Outrage over Supervisor George Shirakawa’s misuse of public funds MIA
Dear Editor,
Where’s the outrage?
Supervisor George Shirakawa has clearly abused the public trust, charging personal expenses to the taxpayers.
The abuse began when Supervisor Shirakawa demanded and was given a personal body guard (one less deputy sheriff on patrol). Charging tens of thousands of personal expenses to the taxpayers is more than an accounting error, it is theft.
Where is the outrage from Supervisors Mike Wasserman, David Cortese, Ken Yeager and Liz Kniss? Where are the demands for Supervisor Shirakawa’s resignation? Why aren’t they shocked and disgusted? Could it be that this is a common practice in government?
Keith C. De Filippis, San Jose
Great meal at Old City Hall, glad the grand dame is back and open downtown
Dear Editor,
YAY!!! Old City Hall is Back!!
We just returned from a very tasty, satisfying dinner at Old City Hall.
I started with a glass of the house cab, only $3 during happy hour, to have with the fabulously garlicy bruschetta (quite becoming from the Garlic Capital of the World). Salad and a very large, perfectly cooked, juicy New York steak followed.
My husband and I felt we had a great meal at an excellent price. I even have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Sure hope this time that wonderful building will stay open and be a center-point as downtown develops.
Perfect place for holiday parties and company banquets!
Susan Mister, Gilroy
Brace yourself taxpayer, the state and the feds are set for a ‘huge spending spree’
Dear Editor,
With the middle class (Bush) tax cuts about to expire and the recently-passed California tax hike on the middle class (people earning at least $48,000 a year) to keep the public employees fat, governments on both the state and federal levels are bracing for a huge spending spree.
The unions are already lined up in Sacramento with their hands out; it has happened every time a tax hike has gone through. (Remember former Gov. Gray Davis?)
The government has had a great con game going for a century – create dependency and class envy and thereby lock in votes. Enter a war (WWI) to impose a new tax (they claimed income tax was to be only 1%, and just to pay for the War) and then expand it as long as the people will fall for it.
Tax domestic production so companies off-shore jobs to survive, which builds both unemployment and an establishment of dependency, and then create class envy by saying “the rich” should pay a higher rate, all the while refusing to reform the tax code. “Borrow” from Social Security and then say it’s going bankrupt.
One of several sneaky gouges in Obamacare is a tax on medical equipment, which is high-cost and has a low profit margin. Said goods were being produced domestically (offering decent jobs) and over 90% of those jobs have already been off-shored (mostly to India). For some strange reason, this, as well as 2012 having the highest jump in health care costs in any one year, are not considered worthly of headlines.
Bottom line: Every part of Obamacare is going to be paid for by indirect taxes on and costs paid for by the middle class.
Here’s a wild idea for the tax-happy federal government: Slap a tax on all IMPORTS and temporary worker visas (i.e. all future imported workers, starting with those arriving on Jan. 1 2013 and forward)! Make the import tax proportional to the trade deficit and the visa tax proportional to the unemployment rate. Yes, the import tax will increase the cost of some goods; but we’re paying for that anyway through deficit spending, unemployment, and, soon to come, tax hikes. Importing skilled workers with 10% unemployment makes no sense.
But if such taxes were to actually go through, it might cause some unpleasant conversation during the next White House state dinner for China. But for now, a delegation of Senate Democrats can attend the naming of China’s new aircraft carrier, the P.R.S. Bill Clinton. Or is it the P.R.S. GATT?
Alan Viarengo, Gilroy
Well, is it going to take a child being maimed or killed by a pit bull dog?
Dear Editor,
Editor Mark Derry said it loud and clear. Is it going to take an attack on a child for something to be done?
Since there seems to be no consequences for a dog being killed, what is the current local law regarding a child being killed by a dog?
J. Casalegno, Gilroy
Public transportation: a nightmare scenario of socialistic government abuse
Dear Editor,
An infamous series of bills enacted by the government, known to history as the “Intolerable Acts,” and described by Jefferson as “a long train of abuses and usurpations,” is being repeated today by hypocrites in our local government. Our ancestors had the courage to throw off the oppression. The question facing us is: Do we? Or, do we accept what Lincoln called “base hypocrisy” in our government?
This generation’s version of Intolerable Acts is inflicted by an oppressive government with history’s example of Lenin’s success story for his country, USSR. All George III had for guidance was William Bradford’s decision in 1621, switching “Plimoth Plantation” from socialism to capitalism. This generation’s leaders have no excuse – history will rightly condemn them.
The Sand Benito County Grand Jury should indict local unelected, unaccountable, non-transparent, illegal and unconstitutional joint power authority directors of the Council of Governments, not civilly as their counterparts at the Santa Clara County Grand Jury did the Valley Transportation Authority, but criminally, like the Bell City Council members.
First and foremost for the arrogance and ignorance of violating our fundamental constitutional right of democratic representation. Our Founders’ philosophy, our federal and state constitutions, are premised on the concept of consent of the governed. Without consent, the hypocrites at COG-VTA-TAMC-SCCRTC-etc., etc., all joint power authorities, lack lawful jurisdiction. Like the Virginia State Supreme Court held in striking-down all theirs, ours here are equally flawed, and only defended by empire builders protecting special interests like public sector unions. And, as held, their taxes, fees and bonds are null and void.
If I was the District Attorney I’d add violations of other laws to the criminal indictment, e.g., Unfair Business Practices Act, False Advertising, false financial accounting, etc., in bringing the indictment to the Grand Jury for consideration.
The double standard for politicians’ boondoggles, while requiring private-sector carriers to obey all laws, is a damnable modern day intolerable act because local leaders proclaim to be business friendly. In their words, maybe; but in their acts, just the opposite – these conclusion formed after almost 50 years in transportation industry here on the Central Coast Region.
Caveat viator.
Joe Thompson, Gilroy
