Dear Mr Primavera,

You are absolutely right: a large number of No on 8 supporters are very angry at the No on 8 leardership. Here in San Francisco where I live, a number of people are outraged at Geoff Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. There are other responsible parties but Mr Kors was the most visible. I have called Equality California and left messages for the fundraiser and Mr Kors stating that I will not give Equality California another dime until Mr Kors resigns and decent leadership is in place. I suggest that all who feel the same call Equality California with a similar message. The number is (415) 581-0005, ext 312 for fund raising, ext 314 for Geoff Kors.

Rem Melton
San Franciso

Hey, people: Clip a clue-pon.

I don't agree with Aguirre closing The 2200 Club (even though it was a filthy dive), but do you really think Jan Goldsmith is a friend to the gay community?

LOL. I don't think so.

We've just lost (or seen marginalized) the only two elected officials in San Diego who had ANY interest in defending the citizens and taxpayers of this city against developers, city employee unions, and other special interest groups that politicians here routinely favor in back-room deals.

I am speaking of Michael Aguirre and Donna Frye. Both of them gay-friendly.

Yes, Aguirre was hot-headed. So what?

If you need an attorney to represent you, you should get the nastiest SOB you can find.

Aguirre made it clear that he -- unlike all the other City Attorneys in San Diego past and present -- was going to comply with the City Charter and represent the citizens of San Diego, not the special interest groups and a City Council and Mayor beholden to those groups.

Aguirre had on-going cases on appeal to try to reduce the outrageous pension benefits to city employees that have all but bankrupted this city.

Will Goldsmith continue that fight, or will he drop it?

Will he go after the firefighters suing the city because they had to participate in Gay Pride the way Aguirre did?

Or will he settle with them and give them the money they want?

Are San Diegans really dumb enough to let this city fall apart -- pot-holes everywhere, collapsing water and sewer pipes, inadequate police and fire protection, etc. -- thanks to politicians who looted the city treasury for their buddies the city employee unions, sports teams owners, etc.?

Are they dumb enough to keep electing and empowering such politicians?

Apparently they are.

Aguirre lost thanks to a smear campaign by city employee unions wanting to preserve gold-plated pension benefits that residents and taxpayers whose money pays those city employees can no longer get, by developers, and by that sleazy, disgraceful rag The Union Tribune.

San Diegans fell hook, line and sinker for the anti-Aguirre propaganda.

The same propaganda machine went after Donna Frye.

And it's no accident that our own gay District 3 representative voted against her (the longest serving city council member) to be president of the council.
Instead, he voted for Hueso, a good friend of the city employee unions.

Good work people. I hope that the city goes bankrupt. Let a judge force the politicians to live within their means and serve the people who elect them for once. Nobody else will.

Messers Sharples and Berman deserve some respect for parading their partisan ignorance non-anonymously, but only for that. Mike Aguirre was a good friend to the LGBT community nevertheless, and 4 years with Jan Goldsmith as City Attorney will certainly confirm it. When I saw Mike at the march of 25,000 supporting marriage equality, I told him that I didn't thank him for being there, I expected a progressive and a good man to be there. He agreed. My question is where were Jan Goldsmith and all the other pols except for Todd and Stephen? I didn't see Jan Goldsmith, nor do I ever expect him to support us.

Here's a link to contributors for and against Proposition 8: http://www.sfgate.com/webdb/prop8/?appSession=66456099855189.

This specific search was for those who contributed in favor of Prop 8 in the 92104 zip code. John Primavera's name appears three times dating back to July 2, 2008.

Judas? Brutus? Coincidence? Same name? Please explain...

Anyone who is upset with the No on 8 leadership has some serious introspection to do. If you could do a better job, you should have stepped up. It's far too easy to sit back, do nothing, and then blame the leadership for failure.

Don't get me wrong, I fell into that same boat and right after the election was mad. And it wasn't like I wasn't involved. I volunteered several hours of my time, gave money, and even volunteered as a local poll team leader for the entirety of election day. But even that wasn't enough to justify blaming the campaign.

It's a very simple principle. If you don't like the way things are run, do it yourself and do it better.

SHAME ON THE CENTER

One week ago, the San Diego LGBT Center, in these harsh economic times, eliminated five positions. They paid these five employees through the week,and watched them pack them belongings the very same day. With no warning and no severence, members and servants of the LGBT Community were disposed of by the very organization that is supposed to advocate for all of us-two weeks before Christmas. This holiday season, I would encourage everyone who supports the LGBT Community Center to find another place to support: a place that embodies some of its own ethics.

If Michael Aguirre wanted to be a knight in shining armor then he should have acted like one. Problem was the Aguirre wanted to be everything to everyone. He posed for photos in his office with exconvict “repaired gay” James Hartline while he attacked gay businesses that had supported him. Like many people who do not tell the truth he would forget the answer that he had given before and make up a new one. Sure he did some things that were good for the LBGT community but we quickly learned that he could not be trusted. He would turn on us like a snake as was pointed out in the 2/15/07 GLT Editorial. It seemed like he forgot who his supporters were. Members of the Democratic Central Committee referred to him as “Embarrassment to the party”, “erratic”, “unpredictable” and “liar” when they considered his endorsement. Well over 150,000 registered Democrats crossed party lines and voted for Republican Jan Goldsmith. No it was not the Republicans or the unions; it was Aguirre’s own pitiful performance that got him thrown out of office.

No sir, do not use the term partisan when referring to me and my opposition to Michael Aguirre. I am a liberal Democrat and was the founding co-chair of the Desert Stonewall Democrats. I am very active in getting Democrats elected who support the issues important to the LGBT community. We all thought that was Aguirre in 2004. Once he got into office he forgot who his supporters were. He befriended homophobe James Hartline and targeted businesses at Hartline’s request. Even after hours and hours of undercover police surveillance inside the 2200 Club none of Aguirre’s allegations could be verified’ The only violation proven in court was that two undercover officers entered a room designated for single occupancy. Every time Aguirre was asked about that investigation or any other one he made up a new answer which did not coincide with his last answer or any evidence. Regardless of party affiliation an elected official must be honest with his constituents and that Aguirre did not do. Thousands and thousands of Democrats who had supported Aguirre in 2004 chose to vote for his opponent in 2008. Aguirre has no one to blame for his embarrassing defeat but himself. One can only hope that the Democratic party in San Diego can come up with candidates who have a reputation for honesty and integrity and that is certainly not Michael Aguirre.

Why are is the GLBT community so proud of having put CLOSETED REPUBLICAN TODD GLORIA into office?