October 2, 2002

talkback...

SFWPC's endorsements

This letter is in response to your coverage of the San Francisco Women's Political Committee's endorsement of Sean Connolly for San Francisco Superior Court [Hall Monitor, 9/18/02]. As a member of the San Francisco Women's Political Committee, I take issue with the statements and the tactics used by Gail Dekreon and her organization as described in your column. The Dekreon campaign is desperately trying to spin this defeat by attacking the SFWPC and Kim Burton. First and foremost, SFWPC is comprised of extremely intelligent, opinionated, and independent individuals who vote on the merits of an issue and the qualifications of the candidates. Dekreon's claims of arm-twisting and vote maculation are an insult to the intelligence and integrity of the SFWPC membership. It is important to note that SFWPC has voted to endorse many men for the November ballot, including Leland Yee, Mark Leno, Gavin Newsom, Roger Gordon, and Bevan Dufty, who, like Connolly, are well qualified and strong on issues important to women.

Sue Bushnell

San Francisco

The jig is up

The jig is up, the word is out, they finally found it – that is, the San Francisco Chronicle on Sept. 16 reported that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and San Francisco mayors have been cheating city residents out of cheap electricity generated by the city-owned Hetch Hetchy system of dams and hydroelectric power plants for the last 77 years.

And the Chronicle even reported that there's a solution to San Francisco's energy problems: Proposition D on the November ballot, which would end the city's dependency on PG&E's polluting fossil-fuel power plant at Hunters Point.

San Franciscans for Affordable, Clean Energy: Yes on D, a coalition of consumers, labor, community and environmental interests, business owners, and public power advocates, needs volunteers and contributions now to counter PG&E's $2 million "No on D" barrage of lies, which has already begun and will certainly only be more forcefully delivered through mail, radio, and television in response the overdue truth-telling by the Chronicle.

Find out how you can help secure a clean energy future for San Francisco and save hundreds of dollars on your electric bills in years to come by visiting the Yes on D campaign Web site at www.powertothepeople.org or by calling the campaign hotline at (415) 820-1418.

Karen Heisler

San Francisco

Predictable sex

Another predictable story about kinky sex ["The Domme Next Door," 9/25/02]. Why is it that the media always focuses on the smallest segment of the BDSM community (the pro-domme) and utterly ignores the largest segment (leather men)?

Joe Holt

San Francisco

Sierra Club and Black Mesa

The article "Last Battle at Black Mesa" (9/18/02) covers the huge environmental justice problem for the Navajo and Hopi living on and around Black Mesa but misses the mark on the Sierra Club's position on this complicated issue.

Up on Black Mesa, the club has worked with Navajo and Hopi activists for the past two years to help stop Peabody pumping of the N-Aquifer, their sole source of drinking water, by 2005. Along with the Black Mesa Trust, Black Mesa Water Coalition, National Resources Defense Council, and others, we helped collect over 5,000 comments asking the federal government to stop Peabody's pumping. Recently, we uncovered proof that the actual slurry line is leaking across its 273-mile route and polluting Arizona's streams. We are working hard to end this senseless waster of pristine water.

On the other end of the slurry line, the Sierra Club sued in 1998 to enforce federal clean air laws at the Mohave Generating Station, which has led to a settlement with the plant owners to clean up the power plant if it operates beyond 2006. We have opposed recent requests from the plant owners to extend that deadline. If the plant owners decide to close Mohave, we will work with respect and good faith with both the Navajo and Hopi tribes and with tribal activists to develop alternative sources of energy like wind and solar for their future income and self-sufficiency.

The Sierra Club's overall mission is to ensure clean air and clean water for all Americans, but we must be sensitive to the sovereignty of the tribes when dealing with this travesty of environmental justice on their own lands. With tribal leadership, the Sierra Club hopes to find the best environmental solution to this complicated mess while at the same time helping to develop more sustainable economic opportunities like wind and solar power for the tribes if the plant owners shut Mohave down.

Andy Bessler

Sierra Club Environmental Justice organizer

Bipolar help

I am writing to convey to Sascha Altman DuBrul, and anyone else with depression or bipolar disorder ("Bipolar World, 9/25/02) who is "looking out there for others with similar experiences," an open invitation to participate in the activities of the San Francisco Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association. By telephoning (415) 995-4792, you can hear a calendar of support groups and special activities.

Deborah Michelle Sanders

San Francisco

For the record