Photo by Howie Rosen

Serendipitous

I just finished reading Tam Hoang’s article on his experience of growing up American while being Vietnamese. What an interesting perspective — great descriptions of his feelings and the contradictions he faced in trying to be clear about who and what he is!

Serendipitously, I had just finished Le Ly Hayslip’s second book, Child of War, Woman of Peace, where she faced similar issues, but in a whole different way, and with some different answers.

Thanks for the great article.

• John Sanguinetti
• Mt. Shasta, CA

Consequences of Neglect

Don Bauder considers the issue of H-1B visas for foreign tech workers through the this is a scheme to make Wall Street fat cats even fatter lens. This perspective may have merit, though it is backed by dubious claims such as Norm Matloff’s “the average quality of the H1-Bs is lower than that of the Americans’.”

I’d like to suggest viewing the issue from a different perspective. For decades we have all been seeing evidence that the U.S. seriously underinvests in higher education, particularly in science and engineering. Now, even many developing countries’ students are surpassing ours, according to international surveys. Eventually we have to face the consequences of this neglect.

I have worked for many years alongside a diverse mix of U.S. and foreign-born workers in science and technology. On the whole, I would say the foreign-born students and workers I’ve known beat us, both on work ethic and academic preparation, notwithstanding Norm Matloff’s claims.

Let’s address the real problem, rather than just trying to use immigration rules as a band-aid to protect “our” jobs.

• Richard Engel
• Santa Rosa, CA

When you least expect it you're hit on by a shark — not the two legged type. Caught in the Atlantic off the coast of Myrtle beach, fought this shark for 2 hours, until I finally tired him out. Yes I am the best and hell with this shark.

Find Something Else to Do

When I saw your so-called photo contest winner (Waterfront, March 12) I shook my head, took a deep breath, and thought, once again, how people can be disgustingly egocentric. What I see is a pretty amazing, incredibly adaptive, beautiful wild animal — in this case a shark — bent at a weird angle with a rope around its tail and death seeming imminent because the woman in the photo thinks it’s fun.

Her quote would be laughable until you realize she believes it. Sometimes I feel like asking, “Don’t you have the capacity to find something else to do?” Pathetic if you think about it.

• Ryan Hemond
• Carlsbad

To Respond

This is in response to “To Prevent” in the Letters section of the March 12 Reader.

“Preventative” is a word, according to the American Heritage College Dictionary. Let that be a learning experience!

• Name Withheld
• via voicemail

Planned Parenthood Genocide?

Bishop George McKinney slanders and defames when he says, “Planned Parenthood targets the black community as a kind of genocide that is not talked about but it is happening.” He owes Planned Parenthood a public apology. It is the black community that “targets” and demands the services of Planned Parenthood, not the other way around.

If Planned Parenthood does have some racist, underground black genocide project going on, it needs new management. The black population in the U.S. is growing about 30 percent faster than the white population, and has been doing so for some time.

• Stuart Hurlbert
• Del Mar

Initial Confusion

I’m calling in regards to the Sheep and Goats article about St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ. It says that Bishop McKinney was born in Jonesboro, AK, which would be Jonesboro, Alaska. But I believe he was born in Jonesboro, AR — Jonesboro, Arkansas.

• Robert
• San Carlos

Drained, Drenched, and Paved over

Regarding the Chargers and the NFL.

In 2004, 2005, and 2008, surveys were conducted by Serra Mesa Unified Planning Group, Mission Valley Community Council, and Allied Gardens Unified Planning Group. There were two questions on this survey: 1) What are your thoughts about the Chargers’ proposal for a bigger stadium, 6000 condos, and 1 million square feet of commercial? In Serra Mesa, 70% were opposed. In Mission Valley, 73% were opposed. In Allied Gardens, 67% were opposed.

In Serra Mesa they handed out thousands of these questionnaires everywhere — at the unified planning group meetings, at the community council meetings, grocery stores, shopping malls, house of worships, bridge clubs, salons, car washes. In turn, some people made copies and distributed them to other people.

Mission Valley distributed surveys to 1,423 owners of record. In 2008 Allied Gardens sent surveys to 2400 owners of record. In each community, people gave copies to friends and neighbors.

The second question: If the 166 acres becomes available — if they decide not to put the stadium there — what would people like to see?

In, respectively, Serra Mesa, Mission Valley, and Allied Gardens, 90%, 87%, and 77% wanted a combination of a river park, a regional park, or an open-space park.

The other thing you really ought to look at is that the Mission Valley Plan of 1985, calls for, two parks. “A park in the vicinity of the Jack Murphy Stadium.” The Mission Valley Planning and Development Ordinance calls for parks in the area. The San Diego General Plan calls for population-based parks in each community.

Please look at the city charter, section 221. The city cannot sell or exchange any parcel of 80 or more acres without approval by “the electors.” There are two parcels that comprise the 166-acre stadium site. One parcel is 82 acres; the other 84 acres. What goes there needs to be put to the voters in that area.

We have allowed that natural site, that natural aquifer that holds water and slowly drips it out to the Pacific Ocean, to be drained, drenched and paved over.

The legislation was designed, and stated that should be open space, and there should be open corridors so that the land-locked creatures and various four-legged creatures, could reach underwater and go back. Progressively, every single community that had that in there and that wanted to keep that in there, were overridden by the city council because the council members were bought off.

I think we can turn this around. It needs to be promoted and discussed. The information needs to be out there. I think you would be a great source for that. You know, we are in a drought.

• Lynn
• via voicemail