How About Truth from Silicon Valley Leadership Group?
Dear Editor,
With taxpayers paying 100 percent of BART capital and construction costs, and about 50 percent of operating costs, couldn’t its defenders at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group give the voters some cost comparisons rather than “ridership” projections.
As things now are, taxpayers are paying the vast majority of the BART riders’ total costs, and so I think we should be given alternative cost projections, for example, limousine, shuttles, van pools, taxis. If it turns out that the BART riders’ employers could have those employees at their jobs cheaper by having them flown by corporate jets into Mineta International and limousined to their offices, then that is better for the 98 percent of taxpayers who are being asked to pay for the employees’ commuting via BART. So, can we have truth in transport, or not?
Joe Thompson, Gilroy
Save Energy By Turning Off Night City Lights
Dear Editor,
I’ve been wondering why so many of us are swapping out incandescent bulbs for fluorescent ones and adjusting our thermostats, yet our City Fathers exhibit a seemingly insatiable desire to light the night? I’m amazed by the proliferation of street lights in our town. See the east end of Cochrane Road, for example. Do we really need quite so many lights? Most recently, this light-the-night campaign reached new heights with the renovation of Depot Street. Beautiful it is. Environmentally sensible it is not! Come on Morgan Hill, let’s tone down the lights and save a few kilowatts. Beautiful planning and design does not have to be wasteful.
Diana Hall, Morgan Hill
Against Legalizing Pot
Dear Editor,
I am a new resident to Morgan Hill and I enjoy reading your bi-weekly newspaper. It helps me become acquainted with the community to which I have moved.
Recently you published an article about the Morgan Hill City Council temporarily tabling a request for a permit to open a private pot club. This has been on my mind ever since I read it and I can’t ignore it and not express my thoughts and ideas on the subject.
“Pot,” as marijuana is popularly known, is illegal according to federal law. To permit a private club to use, sell or grow marijuana is defying the law.
From sad experiences in my family I am totally opposed to any use of marijuana. Users of pot eventually get to the point where it no longer gives them the desired high so they go to other illegal hard drugs such as cocaine and heroine or worse. This eventually destroys their life as useful human beings.
If marijuana is to be legalized for medicinal purposes then it should be monitored and controlled like any other prescription drug. This I am totally against.
I hope that my beliefs and thoughts will be seriously considered by the city council, whom I am sure will read or hear about this letter to the editor.
Frances B. Haskell, Morgan HillThanks For Successful Weekend
Dear Editor,
Because many of your readers participated in or attended our weekend event, the City of San Juan Bautista wants to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to California artists for the fabulous group of professional artisans that they brought to the streets of San Juan Bautista this year. Everything hand made, everything beautiful. Thank you California artists. We can’t wait to see you again in June.
The City of San Juan Bautista also wants to express our sincere gratitude to The Faultline Shoots Society, The Gunfighters of the Old West, the Coyote Valley Regulars and the California Range Riders for all the wonderful reenactments, the authentic costumes and the great western atmosphere. We also sincerely thank Cisco Jim for serenading the crowd with Cowboy songs, jokes and tales. These people graciously gave donations of their time to provide enjoyment to the San Juan Bautista community and our visitors. Our heart-felt gratitude to each and every one of you.
We also thank our wonderful sponsors: Mrs. B’s Z-Place, The Pizza Factory, and both Daisy’s and Mom and Pop’s Saloons. Your support of the community in sponsoring contests and the Sunday band show the spirit of community so alive in San Juan Bautista.
And to our Crazy Western Hat contestants – thanks for your efforts. To the Whiskerino contestants, or more suitably their wives and girlfriends, may you enjoy that clean shaven feeling once more. The San Juan Bautista Community Foundation also thanks you.
We also express our thanks to the San Juan Bautista Mission for allowing visitors the use of its parking lot Saturday. We could hardly go without thanking everyone who braved the bad weather and attended this event. We thank you as well.
Jan McClintock, San Juan Bautista city manager
Heed Accountability Project’s Report For Sake of Everyone in Morgan Hill Public School System
Dear Editor,
Thank you for opening my eyes to better understanding how poorly graded our Morgan Hill Board of Education is through your Accountability in Community Leadership Project. As a single mother of two children in the Morgan Hill public school, you have made me open my eyes with fear and question. What is really going on with our public school system? Hopefully by now the board members will also be concerned. I’m praying that now that the first report card of the Accountability Project is out, without judging or criticizing the report, they will take the time to step up and really earn their job titles. They need to help us all that make up the public school system, from the cafeteria employees to the janitorial staff to the teachers that come in five days a week to take time teaching my children.
I hope this will make them sit down with every employee in the district and together work hard to improve our public schools. Maybe nobody on the board will read this letter to you, but if only one did and understood that I’m only writing because I’m voicing my concern and got through to that person, I am content.
A. Asheim, Morgan Hill
