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President Bush’s Xmas Present Should Be Mideast Solution

Dear Editor,

A Christmas present for President Bush is a simple solution to his Mideast quandary. First offer the Afghans help to eradicate the resurgent Taliban and to rebuild their nation. Then offer the Kurds any help they would like to stabilize and rebuild their part of Iraq.

Remove the rest of our troops from Iraq with orders from the Commander In Chief to destroy any individuals or groups that attack them. After the Sunni and Shia have peaceably settled their differences we can offer to help them stabilize and rebuild the rest of Iraq. If civil war is their choice the offer can be made once peace is attained. This would eliminate the senseless sacrifice of brave American lives. Newspapers and television can celebrate a victory in the Middle East and praise the president for bringing the opportunity for democratic government to Afghanistan and Iraq. A naval plane can carry the president to the deck of an aircraft carrier so he can deliver an inspirational speech on the bright new age in a troubled part of the world.

Frank Crosby, Morgan Hill

Continue Giving After Holiday Season is Over

Dear Editor,

We appreciate the recent newspaper articles about local people in need and the generosity of our community. Like shopping locally, giving to a local organization enhances our community and those dollars produce immediate and visible results. 

Now that all the presents have been opened and the ribbon and wrapping put away and after-holiday sales shopping done, readers can continue the warm and fuzzy good feelings a little bit longer by giving a final gift – or gifts – of the year (and a tax deduction, too) to make the New Year a happier one for those in need, both human and non-human, in our community. 

The Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center wishes to thank all in our community who have generously donated throughout the year to help us help the helpless…injured and orphaned native wildlife that would not have survived on their own.  We hope readers have enjoyed W.E.R.C.’s Animal of the Month stories that illustrate the happy results of these donations.

All of us at W.E.R.C. would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year!

Sue Howell, Executive Director

Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center

Classified Employees Asking for Appreciation

Dear Editor,

I’m writing on behalf of my co-workers and myself concerning the current impasse in our negotiations with the district.

I have been employed as an aide in this district for more than 20 years. As with most of my co-workers, including bus drivers, clerical staff and others that serve as the support staff in the school district my job has never been about money. It has always been about the children.

Many times through out the years I, like many of my coworkers, have had numerous opportunities to take other jobs here in Silicon Valley that would have paid us significantly more money then we make working for the school district but we have continued to work for the schools because of the children.

As a result of our concern and caring for the children we have over the years continually accepted from them a lower and lower level of compensation for the effort we put forth and the service we provide.

What we have asked for from district officials is not a raise that would adequately compensate us for the service we provide but only one that would in a small way show us that they really understand and appreciate how much we do for the children and the school district.

In no way would the modest increase we are talking about significantly raise the standard of living of any of us. If that were what we wanted we could easily take one of those other jobs that would pay us considerable more money.

District officials don’t seem to understand that it is not just about the money. It is about the feeling of disrespect that they have continually shown us over the years that has finally become unbearable. Their failure to understand this is resulting in untold damage to this school system and the children it serves. I hope for the children’s sake that they will do what is right and take a small step in recognizing our worth to the children and this district by stepping up and fairly resolving the impasse we are at now.

Maureen Serafini, Morgan Hill

Supervisor Gage Needs to Be Held Accountable for Crisis at Shelter

Dear Editor,

For anyone who is having trouble reading between the lines of the article regarding the San Martin Animal Shelter, the depletion of the shelter’s donation trust fund is yet another systematic step in the “Wassenhove/Gage San Martin Animal Shelter Deconstruction Master Plan.”

With the county’s projected budget deficit in mind, why did District 1 Supervisor Donald Gage fail to include the San Martin Animal Shelter in the Fiscal Year 2006-2016 Ten Year Capital Improvement Plan?

Why did the San Martin Animal Shelter stop accepting food donations from Science Diet Corporation and PetCo if the shelter is in such great need of food?

How is FOSMAS or “Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter” – the volunteer group that Fletcher Dobbs refers to in the story – going to “buoy” the animal shelter in this time of crisis? As FOSMAS solicits funds from the community on behalf of the shelter animals, where are these large sums of money being allocated? In fact, if the 100 shelter animals in foster care that Dobbs refers to are actually “county property”, then why are donations going to FOSMAS and not directly to the shelter? 

As an effort towards “getting ready for the spring kitten season”, why isn’t Greg Van Wassenhove aggressively promoting spay and neuter programs instead of using donation trust fund money to support and ultimately euthanize untold numbers of unwanted kittens?

According to the California Public Records Act, every person has the right to inspect any public record; therefore, all records kept at the San Martin Animal Shelter are open to inspection by the public at all times. FOSMAS, being a 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit organization, is also required to make a full disclosure of all accounting books and records.

Now is the time for this community to ask Greg Van Wassenhove and Supervisor Donald Gage for some accounting and some accountability for the crises at the San Martin Animal Shelter. I am sure that the answers are there – somewhere between the lines.

Evon Dumesnil, Morgan Hill