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Murray-Badal is best for Oakland council
In a time when politics feels exhausting and joyless, I’m thrilled to cast a joyful vote for someone I believe in. Kara Murray-Badal, who is running for Oakland City Council District 2, inspires both heart and head.
She’s a third-generation Oaklander, raised in Eastlake and Crocker Highlands, with deep community roots and unmatched credentials — Harvard, Wharton, Stanford. But it’s not just her résumé — it’s her vision: practical, thoughtful and hopeful.
Kara isn’t promising flashy, quick fixes. She’s offering clear, people-centered plans to address public safety, homelessness and Oakland’s budget crisis. She understands that authentic leadership means listening, being honest and working with — not over — community voices.
She’s not backed by corporations. Kara is grounded, brilliant and unbought. She brings joy, heart and common sense to this race — and I’m proud to rank her No. 1.
Oakland deserves leaders who inspire and deliver. Kara Murray-Badal is that leader.
Andrew Park Oakland
Support bill to make polluters pay for climate
California lawmakers recently introduced SB 684, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025. Similar to recently passed laws in New York and Vermont, this bill would require fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share of the damages from climate change.
Climate change makes extreme weather and wildfires, like those recently seen in Los Angeles, more likely, and the burning of fossil fuels is the primary driver of climate change. As a family physician in the Bay Area, I understand the impact these devastating events can have on our health, particularly for those who are very young, very old, or have underlying medical conditions.
California’s wildfires will continue to get worse the longer we delay the transition to clean, renewable energy, and costs for fire and other climate-related disasters will continue to grow. We should urge our state legislators to support this important bill to preserve a healthy future for all Californians.
Matthew Fentress Benicia
Unvarnished truth is what makes U.S. great
During COVID, a high school classmate believed MAGA lies that denounced masking and vaccinations with macho fury. Following Donald Trump’s lead, he distrusted medical science and was sure its prevention advice was a hoax. Yep, he got sick, hospitalized, and he recovered … somewhat. Long COVID continues to sap his energy and mess with his mind.
My classmate is one of the lucky MAGA believers who is not among more than 300,000 dead Americans (of 1,136,052 total) whose death could have been prevented had they followed medical experts’ advice.
Our whole country benefits from true facts being openly shared. Censoring truth and denying facts doesn’t make a health crisis go away; it ensures that more of us will get sick and possibly die.
We need truth, unpolluted with lies. Don’t let MAGA health policies take away the special sauce that makes America truly great.
Bruce Joffe Piedmont
Trump’s critics lack their own solutions
Re: “Booker rails at Trump in record-setting Senate speech” (Page A1, April 2).
I read letter after letter bemoaning the actions taken by President Trump and DOGE to improve our government and our current deficits and debt situation. Now, Sen. Cory Booker has wasted an entire day in the U.S. Senate complaining.
Seventy percent of Americans said we were on the wrong track and needed change. What I haven’t seen is a single letter, or comment from Booker, promoting an idea to solve the problem.
More of the same that we had will not produce a better outcome. It’s easy to complain. It’s a lot harder to help. Where’s the help?
John Griggs Danville
Democrats need new leader to unite party
Re: “Lies and chaos threaten democracy” (Page A6, March 28).
Marilyn Gray-Raine’s letter took the words right out of my mouth. I couldn’t agree more. What is really alarming is all the Republicans that go along with Donald Trump’s craziness. For the first time ever, we are embarrassed to admit where we are from when we travel.
Come on, Democrats, you need a new leader who you all can support and promote — you are too scattered. When you can literally kidnap a person off the street and make them disappear, we are in a police state. I’m embarrassed to call myself an American and, even worse, a Democrat. We can’t wait for the next election either.
Patricia Torres Concord
Trump’s ‘squeaky wheel’ approach is flawed
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However, this bullying administration’s foreign policy consists entirely of “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” approach. While this may initially provide results, Donald Trump will inevitably discover that too much squeaking simply gets the wheel replaced.
Mark Gabin Concord
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