Chron's Attempt to Manipulate Voters with Homeless Series Exposed

Editor -- As a former social worker who assisted homeless individuals, I was extremely disappointed in the first part of Kevin Fagan's series on homelessness. Instead of helping people understand the history of homelessness and how this country has systematically turned its back on the poor and mentally ill, we are treated to the same old sensationalized headlines, such as "Shame of the City'' and "Homeless Island,'' with pseudo-dramatic interviews of people with substance-abuse problems and most likely mental illness.
But don't get me wrong -- it is a shame, a shame on our nation, our society and our culture that while we can spend billions of dollars on foreign wars and homeland security, we cannot take care of the most vulnerable in our community. This is the true shame and it sits not only with the government, but with each and every one of us for letting it happen.

QUINTIN MECKE
San Francisco


'Exploitive' series
Edior -- Disgusting and despicable! The cynical and manipulative timing of your "series of articles'' just a week before the runoff election is one of the most callous and venal examples of the distortion and corruption of the press for partisan political purposes that I can imagine. To exploit the misery of your fellow human beings in such a transparent attempt to garner support for a political candidate is truly loathsome. It is to be hoped that it will backfire in much the same way as Angela Alioto's endorsement has.

PATRICK MONK
San Francisco


Editor -- Kevin Fagan should be commended for his excellent reportage. Monday's piece ("We're together'') on the Silver family was engaging and insightful.
I reserve less charitable sentiments however for The Chronicle. The decision to run a five-day series on homelessness just before the mayoral election is a blatant give-away to Gavin Newsom. It is unfortunate that such an interesting, in-depth series is shadowed by the noisome, dark cloud of political favoritism.

ARIC BRIGHT
San Francisco


Editor -- I've already become accustomed to The Chronicle's vilification of our city's indigents, the latest example being the Kevin Fagan/Brant Ward series, which focused on the "hardcore homeless'' on the front page.
What strikes me is your sense of timing. In the second section, you run your annual plea to give to people who just saw a reversal of fortune. Do you realize you're making a distinction of "worthy'' and "unworthy'' poor people by running both series concurrently? Apparently, the first thing the "hardcores'' need to escape their plight is a competent publicist.

T. J. JOHNSTON
San Francisco