Three letters: Kudos for newspaper investigation; high school football pettiness; police chief protects fiefdom

Two Dispatch commentaries right on target … and good work on high-speed rail billings

Dear Editor,

I commend you for both editorials in the Nov. 11 edition. A salary of $276,000 IS truly outrageous for the president of a community college.

Boards of Trustees who approve such salaries are contributing to the same atmosphere that results in astronomical bonuses in the financial world, given because “Otherwise they’d go elsewhere.”

You are right, too, in highlighting the remarkable integrity of John Blaettler.

Despite my confidence in members of the South County Collaborative, I wish they had taken the “even higher” road John Blaettler pointed out, and I admire the Dispatch for your persistence in digging into consulting contracts for the high speed rail project.

Phill Laursen, Gilroy

GOLDEN QUILL WINNER: GHS players instructed not to talk to CHS players at annual friendly pre-game dinner

Dear Editor,

I need to get something off of my mind.  My son will be one of the first of the graduating classes at Christopher High School.

He was born and raised in our fine city.  He attended the public school system at every level in Gilroy. He has played sports for Gilroy most all of his life, (basketball, baseball and football). I have coached him and many other young adults that now attend both CHS and Gilroy High School.

I feel fortunate to have coached him and all the others and I think I have always treated each of the young men I have coached as if they were my own.

My son had a bad experience at GHS with a freshman football head coach. This man knew nothing about football and knew even less about social skills. Fortunately for my son, the next year, CHS opened.  

We live in the geographical area covered by CHS. Due to the “bad taste” left in my son’s mouth from the coach, my son opted to change schools from GHS to CHS. He did this to get a fresh start.Two Dispatch commentaries right on target … and good work on high-speed rail billings

My wife and brother-in-law attended and graduated from GHS. I have many friends who attended GHS. In fact, my nephew is a star player on the Gilroy Mustang football and baseball teams. Many of my son’s best friends still attend GHS. I have absolutely no ill-will towards GHS.  

I think the rivalry forming between the two schools is healthy. It gives more local athletes the opportunity to play and compete.

But this is the thing that has been eating at me. GHS hosted a spaghetti dinner for the two competing schools on Nov. 9. This was the night before the “Severence Bowl.” Players from both schools, coaches, teachers and parents all attended. It’s an annual event and each school will take turns hosting.

I taught my son to be a respectable young man. During this dinner, my son approached several of the GHS football players. These are my sons life-long friends.  In fact, one of the players, a “star receiver” for the Gilroy Mustangs, is best friends with my son’s nephew. 

My son walked up to these group of GHS players to pay his respects. The star receiver quickly told my son that “Coach Lo” advised all his football players not to talk to any of the CHS football players. My son respected this, turned and walked away quietly.

This obviously bothered my son. He returned home and advised me of this. I contacted several other CHS football parents. These parents advised me their student-athletes had told them the same thing.  That “Coach Lo” had told their players not to talk to CHS football players. This was told to each of the CHS players by other players on the GHS football team.

My son does not know I am writing this article. He would probably disagree with me writing it if he knew. I authored this article before the Severence Bowl is being playedbecause I did not want readers to think I was motivated to write this to brag if CHS won or as sour grapes if they lost.

The thing that bothers me is this seems to be a classless move. Does the coaching staff and GHS administration condone not having the student-athletes speak at a social event – especially one hosted by them?

It seems to me that by doing this, it perpetuates resentment between the players and further divides lifelong friends and athletes that are our future. What lesson does this teach our young adults? I am not sure why our student-athletes can not compete on the playing field and still be friends at social functions. Can someone help me understand this?

Baffled father,

Brian Pickens, Gilroy      

The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.

Gilroy police chief calls for the protection of yet another unnecessary public fiefdom

Dear Editor,

It is always comforting to gloat over public officials scrambling to protect their fiefdoms. If voters only knew just how bloated public departments – be it the courts, the busses, or whatever – keep their budgets each year like “spend it or lose it” lemmings – we would have Wisconsin happening everywhere. And that would be a good thing.   

So, I couldn’t help laughing at the Nov. 1 letter from our police chief to Gov. Moonbeam beseeching funding for a stack of state prodigalities. Oh, the public is at risk! Run in fear for your lives! The sky is falling! Give us more money to protect you! This is not a dig at Denise Turner; she has been a far better police chief than her predecessor, “El Gusano.” This is instead a microcosm of the reform that is so needed nationwide. 

Incarcerating people for victimless crimes is a medieval mindset we can no longer afford, especially when those in power act like they can get away with whatever they want. It’s pure job security for the public “servants,” which means more money for their unions to “protect” them and for the politicians that reward them for their devotion. Protect (their jobs) and serve (themselves)! 

I laughed as Lindsay Lohan was released from jail a mere five hours after some robed clown sentenced her to 30 days; next time they haul her in, she should flip the bird to that judge on her way out of the courtroom, to show all due contempt. I’m not fan of Lohan or any Hollywood dope, but the kangaroo courtroom drama over her alcohol and drug problem is a total waste of resources – an entire overpaid courtroom staff on the public dole lording over someone’s personal substance problem. 

The establishment self-justifies by fabricating crimes. A century ago, marijuana and alcohol were banned based on hysteria, lies, and social engineering; the government was going to protect the people from themselves. That same generation also gave us the federal income tax racket with, of course, a war as an excuse; claim “protection” while really stealing. In 1968, they began robbing Social Insecurity to justify deficit spending, and this has finally come home to roost: Poetic justice, that the generation who elected the Johnson and the ‘60’s Democrats is now set to retire and gets their Social Insecurity cut!

This year, police agencies in California pushed for a state law banning the open carry of (unloaded) handguns; it takes effect in January. (What were they afraid of?  The people doing this were no threat to anyone.) In D.C., the thug-in-chief continues to protect U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for Operation Fast and Furious, in which the Injustice Department clearly overstepped its Consitutional boundaries.  A century of corruption at every level, and more government control every decade. 

To protest, we can “occupy” (which I applaud), but a more radical and still non-violent solution would do far more to ignite the spark we need (and “it only takes one”). A widespread movement refusing to serve on juries could grind the injustice system to a halt; enough people getting fed up might make this happen. The easiest, and legal method is to fight tax hikes; any “representative” who votes for any tax increase gets booted, period. Bankrupt every level of government, starting at the top – now there’s a real “trickle-down” economy that will work!  

Julian Assange for president, 2012. 

Alan Viarengo, Gilroy