To the Editor:
Unlike our esteemed editor, I found the State of the Union presentation to be in the same carousel approach our president takes to everything: gaudy, self-aggrandizing, narcissistic, theatrical, dishonest, and emotionally needy. There are people who like that sort of thing as opposed to substance.
For those of you who think that Trump really is trying to protect medical preexisting conditions as he repeats endlessly and touted in the SOTU, you need to know that his administration is in the courts as we speak attempting to invalidate those and other health care provisions. He is working diligently to reduce Medicare. He is increasing the tensions in the Middle East by his haphazard foreign policy which mightily protects autocrats. Betsy DeVos is destroying the backbone of our nation: the public school system. He hasn’t done anything to improve infrastructure as he promised, he hasn’t built a wall paid for by the country of Mexico. He hasn’t brought the country together; on the contrary. He hasn’t saved coal (thank heavens) and he has not helped the middle class. What he has done is replace every safeguard against constraining unbridled executive power by appointing Barr as attorney general and filling his cabinet with people who are too afraid to disagree with him, or too ambitious to give a darn. Oh, yes. One good thing: he has ridden Obama’s coattails to a decent economy.
Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats had no choice but to impeach, though they knew the Republicans would give the president a pass (the exception, below). They had a virtual cafeteria-selection of offenses, but they selected the worst: inviting foreign countries into our election system. Trump feels, and has always felt, perfectly at ease with that. You can Google it.
Some Democratic Senators were profiles in courage in the final count to acquit or remove: Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Doug Jones of Alabama who has a tough race ahead of him. Republican Mitt Romney of Utah carefully explained his crisis of conscience in voting “guilty” on one Articles of Impeachment and was excoriated by Trump and his minions. Meanwhile, the pitiable Susan Collins of Maine mealy-mouthed her hopes that Trump would “learn his lesson.” It was one of the rare moments of humor in the whole process, a single beam in a senate which has declared that, if the president thinks his reelection is in the best interests of the country, whatever means he uses to assure it is permissible.
Now, for the revenge-taking. Trump is famous for it. He has already started with both Vindman brothers. There are many more to come. The question is, will you reward at the polls this newly-empowered, deeply-flawed, lawless and tragic figure?. Somewhere, Shakespeare is taking up his pen.
Kelly Scoles
Fillmore, CA

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To the Editor:
The 37th Assembly District race is under the radar. Voters need to look closely at the candidates. That’s why I recommend that voters choose Jason Dominguez. He is a former high school teacher and labor organizer, has a law degree from Berkeley School of Law, a master’s degree in environmental law, a former United Nations Legal Officer at the Hague who prosecuted those who committed war criminals and genocide. He’s also served as a Santa Barbara Deputy County Counsel, as a Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney, Deputy City Attorney and Council Member.
As a City Council Member in Santa Barbara Jason spearheaded private-public partnerships to increase affordable housing, helped return a $4,000,000 budget surplus, fought for green-energy solutions and to create local jobs and wants to address homeless at the root cause by "investing in mental health infrastructure." In addition to his City Council work, Jason teaches International Law at The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law, and is the CEO & Founder of a non-profit that provides legal assistance to low-income families and youth leadership training.
Other Assembly District candidates don’t have Jason’s skill-set, experience or determination. They include a young left-wing progressive and college organizer, a drama major with deep pocketed special interests and ties to pot farmers and dispensaries, a non-profit executive focused on sexual violence, a former track coach, a former teacher and current Board of Supervisor, and a 22 year old whose answers to pressing issues do not appear to “have any factual basis.”
visit: VoteJasonDominguez.com
Anna Marie Gott,
Santa Barbara