{"id":8708488,"date":"2023-01-06T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-07T00:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8708488&preview=true&preview_id=8708488"},"modified":"2023-01-08T05:02:33","modified_gmt":"2023-01-08T13:02:33","slug":"letters-1107","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/06\/letters-1107\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters: Tesla grandstanding | Ranked choice voting | 2020 replay | Seeno III"},"content":{"rendered":"

Submit your letter to the editor via this form<\/a>. Read more Letters to the Editor<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Tesla grandstandinglooks ridiculous<\/h4>\n

John Blumenthals’s article regarding feeling “embarrassed” to drive a Tesla is a perfect example of how political polarization has become ridiculous (“I bought a Tesla; now I’m embarrassed to drive it<\/a>,” Page A7, Jan. 4).<\/p>\n

It’s people like him that create the animosity we have today and why it’s hard to get anything done in this country. Love him or hate him, Elon Musk made the electric car more accessible and popular in this country, and if you truly care about climate change then you would look past petty political differences to embrace a real solution to carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

He says he doesn’t feel “comfortable” driving it anymore. Give me a break. If he polled the CEOs and boards of directors of all the corporations of products he consumes then he might decide he has to live off the land in the woods somewhere; honestly. we’d be better off having that kind of intolerance out of our society.<\/p>\n

Max Ritter<\/strong>Livermore<\/em><\/p>\n

Ranked choice savesmoney, draws voters<\/h4>\n

When I was on the San Leandro City Council I helped bring ranked choice voting to San Leandro.<\/p>\n

The reasons were: it saved the city money (pay for one election instead of two), it saved the candidates money (only had to fundraise for one election which helped less-well-off people run), and it was more democratic since two to three times as many people turn out in a November general election than the June primary, or a run-off special election after November. That is what democracy is all about. It shouldn’t be about who can appeal to special interests or is rich enough to self-fund.<\/p>\n

If readers want to learn more, please go to fairvote.org<\/a>. Studies show RCV helps elect more women and people of color, who are underrepresented in most elected governmental bodies. Instant runoff voting is easy.<\/p>\n

Jim Prola<\/strong>Former vice mayor<\/em>San Leandro<\/em><\/p>\n

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