LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[January 11th, 2006] THICK AS A BRICK

In response to "Another Brick in the Wall" [WW, Dec. 21, 2005], who are these people and what are they thinking?

I'd like to offer a challenge to those responsible: Give us an alternative to gentrification, please. Throwing bricks through windows and tagging new buildings are not solutions, and they just make you look like you have nothing else to offer.

As someone who resides on Northeast Alberta, I'm at a loss myself. I have personally contributed to increasing property values by working countless hours making a small home more livable. Maybe this has driven someone else out of the neighborhood, maybe not. I understand the impacts of this trend, but short of putting up a fence and preventing people from moving in, what's the answer?

New buildings on the street, what's the problem? Would you prefer to have a street where 60 percent of the buildings are boarded up? Should we all live in abandoned houses? Should all establishments admit only those who are like you?

Do us all a favor, put down the rocks and the righteous attitude and offer a feasible alternative.

Scott D. Murphy
Northeast 18th Avenue

SICK TRANSIT? GLORIA MUNDI!

On Jan. 4 you invoked George Orwell in naming TriMet the "Rogue of the Week." Give me a break and stop whining.

I used to live in Philadelphia, a city in which people count their blessings each morning they awaken and don't have to deal with a strike or major service disruption resulting from their dilapidated, Reading Railroad-era infrastructure. You have the luxury of complaining that the gold plating on your transit system is only one inch thick, instead of two. If TriMet keeps one drunk driver off the road, it is invaluable to the community.

Rogue? There are far worse things happening in the world than public transportation that "isn't free enough."

Grant Morehead
Northeast 10th Avenue

CORRECTION

Last week's Q&A with film director Robert Greenwald was wrong when it said he had won 25 Emmys. Greenwald has had 25 Emmy nominations. WW regrets the error.