Letters: This retired judge supports recalling Chesa Boudin and putting him back where he belongs – San Francisco Chronicle

Regarding Retired judges oppose recall of Boudin (Letters to the Editor, May 12): The opposition to recall of the criminal defense lawyer turned San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin by retired judges ignores Boudins practices, his dereliction of duty to San Franciscans and taxpayer expectations.

Boudin claims a desire to prosecute those in power, but has abrogated City Hall corruption responsibility in favor of the U.S. Attorneys office. Hed rather prosecute police officers than burglars, robbers, repeat offenders and shoplifters. City Hall graft is inexcusable; so is Boudins failure, which is why voters (not retired judges) should recall him so he can return to the Public Defenders Office, his true professional love.

Quentin Kopp, retired San Mateo County judge,

San Franciso

The initiative to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is obviously well-funded. A deluge of slick, printed materials and even television ads. Who is paying for those expensive materials and ads?

Remember, please, that Boudin was elected as a reaction against Mayor London Breeds attempt to appoint Suzy Loftis as district attorney. City voters dont like mayoral appointees. (Former incendiary Supervisor Chris Daly was elected as a direct reaction to Willie Browns attempts to put a lackey on the Board of Supervisors.)

As is too often the case, recalls are typically funded by wealthy interests that are displeased that they failed to buy an election. The Boudin recall appears to be yet another example of that.

Riley B. VanDyke, San Francisco

Regarding Layoff drama as firefighters refuse vaccine (Bay Area & Business, May 19): As a firefighter for 40 years, I am sure of one thing, the exact job of a firefighter is public safety. We are there to protect the citizens from all immediate dangers, including the virus that has taken 1 million American lives now.

I not only believe all firefighters should be vaccinated to protect the public, but also to protect the fellow firefighters they share a house with. If you dont care enough about the public to get your vaccination, get another job; your heart isnt into the one you have.

Robert Nice, Redwood City

Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing using part of the state budget surplus payments to health care workers to retain them. Dumb idea! I am an registered nurse at a Bay Area hospital. Id love an extra 1,500 bucks but it wouldnt affect my decision to stay or leave. We are so short-staffed, I get asked almost daily to work extra shifts or stay extra hours. Exhausted staff are quitting. The money wont make anyone stay who doesnt want to theyll maybe stay until they cash the check. And were one of the hospitals in decent shape!

Use the surplus money for: paying nursing school instructors more theres a backlog for students trying to get into nursing school, give hospitals and skilled nursing facilities restricted funds for the of hiring additional staff, and require higher pay for non-registered nurse workers and emergency medical technicians we are short on all these people. EMTs get minimum wage or barely more to save lives.

The $1,500 is just buying votes and I already generally support Newsom but not on this.

Katherine Feallock, Richmond

Regarding Is Musk a good agent of chaos? (Open Forum, May 17): Thank you, Jackie Mansky, for spotlighting Norman Spinrads Agent of Chaos in the Open Forum. Those 70s science fiction titans: Spinrad, Brunner, Vonnegut, Farmer, Delany (and a host of others) foretold our current world with wit, erudition and humanity.

Todays Agents of Nihilism: Bannon, Farage, Jones, Carlson seek only to disrupt, destroy and profit. Embrace entropy!

Carey Stevenson, Richmond

Correction: An earlier version of What a chaotic time we live in misstated the type of 70s titans the writer was referring to.

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Letters: This retired judge supports recalling Chesa Boudin and putting him back where he belongs - San Francisco Chronicle