Attorney general's findings on Sanders
Regarding “Sanders cleared in Sunroad dealings” (Our Region, May 21):
Mayor Jerry Sanders has done what he promised to do. He has returned San Diego to the bond market, and he did it without filing bankruptcy (as suggested by City Attorney Michael Aguirre), without raising taxes and without gutting the pension plan so important to current city retirees (as again suggested by Aguirre). And he did it in less than four years.
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In addition, it was a pleasure to learn that Sanders has been cleared of the false charges of corruption in the Sunroad episode leveled by Aguirre and repeated by mayoral candidate Steve Francis. I hope now the allegations against Sanders as presented on Francis' TV commercials can be seen by everyone for what they really are: misleading and/or false.
Let's give Sanders the opportunity to continue cleaning up the mess created by then-Mayor Susan Golding and her cohorts in 1996, and reconfirmed in 2002 by City Council members Scott Peters and Brian Maienschein. Sanders had no hand in creating these issues, but he is definitely the right man to keep San Diego on track to regaining the title of America's Finest City.
JULIE COHEN
San Diego
Real solutions on oil needed
Regarding “Fuel Prices Go Sky High” (A1, May 21):
Why does the United States sell off its domestic oil to other nations and then turn around and import 10 percent to 15 percent of what we use here from Venezuela? Why have environmental special interest groups been allowed to set energy policy by limiting development of clean nuclear energy, hydroelectric power and the tapping of billions of cubic feet of natural gas while our people and economy suffers the consequences by the oil cartels?
We deserve real solutions from our politicians and the special interest groups instead of this failure of a policy to attempt to sue OPEC. Learn from the oil embargo of the '70s or be doomed to repeat it. No more double talk!
PHILIP SAN FILIPPO
San Diego
District is making the tough decisions
Regarding “Too slow, and high/District needs tougher stance, looser laws” (Editorial, May 21):
The Union-Tribune criticizes the San Diego Community College District and its board for moving too slowly in its desire to remove property owners and tenants from land obtained by its eminent domain process. As executive vice president of the district board, I can say that we would all agree that the eminent domain process is often an intimidating process for anyone affected by it.
For example, in acquiring the land next to our Educational Cultural Complex on Ocean View Boulevard, our staff held several meetings with residents of the homes to inform them of the instructional needs of the community and our plans for the properties in question. No one wants to hear that they will no longer be able to live in their home. You criticize the district for not simply kicking residents out after 60 days. It is unrealistic and lacking in compassion to uproot working families from their homes within that time frame while they are trying to hold down jobs, find new schools for their children, and possibly have to rent a temporary place to live while escrow closes on suitable alternative housing. Taxpayers elect us to make the tough decisions. They also expect us to temper those decisions with reasonableness. We have done so.
RICH GROSCH
San Diego
Regarding “College district's lack of haste makes waste” (A1, Watchdog report, May 19):
The suggestion that the San Diego Community College District should have entered into option contracts for the purchase of land is absurd. I don't want my tax dollars being used speculating that the price would continue to go up when, as we have seen, it could as easily have gone down. The article should have pointed out the downside of option contracts instead of making it sound as though, by not gambling with my money, the district was acting irresponsibly.
ANTHONY ROUMELL
San Diego
Investment in classrooms lauded
I was sad when I read the article on the San Diego Community College District (“Colleges see big funding, slow progress,” A1, Watchdog report, May 18). The article made it seem as if the district is wasting money. I am taking classes at the Continuing Education campus in Point Loma to improve my English-speaking and writing ability. The classrooms were built in the 1940s. The lighting is bad, and the rooms are either too hot or too cold. The new building the district has started to build will make a better place to learn. If I am going to be able to pay the Social Security taxes that your readers will need for their retirement in the future, don't I need better classrooms to learn what I need to get a better job?
EMILIO POBLETE
San Diego
Recalling when a Plymouth would do
Regarding “Letter from Washington” (Dana Wilkie, May 19):
As Wilkie reported, “When The New York Times this month reported that House members are leasing $816-a-month SUVs and tooling around in 17-foot-long Cadillac DeVilles – at taxpayers expense,” the question brought back to my mind the late '60s and early '70s when I was a resident of Sacramento dealing with state government. The then-Assembly leader and state treasurer were both leasing Lamborghinis, while then-Gov. Jerry Brown leased a Plymouth, which prompts the question: What's going on today?
RICHARD G. DRESSLER
San Diego
