Dear Editor, Apparently in our little burg, the realities of the
marketplace don’t seem to be able to influence decision making.
Ripping out turf and lengthening maintenance schedules is akin to
throwing the linen off the Titanic.
Structural flaws in the budget have not been addressed
Dear Editor,
Apparently in our little burg, the realities of the marketplace don’t seem to be able to influence decision making. Ripping out turf and lengthening maintenance schedules is akin to throwing the linen off the Titanic. The misnamed “Sustainable Budget” has not addressed the structural problems with the town’s financial situation going forward.
We are, for better or worse, a low-growth community, as determined by the voters. My understanding, is that we now have about 1,000 un-built allotments, not counting the additional, recently exempted 500 downtown units. Last week’s council meeting agenda hammers home the point with its now, regular requests for allotment extensions.
Permit fees are down, sales tax revenues are down, property tax revenues are down, yet RDA spending continues. Even in spite of the overwhelming evidence that the state will probably try to withhold even more RDA disbursements in an attempt to plug their own gaping economic holes.
How anyone can cut back maintenance because they don’t have the manpower or fiscal resources to properly maintain existing assets, yet, optimistically presses on with infrastructure that will require additional manpower and maintenance, simply boggles the imagination. Furthermore, to even insinuate that these additional CIP’s won’t put added strain on existing resources is at best, profoundly mistaken, and at worst, misleading.
Yet, despite being told repeatedly in the past, that RDA funds can’t be used for salaries, we continue to assign more positions (hence salaries) to the RDA. The real issue is that, ultimately, the RDA siphons property tax revenues from services (police, schools, etc) but only for 30 years.
Meanwhile, the Morgan Hill Times is bulging with stories about the apparently rising South County crime rate and its attendant gang activities.
At what point do the important decisions begin to be addressed? Other, local cities, such as San Carlos, are seriously looking into outsourcing options for all sorts of services, policing, fire, park maintenance, etc.
The economic recovery, such as it is, most likely, will be a long time in the making, and probably not be spread across all sectors. Consequently, we, as a community, would do well to prepare for that scenario, by making the structural decisions now, before all our reserves and options are gone.
Frank Manocchio, Morgan Hill
Take unwanted kittens and cats to the 0shelter or Town Cats
Dear Editor,
With kitten season upon us, it is a great time to remind readers of the importance of spaying and neutering cats. Earlier this month, on my way into town, I saw a couple on a walk with their teenage daughter carrying an armful of kittens. I spotted a cute fuzzy little peach kitty in her arms and had a typical reaction and thought “aww … how sweet!”
Later that night my niece had a friend come over who upon arriving at our gate told us she heard little “meows.” Apparently the family had abandon the defenseless kittens near Maple Avenue in San Martin. I was appalled and we quickly brought the kittens to our home.
The kittens are about 4 to 5 weeks old, and we have already found homes for two of them. I hope the family who dropped them off reads this, because you should know that what you did is disturbing and wrong! What you have taught your daughter is that if she has a problem, she can just ignore it and walk away. Their is an animal shelter in San Martin that would have taken the kittens and also a place in Morgan Hill called Town Cats that could have helped. How unfair of you to drop such young kittens in the middle of nowhere to fend for themselves. To others who may already be in a situation in which you don’t know what to do, have a heart and please do not do what this couple did.
Rebecca Crawford, San Martin
Strong>Editor’s Note: The San Martin Animal Shelter is located at 12370 Murphy Avenue. They are open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call 686-3900. Town Cats can be reached at 779-5761 or via e-mail at www.towncats.org.
Rhetoric is all the rage, but seldom contributes to reasonable solutions
Dear Editor,
On June 15 Frank Crosby in a letter to the Times proposed that the five Supreme Court justices who voted to treat corporations as individuals for purposes of making campaign contributions committed treason, citing as an example, BP, Transoceanic and Halliburton as “foreign corporations” that have caused our greatest environmental disaster.
First, I respectfully suggest that Mr. Crosby research the meaning of the word “treason” as used in American law; it is not a word that should be used casually or overbroadly, and it has a strict definition.
Second, the entities to which Mr. Crosby refers are not “foreign” but multi-national. They may be chartered in another country but they are owned by stockholders worldwide. If Mr. Crosby invests in mutual funds or has a pension plan there is a good chance that he himself is a part-owner of one or more of these companies, just as a good many foreigners are part-owners of Ford, Apple and IBM. The Supreme Court’s decision is highly regrettable and likely to lead to increased corruption of our political process, but it is not even close to treasonous, and we have just as much to fear from the influence of home-grown corporations as so-called “foreign” ones. Hyperbolic rhetoric is all the rage (literally) these days, but it seldom contributes to reasonable solutions.
Robert B. Mitchell, Morgan Hill
