Letters: Alameda County should extend, not end, pretrial aid program

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County should extend, not end, aid program

Re: “Judge blasts plan to replace aid program” (Page A1, Sept. 19).

Shockingly, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is considering ending a humane, cost-effective program that is helping people released from Santa Rita Jail stay out of jail, improving their lives and saving taxpayer dollars.

Through the Alameda County Pretrial Extension Program (PEP), BOSS program staff provide case management and service connections (housing, mental health and substance use services) to improve lives and reduce re-arrests. PEP served 800 individuals, connected 300 to substance abuse treatment and provided housing for 200 in just six months.

So why is the Alameda County Board of Supervisors poised to end this promising new pretrial support program after less than a year? And why has there been no transparent and open discussion about this change?

Please ask your county supervisor whether they would vote to extend the PEP with BOSS through 2027 when a full program evaluation is completed.

Merle Lustig
Berkeley

Boosting transit is a boost to Bay Area

Re: “Don’t discount the benefits of Bay Area trains” (Page A6, Sept. 29).

In extending Karen Philbrick’s article, it seems that many others could be impacted if the Regional Transit Measure were to be implemented.

Those who continue to travel on what services remain could find their travelling conditions deteriorating severely. This, in itself, could further damage future ridership.

Hosting an abandoned station in your home city would not appear to be a desirable concept either.

There is also likely to be a substantial impact on the residents who live in the corridor areas of the freeways and roads that would have to cater to the additional traffic. The new delays at key congestion points on the freeways could increase through-traffic intrusion into the surrounding residential areas, as drivers divert to seek alternative routes.

Apart from the environmental effects of any additional traffic to these areas, there would be an increased potential for fatal and serious accidents.

Richard Davies
Pleasant Hill

Vote early to express your political anger

Re: “Study: Voter’s Choice Act is helping access” (Page A1, Sept. 28).

The chorus is getting louder around us: What is happening to our country? This is unbelievable, and I do not know what to do.

In fact, the antidote to this grief is your vote, and as the East Bay Times reported on Sept. 28, the Voter’s Choice Act is helping 78% of the state’s registered voters cast their ballots in-person up to 10 days earlier than counties that have yet to implement the act. Ten days earlier to register your discontent. A week and a half sooner to share your anger. And for those of us in Alameda County, the vote-by-mail voting period opens this week on October 5, and ballot drop boxes open on October 6.

So, feeling frustrated and overwhelmed? Angry about soaring prices and corruption? Remember — your vote is your superpower. Vote early.

Michele Brynjulson
Pleasanton

Vote for Bruce Henry for parks director

I’m writing to support Bruce Henry for the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Board of Directors.

Anyone vying for this position should have formal EBRPD experience and be a true patron of the parks. As a longtime hiker, mountain biker, current chair of the Park Advisory Committee and former finance subcommittee chair, Henry fits that mold. Further back, he served on Pleasanton’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, & Trails Committee.

Henry’s priorities align with what our open spaces need most: wildfire mitigation, protecting open space and expanding safe trails. He is also endorsed by the Alameda County Firefighters Association, reflecting his deep commitment to public safety.

Henry will listen to our community and hit the ground running on day one. Please join me in supporting Bruce Henry for EBRPD Board of Directors.

Aaron Godfrey
Dublin

New law is a win for lung cancer fight

Gov. Gavin Newsom on September 28, 2026, signed SB 1124.

This is a win for public health. Starting in 2028, tobacco retailers must post lung cancer screening information. This could save lives across the East Bay and reduce some of California’s healthcare cost burden by $26.5 million per year.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in California, yet Californians have the lowest screening rate in the nation. Only a quarterof cases are caught early, which is when the survival rate is higher. In California, only about 1% of those eligible get screened; reasons vary, but lack of awareness is a common one.

Signs where smokers shop will reach them with awareness of screening, as well as the criteria needed and a number for help quitting. If you’re 50 to 80 and a current or former heavy smoker, ask your doctor about screening.

Melissa Cisneros
Fremont

Who will stop Trump’s reign of corruption?

Donald Trump has figured out the Cheat Code for defying the Constitution and hijacking the dignity and honor of the presidency: “Who’s going to stop me?”

Overturn the convictions of the Jan 6 insurgents and set them free? Who’s going to stop me?

Tear down part of the White House? Who’s going to stop me?

Detain (and shoot) American citizens and legal immigrants in the streets? Who’s going to stop me?

Plunge us into war in Iran without Congressional approval? Use the levers of government to enrich yourself? Spend taxpayer money on self-serving propaganda? Who’s going to stop me? The list goes on.

The Office of the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, has always relied on the self-restraint and integrity of men of decency and conscience. But with Donald Trump at the helm, with a Republican-led Congress complicit, who’s going to stop him?

Ken Wong
Walnut Creek