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I have never read your magazine before until when I was in Taco Surf in Pacific Beach and I picked up the issue of San Diego City Beat with “Just out of reach” on the cover [Sept. 18]. I was quite impressed with the magazine overall.

Your author of the story hit the problem on the head. The price of health care is at an all-time high so having health care coverage is a luxury. I believe I have a solution for CityBeat readers. I am executive director for a Health Care Solution. That protects you and family for $49.95 a month. Please take the time to look at our Web site.

Family Care, located in Houston, Texas, is a not-for-profit association established in 1983 and incorporated in 1987. Since then, we have grown tremendously and now have thousands of members. Our network now has more than 400,000 providers and is growing daily. All of our providers are committed to excellence.

Family Care is a unique association in that it specializes in one thing, providing our members with the best quality professional service at a preferred price. Everyone needs an advocate to help find professional services that are fairly priced and of good quality. Family Care is that advocate.

Family Care was created by physicians with one goal in mind, to establish and strengthen the doctor-patient relationship. We at Family Care feel this goal has been accomplished.

Family Care has contracted with the nation's best-rated companies to make available benefits, which in today's times are greatly needed. With more than 400,000 medical providers nationwide, Family Care is proud to call itself “an industry leader” and is ever gaining momentum needed to continue its solid, reputable standing.

Big-money friends

Since you ran a story on District Attorney Paul Pfingst [CityBeat, Oct. 2], I'd like to tell you my experience. I wanted to know how he treats complaints about political crimes and violations of the state Political Reform Act, so I made a public records request and received a list of 24 cases from March 1999 to October 2001.

Out of the 24, he claims to have prosecuted one. Tough on crime?

The one he says he prosecuted was the Valerie Stallings case, which was on Page 1, investigated by the FBI and really prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney. Judging from his one-for-24 record, it seems that politicians and their big-money supporters have a free hand to break the law in San Diego County.

To back up this conclusion, I point to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) case of the Gatlin Development Company and Frank Gatlin, which was fined $192,000 by the FPPC for illegal contributions. The FPPC sent a letter to Pfingst's office about this, saying, “We believe the alleged violations took place within the city and county of San Diego. Violations of the Political Reform Act can be prosecuted criminally. The District Attorney's Office has jurisdiction for violations committed within its county.”

Despite this strong invitation, there was no prosecution, but that does not mean that Gatlin is unknown to Pfingst. Take a look at his campaign contributions. Oct. 3, 2001: $500 from Frank Gatlin. Dec. 11, 2001: $500 from Frank Gatlin IV; $500 from Debbie Gatlin, wife of Frank IV; $500 from Rich Ruff, project manager of Gatlin Development; $500 from Shay Ruff, wife of Rich; $500 from Julia Passalaqua, employed by Gatlin development: $500 from Josephine Passalaqua, same address as Julia; and $500 from Joseph Passalaqua, also same address.

This is how lawbreakers say thank you to our district attorney.

Ed's a sick jerk

Re: “Sordid Tales” by Edwin Decker [CityBeat, Sept. 25].

Decker, you are so incredibly wrong about Feldman and Westerfield-I just hope the Van Dams didn't read your article, because I know what they would say to you. They would say that you are a selfish, sick jerk who gets off on the sick side of life. CityBeat has only been on the stands a few weeks now and I'm already tired of all your leftist rants. Anti-death penalty. Anti-U.S. Anti-homeland security. It seems to me the only thing you are for is sex and drugs and rock and roll. I can only hope more people see you for what you are: An evil pig. Goodbye.

Who you gonna call?

As a criminal defense lawyer, I want to thank you and commend you for your article in CityBeat last week [“Sordid Tales,” Sept. 25].

Even before the Westerfield case, “Steven Fucking Feldman” was the guy I would call if I ever got into trouble. He is one of the strongest advocates a criminal defendant could hope to hire or receive the benefit of his court-appointed services. Thank you for putting into print what many of us have to say on a daily basis to the rest of the world.

Defense and resolution

Re: “Sordid Tales,” [CityBeat, Sept. 25]

I, too, would like to buy Steven Feldman a drink, and here I offer my reasons. His vigorous defense, including the unpopular examination of the Van Dams' lifestyle, obliterated my doubt on Westerfield's guilt and strengthened my confidence that the justice system worked well.

I am also very glad to see the Van Dams at public events, showing their resiliency and apparent healing after the awful events.

The merciless disclosure of their private acts, voluntarily or not, helped lead to the most satisfactory resolution within the rules of the land.

Derek Mawhinney,

Pacific Beach

‘Nuthin' town'

Regarding the article “‘All good things...'” [CityBeat, Oct. 2], Troy Johnson did a fine job of pointing out the obvious: San Diego radio is a wasteland.

Certainly 92/1FM was small, but it was also quite a few things the rest of San Diego radio was not, namely, unique. I didn't love every song, but I tuned in for the local music, which is ignored elsewhere on the radio dial. Michael Halloran is a decent guy with a good ear for what is going to click with his audience.

The thought of reviving the MIXX format is about as appealing as hearing the Infiniti Disco will re-open in Mission Valley. Is there a station left to fight against “Clear Channel's dominance of San Diego radio” that Johnson wrote about? Art Astor forgot that 49-year-old car dealers, or any advertiser, will buy into whatever is selling.

I suppose this means we can all expect more tripe on the airwaves and inane banter on the dial in the weeks and months to come. Leaving San Diego was the right choice. As the Penetrators once said, “Livin' is dyin' in this nuthin'

town.”

Barry Benintende,

Springfield, Mo.