Letters: Why we should stop wasting transit money on rail and put it into bus lines

It is time to stop this nonsense. Bus transit is cheaper, more flexible, scalable, less disruptive and integrated into our communities. Let’s put our rail money into buses and have a lot more to show for it.

Daniel Levy, Oakland

GOP is becoming facist

Regarding “Political extremism is rising from both sides” (Letters, Jan. 4): Marianne Haas rather misses the point about rising fascism in our country.

The Democrats may hold the Senate, House and White House (for the moment; I personally hope after the November elections as well), but they are not using that power to suppress voting by opposition groups. Maybe they would if they could, but they aren’t.

Nor are they empowering apparatchiks to overturn voters’ will in certifying elections.

The Republican Party is.

And the Democratic Party is not making personal loyalty to one individual the test of party membership. The Republican Party is. Just ask Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

The Democratic Party does not have armed groups swearing loyalty to President Biden. Mr. Trump does.

What do we call that?

Bruce Colman, San Francisco

Dog mauling is abuse

Regarding “Mauled driver sues San Ramon police” (Front Page, Jan. 3): The dog mauling incident is one of the most egregious cases of police misconduct I have ever heard of, and I hope Ali Badr receives millions in restitution.

It is telling that the San Ramon Police Department recommended to the district attorney that, in addition to felony auto theft, Badr be charge with resisting arrest. The department knew full-well it had overstepped its bounds and tried to cover it up. This is abuse of police power to the max.

Thomas Wood, Nicasio

Editorial is off kilter

Regarding “American Fascism on the Rise” (Insight, Jan. 2): After a promising start, The Chronicle’s editorial soon descended into a realm somewhere between platitudes and incoherence. Denouncing “leftist fashion” in the same breath with bemoaning the effort to recall the governor made zero sense.

Nor was there any logic to strongly implying that the left should be blamed for “debating whether to turn the clock back on recent social justice reforms that have barely had time to launch.”

Norman Solomon, Point Reyes Station

Don’t help Texas

Regarding “State requests federal help” (World-Nation, Jan. 2): Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, anti-vaxxer, anti-mask mandator, anti-social-distancing advocator, has the temerity to ask the federal government for help. The dire situation in Texas occurred because of his propaganda. Let Texas reap what it has sowed.

Adele Grunberg, Oakland

Immigration nightmare

Regarding “Asylum seeker’s 9-year wait for day in court” (Front Page, Jan. 3): I wish to commend Deepa Fernandes for yet another outstanding article. That someone would have to wait another three years for a court date just because the judge was sick on the original date is unimaginable.

Donna Vaughn, Alameda