Letters from our Readers: Cyclists abuse rules of the road every day

I wholeheartedly agree with Tuesday’s letter about the downtown “hostage situation” known as Critical Mass. But the writer seems to think these same cyclists obey the rules of the road on every other day except the last Friday of each month.

Every day, Embarcadero area pedestrians dodge cyclists riding at breakneck speed on the sidewalk without letting people know they’re coming up behind them.

I used to really enjoy walking my dog along The Embarcadero. Now there are so many skateboarders and cyclists on the sidewalk that it is no longer a relaxing stroll. And often the SFPD just cruises by and ignores the sidewalk cyclists dodging in and out of groups of walkers like they’re the inconvenience.

Cyclists whined about drivers not sharing the streets with them, and they got heard. Now they need to stay in their bike lanes.

Debi Gould, San Francisco

Same old voting style

I don’t understand the complaint of that Nov. 2 letter ranting against “bullet voting” (voting for only one candidate even though there are additional open seats). Suppose there are three seats open on a school board or city council and five candidates are running. Maybe you know one candidate very well and think he or she would do an excellent job. But you either don’t know the other candidates or disagree with their positions on matters that are important to you.

There is certainly nothing “unethical” about just voting for one candidate. In fact, it is a very old, accepted and honorable voting strategy.

Don Havis, San Mateo

Joe’s shady business

The heath insurance industry generally opposes a public option in any health care reform legislation. Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., recently said he would join a Republican filibuster of any health bill that includes a public option, even though the public option is overwhelmingly favored by Lieberman’s own constituents.

Lieberman has accepted more than $1 million in campaign contributions from the insurance industry and more than $600,000 from pharmaceutical and related health care product companies. His wife, Hadassah, previously worked for two lobbying firms, Hill & Knowlton and APCO, handling matters for their health care and pharmaceuticals clients.

Coincidence? I think not.

And recently Lieberman said he will be campaigning for some Republican candidates in the next election. He should be stripped of his chairmanship on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Democrats do not need “friends” like Lieberman.

Ralph E. Stone, San Francisco

Incompetence revealed

Your Nov. 3 article about the Muni budget shortfall is just a classic. “Unexpected increases in salaries, benefits, materials and supplies have also hurt, resulting in $25.6 million in extra expenditures that weren’t budgeted.” Unexpected salaries and benefits that weren’t budgeted! How inexcusable and incompetent is that?

Keith Wilson, San Francisco