GROSS AND SAD

EDITOR: For the record, I read The Stranger every week. Seems it is one of the few places you can get info on local government-thank you for that. God knows the networks are too busy scaring the masses with reports of murder and car accidents. That said, I am compelled to be a first-time writer based on the cover on the June 9 issue. I found the cover repulsive and almost didn't pick it up-but I did and simply recycled the first page so I wouldn't have to look at the macabre scene. Roadkill is gross and sad. Having roadkill on the cover of a paper I enjoy is gross and sad too.

Seattle JR

YAY T&A, BOO RACCOON

DEAR SIRS AND MADAMS: I totally dug the giant tits in this week's Drunk of the Week [June 9]! It nearly made up for the sad and disgusting cover. I saved the girls and recycled the 'coon.

Craig Joyce

I LOVE ROADKILL

EDITOR: I just wanted to thank you for the cover this week. For the past 10 years I've had a bit of an interest/hobby taking unusual photos of roadkill and dead things and turning them into brightly colored paintings. While many people find it a bit odd or off-putting, most agree it's more fun to look at than pictures of flowers. So while you will most likely get letters from people disgusted by your cover, at least you know there's one weirdo out there who truly appreciates it. I'm just jealous I didn't find it myself!

Angie Callender

ROSSI'S LOSS REALLY A WIN

EDITOR: Sharkansky's common-sense analysis of the governor mess is refreshing [Sound Bite, June 9]. As he put it, the bar was set too high for anyone to successfully prevail in an election contest. Just because Rossi didn't prevail in this contest doesn't mean it was a loss, it's just a win in the making. Whether that win be real election reform, election contest amendments, or a seat in the governor's office in 2008 only time will tell.

Adriell O'Dell

UM, ACTUALLY, GREGOIRE DID WIN

EDITOR: Christ, Sharkansky is a putz. Like Rossi's pathetic parting dig that he won't appeal because of the makeup of the Washington State Supreme Court, he can't gracefully accept defeat. Even with it all said and done Sharkansky can't help but STILL try to spin the outcome into some kind of liberal conspiracy, and state outright lies as if they were the truth. "By the end of the trial, her lawyers showed Judge Bridges enough offsetting errors and illegal votes that they only affirmed the central claim from Rossi's contest petition." Um, no they didn't. They didn't have to. There were no "offsetting" errors or anything of the sort. In this country, thank god, if you accuse somebody of something you have to prove it, period.

The burden of proof fell to the Republicans to show there was voter fraud in this election because it was their accusation and they simply failed. That is the only recourse in Washington State for overturning elections. The thin margin didn't seem to concern Rossi before the recounts when he was squealing for Gregoire to concede for "the good of the state."

Am I just anti-Republican? Sure. Am I glad this is an "in your face" to the pseudo-Christian party? Heck yeah, after living under the cloud of a nutbag who indisputably lost by half a million votes and then started a war to ensure his reelection. I do believe there were stupid errors made by lazy-ass election workers and some reforms may be needed (or maybe just better oversight since there are supposed to be protocols in place to prevent what happened). But what came out during the trial is that the election workers didn't bother to count all of the votes in King County and I don't think even the "living in a fantasy world" Republicans can dispute that more King County votes means more votes for Gregoire (which is what the judge said).

I realize that The Stranger wants to balance their waaaay left leanings by having a conservative voice, but really, Sharkansky? A Limbaugh wannabe who's relegated to writing for the prestigious internet (on his own site no less) because nobody would listen to him. How 'bout a sane, reasonable, REAL conservative voice. Not another shrill "party line" neo-con.

Steve Howard

This week's installment of Stefan Sharkansky's Sound Bite column can be found at www.thestranger.com.

CONSERVATIVE STEREOTYPES

EDITOR: What Bill Savage did not address in "Lessons Learned" [June 9], but demonstrated with aplomb, was the elitist attitude displayed by the denizens of the academy.

It is presumptive [sic] to assume that children of the red states would need to make their epic journey to enlightenment by attending universities in blue cities and states. As an English professor [sic], I [sic] would have expected his description of conservatives to be a bit less wildly caricatured. Right-wingers pursuing jobs where they make "big piles of money" instead of pursuing the more nobler [sic] world of thought? Could he be more condescending and presumptuous?

The demographics of conservatism are changing, and Professor Savage neglected to notice. Of course, I'm willing to bet that in Mr. Savage's insular world of academia, it's a rare occasion to come in contact with those who might have a right-wing perspective, and it appears he'd be loathe [sic] to expose himself to any modern writers, like Thomas Sowell or Victor Davis Hansen, who inhabit academia and present tempered, well-articulated conservative thought. It brings to mind the famous Pauline Kael comment wherein she marveled at Ronald Reagan's 1984 win against Mondale. She claimed she knew no one who voted for Reagan, so how could he have won? [Editor's note: The Pauline Kael story actually concerned Richard Nixon's 1972 victory over George McGovern.] Reagan carried 49 states. I wonder if Professor Savage knows anyone who voted for Bush?

Jana Swanson

FROM THE FORUMS AT WWW.THESTRANGER.COM

Posted by "Pgreyy" in the "Which Seattle Venues/Bands Do You Miss?" thread in Music, June 6, 4:12 pm:

So, the choice is between this true statement: 'Yeah, I saw Sweetwater at DV8... but a year later I saw the Parc Boys do an in-store at Orpheum'-and realizing that anyone who moved to town within the past three years would have NO idea what I was talking about... OR this true statement: 'Oh, yeah, I saw Sweetwater, Sky Cries Mary, and the Posies open up for Crash Test Dummies (?!?!) at the Puyallup Fair.' Your choice which is more embarrassing.

Option three: 'My first show after moving to Seattle was seeing Faith & Disease and Black Atmosphere at the Colourbox... and I walked from 17th and Union and back to see the show.' You know, some of these things I shouldn't admit in public...

STUPID DEMOCRATIC PROFESSORS

EDITOR: I loved reading this epistle, “Lessons Learned” [Bill Savage, June 9] College professors as a group are arguably among the most ignorant people in the world, and English Professors are way up the scale on that tree.

This guy has no concept of the basic laws of economy that propels the United States to be the most productive, efficient, and envy of the entire world. Why should he? He has been sucking at the nipple of higher education for his entire life, and he has not been, nor will he, ever be weaned.

Listen, Grasshopper and learn. The philosophies, economic reforms and political changes you endorse are EXACTLY what has been happening in Europe for the past fifty years. Maybe you have not been reading about the meltdown of Socialist Heaven over there, but the rest of us have.

Yes, there are MILLIONS of people as ignorant as you are... and they ALL vote Democratic. The good news is there are millions MORE people who are NOT as ignorant as you are... and they VOTE REPUBLICAN. Kiss your socialist butt goodbye. Or move to France. Your choice, Pilgrim.

Ken Weigel

BLAH BLAH BLAH, INDEED

EDITOR: I have been watching this Wondershowzen thing, and I can’t endorse it enough. It’s TOTALLY irreverent, vulgar, disrespectful of pretty much everything American, commerical or religious (which sums up America to a “T”), and it features cute kids saying alarming things to adults on candid camera. And there’s puppets that do the same thing. And there’s this little spot where Trevor (a kid) looks into the camera and says “Let’s watch a cartoon, you LOSERS!” Gut-busting. I don’t see where they can go wrong. I really don’t. So I heartily endorse this show and insist that everyone spend time watching it with their whole families. Aren’t you lucky to have me help out like this? Don’t mention it. I know I’m a goddamn saint. I’m a little concerned that your feature article is going to draw out all the whitebread dullards who will attempt to water down and/or constrict or diminish the significance of this amazing little creation, but we’ll see how it turns out.

In other news, I’m still working hard to remind the populace that our president is a criminal because they don’t like hearing that. You know—blah, blah, blah! I can’t hear you with my hands over my ears. Blah, blah, blah! I’m not listening to you. America is always right and Bush talks to Jesus. Blah, blah, blah. You’re going to make me cry. That sort of thing. Carry on.

Ken Barrett

WAKE UP, IT’S 1984

EDITOR: Hannah Levin’s unproven 14 year cycle theory [“Salvation is Near,” June 9] can be upended very simply: 1984. Note:

Husker Du: Zen Arcade

Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime

Meat Puppets: Meat Puppets II

Replacements: Let It Be

These seminal records created the 80s underground, which created Nirvana. One might argue that this does not qualify as industry-shaking, but the Sex Pistols didn’t make much of an industry impact in the US, whereas Nirvana shook the world. A true cycle of high-quality, industry-shaking (as opposed to culture-making) rock music would fit in Elvis, the Beatles, and Nirvana alone at this point. Perhaps the cycle is based on some obscure Indian rhythm.

TGF

ANTI-FAKE-PRO-CHOICE

EDITOR: I adored your brave article “Pregnancy Scare Tactics” [Amy Jenniges, June 9]! I was at that protest and it was astonishing how many people mistook us for anti-choice. As the article said, there aren’t very many young people who know that these so-called ‘clinics’ are simply anti-choice organizations who receive federal funding to provide inaccurate information. While medical services are unavailable, intimidation and scare tactics encourage youth to become parents. A lot of my friends read the Stranger and it is awesome to have these centers exposed for what they are. We grow up being tricked with abstinence-only programs and learn to trust those who deceive us, and these clinics are a continuation of that vicious cycle. So thank you for providing an honest perspective on things and exposing yet another violation of a woman’s freedom to choose.

Sara Medlicott

MS. WAGNER IF SHE’S NASTY

EDITOR: I read Ms. Wagner’s review of The Awakening [On Stage, June 9] with my own “dumbstruck, accelerating horror.” Reading between the lines, Ms. Wagner seemed to be saying that she did not see her own vision of the beloved novel played out upon the stage. She could have stated that plainly enough, and then gotten on to serious dramatic criticism. Instead, Wagner falls into her own simpering stack of flat pronouncements on the show that had little to do with the production in its own right.

Of the many aspects our witless critic overlooked was the artful staging. The sound of the sea was recreated live on stage rather than through recording; Edna’s swimming experiences were enchantingly choreographed with the ensemble; and the final scene was visually and viscerally stunning. However, I’m not writing this letter to fill the vacuum of dramatic criticism that Wagner’s words have created. I’m writing it because I was lucky enough to see the show before I had a chance to read the review, and the irresponsibility of Wagner’s criticism pissed me off. I’ll never take Ms. Wagner’s word seriously again.

Christina Serkowski

STILL DOING THE MATH

EDITOR: How many absentee ballots were counted in King County for which no voter was credited? I think the number is 808. How many absentee ballots were counted in King County precincts SEA 36-1770 and SEA 36-1774 for which no voter was credited? I think the number is 48. Is it reasonable to assume that 6 percent of the of the ballot counting errors would occur in less than 0.1 percent of the precincts? I don’t think so.

Robert Wheeldon

Jefferson County, WA

STILL LOVING THE ARCHIPELAGO

EDITORS: I love your article, The Urban Archipelago [Nov 11, 2004] . It is the best post-election article I’ve read—by far. I am still passing it around to my friends.

I’m in New York, but have also spent 8 months recently in Minneapolis. I think that liberals and progressives, particularly in New York, don’t have a good idea of just how conservative this County really is. They fail to understand that Rural America is not simply a right-wing stronghold because country folk are not exposed to the progressive ideas that urban folk are exposed to by virtue of a more liberal urban media. It is the small-town country life that creates this type of individual—an individual that will be invariably attracted to a rightwing media. These folks DO HAVE AGENCY—they choose to read right wing web sites, and not lefty on-line sites such as the Progressive, or the Nation, or whatever; they choose to listen to the most retrograde of right wing radio; they choose to support a moronic “sport” like stock car racing. The left cannot reasonably continue to believe that if Bush’s lies are “exposed”, that Middle or Rural America will start voting progressively. Such a belief, of course is untenable and stupid. I believe that the overwhelming majority of “red” voters would have voted for Bush regardless of whether they thought Bush was lying about the War or whether they thought he was deceitful about other aspects of American foreign policy. Indeed, I think many in rural America were just happy that we were out there in the world, “kicking ass.”

Move-On, however, still pursues “exposing the lies” as a political strategy-- aiming now to collect 500,000 signatures on a petition, apparently to try to force Bush to tell the truth about the war. I think it’s a waste of time... this “speaking truth to power.”

Which brings me to the controversy in New York over the West Side Stadium. It seemed to me that many progressives engaged in knee-jerk politics, opposing the stadium because public funding would have been used to help subsidize the building of the stadium. My position the entire time was that, perhaps public funding is not ideal, but it beats having the stadium built in the suburbs. Moreover, it is increasingly my belief that as much infrastructure as possible needs to be built inside the City to ensure its long-term survival in the midst of a hostile national climate. I’m beginning to believe that it is imperative for all major cities to develop as much native infrastructure as possible, so that projects like stadiums and sports arenas, office buildings, shopping centers, etc., don’t end up going to the suburbs (as you may know, it was the Mall of America that really helped stall downtown development and retail success in Minneapolis), and to provide as much incentive for people to spend money in the City, to move into the City, and less reasons to move out to the burbs, or worse, the country. After all, it is the City that is most important in encouraging the development of a progressive individual. I was therefore, willing to ignore the nimby concerns of West Side residents who worried about increased traffic and pollution in their neighborhood—their concerns, in my view, were clearly trumped by the need to contend with a hostile national politic. Have I taken your article’s logic too far??? I don’t know. Incidentally, an interesting related topic is how gentrification should be dealt with by the left (is it always bad?? It seems increasingly not to be).

Anyway, enough of my rant. Again, a Great article. And, I’ll check your archive for other articles on this area of concern (if you have any recommendations in this regard, I’d be interested).

Ariel Reinheimer

AND I’M NOT JUST SAYING THIS BECAUSE IT COULD HELP MY BUSINESS

EDITOR: This is a response to the Sara Dickerman rant concerning the state of pastry in this city [“Most Unwanted,” June 2]. As the owner of Coffee Pronto, I must agree with her on this subject. I have been in business for six months now, and was in dismay over the state of my vendors, until coming upon Louisa’s Bakery, on Eastlake. The owner is the original genius behind Pacific Desserts, and started Louisa’s about ten years ago. The pastry and baked goods are fabulous, and I recommend them to anyone looking for the good stuff.

Coffee Pronto is now a daily delivery customer, and I would like to invite Sara by for a sample, as well as to try our excellent coffee, provided by Caffe Vita. I also would suggest she visit the North Hill Bakery, on the other end of the street.

French Clements

Owner, Coffee Pronto

COMMUTER CRAP

DEAR SEATTLE DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION: I received a flyer of yours yesterday which says: “COMMUTER CASH Earn $80- $200 Plus a One-Month bus pass by giving-up driving alone to work 2-5 days per week for a year. Who’s eligible? Anyone who currently drives alone to work to or from Seattle…. Hurry! Commuter Cash program ends June 25, 2005 Limited Supply. Some Restrictions Apply.”

As a person who chooses to bicycle, walk, and bus as his primary means of transportation, you can imagine my disbelief and frustration at the absurdity and outright blasphemy of this flyer you’ve been handing out. For real: Somewhere in the deep, dense smog of my mind I can kind-of see why you thought this was a good idea… like, the intentions are good, ok ok—yet at the same time this little contest seems to say: “Those of you who already ride bicycles and walk to work don’t get squat for doing what you should be doing, meanwhile we feel the need to bribe everyone else. Those who choose to not own a car couldn’t be a part of this hand-out equation, but any greedy bastard willing to lie and say they’ll carpool of find another method of transportation can get the aforementioned goodies.”

My, my… this is truly whack. Rather than trying to ban smoking in bars and resteraunts, maybe you could also talk the dept of Health into paying people not to smoke too, rather than trying to outlaw it out-right... and if there are some tax dollars left over we can start a fund to help prevent child molestation. $50 bucks every time you can prove you deterred yourself from acting on the temptation. I am truly amazed. Maybe I need to go over the fine print. Maybe I’ll check out the website. If I’m totally off the mark, I apologize. But… How much might it cost to fix that crater-sized pothole that almost killed me last week? $80-$200 dollars? Much less? By making a conscious decision years ago not to contribute to congestion and pollution, I’m not eligible for your Dollar$-to-Get-Your-Lazy-Selfish-Fat-American-Ass-to-Consider-Carpooling Program… or suffer Public Transit (which isn’t so bad, oh- but definitely a humbling step down.) This is truly a great program, SDOT. Great Great Great! Keep it up, kids.

Paul Thomas

TAR ART RAT Foundation

THE REASON IS YOU

EDITOR: The following is Rep. John Conyers’ letter to the US public, remarking on the Downing Street Memo which was published in the London Times on May 1, 2005. More than a month after the memo was published, the news media in the US had produced barely a trickle of reports on it. I am writing to request that you report on this memo, Rep. Conyers’ activities in response to the memo, and the US public’s response to Rep. Conyers’ letter, in spite of the lack of coverage in the mainstream media. If you have a reason for not reporting this news, I would like to know what that reason is.

Peggy Wolf