Letters

Sragow Fanned
Michael Sragow is usually an obsolescent windbag. But his interview with the inimitable Mike Leigh is brilliant ("Full Disclosure," Film, Sept. 25).

Though Sragow and film are generally a mismatch, he may have other talents. Have you tested his skills with a mop and broom? Or maybe he could fill SF Weekly's vending machines. On second thought, typically nerdish, he would surely be too frail to lift stacks of newsprint. Anyway, here's eager anticipation of Leigh's Secrets & Lies.

Virginia Newhall
Greenbrae

Union Bug
I'm bothered by the attitude toward unions taken in the Sept. 11 issue of SF Weekly.

First, in "The Grid" ("Willie's Love for Labor"), you attack Willie Brown for using John Young as an adviser during negotiations over the labor-relations charter amendment. Young is objectionable, George Cothran and Chuck Finnie say, because he used to be a lawyer for SEIU Local 1877 in San Jose. I don't get it. SEIU 1877 is a crusading immigrant janitors union. The mayor gets plenty of advice from lawyers who've worked for big corporations, or who've represented the city against its own workers during grievances and negotiations.

Then, Cothran and Finnie go after Brown for sending Emilio Cruz to negotiate with the bus drivers. This is inappropriate, they say, because Cruz is the drivers' boss. Again, I don't get it. Union negotiations are supposed to be between workers and the boss.

Finally, you ran a long feature story about the problem of "subacute care" in nursing homes ("Trickledown Health Care" by Lisa Davis). It's a good expose of the abuses. But nowhere does it mention the long campaign and strike last year by SEIU Local 250, which made that problem a public issue.

David Bacon
Berkeley

Close Burma Shave
As someone who helped work on the Burma selective purchasing contract mentioned in "The Grid" ("Rangoon Squad," Sept. 4), I am quite concerned about the possibility of the supervisors making an exception for these two Burma-invested companies. Private companies help keep Burma's junta in power. If Motorola wants the contract that badly, pressure them to withdraw from Burma.

Pamela Wellner, Coordinator
Free Burma
Berkeley

Dark Side of Starlight
Your article on Waldron Vorhees ("The Electric Clearlight Acid Mess," Aug. 21) left out the darkest aspect of this aging hippie -- his absolute abandonment of personal responsibility. I became his son Adam Vorhees' Big Brother when Adam was 13 years old. Adam never gave up his attempt to have a relationship with his father.

There is a difference between those who utilize entheogens ("drugs") in a shamanic context and learn from the experience, and those who use them as entertainment. In my opinion, Vorhees is an example of the worst aspect of humanity -- the ability to entertain oneself to death, care about nobody but oneself, and walk around bragging about it. Vorhees deserves the prison sentence and the sordid life he created for himself.

Lion Goodman
San Rafael