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Director’s protest vote continues poor judgment

Re: “Valley Water CEO agrees to step down” (Page A1, Feb. 21).

I am relieved to hear that the Valley Water Board has reached a decision about embattled CEO Rick Callender that allows all parties to move forward in a positive way.

It is not surprising that Rebecca Eisenberg was on the losing end of yet another 6-1 decision, opposing the compromise. This is the same reckless director who was censured by her colleagues for her steadfast unwillingness to honor the norms of her office. Her fellow directors had the opportunity to impose less severe penalties of admonition or sanction but chose the most severe penalty. Eisenberg was stripped of her committee assignments, and her failure to improve her behavior has caused this unprecedented prohibition to continue.

Time and again, Eisenberg has demonstrated her inability to render sound judgments, and her protest vote on this occasion is especially irresponsible.

Doug Peterson
San Jose

Going backward on climate not an option

Re: “After climate revocation, reject Trump’s parks pick” (Page A8, Feb. 21).

Appreciation to Karl Danz for his excellent letter about rescinding the scientifically based climate rule. As Karl writes the benefits we have received in health and prosperity across the nation are huge.

Similarly, it was the Clean Air Act of 1970 that started the clean up of the smog in the Los Angeles area. I was in college in L.A. in the 1960s and suffered the effects of smog. I remember a day I couldn’t get out of bed due to the pain in my lungs. My friend had to transfer due to severe asthma.

Thirty years later, my daughter was at the same college. I could see the mountains and breathe much cleaner air. Much appreciation to Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff who are part of a group of senators launching an investigation into the EPA’s decision. We can’t go backwards after so much progress.

Virginia Van Kuran
Palo Alto

Cabal of clowns is costing the nation

Re: “Trump administration earns Cs across board” (Page A6, Feb. 20).

Bravo to Lorraine D’Ambruoso. Her collection of Cs describing the Trump debacle was perfect.

She clearly characterized the collective catastrophe of the current cabal in Washington, D.C. Never in history have we had a less cognizant president or a cabinet of so many clowns, crooks and charlatans.

Lorraine nailed it — we are clearly in a crisis, and we are all paying dearly for it.

Kirch DeMartini
Saratoga

NIH cuts are not a budget crisis solution

Cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding aren’t a viable long-term solution to balancing the budget. They slow medical progress, stall clinical trials and reduce our capacity to respond to the next public health emergency.

As a young engineer in the Bay Area pursuing graduate education, I’ve seen firsthand how lost funding hits medical research. STAT News reported NIH data showing that from 2023 to 2025, early-stage researchers were approximately 38% less likely to secure R01 funding, the most common grant award provided by the NIH. Labs freeze hiring, graduate students leave research and promising breakthrough projects are put on hold.

In a unique region like ours, where research universities, hospitals and biotechnology intersect, we feel the impact immediately.

Kesava Viswanadha
Palo Alto

US attack on Iran would be a mistake

I sincerely hope that Congressman Ro Khanna’s efforts to prevent a war with Iran are successful. Attacking Iran would be a dreadful mistake for the United States, with long-term consequences for our nation and the world. Iran is a large, resource-rich country, and its people are technologically capable. Their Shahed UAVs (“kamikaze” drones or so-called “loitering munitions”) have been deployed in Ukraine-Russia and also previously against Israel.

Years ago, their engineers trained in the U.S. in large numbers; and at least some returned home to pass that knowledge along. As Silicon Valley remains preoccupied with who’s “poaching” AI stars from whom, our potential adversary is likely analyzing the volumes of data obtained from previous deployments. Should a U.S. attack occur, the outcome for us will not be a cakewalk.

Barbara Grant
San Jose

Christian form of sharia is already here

Re: “GOP finds new boogeyman: ‘Radical Islam’” (Page A7, Feb 20).

The Republicans are still scared to death of Muslims and claim that “sharia law” is an imminent threat, soon to likely take over Texas.

It is appropriate to be afraid of and to resist sharia law: That “law” is based upon hatred, intolerance, violations of any actions or even thoughts that vary from the “guidance” of the interpretations of “the prophet.”

But Americans should be at least as afraid of the White sharia law proposed by Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, Mike Johnson, Chip Roy, et al. They already are supporting racial profiling, arrests, violence, retention of “others” and deportation, all without due process. They advocate for violations of the First Amendment, including attempts to impose Christianity and Christianity only upon citizens. They support book bans, abortion bans (including medications across state lines) and the Ten Commandments on school walls. They hide behind “national security.”

We have met the real enemy.

George Licina
Santa Rosa