No good news in B.A.R.'s challenges
I was most distressed to read the publisher's letter in the April 2 Bay Area Reporter about the continuing financial challenges that the paper faces.
The fact that we are facing a public health emergency recalls powerfully our public health crisis in the early years of the AIDS epidemic. That crisis and many others have been documented and supported by your paper over many years. The prospect of the loss of your absolutely essential perspective is frightening to many in the community. Clearly, this is a time when we all need more communication, rather than less. It was especially disheartening for me, personally, to learn of the layoff of the esteemed arts editor at the B.A.R. Roberto Friedman has overseen the work of writers on a dazzling array of artistic pursuits with a wealth of knowledge, talent, and humor that few have rivaled. He will be sadly missed.
Bill Hirsh, Executive Director
AIDS Legal Referral Panel
San Francisco
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