Congressional candidate Connie Chan and Rep. Nancy Pelosi attend a rally supporting Chan in San Francisco on May 30. Pelosi has endorsed Chan to fill her seat representing San Francisco in the House.
Benjamin Fanjoy/For the S.F. Chronicle
Regarding “Connie Chan moving on to the general election — and Pelosi’s endorsement — is nothing to celebrate” (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, June 4): Calling Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement of Connie Chan for Congress “nothing to celebrate” is a cheap shot.
Does anyone really think Pelosi would endorse any candidate for her critical House seat merely on “an apparent fit of pique?”
Pelosi has survived too many brutal high-stakes fights in Congress for that. No, Pelosi endorsed Chan because she is the best candidate to fight for San Francisco, California and the nation on critical issues.
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In years of hard work as a grassroots activist and supervisor, Chan has fought for responsible budget leadership, housing and tenant rights, worker protections, economic relief programs, public safety and policing, transit support and more.
The overwhelming majority of progressive organizations and labor unions supported Chan. They know who will best defend San Francisco when the heat is on — Connie Chan.
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Julie Tang, San Francisco
Prop D is wrong approach
Regarding “S.F. progressives were just trounced in the election. Can they bounce back in the Lurie era?” (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, June 5): The story mentioned that Proposition D’s apparent loss indicates there is no mandate for increasing taxes on big businesses in San Francisco.
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I disagree and believe that the failure of Prop D stemmed from concerns regarding its approach; even one of its sponsors, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, admitted that the tax would mostly affect retail, which remains in post-pandemic freefall.
More taxes on retail are the last thing the Bayview neighborhood needs in its futile attempts to woo a supermarket.
Most big tech companies would be shielded from Prop D: They pay relatively high salaries, so there’s less disparity between their employees’ and CEO salaries, making them less subject to tax penalties.
I’m more than happy to tax the rich, just give us a well-thought-out proposal that won’t do more harm than good.
Delene Wolf, San Francisco
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Inequities are too wide
Regarding “Here’s how San Francisco is working on making billionaires part of the solution” (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, June 5): While I appreciate the point that billionaires should be invited and encouraged to be civically engaged and support public projects, this solution doesn’t begin to address — nor apparently is it meant to — the dangerous societal imbalance inherent when the wealth gap is as large as it is today.
The Open Forum author suggested we emulate solutions born of the Gilded Age. While the libraries and universities funded during the Gilded Age are a significant contribution to the public good, the real solution to the wealth inequality of the era was the tax revolution ushered in with the New Deal.
Delays sow conspiracies
I am a supporter of mail-in voting and policies that enable greater voting access and participation. I oppose voter ID requirements and don’t view election fraud as a significant issue. No one is stealing elections in the U.S.
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But the lengthy vote-counting process in California is a problem. It’s been a week since Election Day, and we still don’t have final results, nor is anyone telling us when we will. I live in San Mateo County, which has counted about 50% of its ballots as of Monday.
The delays, varied progress in different counties and lack of visibility into expected timelines are fertile ground for conspiracy advocates and damage public trust.
I’m not sure what the answers are, but we need to find a better way.
Reset mail-in deadline
Without presenting any proof, President Donald Trump is now claiming voter fraud in California. I’m guessing his rationale is that it’s taking so long to count all the votes.
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Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership.
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There’s a reason for California’s time-consuming count. Many people wait until the last minute to mail their ballots on Election Day. Many ballots may not be opened and counted for a week or more after the polls close.
The fix is simple: Move the mail-in deadline to a week before Election Day. What do you think, Mr. President?
Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach, Orange County