Letters to the Editor

Editor:
I cannot understand why our supervisors (Jake McGoldrick column, April 2002) think that it is a good idea for the taxpayers to provide translations for select immigrant groups. Are we not supposed to treat all people equally?

Should 100 Russian or 10 Thai immigrants have the same rights as 10,000 Chinese immigrants? And do all immigrants have some responsibility to learn English?

I, for one, resent paying taxes for this unfair, divisive, irresponsible and expensive scheme. It seems very discriminatory that large immigrant groups (many votes) get taxpayer-paid translations, while small immigrant groups (few votes) get unequal treatment. Does this not violate the 14th Amendment: equal protection of the laws to each person?

Why are those who were born in this country and other immigrants who do learn English paying taxes for translations for immigrants who choose not to learn English? Why are the immigrants not learning English? There is something seriously wrong here. And does this not violate the California state constitution, which specifies that English is our official language?

Could these language problems be better solved by having an English-language requirement for immigrants, and having immigrants learn to use English? Why are immigrants not responsible for their own decisions and their own translations?

Thomas E. Convery

Editor:
Now that the age of computers has made it possible to compute with great accuracy the overcharging or wrongful charging on parking tickets, the public (who overpay their parking tickets) can get reimbursement. It's not easy, since you, the responsible citizen who pays (and sometimes overpays) your parking tickets will need to provide verification that payment was made.

Sound confusing? It is.

On April 15, 2002 the San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) began a program to reimburse individuals who overpaid their parking citations.

This is possible because of new equipment and software programs that have reduced the data entry needs for issuing tickets and collecting fines for parking violations.

Over the last several months the Department of Parking and Traffic has been working with PRWT Services Company to seek out vehicle license plate accounts that show a credit balance. They have discovered approximately 140,000 license plates that have an overpayment balance. There is approximately $5 million sitting in the overpayment account. The DPT will send 2,500 letters a week over the next 14 weeks to vehicle owners explaining that the balance exists. Once they get a response (within 30 days), DPT will send a reimbursement. The system will automatically credit any outstanding amount owed following the receipt of the verification.

So now is your golden opportunity to seek reimbursement for those tickets you know you paid too much for and didn't deserve in the first place. If you are one of those individuals who receives the letter seeking clarification as to any possible overpayment, be sure to respond within 30 days. All requests for clarification of overpayment or credit balances will be researched and responded to in a timely manner. If you have questions, they can be submitted to the SF Department of Parking and Traffic at P.O. Box 7008, San Francisco, CA 94120-7008.

Leland Yee
San Francisco Supervisor