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Letters to the Editor
CAMEJO FOR GOVERNOR
Editors, Daily Planet:
There is only one candidate who is offering solutions to the budget crisis and it ain’t the terminator. It's the germinator, Peter Camejo, Green Party candidate for governor.
The biggest contributing factor to the budget deficit is the current administration’s $32 billion dollar bailout of the energy companies. Instead of giving away taxpayers’ money, Peter Camejo would have used eminent domain to take over plants that were being closed, contributing to the power shortage. He would have also called for a meeting of the pension funds (who own the plants) to remove power company CEOs and replace them with law-abiding citizens.
Camejo is the only candidate that will end energy deregulation, provide incentives to increase the solar energy output, and initiate growth-based energy conservation.
The escalation of no-bid contracts to corporate campaign donors has also contributed heavily to the budget deficit. The Oracle debacle is a prime example. They donated $25,000 to Davis’ campaign and received a $95 million dollar software deal from the state. By accepting no other bids for software, the administration paid double the cost (according to a State Auditor Report) at taxpayers’ expense.
Camejo is the only candidate to call for the public financing of elections to level the playing field between legitimate candidates. This is more than just a fair campaign issue. It is about removing the corrupting influence of money on state spending.
It is time we stopped auctioning off our future to the highest bidder. Reclaim the Government! Vote Green, Vote Camejo!
Forrest Hill, Ph.D.
Oakland
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FANNING THE FLAMES
Editors, Daily Planet:
In sub-Saharan Africa, madmen with machetes are frantically dismembering anyone they can get their hands on. In the Middle East, people (Arabs, Israelis, Americans) entertain themselves by blowing things—and people— up. Across the world, various dictators and torturers maim, mutilate and murder in places we've never even heard of. Several nuclear wars are on the horizon. The annual slaughter of women and children has reached whole new levels. And in nearby Oakland, 75 murders have been committed so far this year.
Billions of people both at home and abroad are totally convinced that if they just kill enough people their problems will be solved.
Our world is crying out for honest, wise and brave statesmen to come forth and pour oil on these troubled waters, to lead us away from carnage and violence, to sing to us and to tell us that there IS a better way; that the human race is teachable; that someday we will finally learn that violence always leads to more violence.
Instead we have some idiot in the White House fanning the flames with a blanket.
Jane Stillwater
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A FEW KIND WORDS
Editors, Daily Planet:
Hi,
Just wanted to say good job on the new paper. In particular, I enjoy Susan Parker’s column and the Excursions and Berkeley Outdoors pages.
Thanks!
A reader
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BERKELEY ROUTE CUTS
Editors, Daily Planet:
I recently read your article that I believe incorrectly states that AC Transit does not plan any route cuts in Berkeley (Daily Planet, Aug. 26-28). This morning there were fliers on my bus that, although the HX line in Berkeley was not mentioned at the Aug. 21 meeting, AC Transit does in fact plan to cut the HX line from all of its schedules. The fliers were signed “Alex Byrd,” a member of the driver’s committee. I live in Berkeley near Curtis and Gilman Street, and I ride the HX line to work every single day. This is a very convenient commute, and my bus is so crowded that AC Transit changed it to a double-length bus some time ago. I urge everyone to contact AC Transit and make sure that they keep Berkeley’s bus routes, especially the transbay route HX, in service.
Luther Miller
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DRIVER CONDUCT
Editors, Daily Planet:
I guess this happens to many people on a daily basis, so I wanted to bring your attention. It is about driver conduct on AC transit buses.
Most of the drivers are customer friendly and I really appreciate that they maintain this attitude despite the increased pressures placed on them through service cuts and potential layoffs.
But once in a while I come across drivers that seem to pass on whatever they are frustrated about to boarding passengers.
Just this morning, I was scolded by a driver for reminding her that there was another person behind me who wanted to get on. The driver had not noticed her and had closed the door. Apparently the driver did not like being told about this and shouted, “You get on the bus! Don’t worry about who wants to get on!”
This is not the only incident I have experienced or seen where a driver would shout at a passenger for an innocent conduct.
I wonder whether some frustrated drivers are in turn creating frustrated passengers for the AC Transit. Certainly, this will not help the transit in recovering its customer base.
Takeshi Akiba
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BERKELEY UNSCATHED?
Editors, Daily Planet:
In the story about the upcoming walkout by AC Transit drivers, union president Christine Zook is quoted as saying that Berkeley survived the cuts in service “relatively unscathed.” Depends on where you live. Some of us were plenty scathed.
My line, number 8, was eliminated. Line 65 was altered to cover some of the route, but it runs once an hour (the 8 ran every 20 minutes morning and evening), and takes four times as long to get from BART to my house. And it’s crowded and frequently late. Last night, for example (Aug. 27), the 5:40 bus came at 6:05 and there was scarcely room for all the passengers.
This is a mess. We need the 8 line restored, not further cuts. The practical effect of all the cuts will be to force people to drive their cars more, and no one needs that.
Tom Turner
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RECALL FIASCO
Editors, Daily Planet:
This recall election is about faulty facts; no-bid contracting; partisan conflicts; appointing losing-cronies; jobs; dreadful savings-earnings; passing losses to consumers; stonewalling; high tuitions; weak corporation shareholder laws; deeper debt; excessive red tape; crony-size contributions; fake funding; secrecy, and self-serving deregulation. Thankfully Californians have the final say on the recall.
This election is non-partisan. There is no party primary election. Hopefully whoever is elected will be making decisions and appointments of citizens, regardless of party affiliation.
If you will not be a registered voter by Sept. 22, due to youth, religious beliefs, or some other reason, you can still help by assisting others to vote.
Please include Heather Peters and and Darryl Mobley in your evaluations. Neither appear to be part of any big extremist right-wing conspiracy or other organized power grab. See qualifications and opinions at www.Peters4gov.com and www.voteformobley.com.
John Bauer
Martinez
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KENNEDY PROJECT
This letter was addressed to Land Use Planning Director Mark Rhoades.
Dear Mr. Rhoades:
I was one of the neighbors who endured oodles of meetings to create some guidelines enumerated in the University Avenue Strategic Plan, among them a prohibition against buildings which jut out over their footprint.
The nearly completed Patrick Kennedy building at the corner of University and Acton does just this; it balloons out over the sidewalk in precisely the manner prohibited by the plan.
Could you please tell me how this came about?
Carol Denney
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PREDICTIONS
Editors, Daily Planet:
The California Republicans are too stupid to win any more elections in this state.
The Democrats are too smart.
If Davis loses, Bustamante will win.
Schwarzenegger, McClintock and Ueberroth will tear each other to pieces and split the vote.
The big block votes such as blacks, Hispanics, unions, gays and feminists will never vote Republican. These block Demcrats would vote for Satan rather than any Republican. They hate Republicans.
The right wing Republicans are stupid to demand their bigotry on abortion, drugs and gay issues.
Schwarzenegger would win if the other Republicans quit and endorsed him, but they are all too damned stupid.
Election Day results: Bustamante, 38%; Schwarzenegger, 26%; McClintock, 13% Ueberroth, 7%; Camejo, 6%; Huffington, 3%; all others, 7%.
Sidney Steinberg
