January 29, 2003

talkback...

Not just Newsom

I appreciate your paper covering the fact that tenant leaders are meeting early to strategize about the November 2003 election [Hall Monitor, 1/22/03]. However, I never told Savannah Blackwell that "We know we have the obvious shared goal of blocking Newsom." Although that goal was enunciated by one or two participants in the meeting, this view was not shared by the larger group.

Those at the meeting agreed that the most effective strategy for the tenant and affordable housing movement during the upcoming election would be to focus on a common housing agenda, promote that agenda aggressively, and work to influence all mayoral candidates to support that agenda. In this way, tenants and poor people in need of affordable-housing will benefit regardless of which candidates are supported by specific organizations. The issue of protecting and increasing access to affordable housing is more important than the rise or fall of any particular mayoral candidate.

Jerry Threet

San Francisco

Species discrimination

I applaud the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for adding "guardian" to the terminology describing our relationships with our animals.

I feel that it is reflective of who we are as human beings to be mindful of our relationship to the rest of creation. For too long we have treated animals from species other than our own as though they were put here simply for our use and pleasure, having no inherent rights of their own.

The subjugation of all other groups by one group is a most fundamental form of slavery.

Susan Kalish

San Francisco

Defending Pelosi

Stephen Zunes's biased criticism of Nancy Pelosi borders on the ridiculous when he invokes yet another conspiracy theory accusing her of covering up "the Sharon government's widespread and systematic human rights abuses" ["Pelosi and Sharon," 1/22/03]. He is angry because she voted for H.R. 392, which expresses solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism. Pelosi is one of our enlightened representatives that realizes that this country can't possibly condemn terrorism against Israel, especially after 9/11. On the contrary, she has always been a main supporter of human rights, especially in China and Central America.

Noah Stroe

San Francisco

Fame for Alice

Thank you for compiling your list of key supporters and opponents of the public power initiative ["Public Power Hall of Shame; Public Power Hall of Fame," 1/22/01]. The list of organizations in your Hall of Fame should have included the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club, which strongly endorsed public power and displayed that endorsement on its election mailings. I was proud to join Assemblymember Mark Leno (then a member of the Board of Supervisors) in helping to win Alice's endorsement for Proposition D.

The Alice B. Toklas Club stood with the Bay Guardian in support of public power and deserves your recognition.

Paul M. Hogan

San Francisco

Free job help

Thank you very much for your article about the struggles that many unemployed people are facing in their job search, as well as the difficulties the current labor market is creating for employers ["A Face in the Crowd," 1/8/03]. The comments quoted in the article mirror the feedback we are hearing from the job seekers we work with, as well as our partners in the employer community.

We were surprised, however, given the Bay Guardian's tradition of service to the community, that your author chose to highlight the services of a fee-based agency rather than the multitude of free services that are available in San Francisco, including those we offer at Jewish Vocational Service (www.jvs.org), which is part of a network of community-based employment-services providers that comprise the One Stop service delivery system (www.onestopsf.com).

These programs offer free access to computers, printers, fax machines, and telephones, as well as links to local government-funded training programs and individualized résumé and job-search assistance, for people from all walks of life. JVS has been fulfilling its mission of bringing people and work together for 30 years, and is ready and willing to work with your readers.

Abby Snay

San Francisco

For the Record