Let’s start right off the bat: Gov. Jerry Brown and his Band of Little Renown can take his more taxes plan and stuff it. I’m sick of the state government trying to bleed us dry, stealing tax money from our city government, closing down RDA entities to feed their spending habits and threatening the purse strings of our schools. The farther away the money gets, the less control we the taxpayers have over it. Cut the state budget. Vote against every state incumbent, vote against every tax. Unfortunately, it’s at the point where I believe that’s what it’s going to take to shake the status quo up. California government is not serving us, the people who pay the taxes. California government, despite a $16 billion deficit, increases spending. Nobody in California has the guts to really wade in, apply common sense, accept the pain that goes with reality and change things. This quote, posted by OldMan64 on our website comment board, spoke volumes and, if the voters don’t do something drastic very soon, this state is going down the tubes. OldMan’s choice hammered it home: “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” ~ Alexis de Tocqueville, ca. 1830. Vote them all out, vote against more taxes. Do it, and we might save our state and the American Republic.
It’s good to have “Neighbors for Life” like Saint Louise Hospital, an important part of the community here. Yes, there are issues at Saint Louise, but it’s still a vital element in the quality of life here and it’s key to support local health care as far as possible. Mayoral candidate Don Gage led the welcoming parade Monday for the Saint Louise Regional Hospital Foundation Third Annual Your Neighbor for Life Golf Tournament at Rocke and Glenda Garcia’s beautiful Boulder Ridge golf track in San Jose. It’s the only place around here that sports a Lake Tahoe-esque landscape. Huge boulders (great for ping-ponging golf balls), caves and intriguing rock passageways grace the green fairways. Approximately 112 golfers teed it up and $70,000 went into the hospital kitty to support the expansion of pulmonary services. Bronchial Thermoplasty, an outpatient procedure for patients with severe and persistent asthma, will be offered at the hospital now. That good news, and so were the tasty bloody marys mixed by the ever-affable Frank Angelino at the tournament. Frank should be a candidate for the Chamber’s Volunteer of the Year award.
I’d volunteer to assist whoever is managing the paving crews on Santa Teresa with regards to when the jobs should be done. It’s nice that every year, Santa Teresa gets a makeover before the Garlic Festival, but can’t it be done when school is out of session? Naw, that would make too much sense.
Makes sense that our Democratic state legislators – the ones in charge of the $16 billion and ever growing deficit – are supporting Councilman Peter Arellano for mayor. What’s that you say, the mayor of Gilroy is supposed to be a non-partisan seat. Well, for the first time in my recollection, Peter’s team wants that to be different, loudly trumpeting both the Democratic and the first Mexican-American mayor angles in early press releases. Peter’s a pleasant enough fellow, mind you, but if he can’t raise money locally and earn meaningful local endorsements, he shouldn’t be our mayor – regardless of what Assemblymembers Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville), Bill Monning (D-Carmel), Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and the rest of the Democratic political machine thinks. Keep partisan politics out of Gilroy.
Syrah and Sausage in Gilroy at Solis Winery for three afternoons beginning Saturday, May 26. Live music, great setting, scrumptious wine on beautiful Hecker Pass Highway. Stop and shop for antiques and knick knacks at the Hoey Barn on the way and relax Memorial Day weekend close to home. Details: soliswinery.com. And don’t forget Gilroy’s Downtown Wine Stroll this Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. It’s a keeper event.
Culmination for a keeper project at St. Mary’s School Wednesday when I had the assignment to be a final project interviewer for two 8th-grade students. Emmy Grace Callen and Julia Chizanskos were refreshingly enthusiastic, thoughtful and interesting. Getting a chance to talk to young people like that is not only a welcome break from the daily routine, but it’s a reminder that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for our collective future.
Future of the Gilroy Premium Outlets just keeps chugging along. Wife and daughters happily greeted the news about a Lululemon store coming our way. It’s kind of a yoga, workout, casual sporty clothing store with cool gym bags and such. Another nice addition to the mix.
Mixed up is what last weekend’s No Bull BBQ event in Morgan Hill was and is. Unfortunately, the event is a bunch of bull. A BBQ competition is a great idea – evidence the amount of people who showed up. But the execution and organization fell into the coals. They sell tickets good for samples, but more than half the BBQ teams ran out of chow with more than three hours left in the event. The dusty, no-shade location next to the aquatic center proved as tasty as a piece of dry, overdone chicken soaked in vinegar and the folks at the beer tent taking your $5 were about as friendly as pit bulls with spiked collars. When I attend such a poor community event like that – one that is surely hell bound for failure – I again marvel at our Garlic Festival. The model, the community commitment, the enthusiasm, the pride and the outstanding tradition. Year in and year out, Gilroy’s in it to win it. It’s good people who care bringing out the best in Gilroy. And it’s great.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@ga****.com
