Letters to the editor: Debt isn't Biden's fault; illegal protesting

GOP’s tired blame game on debt

Re: Ingrid Jacques’ May 16 column, “Biden is bankrupting our futures”:

Ms. Jacques’ column railing against the rising national debt when a Democrat, Joe Biden, is president is more of the same blame-game Republicans trot out whenever they are not in office.

Instead of just criticizing, perhaps Jacques would actually like to support a solution that slows or even stops the debt cycle America has been in for the last 40 years. How about taking a stab at repealing the permanent humongous tax cuts to the super wealthy that President Trump signed into law, while the middle-class tax cuts Trump and his cronies in Congress used to bait the hook with, will end in 2025. Leaving the working class to pay more, while the rich aren't to be bothered contributing to any solution.

With the recent stock market surge that investors are now enjoying, maybe it’s time to roll back the great giveaway to the caviar class and get serious about the debt, instead of playing the tired blame game Republicans always resort to when they are not in power. Unless, of course, the point of Jacques column is just to affect the nations zeitgeist, rather than actually look for a solution to our nation’s ills.

Bill Hathoot, Ventura

Protesters’ demand is against law

Re: your May 16 story, “CSUCI students launch Gaza solidarity encampment”:

I read with great interest the story about the CSUCI demonstration and their demands the university “divests from genocide, disclose their assets, end their silence and boycott all connection to apartheid states.”

What the protesters fail to acknowledge, among other things, is that their central demand is against the law. In 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 2844. Local governments and public universities that accept $100,000 or more in public funding from the state of California — and that means nearly all of them — cannot act on divestment demands.

Simply put, the law forbids awarding state grants or contracts of $100,000 or more to government and state organizations that support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, known by the acronym BDS. The California law specifically prohibits funding from being awarded to organizations that discriminate against foreign countries — and explicitly mentions Israel.

The BDS movement is often criticized as being anti-Israel because it fundamentally challenges the legitimacy and sovereignty of the Jewish state. The controversy surrounding BDS is intensified by accusations that it fosters antisemitism. The movement’s rhetoric and actions often cross the line from legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies to outright hostility towards Jewish people and their right to a homeland.

This perspective is bolstered by incidents where BDS activities have been accompanied by antisemitic slogans, symbols, and actions, further fueling the argument that the movement is not merely about policy critique but harbors deeper anti-Israel sentiments.

Eric Rose, Simi Valley

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: Debt isn't Biden's fault; illegal protesting