Letters: Packed Council | Reins in the Water

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we must restrain
agricultural water

Reply. “Water saving target not met”, page A1, 16 March:

The headlines are always talking about residents needing to reduce our water usage.

But most of us have been reducing our water consumption for years!

These articles skim over the fact that agriculture uses about 80 percent of our state’s water, most of which is used for water-heavy crops like nuts.

Most of the food produced in California is shipped out of state or abroad.

As water scarcity will persist, it is time to pass a law limiting agricultural water use to a fixed amount on all land. This will reduce total agricultural water use by about 20%.

Nut growers and other water-guzzling users can move to the Midwest, where water supplies are nearly limitless.

We do not need and cannot afford water-intensive crops. It’s that simple.

Brian McCormick
San Jose

flood needs
more than just protection

The article detailing our critical water situation (“Water Conservation Goals Not Met”, page A1, March 16) is entirely focused on conservation. I was struck by the following sentence: “But his (Newson’s) office has not announced new funding for the water storage project.”

If I were the governor, I would bring the billions Mr. Newsom wanted to spend on the bullet train to Vasco and improve our water infrastructure by building a desalination plant and more water storage. Protection alone will not solve the problem.

Peter Lindquist
Sunnyvale

America must lead
defend democracy

On January 6, 2021, American democracy is threatened by a violent uprising of citizens who believe the “big lie.” Today, democracies around the world, including ours, are strengthened because of the courage and bravery of Ukrainian citizens and their leaders.

The unprovoked invasion of a symbol of democracy and a sovereign nation-state by an authoritarian strongman (Vladimir Putin) is reprehensible. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky showed us that true democratic leadership for a peaceful life begins in the United States of America.

In his March 16 address to Congress, Zelensky said: “Today, the Ukrainian people are not only defending Ukraine. We are fighting for Europe, the world and our lives in the name of the future. That is why today the American people are not only defending Ukraine Help Ukraine, and help Europe and the world keep the planet alive. Let justice go down in history.”

Joseph DiSalvo
San Jose

Leaders should not hesitate
Daylight Savings Time “Fix”

I wonder why no one remembers the last failed attempt to make DST permanent was in 1974?

The problem is that as the sun rises, school children are forced to go to school in the dark.

Best of all, the days are shorter during the winter months, and no amount of fiddling with our clocks will change that.

Congress needs to come together to address the real problems of our nation’s problems, not the non-issues that come up at this time of year each year.

Melody Walsh
San Jose

NATO moves east
Terrified Putin in Russia

As far as the Russian invasion of Ukraine can be attributed to external factors, the one cited by Robert Miller (letter to the editor, p. A6, March 16) is by far the least likely (“ 43 Republican senators take responsibility for Ukraine”).