Taking issue with Halsey on firefighters
Richard W. Halsey (“Why San Diego loses firefighters,” Opinion, April 6) uses the occasion of the resignation of Fire-Rescue Chief Jeff Bowman to scold the taxpayers for “the lack of support San Diegans give for public service jobs.” His commentary starts out directed at the misallocation of resources by the city's leadership (which is certainly true). Beyond this short introduction he moves beyond his area of expertise, environmental issues and into the area of local labor relations.
He uses the case of Bowman's resignation (an issue of a senior manager in a compensation dispute with upper management) only to bridge to his real subject. The bulk of Halsey's piece is concerned with how, in his opinion, the compensation of public sector employees does not measure up to that of the private sector and that there is no objective way to measure “the true value of public service.”
His assertions are just not true. The reality is that the total package of salary, benefits and intangibles (e.g., relative job security) of public sector employees meets or exceeds that of comparable private sector positions. In addition, there is a sufficiently developed market for public sector employment that can be used to objectively measure the amount of services required, relative population and other metrics, as well as the level of compensation necessary to retain qualified personnel.
The myth of the underpaid self-sacrificing public service employees that Halsey is crusading for (“sacrificing future wealth in order to serve others”) is nothing more than a negotiating position of the public employee unions.
MIKE WOOD
San Diego
Teaching is far from a grand party
Craig Kelso's letter (“Involve teachers, students and parents,” April 5) was obviously written by someone who has never had the privilege of teaching children.
When the comfort of adults is mentioned, I laughed out loud. My day starts at 7:25 a.m. It is not the grand party that so many people envision. I have 150 students to be held accountable for and after papers are graded, parents are called and teacher meetings are done, then I get to go home to research new assignments that are designed to keep student interest and prepare them for the real world.
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As for my “credentials,” they happen to be four degrees, and a four-subject credential on top of five years' proud service in the military. I am studying for a Ph.D., am still a reservist, and host a financial group. My students see firsthand the value of hard work and a strong ethic to succeed.
As for his call for a disbanding of the teachers' union, they just happened to get me a whopping 3 percent raise this year. It's not much, but I am quite happy with it.
The only thing I agree with is that parents should be in charge. The parents who let their kids spend more time watching MTV than reading are the same ones who will wonder why their kids will be making minimum wage for most of their lives.
The idea of a month-long withdrawal is idiotic, and as far as the “lame” education system, I concur that it isn't perfect, but take a look at the 75 percent of the world population that would give anything to attend the free education that our kids complain about every day.
ROBERT GARCIA
San Diego
Protecting seals from the public
I am astounded by the ongoing events concerning the seals at Casa Beach (“Seal-friendly barrier is urged at Children's Pool,” News, April 7).
These animals have been harassed, frightened and literally chased off the beach. I am disgusted that some people are intentionally harassing the seals because they feel they are more entitled to the beach than the seals.
While it would be simple for these people to walk down the street to the next beach (there is no shortage of other beaches in the area, I assure you), instead they continue to try and frighten the seals from the one beach that is vital to their survival. This harassment has resulted in the deaths of newborn seals as their mothers are too frightened to stay and care for them.
The mentality of these people reminds me of school-age bullies. We should be helping to protect the seals from these people by immediately re-establishing barriers that keep people away from the seals.
The city and the federal agency charged with the enforcement of the Marine Mammal Protection Act has done nothing to protect the seals and for that they should be ashamed.
ERIKA MIJUSKOVIC
San Diego
Alert the media: Couric to CBS!
On your April 6 front page (“Couric plans major changes as CBS anchor,” News) is the People magazine-style, tabloid, tear-jerking story of poor Katie Couric and her move to CBS, as if there are no other national or worldly events that could possibly be reported. When I want to read gossip about non-news events, I'll buy the slick covers at the food store.
For goodness sakes, editors, there must surely be local stories more important than poor Katie getting $10 million, or will it be $15 million? Give us readers meat to read, not swill.
MARSHALL BROOKS
San Diego
Street cameras make for high-priced 'film'
Regarding “Monitors are raising big-brother concerns” (News, April 10):
It is very assuring to see that National City will install four surveillance cameras on Roosevelt Avenue “to target the street's infamous prostitution trade.” The cameras were provided by a fund from the Homeland Security grants, at a total cost of $60,000. Let's hope some famous terrorists, maybe even bin Laden, get caught trying to pick up a prostitute or two.
RANDY BARRY
San Diego
Psychological force should not be ignored
Regarding “Coach enters not guilty plea in molest case” (News, April 4):
Judge Louis Hanoian's reasoning that there was no evidence to show that Bruce Roy Brown used force “other than psychological force” troubles me. Bearing in mind that the accused is innocent unless proven otherwise, the judge's comments diminish the power of psychological force, especially in this case where an adult male is accused of repeated sexual acts against a person who, at the time, was a minor.
It is such diminishing of psychological force that renders victims unwilling to report crimes against them, and permits perpetrators to continue their actions in the knowledge that they are unlikely to be reported, and even less likely to face charges.
Psychological force can be as paralyzing as the threat of physical violence. How much psychological force by an adult male some 30 years older than his child accuser would Judge Hanoian consider sufficient not to lower bail? Words do hurt!
SUE MOORE
La Jolla
The law and gender considerations
Martha Stewart went to jail because of insider trading on ImClone stock. Valerie Stallings had to step down from the San Diego City Council due to her vote in support of the city's new ballpark and insider purchase of stock in one of John Moores' companies. They are both women.
Then, there is former Chairman Kenneth Lay of Enron who claims to have no knowledge of the company's accountants fixing the books to inflate the value of the company's stock. Now, we have council President Scott Peters claiming that he didn't know that Marsh & McLennan was the parent company of Kroll the same day that his wife purchased stock in the parent company and that he voted in favor of Kroll's initial contract.
That's OK though, because both of them are men.
What else is new ladies?
JARVIS ROSS
San Diego
