Trump and his followers who think 2020 election was stolen are just sore losers | Opinion

Nothing but sore losers

I have a hard time understanding how 70% of Republicans still believe that the 2020 election was stolen. This after some in his circle have admitted in court that they lied and fabricated many of the conspiracies they used to justify their actions. Then the Trump Justice Department said that there was no evidence that the election was stolen.

You would think that to steal a national election, some evidence could be found. Yet not a single thread of evidence has been presented. I therefore finally concluded that these people are just poor losers.

Lawrence Samora, Madera

Vote no on Measure E

Sure wish I was a good friend of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. You know, someone who has a lot of money to contribute to someone. Then I might be appointed to the Measure E oversight committee and make $80,000 a year. Sure sounds like a way to show favoritism.

How about we make those oversight committee seats voluntary? There is plenty of people who care about Fresno State to serve without pay. Maybe then I would vote for it. Till then, vote no on E.

Daniel Houts, Fresno

Netanyahu like Putin?

I submitted a letter to The Bee months ago regarding the key similarities between Hitler and Putin. Hitler built concentration camps with gas chambers to kill the Jews. Putin is just killing the Ukrainians in their homes.

Where does this put Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also killing Palestinians in their homes? Looks like Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu have similar missions? And the world continues to watch as the killing continues.

Lydia Torres, Fresno

This voter’s City Council pick

I have lived in Fresno for more than five decades and am quite familiar with the demographic politics of our community. I will be voting for Raj Sodhi who is running for the City Council from District 6.

Raj Sodhi is well qualified to serve on our council. Appointed by Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, she has served on the city’s Planning Commission and is quite familiar with city government and its structure.

With her background in banking,she is knowledgeable about the business and financial climate of our community. She will keep a sharp eye on every taxpayer’s dollar to ensure it is well spent efficiently and effectively for the greater good.

She is also above the party and communal politics that often divides our community. She will add rich diversity to the City Council. I have six votes in my family and all are going for Raj Sodhi, who deserves your consideration also if you are a voter in District 6.

Sudarshan Kapoor, Fresno

Need fair utility pricing

All Californians should have clean, affordable energy. And the cost shouldn’t mean families go without at a time when housing, groceries, and gas prices are spiking.

The light bill is going up across California. One-fifth of families getting their power from the largest utilities are behind on their payments. In Huron, where I serve as mayor, my farmworker neighbors now pay more than double the price a decade ago.

Farmworkers should not be charged the same as tech billionaires for upgrading/maintaining the grid. An income-based fixed charge bills these costs according to household income, so the weight doesn’t fall hardest on those least able to pay.

Income-based fixed charge lets California install necessary, climate-change-fighting technologies without loading the transition on the backs of working people trying to make ends meet.

Huron’s farmworkers do the difficult, important work of feeding California with their labor in the fields. It is only fair that California does the difficult, important work of getting the formula right in setting electricity rates.

I call on the California Public Utilities Commission to pass a fair and equitable electricity pricing plan with an income-based fixed charge, for Huron and for all working people in California.

Rey Leon, Huron

Prop. 1 hurts local mental health programs

In 2004 California voters passed Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act.That legislation imposed a 1% tax on income in excess of $1 million to expand and support badly needed public mental health services.

Since the inception of the MHSA, locally delivered mental health services have expanded dramatically. Mental health service departments across the state developed their programs through needs assessments in partnership with consumers of mental health services, hospitals, community service providers, and local stakeholders. Those services are regularly reviewed to assess their effectiveness and or need for revision.

Proposition 1 on the March 5 ballot would take nearly a third of the MHSA money fromlocal programs and re-imagine the MHSA, cutting many local programs and imposing new requirements without being clear as to what those requirements are, how they would be paid for, or what kind of accountability there would be.

Additionally, voters are asked to approve a $6.4 billion bond in a year that the state is facing another budget shortfall. Clearly California needs to do more to address homelessness and mental health issues. Proposition 1 is simply the wrong approach. Please vote no on Prop. 1.

Ken Baird, Hanford

More no on Measure E

I agree with Marek Warszawski on Measure E. The maintenance of Fresno State’s buildings does not belong on the backs of Fresno County taxpayers. No means no.

In Nov. 2022, voters said no to this measure. Supporters repackaged a bad idea and brought it back for a March 2024 vote. This time instead of the $38 million a year they wanted last time, they now want $63 million a year for 25 years. That is $1.57 billion they want for Fresno State.

Our state funds state projects and our county funds county projects. Shouldn’t the state be funding this project?

What do we get for our $1.57 billion? They claim more and better educated graduates and that the majority will stay in the county area. No one can guarantee they will stay.

Nor is there any guarantee from the university system that they will increase their maintenance budget by a single dime after we give them the $1.57 billion.

Then there is the $14 million to be paid out to the oversight committee members — $80,000.00 per year to each of the seven oversight committee members. What will they be doing to earn this $80,000?

Please vote no on Measure E.

Roger Hann, Fresno

It’s a real mess

I don’t understand why we have a public Health Department if the homeless are allowed to defecate on our streets, behind businesses and neighborhoods.

Seems counterproductive to try and protect us from disease, yet this filth is serious, especially where children may gather.

I know people want to help the homeless, but this is now out of control.

I am sure other states are dealing with this at a higher success rate than we currently are. The more we condone this behavior, the worse it is going to get.

Sharon Hahn, Fresno

Garvey success could be good for Dems

A recent opinion piece argues that if Steve Garvey comes in second to Adam Schiff in the March primary, Republican candidates across the board will benefit in November because Republican voters in California will be more motivated to cast their ballots.

But this view leaves out of consideration two additional factors.

First, Republicans will turn out in November whether Garvey is on the ballot or not because Trump will be on their ballots. They voted for him in 2016 and 2020 and they will do so again this year.

Second, Democratic candidates in swing congressional districts and other contested races will benefit from a Garvey-Schiff matchup because California Democrats, feeling justifiably confident that Schiff will prevail, can as a result give more of their attention, donations, and volunteer time to candidates like Rudy Salas, Adam Gray and Jacky Rosen in Nevada, among others.

Though Schiff would still have to spend millions of dollars to ensure victory in our huge state, millions more in donations from Team Blue will be freed up if the opponent is not a fellow Democrat.

Though it may seem counterintuitive, a second-place finish for Garvey is a win for Democrats in November.

Jill Fields, Fresno

Social Security is not welfare

The story Feb. 18,”Poll: Vast Majority Worried About Cuts to Social Security,” continues the completely uniformed statement that Social Security is a welfare program.

Again and again the news calls it welfare. It is not. It is a retirement program we all pay into. It is not welfare.

The payments are our own money, not the government’s. Payments from our paychecks are to go into a trust and be paid back to us when we reach the appropriate age. The problem is Congress has borrowed from this trust, over and over again, and has not paid it back.

It is not welfare.

John Garvin, Madera

Sees unfair helmet law being proposed

When I was 16 in 1976, I wanted to buy a 1969 Honda 350 motorcycle. When I talked to my mother about it, she said I could buy it as long as I promised to wear a helmet.

I’m 64 and ride a 2023 Heritage softail anniversary edition. I still wear a helmet because of the law. A proposed law will let people have a religious exemption because they wear a head dress .

If they don’t have to, I don’t have to. People will be able to claim religious exemption for seat belt laws, speed laws.

Who ever thought this up needs to stop, it’s ridiculous and totally reverse religious discrimination.

A Sikh doesn’t have to wear a helmet, but a Christian will still have to?

Dana Bobbitt, Fresno

Choose fresh voice for supervisor

Many Fresno County residents have recently received their primary ballot or are preparing to vote this coming March in the California primary. As you fill out your ballot, I ask all those living in Fresno County District 2 to closely look at the candidates running for office.

Among the group of candidates you will find individuals who have made it their goal to continue in rhetoric that divides our Valley, state and country, as well becoming lifelong, forever politicians.

The recent battle to waste taxpayer money to gain control as to naming historical landmarks is absurd, wasteful, and frivolous.

I urge all voters to consider a new and fresh voice who is not beholden to big money interest and will represent all who live in District 2 honorably and respectfully. Please vote Bryce Herrera.

Froylán Ramirez, Clovis

Digust over election mailer

My wife and I received a political flyer that bore the headline: “Would you trust Steve Brandau with YOUR kids?”

The flyer listed three facts critical of Brandau. These facts involved foster youth, child neglect, and “failure to save our children.”

It warned us: “On March 5, vote like our children depend on it.”

I was aghast. Who sent this dire warning? It took me time to carefully examine this scary notice, but I finally found the answer: “Paid for by Bredefeld for Supervisor 2024.”

I intend to vote for neither Garry Bredefeld nor Steve Brandau. It disturbs me nonetheless but by no means surprises me that Bredefeld would stoop down into the muck of filthy politics. I work on transforming my disgust into pity.

Jim Steinberg, Fresno