ISO illogic

The California Independent System Operator is not supporting the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's peakers but is supporting a practically bankrupt private corporation, Mirant, to provide the replacement for the Hunters Point power plant. Someone should ask the CAISO if Mirant is in any position to finance and then actually complete such a complex and lengthy project and why CAISO decided the Bay View-Hunters Point communities should not support the SFPUC instead, especially given Mirant's questionable record as a corporate citizen and SFPUC's outreach efforts. It is worth remembering that California's PUC, which does have legal jurisdiction over the decommissioning of HPPP, has identified transmission upgrades in the Jefferson-Martin decision but no generation requirement: "We find that the Jefferson-Martin project by itself is not sufficient to support closure of the Hunters Point power plant. However, a combination of the Jefferson-Martin project and additional transmission reinforcements north of the Martin substation and south of the Jefferson station would allow that plant to be closed, bringing additional economic and environmental benefits. For these reasons, the project is clearly necessary." Finally, Mirant's financial and economic position would call for huge premiums to finance any construction projects; however, this is not the case with the SFPUC. So why can't CAISO include the SFPUC's peakers in the equation for replacing HPPP?
Mark Loy
Oakland

Good poll watchers

I would like to respond to Tim Redmond ["In This Issue," 8/18/04] and other citizens who criticize politicians as "poll watchers." Many people criticize certain politicians, both elected and those seeking election, as carefully forming their political agendas based on a close watch of public opinion. There is definitely something unsavory about someone who does not have his or her own agendas and seems to be merely hunting for votes. However I argue that these "poll watchers" are actually bringing the United States closer to a democracy.

In a democracy of majority, the government would make decisions based on what the majority wants, and the "poll watchers" are trying to do just that. If by watching the polls and siding with the majority, politicians are called "poll watchers," then so be it. Perhaps they would consider it a compliment.
Daniel Yoo
San Francisco

Another censored story

Camille T. Taiara claims that "The Bush administration's Healthy Forests Initiative essentially entails granting logging companies access to old-growth trees – and then subsidizing them for brush clearing." ["Censored!," 9/1/04]

This is Taiara's definition of a "censored" environmental story. Yet, the so-called Healthy Forests Initiative actually passed the Senate as the Wyden/Feinstein Forest Compromise – Wyden's own self-congratulatory term.

I believe the most censored environmental story is how the big Green groups have become a fully owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party and not only fail to hold Democrats like Wyden and Feinstein accountable, but obfuscate and shift blame every time to Republicans, deserved as it may be or not.
Michael Donnelly
Salem, Ore.

Political sinecures

So the S.F. Housing Authority is having trouble again with the federal auditors. They just don't understand the true mission of this board, which is the same as the Golden Gate Bridge Board: not to serve the needs of the users, but as a place to park failed politicians and other insiders and contributors to the Democratic Party until the party can use them again. How else can you account for Art Agnos? It is a sinecure that keeps them well fed at taxpayers expense and casts a hue of respectability on their service while keeping them out of the public eye.
James Keefer
San Francisco

The yarn bikes

Maybe I missed it, but I keep looking for some coverage of the yarn art that covers the bike litter in the Mission. I noticed a few pieces months ago, but now you can't walk down the Mission-Valencia corridor without noticing that all abandoned bike pieces are wrapped in this fringe-esque yarn. I like the spirit of the yarn, but I want the Bay Guardian to find out the full story. Bike theft is a sad reality of living in a city – it makes me sad to see the rusty remains; the fringe really brightens the passing moment.
Kearstin Dischinger
San Francisco

Lynn Rapoport responds: We agree: the yarn-bike appendage art is very special, which is why we gave it a Best of the Bay Award in our July 28 issue. As for the full story, we could launch an investigation, and perhaps it is our journalistic duty to do so. But we have a feeling that the spirit of the yarn is a shy spirit and prefers to remain anonymous as it ties knots and beautifies bike parts across the Mission. We wish it well.