Opinion

Yes on Measure BI was very pleased to read the “Guest View” about Measure B and pleased to read that our local Chamber endorses it. I learned about Measure B many months ago, and saw the immediate potential for South County. There are several components of the measure that turned me and many others into advocates for the its passage. These benefits are positive, (and long overdue) outcomes to South County Transportation:One is the completion of plans to widen the Hale/Santa Teresa corridor between Long Meadow and Fitzgerald, and along the DeWitt and Main corridor. This would give us the badly needed west side bypass that would help calm our downtown traffic.The second of these positive results would be funds available for general road maintenance, something that our city urgently needs. Over the life of the measure, we would share approximately $54,082,927 from Measure B funds when this measure is passed.Finally is the desperately needed improvements along the Highway 152 corridor west of Gilroy and to the SR 25 corridor into San Benito County. These improvements are a MUST DO for the very southern portion of the county!There are many more potential benefits. Please visit yesmeasureb.com/ for complete information.I urge you to vote YES on Measure B!Swanee EdwardsMorgan Hill Low teacher pay is students’ lossI am a concerned citizen in this community, and you should be too. My concern is why it seems acceptable to not pay our teachers enough to survive in this district. We are expecting our teachers to give nothing but the best to our children yet we are not giving them the same in return.Instead of offering them a fair raise they are being offered teacher housing, with the potential of having to live surrounded by other teachers. I had to live in similar situations when I was in the Army; in my experience that environment never works. It only causes tension and conflict in the work environment. That also takes away the chance for them to one day choose a suitable home for themselves to purchase, which is the American Dream, right?I don’t see how these teachers are being denied a 10 percent raise when the majority of the board is working on a four-tier pay scale that starts at $160,000. The raise these teachers are asking for still puts them well under half of that. They don’t want to abuse the system; they just want to stay and teach in a district they love and be able to live comfortably when they do.I went to a school board meeting a couple weeks ago and it was brought up by the board how this school district is one of the top in the country, and how they had a surreal trip with Washington officials praising Morgan Hill.My question is, how can they then come back and tell these teachers that to be able to receive this much needed raise they have to work longer days? Has their work not spoken for itself? I then question, if this is their business approach to this scenario, how are other crucial matters being handled? What I mean by that is, if they are being praised by how great this district is, why would they return and then degrade these teachers by denying them a well deserved raise or require more effort than they already give to receive one?I want the best for our youth, and to achieve that we need to give the same to our teachers. They should be able to live comfortably so their focus is solely on educating rather than worrying whether they can afford to stay in this district.My fear is that we are going to lose great, qualified teachers within the next school year, which will be a shame for these children.Stephanie HuizarMorgan Hill

On any given Wednesday night, if you're lucky enough to get an invite, you can spend some time barbecuing and hanging out with the Elrods, a local racing family.Their shop in San Martin—the walls lined with trophies going back four decades—is a proud homage to the off-road racing lifestyle. Everything you might need to build a machine capable of enduring the roughest terrain on the planet is found here. Engines, motorcycles, and hunting trophies encompass the walls. Add all that to a cooler with a never ending supply of Coors Light, and it is paradise.I’ve know the family for about two decades. I was introduced to them through my childhood friend Curtis Giacolone. His cousin J.C. Elrod was the heir apparent to the racing legacy that his father Jeff and his uncle Wes created. For J.C. on the weekend of Sept. 30, this would be his first time in a race car after almost six years. He broke his back in a motorcycle accident, an injury that left him incapable of pursuing his passion.I was excited to go back to a racetrack, even more than usual since this would mark my friend’s return to racing. I was there one night when J.C. announced and displayed the car that he would be building. While a great deal of input came from Jeff and Wes, the mastermind behind the build would come from another friend, Donnie Powers. The build started about five months before the first scheduled race. I got to witness some of the transformation from rust bucket to race car, and I was ready to put aside a weekend to come see them in action.In the pits, no one was expecting anything too dramatic. All they hoped for was to just finish. So when J.C. won his second heat, all of us were ecstatic. For everyone who had put in a ton of sleepless nights, it was vindication. The night ended with what some could consider a disappointing finish: 11th place. But everyone was happy with how the car performed.The next night I was hoping for more good racing. The American Stock class provides for a lot of rubbing and crashing. J.C. had a few extra dents after the qualifying heat, which led to a little bit of an altercation in the pits. Emotions can run high, so scuffles between drivers aren’t uncommon.In the main event there was a lot of good things that came out from the race. Unfortunately it ended with J.C. spinning out just before the final lap. Throughout the weekend everyone was coming over to take a look at the car, admiring the rugged and traditional aspect it brought to the track. In short, while not finishing, they let everyone know they were just beginning..Being a family affair, Jeff—who all of us call “Boss Man”—was prouder than I’ve ever seen him. Self-admittedly he was a nervous wreck throughout the race, so to see his son come out unscathed after the nightmare six years earlier was an awesome sight to behold. J.C. himself was proud of everyone coming together to get that car on the track.While Elrod Racing didn’t take the checkered flag that weekend, it was just the beginning. The Team motto, “Build, Race, Win,” is prevalent. Where a lot of people starting off in racing use a cookie cutter style of building a racecar, these guys started from the bottom.So if you're ever free on a weekend and want to see a part of an old school American tradition, come out to the Santa Cruz County fairgrounds and cheer on the number 84x Elrod Racing car, the local boys.Gilroy resident and Live Oak High alumnus Connor Quinn is Region IX State Membership Coordinator for Team Rubicon, a disaster relief organization that employs military veterans. He is also a VA work study at the Gavilan College Veterans Resource Center.

What an election year this has been. Locally, we’ve seen a noticeable change in the climate of political discourse.There is so much intentional, and I hope unintentional, misinformation out there that it can get difficult for some to a get a handle on the issues.Measure S is the poster child for many of the ills I see in modern Morgan Hill politics (not meaning to diminish other areas of ills). Creating a population cap and how we might get there is tough to do.One thing almost universal is concern for the future. Also universal is the inability to get everyone in a small room to agree, nonetheless an entire community—especially when it comes to our future.We all care about the future of this community. We all care and we put together Measure S to the best of our abilities after what was hundreds of hours of education and discussion for many.The voter initiative that is Measure S may not be perfect but I believe that, except for a few areas where you have to consider the entire document as a whole, it is very well written. Please take it as a whole.What I am now seeing in so many cases regarding Measure S is just a few people saying the same negative thing repeatedly.Much of this discussion is fueled by emotion and misinformation. I don’t usually do this, but I must cite one gross example where a commenter said that Measure S allows 300 units to be developed in agricultural lands. Actually, it states that the development of 300 units in a special “set-aside” can take place within Morgan Hill’s developable areas if there is an equal area protected by an agricultural conservation easement on prime agricultural lands within a specified area.There is a lot of this kind of thing going on so we must be careful about what we hear and verify it for ourselves. Please remember that no matter how comfortable we feel trusting others that they have done their research on an issue, do the hard work of researching important issues and protect your vote; it is your vote, after all.A dear friend once told me you can’t change the minds of those who’ve already made them up, so focus on the ones who agree with you to keep a strong base and accurately inform the undecided.For those that believe Measure S is the right document to help us continue our path into what I think is an incredibly bright future, please speak up and support your discussions liberally with facts.We all care about the future. Guess how I’m voting on Measure S.John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.

Measure B offers accountabilityJoin me in supporting Measure B, the 30-year, half-cent sales tax that will reduce traffic congestion in Morgan Hill by:• Completing and modernizing Hale Avenue/Santa Teresa Boulevard to provide a thoroughfare for the west side of Morgan Hill.• Increasing Caltrain capacity and service with more user-friendly schedules.• Providing more than $800,000 annually for road maintenance in Morgan Hill.• Providing direct access to Saint Louise Regional Hospital with a Buena Vista interchange.• Providing bicycle and pedestrian improvements near schools.While Measure B provides the traffic improvements Morgan Hill needs, it also provides the accountability improvements our voters deserve:• The two-thirds vote threshold (67 percent majority required for passage) assures that the Measure B projects are legally binding.• Changing a single word  or sentence in Measure B requires a 75 percent (9 of 12 members) vote of the VTA Board.• Measure B requires Annual Independent Audits by a Citizens Oversight Committee to report on how every dime is spent.Please vote YES on Measure B.Steve TateMayor of Morgan Hill Sales tax measure has pros and consI have been given an opportunity to state my opinion on Measure B by Valley Transportation Authority for a half-cent sales tax on the purchases of goods and services in Santa Clara County. In return, VTA promises to distribute some of this money back to Santa Clara County and its cities for road repair and gridlock mitigation.I am conflicted as to whether I support this measure. I am not going to ask you to vote yes or no, but instead tell you what I feel are the pros and cons as I see them so that you can perhaps make an informed choice.  First, Morgan Hill could use the money earmarked for improvements to our crumbling roads. South County needs the additional Caltrain service to and from Gilroy. Monies are supposed to be set aside for the west-side bypass from Hale to Santa Teresa. Extra money is always good if the people in charge of that money have a proven record of fiscal responsibility and fulfill their promises. For all of that I would say by all means, please consider voting for Measure B.However, we are being overtaxed. It seems so easy for government agencies like VTA to come around with their hand out. We face a backlog of street repairs and severe gridlock on 101. We have multiple taxes and fees from Santa Clara Valley Water District, property taxes, school bonds and state bonds, gas tax, water/sewer charges and garbage pickup.At this point, you the taxpayer are paying 8.75 percent sales tax in Morgan Hill. At some point our local government is probably going to need some type of tax to help with the backlog of infrastructure repairs. An additional .5 percent by VTA will bring us to 9.25 percent total sales tax.From this standpoint, I am inclined to vote No on Measure B. VTA does not seem to ever get control of the situation and give the relief that the people of Morgan Hill need. VTA has broken many such promises in the past, and I am having trust issues with VTA and our money.Would I trust VTA with $6 billion at this point? The answer is no I would not.So I hope this helps you make the best decision for you. Can you afford the tax increase? Will VTA fulfill their promise to use the money correctly? Do you trust VTA?These are your decisions. Please vote with your best interest and that of your community.Kirk R. BertoletCandidate for Mayor of Morgan Hill Editor’s note: Mayoral candidate Joseph Carrillo did not respond to a request for his opinion on Measure B. 

We heard a rumor the other day: Traffic congestion is back in Santa Clara County.That's why we both support Measure B—because the traffic challenges we face in South County and Silicon Valley have become so bad that it impacts every person, family and community, including Morgan Hill. Measure B has the transportation improvements we need, and the accountability provisions we deserve.  For the past three years, private and public citizens have been working with traffic engineers and transportation directors to develop a comprehensive plan that would have a positive impact on traffic relief, transit options and road repairs. The result is Measure B. Since there is no single answer to our traffic problems, Measure B is more like a jigsaw puzzle, with each transportation improvement snapping into place to add up to a comprehensive, countywide plan:• First, Measure B funds interchange improvements and improves traffic flow at 24 key interchanges on all seven highways that run through Santa Clara County. In South County, that includes interchange improvements at 101 & 25, 101 & 152 at Tenth Street and a new interchange near Saint Louise Regional Hospital.  • Second, it greatly improves our nine county expressways, which carry one of every two county residents every single day, with key interchange and safety improvements. For Santa Teresa, Measure B funds road and trail improvements between DeWitt and Main.• Third, nearly $1 of every $5 are for the basics—to improve the crumbling conditions of our local streets and roads in all 15 cities and towns. In South County, this totals more than $50 million.   • Fourth, it funds lifeline service and core transit service for people with disabilities, seniors, students and the working poor who depend on that core service.• Fifth, Measure B improves bicycle and pedestrian safety, especially near our schools.• Sixth,  it finishes the BART extension, with the final six miles and four stations in San Jose and at Santa Clara University.• Finally,  It connects the BART extension with what will be an electrified Caltrain Commuter Rail Service. Together, BART connected with Caltrain finally creates a rapid-rail-network around the entire Bay Area, linked with Morgan Hill and Gilroy with additional Caltrain service each morning and evening.For us, a key provision of Measure B is accountability. Instead of a "General Purpose Tax" that only requires a 50 percent vote, but that can be changed at any time by elected officials, Measure B intentionally calls for a two-thirds vote. That’s because this is the only way the funds can be locked in for these specific transportation improvements. In fact, the VTA Board can't change a single sentence in Measure B without a supermajority vote of 9 of the 12 board members. That protects small communities like Morgan Hill and Gilroy from being "out-voted" by the VTA Board.Neither of us are big fans of taxes, but we hate traffic even more. On Nov. 8, join us in voting Yes on Measure B.  For more details, visit YesMeasureB.comCarl Guardino is CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Council. John Horner is Executive Director of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce.

I would like to commend the City of Morgan Hill—in particular, the Public Works Streets Division for their prompt response to a citizen's request.  On Thursday, Sept. 29, through the city website,morganhill.ca.gov, I reported a pothole problem in my neighborhood. A week later on Wednesday, it was filled in. Thank you.On that note, I urge citizens to report not just crimes, but ordinary items like potholes, burned out street lights, etc. These are items that are easily remedied by our local government. Every little action counts.  If you see something, speak up. Do not wait for somebody to do it for you.Let us help city staff do their job of keeping our city a better place to live in. Our local government might have limited resources to monitor every corner of our town and/or to fix everything, but now I know that they are listening.Sincerely,Lourdes Reroma StoneMorgan Hill

Outside Mullingar is a charming offering by the renowned TheatreWorks Company and loaded with award-winning actors, director and playwright. You can’t blink without looking at a prize winner from a Nobel to Oscars, Tonys and you can throw in a Lifetime achievement award. It’s never a question of “will it be “good?” You know if it’s TheatreWorks it WILL be good. So it is with Outside Mullingar, a captivating moment spent on an Irish farm with all of its humor, sadness and life decisions.

This November, Santa Clara County voters will vote on Measure A, a housing bond that will create new affordable housing for our most vulnerable community members and programs for our working people.That description sounds very impersonal, perhaps even bureaucratic. But it’s not. It’s very personal to me because I am a parent, because I am a local employer, because I am intimately aware of the struggles of the most vulnerable families and individuals in our community.Last year, one of my daughters moved to Idaho solely because of the high cost of housing in the Bay Area. She and her fiancé were tired of shared renting and knew they would never be able to buy a home in California. I miss her.Community Solutions employs more than 200 bright, talented and committed staff. While we offer competitive pay and benefits, the vast majority of them can’t buy a home here and many cannot afford escalating rents. They are commuting from farther and farther away. Or they are taking their talent and moving away, like my daughter. Local businesses and nonprofits are having a harder time filling positions due to the high cost of living.Community Solutions serves more than 4,000 residents across Santa Clara County. Every day I see our clients—our neighbors—struggling to survive because of our housing crisis: mothers leaving our domestic violence shelter unable to find affordable housing; students whose families live in their cars—even with a parent employed full-time; homeless men and women living with mental illness, for whom we don’t have the housing for them to continue on to better health and self-sufficiency.For all of these reasons…for all of these people, we must do better.Measure A will create new affordable housing for our vulnerable communities—for homeless families with children, veterans and seniors.Measure A also identifies housing solutions for working families. The measure funds affordable housing near workplace centers and transit. And it creates a First-time Homebuyer Program to support working people and families wanting to build their lives here, like teachers and nurses who cannot afford to live where they work.Measure A provides a holistic approach to addressing our housing challenges. It focuses on helping those most in need, but ensures that we don’t leave anyone behind.This year’s ballot may be the longest one ever. This election cycle has been one of the most exhausting ever. But we have a historic opportunity here in Santa Clara County—an opportunity we cannot squander.  I urge you to join me in voting YES on Measure A for affordable housing.Erin O’Brien is the President and CEO of Community Solutions. She wrote this column for the Morgan Hill Times.

High Speed Rail is moving ahead much more quickly than anyone anticipated. The decision on the preferred option through or around Morgan Hillis going to be made this fall by the HSR Authority, within the next month and a half.The California HSRA has currently identified four different options.Option 1: The “at grade” option adjacent to the Union Pacific line Monterey Road corridor.It is important to understand that the “at grade” proposal is not what you imagine based on the name.The tracks through Morgan Hill would be located on a berm with a retaining wall on both sides, up to 14 feet tall.That would place a 14 foot wall that divides the community. In areas where there is a concern about additional noise (i.e., adjacent to residential structures or other locations) there could be an additional 12 foot high sound wall.In addition, the wall may be located at up to 102 feet from the existing Union Pacific tracks, eliminating hundreds of homes and businesses on the east side of the UP tracks.  If you can imagine a three-story building with no windows, activity, ornamentation, or life extending all the way through the community, from north of Cochrane to south of Tennant Avenue, you can visualize how the potential divide will impact the community.Option 2: The aerial approach adjacent to the Union Pacific line Monterey Road corridor.The aerial approach is a monorail-like structure with two tracks up to 50 feet wide. This would be substantially higher than Option 1, at a minimum of 30 feet and up to 60 feet above the area to the east of the tracks through the city. There may also be a 102-foot setback from the UP lines.This option would impact hundreds of new residential units, existing housing and businesses, and create a huge visual and sound division.  Option 3: Along the east side of 101.The focus of option 3 is to shift the entire HSR to the east side of 101. The impact on the homes and businesses on that side is clear, especially considering the HSRA would need to cross the freeway twice, at minimum.Option 4: Along the west side of 101.The most recent option, and the one that seems to make the most sense, calls for an aerial approach that would come down Monterey Highway and then, to the north of Sobrato High School, angle off toward 101. HSR would then parallel 101 through Morgan Hill and, after passing Tennant Avenue, would return to connect again with the UP alignment and continue south to Gilroy. This option disrupts the least number of businesses and residents and co-locates noisy activities, freeway and train.We need to tell the HSRA our preferred option now! If we don’t weigh in, we will be completely disregarded by the HSRA.  According to the HSRA timeline, by fall of 2016 (yes that's this year), their intent is to have selected two options to take through the environmental review process.It is important as a community that we immediately come together in a way that clearly identifies our preference. Option 4 may not be perfect, but it avoids channeling the HSR through the main part of town, and clusters like functions together.Use the High Speed Rail Comments form on the city website morganhill.ca.gov/forms.aspx?FID=212 to tell the HSRA your preference for the HSR route through Morgan Hill.Lesley Miles is co-owner of Weston Miles Architects in downtown Morgan Hill.