The need to respond

This week's batch of letters to the editor

Author

Publish Date

Feb. 22, 2017

Send us commentary on the contents of the Reader. Letters are published in our weekly print edition as well as on this website. You can address them to Letters, 2323 Broadway #200, San Diego, CA 92102, phone them in at 619-235-3000 x460, or submit them here.

Just the Right Edge

Your Walter Mencken article (“Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”) had clarity and just the right edge of bitterness in the aftermath of the Chargers’ departure. May they continue to choke on their owner.

Sidney Simon
Mira Mesa

Grab some cake and shaddup (Andy Boyd)

Nobody Cares about the Chargers

I just read your article, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” (February 16 cover story). For the Reader’s information, nobody in San Diego gives a shit about the Chargers anymore. Maybe you shouldn’t either. Or maybe you should go up to L.A. and hang out with the Chargers, because if you like the f—ing Chargers so much, why don’t you go up there and f—ing hang out with them?

Blame It On Trump

I read your story, “It’s Gotten Rough” on Ocean Beach. It’s kind of interesting, what’s been going on lately.

I guess we could blame it on Trump. That seems to be the story lately, about the homelessness and a lot of other things — it’s all Trump’s fault all of a sudden. Kind of interesting.

John
San Diego

Councilmember Lorie Zapf and Pacific Beach business owners at the launch of Discover PB's new Clean and Safe program on February 3, 2017. Zapf: "I started getting a lot of complaints about the rise in aggressive transients."

Were They Asked?

I look forward to picking up my copy of the Reader every week. The team really puts together some compelling stories, but I’ve never felt the need to respond until now.

I’m concerned about the use of a “private security force” supplied by a for-profit organization to deal with transients in Pacific Beach. While I can appreciate the desire to put these individuals to work, I also found myself wondering if and how many of these disruptive individuals were invited to Ms. Zapf’s planning meeting.

Were they asked if they would be interested in cleaning up after a community who has declared them a nuisance for a menial wage? Were they asked how, given different circumstances, they may like to spend their time? Chances are that they weren’t, and that we’d probably be surprised by their answer, if shown a bit of compassion.

I hope I’m wrong and will look forward to hearing back from Lorie Zapf’s office as well as Discover Pacific Beach, having written them a similar letter.

Thank you and keep up the great work!

Katie
Hillcrest