Pause accreditation process
Regarding “State flags flawed referee” (Nov. 18): I’m glad that the California community colleges Board of Governors finally pulled the plug on the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, but it’s absurd to still hold City College to this flawed process.
It’s like allowing Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche to continue selling their flawed diesel vehicles. College accreditation is not an urgent issue. The ACCJC’s own guidelines state “evaluation teams visit every six or seven years.” Besides, CCSF has been undergoing constant evaluation for over three years now.
They know quite well where their problems are and have been working very diligently to correct them. The Board of Governors should put all accreditation processes on hold until they come up with their new accreditation process. To do otherwise is a waste of taxpayer money.
Robert Plantz, Santa Rosa
Hijacked religion
The Walnut Creek Islamic Center extends its deepest condolences for the victims of the latest terrorist attacks in Paris. We stand in solidarity with the entire civilized world as we condemn these barbaric acts and declare them crimes against humanity perpetrated by a new breed of criminals who are fast spreading all over the world.
The goal of these terrorists is to create chaos in the world, and wreak havoc through heinous acts that would cause any normal human being to cringe in utter dismay. By displaying a black flag with the names of Allah and Muhammad, they claim to be acting on behalf of Islam in an attempt to give credence to their crimes, whereas Muslims all over the world denounce their ways and stand united with the rest of the world in fighting those criminals.
This new wave of terrorism is attempting to hijack the religion of Islam and saddle peaceful Muslims with defending a religion whose very name is rooted in peace.
Hossam Nasser, Walnut Creek
Interstate impact
John King’s “Oakland moving in the right direction with idea to replace I-980” (Nov. 14) is aptly named. However, the city could easily take a wrong turn without careful planning for equitable development. The article cites Hayes Valley as a success story of highway replacement and urban rehabilitation, but ignores the fact that post-earthquake Hayes Valley has priced out many longtime working-class residents and small businesses in favor of high-income professionals and luxury goods stores.
The piece ends with the city’s vision of a Parisian boulevard, but makes no mention that the “Haussmannization” of Paris displaced the city’s urban poor from the city’s downtown to the periphery. The Interstate 980 is indeed a divisive eye-sore and its demolition would be a unique opportunity to reknit the urban landscape, but imaginative engineering and design alone will not yield a boulevard lined with housing at all price levels.
The city must make a conscious decision to replace the freeway with equitable development through pre-emptive policies that will minimize the negative impacts of gentrification.
Somaya Abdelgany, Berkeley
New consequence
To those on the right who’ve reacted to the Paris terrorist attacks by clamoring to close our borders to Syrian refuges, I would remind them of the possibility of unintended consequences. This xenophobic response might keep out the next Steve Jobs, whose biological father was a Syrian immigrant.
John Brooks, Fairfax
Stay informed
Get a grip America. It has been just a few days since the terrorist attacks in France with expert opinions on the airwaves, non-stop. Remember folks — knowledge is power. I urge citizens to obtain information from as many sources as possible in order to better understand our collective plight and move forward with our lives.
Read and listen to multiple opinions and proposed solutions. From there, you will better understand the complicated and serious world problem that we all face. If there ever was a time to discard partisan politics, it is now.
Barbara Carlson, Mill Valley
Energy plant relic
Regarding “Nuclear power’s last stand in California” (Nov. 14), David R. Baker did an excellent job of covering the fraught history and increasingly shaky future of Diablo Canyon, our friendly neighborhood nuclear power plant, and presenting the arguments that counter the boosterism of nuclear power proponents. One clarification: In pointing out that “the state would need many, many solar ranches to replace Diablo,” it should be noted that there are multiple paths to a low-carbon future, no nukes necessary.
Dr. Mark Cooper (in the report “Power Shift”), in response to PG&E’s assertion that large quantities of natural gas would be required to replace Diablo’s power, points out that “more renewables, distributed generation, geothermal, and efficiency would achieve the same outcome with a much more environmental and consumer-friendly impact.” Yes, it may be “mean” to call Diablo Canyon and its power source a relic of the 20th century. It’s also true.
Andrew Christie, San Luis Obispo
No sideshows
Sideshows in Oakland and the Bay Area are increasingly dangerous, annoying, damaging and illegal. However, the auto manufacturers have to accept some responsibility. The vast majority of their TV ads show cars squealing around corners, driving too fast on streets and roads, and doing “doughnuts,” usually on dry dusty lake beds. One commercial even showed a dad driving as fast as he could to deliver an ice cream cone to his daughter. Let’s start with responsible TV automobile advertising.
James Stanek, Novato