As regards your editorial of May 1 (“McCain in the schoolhouse door”), I have to say that you do your readers a great disservice.

To suggest that vouchers or “opportunity” scholarships will provide the school choice to liberate the traditionally underperforming students mired in inner-city poverty is both misleading and simplistic. The ills which plague American public education are vast and complex, and it will require a major transformation of political will from both legislators and the populace to implement the changes necessary.

By the way, I couldn’t help but notice the cheap shot your editorial took at the educators’ unions. The irony was not lost on me that the date chosen for this editorial also happened to fall on International Workers’ Day.

As for Mr. McCain, your editorial promotes him as a new symbol for education. Having heard him speak, I do not believe he is the man to lead the reform of America’s public educational system. His ideas for education just put a different spin on the same ugly legacy championed by Wallace decades earlier.

Martha Pahnke

Colma

Student behavior

When the familiar educational issues of budget impact and intransigent unions re-emerge, there’s always an 800-pound something that’s neglected, deemed unworthy of consideration.

All this talk of reform and vouchers conveniently ignores the fact that some schools don’t have to and, more importantly, won’t put up with the behavior common to inner-city schools, high and low.

Which means all the clamoring for liberation of school choice and the talented work force is ultimately for naught if the kids don’t act right.

Teachers face this fact every day, but no one asks their opinion.

Gordon D. Robertson

San Francisco

Recycling-container overload

The reality is this: The numerous and large trash and recycling containers that each household now has do take up a lot of space that many residents simply do not have. Residents used to have only one garbage can, and now they have not one, but three large containers.

I agree that these containers should not be left out on the sidewalk day in and day out, but many do not have a choice.

How about some kind of compromise? For starters, those residents who can move these large containers to the side of their residence or some alcove off the sidewalk should not be penalized. The containers are off the sidewalk. Those who can only move the containers to the front of their set-in garage, where their containers are not sitting on the sidewalk but are still in plain view, also should not be penalized — they’re off the sidewalk.

For those who live in mansions or large homes, no problem for them.But let’s be realistic and fair here. San Francisco is not the suburbs and for the majority of us who do not live in mansions or large homes, there just is not enough space to house these numerous, large containers out of sight.

N. Chin

San Francisco

Reviving a career

Is Barbara Walters’ life so miserable that she has to reinvigorate her face time in the news by dragging out a 1967 affair with former Sen. Edward Brooke of Massachusetts?

Does she care that this announcement could hurt family members of both sides? Apparently not.

Now Cher has come out with her own revelation about dating Tom Cruise. Will it be subject to sordid details?

Barbara and Cher, do you think this will help your fading careers? The American public is not that naïve.

Robert A. Jung

San Francisco

Working to revitalize library

Thank you for Sasha Vasilyuk’s story (“Merchants join forces to help revitalize Daly City streets,” The Examiner, May 1) regarding revitalization of Daly City’s Mission Street.

“Dilapidated” perhaps, but the corridor is a historic thoroughfare dating back well over two centuries when padres walked there on the way to establish Mission Dolores.

Displaying a giant leap of faith in the Top of the Hill section of Mission Street, the History Guild of Daly City/Colma is currently restoring the former John D. Daly Public Library building at the heart of the hill, and is actively working toward opening a public History Museum at that historic site.

Bunny and Ken Gillespie

Daly City

Rest in peace

Rest in peace, Albert Hoffman. When your story is properly told, perhaps more people will realize what a blessing LSD has really been.

Pietra Larin

San Francisco 

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