Letters to the Editor: California needs to fully fund schools no matter what. Kill the bullet train

To the editor: Before Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sacramento implement budget cuts to public schools, they should examine the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic. (“Coronavirus forces sharp cuts to schools, healthcare in California, Newsom says,” May 14)

This crisis has proved to everyone, especially home-schooling parents, that teachers are underpaid and underappreciated, and schools are understaffed. Education needs and deserves more money, not less.

Where do we get some of this money? By killing the over-budget high-speed rail project between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

It won’t really be high speed since it has to slow down through every city and town it crosses. It’s not needed because this virus has proved that telecommuting is not only possible but beneficial for both employers and employees. And, when the next virus comes, no one will want to pack into a train.

It will be medically safer for all of us to drive our own cars to any far-flung destination. Kill the train and give back to the schools.

Steve Paskay, Los Angeles

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To the editor: In 2008, California schools addressed the economic crisis by cutting classes. Teachers were thrown on unemployment and students crammed into overcrowded rooms.

This time, administrators should take the hit. Principals, deans and others making six figures would suffer only a a minor loss, while rank-and-file teachers could keep working and give students a better education.

Ralph Tropf, Los Angeles

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To the editor: According to your reporting, the state budget relies much on federal help. No one should hold their breath waiting for that assistance.

Like President Trump, who wants to bankrupt the U.S. Postal Service both to fight Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos and eliminate voting by mail, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to bankrupt the states in order to renegotiate the social contract with citizens.

Nearly 2,000 Americans are dying every day from COVID-19, and Trump and McConnell are engaged in a brutal exercise of power to sow discord for the sake of an all-controlling federal government. We’re being conned.

Cary Adams, North Hollywood

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To the editor: Newsom said that the federal government has a moral and ethical and economic obligation to help support the states.

That is laughable from a leader who has basically told the federal government to go pound sand, because we will decide which federal laws to obey.

I hope Newsom is ready for his next budget after this one to have another large deficit because of continued reduced income and sales tax revenue.

Linda Forsythe, West Hills