Obama's cross to bear

Pastor Byron Williams misses the point on the Barack Obama/Jeremiah Wright controversy (April 27 column).

It is not that Obama must answer for Wright's sound bites; it is that a presidential candidate must explain why he had a hateful racist demagogue as his pastor and mentor for 20 years.

Wright has been consistent and vocal in his beliefs, quoting James Cone's extremist black liberation theology, weekly sermons and articles in the church newsletter, and the recent televised speaking tour.

One week, Obama defended and embraced Wright. A week later, he threw Wright under the bus. Wright didn't change, so Obama must have.

Why wait 20 years? This is the question Obama must answer to be president.

It is not credible that Obama just realized what Wright was ranting. Either Obama believes Wright's poison, in which case he is unfit to be president, or he cynically used Wright and his church to gain badly needed "street cred" to get elected to state office.

Neither fits the profile of the "new politician" of hope and change that Obama is trying to project.

The only "hope" is that people don't see behind his mask and the only "change" is what Obama will do to get elected.

Bernard Flusche

Newark

Newark lacking leadership

Newark lacks leadership, and it is causing serious problems

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financially and environmentally.

Newark requires new businesses to pay a fee to subsidize additional low-income housing, which further discourages the development of a tax base — this in a city that already has one of the highest rates of low-income housing in the Bay Area.

Newark's mayor and council wish to go green. In other cities this means conservation and using resources responsibly; in Newark it means building a golf course while the state is facing water rationing. The average golf course uses about 50 million gallons of water a year.

Newark is now replacing street trees that have grown into power lines and whose roots have destroyed sidewalks. The city intends to put trees that grow 80 feet high under 25-foot high power lines.

This is alleged not to be an issue since PG&E will trim the trees.

Unfortunately, the trimming leads to extremely ugly trees with deformed canopies, further diminishing the appeal of the city to new residents and businesses.

Nadja Adolf

Newark