Pacific Sun 10.30.2009 - Section 1

Page 6

›› LETTERS

›› TOWNSQUARE

And the hits just keep on comin’ The League of Women Voters of Marin is very disappointed to see that Jonathan Frieman has again created and sponsored a “hit piece” on a candidate for the San Rafael City Council [“Frieman Attacks Candidate in Campaign Mailer,” Oct. 23]. This mailer does not comply with League standards and would be in violation of the ordinance recently passed by the county, which is applicable to county elections. For the past two years members of the League have strived to prevent this kind of misleading, unethical campaign activity. We worked with the Marin County Board of Supervisors to create an ordinance that would require greater disclosure of the funders behind independent-expenditure committees like Mr. Frieman’s. We hope that all the towns and cities in Marin will adopt a similar ordinance. The League of Women Voters does support public campaign financing, but it won’t stop negative hit pieces. Voters are fed up with mud-slinging campaigns and want to judge candidates based on their platforms. We call on all the candidates for the San Rafael City Council to denounce this mailing piece and any others like it that might surface during this election period. Let’s call an end to negative campaigning in Marin. Margy Eller, President League of Women Voters, Mill Valley

Idling meter maids, the devil’s work I took a picture today at the Marin Civic Center of one those parking-ticket jeeps that drive around Marin giving out tickets. Lots

TOP POSTINGS THIS WEEK

Endorsements: San Anselmo leans to the FAR side The San Anselmo Town Council race features two elected incumbents and one appointed incumbent facing a field of three challengers. The incumbents are Peter Breen an...MMWD Cuts Conservation, Looks at Rate Frieman attacks San Rafael candidate in campaign mailer Wealthy political activist Jonathan Frieman, known for financing past campaign mailers denouncing local political candidates, has continued his postal assault in the San Rafael...

We imagine they also leave them running for quick getaway.

of time they’re sitting there idling, burning fuel as they write tickets. They essentially never turn them off, so they’re running all day. A Prius is off when it’s stopped. Seems like the perfect job for an electric vehicle (or hybrid). Can you propose that to Marin County? John Arndt, San Rafael

I met a man who was not there, he was not there again today... During the lead-up to the November 2008 election, I was approached by a man encouraging me to vote for Proposition A, a Mill Valley School District parcel tax. I said it seemed like we are always giving money to the schools and wanted to know if they would ask again next year. He assured me that would not happen. I am on a fixed income and cannot afford to keep paying more every year for the schools. They already receive almost 50 percent of our property taxes and, as I predicted, they are asking for more just a year later. Proponents cite increased enrollment, less money from the state and the need for better infrastructure...the same argument as 2008. I

Upfront2: Gilbert Mejia deportation delayed “Unfortunately, my country is a place that’s not safe, especially for people his age, and that’s why I’m very afraid for him to go back...that’s why I brought him here.” Read...

Your soapbox is waiting at ›› pacificsun.com am sure this will be voted in now and every year to come—for what kind of monster would be against helping schools? But where does that leave folks like me living on a fixed income and when does this end? Sharon Salisbury, Mill Valley

Measuring truth from lies The Pacific Sun recommended a “yes” vote on San Anselmo’s Measure E [“San Anselmo Leans to the FAR Side,” Oct. 16], the monster-house ordinance, and remarked that “opponents have overblown FAR’s problems and used it in a sometimes misleading way...” That’s the Sun’s polite way of saying that the anti-E campaigners, including, astonishingly, their ballot argument, is built on explicit lies. San Anselmo has had a quiet political machine, now out of power, that for decades kept the town’s politics well to the right of our population, but the introduction of outand-out lying in the style of the Teabaggers is simply unacceptable. I’m ashamed for candidates Jeff Kroot and Kay Coleman; they don’t deserve a single vote in this election. Measure E, and honest political discourse, should have our ringing endorsement. Bill Noble, San Anselmo

How’s this for term limits! New political party: NRA—Never Re-elect Anyone. The NRA is seeking your vote. We don’t ask for any membership dues, don’t send you any material in the mail, have no solicitation of funds, will never phone you, have no meetings and we only ask you to NEVER Broom is the favored RE-ELECT ANYONE. candidate, according to Remember: a new a new straw poll. broom sweeps clean. Walter Schivo, Novato

Quality of mercy strained I am disappointed that you ran the article about the illegal immigrant family facing deportation [“How Do You Solve 6 PACIFIC SUN OCTOBER 30 – NOVEMBER 5, 2009

a Problem Like Mejia?” Oct. 9] without thinking about all the facts. The father drove all those years without a wreck—did he have a license and insurance? If there was a wreck who would pay for the damages? He worked all those years and paid taxes, with whose Social Security number? Sure, he paid taxes, but at what rate— married and five dependants?—while the owner of the Social Security number, what rate—single? Who pays the difference? He had a kid here; who paid for the birth? Now for the house. The house should be repossessed for lying on the loan doc, and all of them deported. Don’t ask for the legal persons to support them, get real. We already support them in food stamps and unpaid taxes, not to mention crimes and detention costs if they are deported. I am legal, pay taxes, have insurance and obey the law—so is expecting them to do the same asking too much?! Hey, if they all went back [to Latin America] would there be enough jobs to go around? When did we need to change our school standards to include Spanish as a regular gotta do!! Just my thoughts. Use my first name and last initial only. Oh, by the way, my ancestors came through Staten Island the legal way... Thanks for your time and pay your taxes with a smile because you know why... Dan S, Novato

We’re on it! Dear Pacific Sun, Global warming and wild life. Please take action. Brandon Nagel, Novato

Anything’s possible for a wonderful mother like you... One of my memories of living in Mill Valley was that the Pacific Sun was the newspaper to read and now that my son, who at present lives in New York, is dreaming of moving back to Mill Valley I’d like to buy him a year’s subscription to the Sun. Is this possible? Colleen Lancaster, the Cotswolds, England

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