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No reliable substitute for AT&T landlines
Re: “Bid to reduce service rolls on” (Page A1, July 4).
Several letters and comments within articles provide anecdotal evidence that wireless is not a satisfactory replacement for wired telephone lines. I’d like to add to that evidence.
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In the past, during planned power outages and storms, cell service in the Oakland hills became unusable. There was not sufficient bandwidth to reach PG&E’s website or any other website. Calls out did not go through.
Even today, roughly half of Skyline Boulevard in Oakland has no cell service. Service at our home is “one bar.” If (when?) there is another emergency, we will, again, be cut off.
While the wired phone service has too little bandwidth for modern data needs, it does provide a means to contact emergency providers. We need to retain that until cell service in the Oakland hills is reliable and is everywhere.
Chris Brown
Oakland
Red arrow is a hit job on Khanna
Re: “Latest line > Who’s up and who’s down” (Page B1, July 12).
I object mightily to your big, red, down-pointing arrow above Ro Khanna’s name. This is clearly a biased jab against a good man and entirely without good reporting on your part.
How do you think Khanna might have known before anyone else about Graham Platner’s background? Look at all the good people who were supporting Eric Swalwell until his bad news broke. We don’t all deserve red arrows.
People are only human, and those backing candidates aren’t privy to secrets — they saw goodness in Platner just as the rest of us did— for a while.
Please give us a break from the snarking and present a fair and kinder face for our newspaper. I’ve been reading this paper for eight decades, and I’m sick to see the downhill slide it’s taking.
Emily Sparks
Oakland
Why aren’t homeless groups bargain hunting?
Re: “Group gets hotel for a big discount” (Page B1, June 24).
On June 23, George Avalos reported on the sale of a 142-room hotel in Pleasant Hill for a distressed price of $3.3 million, which works out to $23,000 per room. Compare this to the 2025 median price per room of $109,000 locally. On the next day, he reported on the sale of a 128-room hotel in Pleasanton for $800,000, a stunningly low cost per room of $6,250.
These stories demonstrate potential for 270 housing units to be acquired by entities that advocate for homeless relief. Entities such as counties, cities, and foundations should have been closely monitoring the hotel foreclosure market and acting when such extreme bargains arose.
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We have heard the idea of converting unused office space to housing units. The cost of adding the required plumbing would be huge. Unused hotel rooms, however, already have bathrooms. Kitchenettes would be easy to add. This seems like a no-brainer.
James Morphy
Martinez
Good governance can secure sensitive data
Re: “Surveillance tech is inevitable; or is it?” (Page E1, July 12).
This article raises important concerns about surveillance technology and the potential misuse of sensitive location data. But the debate should not be framed as surveillance versus privacy. It should be about governance.
Society already manages information far more sensitive than license plate data. Medical records reveal HIV status, mental health treatment, reproductive care and other deeply personal information. We don’t eliminate electronic health records because they could be abused or shared improperly. Instead, we require strict access controls, audit logs, retention limits, oversight and penalties for misuse.
Police technologies should be held to the same standard. Strong privacy protections, transparent policies, independent audits and meaningful accountability can protect civil liberties while allowing legitimate public safety uses.
The question isn’t whether sensitive data exists; it’s whether we govern it responsibly.
Dr. Rajni Mandal
Oakland
Trump’s election lies harm voter turnout
Re: “Trump lies steal faith in elections and democracy” (Page A6, June 19).
It is no secret that Donald Trump has stolen the hope of many. Throughout his term, he has consistently spoken of and has now taken action toward banning or heavily restricting mail-in ballots.
He claims that his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 was “rigged.” This is extremely harmful because it reduces voter turnout when people are convinced that the system is ineffective.
Grace Haubner
Pleasanton
S.F. Bay Trail needs meaningful E-bike rules
Let’s talk about e-bikes using the San Francisco Bay Trail.
Electric bikes are getting closer and closer to being on par with motorcycles (of which I have two). There are an increasing number showing up on the San Leandro section of the trail. Many, of course, enjoy going very fast. Unfortunately, pedestrians and regular bicyclists now have to look very carefully both ways before crossing or even stepping to the left or right. Even bicyclists “forget” to use a bell or verbal “on your left/righ” indicating on which side they intend to pass.
But some e-bikes go racing down like it’s a deserted highway with zero warning. I’ve yelled to “slow down,” and I get a digital “half a peace sign,” and it’s not getting better. Some municipalities are now banning e-bikes on park property or limiting them to 15 mph. A plan for same and enforcement would be timely.
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Richard Branchaud
San Leandro
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