What is Wrong with Us?
My husband picked up a copy of Weekly Planet to bring to me, his feminist wife, because he knew that the cover story "Potholes and Prostitutes" would interest me. It didn't so much interest as dismay me.
The sneering equivalency of your cover's parallel "problems" — prostitution and potholes — is sexism as usual, banal misogyny supporting the double standard, unworthy of a truly alternative newspaper.
There would be no prostitution if men did not buy these women's bodies. And yet, not one of the mayoral candidates mentioned the johns, including the only woman running, sad to say. It's as if prostitution were an activity that women alone are responsible for. All the mayoral candidates referred to prostitutes as if they operated in isolation, polluting the purity of the neighborhoods in which the male customers are heads of the family, upstanding citizens of the community, elders in the church, and generous contributors to mayoral campaigns.
I am offended by your cover image of a woman's legs in a scanty skirt and what my students used to tell me are called "fuck shoes." This insinuating cover is Playboy-lite. An alternative view by an authentically alternative newspaper would have been a Weekly Planet cover with one of those drooling customers hanging out of a late-model Cadillac window leering at a young hooker. He would be brandishing a bottle of Viagra pills in one hand and a wad of bills in the other. That's alternative.
—Lee Drury De Cesare, via e-mail
According to your article, "Five nights a week, a guy gets off a bus on Nebraska Avenue after working a 2-to-midnight shift. Hookers constantly proposition him while he walks home. He's called the cops, but they haven't taken his complaint seriously. How do you respond?"
I respond by saying: "Who's more out of touch with HARTline's inadequacies: mayoral candidates or Weekly Planet? HARTline's last bus to drop off on Nebraska is about 10:45 p.m. How could a guy who works "a 2-to-midnight shift" ride home on the bus?
I come from a real city — D.C. — where the bus lines run till midnight. HARTline will NEVER do anything but lose money because they don't know how to attract riders. In 1990, during the first Gulf War, they responded to higher gas prices by raising rates and cutting schedules. They could have attracted riders by increasing bus routes and lowering fares at a time when it was becoming less economical to drive a car.
Back to the original rant, the Weakling Planet is obviously not a world-class paper either. There are hundreds of people who have come in (unwanted) contact with prostitutes on Nebraska, but rather than do real investigative work, you made up a story about a guy. How sleazy!
Lackluster reporting, lackluster bus service. Welcome to Tampa, the city with a lousy work ethic.
—Jim Toler, via e-mail
Of Socialites and Rascals
I have known Mary Maloof for over 15 years and never would I describe her as a "socialite." In my opinion, a socialite is a shallow person with lots of money to spend on frivolous pursuits. Mary does not fit that stereotype. She is committed to making Treasure Island a better place to live; she has worked toward that end as a private citizen, commissioner and soon, as mayor. As a private citizen, she has supported such charities as Make-a-Wish and Project Rainbow. My special-education students have benefited from help she gave my class. As commissioner, she has consistently represented her constituency, often voting against the majority of commissioners. Her integrity is unquestioned. As mayor, I am sure that she will continue to represent all of the people of Treasure Island with honesty, integrity and a true vision for the future of Treasure Island.
As for socialites, doesn't Peter Gallagher fit the stereotype more closely as he flits from beach bar to beach bar?
—Nancy Schubart, Treasure Island
Peter Gallagher has again written a most detailed and insightful article updating Weekly Planet readers about Treasure Island's government problems and the solutions moving inexorably forward to "clean house." Some people who have read your article called me (a candidate for mayor in the next election) with comments of "wow," "unbelievable" and "now I understand why things have been so bad."
Mr. Gallagher's article makes it clear why 11 candidates are now vying for three elected offices in the March 4 election. Lots of people are finally disgusted and fed up. If enlightened and sufficient voter turnout comes to the polls, Treasure Island might finally be on the road to professional recovery after the last four years of growing problems. Peter Gallagher and the Weekly Planet have played important roles in providing much of our voter enlightenment.
—George A. Makrauer, Treasure Island
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2003.