Democratic Primary Race

As a former 12-year resident of San Francisco, I take great offense with Van de Kamp’s ads claiming Feinstein left San Francisco with a budget deficit.

While Sacramento and Washington ignored a growing AIDS threat, Feinstein, with the support of a great majority of of residents, utilized the city’s surplus to fund hospice care, medical care and research through San Francisco General Hospital and other medical facilities and many other approaches to ameliorate the conditions caused by AIDS. Many of these programs now serve as a model for the nation and world community.

Was Feinstein pandering to the gay and lesbian community? Hardly! At the same time that she was virtually alone as a major politician in her efforts to fund a systematic response to AIDS, she vetoed a domestic partners bill being demanded by the “politically correct” gay/lesbian community.

Mr. Van de Kamp, we really do not need yet another governor who plays loosely with the facts in order to support a political career or dogma.

A footnote: Though a lifelong and active Republican, I’ve re-registered as a Democrat so that I may vote for Feinstein and Arlo Smith (candidate for attorney general) in the primary. They both are among the few politicians who tend to make their decisions based not upon what is politically correct, but upon what they believe to be fair and just. How refreshing!

KEVIN W. WADSWORTH

Placerville