Letters for January 20, 2011

Letter of the week

Out of the rut

Re “Opposite” by Josh Fernandez (SN&R Feature, January 13):

What a wonderful approach to Viktor Frankl’s psychological insights. Too often, we fail to ask how we can implement change in a way that will shake up our worldview and get us out of the rut into which we so easily fall. Even Mr. Fernandez’s flip tone didn’t manage to dilute the power of his observations about the importance of our everyday experiences.

Jan Kline
Sacramento

The last temptation of … Slayer?

Re “Opposite” by Josh Fernandez (SN&R Feature, January 13):

Writer’s block can be a beyotch, eh? Good to know you’ve found that paradoxical intention helped. And one last thing: Did you wear that Slayer shirt to church!?

M.A. Ross
Sacramento

Tattoo you

Re “Opposite” by Josh Fernandez (SN&R Feature, January 13):

As I suffered through Josh Fernandez’s self-righteous rants on everything from Sarah Palin to God, I could not help but think about a solution for him to change his thoughts that his life sucks. The cure is relatively simple. He should get a full-length mirror and then stand in front of it.

Then, after much thought and careful consideration, he just might see what makes his life suck.

Dennis Johnson
Woodland

Don’t tell ’em it was her idea

Re “Landmarks and sweethearts” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Bites, January 13):

I guess the tank house property has been repossessed. The woman who owned that land tore out all the other buildings to sell for development, but just at the exact wrong time.

Early on, it was probably her that tried valiantly to keep squatters off the property with a temporary cyclone construction fence. It seemed they thought the tank house could put a roof over their heads.

More recently, the fence disappeared and the building is secured by plywood. Why not get [the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency] to offer the bank a sweetheart deal and let Safe Ground set up there? (But don’t tell the Franklin Boulevard Business Association I suggested it.)

Muriel Strand
Sacramento

Investigate that ‘sweetheart’ deal

Re “Landmarks and sweethearts” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Bites, January 13):

I find the circumstances of the 8 percent pay raise to [Police] Chief [Rick] Braziel very disturbing. To offer him this pay raise for not taking the Seattle job is unacceptable. No one is indispensable, particularly in city government. I am sure there are people in the police department who could take over the job and perform very satisfactorily. The city has a critical budget problem, and it would be more appropriate for senior city administrators, including Chief Braziel, to take pay cuts of 10 to 20 percent.

The rumor that Chief Braziel knew that he was not going to get the Seattle job, but used the prospect to finagle a raise anyway, certainly brings up the question of the integrity of those involved. This question of integrity is further deepened by the way the deal was cooked up by city manager and the mayor, without the input of the city council.

The city council should show some backbone and do a through investigation of the circumstances of the pay raise. If the rumor is true, then appropriate action should be taken. This episode is just one more example of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s concept of a “strong mayor.”

James. G. Updegraff
Sacramento

No pit bull bashing, please

Re “Horrific, then lovely” by Nick Miller (SN&R Frontlines, January 13):

Please don’t ruin the great spirit our community showed this woman by turning her tragedy into another sad advertisement for breed culling.

Mike Krebsbachy
Redwood City

Divisive cartoon

Re “Cartoon” by Kloss (SN&R Opinion, January 13):

John Kloss’ editorial cartoon linking the tea party to the Tucson massacre is vile and meant to do nothing but stir up hate and division.

Matt Cleary
Sacramento

More affordable Mexican food

Re “Hipper, newer” by Greg Lucas (SN&R Dish, January 13):

How is a $10 salad “ridiculously affordable”?! Seriously? It’s not even—in this financial climate—affordable for a lousy salad, but to call it “ridiculously” so is asinine and lame as hell. It alienates 90 percent of the people reading [the review], for one thing, and sounds pretty dumb when you consider that real, authentic Mexican food can be found affordably all over Sacramento.

Bobby Khan
Sacramento

Hunger is a human-rights issue

Re “What’s for dinner?” by Hugh Biggar (SN&R Feature, January 6):

Maybe the idea of hunger is not very political for some lefties, and hardly a big priority for right-wing nuts, but the issue of hunger is central to all human-rights issues.

Peter S. Lopez
Sacramento

Plenty of Asian supermarkets on Stockton

Re “What’s for dinner?” by Hugh Biggar (SN&R Feature, January 6):

I had to laugh at Hugh Biggar’s assertion that Stockton Boulevard is a “food desert” because it lacks large supermarkets with fresh food and produce.

What the hell is he talking about? There are several large Asian supermarkets that sell fresh food and produce along the Stockton Boulevard corridor. Did Hugh Biggar even bother to enter any of these markets which are full of fresh food and produce? Maybe the Asian markets along Stockton Boulevard don’t sell the kinds of fresh food and produce that appeal to ignorant white liberals?

Dawson Yee
Sacramento

The editor replies: The notion that Stockton Boulevard is a “food desert” isn’t Biggar’s own; the area was listed as such in the 2010 report on food deserts by the Sacramento Hunger Coalition, as cited in the article. The classification is made based on the price of food and the number of residents who do not have transportation to the store.

Corrections

In the January 13 Streetalk (“I have a dream that one day …”), an editing error resulted in a statement attributed to Nate that was contradictory to what he actually said. Nate Ward, a student, actually said: “I have a dream that one day, as we approach Martin Luther King Day, we will remember his message. We will stop scapegoating the poor, working-class people and minorities. People will understand that when we help people who are struggling, it helps everybody.” We regret the error.

Also, in last week’s Sound Advice, singer-songwriter Carly DuHain was misidentified as Reggie Ginn.