I am writing to express my disappointment with Monday’s story, “Nonprofits’ salary decisions questioned,” (June 2). Despite numerous conversations with the reporter, Josh Sabatini, and our repeated attempts to set the record straight, your story contained factual errors and a faulty premise, at least as concerns the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

The article implies — incorrectly — that our president’s salary is paid for with city and county funds. This is not true. That salary is directly paid for through contributions from our board members and our endowment fund. All of the money that we receive from the City and County of San Francisco goes directly toward providing programs and services for the disadvantaged children who need us most.

Finally, Mr. Sabatini lists our president’s salary as $191,138. As we told your paper, this figure is incorrect yet our explanations were ignored. For the year you reported on (fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2006), our president’s true annual salary was $143,500.

We respect The Examiner and appreciate its local coverage; this reporting was a genuine surprise to us. It is our hope that in the future, articles will be researched properly and facts presented clearly and fairly.

This story continues below
Advertisement

Steve Strandberg, board chair,

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco,

San Francisco

Saving taxpayer money

I was saddened to hear that the San Francisco Municipal ID launch is being pushed back to the fall (“Municipal ID launch is pushed back,” June 2). I’m sure Immigration and Customs Enforcement would love to see the list of illegal immigrants registered in San Francisco. That would make its job a lot easier and save us taxpayers some money.

Hurry up, Mayor Newsom — ICE can use all the help it can get!

Grace Rose

San Francisco

Pastor eruption

Barack Obama has now expediently resigned from Trinity United Church of Christ. The most disturbing thing about the racially-charged, incendiary railings of Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Michael Pfleger from the pulpit at Obama’s Trinity Church was the wildly enthusiastic response their hateful words received from the church congregation. The attention given the most recent “pastor eruption,” and the ugly reaction of church members to these diatribes, politically forced Obama to do what he should have done long ago —resign as a Trinity congregant.

Obama professes far different values, yet he remained with Rev. Wright and among this congregation for 20 years — donating $49,000 to Trinity in 2006 and 2007. To be credible, Obama should have been worshipping at and contributing to a very different church.

Jim Hartman

Berkeley

Misleading the public

Scott McClellan, the former White House spokesman and a close confidant of President Bush, took to the airwaves to promote his new book accusing the Bush administration of deliberately misleading the public to wage war in Iraq. Clearly, loyalty is not a cherished personality trait with McClellan and his ilk.

It is hard to believe that McClellan was not fully aware that he was being fed false information which he dutifully regurgitated at White House press briefings, bullying reporters with his characteristic bluster.

It is extremely sad that McClellan’s “affection for the president” triumphed over concerns over the lives of thousands of U.S. servicemen and Iraqi civilians.

Perhaps, McClellan might consider donating his ill-gotten book royalties to U.S. veterans and Iraqi civilians, many of whom have paid the ultimate price for his lack of courage and integrity.

Finally, the damning testimony that it was none other than President Bush who was responsible for the outing of Valerie Plame must surely seal the fate of this disgraced president.

Jagjit Singh

Los Altos

Greenhouse gases

While I was at first surprised to see Los Angeles capturing the No. 2 spot for metropolitan cities having the lowest emissions relative to greenhouse gases, on reflection it may not be too odd.

Is it not interesting to note that with the exception of Long Island, N.Y., none of the cities listed on the good list are on the East Coast?

It is also a fact that the winds in the United States are easterly. The future, however, may cause us here on the West Coast some problems if and when China powers up its newly emerging coal generating plants.

Larry Hurley

Daly City

After the deluge

It must be voting time again, as the streets are awash with campaign literature. I am waiting for the people who deluged us with all of this information over and over again these past few weeks to come around to pick up the same from the gutters and streets. I won’t hold my breath.

May Fulton

San Francisco

To add your voice

We give preference to letters containing fewer than 150 words. Please include name, phone number and city of residence.

By e-mail: letters@sfexaminer.com  

By mail: Editorial Page Editor

The Examiner, 450 Mission St.

San Francisco, CA 94105

By fax: (415) 359-2766