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District supervisor system isn’t working

While the serious charges against Supervisor Ed Jew have yet to fully play out, his situation brings up the fundamental question about what we expect of a supervisor in this city. The district-elected system, which has Supervisor Jew scurrying for certifying documentation about his place of residence, raises the often-asked question of why we have representatives from each district when we know that by doing so they will not represent a citywide voter mandate and will necessarily promote a divisive, district-against-district mentality. Not withstanding the supervisor's alleged corruption charges, before becoming a supervisor, Ed Jew had a long history of working for the greater good of city residents at large.

I cannot say the same for some of the other members of the board, who appear obsessed with only the special interests of their district regardless of whether it negatively impacts The City as a whole. Regardless of what occurs with respect to the District 4 supervisor, I look forward to the end of the parochial district-supervisor system so that we can finally get real representation, not according to race, creed or sexual orientation, but because the individual candidates wish to move The City forward through well-maintained infrastructure, jobs and economic well-being.

Matt Mitguard

The City

Blue Angels’ roar

I wish to add my voice to Chris Daly’s for banning the Blue Angels from our skies. They are much too loud, and as to the danger, remember that just last April one crashed and its pilot died. If that had been in an urban area, many besides the pilot would’ve died. Yet letter writer E.F. Sullivan would have us believe that they are safe because a government agency says so. Right.

As to attitudes toward the military, Supervisor Daly, myself and millions of others have good reason to believe that their sacrifices are not for us. The current war in Iraq is an unusually blatant example of the misuse of our military for corrupt and imperialist ends, but far from the only one. And pumping millions into the economy? People could find other ways to entertain themselves without the vast expense of building and maintaining those jets. Military Keynesianism is surely the most wasteful way of propping up a failing economy yet devised. But Mr. Sullivan can hear none of this; the Blue Angels have deafened him.

David Hayman

The City

Why is Chris Daly so against the Blue Angels, which generate more money for this city than any other tourist attaction, when he should be against all the drug use and dealing going on in the Tenderloin? As a resident of this neighborhood, I hate coming out in the morning to go to work and have to step over bodies laying all over the sidewalks and in doorways. The crackheads are sitting in bus shelters lighting up and drinking at all hours of the day and night. What about the quality of life issues in the Tenderloin? Daly needs to walk through the neighborhood sometime and see for himself the blight and scourge that is in the Tenderloin.

Mary Sullivan

The City

Pedestrian safety

Dr. William Miller’s Viewpoint column (“Eyewitness to tragedy on 19th Avenue,” June 12) makes many valid points about the need for improvements and measures to increase pedestrian safety on 19th Avenue and elsewhere. From his account, the victim appears to have chosen not to remain on the median when the light turned yellow, and therein lies the second half of the safety equation. All too many pedestrians fail to observe traffic signals and otherwise put themselves unnecessarily in harm’s way. We can spend all the tax dollars in the world on improving infrastructure and increasing police presence, but it won’t do any good if pedestrians don’t use common sense.

Michael Grandin

The City

In defense of pigeons

How selfish can man be? One reader writes to say pigeons are a health hazard for the citizens of The City. The only health hazard in The City is walking through a crowd of smokers. We should be happy to see another form of life on Earth such as the birds. I say to the reader who finds pigeons to be a problem, he needs to read about the history of pigeons and their part in helping the United States win World War I and World War II. To each who lives on this planet there is a purpose, and that is not just man but all living things.

Peggy Royster

The City

Muni consistency

I wholeheartedly agree with recent letters regarding the management of Muni. My wife and I recently moved back into The City after six years in New York. I guess the old saying is true: Some things never change. Muni was a mess when we left in 2001. Muni is even more of a disgrace as we have returned in 2007. And now they are talking about bonuses for managers with good attendance records. Show up or you’re fired!

Paul Anderson

The City

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