Letters to the Editor

Reputation the best endorsement
Tracie Cone built the Pinnacle newspaper into a viable source of
local, San Benito County, community information supported by area
business and services. It was repeatedly recognized in state and
national awards. I hope that she will bring to the county
– as District 4 supervisor – those same qualities that made the
paper so successful as to attract the purchasing offer of its
current owners. That’s endorsement enough for me.
Sara Steiner
Hollister
Reputation the best endorsement

Tracie Cone built the Pinnacle newspaper into a viable source of local, San Benito County, community information supported by area business and services.  It was repeatedly recognized in state and national awards.  I hope that she will bring to the county – as District 4 supervisor – those same qualities that made the paper so successful as to attract the purchasing offer of its current owners.  That’s endorsement enough for me.

Sara Steiner

Hollister

Endorsement missed by a mile

The makeup of what you grandly call “The Pinnacle editorial board” is a joke, but unfortunately it’s a joke played on our beloved county. You should instead call your special interest cabal the “Real Estate Developers / Giant Corporations Lobbyists.” Let’s see, you picked a representative of the largest strip mining operation in all of Central California (the highly secretive Granite Rock Co.); a spokesman for a golf course development that plans to build thousands of new houses, a hotel or two, and at least one more golf course (San Juan Oaks); and someone from the county’s largest cattle ranch (San Benito Cattle Co.). What, no one from Enron? Oh, that’s right, they’re out of business. Well, you could always try Halliburton, Exxon-Mobil, Archer Daniels Midland or Kaufman & Broad. I’m sure they’d love to tell you what to write in your paper.

The sole member of your lobbyists’ board who might actually represent the interests of current county residents and voters is the person from the Hollister Downtown Association, as that group represents mostly small merchants, the mom-and-pop businesses that can be the backbone of a small community. But apparently she was too busy to attend your recent one-hour meeting. She may have listened to a taped version.

Your developer lobbyists of course told you to endorse their own man instead of the strongest candidate, Tracie Cone. Tracie is a well educated, award-winning  journalist, an experienced, successful entrepreneur and former business owner, and she is deeply versed in the county’s traditions and workings. She’s the best qualified candidate by a country mile.

 

Josh Jensen

Hollister

Disagrees with endorsement

I moved to Hollister in 1978 from San Jose. I wanted to give my family a safer, healthier environment to grow up in. It’s our responsibility to preserve our hills and valleys. Nature sustains us. A healthy economy requires a healthy environment.

I disagree with your statement about Reb Monaco. I feel he has not shown diplomacy or a willingness to compromise because of his no-confidence vote for John Sarsfield, an official the people voted into office.

Tracie Cone stands up for the health and welfare of our families. She built The Pinnacle into an award-winning enterprise. She used expert journalism to empower and inform residents of San Benito County. She has endured much conflict because of her commitment to this community.

I feel that we need Supervisors who will be able to counter overdevelopment. There are six large projects waiting for approval. How we vote in this election will determine the future growth of San Benito County. If development goes unchecked, I can just imagine the increased congestion and pollution.

I support local contractors and businesses to be involved in the county development. When you build where you live, you want to balance short-term gain with long-term consequences. I agree with Tracie Cone that growth has to be responsibly managed.

Tracie Cone along with the excellent leadership of Pat Loe put balance and integrity into our local government. Give serious thought to the future of San Benito County

Jeannette Langstaff

Hollister

Endorsement ignored the facts

You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, especially in your own paper, I guess. I am confused about how you arrived at it because you do say, “…Reb Monaco… demonstrated diplomacy and willingness to compromise.”

I wonder where that came from because in the same edition of your own paper, “Supervisors-DA clash over budget continues” and staff reports, “Their actions were plainly illegal…De La Cruz and Monaco instigated this entire mess”. Where is the diplomacy and compromise there?

Further reporting last week or so, documents all Supervisors (Monaco included) except supervisor Pat Loe, voted a no confidence in DA Sarsfield. That vote had no meaning other than being spiteful. Where is the diplomacy and compromise there?

Not too long ago this same board, Monaco and all, except Pat Loe, fired Department Head County Planner Rob Mendiola, for no cause. And after an investigation using tax money of $25,000 that found Rob Mendiola entirely competent and free of any wrongdoing! Tell me, where is the diplomacy and compromise there?

I am wondering if you read your own paper and do you ever attend Board of Supervisors meetings? If your standards prevail, Tracie Cone deserves your endorsements and more than by “a nose”.

Mary Zanger

Hollister

What’s behind recommendation?

Reading this newspaper’s analysis of the candidates leaves one to wonder which board of supervisors’ meetings you have been attending.

By the newspaper’s own reporting Mr. Monaco has consistently voted with the “new board” on issues like terminating the planning director and revoking the hilltop development plan. 

There does not appear to be much in the way of “compromising” by Mr. Monaco as the newspaper suggests which begs the question of whether or not The Pinnacle has compromised its recommendation.

 

Dave Busch

Hollister

‘No Cone’ is fair game

I respectfully disagree with Mr. Paxton.  I live in District 4 and I have a very direct stake in the race for Supervisor here.  The idea of poking fun at someone when they are working on their own agenda is not new.  Does anyone remember the editorial cartoons in the Pinnacle during Measure G?  Does anyone remember the opinion polls based on comments made by opponents of that measure?  All in good fun I am sure.

I have no interest in having Tracie Cone as a supervisor for this district or this county. 

Dara C. Tobias

Tres Pinos

Looking forward to a change

I’m writing in response to Mark Paxton’s excellent column of May 7, titled “No Cone Zone.”  In it he decries the personalization of politics locally.  He said, “There was a shared understanding that this is a small enough community that it’s impossible to hide from one another…Debating in the realm of ideas and ideologies without name-calling leads to compromise and, yes, progress.”

 

I agree 100 percent, but to be frank I’m a bit shocked to see those comments in The Pinnacle.  As they used to say where I grew up, “It takes two to tango.”  A while ago I wrote (and you published) a letter expressing my disgust at the number of personal attacks on private citizens by one of your regular columnists.  Regrettably, during that period – now past – The Pinnacle certainly helped poison the waters, but I’m looking forward to a new attitude based on Mr. Paxton’s principles.

 

Unfortunately, when it comes to some elected officials things have only gotten worse and inflammatory and defamatory terms such as “bunch of bigots” are being thrown around as loosely as unsecured cannonballs.  There are things one can say that are impossible to forgive when it’s time to let bygones be bygones.  When The Pinnacle decides on their editorial endorsements I hope they also take those factors into consideration and ask the candidates what they are willing to do to change the vendetta atmosphere.

Martin G. Richman

Hollister

What goes around

Yes, I saw the “NoConeZone” signs and knew what they were about, and I’m sorry you’re angry, but politics is politics.

While you paint a very rosy and innocent picture of Tracie Cone, might I remind you that she played the same game in past elections. One example I will point out is when she called former candidates homophobic in this very same newspaper.

 

My mother always told me “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”  or to put it another way “watch what you say about others because it may come back to bite you in the rear!”

Now let’s see if you can be fair and balanced as newspaper publishers were meant to be and print this letter.

 

Carol Rovai

Hollister

Editor’s note: a check of The Pinnacle archives shows no record of Ms. Cone calling any political candidate homophobic.

Accepting the gas pinch?

The hypocrisy of liberals such as Kate Woods is absolutely laughable. She and most liberals have been in the past, doing everything possible to bring about higher gas prices in order to force individuals like me, out of our gas guzzling SUVs. Kate publicly admits that she voluntarily lives in New Idria; a place she calls a mercury sewer and then complains about its condition, as well as her 140 mile round trip commute to and from work.

Will Kate also complain if her admitted chain smoking causes a debilitating, life-threatening illness and expect taxpayers to pay for her hospitalization? Most likely! Kate’s writing is nothing more that a view of her daily life – negative, negative, negative about everyone and everything.

If Kate is looking for compassion, with her negative attitude toward everything, she will not get any from me.

Thomas J. Ciccone

Morgan Hill

Candidate a closet Republican

I have received two mailers from the Ignacio Velázquez campaign, the Republican candidate for the 28th Assembly seat. I emphasize his being a Republican because neither mailing bothered to mention that fact. If Mr. Velázquez is embarrassed to be a Republican, I suggest he change his registration and become a Democrat. This intellectually dishonest tactic calls into question the veracity of the candidate himself.

Please, do not be fooled by Mr. Velázquez’s tricks. Ignore any comments he makes about the campaigns of the true Democratic candidates as the partisan, deceptive statements they are.

 

Dan Brown

Salinas

Sound off on Rancho San Benito

The Rancho San Benito project has done a stellar job marketing to our community, and it sounds like the new mini-city would be a very nice place to live. The design of a city center with high-density housing, surrounded by lower density housing will promote walking and a vibrant “downtown”. The additional money into the county coffers and the contributions to the community foundation are enticing as well.

However, little else about the plan sounds good for San Benito County or Hollister. The route of the connection to 101 will not make sense to take, unless you happen to live at El Rancho San Benito and want to go South. The residents of El Rancho San Benito will be shopping in Gilroy’s big-box stores (a few miles away), and not in Hollister (12 miles away) resulting in zero gain for San Benito County and further ghost-towning of downtown Hollister.

No matter what your view is on this complex subject, more independent discussion needs to take place before we can decide, and we’ll have to decide soon: we’ll vote in our supes in November, and we’ll vote yes/no on the project sometime in 2007. The DMB forums and outreach efforts are great, but they are necessarily biased, so I’ve set up a new website and e-mail discussion list at ElRanchoSanBenito.US which I hope every interested party will join. See you there!

Paul McNett

Hollister

Take a moment to be informed

In the upcoming months, the Hollister City Council faces a number of critical and long reaching decisions. Budget, tax increase, growth, sewer problems and a host of other items are issues that will affect the quality of life of every Hollister resident. As a member of the City Council it is essential that I keep constituents informed on each of these issues. And, as a member of the City Council, it also essential that I have a clear understanding of public opinion regarding these matters. To help me in these areas, I maintain an email distribution list for District 4 residents. While I have good communication from those on my list, it would be much better if that list had 1,000 members instead of the 60 or so it now has. So, if you live in City District 4, I am asking you to join this communication avenue. To be part of this communication avenue, and to be informed on City issues, simply send an e-mail stating “add me to your list” to the following address: [email protected]

Be informed – it is very simple.

Doug Emerson

City Council Member District 4

Hollister

Pajaro in danger from pollution

I would like to comment on the article in the Sunday Pinnacle Dated April 23, 2006, written by Melissa Flores concerning the Pajaro River in Peril. I found it to be a very concise and thorough on the subject of flooding, but fell short on the polluted aspect of the water its self. I fish the river regularly and the few fish I do catch and release do not look healthy enough to eat. I never see frogs or other amphibians; neither do I see birds feeding on the same.

I feel any project or business bordering the river or in the river’s flood plane needs closer scrutiny. I am also very alarmed that the county of San Benito is considering an application to construct a 32-acre motocross race track on banks of this delicate water shed. This 32 acres falls well within the flood plane of the river and was flooded in the 1998 flood.

Where does the San Benito county planning commission think all the gas and oil contaminants are going to end up but in the river? We cannot reverse the problem by continuing to add more problems to this once pristine river.

Dennis Siller

San Juan Bautista

Dear Mr. Navarette,

 

I read Ruben Navarette’s column with interest (“Immigration opponents show their true colors,” May 7).  I am not a supporter of amnesty.  Nor am I a racist or bigot.  I thought you started out well in presenting your point of view.  Despite the inflammatory title of the column, his writing was thoughtful.  However, I must question his remarks on the so-called Spanish translation of the national anthem. 

 

This song is not a translation at all.  Proponents claim the song captures the original spirit and meaning of the anthem.  Not true.  Indeed, the first stanza paraphrases the anthem pretty well.  But the second stanza of this song takes a serious detour into an exhortation about breaking chains and marching toward victory as brothers.  These words bear no relationship the second, third or fourth stanza of the Star Spangled Banner – a work created to celebrate a specific and meaningful event in the birth of our country. 

The Spanish-language song is a tool designed to promote an agenda that has little to do with the historical meaning of the U.S. anthem.  It surely looks like an attempt to capitalize on the ignorance of people who are not versed in the history of this country.  The obvious ploy may rouse the troops, so to speak, but it does little to further the cause of immigrants.  In fact, I would argue that it inflames opposition.

Shame on Navarette for playing into the game by purporting that objections to the Spanish song are “silly,” based solely upon the language in which it is sung.  How untrue!  Navarette’s words on this topic were manipulative and disingenuous. Have you shown your true colors, Mr. Navarette?

 

Diana Hall

Morgan Hill 

The protest against America

 

Well, America survived the great protest/boycott by illegal immigrants. We are still here and our economy didn’t collapse. So I guess we can survive without people who break our laws and come here illegally.

I bet they still cashed their welfare checks and took advantage of all the free benefits that they receive from this country at taxpayers’ expense.

They even allowed their children to not go to school and to walk the streets. What kind of message is this sending to their children. The last time I checked truancy is a crime. But they don’t care about our laws. Their children need to stay in school and get an education, learn to read and write and yes, learn to speak English.

They say they are boycotting American goods. Wow, how Americans, trying to cripple our economy like terrorists. Our economy is the backbone of our nation. And they are saying if you don’t give us what we want we will hurt the country by boycotting.

I saw one of the protesters with a sign that read “We Demand Amnesty”. Who are they to demand anything, they are here illegally and shouldn’t even be in this country. What do you think would happen if we as Americans, went to Mexico illegally and demanded rights, walked the streets in protest, made negative comments about their government and waived the American flag?

We can play their game too. I plan not to buy anything imported from Mexico.

  

Steve Collins

Hollister