Letters

Editor,

As the case against William Ayres continues to expand, I am grateful to the few brave souls who came forward and complained to start the ball rolling against him. Without their courage, we would never have known how much of a monster was hidden in our midst having his evil ways with our children.

But Ayres is not the only psychiatrist guilty of abusing the trust society places in them. There are many other known cases of psychiatrists practicing pedophilia, sexually abusing their patients and prescribing deadly combinations of mind-altering "medications.” We all need to be aware of psychiatric abuse and encourage those who may have been its victims too come forward. There are other monsters out there -- it is up to us to find them and remove them from society before more lives are ruined by their sick obsessions.

Robert Johnson

Los Gatos

Wasted resources in prostitution sting

Editor,

After reading the article on the Munks and Bolanos prostitution sting in Las Vegas, I found an interesting side note I thought deserved more attention than busting a couple of horny guys.

To quote, "The operation was the result of a two year joint investigation by Las Vegas Metro, the FBI’s Organized Crime Squad, members of the Metro Vice Section, Gang Unit, and SWAT teams assisted in serving eight search and arrest warrants. A total of seven people were arrested on various charges, including immigration violations and living off the earnings of prostitutes.”

Well, do you mean to tell me it took all of these "advanced” crime fighting units, working in coordination with each other, two entire years to bust seven people for running a massage parlor out of their house?

What the heck were all these "crime enforcement units” doing over those two years? Testing for evidence?

It seems like this is a complete waste of resources and something that could be done by a lot less people and in a lot less time.

Dennis Tanaka

San Mateo

Biodiesel program

should expand

Editor,

I was excited to see that the South San Francisco Fire Department has begun using biodiesel in some of their vehicles ("Running a city on bio-fuel” in the April 19, 2007 edition of the Daily Journal). Biodiesel is an alternative to the stranglehold the oil companies and the Middle East have on our economy and it is here now and available. I really can’t understand why tour bus companies and others with fleets of diesel vehicles are giving switching to biodiesel more consideration. Having a biodiesel plant at each of their main terminals, they could literally meet their own fuel needs and increase their profits and save the planet! They need to think outside the station.

Jack Sparks

Burlingame

Suggestion

for school safety

Editor,

I have a suggestion that could save lives when these senseless killers go on a rampage in high schools and colleges. Every classroom should have a door that locks from the inside as soon as classes start. All of the doors would have a panic bar so everyone could escape quickly in case of fire or emergency. They should also have a small bullet proof window so the teacher or professor could identify a late student or other person authorized to enter. There would still be some personnel exposed in offices or hallways but the majority of the students would be secure. It would be costly but wouldn’t it be worth it to save precious lives.

H. Clark

Redwood City

Dissatisfied with

Caltrain schedules

Editor,

It’s no wonder that Elliot Schwartz of San Francisco is content with the current Caltrain schedule as he sits in the catbird seat where all trains start and finish the runs they make to and from San Jose. In reading the schedule I find that Mr.Schwartz does indeed get his wish because from 7:30 a.m. until 7:40 p.m. Caltrain does in fact make two stops an hour in San Bruno on its southbound run. And Mr. Schwartz can opt to return home with like options during that time period. For the rest of us who were forced back into our cars or onto shuttle service to access the train when the schedule was changed, or our local depot closed, we really would prefer to sit back and relax on the train rather than sit in traffic. I don’t think many of us would begrudge a fellow passenger those extra few minutes which Mr. Schwartz so selfishly cares not to relinquish.

Pat Giorni

Menlo Park

Bay Meadows redevelopment is good

for global warming

Editor,

Mr. Slocum of Idaho appears misinformed regarding the value of the Bay Meadows redevelopment. Addressing global warming is only one of the major reasons why it’s good for the community. Nearly 90 percent of our population growth is children. Soaring home prices prevents many of them from living here and prohibitive prices are due to scarcity. Bay Meadows will help.

As for global warming, by putting homes near businesses and at the train a very conservative estimate shows at least 500 outbound cars off roads which otherwise would likely drive in from more distant locations. This translates to 6.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide reduction annually based on average driving patters. This is more conservative than targets Bay Meadows is required to achieve. These are only some of the many reasons why Sierra Club strongly supports it.

As the state grows we must make thoughtful decision not just ignore change.

Rafael Reyes

San Mateo

Science versus opinion

Editor,

Regarding the April 20 column "Global warming: Quiet the alarms” by Bill Silverfarb, you raise an important question of potential conflict of interest on the part of Al Gore. But by using a single source-and one that uses inflammatory words like "scam” and "idiotic” to back his view — the column failed to make the case that we are being oversold on the future impact of global warming. I think I’ll stick with the 2,500 or so experienced scientists with no political ax to grind who have publicly sounded the evidence-based warning as my source of information.

C. Robbins-Roth

San Mateo

Science versus opinion

Editor,

Regarding the April 20 column "Global warming: Quiet the alarms” by Bill Silverfarb, you raise an important question of potential conflict of interest on the part of Al Gore. But by using a single source —and one that uses inflammatory words like "scam” and "idiotic” to back his view — the column failed to make the case that we are being oversold on the future impact of global warming. I think I’ll stick with the 2,500 or so experienced scientists with no political ax to grind who have publicly sounded the evidence-based warning as my source of information.

C. Robbins-Roth

San Mateo

Unborn infants

Editor,

Regarding the April 19 column by Michelle Durand "The rights of earth and birth” — be truthful Michelle, it is the unborn infants that you don’t give a damn about! Why is it you people never look at the whole equation?

Ed Aguirre

San Mateo

Weed and logic

Editor,

What an interesting letter from Mr. Caggiano about the way to develop healing and trust in the Middle East. It even contains a reference to "mighty fine smoking weed.” One could argue that that is perhaps what motivated his words.

Historical revisionism is one thing. To rely on fanciful logic is quite another. If there were land records that Arabs could rely on in determining their land was taken, why do Palestinian Arabs kill their own people when they sell land to Jews? The answer is painfully clear to all who are not themselves bigoted.

Simply put, Arabs do not want Jews to have a country anywhere. Even if Jews bought the land from Arabs, which they have done, in part, they would still be killed, as would their willing sellers. Perhaps we should give some "mighty fine smoking weed” to Assad, Nasrallah, and Ahmadinejad. Maybe then they would realize we are all brothers and would hold hands and sing Kumbaya with the Jewish people. Dream on.

Desmond Tuck

San Mateo

Time for Foster City High

Editor,

Back in the 1960s when I was a child I remember my mom telling my dad about the wonderful new community of Foster City. My mother very much wanted to buy a house in this new city that would also have it's own high school.

Who would of thought over 40 years later that Foster City still does not have their own high school. Fortunately for our family we stayed in San Mateo and attended Burlingame and San Mateo high schools, which were both within walking distance.

I say it's about time Foster City residents finally get their own high school!

Joanne Bennett

San Mateo