St. Joseph’s Family Center would like to extend sincere thanks
to the many friends and supporters who made our holiday season so
memorable!
Dear Editor,
St. Joseph’s Family Center would like to extend sincere thanks to the many friends and supporters who made our holiday season so memorable!
The current economic crisis is affecting everyone, but none more than the hundreds of very low-income families we serve each week. Even in these difficult times, we were humbled by the generosity and outpouring of compassion we saw from those that support our work here in South County.
Local businesses, churches, schools and individuals stepped forward to donate hundreds of turkeys, canned goods, clothing, toys and other wonderful gifts that were shared with those less fortunate. These actions are overwhelming and our heartfelt appreciation goes out to all who have helped in the past year.
We are privileged to have a group of volunteers that dedicate their time to help improve the lives of others. Their unconditional faith and hard work help make our jobs more productive and delivery of our services more consistent.
We also are blessed by the many partnerships we have locally, working together with Community Solutions, MACSA, Gilroy Unified School District, FIRST 5, South County Collaborative, Rebekah Children’s Services, Salvation Army, South County Housing, St. Louise Regional Hospital and the United Way to make families safer, stronger and more self-sufficient.
All these agencies are seeing increases in demand for services, while combating decreased revenues and stagnant donations. We respectfully wish to challenge and remind everyone that these needs are year round. St. Joseph’s is seeing increases of 20 to 30 percent in most of our programs over last year’s figures.
Hunger, food insecurity and homelessness do not take vacations, nor are they seasonal in how they affect the well-being of so many in our communities. Our wish for 2009 is to “bottle” the enthusiasm we saw during the holidays and make it contagious throughout the whole year. Wishing everyone a peaceful, safe and healthy New Year!
David Cox, executive director, SJFC
School district isn’t being up front again with taxpayers in Gilroy
Dear Editor,
Staff Writer Sara Suddes’ article, “$121 million in school projects,” has many Gilroy Unified District schools listed, how many millions of Measure P funds each will receive and quotes varied voices planning even more grandiose uses of bond money. In passing it makes very brief mention of, “Each of Gilroy’s schools, the district office … will receive Measure P funds.”
The district office?
All the promotional, pre-election materials stressed that Measure P money would primarily be used to complete Christopher High School. Instead, only $32.6 million is planned for CHS – of the $150 million bond total. Ms. Suddes writes, ” … more than a fifth of Measure P funds will be used to pay off debt the district accrued from selling certificates of participation to help fund CHS.”
The GUSD promotional machine never mentioned this backroom giveaway while running an ongoing smoke-and-mirrors campaign to again deceive Gilroy residents.
It’s not a new gimmick. GUSD used it very successfully corrupting Measure I – it’s called non-accountability.
While the primarily Measure P brochure claims and promises, “Measure P will have strict taxpayer safeguards – guaranteed annual audits must legally be made public to ensure every penny is spent as voters approve. Measure P will continue this tradition of accountability …”
Tradition? If the last approved bond, Measure I, is a guide this tradition will be more of the same duplicity, not accountability. GUSD’s Board of Untrustables is already showing its contempt of Gilroy taxpayers and ignoring state law and its Education Code.
How? In late November, The Dispatch published a story stating the GUSD Board decided it would assemble a Measure P citizen’s oversight committee while not mentioning that state law requires such for any voter-approved bond.
Measure P has no oversight committee, even as the Board announces how the money will be spent. When, if at all, will an oversight committee be formed? Will it be concerned citizens or pre-selected board loyalists? Will there be detailed, from the very beginning, accountability? Unlikely.
It’s the Measure I audacity continued by a school board indifferent and contemptuous of those paying for such arrogance – the Gilroy taxpayers.
James Brescoll, Gilroy
Can’t the newspaper ban some of the negative people who write in?
Dear Editor,
Reading the Dispatch on Jan. 23 I noticed some very negative letters by David Kaeini and Alan Viarengo and a negative column by Cynthia Walker and a critical letter by James Fennell.
Is this really the way a local newspaper should operate, by printing the views of these hateful, far right, crass, opinionated, prejudiced individuals?
Sure, I’m aware the First Amendment is the right of everyone in this country and I would be wrong to censure or to advocate taking away anyone’s rights. But a lot of the comments by these people are over the top to the point of lowering the standards of your fine newspaper. Also, some of the remarks make your paper less credible.
In the future, could we get some more positive articles in your letters and columns? It’s a good thing the paper prints views on both sides of the political agenda, but the comments by Kaeini, Viarengo, Walker and Fennell are too radical to help the county right now and don’t at all support tolerance, and they make the paper look bad as well.
Debra Ann Lesner, Gilroy
Editor’s note: “Debra,” and that’s in quotes because the phone numbers on your letter for verification were false, please consider these letters in the last two Friday editions: “High praise for Good Samaritan on the Levee;” “Neighborhood anti-graffiti officers will be missed;” “A gentle human who is a behind the scenes hero;” and “Dave, a solid reminder that the world has wonderfully good people.” There is great balance, “Debra,” you just have to be willing to look at your half-empty glass differently. As for printing differing views, that’s what the opinion pages are all about.
