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Cities making payouts
in lieu of good hires
Re: “Family reaches $7.5M settlement with city” (Page B4, May 16).
The city of Antioch is in the news again as it reached a $7.5 million settlement with the family of Angelo Quinto. On May 1, it was reported that San Leandro was expected to pay $3.9 million to settle a lawsuit claiming police brutality by officers Ismael Navarro and Anthony Pantoja. That case marked at least the sixth time that either officer had been named in a lawsuit claiming they acted violently. San Leandro also reached settlements in two other 2018 cases regarding Pantoja, who’s also named in an ongoing lawsuit over the death of Vasquinho Bettencourt in 2020. Navarro still works for the San Leandro Police Department.
I guess multimillion-dollar settlements are more cost-effective (and easier) than actually having a responsible police force.
Mark Gabin
Concord
Bring NBA health care
to regular people
There have been several articles this month regarding the injury sustained by Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach. Within four days, he was diagnosed, received the corrective surgery and resumed his coaching duties.
Another story notes “Bulls’ Lonzo Ball says he received meniscus transplant from donor” (May 24). Additionally, he has received a bone allograph, cartilage transplant and a third knee surgery “in the span of a year.”
Inequity? I’m an ordinary person who must go through the health care system for ordinary people, which involves wait times for everything. I injured my knee on March 3, but could walk with a limp. My MRI was April 30; my diagnosis May 6. I now have to use a walker. My appointment with an orthopedic surgeon is June 6. Perhaps another month for surgery?
Maybe the NBA could share some of its resources with ordinary people as a community service project.
Joy Takemoto
Concord
Two-state solution is
answer for deadly foes
There’s a famous quote regarding the bombings during the Tet Offensive. Reportedly, it goes, “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”
After watching the bodies of Rafah’s children on the BBC, CNN and just about every TV channel there is, I have come to one conclusion: Israel, along with Hamas, are in a quagmire, plain and simple.
Call for a two-state solution because two sets of religious crazies will never negotiate, never compromise and never see reason.
And, President Biden, tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use his own bombs and tax dollars, not ours, to murder children.
Jean Paulsen
Livermore
