Mail call

What the Job Is Worth

This is in response to Leo Lion Lady’s letter to the editor. Where does the businessperson’s extra income appear from to pay the minimum wage increases? Do more people rush in the doors because a worker is now getting more money? No!

Most people in low-paying jobs are being paid what the job is worth, not necessarily what the person is worth.

The whole idea of being self-employed is to earn an income, not to give other people jobs. In the face of the government telling us how to run our businesses, if a small business needs more help, national job statistics reveal, they will look to part-timers. Otherwise, little or no profits, equals no business, and ultimately no jobs for anyone.

Of course California, a unionocracy, under Democratic party control for the past 50 years, is a shining example of how to run a state, isn’t it?

Let’s see, highest taxes in the nation, higher regulatory burdens for businesses, highest number of people on welfare, highest number of people incarcerated, sky-high debt levels, and the highest pension obligations (state/county/city combined), just to mention a few.

How does the formula for a higher minimum wage improve things?

• Paul Richard
• Bankers Hill

Tired of Tebow

Patrick Daugherty is one of many writers to completely misunderstand public opinion of Tim Tebow (Sporting Box, “Career Decision”). While there may be a few people who actually hate Tebow, most people (myself included) are simply sick and tired of constantly reading and hearing about him.

Tebow is the most overrated pro football player alive today. In an era in which average NFL quarterbacks regularly complete over 60% of their passes, and standout quarterbacks approach 70%, Tebow struggles to complete 50%.

He was dumped by not one, not two, but three NFL teams in the span of about 18 months. He was deemed unworthy of roster spots by Bill Belichick and John Elway, who know a bit about how to win in the NFL.

Daugherty, like other Tebow apologists, cites his heyday with the 2011 Broncos while failing to mention that his regular season and playoff résumés pale next to those of Mark Sanchez. The same Mark Sanchez that Tebow couldn’t come close to supplanting as the starting quarterback of the Jets’ last season.

Tebow may be a great role model and human being, but the cold hard truth is that as an NFL quarterback, he stinks.

• Theo Chen
• Tierrasanta

Considering Baja

The letter “More To Baja,” submitted by Baltazar Macias, is interesting). I never considered that most San Diegans consider Baja a place to visit, but not a place to live.

The Reader, and all other San Diego newspapers, do not get very good distribution in Baja, so most of their readers are San Diegans. Most of the advertisers are in San Diego, too.

You must understand, Mr. Macias, that newspapers edit out a lot of bad news to avoid harming advertisers. This goes on far more in San Diego than in Tijuana, where up to 95% of news known about by the media is intentionally not reported. It is even true that some of the “crime” reported in the U.S. about the Baja is fake news, intended to keep money in the United States.

I report on Baja, and will try to get more news published about non-tourism items.

• John Kitchin
• Baja

School Shopping

The cover story about the parents’ search for the perfect public school struck a familiar nerve with me (“We Like the Idea of Public School, But We Have Some Concerns”).

The intent is understandable. They want their children to get a great education. They want their children to be safe. They want their children to be nourished physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, what they will not admit upfront is that they don’t want their children to go to school in “that neighborhood,” with “those type of kids.” That’s it, period.

All of this hyper analysis by Ms. Braun and her husband resulted in exactly what she set out to do: Shelter her children from all the bad things and sharp corners of the world. All of this coddling eventually results in young adults who are socially inept and incapable of dealing with real-life situations. Thanks to Supermom they are nonresilient.

Public education is obviously not perfect. However, every single school, in every single neighborhood, is developing successful, well-rounded, socially adept children and young adults.

Instead of school shopping, Mom should be more concerned with ensuring her children have coping skills, confidence development, and school involvement.

• Name Withheld
• Chula Vista

On Bronson

Re “Movie Lover’s Paradise”.

Cheers to fellow Bronsonite, Winnie, at Kensington Video! Charles Bronson was my favorite actor growing up (I’ve seen Mr. Majestyk 30 times) and I still have a soft spot in my heart for him.

I don’t think he is the great actor that Winnie believes he is, but he had a legitimate charisma. With that steely squint and deliberate gait, he elevated the strong, silent type into a new realm of cool. His string of ’70s action films — The Mechanic, The Stone Killer, Death Wish, Mr. Majestyk, Hard Times — still holds up today.

• Eric Accorsi
• El Cajon