Letters

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE

Something is missing from Marlise Kast’s article about medical marijuana [“12 Plants or 8 Ounces,” March]. Where are the murders, robberies, rapes and the multitude of crimes predicted for marijuana users? From the picture Kast paints, there are no negative consequences for marijuana smoking.

What happened to the warnings about marijuana’s homicidal effects on racial minorities? Where are the reports of medical marijuana murders: “Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men’s shadows and look at a white woman twice” (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934).

“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”

“Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality and death.”

“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.”

“[Smoking] one [marihuana] cigarette might develop a homicidal maniac, probably to kill his brother.” (See U.S. Government Propaganda To Outlaw Marijuana: druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/t3.htm.)

Wait, if none of this is happening, why the fuss about medical marijuana?

RALPH GIVENS
DALY CITY

THERE’S FIRE

Re: “12 Plants [or] 8 Ounces.” Ms. Kast was kicked out [of] our clinic for fraud. I have all the documentation to prove this. I even called [attorney] Bruce Margolin about the incident. Later [Kast] sent “Gary Hall,” who had complained of severe lower back pain [and] signed an informed consent stating that his pain affected his activities of daily living, work, sleep and mood.

He admitted he tried multiple drug and medical regimens with an unfavorable or poor response. After a complete good-faith history and physical exam, [he] was given only a six-month medical marijuana recommendation. He was told that his qualifying diagnosis of chronic back pain will need to be verified by another provider and to return in six months with this documentation before we can renew him for a one-year [period].

DR. ALFONSO JIMENEZ
SAN CLEMENTE

Kast was assigned to go undercover for San Diego Magazine to check the veracity of anecdotes about the ease of obtaining medicinal marijuana from certain doctors who specialize in prescribing it. Kast says she made an appointment with Dr. Jimenez, by phone, and left her real name. When she arrived at his office, she says, he turned her away. She suspects he had uncovered her true identity as a reporter. In a second effort, she sent an acquaintance, who attempted to obtain a prescription for marijuana (for a fabricated illness) from Dr. Jimenez. The friend used the assumed name of Hall. He confirms Kast’s account in the article about the ease with which he was able to obtain Dr. Jimenez’s prescription.——EDITOR

MONEY MATTERS

I enjoyed your April story about what scores of San Diegans do for a living and what they make doing it [“Who Makes What” by Julia Beeson Polloreno]. Especially enjoyed the one about the window washer who makes $100,000 a year. I know, he manages the business, but still——$100,000?

Also liked your cover, with all those folks primping and picking at each other. Are they real McCoys, or are they models?

Oh, and just one glaring omission: No salaries for the folks at San Diego Magazine. Don’t you think, in fairness, you ought to open your paychecks to public scrutiny, too?

KIMBERLY BERGER
LA MESA

Yes, those are the real subjects of our story. Nice-looking group, and they saved us some of our hard-earned money on models. But no, we don’t want to reveal our paychecks. We’d just make half of you jealous and the other half feel sorry for us.——EDITOR

MAKES WHAT?

A colleague has let us know that, according to the April 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine (“Who Makes What”), archaeologists earn more than $90,000 per annum. This is rather shocking news to those of us who work in this field, many of us for a number of decades and none of whom have earned that kind of cash.

Without a doubt, a few well-positioned “archaeologists” earn that sort of wage, but they mainly do not conduct actual fieldwork, manage field personnel or execute special studies. It can hardly be said they are actual archaeologists. Perhaps it would be possible for your magazine to interview some more of us to round out your portrait of the archaeologist. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

And incidentally, we do not hunt for treasure. We conduct science-based investigations, and provide our clients with sound legal advice.

RICHARD D. SHULTZ
SAN DIEGO

REGURGITATION

[Since he is] one of the few journalists in this entire region who I respect, I was surprised and disappointed that Tom Blair, too, drank the Kool-Aid re my recent incident [“The Morning After,” I on San Diego, April]. Unless he was there to verify that I had vomited, his comments continue to perpetrate an image that is factually untrue! I did not vomit anywhere, let alone on myself.

Of course it makes for a more graphic, repulsive and offensive picture of the incident, and that’s the mantra of my political enemies. I have proudly served my community in an elected capacity for 27 years. Don’t think that during this period I haven’t accumulated a few political enemies who, like vultures, have been waiting for a misstep.

I made a mistake, admitted it and apologized. Apparently that is a foreign concept today. Regardless of the facts, there is a continuing drumbeat by my political enemies, a cabal of some six individuals (including two of my council “colleagues,” Ruth Sterling and Ernie Ewin). It’s in their best interests to keep this issue alive and embellish it at every opportunity, just like The San Diego Union-Tribune.

None of these losers was there that evening. And I didn’t puke——another ugly, graphic word that conveys an offensive image.

It’s interesting that I was selected by your magazine in 2000 as one of the “50 People To Watch.” It’s my understanding that part of the criteria for that selection is to acknowledge someone who has a leadership role in making change, or recognized as someone who cares about their community and region, and has the integrity and guts to speak out. Your magazine also interviewed me for the one-page profile you normally write.

All said, I do not expect or want your magazine to be my PR agent, but I do expect a factual report of any incident.

MAYOR ART MADRID
LA MESA

Many in the media have reported that Mayor Madrid vomited during the incident. But police reports say only that there was “vomit around the vehicle.” They do not attribute it to Madrid.——EDITOR

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