San Diego Reader

Program Pride

Thanks for the excellent article on the San Diego Serial Inebriate Program (“Hope for the Hopelessly Drunk,” Cover Story, August 13). This is something that all of San Diego can be very proud of. For readers who want even more info, go to SanDiegoSIP.org.

Name Withheld
via email

Too Bad

I’m calling about the story “The Park After Dark” (“City Lights,” August 13). It’s too bad that your writer only interviewed one person about the minimart that they’re talking about, the City Liquor House — the liquor store at the corner of Fifth and Elm. He should have interviewed some more.

And as far as the homeless people not being a problem around Elm and Fifth — they’re a major problem around Elm and Fifth. They’re always panhandling, they’re drunk, they hang out in front of that store and drink. I’ve seen them go in there and buy beer, walk around the corner and drink it and go back and buy another one, go back out to the corner and drink it, and come back. It’s just too bad that the guy who wrote your story, Joe Deegan, only interviewed one guy that he found in the liquor store and that guy happens to like that store and wouldn’t say anything bad about it at all. It’s just really too bad he didn’t tell the whole story the right way.

Name Withheld
via voice mail

Spot-On, Refreshing

I’m calling about the article by Joe Deegan, “The Park After Dark” (“City Lights,” August 13), and I just wanted to let you know, that article was spot-on. And Leo Johnson wasn’t correct in what he said about the homeless problem. I called Caltrans (because the homeless are sleeping under the bridge near City Liquor House), the City parks people, the rangers, everybody I could possibly call, because last year it was just hell in this neighborhood. That article was spot-on about the problems, and it’s so refreshing. I mean, a thousand thank-yous for that.

As a neighbor, here at Sixth and Elm, behind City Liquor, it’s horrifying. It’s getting a little bit better because they give them tickets now in the park. At the corner of Sixth and Elm, it was a drug-dealing, alcohol-party haven 24/7. They’d get their liquor in the morning, and then they’d walk, loud-talking, from the corner of Fifth and Elm to the corner of Sixth and Elm. Then they’d walk up in the park, drink all day, deal drugs up there. I’ve had to call the police hundreds of times on these people. So the woman that talked in that article and Deegan’s writing that article, she was exactly right. We’ve got our neighborhood back, finally — we’re getting it back. But it’s been a tug-of-war between the liquor store and the transients that just won’t go away, and particularly there’s a redheaded guy with a tall brunette that came into the neighborhood two years ago. They sleep under the bridge — they’re still under the bridge, Caltrans’ bridge. This guy’s got a caravan of friends that he drug into this neighborhood. It’s getting better with the help of the San Diego Police, and the park rangers do a fantastic job.

The article made my day.

Jerry Dusak
Centre City

Real Mexico In Tecate

About tourism and Tijuana (“Tijuana Tailspin Hurting San Diego,” “City Lights,” August 13), tourist agencies on both sides of this issue are losing a huge opportunity.

Run van/bus shuttles over to Tecate. Bring the tourists into Tecate for an afternoon!

So far there is minimal “discouraging news” from Tecate. And Tecate has always been more like “real Mexico” than Tijuana.

Name Withheld
via email

Sick Of Media

Re “He Can’t Be Gone” (“Stringers,” August 13). The young man that was killed in this tragedy was like a son to me. No one knows the true story about the details regarding his death nor what led up to it. I cannot believe you would publish this with no regard to the family and friends he left behind. The media and its sensationalism make me sick. There was no need to print the graphic details of this tragedy and opinions of the people that wrote it and were supposedly quoted in it. There are so many people suffering as a result of what happened, and I am disgusted that you would print anything like this. Shame on you.

Name Withheld
via email

Patrick’s Analysis

I just read Patrick Daugherty’s “Preseason Hotsheet” article (“Sporting Box,” August 13) and would like the name of his crack dealer. He obviously has some football knowledge, but it seems to fade when he mentions our hometown Chargers. He mentions Pittsburgh has to play the “functionally disabled” franchise of San Diego this upcoming season. What were you watching last year, Patrick (are you a Patriots fan?), as the Chargers played Pittsburgh in the playoffs and even though Pittsburgh was the better team (eventual champions), we hung in there and played them well. The Chargers have been perennial playoff participants the last five years and have a roster completely stacked with talent. ESPN has us as the sixth-best team entering the season, and all of our stars appear healthy, and we have a stud at quarterback who is in the top five of talent at that critical position. I believe we deserve a little more respect than being grouped with other functionally disabled franchises like the Raiders, etc.

I was then more surprised to see Patrick’s analysis of the AFC West. You say pick it between us and the Broncos?!? Wow! Were you paying attention when Denver imploded this off-season and dumped their Pro Bowl quarterback and replaced him with the underwhelming Kyle Orton? Not to mention the new coach and suspect defense, and you really think it is a toss-up between us and Denver?!? Did you not see us absolutely destroy Denver late last season to take the division title, and that was when they had Cutler.

I do not expect your sports writers to be Charger fans, but I feel my knowledge of the AFC West seems more in tune than his, and all I do is read ESPN.com. Of course, these games have to be played, and anything can happen, so we will see how accurate Patrick turns out to be.

Thanks for the rest of the article, and thanks for the Reader.

Mark Petrone
via email

Ignorant Robert

This is addressed to Robert K. Johnston of Vista, who wrote in on August 13 to letters (“.45 Caliber Insurance”). In regard to your response to “No Good Guns,” from July 23 by Name Withheld, toward the tail end of your letter, why are you so ignorant, Robert? You say, “If you are going to write it, you need to own it! It takes far more courage to put your name to your words than it does to send in an unowned straw-man letter. Enough with these ‘Name Withheld’ jobbies already, folks!”

Why do I say you are ignorant, Robert? First of all, you don’t have any idea of the possibilities why this person may have chosen to withhold their name, and it may have nothing at all to do with courage. For instance, I myself, this letter included, have gone by Name Withheld, and it has nothing to do with not “owning” what I wrote.

I am a victim of severe past domestic violence by an ex-husband who started doing drugs and went berserk from then on. I do not want my name printed because I do not want him to find me, lest he try to kill me, as he threatened. I have moved on to a new state, new town, and there is no reason for me to put my name on something that he might possibly see, even if it’s just on the internet.

Now I’m not saying this is every Name Withheld’s issue, but you just don’t know each person’s life and what their reasoning is behind it. Domestic violence occurs more frequently than you seem to be aware of. Of course, you probably, being a man, have a far lesser chance of being severely physically abused, since you can probably defend yourself better than I, a woman, so why should you have to worry? Maybe Name Withheld is in some kind of witness protection program, or maybe their issue is entirely something else and none of your business. You just don’t know these people, and neither do I, but in this country, people have a right to speak their mind and to do so in privacy, if they choose.

We are not “jobbies” (which, according to a Google search, the definition means a piece of excrement or a stupid person). Am I a piece of doo-doo or stupid if I have the courage — yes, courage — to move far away from my abuser and to start a new life and to maintain that better way of life by staying careful? If you say yes, then the only answer I have for you is it takes one to know one, jobbie. Enough with you and these others complaining about people not printing their name.

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