Attention, Caltrans: Even Old Furniture Has Value

Re “Caltrans Takes Heat for Dropping Its Drawers,” May 14: As a public school teacher, I am appalled at Caltrans’ destruction of this supposedly “damaged and not usable” (according to Caltrans spokesperson Judy Gish) furniture. For years in my classroom I sat at a roachinfested desk. I had to acquire three bookcases on my own to house textbooks.

The journalism program’s computers would be on the floor were it not for winning a journalism competition. I have a pair of battered metal filing cabinets with broken locks that I would love replaced.

Furniture, as any public school teacher can tell you, is the most valuable commodity at any campus. I’d have been happy to slap a “Donated by Caltrans” sticker on any furniture given me, and so would countless other teachers.

Though I’m pleased Caltrans has so much money it can literally throw it out the window, would it were the same at our public schools!

Robert Harris

Garden Grove

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Any astute businessman knows that there is always a ready market for used office furniture. If in a rush, either sell to local businesses that specialize in the resale of such items or make a deductible gift to one of many charities that depend on this source for furnishing their offices.

To simply dump used furniture out a fifth-floor window because you now have a modern new building, and “that it would be a crime to put hand-me-down furnishings into the architectural gem,” is the real crime. Those persons responsible for this irresponsible act should also be dumped before making the move to the new facility.

Doug Allen

Rancho Palos Verdes