Opinion

“Valley of the Heart” is a heart wrenching story of actual happenings and how the almost forgotten Second World War affected the people of the time. It jars those of us that lived through that moment to remember a time we would rather forget. It also shows this generation what went on and cautions about it not letting the past happen again.

On Feb. 2, I attended my first and, I think, last Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education meeting.The meeting started out normal enough with recognition of community members and programs. Then came the open comment period, where several speakers asked for Trustee David Gerard’s resignation, plus a couple who supported him—one saying he was just “talking smack” and it was no big deal (certainly the threshold for acceptable behavior for some can be remarkably different than mine…).Then came the big agenda item which was the public hearing for censure of embattled Trustee Gerard involving his emails from his MHUSD address.The usual administrative readings were followed by questions/comments from the trustees themselves. Trustees Ron Woolf and Donna Ruebusch expressed how they had felt attacked and belittled in the now infamous emails.Not surprisingly, Trustees Rick Badillo and Gino Borgioli offered Gerard their support.It appeared to me that the cornerstone of Badillo’s comments was freedom of speech. I am prepared to accept that what Gerard said was not illegal but if we are to use minimum legal standards to justify actions then we are operating in the basement of behavior.I think we all expect our elected public officials to operate at the highest levels of behavior, and not merely squeaking by on a legal judgment.Then came one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in a public meeting, and I’ve been to a lot: Trustee Borgioli’s comments and alternate resolution for censure. I felt that the atmosphere at the meeting was turning a bit theatrical but this moved it into three-ring circus material.Borgioli had previously asked President Benevento who wrote the current resolution under consideration. The answer from the president was fellow trustees, community members and an attorney.All eyes were on Trustee Borgioli as he read a prepared statement, which I was not convinced he wrote himself from his reading. Then he proposed an alternative resolution which no one had seen and he could not easily describe.President Benevento then asked Trustee Borgioli who wrote the resolution. You would think that what happened next was part of a comedy skit.Trustee Borgioli, now faced with question reciprocity, did not answer for several seconds. I can only imagine how long those few seconds felt as all of the eyes in a packed room were on him.  “Armando Benavides” finally spilled out of Trustee Borgioli’s mouth, and there was a murmur in the room.Apparently Mr. Benavides has been at odds with the three that were supporting the censure resolution. I was gobsmacked.Is Armando Benavides the fourth man allied to the apparent trinity of Gerard, Borgioli and Badillo? He sure seemed to exert some influence over the hearing from his seat in the audience.I left during Trustee Gerard’s very long prepared speech which finally included the apologies many had been asking to hear for so long. That apology rang hollow to me since he was under the pressure of a censure resolution.Apparently I missed an incident later in the evening where Trustee Badillo was requested to be questioned by the MHPD. More theater was created when Badillo moved briskly to the front door past the audience and away from the police. He was met at the front door by another officer, and a chaotic scene ensued in which it was later learned that police received a report that Badillo might have been carrying a weapon (he was not; it was a utility tool on his belt).This is getting ridiculous and I feel that the community of Morgan Hill is now starting to pay for the behavior of Badillo, Borgioli and Gerard.Morgan Hill is becoming a laughing stock with the behavior of the trinity which I now call the “Holy Cow!” trinity.Holy cow! We need a change in behavior at the MHUSD board level now!John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, city planning commissioner, Vice President of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.

I am responding to your guest view by Sen. Bill Monning, Jan. 22. The discussion of homelessness and mental illness has been a perennial discussion. There have been calls for affordable housing, an end to homelessness, and support for mental illness for as long as I can remember. Monning’s guest view is no different.Today we put way too much credit in the opinions, suggestions and programs pushed by politicians. Based on the continuing nature of the problem, the suggestions and work of the politicians and the government has been ineffective. I recall an essay by Bertrand Russell, “An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish.”It is an essay that should be mandatory reading by anyone that is concerned with the operation of government.“As soon as we abandon our reason, and are content to rely on authority, there is no good end to our troubles. Whose authority?” Russell writes.He was referring to people’s practice of relying on scripture. I choose to believe that he would also consider the reliance on the words of a politician, as if they were scripture, as almost the same thing. Mr. Monning is pushing the same old, but repackaged, ideas as solving a problem that has yet to be solved. His conclusions are optimistic at best and unfounded at their worst.  They are based on anecdotal evidence and wishful thinking. He ignores criticisms of his ideas. There is not unanimity in the arena of affordable housing, homelessness or mental illness that promotes a one-size-fits-all solution.One-size-fits-all solutions come part and parcel with politicians like Mr. Monning. It gives them access to lots of money handed out by the federal government. It also allows them to pretend that they lead solutions, which supports their reelection.“Politics is largely governed by sententious platitudes which are devoid of truth.” Those words by Russell still ring true today:“The power of governments over men’s beliefs has been very great ever since the rise of large states….But the power of governments over belief in the present day is vastly greater than at any earlier time. A belief, however untrue, is important when it dominates the action of masses of men.”Russell was referring to war, but it could easily reference any effort by government and politicians to influence belief.  He laments:“No one can deny, in the face of evidence, that it is easy, given military power to produce a population of fanatical lunatics. It would be equally easy to produce a population of sane and reasonable people, but many governments do not wish to do so, since such people would fail to admire the politicians who are at the head of these governments.“I am persuaded that there is absolutely no limit to the absurdities that can, by government action, come to be generally believed. Give me an adequate army, with power to provide it with more pay and better food than falls to the lot of the average man, and I will undertake within 30 years to make the majority of the population believe that two and two are three, that water freezes when it gets hot and boils when it gets cold, or any other nonsense that might seem to serve the interest of the state.”It should be understood that the essay was written six decades ago. He continues with some additional important observations that you can read for yourself.It is worthy to think of ways to help the homeless and the mentally ill. I choose to reject the ideas that come from politicians or government. Clearly these solutions have proved ineffectual by the persistence of most of the problems. Claims of success are either wishful thinking or out and out lies.The involvement of government has been counter-productive. Government programs do not solve problems because problems are generally complex and defy central planning. Flexible and innovative approaches tried by a host of problem solvers will always outperform top-down government and political solutions.So by all means address the plight of mentally ill and homeless. Just don’t count on government or politicians to do it. So maybe government and politicians should step back and not lead.  Rather they should listen to quiet voices that speak and advocate for real solutions.Mike Brusa is a retired Morgan Hill resident and an avid reader of history, politics and economics.

Deadlock censure vote a sign of disrespectAccording to the dictionary, the verb “recuse” means to withdraw from a position of judging as to avoid any semblance of partiality or bias. Trutee David Gerard recently voted in his own disciplinary reprimand (at the Feb. 2 Morgan Hill Unified School District board of education meeting). Not surprisingly, he voted against the motion. Two of his other board members voted with him to deadlock the board from taking action.Here is the real important story, not the unfortunate incident involving Trustee Rick Badillo and the police. The story is about how three board members did not view the outrageous disrespect shown to Superintendent Steve Betando and their fellow board members to be worthy of censure. They all agreed that using racist and sexist comments as well as encouraging a parent in the recall of Board President Bob Benevento is just satirical fun protected by freedom of speech and not breaking the law.The argument that Mr. Gerard did not expect the emails to become public is a little ridiculous based on the fact he was copying his comments to others and using a MHUSD server.The fact Mr. Gerard saw no ethical problem and did not recuse himself from his own disciplinary action, speaks to why he is still a threat to the good governance of our children. The fact that two of his fellow board members, Mr. Badillo and Trustee Gino Borgioli, are not even willing to censure him for his admitted actions speaks to their acceptance of these violations of education codes and agreed upon board norms as OK.Mr. Gerard gave his verbal apology but took no responsibility for his actions.Instead, he went on about mob mentality and how the attacks on him were orchestrated and not a true reaction of community members to his behavior. He called out names of citizens who reacted to his offensive behavior and claimed they were threatening him. He continues to see himself as the victim and martyr, and refuses to see the damage he is responsible for to this community and the good work MHUSD is trying to do.Censure is not taken lightly. It does not keep the elected official from attending meetings or voting. It monitors and limits the damage the elected official can do when they have violated policies and procedures in a grievous manner. It is a shame three of our board members do not see Mr. Gerard’s violations as being important enough to warrant this step.I wonder if it is because they recognize their complicity in these events since two of these board members were copied on these emails?Kathy Sullivan, Morgan HillTrustee not a victimI went to the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 2 hoping to see David Gerard resign from the board. For the past two months a parade of Morgan Hill residents and district employees have spoken to the board asking, and even demanding, David Gerard's resignation over his despicable and hate filled email messages to some parents and trustees Gino Borgioli and Rick Badillo.Instead, the entire audience at the meeting was subjected to ridiculous arguments by Borgioli and Badillo justifying Mr. Gerard’s horrible behavior and trying to avoid a censure resolution up for a vote before the board.Acting as apologists for Mr. Gerard, these two trustees embarrassed themselves with twisted logic trying to say that Mr. Gerard was entitled to free speech and simply made an error by sending his hateful emails through the district server and that Mr. Gerard never intended for these emails to be published.Unfortunately, Trustee Badillo failed to recognize the fact that, as elected officials, their communications sent through district channels are public records which are open to inspection by the public.Finally, David Gerard made us endure a 27 minute rehash of the other trustees arguments and attempted to make himself look like a victim. Well, let's be very clear about this, Mr. Gerard is no victim and his insulting, hurtful and racist language used to describe his fellow trustees and district staff members have caused a great deal of anger within our community, justifiably aimed at him. Trustees Badillo and Borgioli appear to tacitly condone Mr. Gerard’s horrible behavior by attempting to explain his unacceptable actions as freedom of speech and a mistake.I think most everyone at the board meeting recognized Mr. Gerard’s arguments for what they were: a pathetic attempt to shift blame and attention away from his despicable acts and claim to be a victim of mobbing behavior by members of the community.Apparently, Mr. Gerard will force members of the community to mount a recall campaign against him, culminating in a special election which will cost thousands and thousands of dollars from the district’s general fund.Anyone in the community who has not read the horrible emails that Mr. Gerard wrote needs to educate themselves and read those emails! Community members need to attend upcoming board meetings and demand Mr. Gerard’s resignation. Mr. Gerard is no victim in this and he will ultimately be held accountable for his behavior both in the emails and his refusal to do the right thing and resign.Steven SpencerSan Martin

FINALLY, a free afternoon. You still have a long to-do list, but the heck with it. Everything can wait for a few hours, so you light out for your favorite trail. Good for you. You deserve a break; a bit of quiet solitude.

Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans (FFNV), a Japanese-American WW II veterans organization, will host a meeting 12:30 p.m. Feb. 13, at the rear building of the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center, 16450 Murphy Ave. Potluck lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the public is invited.  The highlight of this meeting is to feature four speakers on the subject of a legendary segregated Japanese-American unit—the 442nd Regimental Combat Team—rescuing the “Lost Battalion.” The 442nd  RCT, formed in 1943, was initially engaged in Italy and quickly became a formidable and well-respected fighting unit. “Go For Broke” was its motto.  For its size and the length of service, the 442nd  RCT became the highest decorated unit in U.S. Army history with 21 Medal of Honor awards.On Oct. 24, 1944, the 1st Battalion of the 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Division (originally the Texas National Guard), became surrounded and trapped by German forces in the Vosges Mountains, France. The 1st Battalion was deemed “lost” because repeated attempts by 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 141st Infantry Regiment failed to rescue the 1st.  The Division Commander then ordered the 442nd RCT to rescue the “Lost Battalion.” Even though the 442nd RCT just came off bitter battles to liberate nearby towns and thus was severely short of manpower, they smartly saluted and valiantly pressed on. It was another opportunity to prove their loyalty to America after being classified as “enemy alien” after Pearl Harbor. On Oct. 30, after taking extremely heavy casualties, the 442nd RCT broke through and rescued the “Lost Battalion.”Tom Graves, professional photographer and the author of “Twice Heroes”, will introduce other speakers. He will give the overview of the 442ndRCT, and present the importance of the battle to rescue the “Lost Battalion.” He will also comment on why this rescue lives on in history.Franz Steidl, author of “Lost Battalions”, will give an introduction to the regional military situation, military motives behind the battle and its results. He will also make an audiovisual presentation.Al Tortolano (soldier of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry, the “Lost Battalion”) will talk about his side of the battle, what his fellow soldiers faced and knew and what they went through before the rescue by the 442RCT.Lawson Sakai (a 442nd RCT vet) will talk about the Regiment itself—its origin and training. He will then focus on his role during the battle to rescue the “Lost Battalion.”Brian ShiroyamaMorgan HillSurvey data in contextThe Times recently published an article about the Godbe Research survey commissioned by the city to gather data to assess the overall perceptions of living in Morgan Hill, to gauge satisfaction with the city’s performance and obtain opinions about a variety of city characteristics. In that article, the following was written:“About 62 percent of survey respondents said they would support an ordinance to update the city’s Residential Development Control System, extending it to 2035 with a population ceiling of 64,600 for that year. The current RDCS or growth control ordinance sets a population cap in Morgan Hill of 48,000 for the year 2020.”The actual language in the survey that resulted in the 62 percent figure reads as follows:“Shall an ordinance to update the city’s voter-approved Residential Development Control System (RDCS) and extend it to 2035, including a population ceiling of 64,600 for the year 2035 (consistent with the current growth rate) and policies to encourage more efficient land use, water conservation, sustainable transit-oriented development, and better implement the existing voter-approved RDCS allotment system, be adopted?”The omission of language from the survey has the potential of creating a false perception of what the 62 percent supports, especially when another part of the survey indicates support for a growth moratorium. Regardless of which side of the growth issue residents favor, it’s important that the information being made available is accurate.Chris MonackMorgan Hill

Super Bowl 50! Claimed to be the biggest single sporting event in the whole wide world, it officially landed in the Bay Area last week. “Stay out of San Francisco” is the word from the people that spend a lot of time there, and expect some big crowds in Santa Clara and San Jose too. This may be a real good time to take advantage of what we have right here.The Super Bowl Host Committee (the all controlling organization promoting the event) has put strict guidelines on what anyone can do with the name “Super Bowl,” so you might see some creative ways of expressing a connection to the big show without saying it.One example is the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley “Super Barrel” Tasting event this Saturday. That has to win the award for the most creative connection to the big event. The wine association did a wonderful job of putting together something special for wine aficionados who will have an opportunity to taste varietals still aging in the barrel. I keep hearing things like how much more fruit you can taste in the young wines and how some wineries are offering wine futures based upon the tastings. Taste a wine and if you like it, try to stake out a claim on a case or two. Ask about it.With the Super Bowl also came an opportunity by the Host Committee to help us get some playful items added to our community. There were a couple of grant opportunities offered that city staff took advantage of and parlayed into some new features in and around the downtown.On Monday a decorated crosswalk was highlighted at the north side of the intersection at Dunne Avenue and Monterey Road. You’ve got to go and see this. Some of the region’s most notable animals are represented, interspersed with grape vines. This whimsical and amusing artwork met the grant’s requirement that a) it be installed by Super Bowl day and b) it be fun. I understand that it was a heck of a push but it is there for all to see right now. Please just try to pay attention while doing so since you may be tempted to stop and take it in.Also unveiled Monday was an example of new wayfinding signage in the downtown. These aren’t just some signs hanging on non-descript posts; they are real pieces of art. The sign posts are very classy and made mostly of wood with directional pointers that indicate where you can go and maybe change your state of mind with directions to “Bright Future”, “Scrumptiousness” and “Divine Dining.”The youth of our community helped with the directions and I hope we can take their lead and follow them. These wayfinding signs also meet that requirement to be fun.Maybe we can learn something from the criteria for these grants: have more fun.Please get out and spend time in the downtown, in all of our city’s fine shopping opportunities, and hit the wineries too. Just get out and enjoy the incredible weather we’re going to have for the next week before the skies open up again.John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, city planning commissioner, Vice President of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.