Tycoon broke? Boo-hoo for him

Re "Fast-food tycoon files for Chapter 11" (Business, Sept. 19): I am a state worker. Not a "proud to be a state worker" or a happy one, either. I am just a state worker who is furloughed three days a month and who hands over nearly 15 percent of her paycheck each month to God knows who or what.

If I am forced to contribute each month to the state's sad state of affairs, then how is it, I wonder, that someone such as Abe Alizadeh – the "financially troubled" owner of 70 Jack in the Box restaurants who owes the state $1.5 million in back state taxes and whose restaurant business also has liens from the state against it – how, in heaven's name, is he permitted to continue to do business? And why? Are we all supposed to feel sorry for him?

Plain and simple: If he can't pay his taxes he does not deserve to be in business – prison, possibly, but not business.

– Jonnie McConville, Sacramento

'Bonehead' officers bemoaned

Re "Reported Tasering investigated" (Capitol & California, Sept. 21): The evaluation and approval process to become a law enforcement officer needs to be drastically elevated to require a standard that inhibits cowardly and sadistic individuals from easily entering this profession.

Many associated with this field are anything but "our finest," and abuse and assault with impunity.

"Arrest" means to slow, stop, detain in custody, seize or capture. The definition doubtfully includes power-drunk cops Tasering a paraplegic out of his wheelchair and handcuffing him for not obeying thought and attitude commands.

These officers and their associated brethren are now in damage control/distort mode, and just unable at this time to make any comments, instead figuring out how to spin the victimization inflicted upon them by the heinous and extremely dangerous amputee. Fortunately, some of these boneheads never stop to think about being videotaped.

– Brian Porter, Orangevale

Column misleads on homeless

Re "Tent city won't solve issues of homelessness" (Our Region, Sept. 20): The article by Marcos Breton is filled with misleading oversimplifications. In the first place, of course, tent cities won't cure homelessness. They were never intended to. The purpose of tent cities is to get, and keep, homeless men, women and children out of the rain and, in our county, out of the snow.

It may be a shock to Breton, but tent cities neither cause nor cure homelessness. If the county does not support them, they will indeed be surrounded with trash and garbage. Breton says that, if the anti-camping law is repealed, "It will be open season." Wow, if that's not enough to scare us all.

If Breton wants to learn a little of what it's really like to be homeless, I suggest that he spend a night in a tent and sleeping bag and wake up in the morning wondering where his next meal is coming from.

Is homelessness increasing? Of course it is. The recession is brutal on marginalized citizens. In our county, more than 600 children have been counted as homeless, but not because of tent cities. Misleading articles such as yours do nothing to ease their pain.

– Art Edwards, Placerville, president of United Outreach of El Dorado County

Sheedy on stormwater: Spot on

Re "Mean streets can be green streets" (Editorial, Sept. 19): Bravo, Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy! What is labeled as "alternative" stormwater management is actually the way nature has dealt with pollution and floods for millennia, and I applaud also the local government workers for being open to these "new" ideas.

The Bee hit the nail on the head with this win-win system – yet another example of how we can work with our environment to improve our own lives. Thanks for this uplifting editorial!

– Elizabeth Betancourt, Sacramento

Parker's off-base on racism

Re "It's irresponsible to simply label Wilson a racist" (Viewpoints, Sept. 20): To suggest that Rep. Joe Wilson's insult of our president was not a racist comment is ludicrous.