October 4, 2007

ValleyViewpoints

Let private capital build soccer stadium

Editor,
Pat Dando urges the San Jose City Council to support a plan to build a major league soccer stadium in San Jose. After all, it is befitting for the nation’s 10th largest city to have one, is it not? Not only that, but Major League Soccer has a formal commitment to allow the city to host the MLS All-Star game within the first few years of opening a new stadium. We are told the stadium will bring the city prestige, jobs and fun for families.

We have been down this road before. How do we know this stadium will be another enterprise that will need initial and on-going taxpayer financial support just like the Rep, the Mexican Heritage Plaza or the convention center?

Let private capital fund the stadium, beginning with some of the community’s sports boosters. If it succeeds, everyone wins, including investors, merchants and the community at large. If the enterprise fails, then the owners can convert the stadium to a more sound economic enterprise. Maybe the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce can convince members of the valley’s billionaire club to have the privilege of being soccer field owners.

Jerry Mungai
Almaden

Reader will miss Diego Abeloos’ sports coverage

Editor,
I am writing to express my gratitude and appreciation for your now former employee Diego Abeloos. Over the last several years I have had the privilege of working with Diego, and his role as sports editor of the Almaden Times. I am the athletic director and varsity football coach at Pioneer High School. I coach and attend many sporting events in the Pioneer community. All of us at Pioneer, and Leland for that matter, could always count on Diego being there, firsthand, to cover the local high school sporting events.

Diego's passion for athletics shined through in his work. Not only was he always there for the high-profile sports, he could also be found at many less-prominent games or matches to make sure those athletes were getting recognition as well. Diego understood his role as a community newspaper sports editor and reporter. While not afraid to write the truth, he always kept in mind that this was the Mustangs and the Chargers that he was covering, not the Giants and the Raiders. His stories focused on the positives of high school athletics, and the hard working athletes and coaches that sacrifice so much for their schools.

Over the last three football seasons, Diego has covered the Pioneer Mustangs through great times, and times of struggle. Diego always waited for a post-game comment, and was also sensitive to the outcome of a hard-fought game. I appreciated his hard work, and it was always my goal to meet with him immediately after each game to talk about the outcome. He made that very easy whether discussing a victory or a defeat.

On a personal note, I will certainly miss his work covering our local athletes. Many athletes, parents, grandparents, and now, with the Internet, far-away family members have enjoyed their relatives’ "name in lights," their "moment of fame." My wife, children and I certainly appreciate his hard work. I feel like a friend has moved on to better things, and I wish Diego nothing but "true hops" and tremendous success in the future.

Mark Krail
Almaden

Ellis-Lamkins’, Fox Sr.’s pursuit of labor’s noble goals will have unintended consequences

Editor,
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins and Mike Fox tell us, in essence, that anyone who criticizes the noble goals of labor unions is disrespectful of the labor movement. Those goals include paying “living” wages, elimination of the secret ballot to determine whether workers want union representation at their place of work and universal health and childcare irrespective of legal status.

In other words, they promote wealth redistribution in the name of “social justice.” In so doing, they promote class warfare. Their policies, if enacted, will only speed up the globalization that they apparently oppose.
I do not oppose their policies out of disrespect, but rather from studying economic and political history.

Jerry Mungai
Almaden

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