Dear Editor,

Great article by Tommi-Avicolli-Mecca re: the pope and driving. Perhaps the pope and the church should consider apologizing for its sins (e.g., the Spanish Inquisition) before they start telling others how to act.

BTW Tommi, my favorite parking place was down by the Delaware River in Torresdale - closer than South Philly since I lived in Bucks County!

Peace,

Terrrie Frye



We are 1960 lefties who have lived our whole lives in the Mission. We have been involved in every leftist effort in the city since then. In the 60's we supported Los Siete,we were on the original staff of RAP, we began our careers at SF State University in La Raza Studies.

In the 70's we ran a drug program in the Mission called Centro de Cambio with the belief that "Youth ain't the criminal---the institution is"...in the 80's we were in the leadership of the Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice (turning out 10's of thousands against the war on nicaraugua st al), we were leaders in the SF and national Rainbow Coalition and on the traveling staff for the Jesse Jackson Presidential Campaign. We were on the campaign staff for almost all progressive democratic party campaigns during the 80's and 90's.

During this whole period from the 70's-90's we have worked with the United Farmworkers Union and more recently with Dolores Huerta. For more than 20 years we have produced the annual UFW parade and festival here in the city....we've always considered ourselves of the left---committed old school progressives.

When Daly recently called for the Progressive Convention we felt absolutely disconnected. Why is he the left? What has he done other than scream and yell since he came upon the scene? Why should he get to criminalize whomever he disagrees with? Fuck him...

You folks are asking why people say the "progressive community" is fractured in the city...I hope this helps in trying to clarify.....It's like the Sunni's and the Shietes---those of us that have been here for the long run and the carpetbagger progressives represented by people like Daly, Quesada and Marquez.

I can tell you that our community ( and we do have one) felt much more connected in the city wide days---I that's from a family that fought fo district elections every time it has come up...either get rid of the provocators (daly et al) or lose los veteranos..

Gene and Eva Royale

EDITOR'S NOTE: While Chris Daly is originally from Maryland and moved to San Francisco in 1995, Mission activists Eric Quesada and Richard Marquez are both native San Franciscans.



Hello --

If belligerent behavior, a quick-tempered attitude, in-your-face confrontation, and testosterone-filled, neanderthal-type tactics in communicating and dealing with issues make up your idea of a qualified and worthy candidate for mayor or for any level of political office, then you can have Chris Daly.

Mike
San Francisco
District 6



Dear Editors,

I have to disagree with Terrie Frye's recollection of the 2003 mayoral race that claims Board President Matt Gonzalez "divided SF's left in the 2003," and speculates that if he hadn't run, "there is a very good chance that Tom Ammiano would be our Mayor now" (Letters 6/20/07).

In truth, many of us who worked on Tom's brilliant write-in campaign against Willie Brown in 1999 were not at all sure 2003 was Tom's year. Even some of the most devoted Tomboys were sitting it out as late as summer.

Though Brown's chosen successor, the heavily financed Supervisor Newsom, was stalled out at 38 percent in the polls, none of the progressive candidates seemed to have the momentum to seriously challenge him. Which is why many of us looked around for another candidate and asked Matt to run.

Frye should also remember that Tom didn't even get the Bay Guardian's endorsement (when, by all accounts, he should have). Nor did Gonzalez, for that matter, the first time round. Angela "Vice Mayor" Alioto got the nod, much to everyone's surprise. I'm fairly sure the Guardian's handy cheat sheet/voter slate can be counted on for delivering a number of votes.

The fact is, the left was divided even before Gonzalez got into the race in August. Arguably, Matt was the one who ultimately united everyone that year with an extraordinary campaign that came awfully close to winning.

I still think Tom's 1999 grassroots campaign was an incredible accomplishment that helped pave the way for the 2000 district elections that brought many progressives--and better representation--onto the Board (dissolving Willie Brown's harem of obedient 'mistresses'), and the 2003 election that rallied many of the same people around Matt's campaign. I think we should all be proud of these efforts and the candidates who led them.

The final result of the 2003 race--47-53 percent, despite Newsom outspending Gonzalez 5-1, a Chronicle slam job, Bill Clinton and Al Gore flown in on Getty jets to prop up Newsom's faltering campaign, and Mayor Newsom's subsequent appropriation of Gonzalez's issues (e.g. tidal energy, minimum wage increase)--is a testament not only to the strength and vision of Gonzalez's candidacy, but the progressive community as a whole when it comes together and rallies behind a good candidate.

Here's hoping the city sees that sort of positive unity again in 2007--with even better results.

Sincerely,

S. M. Peters
Seattle



E. Doc Smith,

I read your article regarding comics for beyondchron. I'll admit that (except for the more adult oriented ones) I never cared much for comics or their movie versions, so I'm not that offended by the piss poor results.

But there is one thing that REALLY bothers me about movies "inspired" from comics: the filmmakers never intended their films to be like the comics in the first place, rather, they cynically chose to exploit the comics for their fame from decades of public recognition just for the sake of marketing. I suspect that the criminal crap-peddler, Michael Bay, will be guilty of this 'poetic license' with the release of "Transformers".

Matt,
Atomic Comics



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