|
The insufferable know-it-all speaks his piece
I've always thought highly of Nick Leone, but as he correctly pointed out
in his letter last week, I've been known to be wrong.
So I may be wrong in my opinion of him. Truth is, in spite of the fact that
he seems to have serious disagreements with some of my ideas, I still think
he's a fine person who wants what's best for a city we both cherish.
Nick objects to my comments on John Curtis, referring to my "viciousness"
which he finds "appalling." My comments were "slurs" according to Nick. He
believes that I exhibit "smug righteousness." My ideas are "crackpot." I
have the "insufferable attitudes of a know it all." (At least he didn't
say, as Supervisor McSheehy used to, that I had all the earmarks of an
eyesore.)
It may be insensitive of me to disagree, but I think he's in error. I did
say some unkind things about John Curtis, true. But all I did was to take
John's letter of the week before, and flip it on its ear. If John said
White, I said Black. Where John commented on Trammell Crow, I substituted
John Curtis's name.
Writers call it parody. I would like to thank John Curtis for writing a
letter that called out to be parodied. I really enjoyed the task. John
Curtis was hoist as best as I could manage it on his own petard. Yet I find
no words in Nick's letter critical of John Curtis's letter, or Nancy
Hall's, whom I did mention as well.
I should point out to Nick that my suggestion we split into two cities,
"Northern Pacifica" and "Sanchez" (for library purposes only), is to
demonstrate how ridiculous the county and the Joint Powers group are being
by insisting that we don't deserve two libraries. If we were two separate
cities of 20,000 population each, there would be no question we'd have two
libraries, each with a rational number of hours. Surely that isn't a
crackpot idea. It's just an ingenious brainstorm, or am I being
"insufferable" again? Ah, well!
I am curious how Nick knows that the 315 residences proposed by
Trammell-Crow are to be "cookie cutter." As far as I know, none of the
houses have gotten so far as a drawing board. Perhaps each will be a unique
architectural masterpiece. I think Nick's main objection is that
Trammell-Crow might make a buck. If I was TC, I wouldn't put up with John
Curtis, Nancy Hall, Julie Lancelle and Nick Leone for a minute unless I saw
at least a slim opportunity to make a buck. I hope it won't offend Nick
when I comment that, like 4000 other Pacifica families, I live in a Linda
Mar rancher, a "cookie cutter" home, if you will, that I was lucky to
purchase for $16,700 and that currently has a market value of roughly
$400,000 or better. Most Pacifica homes could be referred to as "cookie
cutter" by the elitist snobs of Seacliff, Hillsborough, Atherton, and
Portola Valley. In fact, I think they often are, come to think of it. I
thank God that Andy Oddstad created my cookie cutter home and that the VA
made it possible for me to barely afford it. While I still haven't made up
my mind on the quarry project, Nick, John Curtis, and his ilk are pushing
me toward a "Yes" vote. Why shouldn't 315 more families have the
opportunity that so many of my neighbors have had, to live within this
city, enjoy the company of fellow citizens like Nick, John, Nancy and
Julie, and even insufferable know-it-alls like me.
Paul Azevedo graciously accepts praise and agreement by e
mail at paul@thereactor.net. Even disagreements are reviewed with interest.
Check his website at www.thereactor.net.
|
