Opinion

I would like to thank the Free Lance for its ongoing coverage of the current fire protection issues facing San Benito County. However, some of the content of the editorial published April 17 requires clarification. As a former firefighter, a present county supervisor and a homeowner, I am keenly aware of the challenges this community faces in maintaining high-level, cost-effective fire protection for all of its residents. We have been presented with an opportunity, and indeed a necessity, to improve performance, eliminate duplication of effort, and raise the level of local accountability going forward.

Advocates pushing for a possible ballot measure asking voter approval on a new community service district to fund parks could succeed if they keep the effort focused, but must resist the temptation to squeeze in other public entities such as the library or fire services.

Neglecting enforcement of illegal vendors in the area is a self-inflicted wound on the county's No. 1 industry, a safety hazard for potential buyers and a liability risk for government entities that ignore the problem.

Steve Staloch: “No. Its demise should become the poster child for all such ‘lofty’ federal projects that are essentially pork-barrel and have no justifiable or sustainable return on investment.”

As a response to the “Our View” article “Politics trumps public safety…” in last week’s Free Lance, the most important consideration regarding fire station coverage is always going to be response times. You use that phrase once early-on in the piece, but never get around to defining it or pointing out why it is of the utmost importance.