Letters to the Editor

Well what about this?
It appears that filing the forms with the California Secretary
of State, the Internal Revenue Service, plus complying with
McCain-Feingold and the Federal Election Commission is not
sufficient in San Benito County.
  We now have a new Oracle of Ethics in the person of Pinnacle
publisher Mark Paxton.  See the editorial in the May 21 issue.
Did Mr. Paxton and the Pinnacle check to see if Bryan Conroy had
filed the proper forms with the Secretary of State before
publishing the hit piece on Arthur Cantu May 21?
 Did Mr. Paxton check the archives for the time newly installed
District Attorney John Sarsfield reduced Bryan Conroy’s DUI to
reckless driving? Oh! I forgot. The Pinnacle archives are no longer
available on the Internet for previous years. How convenient.
It is my understanding Mr. Conroy did satisfy Mr. Paxton’s
ethics requirement, all one-thousand-eight-hundred requirements, $1
at a time.
  But, that is the real reason the Pinnacle is in business. 
 
Marvin L. Jones
Hollister
Editor’s note: The Pinnacle recently revised its website
(www.pinnaclenews.com) and moved to a new host. Staff members
continue to update archives, which remain incomplete at this time.
Readers may review a complete set of past editions at the offices
of The Pinnacle, 380 San Benito St., Hollister.
Well what about this?

It appears that filing the forms with the California Secretary of State, the Internal Revenue Service, plus complying with McCain-Feingold and the Federal Election Commission is not sufficient in San Benito County. We now have a new Oracle of Ethics in the person of Pinnacle publisher Mark Paxton. See the editorial in the May 21 issue.

Did Mr. Paxton and the Pinnacle check to see if Bryan Conroy had filed the proper forms with the Secretary of State before publishing the hit piece on Arthur Cantu May 21? Did Mr. Paxton check the archives for the time newly installed District Attorney John Sarsfield reduced Bryan Conroy’s DUI to reckless driving? Oh! I forgot. The Pinnacle archives are no longer available on the Internet for previous years. How convenient.

It is my understanding Mr. Conroy did satisfy Mr. Paxton’s ethics requirement, all one-thousand-eight-hundred requirements, $1 at a time. But, that is the real reason the Pinnacle is in business.

Marvin L. Jones

Hollister

Editor’s note: The Pinnacle recently revised its website (www.pinnaclenews.com) and moved to a new host. Staff members continue to update archives, which remain incomplete at this time. Readers may review a complete set of past editions at the offices of The Pinnacle, 380 San Benito St., Hollister.

Murder, bargains and budgets

When Ralf Santos was murdered, I wish Candice Hooper had made a statement, any statement. It has been several years and Candice has not said a word about how wrong the DA’s office was in the plea bargain. Two murderers stabbed and robbed Mr. Santos and the family pleaded with the DA’s office. Maybe Candice was too busy with the Spring Grove school budget to get involved.

Reba Jones

Hollister

Local mudslinging is deplorable

I think (Pinnacle publisher) Mark Paxton got it about right (May 14). Our county campaigns have once again descended into the muck. Most of these campaigns are based upon “the big lie theory.” The big lie theory once used by Senator Joe McCarthy is based upon a statement that has absolutely no basis in fact, but is so fantastic that it is undefensible. The statements usually involve character questions like: Do you still beat your wife? Are you still engaged in an illicit or immoral sex act? How much of a kickback did you take?

These questions usually do more than defeat an opponent. They destroy families, careers, and lives. What do they have to do with governing? Absolutely nothing. These statements have nothing to do with policy. The public needs to know what policies an incumbent and challenger will enact. This is a test of judgment all in it’s self.

With the sort of mudslinging we have today, the public cannot make an informed decision about what leaders to choose. The campaigns and candidates owe that to the public. We need to hold them to that standard, or our government and politics will descend into the election of elementary school statements such as “don’t vote for him because he has cooties.”

I wish all candidates luck because with the standards were are seeing today, Jack Kennedy and Ronald Reagan couldn’t get elected here.

Matt Escover

Hollister

Having the right was still wrong

Only last week my wife and I were wondering when the current local election would take a muddy turn. Your editorial and accompanying “Paid Political Advertisement” provided the answer.  I agree that you have a Constitutional right to print the news and paid advertisements. But, do you have an obligation to publish a calculated personal attack on a political candidate just because the advertiser paid “full price” for the privilege of seeing “this bit of mischief” in print?

What you printed is nothing more than a non-sworn affidavit in a request for a court order. It was not subject to cross-examination and is not considered evidence. The ad does refer to some sworn testimony but we don’t know what was said, nor are we allowed to know what, if any factual findings were rendered by the judge in the case. I don’t know what the outcome of that trial was and quite frankly I don’t care. What I do care about is whether I can trust my local newspaper to print the unbiased truth of a matter.  You have shattered that confidence. I am not a supporter of Mr. Cantu and I will not vote for him.  However, to subject a candidate to such a crude personal attack is deplorable.  I’d cancel my subscription if it wasn’t free.

 

David Tomlinson

Hollister

Time to take high road

I’m saddened to see that The Pinnacle newspaper has once again gotten into the mudslinging business.  Wasn’t it The Pinnacle that was preaching about how we need ethics in local politics?  Do the rules only apply when a candidate you favor is attacked? You almost had me fooled about your commitment to ethics until I read the stories about certain controversial individuals trying to create their own “ethics committee.”

I’ve been on the receiving end of these smear campaigns for many years and yet your paper has never bothered to investigate and find out the truth so the public can make an informed decision about what really happen in my campaign.

Ethics in politics can only occur when the public knows the full story rather than false information being spread around by former corrupt officials trying to regain power for themselves and their friends.

It’s time to live up to the high standards of journalism and refuse ads that are nothing more than smear campaigns from angry individuals trying to misinform the public.  

Jaime De La Cruz

San Benito County Supervisor

Utterly lacking in ‘moral values’

Sunday night some individuals came onto my front yard and stole a John Sarsfield sign. You wouldn’t want that to happen to you so don’t let that happen to someone else! This is not a game, but violation. Where are these “moral values” always talked about?

Haven’t we, older and younger, been taught to respect the other person’s rights?

Each one of us is entitled to the precious freedom of speech. No one is allowed to trespass on another’s property to steal or destroy something. It is of greatest importance to be concerned for the welfare and peace of mind of all residents in or communities. To act this way out of anger, against a candidate or issue, shows a real problem that needs to be helped immediately.

Positive actions must be at the head of discussion and put into practice. Only then will San Benito County be a safer and happier place to live in.

Jeannette Langstaff

Hollister

‘Friends’ defame our Constitution

It’s very interesting to me that the group that produced a mailer that is libeling the Tracie Cone election is publishing the same under the pseudonym of “Friends of the Constitution.”

Clearly these good folks never read the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights as Amendment VI clearly states:  In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

So “Friends,” if you’re going to try someone in the court of public opinion please do so publicly as the Constitution requires or cease from defaming the Constitution by cloaking yourselves in anonymity.

 

Dave Busch

Hollister

Paper supports non-profits

A friend of mine showed me a pamphlet paid for by the Friends of the Constitution, San Benito Chapter. It referred to allegations that The Pinnacle, under ownership of Tracie Cone, was shaking down local non-profits by insisting that they buy advertising if they wanted favorable articles written about an event or the organization.

As I was on the boards of two public non-profit organizations at the time of her ownership, I can state that she actually took a leadership role in giving free publicity to the non-profits involved in the Community Foundation matching fund drive! Certainly I have occasionally been unhappy about the lack of photos of Horse Show Parade winners or letters to the editor that are not published, but the experience is common to both papers and certainly not evidence of a “shakedown”!

Mary Schneider

Hollister

Buck trumps all

I was so distressed to read your editorial in last weekend’s edition of The Pinnacle. While you allude to the need for integrity in local politics and the inutility and inappropriateness of negative campaigning, your actions speak louder than your words. Running the full page ad paid for by Brian Conroy not only supports mud-slinging and slander-filled rhetoric but it negates any of the meaning of the words you use as an editor  and sends the message that the almighty “buck” is mightier than the word.

As the wife of former District Attorney Harry Damkar, I have tolerated years of negative press, half or un-truths and general defamation to my family caused by the unethical and “low-road” policies of your “newspaper.”  As a professor of international business, while I understand the need for businesses to achieve profitability, I shake my head at the lack of ethics your paper demonstrates, especially when I devote a considerable amount of class time to teaching ethics to young university business students. And as a resident of San Benito County for over 24 years, I was so hopeful that under your stewardship The Pinnacle would finally transform into a decent, home-town newspaper that would be fun and informative to read and would provide local readers with real facts and the truth.

From your recent editorial, I am so saddened to realize that all hope is lost that this transformation will ever take place. The media has such tremendous possibility to change lives, inspire, entertain, and inform. The recent actions of your newspaper reduce the power of our local media to only a place where thirty pieces of silver can be exchanged. Clearly, the pen is no longer mightier than the sword but the buck is.

Madeline Damkar

Hollister

Negative campaigning is unfortunate fact

Mark Paxton surprised about politics? In a perfect world politicians would run clean campaigns, tell voters what they will accomplish instead of bashing opponents. Had your TV on lately? It’s not just San Benito County.

In a perfect world people would honorably print whole truths, not half-truths or twisted truths, or outright lies.. Not the dirt and garbage written about Art Cantu in the disreputable blog, flyers on windshields at Little League, full page attack ads paid for by a candidate’s previous campaign advisors.

In a perfect world we would not receive mailers with no merit (Cone to Ridgemark). According to Tracie Ridgemark voters are informed and passionate, which makes Ridgemark highly sought after; does that make the rest of District 4 chopped liver?

Tracie is confusing opinions with facts.

– Fact: in four years the only subdivision supervisors approved is a five-unit PUD. Who voted for a 1 percent growth moratorium? Tooth Fairy?

– Fact: County counsel informed supervisors there could be a legal problem with the ordinance allowing voters to vote on developments.

Property owners should be able to build their homes where they please and not have it mandated.

Our small airport and the condor recovery program at the Pinnacles is an untapped potential for quick economic development, jobs and the infrastructure of Hollister. Tracie, are you running for supervisor or city council? We have excellent wineries that are growing in name and quality, helping our economy, but we will never be another Napa.

Tracie feels she is the only candidate with damaged signs; not. I hope she has more of a sense of humor than calling the “No Cone Zone” a personal attack.

Phyllis Swallow

Hollister

Human numbers harm environment

Your article (Collisions with nature, May 14) makes me very sad, especially as so many of these types of articles appear almost every day around the world. We must start a dialog about the need to limit the human population and I hope you will consider writing an article on this topic. The world is limited in its resources and it is time for people to recognize that humans are overwhelming the planet.

For those folks who don’t particularly care about wildlife or the environment, it should be pointed out that our quality of life is being affected. I have actually given up eating tuna and shrimp because the quality (taste) is awful, due to our depletion of these animals and the subsequent substitution of less palatable kinds. I hardly ever buy fruits from the store because they are usually not ripe, due to the fact that we must ship fruits in from great distances. And I could go on.

Perhaps if you approached an article from a quality of life viewpoint, people would sit up and take notice.

Marlene Condon

Crozet, VA

Hey! It’s just a movie

I believe that the movie “The De Vinci Code” does not need to be condemned as strongly as it is by Christians. If one is strong in their beliefs of Christ’s divinity and “non-marriage,” they shouldn’t have to worry about a fictitious movie pulling people away from their “God”. I have not seen any other religion being so vocal, one way or the other about this movie. So why are Christians making so much noise?

The more they say the more they keep the movie in the news and make people curious just to see what it does say. Its almost like saying a movie like “Ghostbusters” proves there are ghosts. Come on! If one is firm in their faith they simply tell people they believe it is an entertaining, fictional movie and that’s it. Grow up already.

N. Tulchinsky

Hollister

Library clarification

Your issue of May 14 mentions the groundbreaking for the Morgan Hill library on May 13. You state that the new library “will be nearly twice as large as the existing library…” I believe you are incorrect. The new library will be the same size. The “sunny outdoor plaza” will be a large concrete civic center. Trees, if any, will be new since the entire lot has been razed.

Bob Blaine

Morgan Hill

Thanks for the help

Just prior to Mother’s Day, Compassion Pregnancy Services was privileged to receive beautiful new baby clothing and other baby items from the Native Daughters of the Golden West. Claudia Fisher and CeCe Johnston graciously delivered the precious gifts to Compassion Pregnancy Services in order that we could in turn bless the lives of the women we serve.

Compassion Pregnancy Services is grateful that Native Daughters of the Golden West chose to honor Mother’s Day by honoring our clients with their generous gifts.

Angie Roland

Executive Director

Compassion Pregnancy Services

Latest ruse another red herring

I hope that I’m not the only voter out here who suspects that the immigration issue is being fired up and used by the White House whitewash crew to cover the trail of all the scandal that has surfaced there, and probably to take Iraq (remember that?) off the front page.

We are all acting as if this were a new problem, just discovered to exist. It’s been around a long time, and is no more serious than it was last time it got used for political gain. I doubt that illegal immigrants are responsible for as much loss of life and money as is the invasion of Iraq. Who knows what losses are represented by Abramoff and his crooked politicians?

I suggest that we back off a little on immigration reform, and go at it in the thoughtful, calm way that it deserves. We are not talking about criminals here. There are families involved, and for most of them the misdemeanor of crossing our border was committed in the name of supporting a family – a value that I hope we all share. We already have laws for the people, legal and illegal, who commit felonies here.

Tony Denning

San Martin