February 12, 1999
This is Rafael from Latnn.com… We really appreciate our relationship with La Prensa. I hope our friendship continues.
Check out this month's issue of Grafico… Keep in
touch and if you need anything on the East Coast, let me know.
Palante,
Rafael Collazo
(Way to go... La Prensa now has connections across the countryside. Your interests are ours. Keep up the good work in your end of the country.)
Fewer People Going To The Public Libraries
I just read the ballot book descriptions of what the politicians want to do with our Prop L tax money. I was struck by the boilerplate inclusion for every branch the term: "provide computers and technology," an euphemism for putting in even bigger Internet Access Centers in libraries.
Today, fewer and fewer people go to the library to get on the Internet. It is becoming far more efficient to access the web from home, school or work, even with slower equipment.
Expanding an expensive, high tech, rapidly outmoded library function at the very time demand for that library function is dropping is unnecessary. For that reason alone I can't support Prop L.
Bonney T. Wikkering
Chula Vista, Ca.
(Comment: it is noted that the proponents of Prop L keep alleging that: "more and more people are using the public libraries." Yet they never produce any study or analysis that has actually counted the number of actual users at all these libraries. School libraries are without question needed. Every Elementary, Junior, and High school as well as every Community College, University, and 4 year state college should have a college library, Prop L has nothing to do with school libraries.)
Prop L Groups Stacked With High-Tax Supporters
Prop L supporters love to point to the scores of organizations that have endorsed an increased tax for libraries. Don't be too impressed. These organizations all have three things in common:
1- They either want favors, subsidies, contracts and/or compliance from the politicians. You don't bite the hand that feeds you.
2- All the San Diego City based groups endorsed the ballpark, and the stadium deal.
3- None of these groups asked the opposition to Prop L to come and speak.
The "civic groups" are stacked with high-tax big government supporters they are not representatives of the communities that will have to pay the higher tax. The "people " are not represented within these groups.
Mel Pinnney
San Diego
(Comment: These are the same folks that allowed and encouraged the Mayor and City council to raid the city treasury to pay for the Republican Convention THAT WAS A PARTISAN EVENT and should not have received a single penny from the city. The city money comes from all taxpayers; Democrats, Libertarians, Republicans, etc. etc., yet they took millions of dollars and spent it)
Thou shall not steal!
Mayor Golding's bone-head idea to steal "tobacco" settlement funds for her personal downtown library project rubs against the intent of the tobacco settlement… What good is another library building while citizens die from lung cancer? The Mayor must set aside her own selfish desire to be recognized for another building.
It is more important to fund the anti-smoking campaign as intended…
Ken Bourke
San Diego
(Comment: Since when has Mayor Golding and the City council cared more for the citizens of San Diego??? That is one reason the support for her Senate aspirations disappeared. Joe Lunch-bucket found it she cared more for the rich and ritzy then those of us that work for a living. Her reign with help of the "felony-dumb" city council has brought San Diego to near bankruptcy.)
The "Golding" Library To Raid Prop L Monies
Oddly enough, Mayor Golding is right when she tries to use tobacco settlement money for other city needs. This city has no health care operations and the most idiotic use of such a windfall would be for more anti-smoking campaigns.
Golding, however, is dead wrong that the money should be used to build her a memorial downtown library. Clearly… It should not go to an expensive, inaccessible Downtown "signature" project.
To the extent increased library funding is desirable, it should go into branch libraries. The Mayor should seek to channel the $300 million of the tobacco settlement money towards pothole fixing, sewer repairs etc… It is an absurd idea that higher sales taxes are needed (for Prop L).
John Murphy
San Diego
(Isn't it strange the felony - dumb San Diego City Council and Mayor Susan Gold-ing are doing it again? When they made the stupid contract with Chargers and got the city into the sports entertainment business and dipped into the city cash box, the ensuing condemnation by the citizens pushed the Mayor and the felony-dumb city council into passing a resolution that put them on record that the city would not pass any PUBLIC PRO-JECT COSTING OVER $50,000 without a VOTE OF THE PEOPLE!!! Seems to me they just approved tapping the City's General Fund to finance a Taj-Majal library that is estimated to cost over $200,000,000! This concrete memorial to Mayor Susan Golding's mismanagement of the city is clearly illegal! By their own rules this squandering of the city's monies has to go for a vote of the people,)
If You Criticize the City Attorney's Office Look Out!
City of San Diego volunteers, Town Council members; if you criticize the City Attorney's Office, they will get even with you. I made the mistake of criticizing the City Attorney's office, pointing out incompetence, malfeasance and waste. They got even, and it cost me $50,000.
Police Chief Sanders asked our Council to be his eyes and ears. When community problems were discovered and reported they were ignored. I reported illegal car repairs on city streets. The City did nothing. When I photographed a man doing illegal repair, he jumped out in the street, stopped my car by blocking my way and brandished a hammer. This is undisputed. When I drove away and reported the attack, I was told that nothing could be done.
Nine months later the City indicted me for assault with a deadly weapon for running away from an attacker with a hammer. The Jury found me innocent. But it still cost me $50,000 in legal fees.
The message is clear, if you criticize the City they will get back at you.
Jerome J. Ghigliotti, Jr.
Former President of the Serra Mesa Community Council
(Comment: I noticed your letterhead lists you as an Attorney at Law. That must have helped you little in fighting against the heavy hand of the City Attorney. La Prensa San Diego can well sympathize with you. The Publisher, as is his right, question strongly against the "sweetheart deal" being brokered by Mayor Golding, the former city manager McGrory and the Spanos, the Chargers owner, which was carried out all in secrete. The price for having an opposing view: $70,000 in yearly advertising from the city. Many months later and the continued squandering of taxpayers funds to buying unused Charger tickets that no one wants, and broken promises from the business community, the Chamber that they would cover the shortfalls, we are still black balled by the city. So there is a price to pay for standing up to city hall.)
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