Put Blair Park vision to work

I very much appreciate Sinan Sabuncuoglu's call for "a new vision" for Blair Park, as he expressed in the June 22 My Word column.

As part of that vision, I invite people to come to Blair Park to see a massive California bay laurel tree, which may be more than 200 years old. You have to walk in the lower or west end of the park to see it, toward the hillside. It has long been neglected, surrounded by invasive plants with ivy crawling up its trunk, until a few people pulled off the ivy and weeds. This majestic tree should be cared for properly, as should several other neglected trees.

Our energy, enthusiasm and renewed awareness of Blair Park can be channeled into a cooperative drive to restore health to the trees, to remove the invasive growth and to increase native vegetation. Attention and a small amount of effort would create a truly beautiful natural open space in a heavily traveled corridor. Who will lead this effort?

Sandra Pohutsky

Oakland

GOP would blame Obama for anything

While reading letters to the editor, I remembered a new movie that concerns a 70-mile-wide asteroid striking earth.

If this were real instead of fantasy, Republicans would blame President Obama. They'd insist on letting the private sector handle the problem, and reaffirm their no-new-tax

"Birthers," who believe the president was not born in the United States, would somehow use this as proof that he was a true alien -- not even born on the planet.

Those who believe he's the anti-Christ, hates America, white people and capitalism, but loves socialism, communism, Karl Marx and Adolf Hitler, would "prove" it through this terrible act of nature.

The average 9-year-old already understands how many unsubstantiated lies, myths, fantasies and stupidities permeate our "digital universe." When will so-called adults get the message?

Michael Steinberg

Berkeley

Government, sports should be separate

Why does our federal government get involved in sports? I'll tell you why. The reason is big money! Look at how many millions of dollars it wastes.

These greedy government lawyers are just as bad as private sector lawyers. Federal lawyers take billions of dollars from us citizens, when you figure in their salaries, benefits and pensions. Private sector lawyers take even more.

Roger Clemens was acquitted of the six phony charges. Federal lawyers spent millions of our taxpayer dollars for nothing.

Barry Bonds was found guilty of only one count of obstructing justice, which he is appealing. How much of our money is that going to waste?

Republicans and Democrats in government are guilty of allowing federal lawyers to attack citizens in order to enrich themselves.

We don't have a chance.

Ella Jensen

El Cerrito

Put vehicle tunnel under the Bay

The chaos that erupted as a result of the transbay BART rail problems caused by a fire recently ought to drive home to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to consider the urgent need of building a transbay tunnel for vehicles.

There have been a lot of talks in public about the high-speed rail linking northern and southern parts of the state, but nothing about a tunnel under the Bay for vehicles.

Doesn't it make more sense to consider the latter first and put off the former for some time in the future?

Meanwhile, Bay Area commuters have to grind their teeth and bear it, regardless of whether transportation chaos of similar magnitude will erupt again.

John Hom

Walnut Creek

No problems with BART

I am not a frequent BART user, but it has always been there when I needed it, and everything has worked out fine.

Timothy Moder

Berkeley