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Without a hitch

Re: Your story about the San Diego Indie Music Fest [“Music,” March 26]. I just want to say that I’ve known Danielle and Alicia for many years, and have watched as they’ve built the San Diego Indie Music Fest into a huge and impressive festival. Every year I discover new bands that I’ve never heard of and buy lots and lots of CDs. The outreach this festival represents is bigger than simply the San Diego music scene. And they have featured nearly 100 local bands during the four years they’ve been organizing this festival, so they are giving props to the locals.

The work that Danielle, Alicia and all of the volunteers that are involved has created the most organized concert series I have ever seen. As a musician who has performed at many similar events, I find it incredible that they are able to have bands start on time, have a good sound-and-light crew for every stage and are able to showcase not only great music, but also progressive social and political ideas that often don’t get much publicity in our Republican town.

Danielle and Alicia are huge assets to our community, and we should be very proud of the work they do, which is putting San Diego on the map as one of the major indie music capitals. I wish them much continued success in the coming years as they plan for future festivals.

[Editor’s note: The preceding was written prior to this year’s fest. The following was sent as an addendum.]

All of the points I made were reinforced when I attended the next day. The music was first-rate uniformly, from one stage to another; the show was organized perfectly, and bands performed on time; the vibe of the crowd was energetic, yet not at all disorderly; there was a great sense of community involvement, as booths distributed around the area included many social-advocacy agencies; and there were young people with clipboards circulating, signing people up to advocate for civil rights for a number of disenfranchised groups, as well as to oppose the Sunrise Powerlink. It was a great blend of fantastic art and dedicated activism, and I enjoyed every minute.

Chris Klich,
La Mesa

Dick’s developments

Thanks for a powerful editorial “The despicable duo.” This short paragraph grabbed me: “‘A lot of men and women sign up because sometimes they will see developments,’ Cheney also told Raddatz. ‘For example, 9/11 stimulated a lot of folks to volunteer for the military because they wanted to be involved in defending the country.’”

Yeah, Cheney labels 9/11 one of a possible number of  “developments” that people “will see.” He keeps trying to make sure that people see 9/11 as he wants them to. What other developments does he have for us to see as he wants us to see them? Any other examples, Dick? Who’s still on your trusted development team?

It’s tragic that developments have not stimulated enough folks in Congress to impeach the despicable duo. That would defend our country from high crimes and misdemeanors and more. How many Congress folks are on Cheney’s development team? There are many ways to defend our country and its freedoms. The administration and too many in Congress are destroying them all, including our military.

Carlos Richardson III,
Clairemont

Be very afraid

Re: “Being neighborly” [“The Front Lines,” March 26]. I am one of the private businesses at the Civic Center and deal with the homeless on a daily basis. While there will always be good homeless and bad, I would say that most of what goes on down here is bad. On a daily basis, security or the police are called to the Center to deal with the violent behavior (stabbings, beatings, robberies), the drug and alcohol abuse and dealing (yes, they smoke pot, shoot up and deal right in the open).

I have had to call 911 and security so many times, it is ridiculous. I have been threatened for the last two months by a homeless man—just released from 20 years in prison for murder and who just stabbed a man in the public bathroom a couple months ago—because I refused him free coffee, and we are talking a 4-inch blade. He has more rights than me, and there is nothing I can do unless he harms me? We must be to work every morning in the dark and often leave in the dark. We fear for our safety daily. Yesterday, I had to call security to help me remove a very disturbed woman who became violent and was screaming and pounding her fists on my counter. The overwhelming smell of urine and feces is disgusting. Just another day in paradise for business owners in Downtown.

Each morning, the 100 or so homeless that had been sleeping there had to be rousted by security or the police and kicked out before the mayor or Mr. Aguirre and the other city employees arrived. I wonder how much this is costing the city? Believe me, if they had seen that mess, they would have been absolutely shocked, and they, too, would have feared for their safety, as we do.

Yes, I have complained, and I guess, as Mr. Aguirre puts it, these criminals have had to deal with my “wrath,” but they are breaking the law. Next time he comes through the Plaza, have him come by so I can point out the homeless man who sits there with his knife and stares at me everyday. You just never know when he may pull that knife out again and use it.

Linda Jenson,
La Mesa