Dear Editor, I would like to thank whoever put the flags on the
graves of the veterans in the Mount Hope Cemetery for July 4th.
Thanks for the flags on the graves of veterans
Dear Editor,
I would like to thank whoever put the flags on the graves of the veterans in the Mount Hope Cemetery for July 4th. They look absolutely beautiful. To look out across the veterans section and see all those crisp new flags is truly an impressive sight.
Terry Shaffer, Morgan Hill
Cut Chamber of Commerce funding and focus on environmental programs
Dear Editor,
As the Global Change Institute in Queensland, Australia recently reports, changes within the world’s oceans indicate that we are on our way to a mass extinction event. While others voice a similar alarm, the city of Morgan Hill decimates its environmental program with a misguided budget ax while continuing to fund the Chamber of Commerce to the tune of $104,000 annually, not counting the $89,000 to the Downtown Association. Where are our priorities?
The Chamber should be funded solely by local hotels, manufacturing, retail, real estate and commercial businesses that benefit directly from chamber activities. Though I am a strong supporter of business, business needs to fund the Chamber and not the residents of Morgan Hill. This appears more like a free ride at our expense. We have enough problems funding needed programs and services let alone activities sponsored by the Chamber. So as not to over simplify, but which would you chose, environmental programs and services or Chamber pamphlets, salaries and luncheons?
For many of us, we are unaware of the catastrophe that lies in our and our children’s future. Sheltered inland we don’t see the rise in coastal water, we are too far from the oxygen depleted dead zones in our oceans and not close enough to observe the decline in glaciers and the surrounding fragile ecosystem. Many drive to work each day and see nothing but pavement and believe all is well. But this is not the case. Granted, we are not scientists or researchers and barely scan the newspaper headlines, so we really don’t understand the incredible impact of 6.9 billion people on this earth (7.6 by 2020). But each day, the protective ozone layer is disappearing, along with insects, birds and mammals of every kind. It’s slow, but it is for sure. I am afraid we are going to wake up someday to an irreparable disaster in an unobserved area such as deep within our oceans. We’re going to find another nine-mile plume like perchlorate only it’s so much bigger than anything we could ever imagine. All of this seems like a made-for-TV movie, but the reality is that we not spectators but actual participants.
We need to continue to do our part, to fund our environmental programs and greatly expand our oversight, information and implement policies to advert this disaster. I believe, there is no small part that does not make a contribution and sum of all these parts will make a difference. Council must reset its priorities and fund needed programs and that includes the environmental program. I urge fellow residents, students, school teachers, doctors, lawyers and everyone else to contact this council and ask them to fund much needed services and to help us avert this incredible crisis.
Mark Grzan, Morgan Hill
Keep politics out of the parade
Dear Editor,
Please keep national politics out of our fair city’s annual family parade.
Eric Hansotte, Morgan Hill
Don’t derail High Speed Rail plans
Dear Editor,
In Response to Mr. Omar Chatty’s letter to reject high-speed rail, there needs to be a revisit of what is fact and what is fiction. There was an underpass close to the station they could have used, instead they did not. They could have reacted by not crossing the tracks where they weren’t supposed to. The train was travelling around 90 mph, a little bit above the top speed of a Baby Bullet. If you want to slowdown the trains through the area, how about all roadway speed limits be dropped to 20 mph just in case someone decides to wander into the middle of the road.
With the high-speed rail trains, there cannot be any grade crossings meaning everything will be grade-separated which takes any vehicle collisions out. Right of way fencing will be added along with CCTV cameras to avoid intrusion of the right of way. Also, fences between the tracks can be added at the platforms to deter potential accidents. There is a need for high-speed rail. At some point, supply will not meet the demand and expansion will happen. The cost of not doing high-speed rail is simply not zero. When oil begins to go above $100 a barrel, the Californian economy will become crippled due to a strong dependence on oil for transportation needs. In order to meet future interstate transportation needs, 3000 lanes miles of limited access highways, 80 airport gates, and 5 runways are needed. The last cost of this was $80 billion and I am sure it has gone up with the times.
There is a need and the course should be stayed.
Daniel Hodun, Bremerton, Washington
