Real story behind Taxi Commission

The press coverage of the Heidi Machen affair and the Taxi Commission has been completely one-sided (“Newsom shakes up board’s makeup,” June 30).

I would add that firing Commissioner McGuire was particularly outrageous and insulting to everyone in light of Machen and Newsom both trying to feed people the line that enforcement of the driving requirement for taxi permits started when Machen took over and was the big reason people wanted to get rid of her.

The truth is that the enforcement began the day the Taxi Commission first took office years ago and that McGuire, of all the commissioners, has always been the one pushing the most for that enforcement, as well as the other things required of the companies and owners, like financial reports, workers’ compensation and the rest.

I am a cabdriver, though not a medallion owner. I have never seen such a pile of unbelievable lies in my life as what has been coming out of City Hall and the press the last few days. Newsom may think he controls the press in San Francisco, but I’m amazed that he and his protégé think they can get away with this business.

John Kiernan

The City

I keep reading that former Taxi Commission Director Heidi Machen was a stickler for the rules and that she went “by the book.”

It’s precisely the opposite that got her fired. Circumventing the commission’s authority, acting as a rogue and using her position for retaliatory purposes are not in the book.

The mayor has made it perfectly clear that if you don’t agree with him or Heidi, you’re out. Appointing new commissioners and vetting issues through this commission is now meaningless.

Next time, Emperor Newsom might as well install a horse on that commission and stop wasting people’s time and energy with this sham.

Dennis Korkos

The City

Supes and the mayor

The proposal to force the mayor to appear at Board of Supervisors meetings is political theater of the absurd by Chris Daly, who is pushing a vendetta (“Mayoral accountability or political theater?” July 1).

Supervisor Daly says he is pushing this proposal in order to facilitate dialogue between the mayor and the supervisors. But isn’t this the same Chris Daly who recently boasted that he has not spoken a word to the mayor in more than two years? Even worse, Supervisor Daly has managed to get six other supervisors to support this asinine

proposal.

So the next time you are late to work because the bus is late, or your kids can’t play in the park due to all the hypodermic needles, or your car hits a pothole, just remember that six supervisors don’t have time to deal with these issues. They are too busy sticking it to the mayor.

E.F. Sullivan

The City

Harmful food containers

As a Realtor, I help buyers locate nurturing environments and advise them of potentially harmful

ones. I commend Supervisor Aaron Peskin for proposing an ordinance, the Food Service Waste Reduction Act, which would ban Styrofoam from all San Francisco food

establishments (City Hall Watch, June 28).

Assuming no exemptions are allowed, this measure will protect more than just our environment — it will protect consumers as

well.

When hot food is placed on Styrofoam or polystyrene containers, the chemicals within these containers leach into the food itself, adding to the likelihood of cancer over

time.

To claim small restaurants have no alternative than to use these toxic containers has no basis in fact whatsoever. Chinese restaurants have been using paper boxes for decades.

Considering that more than 100 local communities have already enacted this ban, the California Legislature should take a leadership role and ban this hazardous material statewide.

Jeffrey Tong

San Bruno

Native-plant misperceptions

Contrary to what a recent letter-writer claimed, the gardener at Crissy Field told me that the native grasses west of the lagoon require just as much water, just as much fertilizer and just as much care as any other type of grass, to keep them green the way the public

likes.

Let’s be accurate about the nature of native plants, with their long-dormant, brown periods, before deciding what we are wishing for.

Also, I doubt we will see another $34 million in private donations to duplicate the wonders of Crissy Field in our parks.

Nancy Wuerfel

The City