Gore really won

Who in the world wrote that piece saying "Nader Shouldn't Run" [Editorial, 1/8/03]? I thought that this paper would be one of the last to print the lies about the 2000 presidential race, which Al Gore did win, by over 500,000 votes nationwide, and even in Florida, where the papers admitted under cover of night and no headlines that, yes, he even won that state by well over 10,000 votes. If you don't know how the election was hijacked from the person with the most votes, and the diabolical way it was carried out, I suggest you do some homework. I demand a retraction of your false assertion! And by the way, if you were so disappointed with Mr. Gore, I can only surmise that you bought into the media frenzy to disparage and denigrate this smart, intelligent man (Gore) and raise the illiterate moron (Bush) to untouchable status.

Sunny Safiya
El Sobrante

The PG&E 'facts'

Although I am late in responding I feel it necessary to comment on the "opinion" by Dennis Herrera titled "The Other PUC Battle" [11/19/03].

I'm all for your views on PG&E but let's not "cheat" on the facts. First, how can shareholder dividends go up 30 percent under the settlement? Currently common stock dividends are not being paid. How can dividends go up 30 percent over 0 percent?

The other statement that they "will go up higher than they were before deregulation" is so far out of reach based on current financial projections that one begins to wonder if other statements in the article are also made up simply to fit the conclusion.

Stick to the facts and I will continue to support your stand.

Don Jacobus
Oakland

The City Attorney's Office responds: The 30 percent increase compares to dividends before deregulation, exactly as the full sentence stated. City Attorney Dennis Herrera stands by the facts, which are fully supported by the record in the CPUC case.

Appalled by Tompkins

I recently read J.H. Tompkins's "How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder?" [12/17/03]. I started the article with great interest, but as I read I grew increasingly appalled. I expected an article about Claudia Bernardi and her art, instead I was treated to "Why J.H. Tompkins hates the laugh box plus other musings on politics and thought." He did a disservice to the artist and the victims of mass murder when instead of focusing on the crime and the art that reacts to it, space was wasted complaining about Keanu Reeves and Ari Fleischer.

Brian Harmon
Alameda

The other theater

I do theatre here in San Francisco. Not the kind you go out and see for 45-plus dollars, and have to save up to see a glimpse of Robin Williams mess around with Amanda Plummer, and spend $7 on a cup of wine that tastes surprisingly like Two Buck Chuck.

I'm generally at the second floor (or basement) ... where you have to keep the door propped open and just make sure the space is secure enough so crazy Willie, who is the resident in front of the building next door, doesn't come in during the $5-$10, pay-what-you-can (no one is turned away) show and do his Tourette's version of "I Will Always Love You" ...

That kind of theatre.

The latter kind of theatre is the type of theatre that makes the theatre scene in San Francisco what it always has been. A little funky. A little fun. Always worth seeing ... and always a great time.

Unfortunately, trying to find these shows in any other newspaper outside of the Bay Guardian is almost impossible. I have been running, with the San Francisco Improv Co-Operative, the Monday Night Improv Jam at the Climate Theatre. Now just because the SFIC is a small little venture does not mean we do not do press. We do. We even follow the rules of the press. The two-week thing. The fax it thing. The e-mail thing. The please don't send attachments in an e-mail thing.

And trying to get our stuff listed in the other papers is near impossible. The funniest story is calling the Chronicle wondering why they have not put in our notice (after sending them monthly reminders about our shows in town) for the Monday Jam. Someone called me back and told me it was due to lack of space.

I checked online. Went to the handy-dandy little SFGate search under Monday performances. It was just before New Year's. They had one event going on on Monday in the entire Bay Area. And that had passed.

So here is to the Bay Guardian and especially Cheryl Eddy! The keepers of small theatre! The ones who actually run a listing by a company with less than two nickels to scratch together, but probably have some rock theatre that this town might want to see. You make us feel loved. And not like the bastard children to the $7 Two Buck Chuck theaters.