So sad to see 130 years of the city’s history going with the permanent closure of City Tatts famous and historic Pitt Street CBD club (“City Tatts forced into fire sale of historic Pitt Street headquarters”, June 30). Despite the well-intentioned board, complete with the big end of town’s finest, income from the pokies and its once priceless CBD location, it is now apparently available for a fire sale price to a “mysterious” buyer. It appears to be all but over for this historic institution as it falls victim to the cities current post-COVID CBD malaise. Or perhaps this is a golden opportunity for another buyer of the Pitt St site to emerge and with the co-operation of the government and city council breathe some much-needed life into the city centre by providing hundreds of permanent affordable apartments for frontline workers and their families. There may even be room for the return of City Tatts. Peter Menton, Bankstown
Bad lesson
Since the early 1990s Australia has increasingly treated higher education as a commercial industry, even as a major export industry (“The uni rich list: Vice chancellors on $1 million salaries revealed”, June 30). We now even read about salaries of several vice chancellors who are paid well over a $1 million a year for their services, more than 10 times the average income. Given the considerable cost of higher education for our young I find this scandalous. My positive recollection of the generous Whitlam approach to higher education impressed me enormously in the early 1970s. The ALP government has a major job to do here, urgently. Klaas Woldring, Pearl Beach
Sydney University’s hallowed quadrangle.Credit: Peter Rae
The comment by Professor Emeritus Frank Larkins on the issue of vice chancellor’s salaries that “it’s a multi-billion dollar industry” is the crux of our university problem. Universities are not industries, they are places of culture, teaching, learning and research; not remotely industrial as such. Ever since the days of John Dawkins our universities have become more and more commercial, so that they are now dependent on foreign students for their survival. Now that they are classified as an industry, it is hardly surprising that vice chancellors (or CEOs) are receiving corporate salaries. It is hard to turn the clock back, but the outlook for this “industry” seems less than rosy. Neil Buchanan, Waitara
Elderly abuse
President Joe Biden spent a week preparing and resting for the debate that many have described as a train wreck (“Biden feisty despite debate catastrophe”, June 30). Trump in his previous five Presidential debates against Clinton and Biden had never won a post debate poll. Biden’s answers and appearance on Friday resulted in a CNN poll having Trump winning by the massive margin of 34 points. It is borderline elderly abuse and not in the interests of the Democrats, the USA or the world to allow this decent man to continue to be the alternative to a dangerous “erratic and self-interested figure unworthy of public trust”. Tony Nicod, Collaroy
No hero
Jacqueline Maley has provided an important, insightful commentary on Julian Assange (“The freedom messiah is free, but a few women won’t join the cheer squad”, June 4). While given hero status by some, his avoidance of responsibility for his personal behaviour in facing up to sexual assault charges, his misogynistic statements about the Swedish women who accused him, and his broader personality that those around him show he is not hero material. Putting issues of press freedom aside, Assange appears to be a highly self-interested, unevolved, anti-feminist man, whom I hope disappears from the public eye. Ruth Phillips, Lewisham
People priority
Medicare for pets (“Medicare for pets? Government urged to consider subsidising vet fees”, June 30)? Not before coverage for dental care for humans who cannot afford private health insurance. Stephanie Edwards, Leichhardt
Store confusion
Want some frustration? Ask for anything specific in the clothing floor of a department store. I just needed two items – a white cardigan for me and a man’s minimum-iron, plain long-sleeve shirt (Letters, June 30). How difficult could that be? Impossible! I could only be directed to where each of several brands had their (unsorted) racks of general clothing. I came home empty-handed. No wonder we shop online. Susan Margan, Epping
Pondering pineapple
The question is, do they come with pineapple (“How to spot a new wave Sydney pizza”, June 30)? Peter Miniutti, Ashbury
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