Regarding Eric Park’s fondness for the National Education Association bumper sticker “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance,” the sentiment is screwy (“Ignorance has its costs,” letters, March 19). We have ignorance and huge expense — thanks to the “experts” and their apologists.

As far as bumper stickers go, I rather like: “If you think health care is expensive now, wait until it’s free.”

Paul Burton

San Francisco

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Father knows best

Regarding Sen. Barack Obama affiliation’s with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, 50 years ago, my father used to say, “You are judged by the company you keep.”

I guess even nowadays, Father knows best!

Greg James

San Francisco

No logic on Muni data

I don’t get it. Your editorial says Muni is not increasing ridership as fast as other Bay Area transportation services because it’s not meeting rider’s needs (“Muni not meeting riders’ needs,” March 15-16). Yet the most memorable reason for rejecting the mayor’s proposal to stop collecting fares at the farebox was that it would increase ridership beyond Muni’s capacity.

So Muni management has a straightforward policy decision at its disposal that would increase ridership as much as they could handle, but they’re not doing it because it would increase ridership too much. Yet they’re going to do a bunch of other things to try to increase ridership, including denying that ridership is not already on the increase, presumably because so they can have their cake and eat it, too?

Wake me when it’s over.

Gene Eplett

San Francisco

Save St. Joseph’s Church

The view of St. Joseph’s Church at 10th and Howard streets from Market, if you are going uptown, is gorgeous. It reminds one of Madrid, the capital of Spain, where the old Spanish cathedrals are similar. St. Joseph’s Church is abandoned right now and its buildings are in poor condition. The question is: How to save this beautiful piece of Spain for the future of San Francisco, because St. Joseph’s Church is unique and must be saved.

Georgy Prodorov

San Francisco

Support for hospital welcome

I was so pleased to see you call for a public-private partnership to address the financial issues facing San Mateo Medical Center in your editorial (“County hospital needs life support,” March 14). I am convinced that is exactly what is needed.

Our foundation will provide more than $4 million to the medical center in 2008 to support several very important programs that impact many residents of San Mateo County. These include the Ron Robinson Senior Care Center, the Keller Center for Family Violence Intervention and the Fair Oaks Children’s Clinic. Additionally, we will purchase much needed medical equipment that the medical center needs but cannot afford.

We could do much more and truly be the vehicle for bringing the private sector to the table. What we need is those people who really care about the health concerns of all of the residents of San Mateo County to become involved with our foundation. It is time to stop talking or wishing for some magical government program to solve the problem. Prince Charming is not coming and the government by itself cannot and will never do the job that is necessary to provide the medical care that our community deserves. Our foundation has 500 supporters and 16 board members, all volunteers from San Mateo County. If we had 5,000 supporters and 30 to 35 board members, we could provide $10 million, $15 million or $20 million worth of support for much-needed health care programs. The vehicle to address this concern exists. Jump on board; we are looking for many good men and women!

Lee Michelson

Executive Director

San Mateo County Health Foundation

San Mateo

Skeptical of Easter

Well, it is Easter time again. Christians tell us that this occasion marks the celebration of an event that they say happened around 2,000 years ago. As I understand it, there was this Jewish itinerant preacher who spent about three years preaching and performing miracles around the Jerusalem and Galilee area. It is further claimed by the Christians that he was born of a virgin and with no human father — just a sort of ghost.

Anyway, he got into a lot of trouble with the Roman authorities and was executed. But three days later, much to everyone’s surprise, he came back to life and rose, bodily, up into the sky to a place called heaven. The Christians believe — so they tell us — that if one just symbolically eats his flesh and telepathically tells him that one accepts him as one’s master, one can then have a sort of second life in this magical land in the sky. Right!

Don Havis

San Mateo