BARGAINING WITH GANNETT
Thanks to City for
its coverage of the recent Newspaper Guild of Rochester pickets at the Democrat and Chronicle. The four
Democratic candidates in the mayoral primary — Tim Mains, Chris Maj, Wade Norwood, and Robert Duffy — all showed a
tremendous commitment to the working men and women of the city and region with
their refusal to cross the picket line for interviews by the newspaper’s
editorial page.
As City noted, the
Guild was asking for nothing more than the intervention of a federal mediator
into bargaining, which will soon enter its 14th year. But Gannett could not see
fit to even agree to mediation. Perhaps Gannett considers bargaining to be like
a fine wine — improving tremendously with age.
It was especially telling in City’s coverage of the picket that Gannett could not give an answer
as to why it continues to rebuff mediation. The fact is, there is no good
reason. But the Guild continues to bargain in good faith, hoping that the new
publisher, Michael Kane, will show the leadership to move this process forward.
Steve Orr, president,
and Gary Craig, secretary, Newspaper Guild of Rochester
AFTER KATRINA
We know the scenario: Some lackey will have to fall on his
sword to save Bush. And Bush will try to convince us that his photo ops with
survivors are evidence of his compassion — hoping we’ll forget that he played
golf the day after the hurricane.
But maybe it won’t work this time. Perhaps Americans dying
before the TV cameras will catch our attention, and generate the outrage and
shame that a hundred thousand dead Iraqis could not.
The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina should wake up sleeping
Americans to the total incompetence of the Bush administration, and the
insidious racism and “classism” that is alive and
well in our country.
Lynda Howland, Brook Road, Pittsford
POT, NOT
In response to Steve Walter’s letter in the August 17 issue:
While everyone has a right to make their own moral decisions, I get
particularly prickly at the spread of blatant misinformation. Any individual is
free to decide for themselves whether the ancient practice of cannabis
consumption is a “vice,” but they should do so knowing that marijuana does not cause “dementia, paranoia, and
impotence.” Your readers might find NORML’s 2005
Truth Report informative. It’s available here:
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5513.
Marijuana use is not relegated to a group of unmotivated
individuals with drooping eyelids on society’s fringe. The vast majority of pot
smokers are responsible members of the community with careers and families. The
only difference between them and their neighbors is their cannabis use. The Rochester
Cannabis Coalition and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws were hosting an event at the Bug Jar earlier this week, the purpose of
which was to disseminate information to open-minded individuals regarding the
many uses of cannabis — as a medicine, as a source of industrial hemp, and as
a tool for relaxation and spiritual edification. There were to be
representatives present from a variety of social and religious persuasions,
economic brackets, and age groups.
True, marijuana is not for everyone, but that doesn’t mean
that it’s not for anyone.
Solomon Blaylock, Argyle
Street, Rochester
BEER TAPPED
I read with some amusement the “irritation” at the
current popularity of the regionally-brewed Yuengling Beer in Rochester
(“Invasive Species,” August 24). Twenty years ago, a case of Yuengling could be
bought at the Public Market and pretty much nowhere else. Beers of the World
stocked all varieties of Yuengling up until the early ’90s, when Yuengling
withdrew distribution from New York
state. There was no advertising here, and the beer wasn’t selling — a case in
point, because now Yuengling is selling like crazy here, and the only
difference is a good ad campaign.
Cheers to the Yuengling customer; raise your glass high and
toast to the success of the local and regional brewers of America!
Robin Reese, Rochester
WORKING WITH WITNESSES
Thanks for printing the letter by Tom Hartlieb (“Why the
Stereotype?” The Mail, August 31). In my practice years, I served three
counties, which meant that I cared for children in at least six families of the
Jehovah’s Witness faith. We worked together in a sense of communication, mutual
respect, and understanding. This included ongoing discussion of therapeutic
options for various conditions. I’m not sure whether today the Internet would
change all of this. Hopefully my “families” might still remember me.
Bernard A.Yablin, MD,
South
Winton Road, Brighton
WRITING TO CITY
We welcome and encourage readers’ letters for publication. Send
them to: themail@rochester-citynews.com or The Mail, City Newspaper, 250
North Goodman Street, Rochester14607.
Our guidelines: We don’t publish anonymous letters — and
we ask that you include your street name and city/town/village. We don’t
publish letters that have been sent to other media — and we don’t publish form letters generated by activist groups. While
we don’t restrict length, letters of under 350 words
have a greater chance of being published. We do edit letters for clarity and
brevity. And in general we don’t publish letters (or longer “op-ed” pieces)
from the same writer more often than about once every two months.
This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2005.
