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Adding public land adds taxpayer burden

Re: “Group buys Coyote Valley farmland for $5.3M” (Page B1, April 9).

As of April 2026, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) has preserved more than 98,000 acres in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties since its founding in 1977. How much property tax revenue was lost?

The double whammy is that this land has been or will be transferred to public agency partners (like the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District or Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) for permanent stewardship, and taxpayers will be on the hook for management. Given the yearly budget crises faced by local governments, is adding to open space a good thing?

It would be more cost-effective to use conservation easements to preserve open space and keep the land in private ownership.

Thomas Ferro
San Jose

San Jose’s housing plan fails residents

Re: “Officials break ground on housing development” (Page B1, April 7) and “We have tools to fix Silicon Valley’s inequality” (Page A9, April 5).

For the last decade, proponents of high-density housing have framed their arguments for it with the meme “near transit.” I have yet to see an article in your paper that examines whether residents of existing projects use transit in their everyday lives.

In my opinion, you would find that none of the residents of those projects use transit other than their cars. Not only is the city waiving impact fees for those projects when it is running a budget deficit, but those new citizens will be driving up city support costs.

Recently, we have seen reports of those “near transit” projects being proposed or completed without adequate parking. The completed one is half-empty due to a lack of parking. The proposed one, the Bank of Italy, I predict, will be a failure for requiring all tenants to find parking wherever they can.

Jack Field
San Jose

Hold Trump to same standards as military

Re: “Trump widens threat to all Iran’s power plants, bridges” (Page A3, April 7).

The wild and dangerous things President Trump is saying and posting on social media about Iran appear to be at least partially self-medicating, and there are rising calls for the 25th Amendment or impeachment to affect his removal from office. It seems unlikely.

But I wonder if we should insist our commander in chief meet the same mental fitness standards applicable to all military service members:

Medical Standards (DoDI 6130.03): Defines which conditions are generally disqualifying for continued service, including psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, and severe anxiety or depression.

Fitness for Duty Evaluation: A command-directed evaluation (DoDI 6490.04) occurs if a service member’s mental health affects their ability to perform duties or raises safety issues.

David Cain
Los Altos

Media lays out folly of fossil fuel use

Three stories in the Mercury News, April 9, highlight the folly of continued use of fossil fuels.

Page A3 reports on EPA head Lee Zeldin’s address to the Heartland Institute (“Zeldin tells climate skeptic to ‘celebrate vindication’ after repeal of a noted baseline rule“), highlighting the repeal of the endangerment finding — the science that guides climate policy. The Heartland Institute is a major source of the propaganda that perpetuate the burning of coal, oil and gas.

The very next article (“March obliterates record as the most intensely hot month in continental U.S.“) documents the latest record-breaking temperature events — March, still spring, was the hottest month in 132 years of U.S. records. The now-repealed endangerment finding explains why.

Page A1 updates details (“Israeli strikes on Lebanon imperil ceasefire“) of the ongoing war in the Middle East. The desire to control supplies of oil, gas and fertilizer threatens both global energy and food.

While this stupid war rages on, China is leading the way toward a more stable global climate and a healthier planet.

Campbell Scott
Los Gatos

CARE Court restricts access to services

Though there are many programs geared toward aiding the unhoused population within Santa Clara County, there is still a large population of unhoused people that is not being served or doesn’t have access to available programs.

Through the California Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which established CARE Court into law, qualification depends on individuals being 18 years or older, already having a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder and needing supervision in order to function in society. This doesn’t take into account many who develop these disorders after the minimum age and who have never been diagnosed. It is also dependent on an individual having a representative to file a petition on their behalf. This leaves many unhoused people without access to valuable services.

The county should strive to provide not only housing but also access to mental health services.

Daydrian Tulloch
San Jose

Expand people’s access to mental health care

I am writing to raise awareness about the need for more affordable and accessible mental health care in our community. As someone who has experienced therapy and is pursuing a psychology education, I have seen firsthand how difficult it can be to access these services, even when they are truly needed.

Mental health support should not be a luxury. Many people delay or avoid getting help because of high costs or limited availability, which can make their situation worsen over time. This issue affects students, working adults and families across Santa Clara County.

I encourage local leaders and organizations to invest more in mental health programs, expand access to low-cost services and make resources easier to find. Even small changes can make a big difference in people’s lives.

Alberto Alvarez
San Jose