Dear Editor, The introduction to the Brown Act states the
following:
”
In enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and declares
that the public commissions, boards and councils and the other
public agencies in this State exist to aid in the conduct of the
people’s business.
Everyone benefits when there is a free exchange of ideas
Dear Editor,
The introduction to the Brown Act states the following: “In enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and declares that the public commissions, boards and councils and the other public agencies in this State exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business.
“It is the intent of the law that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.” Today we call this transparency and without this corruption is almost unstoppable.
As a former school board member, I am grateful for the public that came to board meetings and voiced their concern. We did not have the three-minute rule which made it possible for the public to voice their concerns in an uninterrupted manner.
I learned many things from the public that I was not aware of and this made it possible for me to make better decisions in the evaluation of management. What you hear from the “top” is not always the complete picture; it is only one side. In a relaxed environment in which there is a free exchange of ideas, everyone benefits.
We need to keep informed so that we can retain control.
Carol Neal, Morgan Hill
Don’t let NIMBY opposition ruin a future-looking high-speed rail plan
Dear Editor,
In response to Ms. Sheets-Saucedo’s letter, these statements are pretty much cherry picked from the opposition and are not the main issues of the high-speed rail system. The San Francisco Peninsula NIMBYs want a quad track tunnel, on the state and federal taxpayer’s dime. This is not a good reason to oppose the project; this is a reason to not give into NIMBYs.
An eight-lane freeway takes up 140 feet plus of right of way. The noise impact is significantly less than that of a freeway since the railway will not have constant horns blasting, diesels roaring, etc. Union Pacific has been sweating the load as high-speed trains have not derailed outside of their ROW on dedicated high-speed tracks which is what they would run on in Gilroy.
Mountain View is another city that wants a tunnel; some of these cities even had planes a few years ago such as Redwood City for an above-ground solution with the station being the focal point. I do not see a concept change except for the fact that there is bias against the Authority and we’re still in the planning stages.
If this project doesn’t happen, enjoy more noise from the U.S. 101, an expressway upgrade to Highway 152, and much more traffic. We wonder why we cannot make progress in this country. Opposition to new ideas has made us fall behind the rest of the world.
If we do not build this system, the California economy will suffer severely in an oil shock and any prolonged high pricing of oil due to the lack of alternatives and poor planning of developments. High-speed rail provides an incentive to locate closer to a station and create a rapid transit line connecting the station and other major destinations near it.
Daniel Hodun, Bremerton, Wash
Getting out the vote is the only hope for quality medical care
Dear Editor,
California voters have an excellent opportunity to move toward single-payer medical insurance Nov. 2.
Voters who believe that doctors and nurses would do a better job than insurance companies in providing medical care for California need to work for a record turnout in this election.
A small turnout would favor the insurance companies. They have millions to spend on candidates to represent them.
Our only hope for affordable quality medical care is to bring out the voters Nov. 2.
Frank Crosby, Morgan Hill
Do not return sick dog to man who dragged it along sidewalk
Dear Editor,
I grew up in Gilroy and lived in Morgan Hill for several years. I now live in San Jose and as a concerned citizen, I travel to Morgan Hill to attend court dates involving the Kevin Fifield dog dragging case.
The idea that Kevin Fifield should be reunited with Snowflake is outrageous.
Several witnesses, including Morgan Hill police officers, saw Fifield drag the elderly, very sick dog down the sidewalk on her side.
This man should not be allowed to be around any animal ever again. The suggestion by anyone that lifting the “stay-away” order is for the sake of Snowflake is an insult to the intelligence of the community, law enforcement and the officers of the court. If Mr. Fifield does not want to stay in a hotel, let him go back to jail.
Jayne Steinmetz, San Jose
