?” (Page A13, Nov. 10).

Democrats are not the ones who benefit the most from outsourcing jobs to other countries, from replacing workers with automation, from killing local small businesses and family farms, from lower taxes on corporate profits and capital gains, and ultimately from Donald Trump’s election. The true “elites” in this country are the uber-wealthy, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other individuals who apparently care more for profits than for people.

So, yes, the Democratic elites may be deaf to the concerns of the average American. But, the Republican elites apparently hear those concerns and just don’t care. Let’s be careful about blithely assuming that Democrats are “the elites” or that they are the problem.

Andrew Scharlach
Alamo

Anti-tobacco movement
gives youth a voice