Letters to the Editor

For the past several weeks, readers may have noticed fewer
letters to the editor than usual. During that time, computer issues
denied the staff of the Pinnacle access to the letters e-mail
account.
The issue is resolved, and readers may again contact the
Pinnacle at le*****@**********ws.com.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and we welcome your
letters.
Due to space constraints, we can’t publish all the letters we
received during this time in the print edition. Please browse our
web site at www.pinnaclenews.com to view all letters.
Speak up to save our parks

I have a serious concern regarding the possible closure of our public beaches and parks. The Governor’s plan calls for the elimination of 48 state parks, many of these are situated along the central coast.

My family and friends frequent Sunset and Manressa beach for a daily outings or overnight camping. We also enjoy the spectacular views at Fremont Peak and hikes at Henry Coe Park. I feel these are opportunities for many in our community and they serve as a valuable refuge for solitude and well-being. Also, these are amenities we citizens pay for and are stockholders of.

In San Benito County, many businesses rely on parks and beaches to promote tourism that fuels our local economy. Imagine how awkward it would be to answer inquiries to those traveling long distances with “I’m sorry our state parks and beaches have been closed due to budget cuts.”

The Governor’s claim is a savings of $9 million, which pales in comparison to the total deficit. In the last budget he cut $160 million earmarked to help our parks in spite of a $1 billion backlog of much needed maintenance and operational projects.

If the State closes down these venues, my understanding is there would be additional expenditures necessary to patrol these areas to prevent trespassing. This may not be effective to keep visitors out and then there would be no lifeguard service to insure public safety and this will expose the state to legal liability.

I fail to understand why this is being considered as a sensible budget cut while money is being spent for outreach programs to curb diabetes and child obesity. Public parks and beaches have been an ideal resource for recreation and exercise. The State’s position as to shutting down the unique and beautiful features of our area seems to be drastic, dismal, draconian and ill considered

I encourage citizens who share my concern to contact the California State Parks Foundation for additional information and write to our Legislative Representatives and express your concern. Let’s ask what we can do to prevent a misguided measure counterproductive to the message of health and family fun.

David Huboi

Hollister

Down with cell phones

I’m sure this letter will not make the local wireless phone companies happy, and I’m sure plenty of you will disagree with me, but I am convinced more than ever that parents should not let their children have cell phones. As a teacher at the high school and a parent of four children between the ages of 4½ and 12½ I am deeply concerned about all of the problems being caused by unsupervised cell phone use by kids.

I am basically seeing four main problems. First I am appalled by the disrespect that kids and adults are showing by their constant use of their phones. As an assistant principal at San Benito High School, my wife deals with cell phone issues on a daily basis, as it is school policy to require that students’ phones are taken to the office to have their parents pick them up if they are used in class. Many students then escalate the situation to all-out defiance and verbal abuse of authority by refusing to give up the cell phone. And many parents when called to pick up the phone and told of the student’s conduct enable their kids by backing the child and not the school.

Countless man hours are wasted in investigating these cases. Besides the hours wasted by the administration, what about the lost classroom instruction because of the defiance incidents in the classroom?

Second, I am convinced that the constant use of cell phones, IPods and the like are starting our children on a path of anti-social behavior. Parents, look closely at your kids. They have the earphones in one ear and the cell phone in the other. They are talking to their friends on a phone and the friend may be only yards away from them, yet there is no true human interaction. Boyfriends and girlfriends break up by text message – what a gutless way to end a relationship. Kids sit and text each other, play games on their phones and do everything but interact socially with their peers. Some cell phones are given a ring tone that is designed to be heard by adolescents, and not by adults. I guarantee you, there are kids literally addicted to their phones. If you don’t believe me, try taking it away and see what type of behaviors they exhibit.

Third, because of all the other technologies that exist on the phones now, they are being used in ways that I hope the manufacturers never dreamed of. Pictures of things that should not be taken are routinely shared from one phone to another, tests, quizzes and other school assignments can be copied. It’s not a coincidence that the SAT has banned cell phones and other electronic devices completely from their testing room. There are some cases where students have sent inappropriate pictures of themselves on their phones to one another.

I have also heard from several parents about their child’s phone bills sometimes being $500 or more. But the last and to me most important reason I am not letting my children have a cell phone is this. I feel many people are using cell phones to replace planning and forethought. I hear from students all the time that this way I can call my parents or they can call me. I can call for help in an emergency and I can now get a hold of my child when I need to. All those are valid and true reasons, but what did we do before there were cell phones? We planned, we made arrangements, we drove to places and waited to pick up our kids. We had to face people when we needed to tell them something that wasn’t going to be pleasant. If we traveled we had emergency supplies in our vehicle. We learned to speak in complete sentences and not in abbreviated codes. We depended on neighbors to help out in emergency situations. We had back-up plans. Parents took the time to “spy” on their kids to make sure they were OK.

We gave people undivided attention, and didn’t talk on our cell phone in meetings, in church, at the movies, in school or the like. I’m sure many people will think I’m a crazy person and that I’m the one who’s antisocial but I am convinced more than ever that kids having unsupervised cell phones is a bad idea and is only going to get worse. Parents, I encourage you to hang tough and know that there are a few of us out there who are not going to let our kids have phones, IPods, mp3 players or other electronic devices.

Randy Logue

Hollister

Feral cats are the victims

 As I read Mr. Paxton’s article (Feb. 22, 2008) I asked my self these questions. Does Mr. Paxton truly like cats? Is he trying to target feral cats, or could it be that he is trying to bring awareness of their plight?

  Yes, it is that time of year when the howls and cries of tom cats are heard everywhere. However, these melodic calls do not necessarily belong to just feral cats. More often or not, they are your neighbor’s cat who is not altered. Sadly, feral cats are the product of this throwaway society, and also people who choose not to spay/neuter their cats. Abandoned, left to search for their own food, as time goes by they become mistrusting of people. Being intact, at certain times of the year, nature steps in, and it is time to hunt for a mate. Every animal does this all-important function of life, including us humans …Yes, hunt for a mate! Sadly unwanted kittens are born, but we humans are to blame for this. 

  There were two parts of Mr. Paxton’s  column I agreed with: “Allowing domestic cats to roam free is wrong.”   We in ACGSR Inc. will not adopt to anyone who wants to let a cat go outside. Next: “Free roaming cats live shorter lives than those confined to a home.” Again I concur.

  “What’s next? Are we to expect roving bands of subterranean pit bulls in search of kitty prey?” Here you are attacking two species. I am to assume that you “lump” pit bulls into the same category as feral cats. I love pit bulls and feral cats.  The bad publicity they both receive again is because of they way they both are treated, one is viewed as vermin and plagued with disease, the other as vicious and mean, and needs to be eradicated. 

  This writer along with a small group of dedicated and caring women feed feral cats in the area.

Our colonies are tested for feline leukemia, spayed/neutered, given all vaccinations, ears notched (denoting they are feral cats), one-time application of Advantage applied. They are then released back to the grounds they are familiar with.

  Mr. Paxton I would like to invite you to join us at a feeding session. You will see our feral cats. They do not look sick. They are protected from the basic feline diseases. They are cared for and fed daily.  Should anyone one of us see that a cat looks sick, they are re-trapped and taken to the vet for care, and released back into the colony. We have come to know these cats, as they in turn do us. They wait patiently each day at the precise time of the day. They greet us with purrs and excitement. We love and care for these cats. Our efforts are not misguided; neither do they produce unwanted litters. What we have done is to save them from being killed at our shelter. That is the fate these cats face when trapped by others.

Feral cats are deserving of a life. They are creatures of God, but as I said before, a product of this throwaway society of ours. When the public begins to take care of its animals by spay/neuter then one will see a decline in these colonies. Until then the burden is placed on us rescuers and shelters.

  All of the above points a need for cities and counties to implement their own low-cost spay neuter clinics.

Vivian A. Kennedy, president.

Feral Cat Volunteer Group

Dana Leisinger, Margaret Lairson ,Shelley Lomanto

You can help feral cats

I would like to expand upon Mark Paxton’s recent suggestion to keep cats indoors (Feb. 22, 2008). This is not always practical, nor is it a total solution to controlling cat populations and their effect on the environment. If people got their pets spayed or neutered there would not be so many animals killed in our shelters, and there would not be so many homeless cats caused by irresponsible pet ownership.

There are several non-profit organizations in our county dedicated to helping animals and the people who care for them. These organizations can provide assistance with TNR – trap/neuter/release. This is a program that works! Over the years I have helped businesses and residents in my neighborhood with TNR. Just last night one of my neighbors made a timely comment about noticing there are a lot less stray cats around then there used to be. That is because TNR reduces the homeless cat population.

Local groups can help citizens by loaning traps, providing training in how to do TNR, and giving advice on low-cost spay/neuter services in the area. They do NOT remove cats. There is no magical place, somewhere else, where these cats can live. TNR has been proven to work in communities across the nation.

Many people who feed stray cats dedicate their time, money, and energy into getting these cats spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Those who need help doing this should call one of our excellent local non-profits and ask to speak with someone who can help them get started

Christine Russell

San Juan Bautista

Buses run on empty (passengers)

The 42-passenger buses operated by the Council of Governments (COG) have not been very visible lately. Good thing. They discharge the equivalent of three pounds of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas per mile traveled, assuming eight miles to the gallon in the stop-and-go city traffic. The largest number of passengers I have ever seen on one of those monsters is four.

  There were five of the mid-size 24-passenger (?) buses that passed the corner of Fourth and San Benito streets in an hour last Friday. One had five passengers, one had three, one had one and two had zero.

  Now COG has assumed the duties of assessing the impact fees for new homes. This fee will be almost $24,000 a house. What duties will they assume next, health care?

  Heaven help us.

Marvin L. Jones

Hollister

Let our descendants pay debt?

Continuing the Clinton economic policy would have paid off the national debt in 2006 according to Alan Greenspan. Instead we adopted the magical Bush Republican economic policy, heartily embraced by McCain, which has driven the national debt to $9.33 trillion with a $3,000 increase every two minutes. Instead of paying off the debt in 2006, we paid $406 billion interest with money borrowed from China and Japan. The foundation of this Republican program is to cut taxes on big corporations and the wealthy. The good part is we can continue to borrow money to pay the interest and allow our great grandchildren to pay off the debt. This is sensible, since they will be far more intelligent and much stronger than we are.

Frank Crosby

Morgan Hill

Parents must get involved

Do you know how many children will be attending your child’s school next year? Do you know what the class size will be for your sixth- and seventh-graders next year? I urge the parents and the taxpayers of the Hollister School District to start asking the superintendent and the Board of Trustees why next year Gabilan Hills will have 755 children scheduled to attend school at that site and why Marguerite Maze will have 777 students. Why will Gablian Hills have an increase of 12.9 percent in student population since 2005-2006? Why will Marguerite Maze have a decrease of 29.7 percent in school population since 2005-2006? Why will Rancho San Justo have a scheduled school population of 977 for next year at a 20 percent increase in population over Marguerite Maze Middle School? Why will sixth- and seventh-graders at Marguerite Maze Middle School and Rancho San Justo be in class sizes of 32-35 and sixth and seventh graders at Gablian Hills will have class sizes of 27-30?

Parents should ask the board of trustees why they are not ensuring that every child has similar class sizes per grade level and equity in programs offered. Library and computer lab use will not be available throughout the day at Marguerite Maze Middle School because the school population will not be high enough to warrant these services due to staffing ratio guidelines adopted by the school board in 2002. However, the students at Rancho San Justo will receive library and computer lab use throughout the entire day.

I urge all parents to come to the school board meetings to ask these questions. The charter of the board of trustees is to hear how parents and taxpayers feel about how students, services, facility use and funds are distributed within the district. The Board will be meeting on March 11 at 5 p.m. and March 18 at 6 p.m. at 2690 Cienega Road. The numbers I have used in this writing come from the Hollister School District board packet dated Feb. 26.

Jan Grist

Hollister

Bob, smell the GOP coffee

Apparently my old friend and proprietor of my second favorite video store ever, Bob Valenzuela, has been breathing too much smog. Last week he lamented the disappearance of Mitt Romney from the presidential campaign, a candidate whom he saw as an agent of change, and this week he is happy that John McCain got a pass on the serious charges contained in the New York Times piece detailing the candidate’s hidden dealings with lobbyists; according to the candidate a foe he battles with at all times and everywhere.

Bob, get some oxygen into your blood stream. The only change Romney would bring to this nation is an even further solidification of the corporate stranglehold on the government that exists in the Bush White House, and McCain has now been caught in just the first of many lies he has foisted on the American people. Stay tuned for more in this vein.

I’ve always felt that Bob’s affair with the GOP was good for a laugh, but maybe he should try to catch the old gal without her makeup on.

Terry Butler

Hollister