Letters: If California’s fight against Trump becomes a losing cause, here’s what the state should do

Regarding “ ‘We will fight like hell’: California lawmakers kick off special session to combat Trump” (Politics, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 2): As the state Legislature discusses protecting Californians from Trumpian policies, I believe it should convene a committee to study the possibility of secession. 

Ideally, California remains a state, but there should be a backup plan in case of extreme federal vindictiveness. 

California has one of the largest deficits of money paid to the federal government compared to federal spending for our state, and it’s painfully obvious to anyone who lives here where additional money could be well spent in our communities.

Why should we fuel a federal government if that government chooses to withhold aid and benefits we’re owed? If Donald Trump continues and magnifies this, we should seriously consider forming our own more perfect union.

Noreen Wauford, Emeryville

Elk are free at last

Regarding “Point Reyes elk to roam free after major National Park Service change; cattlemen sue” (Climate, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 2): Thank you to the National Park Service for acting decisively to finally remove the elk fence in the Point Reyes National Seashore. 

Tule elk are indigenous to California, were nearly extinct and are still at 1% of their historic numbers. With intensifying droughts, hundreds of elk have died behind the fence at Tomales Point while free-ranging herds outside the confined area were relatively unaffected. 

Hopefully, this marks a trend of prioritizing true park values like wilderness and recreation over polluting cattle operations.

Hopefully, soon people will be able to visit this jewel of a park and not have to navigate barbed wire, cow pies and dangerously polluted waterways. 

Ken Bouley, executive director, Turtle Island Restoration Network

Use nonviolent means

The assassin who killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week aimed at the wrong target, used the wrong weapon and wasn’t the right person to do the job. 

The target should be United Healthcare’s profit-seeking business model. 

The weapon must be legislation to replace private health insurance with universal health insurance through a fair publicly financed program.

The right folks to do the job are the voters and our elected legislators. 

We must remove health insurance CEOs by nonviolent political action. Let’s go on the offense to establish single-payer health insurance (improved Medicare for all). 

We know how to do this. We’ve done the research, developed the policies, written the legislation and shown the cost savings. 

It’s up to us to help abolish private for-profit health insurance, may it RIP. Then we can enjoy the health care we deserve.

Henry L. Abrons, Berkeley

Cutback on paper

One overlooked contributor to the rapid warming of our planet is the waste generated by unnecessary paper production.

At Green America, we work with corporations to reduce unnecessary printing. CVS, notorious for long receipts, saved 87 million yards of receipt paper within four months of our Skip the Slip campaign.

Now, we’ve found another ally in the fight against climate change. Health care companies are required by law to produce 90 billion sheets of printed prescribing information each year — a practice that the Food and Drug Administration has proposed ending, but Congress has prevented the change.

Printed prescribing information, which is provider-facing and available online, uses paper made from 11 million trees each year, accelerating the climate change that is impacting our communities. 

It’s time for Congress to stop blocking the logical, sustainable climate change solution.

Dan Howells, director for climate campaigns, Green America

Shooting is senseless

Regarding “Gunman used ‘ruse’ to get on Northern California campus, laid out written motive, sheriff says” (Crime, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 5): I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds it incomprehensible that this monster was arrested driving a stolen vehicle, using a fake ID and had outstanding warrants and yet was still allowed to walk free. 

Two innocent children in Oroville would not be in the hospital if the South San Francisco police had done their job. Please make it make sense.

Kevin Hangman, Yountville