San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Wouldbe ice cream shop owner deserves full refund
Regarding “Ice cream shop dream melted by red tape” (April 21): I can no longer be silent, being a small business owner myself. My father had his own business in San Francisco for over 40 years.
Currently, my daughter has her own business in San Francisco. We understand the cost of doing business in San Francisco. For anyone to spend $200,000 for an architect, lawyer, permits, fees, equipment and rent and still not able to open his door for customers, as the situation is with Jason Yu, is deplorable. Mr. Yu’s business would eventually create a few employee jobs. Do these jobs not count? Does his tax money not count? Or does San Francisco only want big tech companies and their employees? San Francisco seems to fall over backward for big tech companies, but not for the little businesses. San Francisco should not only be ashamed of itself but should refund his money for services not rendered.
Gloria Wallace, Menlo Park
Wait for all the facts
Regarding “Infant’s death raises questions on Boudin’s aid to violence victims” (Front Page, April 25): Heather Knight touched upon issues that deserve further attention. As a Superior Court judge for 20 years now retired, I can’t stress enough the necessity for the police to notify Child Protective Services when a child is present during a domestic violence incident. CPS will determine if the child is safe to stay with either parent. Police Chief Bill Scott must mandate this requirement as part of police protocol. Advocates, including domestic violence advocates, serve an important societal role but unlike district attorneys they are not bound by legal ethics. It is unethical for a district attorney to file charges unless they can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition to a victim refusing to cooperate, the district attorney must consider other factors in determining if that standard is satisfied.
Some of these factors are: who was the initial aggressor; the injuries sustained by both parties; the strength of victims’ insistence that they won’t testify even if subpoenaed; the statements of both parties; and do the rules of evidence (hearsay) allow victims’ statements to be considered if they refuse to testify. Instead of rushing to judgment, it would serve us all well to wait until all the facts are known.
Ellen Chaitin, San Francisco
Downsize the police
Police continue to kill innocent people, Derek Chauvin’s conviction notwithstanding. We should downsize the police so that social workers, negotiators and others can replace them. Until then, we must make it harder for an officer to kill. To that end, the Taser should be placed on the same side of an officer as his or her dominant hand, and the gun on the other side. This way, in a crisis situation, a suspect would be less likely to be murdered, and if an officer fired a gun it would more clearly be seen as a deliberate act that can’t be viewed as accidental. I fully realize that Tasers are painful and cruel, they sometimes result in death, and we need new options. However, a Taser is less lethal than a gun, and my suggestion can be put into practice quickly, nationwide, while we work hard to implement far better solutions.
Bill Ding felder, Philadelphia
Keep taking precautions
Yosemite National Park is known for its majestic waterfalls and towering forests on top of stone. As the fear of the spreading virus recedes, services and parks are reopening. It’s clever of the park to charge a reservation fee; not only do staff and rangers continue to profit, but also numbers of visitors are limited for sickness spread prevention, and canceling a reservation only sets customers back by two dollars. A week prior, without restrictions, I visited the park surrounded by waves of people, even at the top of Vernal Fall. Even with the regulation of visitors, a good precaution to take is to continue social distancing protocols, waiting or swerving when passing hikers on trails. Aim to avoid public water fountains that are germ magnets and instead bring your own water bottles. Fortunately, many restaurants in Yosemite are separated by thick booths for diners to eat safely and comfortably.
Iris Li, San Jose