Well-Placed
Thanks for printing the letter from Craig Cheatham (“Aid Awareness,” Sept. 1) about inadequate aid to Pakistan and for placing it directly under Tom Tomorrow’s cartoon about media-induced fear of Muslims. Could that fear be one reason for the low response to the Pakistan disaster? Mr. Cheatham’s letter says Taliban and Al Qaeda are among the groups delivering aid. So our fears may be helping grow the influence of those we really have reason to fear.
I donated to Relief International (their website made it easy to specify Pakistan, unlike some other NGOs).
Phyllis Michel | Mountain View
Nailed It
Just want to say thanks again for a great article on Cukui (“Street Style,” Style, Sept. 1)! You pretty much nailed what and who we’re about and we are very happy with the response from people. It was hard finding a copy of it yesterday, but sometime circa midnight, we managed to find one. Lol.
Michelle Locquiao, Cukui | San Jose
Response Time
I am sick and tired of hearing about how cuts to public safety are going to “harm the public” because the departments do not have the resources to solve less high-profile crimes (burglaries) or respond in a timely fashion (“The Firefight Isn’t Over,” The Fly, Sept. 1). As a taxpayer, I would love to have response times of one minute or maybe less. As a realist, I’d like to know how we can pay for it.
Do you believe that we should spend what we take in? If the answer is yes, then the cuts, while painful, are necessary. If the answer is no, then you believe in more of the same policies and decision making that have driven this state/region/city in to the brink of bankruptcy. It seems simple to me whether you run a billion dollar government budget, a multibillion dollar business or a $75,000 household budget that you cannot spend more than you take in. Period.
Inigo Montoya | San Jose
Promises
We are leaving Iraq! Yeah, whoooo! Just like Obama promised in the 2008 election. Wow, I knew Obama could save this world. He is truly doing it. His campaign promise is real! I am so relieved that I wasn’t hoodwinked, He is God. Wow. I love Obama. Everything that I was promised I got. We are leaving Iraq. I guess they are leaving 50,000 noncombat troops behind to die though, that isn’t bad. Ouch.
David Brunfield II | Aptos
