Gutsy Kudos
Belated but well-deserved kudos for your recent exposé on the gains in the private holdings of the former chair and current regent of the University of California (and husband to current U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein), Richard C. Blum (“Smart Money,” Cover Story, June 30). It was a fine example of the type of old-fashioned, gutsy, hard-hitting reporting that I would hate to see this country lose.
Stephanie Ray | Santa Clara
Aid Awareness
The flooding in Pakistan is on a scale seldom seen before in modern times, and so far the aid delivered is far below the need. The disaster is not getting the press it deserves. Seventeen million people are affected. Homes, agriculture, infrastructure have been devastated throughout the country. U.N. reports describe the humanitarian damage as worse than the Indonesian tsunami, Pakistan earthquake and Haiti earthquake combined. A majority of the people of one of the most populous countries in the world are without clean water, food, shelter, roads, bridges. On the political side, what is at risk is the destabilization of an already fragile, nuclear-armed nation. The aid being delivered is coming from a handful of NGOs, ineptly by the Pakistan government, but most troubling, coming from Taliban and Al Qaeda terror groups, Aid is needed now. Awareness is needed now. Please find it in yourself to contribute to some of the NGOs trying to help in this disaster. There are many aid groups trying to help, and one I suggest is Doctors Without Borders. They don’t have a political stake in this and they are on the ground now. This disaster is unlike anything aid workers have ever dealt with, and will have implications for the future. And please ask your friends to help.
Craig Cheatham | Santa Cruz
Larger Good
Regionalism for competitive gain (South Bay bookings vs. San Francisco or elsewhere) certainly makes sense (“Team Buildings,” The Fly, Aug. 25). Can we think outside the box (or the turf of our minifiefdoms) and look at the larger good for the larger region?
Blair Whitney | San Jose
