July 29, 2004

ValleyViewpoints

Bring cats inside to avoid becoming ‘just another roadkill’

Editor,
After reading the heartfelt letter from W. Helmus of Rimrock Drive regarding his two dead cats, I couldn’t help but respond to one of his questions, “But what can I do about it?” Perhaps he could be a more responsible pet owner and bring his cats inside.

I have had the misfortune of killing two animals in my 27 years of driving. The first was a small charcoal-colored dog. To this day I can still hear it’s last yelp and I well remember the grief I felt knowing that I had killed a family’s beloved pet. The second was a cat that darted right in front of my vehicle as I was driving a friend home from a school meeting late one night. In both instances, I was going no faster than 15 mph. (Personally, I think 25 mph is too fast for neighborhood streets.) While speed may have been a factor in Mr. Helmus’ cats’ deaths, it is not necessarily so.

Instead of trying to pass the blame onto others for his cats unfortunate deaths, perhaps Mr. Helmus will realize that he is as responsible for their deaths as is the driver of the car that hit them.

Barbara Edwards
Via Jose

Reader asks: How would you spend $58,000,000?

Editor,
I have a good question for Street Talk: Perhaps the Almaden Times can ask their readers how they would spend the $58,000,000 potentially available for public art for the newly renovated airport.

$58,000,000 is a lot of money for one public art project. It makes me wonder if our city government has more money than it knows how to spend responsibly. I suspect most citizens would prefer that most of the money be used to repair their streets, fix their parks, or do something else to improve the quality of their immediate environment. I’m sure that most of us would find, for example, $2,000,000 quite sufficient for a public art project.

But of course, we won’t be asked. Hopefully none of $58,000,000 will go for the kind of public art placed in downtown San Jose a few years ago that was described as looking like a “huge elephant turd.”

The next time we vote for city council members, I hope we’ll all know where candidates stand on Title 22 and spending $58,000,000 for one public art project.

Louise Cate
Landerwood Lane

Is the Office of Economic Development giving taxpayers best bang for the buck?

Editor,
Regarding the article in last week’s Almaden Times Weekly on the Office of Economic Development, thank you for giving taxpayers some insight into what our city government does with our tax dollars.

I am particularly wary about whether OED is giving the taxpayers the “best bang for the buck.” The OED appears to be another example of a government agency solution for a perceived problem, or at best, in competition with the free market. Our tax dollars are being risked to provide, among other things, loan guarantees for sub par creditors; revolving loans to finance working capital, equipment, tenant improvements, as well as below market rate loans for a variety of city approved types of businesses. All these services are provided, basically, in order to “put San Jose on the map”.

Since the OED competes with private lenders, what return do the taxpayers receive for putting our money at risk?

What collateral do we get to protect our “investment” in the event a sub par borrower defaults? Exactly, how have are local taxpayers’ lives been improved with the OED? If the OED cannot answer these types of questions, we should eliminate the agency and let the market do its work in seeking out the best ideas for the next better mousetrap.

In the meantime we should limit government expenditures to those functions that benefit all residents such as streets and roads, libraries, parks and recs, public sanitation and the like; and we should eliminate programs for specific classes of people. Special programs for specific classes of individuals normally encourage government dependency, attract more “qualified” program recipients, and provide lifelong employment for government workers.

Jerry Mungai
Fall River Drive

Don’t change the name of the Almaden Branch Library

Editor,
Both the San Jose Library Commission and the Almaden Valley Community Association have voted against the proposed name change of the “Almaden Branch Library” to the “Doris Dillon Almaden Branch Library.” I have personally collected 50 signatures in my neighborhood to keep the “Almaden Branch Library” name. Many more signatures have been collected by other citizens in Almaden Valley with the same results. To name the library for a citizen, no matter how worthy, is inappropriate. The Almaden name bears very important historical significance, aside from being the name of this place and the location of the branch library. Our politicians and “public servants” must remember to serve all of the people that voted them into office, not just a small group or friends.

Liesel Wilson
Almaden Valley

Rename new Almaden library the Doris Dillon Almaden Valley Branch Library

Editor,
I am writing to ask all parents who love their children to support naming of the new Almaden library, when it is built, the Doris Dillon Almaden Valley Branch Library. By doing this you will honor all teachers who have dedicated their lives to educating our children. You will be encouraging others to follow her example by emulating her philosophy of encouraging children to read, to live life to the fullest, and contribute through service to the community.

I write as a former resident of San Jose who witnessed the incredible contributions of Doris Dillon and her love of teaching and teaching children to read.

Dave Hersch
Annandale, Virginia
(formerly of Almaden)

Sports fields project is corrupt

Editor,
If anyone had any doubts about the difference between the two weekly newspapers in Almaden Valley, Thursday’s editions of the Almaden Times and the Almaden Resident clearly shows which newspaper is dedicated to reporting what is happening in Almaden and which one is simply a mouthpiece for the powers in the valley.

The Resident’s original story about the AYA and its soccer field project on July 15 was impressive piece of investigative journalism. The “exclusive” in the July 22 issue of the Times was a laughable attempt by Vice Mayor Pat Dando and AYA officials to try to get out from under a corrupt project that is crumbling around them.

But the most interesting thing I noticed in the Time’s article is that several passages attributed to Dando are repeated, verbatim, in a letter from Dando published in the Resident on the SAME day. I wonder where the Times got Dando’s “quotes.”

Another interesting piece in the Times story is District 10 city council candidate Rich De La Rosa, who is quoted saying: “(The Resident) should have done more homework. My first reaction was to find out where the story came from—there’s no way Pat would allow this project to go forward without excellent oversight. They should have done more homework. This may become my project and it’s very important that everything is disclosed and above board—that we know exactly what public and private monies are going to be used on it.”

Way to go, Rich. You’ve just shown that you are Dando’s lap dog and it just cost you my vote in November, and hopefully, many, many more votes from Almaden Valley residents who don’t want a Dando puppet on the city council. But I have to save my greatest indignation for Times editor Julie Davis Berry, who, in an editorial, accused the Almaden Resident of making up its original AYA story because it was a slow news day. In comparing the two papers with each other over the past several months, its easy to see which paper will “… hold a story until it’s just right, especially in a competitive marketplace—but that’s just what needs to be done sometimes to maintain journalistic integrity,” as she wrote.

Indeed, there is one weekly newspaper in Almaden Valley that “maintains journalistic integrity,” and it is the Almaden Resident.

Joe Ignacio
Little River Falls

P.S. — I have sent a copy of this letter to the Resident. I know they will publish it. I doubt you will.

Editor’s response:
Admittedly, the Almaden Times Weekly cannot print every letter it receives. However, we strive to print those that address the highly charged comments and concerns of our readers on subjects of major importance to the community. This is one such letter.

In response, we take our reporting very seriously and, after a myriad of requests from our readers, worked diligently to provide answers to the many questions left unanswered in the other article.

We successfully produced the financial information that eluded the other paper and prompted our story. The accounting of the money spent by the city, as well as what has been earmarked for the project is a matter of public record. We felt this information needed to be made public.

If we had not taken these steps, we would be doing you and the community a disservice by allowing others to achieve exactly what you have accused us of doing.

In regard to Pat Dando’s opinions stated in our article, we received information from phone calls with Dando as well as printed material that she sent to us.

The Almaden Times has not, nor will it take a position on the sports fields project. Instead, we will continue to leave no stone unturned in an effort to provide the community with ALL the facts so that our readers may make their own informed decisions. We stand by every word.

However, if you have additional information that might shed new light on this (regardless of the outcome), and can substantiate your claims, we will gladly check it out.

Almaden Times article on AYA provided in-depth perspective

Editor,
Thank you Almaden Times for providing an in-depth perspective of what actually took place regarding the AYA financials. I have been supporting this project for a long time. I was in shock that a reporter could write such an article in another local publication without merit.

An addition, the name calling of Dan Kennedy was completely unjustified. Dan, as well as the other volunteers for this project, only have the best interest of the community as a whole.

Almaden Valley community—don’t be distracted by these bullies—stay the course. We need sports playing fields for our young children and all the children of the future in our community. Work with the city and those who care about the community. The purpose of the project is to build something that meets the needs of the children that is environmentally accountable.

Mike Chavez
Calcaterra Ct.