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Oh?, Really? We can impeach tomorrow, we cannot elect for another 10 months. Who knows what evil can befall our beloved country during that time or what the Trump response will be?

Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com

[I know this is far too long for the “as you see it” section, but I am hoping you will share this dilemma with your readers. Who knows, someone may have the answer.]
Here is a mystery I have noodled on for years, without success: public transit on the local U.P. line. We have a Board of Supervisors, several incorporated cities, and an official Regional Transportation Commission, (SCRTC). All are staffed with civic minded people presumably open to ideas to improve their areas of influence. Each jurisdiction has its unique problems, but the one in common throughout the U.S. is Public Transit. Some counties have good public transit systems in operation where ordinary citizens can get around well without using an automobile. Other places, Santa Cruz County is one, you pretty much need a car to get anywhere. So, to get to the point: what’s the problem in S.C.? The situation, itself, is simple enough to describe: we have a fully functional, standard gauge railroad track running through the most heavily populated section of the County. There are leasing companies that would love to provide us with rolling stock (trolley cars on the track plus small shuttle buses hustling riders from the neighborhoods, all without big money investment by the County). All that is necessary for Santa Cruz to have a superb transit system based on the U.P. line is available. Instead, thousands must drive, bike, taxi, walk, or stay home and the SC County organizations haven’t produced one leader with the power, or influence to put it together. Even funding should not be a barrier with the multiple millions floating around the country searching for good investment opportunities. So, with all the elements readily available, why has no one put them together?
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com

Do we really need to impose punitive tax rates on high income earners to finance the government?
IF It’s not hard to see a massive flow of cash occurring when YOU THINK ABOUT THE MONEY MAKERS OF ALL STRIPES AND SIZES (APPLE, BOEING, AT&T FOR EXAMPLE) (WHO PAY NO TAX AT ALL) IT’S NOT HARD TO SEE A MASSIVE FLOW OF CASH OCCURRING 24/7/365 THAT COULD BE TAPPED AT A REALLY LOW RATE AND YET PRODUCE A SIZABLE INCOME STREAM FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO, IF IT REALLY IS COMMON , WITH NO ONE WHO LIVES OR WORKS OR MAINTAINS A BANK ACCOUNT IN THE USA, HOW ABOUT A TAX CODE THAT INCLUDES EVERYBODY? WE COULD CALL IT A “COMMON TAX”. I don’t have the resources to calculate just what that tax would be but based on what we hear occasionally about big money makers – untaxed entities prospering in America’s economy (but not sharing a dime of their income to keep America solvent), it’s possible that tax rate could be unbelievably low. Fortunately, there is already a system in place, running smoothly without complications, that would make a Common Tax collection automatic, but that’s another story.
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

1. Is it necessary that permanent armed supremacy produce permanent political dominance? 2 is there any power in the Middle East that poses a real threat to the US?.
3. Is it really necessary for America to be the boss of the world?
4. What if we have most dominant military in the world but never used it?
5 What if we close all our overseas military bases?

If the Trump administration’s latest move to deport sick kids does not justify immediate impeachment proceedings, pray tell me what does?
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

Every day that goes by without Trump being impeached is a day his administration can do something crazy that harms the entire country. Therefore it is imperative that we move ahead immediately and fast-track the impeachment process, regardless of what the regressive Republicans in the Senate will do.

Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

If Tony del Zompo thinks “ it’s not about the guns” (Commentary, August 19, 2019), please tell us what the H – – – it is about!, How can these horrors happen without the guns? We spend a lot of time and talk about mental health and background checks, neither of which will do anything about the millions of murderer weapons floating around the country, already in the possession of the next shooter (whoever that may be), and the shooter after that, and the one after that, and so on, and so on until we finally accumulate the common courage to outlaw all murder weapons, putting into effect a simple national policy, one that applies to everyone who is not a member of the constabulary or the military: “carry a gun, go to jail”.
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

There is one, and only one, common denominator involved in all mass shootings, and that, quite simply, is the gun, or guns which, alone, enable the tragedy to happen. It is not the specific mental derangement of the shooter. We don’t always know what drove him to such an extreme. He is not normally available for a post-shooting interview because he is appropriately dead. And it is certainly not any collective sin of those who end up as victims deserving punishment. No. The common denominator is the gun! The whole event is impossible without it. Why else would anyone need these murder weapons if not to kill? Why does anyone need any kind of murder weapon if not for killing? Self defense? Against what? Another gun? Does the entire citizenry need to be armed? Or would we all be safer, in less danger, if no one were armed? That’s the really big question right now. Can America survive as a democracy if the only guns anyone is allowed to possess are for hunting and target shooting? Do we, as a community of free people have the courage to say “NO” to any type of murder weapon be it handgun or military rifle? We can dodge this question for now and continue to add numbers to the total of victims of mass shootings, or we can pass strict legislation the effect of which would be: “carry a gun, go to jail”?

Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

Everyone keeps saying the Republicans are in trouble.. There is ample evidence to support this opinion. Lord knows, the Donald has made it difficult to overlook his constant lying on just about everything. We are left with a fundamental question: can we trust the Donald to keep his finger off the button, especially in a situation that might involve military considerations. Forgive me if I say this is doubtful, but we have no choice. Trump got elected because, when you combine his base with regular GOP voters, there are more “Republicans” than Democrats and because he personifies, in one human body, all the faults inherent in the Republican electorate, such as: indifference to human suffering, straight- faced mendacity, fiscal irresponsibility, whatever else you dislike about politicians, you will find it in the new GOP, and the Donald has it in spades. As long as there are lots of people who identify with the Republican tribe, the Donald will have a reliable base upon which Republicans can count to get them elected, regardless of their horrible border policies .

Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>