Letters

SOAPBOX

Your article “In the Spirit of Soap” [by Pat Sherman, February] was one of the best ever written about our unbelievable, complicated, visionary story. And I know of what I speak, because there have been more than 30 articles——from Vogue to the Chicago Tribune to The Wall Street Journal.

You captured the history, from my father escaping in 1947 from the Elgin Insane Asylum after nine months of shock treatment and forced labor, to our family continuing to carry on his vision, turning down millions from the “big boys” under the leadership of my two nephews, David and Michael (right now they are back in Israel and Palestine setting up fair-trade organic olive oils for our soaps).

Two corrections that will improve the article: We did not make $18 million in profits but in gross sales, and even Sherman, who wrote the article, found it unbelievable that each worker did not get $2,100 to $3,000 as stated, but $3,000 to $21,000. This is on top of additional profit-sharing set aside for their retirement. About every fifth person I tell this to would leave their job tomorrow to work for us. But they can’t. Nobody quits! We had our first retirement in our history——Enadia at 70!

We are a shining example that you can help Spaceship Earth, and your workers, and make a profit too. We would love to see “constructive capitalism” spread . . . and your article will help.

In the words of Paul Newman, who has given away more than $200 million from his food products: “If people knew the joy of giving——they wouldn’t wait until they’re dead to do it!” Our family and our company know that joy!

RALPH BRONNER
MENOMONEE FALLS, WISCONSIN

BY DESIGN

I am not generally an aficionado of fashion articles, but your March spread [“Resort to Paradise”] stopped me cold. It is high art.

From the models (one gorgeous blonde, one haunting brunette) to the artistic design to the stunning photography by Odessy Barbu (is anybody really named Odessy Barbu?), the article is a work of art.

More!

WENDALL HERBERT
DEL CERRO

NAMING NAMES

I am writing simply to thank Tom Blair. In his I on San Diego column [“It All Adds Up,” December 2006], he finally allowed me to see in print that it was on San Diego Mayor Susan Golding’s watch that our “civic financial crisis took root.”

I have always felt that way, but never heard or read anything that actually named Golding and [Mayor Dick] Murphy as the mayors on whose watch this debacle occurred.

It gave me great satisfaction to see it in print in your magazine.

J. LA BOSSIERE
SPRING VALLEY

PICTURE PERFECT

Cathy Anderson has performed brilliantly as leader of the San Diego Film Commission. She accepted a challenge at a challenging time. And oh, what a success! I enjoyed the insightful interview you did with her [Dialogue with Tom Blair, March]. Cathy joined us a few years after our team was born.

The genesis of the commission was one problem and two people: Harry O, an ABC-TV weekly series, was pulled from San Diego because their $350,000 weekly budget (high at the time) was never enough. So they left. Okay. But Los Angeles Times columnist Joyce Haber wrote, “Of course they left. What is there to film in San Diego after the close of the Del Mar racing season?” That really upset two people, and they are the two responsible for the commission.

The first was Larry Thomas, press secretary to then-Mayor Pete Wilson; the second was Nancy Washburn, a talent scout and San Diego Chamber of Commerce member. Larry wanted the mayor to set up a film bureau within the mayor’s office, and almost simultaneously Nancy stood up at a chamber annual meeting at the Bahia Hotel and said, “The chamber should create a film bureau.”

It took a while, but the focus was always on preparing San Diego for “prime time.” Cathy is correct about Tony Brown being our first director, but Nancy Larabee followed him. And then came Wally Schlotter. He brought together all the elements. Occasionally, I thought he was a mad scientist, but he made it work. He started our annual trip to Los Angeles . . . always nice hotels, always appropriate venues, always a place that “those who have too many invitations” would want to be. Before Wally, only states sponsored those events.

Later, when I became secretary of the California Trade and Commerce Agency, I had the California Film Commission under my wing. I always measured their performance against examples from the San Diego Film Commission.

Cathy deserves accolades for her success, including moving the commission to an independent status after my successor at the chamber insisted on taking 35 percent of her budget for “chamber overhead.” But when she talks of the beginning of the Film Commission, the two names that should be remembered are Larry Thomas and Nancy Washburn. The rest of us, Mayor Pete Wilson and Roger Conlee were always at their side, but they led the charge.

LEE GRISSOM
SACRAMENTO

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