LETTERS

Dumb endorsement
By the time this letter appears, the primary for Council District 2 will have been decided, and if conventional wisdom prevails, Lorena Gonzalez will be facing Kevin Faulconer in the run-off.

I have no problem with you endorsing Lorena over Carolyn Chase, but I do think you should carefully reread what you wrote.

Lorena, you state, has a 2-year-old and a 9-year-old, as if that adds to her qualifications for City Council.

She has a better campaign machine? What a visionary remark for the editor of an alternative newspaper.

She's the sister of Marco Gonzales? So what?

She'll be harder for Faulconer to attack? Absolutely correct because she has no record of civic accomplishment in San Diego. In fact, most voters may simply vote for her in the primary because she is the anointed Democratic candidate without any idea of who she is. That won't happen in the general election.

I really thought you were smarter than your editorial suggests.
Ian Trowbridge,Mission Hills

Editor's note: Ian Trowbridge was a candidate for the District 2 City Council race.

Dangerous ‘cesspools'
Re: The Sept. 28 story by Lydia Osolinsky on the bathhouse at 2200 University Ave. [“The Frontlines”]. One thing the article failed to mention is that bathhouses have the reputation of being a place where illegal drug use and distribution is tolerated and accepted as part of the bathhouse culture. This drug use, especially crystal meth, leads to unsafe sexual behavior lasting for hours with multiple partners, which spreads the HIV virus.

Bathhouses are a cash business, making the skimming of receipts easy. Local bathhouse owners stifle gay opposition to their businesses by contributing to gay agencies, causes and events. Gay elected officials are supported by bathhouse owners by using bathhouse cash funneled through other peoples' names and accounts.

San Diego is one of very few cities that allow bathhouses to exist, as they are known as places where HIV is spread as the customers usually have sexual intercourse with multiple and anonymous partners during every visit. They are cesspools of disease. I regret that I must request anonymity to protect my job. I know there are secret negotiations taking place to keep the bathhouses open. Some gay men feel it is their right to have sex whenever they want, and some choose the bathhouses for that in spite of the spread of HIV.
Anonymous

Givin' us the business
I am writing to express my extreme thanks for the article on the “Monkey Business” vote-counting mischief [“Cover Story,” Oct. 19]. It was apparently well-researched and brings up many points we voters are concerned about. No one else seems to have the strength to express what many of us have suspected has happened with votes on electronic machines without paper trails. Please keep up the great work you are doing.
Laurie Borthwick, Ft Collins, Colo.

Democratic dreaming
Thank you for publishing the excellent and comprehensive article “Monkey Business.” I am going to send it to my Democratic Congressional Representative who refuses to face facts regarding our voting system. He thinks “this time the Democrats will win.” At a public meeting, I told him he was dreaming.
Carol Davidek-Waller, Kirkland, Wash.

Democracy tampering
Little is of more importance to our city, state and the nation at large, than assuring that our votes, the most basic element of a democracy, are not tampered with. I have little doubt that dishonest things have been occurring at the polls since the beginning, mainly small, unreported, easily forgotten cases that have allowed us to maintain an unquestioning faith in the process. Yet recent elections have shown that even the least bit of scrutiny tends to reveal incompetence and/or corruption, lost and miscast votes.

And, ironically, the technology that can provide us with simplified, foolproof voting is the same one that will most easily enable an invisible oligarchy.

Miriam Raftery's excellent article, “Monkey Business,” sheds a lot of light where it needs to shine. But I recall articles elsewhere on this subject prior to the last election. And the one before that. Sadly, the press jumps on the topic when it's current news, at election time, when it's too late for anyone to do anything about it. Thus everyone interviewed can speak of dealing with it in the future. This is far too big for that. This is something that needs to be in the spotlight until either an incorruptible voting system is devised, or all politicians become honest.

I hope that CityBeat will be the one giving us updates.
Dan Reznick,City Heights

True patriots
Congratulations and thank you for publishing the article “Monkey Business: A look at vote-counting mischief and the potential for more.” Miriam Raftery did some damn good investigative journalism. This critical subject deserves all of the attention it can get, and you have done this country a great and patriotic service by choosing to run Ms. Raftery's story. Anyone who dares criticize you for shining truth's light on the reality of election fraud is nothing less than a treasonous thug. Keep up the outstanding work!
Jason Drury,Ramona

Correction
In last week's story about the Hotel Churchill, a downtown single-room-occupancy residential building, Kelly Davis pointed out that owners of 22 other downtown SROs (not including the Churchill) had taken action to exempt themselves from a state law that says anyone who converts an SRO to something other than affordable housing must replace those affordable housing units. The story said none of those 22 SROs had yet expressed plans to convert. That was inaccurate-owners of the Pickwick Hotel last month announced plans to turn the SRO into a tourist hotel. The Pickwick's owners will not be required to replace those units.