Consequences of wider sidewalks
Perhaps those lofty city leaders who decided they wanted to widen the sidewalks on Castro Street between Market and 19th Street back in 2013 didn't realize that they were just making it more comfortable for those without homes to make themselves at home on our street ["Right-wing media loving Castro merchants' protest letter to SF," online, September 2].
Mike Zonta
San Francisco
Interesting juxtaposition
Interesting juxtaposition in this week's edition of the Bay Area Reporter: Castro merchants and residents vociferously complain about unsafe sidewalks, including graphic details of repeated verbal and visual, if not physical, assaults on Castro walking tours ["SF responds to Castro merchants' letter," September 1].
Juxtaposed with the article announcing that Queen Máxima of the Netherlands plans a walking tour from the LGBTQ History Museum to the Castro Theater and Twin Peaks Tavern September 6 ["With Dutch king ill, Queen Máxima will lead delegation on SF visit," online, September 1.]
What could possibly go wrong? And how much police security will be needed for that? I'm feeling the need for some Sisters' street theater to cap off (crap off?) this event!
Charlie Spiegel, Esq.
San Francisco
Newsom's mistaken veto on overdose bill
I am extremely disappointed with Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of a pilot program for safe consumption sites in San Francisco and other cities ["Newsom vetoes safe consumption pilot bill, online, August 22]. There is ample evidence that safe consumption sites save lives, promote harm reduction, oh - and take some drug use off the streets, imagine that.
Preventing overdose is paramount to keeping our communities safe. Providing services and harm reduction strategies to those using drugs is vital to improving the health and safety of those who consume drugs. A safe, clean, judgment-free site where people can safely consume while getting resources on offboarding from drugs could have been one solution to San Francisco's overdose and drug abuse crisis.
By vetoing the bill, Newsom now owns the inevitable ongoing failure of piecemeal, carceral solutions to drug addiction.
Jeremy Rosenberg, Esq.
San Francisco
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