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In labor trafficking,let punishment fit crime
In June 2022, Noel, Joshua and Carlina Gamos were convicted of human trafficking and labor-related charges in connection with Rainbow Bright residential care facilities in the Bay Area. The Gamos family exploited Filipino nationals for 10 years, using threats of arrest and deportation, false promises to assist with immigration and other means of control and coercion to keep victims from reporting them or leaving.
Sentencing is Feb. 8 at 10:30 a.m. at San Mateo County Superior Court. Each member of the family is facing a sentence of 40 years, yet activists are concerned justice will not be served because labor trafficking has yet to capture the attention of the public, and the judicial system is slow to hold labor traffickers accountable.
Trafficking is about power and control; like R. Kelley and Ghislaine Maxwell, the Gamos’ dehumanized their victims, traumatizing them for years, and should be held to account for their actions.
Sharan DhanoaGilroy
Housing stance showsCurry’s true character
Re. “Currys ask council to nix houses near them,” Page B2, Jan. 29:
If you didn’t know that Steph Curry was a liberal hack with superficial stances, the recent NIMBY article about his Atherton home should show you his true character.
Curry is more than happy to promote various social programs and the building of high-density housing, just as long as they don’t impact him or his family or are built anywhere near his multimillion-dollar home in the secluded, ultra-wealthy neighborhood of Atherton. This is a typical stance of rich liberals today where they want to tell us what to spend our money on and how to live; mainly because they are immune from these requirements since they are rich enough to live in areas that will be exempted from any change. They also have enough money that higher prices and inflation will have minimal effect on their lifestyle.
Private jet/mega-mansion liberals are something else in this world.
Devin FoleyFremont
Tax laws designedto shield seniors
Bruce Irion’s letter of Jan. 31 about seniors trapped by tax laws in their inappropriately large houses (“Tax policy exacerbates our housing crisis,” Page A6) is not completely accurate.
Federal income tax law allows married couples to exclude from income up to $500,000 capital gains from the sale of their principal home if they meet certain residence requirements. California seniors who sell their main home and buy a less expensive main home in the same county can take their property tax with them.
These laws protect seniors from being forced from their homes by taxes.
Patricia CoffeyOrinda
Film reveals traumaof an abusive coach
As a Cal alum, I followed with great interest the issue of the former women’s swim coach, “Cal fires swim coach McKeever” (Page A1, Feb. 1) in this morning’s East Bay Times.
Ironically, last night, my wife and I watched a 2014 movie entitled “Whiplash” about an aspiring young drummer facing a similar circumstance; one that Cal’s women swimmers, no doubt, must have endured.
I recommend this movie dramatization, highly, to anyone who might better appreciate the damage done from abuse that an overzealous instructor, coach or mentor can inflict on a young protégé.
John EbertSan Ramon
‘Candorville’ isa truthful messenger
I must answer Evan Moss Evan’s letter to the editor (“Comic is insensitive to police killing,” Page A6, Feb. 1) with a full-throated endorsement of Darrin Bell’s “Candorville,” published Jan. 29.
Yes, it is a cynical view of police violence toward people of color; but it is based on truth. I thought it noteworthy enough to copy it and paste it into my Facebook page, for others to see as well.
Better if Evan and other critics of “Candorville” focus on the problems alluded to in the comic rather than attack the messenger.
Bruce JoffePiedmont
Truth is, Republicansare driving the debt
National debt facts: Under Ronald Reagan’s eight years, debt went up 186%; under George H. W. Bush, the debt went up 54%; under Bill Clinton, the debt went up 32%; under George W. Bush, it went up 105%; with Barack Obama, the debt went up 74%; under Donald Trump, the debt rose 33.1%.
In the 1980s annual deficits averaged $250 billion and budgets averaged $750 billion. In the 2010s deficits averaged $1 trillion and budgets averaged $3 trillion. Debt increased pretty steadily at 30% of the annual budget.
Republican administrations increased debt at much greater rates than Democratic administrations. Reagan, Bush and Trump tax cuts did not lead to balanced budgets. The debt limit was increased three times in the Trump years
Now the House of Representatives wants to eliminate an IRS budget increase intended to collect unpaid taxes from mega-rich, opposes a debt limit increase and prefers to play Russian roulette with our economy.
Jim KennaBrentwood
