E-bikes are locked at a lot near a Bay Area middle school. A Marin politician is pushing for more regulations around the bikes.
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Regarding “Marin congressman pushes bill to regulate e-bikes and e-motos” (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, March 25): The legislation co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Huffman of Marin County would create requirements for data collection and labeling to be carried out by the weakened federal Consumer Products Safety Commission.
However, the bill’s provisions would take years to implement and would result in only recommendations and labeling.
We already know that electric bike accidents are accelerating. New Jersey now requires either a driver’s license or an e-bike license for all e-bike riders and sets a minimum age of 15 for all e-bike riders.
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Assembly Member Diane Papan has proposed a bill that would establish a pilot in San Mateo County limiting e-bike riders to age 12 and up — I think it should be amended to also limit faster Class 2 bikes to age 16 and up, and it should be given broad support.
We should follow European countries and not allow young children on these devices.
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Leslie Ragsdale, Hillsborough
Teachable moment missed
Regarding “Lowell High math teacher resigns amid probe into sexist, fat-shaming quiz questions” (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, March 25): I agree that there are excerpts of teacher Tom Chan’s quizzes and classroom work that were inappropriate, but shouldn’t this have been an educational moment?
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The Chronicle stated that “hundreds” of current and former students signed a petition in support of Chan. To me, that states that he’s an impressive educator who inspires his students.
Why did Lowell High School and the San Francisco Unified School District, instead of recognizing this as an educational moment, shun Chan, a hard-working teacher for decades?
Couldn’t the administration have had a discussion with him about the claims before putting him on leave?
This decision seems punitive and not educational.
Katherine Murphy, San Francisco
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Too many Dems
Regarding “Here’s why Democrats are in such a mess in the California governor’s race” (Joe Garofoli, SFChronicle.com, March 29): Democrats have become their own worst enemy. The race for California governor is a perfect example.
The field of nine Democratic candidates is ridiculous. The lowest polling candidates are staying in the race strictly for ego. They don’t have a chance, but all will claim racial bias as the reason they are being told to drop out.
I am a woman of color, and what matters in this race is not being the first California governor of color. What matters is fighting those who are now, but should not be, viable Republican candidates with the top-two primary.
If we end up with a Republican governor, those low-polling Democrats will be our Ralph Naders and will be responsible for splitting the Democratic vote. Put your egos aside and do what is right for this state you claim to love. Drop out.
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Trans ban is fair
Regarding “Olympic ban of transgender women an overly simplistic decision with vast consequences” (Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, March 28): From 2000 to 2023, approximately 50 to 60 athletes with 46XY differences of sex development competed in women’s elite international and continental track-and-field meets, accounting for 135 finalist places, 151.9 times the rate expected from their share of the general population, according to a World Athletics official.
Those finalist spots could’ve been taken by biological women with XX chromosomes.
Even though gender and sexuality can exist on a spectrum, to allow for a fair field of competition for genetically female competitors, it’s reasonable to have the binary of chromosomes delineate who can compete in the binary categories of men or women at elite levels of sport.
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Willing and able
Regarding “Bay Area economy is deeply reliant on immigrant labor, report shows” (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, March 25): There is a group of Americans who are rarely asked if they want to do jobs that many others don’t want: people with disabilities.
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Many people with disabilities would love to work, but are not given the opportunity to or are simply ignored when hiring for the jobs that undocumented immigrants typically do.
So, let us not be so quick when talking about jobs that no Americans want to do.