Jun 1, 2008

Letters

Measure O

Dear Editor: Voters should make their own decisions about the importance of Measure O to their community's park needs. Measure O on the June 3 ballot is a small increase in the sales tax that would provide critically needed funding for our local and county parks. As president of the San Carlos Parks and Recreation Foundation, I have been working hard within the city's budget constraints to find ways to make the necessary repairs and add new park facilities for our city's growing population.

It is too easy for local communities like San Carlos to take a cut out of park budgets when things get tight and not see parks as an investment with returns in community benefits many times over their costs.

If you care about your local parks, please join me in voting "yes" on Measure O.

Howard Girdlestone, president

San Carlos Parks and Recreation Foundation



Papan and Hill

Dear Editor: What is Gina Papan thinking?

I can't even put into words how personally disappointed I am in Gina Papan.

Ms. Papan has succeeded in not just lowering the campaign bar, she has yanked it to the floor.

Though self-legitimacy and personal civility are so often cast aside by members of both parties, it always seems to be sidestepped by the less qualified challengers. Campaigning to be a public servant is not supposed to be about misleading innuendo nor boldfaced subscription to bawdy smear tactics. It's about an exchange of ideas between well-meaning, qualified and at least respectful contenders. Ms. Papan's efforts in this regard have fallen woefully short.

With the number of serious issues facing our state (the shortage of health care, a plummeting economy, environmental problems and a possible impending state bankruptcy), voters of all persuasions need to hear intelligent ideas, not useless personal distractions.

For me, one Assembly candidate stands out as a qualified and, above all, respectful contender: Jerry Hill. I'm so tired of unqualified "leaders" trying to lay claim to office based on their own negative personal assessments. I say, let the best candidate for the people of the 19th Assembly District be selected, so I encourage every community member to carefully assess all the contenders and then consider casting your ballot for Hill on Tuesday.

Eddie Alexander,

San Mateo



Measure O

Dear Editor: Voters should make their own decisions about the importance of Measure O to their community's park needs. Measure O on the June 3 ballot is a small increase in the sales tax that would provide critically needed funding for our local and county parks. As president of the San Carlos Parks and Recreation Foundation, I have been working hard within the city's budget constraints to find ways to make the necessary repairs and add new park facilities for our city's growing population.

It is too easy for local communities like San Carlos to take a cut out of park budgets when things get tight and not see parks as an investment with returns in community benefits many times over their costs.

If you care about your local parks, please join me in voting "yes" on Measure O.

Howard Girdlestone, president

San Carlos Parks and Recreation Foundation



Richard Holober

Dear Editor: As the Democratic primary campaign for the19th Assembly District heats up, our mailboxes have been flooded with claims of "special interest group" support for and against various candidates. I'd like to set the record straight about one of the candidates, Richard Holober. I have served on the San Mateo County Community College District board of trustees with Richard for four years, and have known him personally for many years before that. The only "special interests" that Richard represents are hard-working families in San Mateo County and beyond.

I have seen him work tirelessly to support apprenticeship programs for youth who want to go into the building trades, to support training more nurses and allied health professionals to improve health care in our county and to help airport workers laid off after Sept. 11 gain job opportunities in biotech manufacturing. Richard believes in creating good jobs with fair wages and benefits that people can afford to live on here in San Mateo County.

He has also been a tireless advocate for our rights as consumers for financial privacy and fair billing practices.

The only "special interests" Richard represents are people like us. That's why I'm joining our teachers and nurses in supporting him for election to the state Assembly. I hope that other readers of the Daily News will vote for him too.

Dave Mandelkern, trustee,

San Mateo County

Community College District





Measure A

Dear Editor: Lee The wrote a thoughtful letter on the selfishness of Measure A, like many such measures in affluent communities. In the Palo Alto Unified School District's defense, about 10 percent of the students are from areas outside of its taxable territory per the Measure A opponents' Web site. The opponents point out therefore that 10 percent of the bond cost will be for nonresident students (and thus objectionable), so I think the elitist mentality may be on both sides of Measure A. However, before bestowing altruism to PAUSD, I heard it is by a court order that East Palo Alto residents have a chance of sending their kids to PAUSD schools. Furthermore, PAUSD receives most of its funding based on the number of students. You will, therefore, likely not see enrollment cops checking residency status as in some other school districts.

ThÇ said that Measure A's attitude toward our poorer neighbors is "Let them eat cake." However, soon PAUSD students may not have cake themselves. The district that is about to celebrate passing a $378 million bond issue will be paring down school lunches because it is not breaking even. I did not realize PAUSD was a for-profit establishment. I suspect the high deficit is from current food choices children do not want. I would not blame the deficit on the high cost of labor as these personnel would be needed if the food were better. Most large company cafeterias run a deficit, especially when you consider the cost of the facility. These companies subsidize their cafeterias for many reasons. I have been to several companies with cafeterias and the meal options are generally good. I guess the one thing the $378 million bond cannot be used for is better food for children.

Bob Schulte,

Palo Alto



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Dear Editor: Congratulations to Wayne Martin on his excellent suggestion on managing Palo Alto Unified School District properties [Letters, Tuesday].

I still weep over the insane obliteration of Ortega Grade School. Fortunately the land is still there, fallow, in public hands but with no teachers and eager students.

It should have been noted that this is the same Wayne Martin leading the opposition to the school bond.

Timing his letter to throw dirt in the eyes of the electorate is not cool.

Ted Costello,

Palo Alto



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Dear Editor: This letter is written to refute inaccurate information presented by the opponents to Measure A.

1) "That Measure A costs $800 million." Anyone with a home mortgage can tell you that a 30-year loan will cost far more than the face value of the note. A $500,000 loan at 6 percent will cost almost $1.1 million over 30 years, but no one ever refers to that as a $1.1 million loan. Opponents of Measure A are doubling the cost of the bond measure and throwing around an $800 million number to exaggerate the cost in today's dollars.

2) "That a pool, gymnasium or theater will not advance a student's education or increase an underachieving student's scores a single point." Studies show that student athletes often become better scholars and do achieve better scores than when they are not participating in sports. Sports keep students off the streets after school and can help some gain admittance to a school to which they may not otherwise be accepted.

3) "Gunn has a perfectly good pool which seems to be idle most of the time." The pool at Gunn is falling apart; the water pump just went out again in the middle of the water polo season. The shallow end is only 3 feet, 6 inches deep, although water polo players are not allowed to stand on the bottom, making a proper water polo game impossible.

4) "Why shouldn't the district pursue private money to pay for the Gunn pool?" It took eight years for Gunn Sports Boosters to raise the $278,000 it cost to design the pool and create the building drawings. It was not possible to find private money to fund the new pool.

Students in sports learn team spirit, the value of practice, losing well and playing their hardest, and this helps make them better citizens. Not everything in life can be learned in a classroom.

Bob Cranmer-Brown, president,

Gunn Sports Boosters



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Dear Editor: The Palo Alto Unified School District has brought to us the following decisions since our family moved to Palo Alto in 1978.

1) The closing and sale of a number of "excess" school sites because of falling enrollment. The sale proceeds were to be used to improve the district's balance sheet and to make needed improvements to district schools. Was appropriate planning done to implement an ongoing maintenance program within the district? Apparently not.

2) The district successfully sold to the voting public a $143 million bond issue that was poorly administered. Measure B bonds will be retired in 2024. How qualified are district administrators to oversee construction issues and budgets? Not very.

3) Measure A, the $378 million bond proposal now being marketed has the following caveat: "We have learned from our past mistakes." Really?

A recent marketing flier sent to my home by the Committee for Strong Schools for a Strong Community said the bond projects will be accomplished "without increasing our tax rates." It may not increase the tax rate, but it will increase your tax bill. The rate mentioned is $40 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

This bond measure will most likely be followed by a 10 percent increase in Palo Alto utility rates in July and a library bond ($80 million).

Isn't it great that we have all this money.

Charles Steele,

Palo Alto