LA Weekly

Umbrage Taken
I was incensed when I read Kate Coe's article "Tribes to Voters: How Dare You?" [Feb. 8-14]. You should be careful who you let freelance for your paper. The only things she got right were from my business card, which I gave her, and the AFL-CIO button I wear proudly.

Gregory Bojorquez

(Click to enlarge)

I take real umbrage at this paragraph: "Like hundreds of other budding politicians, [McCrory] hopes these now very rich casino tribes will pour cash into his race. He says he's got two obscure tribes backing him — the Sandman Wells and Augustine (adult population: one)."

There are so many things wrong with this one paragraph. "Hundreds of other budding politicians"? I was the only "budding" politician there and I am the only Indian running. "Pour cash into his race"? I said now that this compact had been resolved, I was hoping they could help me. These folks are my friends and fellow Indians. I certainly wouldn't tell a total stranger, much less a reporter, that I hoped the tribes would pour cash into my race.

Also, because they're my friends, I wouldn't refer to them as "obscure," even if they were. And they're not. Maybe she thought they were obscure because she couldn't find info on the "Sandman Wells" tribe. What a stupid, unnecessary error! It's San Manuel.

Why would I choose to alienate the very folks I'm looking to for support? I see it as my job as a labor activist and a Native American to bring the two worlds together to accomplish great things for all ­Califor­nians. The Weekly's credibility just took a major hit with me. If Harold Meyer­son were dead, he'd be turning over in his grave.

Dan McCrory
Reseda

 
Hugged by a Tree-hugger
Thanks to the Weekly for getting to the root of Santa Monica's ill-conceived ficus-tree shuffle and chain-saw tree massacre ["F**king the Ficus in Santa Monica," Jan. 11-17].

Jerry Rubin
Treesavers, Santa Monica

Doggone Tasty
Daniel Hernandez's "The Hot Dog So Good It's Illegal" [Feb. 8-14] whetted appetites. For more comments, click here.

For what it's worth, a bacon-wrapped grilled hot dog is a Sonoran Hot Dog — virtually the official food of Tucson, and probably points south. ... I don't think it's really accurate to localize the hot dogs of doom to L.A.

Posted on February 7 by Ben

Ben is partially correct in that the bacon-wrapped hot dog (a.k.a. the Danger Dog) is not strictly an L.A. phenomenon. The first time I saw a bacon-wrapped hot dog was on the streets of Tijuana sometime in the '70s.

Posted on February 8 by Dogma

In Germany you can get grilled hot dogs at every hot-dog stand and at many corners from carts. Especially in Berlin. What is the matter with the Americans? ... This country is getting duller by the minute. And to jail people for broiling hot dogs ... what a country. In the meantime Bush and his cronies, who have been and still are killing thousands, are strutting around like peacocks.

Posted on February 7 by Ziegenbart

Every great city on the planet has its revered forms of street food: the herring in the Netherlands, the egg wallah in front of the Taj Mahal, the crépes of Paris! Not to mention the ice cream carts of Devonshire, the knishes, pretzels and chestnuts of NYC — and where would our global happiness be without Dove bars? They started as street food. Shame on our politicians for not understanding, and reforming the laws. Long live street food!

Posted on February 8 by Alisa

Putting the health concerns aside, I think the main issue here is the fact that businesses don't want to compete with vendors. ... On the flip side, we should also consider the bonuses that street vendors provide — for example, they bring activity to the street, which provides more "eyes on the street."... Variety is the bacon of life. Peace!

Posted on February 8 by Marcel

I've had those before ... and it was cholesterol wrapped in awesomeness! I don't care for illegal immigration much, but the Mexicans are importing their food culture up here as well; for that they are blessed by God.

Posted on February 9 by Bill

Yeah, let's reward more illegal behavior by illegal immigrants! Then the vendors who obey health laws and get proper permits and carts will really be punished. Way to go! Obey the laws or get off the street.

Posted on February 9 by WTF!!

Horribly misleading article. I was incredibly indignant when I read this. I was ready to pound down the doors of the L.A. Environ­mental Health Department! Then I looked at their rules regarding grilling, and all they say is that the mobile cart needs to comply with health and safety regulations: http://lapublichealth.org/eh/progs/vip/VIPFAQ.htm. The two most important regulations that the police look for are three sinks to wash your cookware in (soapy water, slightly soapy water, clean water) and a fridge to keep the meat in. So ... what's wrong with that?

Posted on February 12 by Mar

 
Corrections
In an article on Hacktone Records ["Packaged Goods," Feb. 8-14], the sales figures on the reissue of David Allan Coe's Penitentiary Blues should have been "more than 10,000 copies." And the forthcoming reissue of Billy Eckstine was originally released on Stax Records.

In the same issue, in a photograph accompanying an article on ballroom dancing ["Swing Time"], the dancer should have been identified as David Estrada.

In an article on the Broad Contemporary Art Museum ["Hello ... WRONG," Feb. 15-21], artist Damien Hirst's name was misspelled due to an editing error.

 
Send letters to L.A. Weekly, P.O. Box 4315, L.A., CA 90078. Or fax us at (323) 465-3220. Or e-mail us at letters@laweekly.com. Letters, which must be typewritten and include a daytime telephone number for verification, may be edited for purposes of space or clarity.