A turning point in the Iraq war

George W. Bush should quit while America is still whole.

Dec. 20, 2006, will go down in history as a major turning point in the war on terror. For on that memorable date, America’s alleged commander-in-chief confessed that America is not winning in Iraq and conceded that more troops may be needed.

However, President Bush also continued to insist that victory is “possible” in Iraq.

The obvious question: Possible for whom, sir?

Do you mean the insurgents? Or perhaps you were referring to Iran and Syria? Or is Saddam Hussein making an improbable comeback?

For years Bush has fought off critics who said America needs more ground troops in Iraq because we were not winning. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Bush preached “stay the course” as the best option for America.

In my view, America is now paying the price for electing a man who is incapable of communicating well enough to pass an elementary school speech class. George W. Bush is the worst communicator on the public stage anywhere in the world right now, and must surely be the least effective communicator ever to occupy, or even enter, the White House.

John Lillpop

San Jose

SFSU’s planned hotel

In a Dec. 20 editorial The Examiner states, “Unless SFSU intends to ... train local hotel staff.”

SF State’s Hospitality Management degree program has been in existence since 1990 and is the largest such undergraduate program in the Bay Area. The program trains students for management careers in the hospitality industry. Today there are 400 undergraduate students enrolled.

As 70 percent of the students focus on hotel management, we place a significant number of our graduates in San Francisco and Bay Area hotels, and two internships are required before graduation. The program has an advisory board of 60 local hospitality management business professionals and has strong relationships with S.F. hospitality industry organizations such as the Hotel Council and the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

On behalf of our students and generous hotel industry partners, please know that hotel management is an important program at SF State.

Nancy Hayes

The City

Thank you for directing our attention to SFSU’s planned 250-room hotel [“SFSU’s awkwardly planned expansion,” Dec. 20]. As you suggested, the hotel could be an excellent teaching tool for hotel management students. But maybe we should stop first and think about the university running a commercial establishment on this order.

Mildred Green

The City

No drama, please

I love the fact that San Francisco has so many live theaters and movie theaters to choose from. However, I don’t want to see drama in city government.

I couldn’t really care less if the Board of Supervisors has a question-and-answer session with the mayor or if the mayor has a question-and-answer session with the supervisors. (Fair is fair.) And I certainly don’t think The City should pay for the meetings.

Perhaps the politicians who put it on the ballot should pay for it. The City has enough problems with reduced quality of life, deteriorating Muni and high crime. Besides, I never got to sign the petition to put it on the ballot.

I wish S.F. city government would just take care of S.F. residents, public transportation and quality of life rather than nomadic alcoholics, drug addicts and the homeless, and unnecessary ballot measures.

I understand it must be difficult to take on the problems of an urban city, but I ask these politicians to at least try instead of using infighting as a distraction. That’s what they were elected for.

By the way, it doesn’t matter if the supervisors vote against the war when many Democrats and Republicans voted for it.

Denise Jameson

The City

Trump’s disgrace

I think Mothers Against Drunk Driving was absolutely right in severing ties with Miss Teen USA Katie Blair, who admitted drinking though underaged, as too many teens die or kill people in drunken driving accidents.

Miss Blair has an obligation to set an example for all teens to follow, instead of self-indulging by doing some hard partying.

It is a disgrace that Donald Trump did not strip Miss Blair and Miss USA Tara Conner, who partied with her, of their titles, as he is in effect just condoning their inexcusable misbehavior.

Kenneth L. Zimmerman

Huntington Beach

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