For many years, I attempted to generate interest and campaigned
to restore passenger rail service to the Monterey Bay Area.
Petition Amtrak to make Gilroy a ‘Starlight’ passenger stop
Dear Editor,
For many years, I attempted to generate interest and campaigned to restore passenger rail service to the Monterey Bay Area.
Currently, Amtrak’s “Coast Starlight” train passes through downtown Gilroy twice a day on it’s route from Seattle to Los Angeles and back.
At times, this train is forced to stop in front of the depot as it has to await the arrival of the 7:30 p.m. Caltrain because of single track north of town.
Current regulations do not allow passengers to de-train from the Starlight. It would be prudent for city officials to petition Amtrak to include Gilroy as a station stop.
This would enhance travel options, bring added business downtown as people would come from the surrounding area to board the train without the hassle of driving to San Jose or Salinas.
Gary V. Plomp, San Martin
Main focus of public parties should not be to sell alcohol
Dear Editor,
I definitely believe in family parties. It is great to have village parties for all ages to enjoy playing together. Family parties are a way for the adults to demonstrate their beliefs and act as role models. Family parties are a way to show that we can socialize and have fun – without consuming drugs.
In Morgan Hill we have said that we do not want our young people to party and drink alcohol. We have said that we do not want families to allow their children to party and drink alcohol. We have said that we will fine families, who allow young people to party and drink at their homes.
We have made it clear that we do not want our children to believe that they must consume mind-altering drugs to enjoy a party. And we, I believe, have definitely stated that we would never accept, as an excuse, a reasoning that, “we were consuming drugs at our house, with the children there, to raise money for a ‘good cause.’ ”
At a public party, like the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras, what organization represents “the home?” Who can the police hold accountable at the party if any of our young family members are found to have been drinking?
I do not believe that we would build a community center and say that it is closed for use during a public party except for those who want to consume dangerous mind-altering substances.
Check out the Mushroom Mardi Gras Program. Maybe teachers and parents could show this display to their children and ask them to point out what part did the artist repeat often to emphasize what is most important? The beer and wine graphics are large and repeated five times and there is a legend to assure that everyone knows what the graphics symbolize. Also ask the young people why, at this time, are they not allowed to go into their community center?
We can have wonderful public parties. I believe though that, if we love all our children, the main focus of our public parties must not be beer and wine.
Staten M. Johnston, Morgan Hill
Oversight of Valley Transportation Authority a bad joke on taxpayers
Dear Editor,
Skeptics remember the Citizens Watchdog Committee appointed by the Valley Transportation Authority. The watchdogs were so lax that the VTA was judged worst transit agency in the nation in a study of all the nation’s transit agencies by the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
During the same time a county Grand Jury report blasted VTA’s directors for governance flaws, fiscal irresponsibility and taxpayer abuse. And during that same time VTA rejected South County’s plea for median barriers on U.S. 101 between Morgan Hill and Gilroy because they “didn’t have the money.”
While pleading poorhouse on the safety issue, they transferred $52.6 million to their employee pension plans. After more deadly cross-over accidents, VTA “found” the money, and spent less than $2 million to install the barriers.
During the same watchfulness watchdogging by the citizens’ watchdog committee, VTA’s auditors found numerous abuses.
After ignoring MIT, the Grand Jury, and their own auditors, they had their own auditors audit and they confirmed what the outside auditors had said. Then VTA fired its General Manager, paying his Golden Parachute on the way out. The “new” GM, from San Francisco, where they really do know how to waste tax dollars, established “new VTA,” and there was no change in policy. And our leaders do absolutely nothing about this. We need to recall all the VTA directors to show them how pleased we are with their abusiveness and appointing phoney watchdogs.
Joe Thompson, Gilroy
