Appalled by cigarette ad, frightened by Gloria

Bad habit

In this week’s Reader (Volume 45/No. 42), I was appalled and truly disappointed in the Reader for allowing a full-page ad for cigarettes! This is a giant step backward in trying to encourage people to stop smoking, or not start smoking. Shame on you!

• Nancy
• San Diego

Goading Gloria

It is absolutely frightening that Todd Gloria might become San Diego’s mayor(“Carl DeMaio pursues Todd Gloria for sex offender bill,” News Under the Radar, October 21). Gloria wants to make your trip to the store or work more difficult. He wants to take away traffic lanes and turn them over to a minute percentage of San Diegans who want to use them for bicycling. He bragged about beginning this process when he was San Diego’s interim mayor. In his State of the City Address he said, “Next month, we will eliminate traffic lanes on two local streets...Yes, we have begun eliminating car traffic lanes for bikes in southern California.”

Fortunately, he was mayor for just eight months. Imagine the damage to San Diego if he is mayor for four years. In addition to changing car lanes into bike lanes, Gloria wants to take away parking on many streets and turn that area into bike lanes. And he apparently supports “Bicycle Boulevards,” which would “prioritize bicycle travel above vehicular travel.” The city would put speed bumps on these streets to slow down traffic. Signs would alert you that bicycles have priority. Imagine taking an extra 10 or 15 minutes to get to work each morning! Todd Gloria is clearly an extremist who will damage San Diego if elected mayor.

• Richard Robertson
• Del Cerro

Heights of slavery

I’m writing because of the statement by a food vendor at PB Market (“False bananas at Sabor Piri-Piri Kitchen,” Tin Fork, October 8). The vendor said, “We were a colony of the Portuguese for 500 years.” It made me think: San Diego region has been a colony of Europeans, greedy authoritarian land grabbers for just as long. And we’ve been a land of capitalist-only developers for the last 100 years. Century of divide and con(conquer)struct on someone else’s dreams via false powers and promises.

Talking about stepping on a “banana” that has devastated our city, County & region. From San Onofre (former state beach & Navy land; one-time exclusive white/ privileged surf beach park) to Imperial Beach Tijuana Estuary with condos cutting off views of their magnificent beach and pier. And now with Proposition E we are about to be taken down for another 50-100 years. When the 30’ (not 33 or 35) height limit gets taken from Point Loma, the Midway district, like Oceanside marina, Rolando Beach, and other LA, up coast regions we won't get it back.

• Daniel Beeman
• San Diego

Lardy tortillas lauded

The only reason to go to Cuatros Milpas (a bonafide greasy spoon) ("Las Cuatro Milpas: four bucks in the barrio," Tin Fork, Oct. 15, 2020) is for the flour tortillas, which are not deep fried at all, but are made with lard. Deliciously special. But once I am there, I’ll get a tamale, put it in a bowl with some of the beans, pinch off some of the tortilla... Heaven! At home I just eat a warm tortilla with real butter. I too have never gone there when Manuela wasn’t manning the cash register, 35 yeas & counting.

P.S. Be sure to take home a dozen tortillas ($3.25/1 doz.)

P.S.S. Since you are in Barrio Logan, stop in Panchita’s Bakery for ahualucas (90¢ each). They don’t make ‘em every day, but when they do, & if they aren’t over-baked, they’re GR8!

• An SD Reader reader
• San Diego

Fresh salmon

I enjoyed your “Best Of 2020” SD Reader issue. The salmon color used throughout the issue was novel. The layout of the “Writer’s Best” was interesting, and Matthew Lickona’s piece on Balboa Park was a standout. Thank you for a memorable edition.

• A Reader reader
• San Diego