Letters to the Editor

Editor:
It is very gratifying to see the residents of the Richmond take a strong interest in the library's plans to upgrade the Richmond Branch Library at 351 Ninth Ave. I would like to reemphasize that the SF Public Library takes the needs and wishes of the community very seriously. We will not submit an application for state bond (Proposition 14) funds until the community is comfortable with a plan that the library can move forward with.

The Richmond Branch, due to its age, seismic condition, usage and present design poses many challenges that need to be addressed. However, through expansion, seismic strengthening, modernization and accessibility, a renovated library can well serve the diverse population of the Richmond for many years to come.

The next step in the design process for the Richmond Branch will be convening of a design panel, including professionals representing many project disciplines, that will collaborate to prepare several models for design alternatives for the branch. We anticipate intensive work, including opportunities for public input, occurring in late May; and we will notify you of those dates as soon as they are finalized.

Thanks for your coverage and continuing interest in our plans to renovate the Richmond Branch Library.

Susan Hildreth
City Librarian

Editor:

I am writing in response to Jeff Kee's letter (March 2002) regarding the lack of response from Supervisor Jake McGoldrick's office to his calls and letters that proposed "a timed traffic system" on Geary Boulevard.

Mr. Kee claims his proposal would eliminate "aggressive driving and speeding" by drivers trying to make it through all the green lights without stopping. I say to Mr. Kee and all drivers - slow down and change your attitudes.

My real beef with Mr. Kee is not about traffic lights, but about his reaction at not receiving an immediate and personal response from Supervisor McGoldrick. (The supervisor doesn't know I'm writing this letter.) I volunteer one day a week at Jake's office and there are a lot of volunteers like me in the other supervisor's offices. We volunteer to fill the vacancies caused by the voter's decision to eliminate all but two salaried aides.

I have come to see that handling constituent requests, proposals and problems is more than a full-time job. On any given day, constituents send in hundreds of letters and faxes.

"Auto-generated responses" similar to the one received by Mr. Kee are sent to acknowledge receipt of e-mail. Between answering the phones, which ring continuously, most requests and proposals are handled by volunteers, who confer with the aides and follow through as prioritized by need.

I don't know if Mr. Kee is aware of the scope of the job that we have given our supervisors. They serve both the city and county of San Francisco! That is no small task. Everyone wants something and everybody wants it NOW.

I invite Mr. Kee to come in and work a volunteer shift or two. I'm sure he will learn, as I have, that there is much to know about how our government works - from sponsoring propositions to hand-writing notes. He might even start to tackle the Geary Boulevard problem. He will certainly see that when concerned citizens like himself take the time to show up, things can be changed and problems solved, but that is not as easy as it looks from your living room.

I look forward to meeting Mr. Kee at City Hall or at the next Richmond District Town Hall Meeting, to be held at the Richmond Recreation Center April 20.

Rosemary Rothstein