James Comey is about to begin a publicity tour through many news and entertainment shows, to promote his book.  I hope the interviewers ask him why he thought it inappropriate to reveal that Trump had been under FBI investigation since July 2016, while at the same time, he revealed, 11 days before the election, that another investigation of Hillary was beginning.  The asymmetry reeks of partisanship.  Given the micro-targeted thin margins which handed Electoral victory to a morally depraved psychopath in thrall to a foreign power, there is no forgiving Comey.  He helped elect the most dangerous, unfit president of our lifetimes.

There can be no doubt Comey's action 11 days before the election cost Hillary Clinton the election. It is well documented in: "The Unmaking of the President 2016: How FBI Director James Comey Cost Hillary Clinton the Presidency" by Lanny Davis.
 

A Great Place for Breakfast
4-2-18
   When I feel like I deserve a special treat, I come to Ploughman's Restaurant in San Leandro for one of their superb breakfasts.  Most of the staff has been there for years and years, so they know their customers and they serve us just the way we like it.  For example, I like my orange juice mixed with grapefruit juice.  No problem!  And with six special breakfast choices I could start nearly every day of the week at Ploughman. 

   In times of dread and peril, it is important to be thankful for the simple pleasures we can still enjoy.  If Trump starts a war to distract attention from the Investigation or from his Impeachment, such memories of Ploughman's breakfast may be all we'll have, as we sift through radioactive dust.
 
 A Great Place for Dinner
4-6-18
   When I really want to splurge in celebration of a dear one's birthday, I will dine at Paradiso in San Leandro.  The ambience and decor are first-rate in both quality and subtlety.  The service is very attentive and the food, ah, the food.  My favorite is their lamb chops, cooked so tenderly and flavorful.  Yes, the prices are "moderate-to-high" but the quality, the value for what you pay is well worth it.  Paradiso is not a snooty-status show-off brand, it is a place to dine, to experience tasty delights at ease and in secure comfort. 
 
   I know of only one other restaurant that can match Paradiso's lamb chops.  It's in Afghanistan and it's far more expensive.  To go there, you need to hire several armed body guards, even though the proprietor posts guards outside both the front entrance and rear door.  Everyone inside is armed, or has armed guards nearby.  That's the world to come to San Leandro and the rest of the USA, if the idea prevails that thinks the only way to protect against gun violence is to arm more citizens, more lethally, with fewer regulations. 

More than Coffee
4-10-18
While the coffee is excellent at Zocalo, there are even more compelling reasons to visit this San Leandro cafe.  Named after the central plaza in Mexico City, Zocalo is a gathering place to meet, discuss the politics of the day, and connect with people of similar interests.  While their sweet hot chocolate is soothing, contemplation of the world's problems (like global climate change), our national problems (like autocratic corruption), or our local problems (you know what they are) requires something more.  That something is connection and action.  Notices on the wall and people gathered at tables easily direct a Concerned Citizen toward groups with shared interests who have plans for effective actions to do something.  There is no way one can leave Zocalo thinking that "it's all too terrible, there is nothing I can do."  There are things you can do, and Zocalo's coffee will give you the energy to do it!

More Than a Job
4-21-18
While S.L.Times letter-writers often complain about city government, let's also notice that the city has implemented a powerful technology to coordinate departmental services and work more efficiently.  That technology, geographic information systems (GIS), enables citizens as well as city staff to see up-to-date maps of the city and its government's projects.  You can go to www.geosl.org and see the Zoning Map.  Zoom in and click on an individual parcel to see its zone status and other information.  Click on the Capital Improvements Map and see each project, its funding, actual cost, and justification.  The Adopted Biennial Budget CIPs  link gives you a comprehensive report complete with pie charts. 
 
This useful innovation has been developed over a number of years because some dedicated City employees took the initiative to improve the way city government works.  When I read criticisms from anti-taxation Republicans who denigrate government workers, I remember that there are many, like the GIS staff in San Leandro, who consider public service to be more than a 9-to-5 job: for them, it is a calling.

     I like the San Leandro Times for several reasons, not least of which is that they publish my letters to the editor, http://ebpublishing.com/san-leandro-times.html. 
     My letters, as well as those of several other well-reasoned letters from rational Liberals, are often criticized by angry Republicans who use ad hominem insults in place of cogent arguments.  The Editor seems to love a food fight.  But recently, he ran some letters critical of the cross-snipping and suggesting topics in this local paper be focused on local issues in San Leandro.  
     In response, I started writing these letters, which extol some of the delights of San Leandro while leading to more weighty national and international political opinions.  I will append subsequent letters below the earlier letters.