We need system of ‘truant tickets’
As an educator for more than 32 years, I must say that I
wholeheartedly agree with SBHS Principal Debbie Padilla over
truancy (Pinnacle, Dec. 11). Every district with which I’m familiar
has a small percentage of students who are chronically truant.
Letters are sent home to parents, and if the student does not show
an improvement in attendance, they are referred to the School
Attendance Review Board, or SARB. The difficulty and frustration
Ms. Padilla and other administrators face is that there appears to
be a lack of enforcement or
”
teeth
”
in most SARB referrals. Truant students and their parents know
that if there are no consequences, truancies can continue unabated
and without reprisal.
What I propose is that a relatively stiff fine or ticket be
issued to those parents. If a municipality can issue tickets for
illegal parking, speeding, vagrancy, drunk and disorderly conduct,
etc., a system and hierarchy of fines can be written into the local
municipal codes for truancy. The money collected for these fines
should not only pay for the court costs and personnel
overseeing
”
truant court,
”
but the moneys collected over and above court costs can also be
allocated back to our local school districts. I would wager that
with parents having to pay for their truant children in a court of
law, the truancy rate would dramatically decrease.
I wonder which district, community or county would rise to this
challenge and proposal? Personally, I think it’s about time.
Frank Belstrieri,
Resource Specialist,
Ann Sobrato High School
Morgan Hill
We need system of ‘truant tickets’
As an educator for more than 32 years, I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with SBHS Principal Debbie Padilla over truancy (Pinnacle, Dec. 11). Every district with which I’m familiar has a small percentage of students who are chronically truant. Letters are sent home to parents, and if the student does not show an improvement in attendance, they are referred to the School Attendance Review Board, or SARB. The difficulty and frustration Ms. Padilla and other administrators face is that there appears to be a lack of enforcement or “teeth” in most SARB referrals. Truant students and their parents know that if there are no consequences, truancies can continue unabated and without reprisal.
What I propose is that a relatively stiff fine or ticket be issued to those parents. If a municipality can issue tickets for illegal parking, speeding, vagrancy, drunk and disorderly conduct, etc., a system and hierarchy of fines can be written into the local municipal codes for truancy. The money collected for these fines should not only pay for the court costs and personnel overseeing “truant court,” but the moneys collected over and above court costs can also be allocated back to our local school districts. I would wager that with parents having to pay for their truant children in a court of law, the truancy rate would dramatically decrease.
I wonder which district, community or county would rise to this challenge and proposal? Personally, I think it’s about time.
Frank Belstrieri,
Resource Specialist,
Ann Sobrato High School
Morgan Hill
Immigration circle never ends
I would like to comment on illegal immigration. These people are sneaking into our country by the thousands, bringing with them all of their diseases.
Many of them are sick and weak and most have very little or no money. These people are crowded into rooms with often a whole family living in one room. Some complexes have 75 people living in 12 rooms and paying about three week’s pay a month for rent. Many tenements do not have indoor plumbing or running water. Sewage collects in outhouses and rats are prevalent, carrying and spreading disease.
The great numbers of immigrant workers would put us out of work or lower wages. The increased number of people would mean taxes would rise due to additional needs for police, fire, health, sanitation, hospitals and schools.
Men are hired for low-paying, physically demanding and dangerous work. Wages for unskilled jobs are well under the average a day for 10-12 hours of work. For women, it is not unusual for one maid to cook, clean and care for children 16 hours a day or more. So why are they here? Because it is better than where they come from.
Many, if not all of you who read this, will immediately think of Mexicans. This is not at all about them. This was written about the Irish immigrating to America during the 19th century. I have condensed and paraphrased it quite a bit but the message is still in tact. From 1805-2005, 200 years have passed and everything in America has changed, except our attitude.
Ron Silva
Online Pinnacle reader
Newark
Former Haybaler misses flagpole
I am from the graduating class of 1966, San Benito Joint Union High School. I attended a classmate’s burial the other day, Robert Johnson, a decorated Vietnam Veteran. While in Hollister, I was reunited with several classmates.
In one case, I was joined by a friend that I had not seen since we were both drafted and both rode the Greyhound to the Induction Center in Oakland, which was April 15, 1969, I was reminded. Although the reason I was in Hollister was to honor and pay my respects to Robert Johnson and his family. I was reminded of the reason that I so love to be a graduate of the class of 1966.
I had not seen Jay for almost 40 years, but we picked up right where we left off. Four, “Class of 66,” Alan, Jay, Jess and myself rode down to his brother’s place, by Paicines. We were welcomed by everyone, as a family, and I certainly felt like family. We spoke of Porky, Bishops, Route 66, the 19th Hole, and ended up at the Dugout. I am proud to have witnessed a small part of the history of Hollister.
Several times throughout the day, we spoke of the Class of ’66 gifted flagpole that was placed at the Andy Hardin football field. WHERE IS IT? It certainly is not where it is supposed to be, and why not?
I am offended that someone has deemed it acceptable to remove our gifted flagpole. To me, it represents and reminds me of everyone who has attended Hollister High School, the names on the Vietnam memorial, at the Vets Building, the guys that went to Vietnam and returned alive, but in most cases, with scars, either physical or emotional.
Jesse Salcedo
Class of 1966, Hollister High School
Don’t begrudge our legislators
Please do not begrudge our legislators because they recently voted to increase their pay. Let’s encourage them to raise their pay and encourage them to raise it even higher. If we give them enough rope, they’ll hang themselves. By paying legislators more, we will encourage smarter people to run for office. As it stands now, we often have a dummy running against a dummy or no one to really get excited about. If we can attract smarter people to spend our money, we will win in the long haul.
Allen Coughlin
Hollister
Volunteers are CPS watchdogs
Once again Kate Woods provides us with a one-sided story. Anyone living in San Juan can attest to the fact that we always know what Rebecca McGovern thinks but what is the rest of the story? This time she has attacked an agency that, because of laws of confidentiality, is not able to respond (CPS in crisis, Dec. 11). There are legal means to deal with the agency if CPS abuse has taken place.
I have worked for a nonprofit in Monterey County for over five years that assigns volunteers to work with the children of these families. In a sense they, the volunteers, are the watchdogs for the kids and they report any facts, observations and recommendations to the judge. They would also be able to report the foster care abuse situations that were described in the article. Sometimes the social workers love our volunteers and sometimes they hate them but at least the judge is getting an objective view of the situation so he can be better prepared to make his ruling and the children’s voices are being heard.
In my personal view, CPS waits too long to act on referrals. The families mentioned in the article may be exceptions but then I don’t work in San Benito County and am therefore unfamiliar with their agency’s practices and policies.
The money isn’t there to fix it because there would never be enough.
Donna Hagins
San Juan Bautista
Execution a shame on us all
Rehabilitation? Revenge? Believe it or not, 50 to 60 years ago rehabilitation was the guiding philosophy of a large portion of our prison system (check your history books – Warden Laws/Sing Sing, etc.). The execution of Tookie Williams, a classic example of rehabilitation, is another egregious blot on our public record.
We seem to be going downhill full speed – quick to kill, short on mercy. Our governor denied clemency, discounted mercy. We elected him; this was done in our name and I am deeply shamed.
Susan Swanson
Paicines
A rebuttal to Bush supporters
I would like to respond to the letter from Karen Ingalls from last week. That was some tirade. Why such anger? For some time now “conservatives” have been solidly in control of the government and gotten things pretty much their own way.
Could it be that eliminating the social safety net, putting a generation as yet unborn deeply into debt, selling out to religious fundamentalists and leaving it to greedy oil execs to formulate foreign policy isn’t quite working out for you? Darn. Must be those pesky media liberals like Rupert Murdock. Hey, about that vote you mentioned, the resolution was brought by the Dems, usurped and changed by the Republicans deliberately making it unpalatable to both sides. Were things as simple as only the numbers suggest, do you really think it would have made it to a vote? As for “disillusioned,” I have not illusions to begin with. I put no credence in Bush & Co.’s claims leading to this war or much else for that matter and have been consistently vindicated in my skepticism.
It’s not that I know anything more than anyone else in particular; for me it is a simple character judgment. The day I first became aware of G.W. I knew I wouldn’t buy a used car from a guy like that, much less place him in a position of responsibility. As I’m sure I pay at least as much attention to what’s going on as the average American, I’m surprised to first hear there is significant news about Iraqi WMD from your letter (and in The Pinnacle no less!). But then those rascally Republicans coming up with 306 more votes than there are senators (Wow! Dejà vu … all over again!), well that got past me somehow too.
But hey, it’s hard work keeping misunderinformed. So in closing, I would like to wish you happy holidays, whether you like it or not, and ask you, deep down, can you think of any mistakes you may have made?
Martin L. Barrus
Hollister
p.s. Kate, you da woman!
The rally is a truly peaceful event
While there seems to be a brief lull in the back-and-forth debate about the fate of the Hollister Independence Rally, I would hope that the City Council might take another moment to reflect on the big picture before slaying the event altogether.
We’ve heard lots of criticism played out in the local papers these last couple of months – mostly by the police department, a few city officials, and some vocal anti-rally journalists. Is it just me, or has the coverage seemed a bit unbalanced – in the favor of the naysayers?
As the producer/videographer of the HIRC-commissioned official DVD of the 2005 Rally, I had lots of interaction with literally thousands of bikers and attendees at this year’s event. From my perspective at “ground zero” and encompassing the entire scope of the three days, I can say without reservation that my experience was very positive. I witnessed a consistently good-natured and respectful rally population, ranging from the crustiest veteran bikers to the most wholesome of families.
Though this DVD was contracted for by HIRC, they never once tried to exercise control in editing the content nor did they try to “spin” the image of the rally that is portrayed.
If they are interested, I would welcome the opportunity to screen the DVD before the City Council before they make their final decision.
It is sad to think that this video record may end up being the last testament to a really great event.
Jeff Byler
Hollister
