Guest View: Inspiration from a teen’s giving
One of the comments that I have heard frequently is that there is nothing for the kids to do here. I wish to dispel that myth with the following recent observations.
Guest View: Silicon Valley Gives offers chance to make difference
On Tuesday, May 5, our community will come together for Silicon Valley Gives, and we need YOU to join us. It’s your chance make a real difference, right here in San Benito County.
Guest View: Earth Day is not just for hippies anymore
Students, parents, teachers, and local community leaders joined forces on April 18 to remove illegally dumped trash from the San Benito River channel near the old Hospital Road crossing. What was the occasion? Earth Day, of course, a good excuse for a thorough spring cleaning.
Guest View: Paying twice for fire responses
Hollister’s $5 million fire department budget supported by an add-on 1 percent Measure E sales tax should include putting out non-negligent fires and handling non-negligent traffic accidents at no costs to residents; that’s what the fire department is budgeted for and the employees paid to do. Unfortunately, the never-ending grasp for more public monies has convinced a majority of the council that they can strong-arm the taxpayers for expensive fees just to get the staff and equipment out of their multimillion-dollar firehouses and actually come douse a fire or pry you out of a wreck. When they come, you should be prepared to pay through the nose—either directly or indirectly.
Guest View: Trustee urges residents to join oversight panel
In November 2014, the voters in the Hollister School District approved Measure M, a $28.5 million bond measure. Measure M was a “Proposition 39” bond measure. Proposition 39 allows for bond measures to gain voter approval with 55% of the voters in the district in favor of the measure. Unlike most other bond measures in California, which require 66% voter approval, Proposition 39 bonds allow a lower voter threshold for approval, with some conditions.
