Features

THE CONNECTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

If Civics Arts Commission Chair David J. Snippen can’t find the connection between the safety and condition of our public streets and the money spent on what passes for public art, there are dozens of people who were present at Fred Lupke’s grave-side service who would be happy to assist him. 

Carol Denney 

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PHOTOSHOP SATIRE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the piece by Richard Brenneman (“Kerry Photo Altered, Used for Political Attack,” Daily Planet, Feb. 17-19) he talks about the website Freakingnews.com. 

You state literally: “Registerd himself often posts his creation on Frekingnews.com, a site that hosts contests for photo lampoons of democratic and leftist people and issues.” 

If you had investigated the site a little better, you would have seen that it isn’t a right wing extremist site, like you insinuate. It’s a political site where all opinions are heard. Not only democratic or leftist people are Photoshopped, right wingers, Republicans and everything else that’s hot in the news is done too. Bush is one of the most used persons on the site. The site hasn’t got the intention to hurt Democratic campaigns or any other campaign. It’s just a site where we take the news and add satire to it. 

Rik Barrezeele 

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PROPOSED STATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I agree with Lisa Brunet (Letters, Daily Planet, Feb. 10). As she says, the proposed fire station is too big for the site on Shasta Road. 

The total size of the proposed building is 7,200 square feet, including the deck. All of this will not only tower over the majority of homes in the neighborhood, it will also detract from the beautiful fountain directly across the street from it. 

The fountain was designed by renowned architect, William Wurster in 1939. He was a professor of architecture at UC Berkeley for many years and Wurster Hall on the Berkeley campus is named for him. 

The fountain is a treasure. Unfortunately the City does not appreciate it; nor does the architect of the proposed Fire Station, Marcie Wong. 

Ladonna Stoppel 

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RAPID TRANSIT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Michael Katz, in his Feb. 17 commentary in the Berkeley Daily Planet (“AC Transit’s Redundant Bus Plan”), fails to mention some of the truly exciting components of AC Transit’s rapid bus plan for Telegraph Avenue. Bus Rapid Transit with dedicated lanes will greatly increase the speed, certainty, and comfort of the bus for existing riders, while attracting thousands of new riders. In fact, AC Transit is focusing on cost-effectiveness and avoiding the boondoggle of putting light rail on this line, which would have cost at least three times more and is significantly less flexible than Bus Rapid Transit. 

Furthermore, Michael is out of touch with the latest proposals for regional ferries. Three of the five lines included in regional Measure 2, which will be on the March 2 ballot, are for existing successful lines. The reason for their relatively small ridership is that they are infrequent. These ferry upgrades for Oakland, Alameda, Vallejo, would make them frequent enough to be used by a broad range of commuters and also enable significant transit oriented development in downtown Vallejo and Jack London Square. 

Finally, the funding included for the Caldecott tunnel (which I agree is a bad project) in regional Measure 2 is not enough to “widen” it but will primarily be used for environmental and engineering studies. If the tunnel is ever to be built it will only be because Contra Costa taxpayers are willing to pony up well over $100 million in future sales tax revenue. 

There is good reason that every major environmental, social justice, and labor organization is supporting regional Measure 2 and the only organized opposition is coming from the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, and now Michael Katz. But voters should decide for themselves by logging on to measure2.org and reading the plan. 

Stuart Cohen 

Executive Director 

Transportation and Land Use Coalition 

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THE SALESMAN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The governor of California was featured in a segment on the German television Deutsche Welle from Berlin in a program called JOURNAL news on Friday, Feb. 13. DW-TV is one of the best sources for international news. The English language broadcast can be seen throughout the day in the Bay Area on KMPT channel 32. 

Hearing the anchor of DW-TV announce “...and here is the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger” piqued my interest. The unmistakable and now familiar Austrian-American governor in a newsmaker story on German TV caught my attention. There he was, plain as day, promoting his own line of private label wristwatches. 

Imagine, our governor advertising watches. Each of the four watches were mounted for easy viewing. He described the pedigree, each named after one of his own action movie characters. One wonders if it is proper for this governor or any other elected official in America to use their position to promote and personally profit from their own product while still in office? 

Did we elect a leader or a pitchman? Whether our governor is promoting his own product on German TV or his California bond measure in those ads frequently broadcast throughout the day on Bay Area television, what impresses me most is that the governor’s appearance and demeanor are uniformly the same glib style. 

Meanwhile, the $14 billion worth of short-term debt must be paid by this June. Neighborhood schools are closing. Firemen are facing rolling layoffs. Local governments are operating on fumes. 

Nonetheless, our governor has presented a false dilemma: Either we must mortgage future generations with his bond measure or he will have no other choice but to reduce the next generation’s educational opportunities and a chance for a more equitable society through severe budget cuts. 

The governor himself has a built-in conflict of interest which causes him to disregard a third alternative: people in the governor’s own wealth class contributing their fair share. During the recall campaign another candidate, Peter Camejo, makes the valid argument that the wealthy people in this state pay at a lower rate than working people. If the wealthy merely paid the same tax rate as working people, the budget deficit could be closed. Would the governor increase his own taxes and pay his fair share? After all, he and his wealthy friends benefit from the infrastructure created by the taxes we all pay to have a civilization. 

In his campaign speeches, Mr. Schwarzenegger raved about what a fantastic place California is; and how California has given him everything. Doesn’t he notice how much he has benefited from the public infrastructure built by taxes? 

If our governor is such a good promoter, then why not create fundraising events specifically to benefit the State of California in its time of need? 

Mina Edelston 

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XXXXXXXXXX 

We had an important meeting at Rosa Parks Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 10. More than a hundred committed parents and teachers were focused on our future and how to get there. Why were we meeting? A plan was presented focused on building a conducive learning environment for the success of all the kids. Every aspect of the school environment was discussed and clear strategies, goals and objectives laid out for the next six months. 

I’ve been a Rosa Parks parent for six solid years. My daughter is now in fifth grade. A straight-A student. She’s completing her last year before she’s off to middle school. My son is in second grade working overtime on third grade level reading and math. This is a great learning environment. 

There’s no question I’m proud of my kids but I’m also proud of my school. Our principal has shown unwavering commitment. The teachers are exceptional, dedicated and experienced at teaching to different levels with different challenges. Our students are a complete mix of numerous, ethnic groups, from Iceland to India. Most of all there’s a clear focus on what we all need to do to continue to support the future of the school and our community. It’s this critical aspect of coming together and focusing on what we all need to do that’s inspiring. 

Is it perfect there? No, is it perfect at any school, public or private? I doubt it. But we have a strategy—for learning, thriving and expanding for each student. 

If you are an incoming parent, talk to parents at the school, meet the faculty, talk with the principal and see the immense opportunity we have to continue to create a powerful and positive learning environment in the years ahead. 

Steven Donaldson 

Rosa Parks Parent 

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