Letters to the Editor

D.A. crosses ethical line
Before retiring, I belonged to several professional
organizations. The companies I worked for would pay my expenses to
attend professional meetings. These meetings were necessary in
order to stay up with the developments in my profession.
D.A. crosses ethical line

Before retiring, I belonged to several professional organizations.  The companies I worked for would pay my expenses to attend professional meetings.  These meetings were necessary in order to stay up with the developments in my profession. 

Supervisor Reb Monaco, as an instructor at Gavilan College, taught Human Sexuality for over 15 years.  Gavilan College paid his expenses to attend professional meetings in his profession. 

In District Attorney John Sarsfield’s March 14 letter to Supervisor Pat Loe, Sarsfield wrote the following:

“…Mr. Monaco’s well known membership in a group that provides a forum for, among other things, advocates for the de-criminalization of child pornography and pedophilia, suggests that he is attempting to prevent us from our aggressive prosecution of sex offenders like Lance Purcell.”

Such an attempt at character assassination of any member of the Board of Supervisors is unethical to the nth degree.  The characterization of a respected professional organization in such a manner shows a total absence of common sense and class. 

I dare say the California Bar Association has members that defend sexual predators.  If Sarsfield is a member, does that make him an advocate for releasing sexual predators?  Not in the least. 

To think I voted for Sarsfield three years ago, shame on me.  I will not make that mistake a second time. 

Marvin L. Jones

Hollister

Attacks on D.A. don’t serve public

On Tuesday, March 28, I attended the Board of Supervisors meeting. Does the tax-paying public in Hollister know how their tax dollars are being used? Two hours were spent attacking District Attorney John Sarsfield. There were about 175 people present, and all appeared to be friends and family of the supervisors. On and on and on and on with the booing and hissing of Mr. Sarsfield. Friends and relatives asking their own friends and relatives on the board to have Mr. Sarsfield investigated by the state attorney general, which Mr. Sarsfield himself had requested months ago.

To those of you who voted for Mr. Sarsfield, please attend the next board meeting. They are not spending their time working for the public good in my opinion and my observation. They are setting the stage for the next election so their candidate of choice can become D.A., on and on and on with the same rubbish. They appear to be using taxpayer money to further their political vendetta behind closed doors. Get yourselves together and attend a board meeting.

I doubt any taxpayer would vote for any of these people again. What I smell from these supervisors is a lust for power at taxpayer expense. This is America! What I witnessed at this meeting, to say the least, is terrorism in my opinion. Mr. Sarsfield stands a better chance of finding justice from the Taliban. What I witnessed at this meeting is NOT American democracy.

How do these meetings serve the public good?

Moscopia M. Simonidis

Salinas

We’re not lacking for lions

Thanks for the story about the local lion encounters.  It is refreshing to read a lion story that illuminates some truths about the lions; specifically the fact that they are adaptable, don’t stay in their assigned habitat, and will follow the food (deer, puppies, etc.) wherever that may lead them.  

Yes, we are building and venturing into their areas, yet even though they have many thousands of remote acres for their habitat, they are frequently venturing into ours; if this isn’t an indication of a thriving (not endangered) population then what is? 

Sure, I’m making an assumption, but the claim that the lion is endangered is nothing more than an assumption when you consider that there are no current or accurate studies/census numbers.

Residents, tourists and the DFG need to be honest and realistic about the risks of having lions living around our neighborhoods.  People must understand these are not Disney characters, nor do they care if you want to protect them.

They are predators that have no reason to be afraid of golfers, livestock,or pets .

www.courgarinfo.org contains information, encounter reports by DFG, lion trackers, homeowners etc.

Marianne Moore

Gilroy

Unpopular solutions to housing crisis

Among all the talk about subsidized (socialist) housing, I find it amazing how many misled people there are who rejoice in how their net fiscal worth has grown because they bought a home at least a few years ago. I say, only a fool would rejoice in said illusion; if said fool owns only one home in which he lives, how does he plan to profit, cash out and live under a bridge? Or does said fool plan to take it with him (a very large cemetery plot)? The only people who benefit by this inflation are those who have the money to invest in real estate; for the rest of us, it merely drives up the cost of living and dooms our kids to the dependency of renting.

There are only two solutions: Increase the supply with sprawl, which will have to stop at some point within this generation (if we are to maintain a decent standard of living), or decrease the demand by shutting our borders (which is the obvious choice, but denies Democrats their dependence constituency), which also has to be done at some point within this generation. The third option, which will not be a choice if history serves (and it usually does), is a world war, which is definitely the least desirable (but has the fascists drooling into their little berets).

Alan Viarengo

Gilroy

Cone is the compassionate choice

As noted in last week’s Pinnacle, District 4 supervisor elections will be here soon.  I have been disappointed in both supervisor Reb Monaco and his appointed planning commissioner Richard Bettencourt.  I feel that they are both too encumbered by support from construction interests to represent my views on properly managed growth in San Benito County.  I believe that our district – from the diverse neighborhoods of Ridgemark, Quail Hollow, Cielo Vista and Valley View to the far corners south of our Pinnacles National Monument – will be better served by voting for Tracie L. Cone.

She has an acknowledged record of sound investigative and balanced journalism.  She has been an active member of the community, generous with her personal time and financial contributions to local charities.  I have admired Tracie’s longtime advocacy for those who want a chance to be able to afford a home in their community, a neighborhood safer from gang violence and a relief to the hazards of increasing traffic. 

Most notably she has proven remarkable professionalism, compassion and strength in the face of precedent setting, petty politics.  It would be unfortunate to pass up the opportunity to have her wise perspective in a supervisory role. 

Sara Steiner

Hollister 

Vote for Cone for a change

If you’re ready for this county to head in a positive direction with a seasoned businessperson making decisions, I hope you’ll join me in supporting Tracie L. Cone for the Board of Supervisors. We need for you to talk to your friends and neighbors, but most of all we need for you to remember to vote on June 6.

We can’t afford four more years of county government like the last two years. We NEED government that cares and works together to better serve our community.

Bob Cruz

Hollister

Immigrant legislation simply mean-spirited

Last week millions of people poured into the streets of American cities demanding justice and fair treatment. They opposed the draconian measures that Congress sought to impose in HR4437. This anti-immigrant legislation only reinforces false fears and hostility toward undocumented workers. In its earlier version the bill would have turned economic refugees into felons, and would have criminalized people and institutions who would help undocumented workers, such as family members, schools, doctors and clergy.

This mean-spirited legislation blames undocumented workers for the economic ills of this nation by asserting that undocumented workers steal American jobs and unfairly benefit from social services, even though the majority of jobs are lost due to outsourcing jobs abroad, and it is well known that undocumented workers work in industries that most American workers will not do. Undocumented workers pay taxes, yet are unable to receive tax returns and are denied many services.

By referring to undocumented workers as illegal aliens is a means of marginalizing and dehumanizing them, so that Americans will not see them as human beings who only want to earn a living so they can feed their families. They are not criminals. The massive protests in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver and other cities showed that Americans and immigrants share the same beliefs that undocumented workers are decent human beings who only want to earn a living. Even here in the Central Coast people marched or stood on street corners waving signs for justice. We proudly joined them.

Joe and Lucía Navarro

Hollister

Let Democrats decide when war ends

The president has pointed out the course of action for those Americans who want our brave troops out of Iraq by Christmas 2006. We have to vote Republican Senators and House Members out of office and replace them with Democrats who can instruct the president to bring our troops home. This is regardless of how many years the president thinks we should stay in Iraq after he proclaimed to the nation and the world, “mission accomplished”. He has announced that the troops will not leave Iraq before 2009 if he has his way. Since Bush/Cheney came to office with war with Iraq as their number 1 foreign policy issue, the president does not deserve much consideration in deciding when our troops leave Iraq.

Frank Crosby

Morgan Hill

High school robs kids of a chance

The quality of life in San Benito County erodes further, as decision makers shrink options for our youth. At 11:45 pm March 22, the San Benito High School Board of Trustees decided that students who want to attend summer school for “enrichment” courses will have a 1-in-3 chance of getting in.  

The State will reimburse the District for the cost of summer school remediation courses but will only reimburse up to 5% of enrollment for non-remediation courses, i.e. 150 students.  Last year, 835 students voluntarily registered for summer school enrichment with 507 finishing.  The Board decided to dedicate additional local funding to cap enrichment class registration at 250 students. 

This is unfair to students who have planned their course schedules according to the availability of summer school. Families have counted on summer school for decades.  Trustee Evelyn Muro acknowledged the importance of summer school as a community resource in an area where teenagers have limited options for jobs and internships.  Picture 500 teens – who could be studying and strengthening their college applications – with nothing to do.  Retiring Superintendent Slater mentioned that students can access summer school in other school districts who offer it, but we all know those are miles away. Staff had not researched whether Gavilan College can offer a feasible alternative.

Parents can monitor Board agendas at http:sbhsd.k12.ca.us/home/board/schoolboard.htm.   At a future meeting, the Board will decide the policy for allocating the 250 summer school enrichment slots to the 500-800 interested.

Jennifer Coile

Hollister

Disappointed at the Castro-Breen Adobe event

On March 11, we had our opening of our Castro-Breen house. The State Park has been working almost three years to restore it. We were invited to attend. People from the community organizations were there to honor the Castros, the Breens, and the Park. We saw the Castro families and the Breen families – many of them came from San Francisco and far away. Our mayor and city council people were there. State park rangers came from all over the state. It took twenty minutes for the Park to present the State people while we all waited for the Castros, the Breens and the city people from San Juan Bautista be recognized. If we had a chance to speak we would have been able to thank the park people and the families of the Castros and Breens. But no one from the families or the community was invited to talk or to stand to be recognized. It is a shame this opportunity was missed.

Mary Sellen

San Juan Bautista