WW welcomes letters to the editor via mail, e-mail or fax. Letters must be signed by the author and include the author's street address and phone number for verification. Preference will be given to letters of 250 words or less. Another Face I embrace the main point of Bob Young's story ["The Other Face of Tri-Met," WW, June 23, 1999], but I would caution Willamette Week readers to limit its reach. The main point is that Tri-Met should be doing more to ensure the safety of its most vulnerable passengers by tightening background checks on its private contract drivers. It should do so immediately to prevent another tragedy from happening like the one that occurred last year. Tri-Met took action. But I hope Tri-Met and others do not overreact to the story by refusing employment consideration--officially or unofficially--to all people who have records, without duly considering the nature of the job or the nature of the offense. Most people admitted to prison these days are not going for violent offenses. A January 1999 U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics report indicated that slightly more than two-thirds of all state prison admissions in 1996 were for nonviolent offenses. Our experience at Better People indicates that former offenders are often better, more reliable employees than a company could find by hiring others off the street--if the former offenders take part in an appropriate cognitive-behavioral therapy and are given long-term followup once they are placed in living-wage jobs. (A living wage for drivers might be another issue for Tri-Met to raise with the feds and these contractors.) So let's keep Mr. Young's important findings in their proper scope. Former offenders who are doing the right thing need appropriately screened opportunities in order to stay out of trouble. And in this tight labor market, smart companies cannot afford to miss a pool of reliable talent who will work hard and do the right thing. Chip Shields Executive Director, Better People Northwest Thurman Street Log Off and Shop We are the rich, and we will be eaten. Canned tuna at Safeway is plenty removed from the truth of the food we eat, but now we need not even bother with other living creatures at all--well, except for the delivery person ["Virtual Food," WW, June 30, 1999]. Our oh-so-easily assuaged fear of freshness is addressed by copious packaging , but at whose expense? And as for USDA information--well, we already knew that we'd be dead from eating that shit by 30, anyway. Please understand: I work on the Internet all day, every day. But just in time for July 4, here's my two cents: Americans are draining much richness from life with this insatiable lust for convenience. Rob La Raus Southeast Taylor Street Sharing a Beef Although I have often felt the sting of the "progressive" lash, I must confess your reference to me as "beefy" hit a nerve ["Word Choice," WW, June 23, 1999]. Personally, I've always thought of myself as large-boned, although I must admit my mother once referred to me as simply large. Wouldn't brawny, big or, perhaps, toned-up have struck a better note? But it had to be "beefy." Aside from the repugnant implication of animal-meat eating, the word has come to carry the connotation that perhaps one has been slacking on the gym time. So, when you see me there next, you'll know what word I'm muttering under my breath. P.S. Thanks for not mentioning the increasing gray on top. Norm Frink Deputy District Attorney, Multnomah County - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published July 7, 1999