Letters to the Editor

Editor:
The continuous problem of neighbors versus the Veterans Administration (VA), now escalating to a filed civil lawsuit by Gene Brodsky, an attorney and member of the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR), is in my opinion, harassment of the worst kind. The neighbors adjacent to the VA have been complaining about the traffic and noise for years, even though every district in San Francisco has worse traffic and noise. Now that these unmerited complaints aren't working, they are interfering into the mission of the VA by demanding information that is not in their province or entitlement.

Burns, a member of Friends of Lands End (FOLE) who purchased his home in 1991, surely knew that he was buying a house near Fort Miley, where the VA has treated sick, disabled and deserving veterans from all wars since 1934. So what is he really complaining about?

I wonder whether or not there is a veteran among these neighbors since they all seem to have one purpose - to get the VA out of their pristine area. Why don't they sell their houses and move if they're so unhappy? Sick, disabled veterans can't move.

Every day they are grateful that they have the VA at 42nd Avenue and Clement Street. Whatever it takes - new buildings, labs or more growth in any area - the VA should not be restrained from doing so.

All of us will be watching this mean, ridiculous lawsuit with the help of all the military organizations in San Francisco.
Mary Taylor

Editor:
In the May issue of the Richmond Review, SF Supervisor Jake McGoldrick quoted one of Herb Caen's columns from the early '70s about the tranquility of Golden Gate Park. At the time of Herb's column, the park was just closed to vehicle traffic on Sundays for the first time. What Herb was commenting on in his column was the absence of cars, pedestrians, bikes, skaters or any other trace of humankind that particular Sunday.

It was probably just another foggy, wet and damp Sunday morning - like most Saturdays.

Recently, I read an editorial from Leah Shahum, the matriarch of the SF Bicycle Coalition, editorializing and promoting the Saturday road closure. Amazingly, Shahum's editorial was almost identical to Jake's editorial, and both quoted the same Herb Caen column.

A bit of knowledge from a "native" Richmond District resident: Herb Caen wrote frequently about different places throughout San Francisco in the early morning. Herb Caen did not ride a bike; he drove a Mercedes Benz. He did not roller blade either; he walked! Herb wrote more frequently about vitamin V and namephreaks, and he knew San Francisco's pulse.

McGoldrick and Shahum to use Herb Caen to legitimize the closing of a roadway, against the will of the voters and a majority of Richmond District residents, in blasphemous!

The "Gridlock Saturdays" plan and almost identical editorials proves Jake is a "pawn" of the bike coalition. Herb Caen would turn over in his grave if he knew political games were being played against the majority of voters by using his name and column.

Caen would most likely point out that McGoldrick is oblivious to his constituents' needs and concerns, bowing to a militant interest group whose goal is to gridlock our city's roadways.
John C. Gray