Letters are posted as we receive them during the week, and before they are printed in the paper, so check back frequently to see new letters. If you'd like to send a letter to the editor, use this postmarks submission form, or email your letter directly to mail@austinchronicle.com. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
   Michael King did a great job in his article regarding HB 2833 ["The Lege v. Austin," News, May 27]. Good environmental practices increase property values. Property rights are important, but more important are the rights of the community – we, the people – to protect irreplaceable community environmental assets such as the Edwards Aquifer.
   What is under the property is a part of the true market value of a property. Politicians and developers who interfere with the marketplace betray their fear of competition against more competent developers who are operating within the true market value of property over the aquifer and doing quite well.
   Austin is not the only environmentally conscious city in the region. Other cities, such as Sunset Valley, are involved in the Legislature to protect our rights as a city and the environment that makes this area such a desirable place to live and raise children. The more you promote the good things that the rest of us are doing, the more Austin will be encouraged to continue to walk its talk.

Dear Editor,
    [RE: "Driving in Sin," Letters @ 3am, May 27]
   Maybe Michael Ventura and his ’69 Chevy could get better mileage if not for all that extra baggage. Driving around with the weight of the world in tow can be brutal, especially with no A/C.
    No wonder he always seems to be up at 3am.

Dear Editor,
    A vital transportation resource owned by the people of Austin is being ignored, destroyed, and given away to private landowners. I refer to the pedestrian right-of-way, the land already owned by the public and allocated for transportation purposes on both sides of most city streets. The pedestrian right-of-way is where the sidewalk would be, if there were a sidewalk. On most streets there will never be a sidewalk, because inevitably transportation money will be swallowed up by the insatiable motorcars.
    Most people (though not all) can walk in the pedestrian right-of-way even in the absence of a sidewalk, as long as the right-of-way is not blocked. But usually the right-of-way is blocked every few yards by walls, fences, cacti, anything to keep people from walking in a relatively low-stress space.
    I walk around the streets of Austin every day. It's really great when there's a place to walk where cars won't hit you unless they jump the curb. Walking is relaxing, but it's much less relaxing when there is nowhere to walk except in the path of the cars. When I'm walking, I notice that most pedestrians I see are walking as far as the nearest car. I think that lack of a clear off-street space to walk has much to do with people's aversion to walking in Austin.
    The city of Austin owns this land already, and it is designated for transportation purposes. All the city needs to do is to explicitly affirm the right of the public to walk in the public right-of-way, even in the absence of a sidewalk, and to make clear what department is responsible for clearing reported blockages.
    But I doubt this will be done, because it doesn't cost billions or require pouring concrete.

Dear Editor,
   I live in East Austin and teach at one of the shrinking schools, Allan Elementary ["Shrinking Schools," News, May 20]. I have taught there for seven years. I love the kind, hardworking, dedicated staff of teachers and support personnel that works there. We have had many problems over the years, but Allan teachers have always been there to teach and support the children and one another. Each year we set goals for ourselves and strive to make our school better because we care about our students and take pride in the work we do. My daughter, age 7, attends Allan.
    Well-meaning friends and acquaintances have asked as to why I don’t transfer my bright child to Matthews or Lee. I am my child’s first and most important role model and teacher. We do reading, writing, thinking, and problem-solving at home. At school she has hard-working teachers whom she loves. I know she is getting a good education and plenty of enrichment. I choose to live and work in East Austin because it exists. Racism and social inequalities exist. Moving to some gated community in the suburbs, or sending my child to some higher-set school, doesn’t make the racism or injustices go away, and I would be giving my child a false sense of security. What I do strive to give my child and my students is a passion for learning, and the tools to be critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and to have empathy and respect for others, and to work now, in the present, toward improving our world.
    I hope more teachers, parents, individuals, and politicians, instead of complaining about schools, will work toward making all schools excellent for all children regardless of whether that school is east or west of I-35.

Dear Editor,
   Recently, with little or no help from the American press, it has come to light that a British government memo dated from summer of 2002 reveals that the U.S. government had decided to fix intelligence around the decision to invade Iraq, and that the claims of WMD were contrived.
   U.S. Rep. John Conyers has spearheaded a movement to demand an explanation from the White House, but has so far been met with nothing but silence, big surprise.
   Help Rep. Conyers to demand an explanation for what may very well be the crime of the century, and sign the petition found on his Web site, www.johnconyers.com.
   We must prove to our government that we will not complacently stare at the television while our democracy is hijacked from underneath us. Write a letter, tell your family, call a radio talk show and get into it with them, whatever it takes.
   Let's get this issue out into the open and get some answers.

Dear Editor,
   Listening to Sen. Kerry demanding the release of information on a presidential nominee so the Senate can determine if he is qualified for the job is quite different from his attitude when he was running for president. He did not think the American people needed to look at his questioned military records when voting for president as he did not sign the form for them to be released.
    Also, Sen. Reed said, "The vote should be for what is right not what is wrong." I would suggest that the liberal Democrats first learn the difference.

Dear Editor,
   Starbucks?? Give me a break [Food, May 20]! With Austin's own Anderson's Coffee Co., that's like comparing McDonald’s to Dan's or Fran's. Anderson's has been providing coffee to Austin's finest long before Seattle grunged us with the Starbuck (which sounds like a "hip" californicated Yankee from Santa Fe).
   Jeeze, Chronicle! You're sellin' out!

Dear Editor,
   I cannot stand this any longer; first we hear of a story by Newsweek that had, among many disturbing things, an article about the mishandling of the Koran by our soldiers. Then our government attacks Newsweek over the story, claiming that it did not happen and the editor should be tried for treason. Then we find that Newsweek turned the story over to a high official in government, he or she has a few problems with the article, they give it back to Newsweek with recommendations, Newsweek changes the problems then prints the story. Then all of these people start coming out of the woodwork with stories claiming that the Koran was mishandled by our men. What in the hell does "might have mishandled" mean, Brig. Gen. Jay W. Hood? The Koran was either mishandled or not! Take some responsibility for your people's actions. Your people mishandled the prisoners’ Koran, besides the little fact that they tortured the prisoners, too. If your people did not do these awful things, then show us what evidence you have, and let the American people read for themselves. I am tired of the lies that are coming out of this government. I am sick of being lied to! I am disturbed by the terrorist acts of our own military men and women, yet more than that I am disgusted with their leaders. Notice to our leaders in government and the military: One of these days, you will be held responsible. I just hope it is sooner than later.

Dear Editor:
   All conventions and group meetings create costs for our region as well as bringing revenue for our businesses and cities. However, I have never read where the costs that apply to air quality, solid waste, and expenses for public safety have been quantified, but we do pay a price.
   The Republic of Texas (ROT) Motorcycle Rally, which takes place in early June, is one example. An estimated 35,000 motorcyclists meet at the Travis County Expo Center, and the sounds of their straight-piped exhaust can be heard in many parts of town.
   Exhaust emissions from motorcycles are high, particularly for carbon monoxide. With the gradual decline in ozone-forming emissions from passenger vehicles since the 1980’s non-SUV passenger vehicles are already cleaner than a motorcycle on a one-to-one comparison. For example, it is astonishing to note that one motorcycle emits the equivalent in ozone-forming emission of up to 20 current model year VW Beetles (www.epa.gov/autoemissions/E-VOLKSWAGEN-NewBeetle-04.htm).
   If 30,000 motorcycles traveled 100 miles during one day of the ROT they would emit approximately 11 tons of ozone-forming emissions and 45 tons of carbon monoxide. On the Saturday the event was held in 2003 an ozone monitor registered an exceedence of the Federal Ozone Standard. The total emissions from the motorcycles at the ROT were seen as contributing cause to this ozone exceedence by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
   If a future ROT or other high-emission event caused an ozone exceedence that contributed to our violating the Federal Ozone Standard we could face economic sanctions that could nullify any economic gain derived from the event.
   Vehicle emission testing will begin in September, 2005, in Travis and Williamson Counties. Please keep your vehicle well maintained to reduce emissions throughout the year to protect the community’s health.

Dear Editor,
   Thanks for posting the article on the cemetery ["In Memoriam," News, May 27], it gives me moral support! I'm a one-woman show to get the sadly neglected historic old San Antonio Masonic cemetery back in shape and on a perpetual care program. The Masons purchased this property in 1853. One of the earliest Masonic grounds in Texas, Alamo Masonic Cemetery contains the graves of some of San Antonio and Texas' founding families. It is the only cemetery that is neglected among 30 others in a 25-plus block area near the heart of downtown San Antonio.
   
   This is just a partial list of residents:
   
   Sinclair (wrote "The Eyes of Texas")
   Driscoll (saved the Alamo for goodness sake!)
   Smith (daughter of Erastus "Deaf" Smith)
   Fisk (served in the Army of Texas from 1836 to 1837)
   Frost (bank)
   Menger (hotel & soap factory)
   Meusebach (Mr. Meusebach founded Fredericksburg and made the peace treaty with the Indians)
   Onderdonk (famous regional artist)
   Cotton, Smith, Schmeltzer, Jenkins (all members of Terry's Texas Rangers)
   Newcomb (Texas Secretary of State)
   Van Riper (Texas Ranger)
   Ham (came to Texas with Jim and Rezin Bowie)
   Huth (involved in the colonization of Castroville)
   
   
   Go look at www.rootsweb.com/~txbexar2/alamomasonic.html.
   After I appeared on TV, the grass was cut Saturday the 15th. Now that the grass is cut, you can see damaged and broken tombstones everywhere. The Masons are now talking to the city about taking it over. The city has eight cemeteries that they maintain in the area.

Louis,
   Just a quick thank you for publishing the May 13th article by Jeff Tonn ["The Daily Grind of the Anti-War Movement," News] on what the peace movement is doing.

Dear Editor,
   I was quite unhappy with the treatment given to the $91,000 that Margot Clarke will receive for the run-off campaign. In "Headlines," May 20, [News] you wrote, "But the funds are not taken from taxpayers, but from lobbyist and candidate fees to which she is entitled for abiding by city Fair Campaign Finance rules." This sentence contains two pieces of information, both wrong.
   Clarke is not receiving money for abiding by rules. She was definitely not required to abide by the rules and it is my impression that she did not. She is being rewarded for agreeing to abide by the spending limit rules if each and every one of her opponents did so. As she has admitted that she knew that some of her opponents would not agree, she is actually being rewarded for making an offer that she knew would never be accepted.
   Yes, she is entitled to the money, but not for doing anything wonderful. What we should be asking is whether we like the result. A spending cap in this race would clearly have favored the candidate with the highest name ID, i.e., Clarke - especially since Dealey and Kim had their own money and Knaupe had the most well-heeled supporters. Rewarding a candidate who agrees to rules that favor her is kind of bizarre, don't you think? It is a bad law.
   Finally, this is taxpayer money. Making lobbyists pay fees to create a campaign finance fund that I'm sure they don't even want is called taxing them. There are fees, e.g., car registration and state park admissions, but just calling something a fee doesn't make it a fee.

   [News Editor Michael King replies: Mr. Heitman disagrees with our interpretation of the campaign finance ordinance, and the law itself, as is his right, but that doesn't mean the information we reported is incorrect. We stand by our story.]

Dear Editor,
   Mr. Sexton's letter this week noted, "That the leadership in Germany and Japan were emboldened by that [peace] movement is undisputed. It more than likely accounted for the failure to put an end to Hitler while he was still relatively weak. So an argument can be made that the ‘peace advocates,’ sincere though they may have been, contributed greatly to the catastrophic blood bath we call World War II and even to the Holocaust" ["Postmarks," May 27].
   I wonder if Mr. Sexton knows whether so many leading American industrialists (including the Bushes, the Fords, the Kennedys, and the Hughes families) who lent both economic and spiritual support to Hitler might be considered more of a contribution to the Nazis’ continued rise than U.S. peace protesters.
   Similarly, I wonder if Mr. Sexton has any thoughts about the S.S. St. Louis, a ship with 937 Jews that was turned away from docking by our government in 1939 thereby sending those men, women, and children back to die in the death camps might also have been taken as a sign of encouragement by Heir Hitler in a more profound way than some peaceniks?

Dear Editor,
    Why has the Chronicle not printed a story about what UT Austin is trying to do to Players Restaurant at the corner of MLK and Lavaca? UT intends to build a 10-story hotel nearby and has threatened to use "eminent domain" to take away Players' property to erect a five-story parking garage for the hotel. The owners of Players, Carlos Oliveira and Eddie Hempe, originally from Brownsville and UT graduates, have refused to sell. They wish to continue the business that they have been running since 1981. Eminent domain is only supposed to be used in rare circumstances by government entities for projects in the public good. There is no shortage of hotel space in Austin, but soon UT will be competing with private hotels. How is it good for a state institution to enter a private-sector business? If the hotel needs a five-story parking garage, why don't they build it underground, beneath the hotel, instead of usurping private property? My friends and I have been regular customers of Players for more than 20 years. Players has been around long enough to become an Austin institution. What UT is trying to do is just wrong. The Chronicle should investigate and publish a story about the taking of Players. Thanks.

Dear Editor,
    The Who have asked me to create a film that covers their entire musical career from the beginning to the present. This is intended to be the authorized anthology, and I plan to explore every aspect of this amazing band's career, their music, and their impact on the culture.
    The band would welcome contributions from their fan base – videos (legal or otherwise – this has the band's approval), movies, stills, and anecdotes. They especially want material that has rarely or never been seen, such as performance disasters, bloopers, triumphs, fights, backstage parties, fan interactions, and the like. We have set up a Web site, www.thewhomovie.com, and I can be contacted at director@thewhomovie.com by anybody who would like to contribute.

Dear Editor,
    As I listened to Sen. Biden and Sen. Sarbanes perform "a third grade play" on debate of the John Bolton conformation, I am left thinking that these senators are demanding so much of John Bolton, while I have heard public statements made by Sen. Biden, Sen. Kennedy, and other Democrats that put American lives in danger (in my opinion) in time of war with boots on the ground. I would suggest they follow the advice made by Dean, their democratic chairman: Remove the plank from your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brother's.

Dear Editor,
    Austin, what happened? First the smoking ban passed and now you voted Starbucks the best coffee in town [“Restaurant Poll,” Food, May 20]? What happened, Austin? We used to be cool.

Dear Editor,
    In regards to the review of the Kings of Leon's Aha Shake Heartbreak, “Phases and Stages,” Music, Feb. 25: Three-and-one-half stars, are you joking? That is the best fuckin' album ever! The Kings of Leon rule! They're fit! They rock!