Congratulations to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for having the courage to make San Francisco the first city in the United States to stop sales of tobacco products in pharmacies. Elsewhere in the world, cigarettes are not commonly sold in pharmacies — where people go for products to help them get well, not get sick.

This will be the last back-to-school shopping season that children buying crayons and other school supplies in their neighborhood pharmacies will see a colorful cigarette display at the check stand. By the time the kids are back to buy their Halloween costumes, the cigarette displays will be gone. Now that will be a treat.

Deepak Srivastava, M.D.

American Heart Association, UC San Francisco

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Garbage detectives

Making garbage collectors play detective (“Sort that garbage,” Aug. 1) may not be the dumbest idea to come out of the Mayor’s Office, but it’s certainly in the running.

So now The City can fine me up to $1,000 for leaving a melon rind in my black trash bin. But, most likely, I did not put it there — the garbage “thieves” did when they rummaged for recyclables in everyone’s trash.

Come on, San Francisco; tell these silly politicians what to do with their proposals.

Sherrie Matza

San Francisco

Electric windmills

I’m encouraged to read about Mayor Newsom’s newly formed task force analyzing The City’s potential to produce wind power.

I’d also love to see the mayor lead the way by restoring and modernizing the two historical windmills at the western end of beautiful Golden Gate Park so they could generate the electrical power that once rendered them obsolete.

Jane Ardito

San Francisco

Anti-socialists smeared

Board President Aaron Peskin and his City Hall comrades must feel a tingle every time the press reports they are in pitched battle with “moderates and downtown business interests.” Is there no other way to describe those of us who are sick of San Francisco socialism?

Paul Burton

San Francisco

Blameless bus drivers

Here we go again, blaming Muni drivers for the poor service. The reason service is so bad is because Michael T. Burns cut service, and the present Muni management is hell-bent on preserving those cuts by any means necessary. It is that simple.

Michael J. Benardo

San Francisco

Is he doing enough?

It is predictable that the local politicians such as Mark Leno, Leland Yee, etc., are criticizing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his actions in ordering layoffs and pay cuts while awaiting resolution of the budget stalemate.

At least the governor is doing something to resolve this impasse. What are these local politicos doing besides whining and sitting on their collective hands?

They probably never heard of the old adage: “When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that three of his fingers are pointing at himself.”

Robert A. Jung

San Francisco

Can anyone explain again why a majority of California voters chose to recall Gray Davis and install Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor?

I seem to remember a lot of talk about getting things done and changing the culture in Sacramento. One can only wonder how those who voted for the recall and election of Arnold feel now.

His latest stunt — and let’s be honest, that’s all it is — of reducing state worker pay is not leadership. His inability to influence his own party’s obstructionists shows weakness. Then to turn around and shortchange the states rank-and-file workers is pathetic.

Vernon S. Burton

San Leandro

Homeless startups

A new public agency should teach business management to the clean-and-sober homeless and provide startup funding to own and operate a small, home-based business so they can become self-employed and potentially employ others like them.

This would not only help end homelessness in San Francisco, but also boost the economy. This is truly “thinking outside the box,” and it deserves a try.

Robert Love

San Francisco

Where’s our Congress?

Will future historians record that in the year 2008, Congress went on vacation while the Russians were busily seeking oil power in the Arctic and the Chinese were busily seeking oil power off the shores of Cuba?

If we are not careful, the United States of America could become the next Third World country.

John “Scotty” Thomas

San Francisco

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