Dear Editor,<\/p>\n
With regards to \u201cUnconditional Surrender\u201d article [See “Editor\u2019s Analysis: When is a kiss just a kiss?” Vol. 14, Issue 3], I cannot resist adding my view to the local debate that is ongoing.<\/p>\n
As a World War II Battle of the Bulge combat veteran, I returned home to the U.S. in August of 1945, and kissed the ground when my troop ship, Queen Elizabeth, docked in N.Y.<\/p>\n
That \u201cKiss\u201d sculpture has an emotional meaning that so called \u201cart critics,\u201d \u201cpublic art commissions\u201d<\/p>\n
and others\u00a0 cannot comprehend, because\u00a0 some of them were not born yet, or were just children at that time in 1945.<\/p>\n
The \u201ckiss\u201d has nothing to do with lust or romance. The so-called \u201cart critics\u201d do not have a clue as to what the gesture signifies.<\/p>\n
The City of San Diego is most fortunate to possess this victory symbol. It is a fitting tribute to the military men and women veterans who helped defeat the axis powers during WWII.<\/p>\n
I am most pleased that the public support defeated the people, who simply see a sailor and a nurse locked in an embrace.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Jerry Kronovet, Architect, artist, sculptor; via email<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Editor,<\/p>\n Interesting story about the Downtown Partnership [See \u201cA 40-year vision lay at their feet,\u201d Vol. 14, Issue 3]. They are paid $72,000 per year for oversight of the Clean and Safe Program that cleans the streets, trims trees, and does safety patrols. Not one cent of these services are paid for by the Downtown Partnership. Tax assessments to Downtown property owners in the amount of over 6 million dollars are collected to provide these services. \u2026 errors in the assessments were discovered almost four years ago. Many more errors were discovered in an audit completed last July.\u00a0Most citizens don’t know they were overcharged.\u00a0To date, no one has gotten a refund.<\/p>\n