Budget Heartbreak

I was appalled and heartbroken when I heard about the governor's latest proposed budget.

There will be teacher layoffs and larger class sizes if schools lose billions of dollars. Talented students may be unable to attend college if the Cal Grant program is axed. About 70,000 abused and neglected children will suffer if $200 million is cut from foster care programs.

Lawmakers must do everything possible to minimize the severity of these cruel cuts. Simply saying "no" to new taxes isn't a budget solution; it's a cop-out.

The budget must look at the services we all need and how to pay for them. Californians need a balanced budget solution that includes new revenue.

Heather Cavanagh

Willow Glen

Ghost World

Thanks for the story ("The Ghost," Cover Story, June 3). Robert [Guerrero] is a total class act and is taking a bad rap from the commentators at HBO regarding the last fight. I never doubted "The Ghost" would reach the promised land, even before he made his pro debut in Monterey at the Riot at the Hyatt.

Jerry Hoffman

Aptos

Listen to the Bosses

The Arab world must give up their terrorizing culture of hate for peace with the Western world, Israel, and Jews worldwide.

Americans have expressed to the government that we want to stand with Israel. President Obama needs to listen to his "bosses," the American people.

Yael Wolf

San Jose

Way to Go

When Mayor Chuck Reed released his budget message last week, one of his cost-cutting measures ("efficiencies") was "Change in the Downtown policing model." So—looks like the adoption of Lt. McGrady's policies ("Club Cop," Bars & Clubs, June 10) will do more than help downtown survive and heal SJPD's image—it'll also save the city money.

Way to go Chuck, Larry and Chief Davis. While SJPD's critics are being attacked, you guys were willing to listen to what they were saying and make some changes.

Centrist

San Jose

Ale Fellow, Well Met

I was thrilled to see an article about the tradition of brewpubs in our area—until, that is, Richard von Busack tried to draw a distinction between beer and ale ("Beer Here Now," Bars & Clubs, June 10).

Richard, Richard, Richard.

Beer is the broader category. Ales and lagers are the two main types of beer. (There is a third: lambic.)

Ale is the older style; it uses top-fermenting yeast, is best served at room temperature, and is typically found in the British Isles and U.S. brewpubs. Among the types of ales are pale ale, porters, and stouts.

Lager uses bottom-fermenting yeast and is served cold. It originated in Germany, but is now found all over the world. The major American beers (Bud, Miller, Coors) are all lagers. Among the types of lagers are pilsners and Marzens.

Von Busack's most egregious statement: "barley wine is a beer, not an ale." Actually, barley wine is both.

I suggest he study the following: http://beer.about.com/od/beerstyles/a/BeerStyles101.htm. Until then, stick to movie reviewing.

Robert Teeter

San Jose