Letters for November 27, 2013

Housing should be on top

Re “58,000” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Bites, November 21):

Naturally, affordable housing is a constant issue in Sacramento's inner city. The city has its priorities upside down. We need to create more affordable housing, built up or sideways or whatever. Plus, attend to the homeless, who haunt the area, by providing proper homeless services. I live right off the K Street Mall and am formerly homeless. Mayor Kevin Johnson is lost. Forget the arena. The rich always have a way of taking care of themselves.

Peter S. López

Sacramento

Blame testosterone

Re “A low-down, dirty, shameful dozen” by Sasha Abramsky (SN&R Feature Story, November 14):

It isn’t surprising to see the war on the poor continue unabated. To me, it is just an indication of the pathology of competition, where the glory of victory of the winner is directly proportional to the despair and suffering experienced by the vanquished loser. It is clear to see that if I engage in meaningful competition and defeat my opponent, and he remains indifferent to and unaffected by his loss, then my victory is hollow. I believe all of this stems directly from the influence of the irrational hormone testosterone, which makes many of the world’s leaders to see security in massively destructive nuclear weapons entirely due to their immense firepower, never realizing the serious threat these weapons pose to all life on Earth.

We are told that competition is essential to motivate people, but the struggle for survival should sufficiently encourage us into each other’s arms to cooperate and work for our mutual benefit.

Don Knutson

Sacramento

No sympathy for the poor

Re “Strong mayor, weak priority”

(SN&R Editorial, November 14):

The last two paragraphs of this editorial clearly define the issues. I agree with the author about Mayor Kevin Johnson’s policies and the strong-mayor proposition. It seems the three most publicized events during the mayor’s tenure have been: dealing poorly with the homeless in Sacramento, building a new arena to keep the Kings and being granted more power as mayor. His actions on those items seem to indicate intolerance for the poor and needy, but sympathy for wealthy businessmen and himself.

Edward R. Legenza

Sacramento

Only thing stopping pot is voter suppression

Re “Weed is winning” by Ngaio Bealum (SN&R The 420, November 14):

Since marijuana has been batting almost a thousand at the election booths, about the only way remaining to stop the plant from becoming relegalized, medically or otherwise, is to completely stop citizens from voting on the issues. That’s exactly what Attorney General Pam Bondi, law-enforcement agencies and their unions, along with fellow prohibitionists, are attempting to do in Florida: keep citizens from even voting on it. One of their fears is that if allowing sick citizens to use cannabis gets to the ballot, the prohibition farce is over.

Stan White

Colorado