To the editor:

We were deeply disappointed to see Mr. Payton’s article on the “Gay History Bill” in your August 2011 issue. While this is not Mr. Payton’s first display of negativity toward the gay and lesbian community, it was extremely unfortunate to see this published as if it were an actual article based on fact as opposed to an “opinion piece” more suitable to an editorial page.

At a time when we are seeing an increase in the bullying of gay and lesbian youth as well as suicides, for Mr. Payton to refer to homosexuality as a “choice” is tragic. If homosexuality were a choice like choosing between chocolate and vanilla ice cream, why would so many of our youth take their life if it were just a simple choice? Why would anyone “choose” a lifestyle that continues to subject them to ridicule, discrimination and acts of violence?

It’s ironic this article appeared in the issue that included the appointment of our new police chief. My partner and I were subjected to ongoing harassment from a neighbor as a result of our sexual orientation and the members of the Antioch Police Department were more than supportive whenever we dealt with them. We have no doubt that compassion will continue.

At a time when people are struggling to simply keep their lives together, promoting discrimination and discord is the last thing that we should be doing. My partner and I have been together almost 15 years. We get up and go to work, pay our taxes, participate in our local community and are fortunate to have supportive, loving families. Other than the fact that we are lesbians, don’t we wish everyone could say the same?

Susan Kennedy and Stephanie Bonham
Antioch

To the Editor:

Re: “Bonilla and DeSaulnier Vote for Controversial New ‘Gay’ History Law,” this is an editorial which the publisher tries to disguise as “reporting.”

“Controversial?” Every law is controversial unless it is unanimously agreed on. This is just a prejudicial term as used here.

“Even as young as age 5” is loaded, not balanced reporting. We teach five-year-olds lots of things, why not this?

“There is no opt-out” is similarly loaded. Cherry-picking for prejudicial factors.

“Now, not only…” At this point Mr. Payton abandons any pretense at reporting and lays on his views.

“… those who have chosen that lifestyle and the behavior that it includes.” Rubbish. Homosexuality is no more a choice than being ugly, or being stupid, or being only 4′ 10″ tall. It happens. And has our good publisher a list of the “behavior” — bad behavior, naturally — that has occurred among the gay population of this city?

No, I’m not gay, or, as Mr. Payton puts it in quotes, “Gay,” as if the word were not part of the language yet. But I respect good journalism, and this is not journalism. So don’t pretend to be a newspaper, just let it all hang out.

Of course, we have to take a shot at the two Democratic legislators who voted their conscience. Meanwhile I’m sure the publisher, who I’m sure just hates laws and regulations like a good right-winger, takes full advantage of the postal service’s generosity in having the paper delivered to my mailbox, without even an address, at minimum cost, while it costs me $.44 to mail a letter.

Frank Scalpone
Antioch

To the Editor,

Why is it that the state can’t get its educational priorities straight, since the “kids” are our future? It’s simple. Over 100 years ago we needed men and women to fill a need in industry.

These individuals didn’t have a need to know about money, only what they were getting an hour and how to pay their bills. School districts all over the country fell prey to the philosophy “push them through school so we can be a powerful economic force.” And in the pushing there wasn’t a need to teach them that they could be more than spokes on the wheels of prosperity, but a vital force to expand that success. So the study of money, how it works and how to use it was left out.

Now we are faced with a dilemma: our money is not money anymore (backed with gold) – it’s currency floating in value on the world market. Big business has shipped thousands, if not millions, of jobs overseas, or has sold out to foreign concerns that have no interest in supporting U.S. workers.

Is there any possible answer to fixing this? Yes, there is but it will be a work in progress for several years if we start now, decades if we don’t.

We need to not just look at our current system, but at a model that would first create an atmosphere of entrepreneurship. Students who have a vested interest in their own businesses would be able to do many beneficial things, like raise the tax base, contribute to the educational system and lower crime. They would leave a legacy for their posterity to build on in instead.

Students who are taught about having their own businesses would need, even want, to know more on how to grow it through an education about what money is and how to use it. Some of these same young business owners would start to fill the empty storefronts in town. They could give back to the school district with donations, mentoring, and time to help others find the “American Dream.” These future business people would able to hire others reducing crime and welfare in our city.

And yet we struggle with outdated early 20th century concepts of money. We need to revisit the late 19th century to see that most people had farms and knew enough about money to calculate the worth of their crops. Some farmers had stores in town to highlight their specialties so that people wouldn’t have to make the trip out of town. This concept has been the backbone of the successful small business person. Why not let our future generations regain the greatness we have lost?

Jack Yeager
Candidate for Antioch Board of Education

To the editor:

I have been following BART since it started about 40 years ago. How did we get e-BART? I don’t ever remember a session where the locals had any input. I know we were in on many meetings to hear what was being done, but never were we in on the plans for construction.

Why are there two rail lines between Antioch and Pittsburg? One should do, and be about 3 million dollars cheaper. Why are there two rail sizes involved?

I am asking questions because I don’t know the answers. I see no reason why we can’t have one line connection to Pittsburg. I don’t expect that much traffic. I thinks it’s time to stop everything and start over again.

Bob Oliver

To the editor:

Here we go again with political schemes that created the gerrymandering districts that left Walnut Creek divided amongst three supervisorial districts after the last redistricting ten years ago.

In an eloquent doublespeak, District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff argued that the map she favored is not personal or political, and that Walnut Creek suffered no ill effects as a result of the three-way split. I challenge Ms. Mitchoff to prove she believes her own argument. Show leadership and volunteer the equal division of Concord, your political base, and not some city in East County, which has been the dumping ground and step-child of Contra Costa.

Unbiased redistricting establishes supervisorial districts reasonably equal in population while maintaining neighborhoods and communities of interest. Dividing any town or city is a contradiction to this goal. Please explain, Ms. Mitchoff (or Ms. Piepho), how Walnut Creek can be part of the East County neighborhood when the only land connection is a trek up Mount Diablo?

Something is cooking and East County is on the menu. A supervisor not in favor of Plan 7 (which keeps neighborhoods and all cities intact) is not upholding the intent of the process and must be suspect of political maneuvering.

Cynthia Ruehlig

To the Editor,
Why is it that the state can’t get its’ educational priorities straight, since the “kids” are our future?

It’s simple; over 100 years ago we needed men and women to fill a need in industry. These individuals didn’t have a need to know about money, only what they were getting an hour and how to pay their bills.

School districts all over the country fell prey to the philosophy to push them through school so we can be a powerful economic force. And in the pushing there wasn’t a need to teach them that they could be more than spokes on the wheels of prosperity, but a vital force to expand that success. So the study of money, how it works and how to use it was left out.

Now we are faced with a dilemma, our money is not money any more, (backed with gold). It’s currency floating in value on the world market. Big business has shipped thousands, if not millions, of jobs overseas, or has sold out to foreign concerns that have no interest in supporting U.S. workers. Is there any possible answer to fixing this?

Yes, there is, but it will be a work in progress for several years if we start now, decades if we don’t. We need to not just look at our current system, but at a model that would first create an atmosphere of entrepreneurship. Students who have a vested interest in their own businesses would be able to do many beneficial things, like raise the tax base, contribute to the educational system and lower crime. They would leave a legacy for their posterity to build on instead.

Students who are taught about having their own businesses would need, even want, to know more on how to grow it through an education about what money is and how to use it. Some of these same young business owners would start to fill the empty storefronts in town. They could give back to the school district with donations, mentoring, and time to help others find the “American Dream.” These future business people would able to hire others reducing crime and welfare in our city. And yet we struggle with outdated early 20th Century concepts of money.

We need to revisit the late 19th Century to see that most people had farms and knew enough about money to calculate the worth of their crops. Some farmers had stores in town to feature their specialties so that people wouldn’t have to make the trip out of town. This concept has been the backbone of the successful small business person. Why not let our future generations regain the greatness we have lost?

Jack Yeager
Candidate for Antioch Board of Education

We desperately need to establish some cell phone etiquette in this country. I am so tired of standing in line behind someone at the checkout stand at Safeway who is talking on the phone about something terribly earth-shattering, like what she was wearing last night at the party, and completely ignoring the poor checker trying to do her job.

This happened to me just today. The checker asked for the woman’s Club Card, a question the woman would not have missed had she been paying any attention. But since she was talking non-stop on the phone, she did not scan her card. When the bill was totaled, the woman was then very irate that the total was more than she expected, and it took another 5 minutes for her to check out because the checker had to re-ring some items to show their prices to her.

Well, OK. If you’re not going to pay attention to what’s going on around you, you might miss some important stuff.

And don’t even get me started on texting. You’ve probably seen the woman on YouTube who is texting while walking, and texts herself right into a fountain. I call that swift justice.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I think people should be respectful and courteous when conducting transactions in a store, at the doctor’s office, at the bank, or pretty much anywhere people are engaged in business-related communications. For that matter, what can be so all-fired important that you have to either have a phone in your ear yakking while you are shopping or you have to be texting while you’re walking down the street?

What did these people do before cell phones? How did they cope? Was life so completely bereft of joy and happiness because they couldn’t broadcast their most trivial thought every moment of the day?

In this 21st century of Facebook, Twitter, cell phone conversations, texting and other non-contact sports, maybe it’s time to return to some 20th century social interaction that doesn’t require any technology.

So here’s what I propose: let’s try talking to each other face-to-face. When you’re in the grocery store, at the gas station, in the bank, at the mall, hang up the phone, stop texting and smile at the person next to you. Strike up a conversation with someone in line with you. Talk to the nice checker as she’s ringing up your purchases. Wish her a nice day for a change.

Hey – at least it’s a start.

Shelley Daley

The display of indifference to human suffering by Alameda police and firemen during the drowning of Raymond Zack is reminiscent of a case I handled in Contra Costa County.

On July 19, 2009, I begged the Human Resources Director to use “wise managerial discretion in preventing what could be a catastrophic mistake should XXX deteriorate to an irreversible physical condition.” As union steward, I was writing a letter on behalf of a county employee of the Employment and Human Services Department who was experiencing major life difficulties.

In a one and a half-year period, XXX saw the death of her mother and brother, hospitalization of her husband and foreclosure of her home. The string of tragedies weakened her physical and emotional well-being resulting in frequent absences from work. Due to the absences, her salary was not enough to cover a $24.61 automatic deduction payment share towards her medical insurance, a benefit available to all county employees.

The County Auditor sent a deficit notice to her foreclosed home even though the paycheck issued by the same County Auditor had always been sent to her work. Unaware of the situation, XXX made no payment and her medical insurance was cancelled. According to county policy, it could not be re-instated until the next benefit enrollment period one year later.

XXX faced an impossible vicious cycle. She needed daily medication to function. Without medical insurance she had to buy her own medicine. However, without medication, she was too sick to work and earn enough money to pay for medication. In desperation, XXX applied for Medi-Cal from the very department she worked in. XXX was told in a denial letter that since her employer provided medical insurance, she was not entitled to public assistance.

I was called to represent XXX for excessive absences. I appealed for re-instatement of her medical insurance as a solution to her attendance issues. I sent, via certified mail, my own personal check to pay for the unpaid balance. The check was returned.

For one year, XXX struggled with sporadic work attendance. When benefit enrollment time came, she was eager to again receive medical insurance and, finally, resolve medical and attendance issues. However, simultaneous to the re-instatement of her medical insurance, XXX was fired for excessive absences. Again, I begged; this time, to the Director of the Employment and Human Services Department, for a one month chance to prove that, with medical insurance and medication, XXX can maintain acceptable attendance.

To all efforts, I repeatedly heard a resounding “NO” from the Human Resources Director, Personnel Benefits Manager, Director and Assistant Director of Employment and Human Services Department, the five members of the Merit Board and the State Administrative Law Judge.

Employment termination was not the final tragedy. XXX died in February 2011 at the age of 42; apparently from irreversible deterioration of her physical condition.

Sadly, we cannot undo her untimely death. We can only hope for a county government that does not enshrine callous protocol and policy over justice and compassion.

Cynthia Ruehlig