Letters

SOMETHING STINKS

Thank you for printing one of the most in-depth investigations yet on the cross-border sewage issue [“A Sewer Runs Through It” by s.d. liddick, December]. From Mr. Liddick’s research, one can rightly conclude that too much money, time and attention have been spent on a questionable project with a shady history of back-room dealings.

Proponents who claim a Bajagua [sewage treatment plant in Tijuana] is a comprehensive solution to beach closures in Imperial Beach and Coronado simply don’t understand the issue. Their actions on behalf of private investors to block further sew age treatment at the [existing plant on the U.S. side of the border] are disingenuous.

Beyond your story, questions remain: If Bajagua is such a great project, why is Tijuana currently building three wastewater plants on its own? And why is it that the only supporters of Bajagua have financial ties to the company?

BEN MCCUE
IMPERIAL BEACH

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Your piece on Bajagua by s.d. liddick was outstanding——extremely well-researched and written. And you gave it a lot of space. Congrats on doing what no other journalists have been willing to do here——take a critical view of this issue through a larger national and international lens.

I thought the article was really balanced but also made it very clear that whatever happens, Bajagua isn’t really dealing with the key issue of reducing beach closures. The discussion of how they’ve spun themselves as the “comprehensive” solution was a key part of the story.

Great work.

SERGE DEDINA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
WILDCOAST

DIGGING IT

Your piece on Bajagua was excellent. I really enjoyed reading it. And I became even better educated on the issue. I appreciate how you dug very deep to expose the truth about this whole ordeal. Thank you.

BETTINA RAUSA
SAN DIEGO

GOOD FOR US?

How about something good for a change? The people of San Diego can be thankful we have a mayor and governor who reacted to the wildfires right away, saving many lives and providing food and shelter for families and their pets.

It’s sad that the people of New Orleans didn’t have a mayor or governor who cared. They did nothing to help their people.

Thank you, Mayor Sanders and Governor Schwarzenegger.

P.S. What you called “potholes” in your Dialogue with Mayor Sanders [by Tom Blair, September] are nothing compared to cities back east. Find something interesting to talk about.

BUNNY SILVERMAN
CARMEL VALLEY

SHINING THE LIGHT

On behalf of Casa de Amparo, a nonprofit organization serving abused and neglected children and their families throughout San Diego for nearly 30 years, I would like to thank San Diego Magazine for the excellent story on San Diego County’s foster care system [“When Loving Care Crumbles” by Bob Rowland, November].

Like the Polinsky Children’s Center mentioned in your article, we provide temporary shelter and other services for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and severe neglect. We are all too familiar with the challenges surrounding the foster care system, and we were happy to see those challenges come to light.

In addition to our two children’s shelters, we are particularly proud of the preventive services we have been providing since 1980. The ultimate solution to child abuse is, of course, prevention, and our Child Development & Family Services Center focuses on at-risk families, providing counseling and education, as well as therapeutic childcare and preschool (funded, in part, by the California Department of Education). We also provide a specially designed environment for supervised visitation between foster children and their families, with the ultimate goal of reuniting them when appropriate. These programs prevent ongoing cycles of child abuse.

San Diego County reports higher-than-average cases of child abuse. We believe with public awareness like that provided in your November article, and with support from the community, San Diego can become a place where child abuse is simply not tolerated.

MELISSA HOFFMAN
CHAIRPERSON
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CASA DE AMPARO

THE MOST VULNERABLE

Thank you for Bob Rowland’s well-researched and informative article on the San Diego County foster care system.

The system does face challenges——in particular, the need for more foster parents. But as Mr. Rowland noted, there are tireless loving families dedicated to helping foster children. Let me also add there are tireless county employees dedicated to helping these children.

Over the past several years, I have overseen many of the improvements to the system, including the San Pasqual Academy and a new group home for deaf foster children in Chula Vista. In 1998, the high school completion rate in San Diego County for foster teens was a mere 51 percent. Now, through innovative programs and additional resources, 83 percent of foster youth are completing high school.

I am also working to bring an assessment center to South County, similar to the one at the Polinsky Children’s Center mentioned in the article. An additional assessment center will help ease the trauma and emotional turmoil for children who, through no fault of their own, have been placed in the county’s care.

We will continue to look for improvements to the system to help these most vulnerable members of our community.

GREG COX
VICE-CHAIRMAN
SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS

ODE TO SAN DIEGO

In San Diego, we pause for the passing of the parrots.

In San Diego, we watch the long wave ridden with pride, as if we were personally responsible for providing the ride.

In San Diego, the sun sets majestic over the water. We wear shorts in the winter, flaunting our warmth to the world.

In San Diego, we measure minutes by the ebb and flow of the tide, hours and days by the flow of the traffic. The desert is timeless.

In San Diego, we take our Mexican food seriously. Our world extends beyond borders, and Baja beckons.

In San Diego, the mountains lovingly embrace the city, sending out their little hills and valleys to drink from our ocean.

In San Diego, everyone you grew up with is still here.

CHRISTINE WEST
SAN DIEGO

West is the great-granddaughter of San Diego pioneer Peter Lusardi, who originally owned what is now Fairbanks Ranch. After the fall wildfires, she was so saddened and full of pride for her city that she was inspired to write her ode to San Diego.——EDITOR

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