Dear Editor, Our sense of safety and security was shattered this
week. The sexual assault of a woman, who was rightfully taking an
early morning jog, was a brutal attack on an individual. And, the
affect from it ripples through our entire community. We hesitate to
go out alone. We look over our shoulders more frequently. We keep
our children closer to home.
There is help for survivors of rape
Dear Editor,
Our sense of safety and security was shattered this week. The sexual assault of a woman, who was rightfully taking an early morning jog, was a brutal attack on an individual. And, the affect from it ripples through our entire community. We hesitate to go out alone. We look over our shoulders more frequently. We keep our children closer to home.
These are all good and smart ideas. Aside from being aware of our surroundings, there are additional steps we can take to decrease our vulnerabilities: jogging or walking with others when possible, varying our routes and routines when practical, listening to our gut instincts when we feel uneasy or unsafe.
This is also a time to remember that, though strangers can pose serious threats, the majority of sexual assaults occur between people who know each other. They, too, are frightening and their impact is devastating. Being aware of our situations and surroundings is a constant effort.
By practicing safety precautions, we can try to prevent such a tragedy from happening to ourselves or our loved ones. However, the ability to stop a sexual assault lies solely in the hands of those who commit these heinous crimes; they are the ones who take full and complete blame for its occurrence.
Recovering from a sexual assault is a long and difficult process, one that nobody should walk through alone. If you or someone you know has been victimized by sexual assault – recently or in the past – assistance is just a phone call away. Our 24-hour confidential crisis line is available every day of the year at 877-END-SADV (877-363-7238). Additionally, you can call (408) 776-6204 if you are interested in one of our upcoming self-defense classes.
Most of all, remember, though you were a victim at one point, you survived. You are a survivor. That is the most important thing of all.
Lisa DeSilva, Director of Development for Community Solutions, Morgan Hill
Council: Treat taxpayer money as if it comes out of your pocket
Dear Editor,
Our elected officials really need to execute on tough actions now and not skirt around the issues; face the facts Morgan Hill Council! City taxpayers are already being stretched with the current economic conditions, unemployment and tight control on their checkbooks. A clear signal was already sent a year ago that we are not in favor of new taxes whatever form they may be (remember the utility tax ?).
Councilwoman Marby Lee was right in not supporting additional taxes but her thinking that a “special tax” making more sense is off base too. We don’t want more taxes, period! Stop taking the easy route, the taxpayers are not an endless bucket. That’s typical politician thinking and mentality. I ask the council to act smarter and treat our money as if it were their own last penny, nickel and dime. Treat our taxpayer money as if it were coming directly out of your own pocket.
Even Councilman Greg Sellers recognizes that we cannot maintain our current levels of services. These were services that were enacted when we were in better economic and financial times. Unfortunately a better reserve wasn’t built when we had the opportunity and instead of saving for rainy days it was spent on services that were deemed necessary at the time.
So what do we do when we fall upon hard times? We HAVE to tighten our belts and make do with less. The city needs to operate in the same manner taxpayers do and understand that in tough times, we cannot expect the same good fortunes as when the economy is stronger.
Lets seek out alternatives to layoffs and leave that as a LAST resort. Laying a person off has a considerable impact not only on the employee but their families, their communities, the local businesses they support and the tax base itself. How about alternative thinking such as reduced hours, shared hours, reassignment to a job that might be open elsewhere or reducing services no longer necessary. If these actions of course have already been taken then only as a last resort and we are down to bare roots, should the staffing level be reviewed with an unprejudiced eye.
Unfortunately we are also saddled with numerous long-term contracts that were awarded during “better” days without exit or economic condition renegotiation clauses. Let’s be smarter the next time round and negotiate better. We have many smart negotiators and business people in and around the city that have managed and negotiated global contracts much larger than even our city budgets (myself included), so lets utilize their skills when it comes time to redraw contracts. After all, would a smart business enter into contracts where it’s one-sided, without exits, without penalties, without economic downturn conditions, without performance metrics? Of course not! So why do cities get arm-twisted into such dealings?
So come on elected leaders, make the tough decisions now that will allow the city to prosper in the future. If you cannot make these tough decisions and take the strong medicine, then step aside and let those who can step forward. The medicine may taste bad now, but we’ll be better off in the longer term! An engine running on idle and bare minimum is better than an engine not running at all!
Bharat Poria, Morgan Hill
Column does reflect the majority of our community and country
Dear Editor,
I commend you for publishing Burt Anderson’s column. I believe that it reflects the thinking of the majority of our country and community.
Dennis M. (Mike) Tucker, Morgan Hill
