Page One

THINGS UNCHANGED 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I smiled in recognition as I read Susan Parker’s account of registration at San Francisco State: long lines, bureaucratic foul-ups, lack of information. Ah, yes, totally familiar, I recalled from my own experience. But!—that experience was in 1950 (BA)—when the old Market Street “campus” had a total of about 3000 students—and 1964 (MA)—when the new campus held perhaps triple that number. Very little of this current problem, I said to myself, could be due to budget cuts. It was ever thus. 

One of the things you tell yourself as you age is “things change: deal with it.” It's harder to deal with the fact that some things—inexcusably—don’t. 

Dorothy Bryant 

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DROP THE STRIKE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a bus rider and transit advocate, I think the proposed one day strike by bus drivers is a very poor idea. 

ATU President Zook is right to be concerned about the bus service cuts. It’s not just jobs; we need good bus service if we ever expect to do anything about congestion and pollution from cars. Berkeley still has not implemented the recommendations of the Traffic Demand Management (TDM) study. 

I don’t agree with Zook’s claim that AC Transit has targeted poor neighborhoods for the cuts. She’s right that Berkeley has not been hit too hard, perhaps thanks to local transportation activists. Actually, AC Transit planning has done a pretty good job reallocating service, as on the 9 and 65 lines. 

The ATU strike will only anger people. It will make life hard for those of us who regularly ride buses, including Cal students. It will discourage those who might be considering shifting to bus riding from driving. 

The strike won’t change anything at AC Transit. They must balance their budget. If ATU wants to help, they could go to Sacramento and lobby for more State funds, as they did in the 90s. 

Withholding bus service is no way to make the point that bus service shouldn’t be cut. I hope ATU will drop the idea of the strike. 

Steve Geller 

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THE DAILY LULLABY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I have noticed that your news paper has become another Leftist rag. What a shame. Your lead story about a grim Labor Day is a perfect example. Instead of a balanced and insightful look at a problem you take the “KPFA” approach and treat every lazy bum or criminal (especially if they are “of color”) as some righteous individual who, through no fault of their own become victims of a cruel and unjust society. 

Mario Flores used his extended unemployment benefits for a two year vacation and now he becomes desperate and wants help and pity. No able- bodied man should be out of work for two years. Every hard working man reading this knows the truth.  

There are reasons, however, that some “locals” may have a tough time finding high tech jobs. In Oakland, less than half of the students beginning the 9th grade this year will graduate. The reason that the state postponed the high school exit exam, which is written at a 9th grade level, is that 80 percent of those who did make it to the 12th grade were expected to fail the simple test. Quite a workforce the Leftist-dominated school system is producing. It is the Leftist-Socialist mentality which has bankrupted our state and destroyed our educational system and ruined many of our neighborhoods. The American Civil Liberties Union and liberal judges whose ideology makes it hard to control disruptive students in school or to keep violent criminals behind bars. A handful of hoodlums can prevent a whole class from learning and a handful of criminals can make a neighborhood a hell to live in. The Left is famous for saying that all problems are so complicated. Just inject a little truth and common sense and things will become much clearer and simpler. The rest of the country is waking up to reality. Berkeley, of course, is in a deep sleep and you are writing lullabies. 

Michael Larrick 

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VOTING PRINCIPLES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I read Sidney Steinberg’s “Republicans are stupid” rant with great curiosity. It’s pretty obvious that Steinberg did no actual research into the opinion, of course, as evidenced by the statement “Schwarzenegger would win if the other Republicans quit and endorsed him, but they are all too damned stupid.” The assumption Steinberg makes is that Republicans really, really want a person with an R next to his name in office. 

The requisite research to dispel this false assumption would include merely asking any Republican who won’t quit and endorse Arnie “Why not?” (One could ask any McClintock supporter, for example) She'd be happy to tell you that Arnie simply fails to stand for the ideals that Republicans support. For the same reason Greens frequently won’t vote Democrat, Republicans with ideals won’t vote for a RINO (Republican In Name Only). This willingness to stand by principle is called “stupid” by Steinberg, of course. 

More telling, besides Steinberg’s “People who disagree with me are stupid” comment, is the statement that block voters would “vote for Satan rather than any Republican.” That is to say, the Democratic party is supported by people who actually are willing to toss aside their ideals just to see someone with a D in office. Which makes the Democrats basically “smart people without principles.” Much like all those corporate leaders many of us hate. Are these the people we want in charge of our money and our lives? 

Justin Azadivar 

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NO NON-PROLIFERATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While fighting the Cold War with a policy called Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), we developed and introduced to the world a comparably mad philosophy of non-proliferation. Nations (USSR, PRC) with nuclear weapons could keep them for defense purposes but other nations would not be allowed to develop or acquire them. Treaties were signed, the U.N. passed resolutions and over the years non-proliferation became gospel.  

But it is not holy writ. There are nine nuclear nations today and with the recent news from Iran and North Korea it is time to get real.  

The Roman Emperors tried to stop Christianity from proliferating but failed. The question of proliferation never came up when gunpowder made its appearance. It’s time to admit that this “it’s-alright-for-me-but-not-for-you” attitude is infantile; it hasn’t worked and it won’t. Don’t forget that the first nation that found a way (Alamagordo, July 16, 1945) was the first to show the way (Hiroshima, August 6, 1945). 

The possibility that nuclear war could blow the entire earth back into the cosmic dust from which it came leaves only two alternatives one of which is very unlikely and the other very scary. Either no nation has nuclear weapons or all nations have them. 

Marvin Chachere  

San Pablo 

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BERSERKELEY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Golly jump-ups! I’m so glad we have Barbara Hillman (“It’s Berkeley, Not Berserkeley, Says Tourism Boss,” Daily Planet, Aug. 26-28) to clean up our “dirty image” of dissent in this city. (Clean white socks, anyone?) 

Sarcasm aside, I appreciate Barbara’s hard work on Berkeley’s behalf and Ms. Bronstein’s very thorough article about the Visitors’ Bureau, but the fact is, when we are no longer called “Berserkeley” by the sleeping majority of Americans (the snoozers), we will be as dead to political machinations as they are.  

Pat Russell 

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LETTER CAMPAIGN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

To all Berkeley residents: We can still make the city and school district listen to our concerns regarding the Berkeley Adult School move to the Franklin site. This move will affect all of Berkeley because of the traffic issues on San Pablo Avenue.  

We can have a loud and clear voice about several things that would lessen the impact of this move. We all have a right to safe streets as well as parking availability. 

The main pedestrian entrance to the new BAS is to be located at the corner of Virginia and Kains and the only entrance to the parking area is to be on Virginia at the foot of Kains. There needs to be an entrance/exit on San Pablo Avenue. 

The City of Berkeley has to grant permission for a curb cut on Virginia. This is not safe. There is no traffic light at Virginia and San Pablo. This is not only dangerous but turns Kains into a main route to the parking lot. An exit on Francisco does not provide a safe left turn onto San Pablo Avenue. There is no traffic light at Francisco and San Pablo either. 

The main pedestrian entrance to the BAS should be facing San Pablo Avenue, in the middle, away from all the residential streets. 

Up until now a small group of people in the neighborhood have been working very hard to fight for the safety and integrity of our streets. It is now time for all of Berkeley to do something to have our voices heard. I am asking that you take the time to write one letter, make six copies and send them to City Manager Weldon Rucker, Mayor Tom Bates, Linda Maio, Superintendent of Schools Michele Lawrence, the Office of Transportation, and the School Board. State your concerns and make your return address loud and clear. Traffic and congestion can be avoided with proper planning and consideration. This is a way we can all take part to make sure this is done correctly. If it helps one neighborhood today it will help another tomorrow.  

Thank you all in advance. 

Joyce Barison