After redistricting, there are no true ’incumbents’
Dear Editor,
Recently you requested from your readers questions for the candidates for the upcoming election (“Quick election guide: send in your tough questions for candidates”).
I applaud your election coverage and your commitment to providing the news and information that your readers need and deserve to make their decisions in this important election.
However, your characterization of my opponent (and other congressional candidates) as “incumbents” is inaccurate. All of the congressional districts in California have been redistricted and, as such, there are no incumbents.
Even if you take into consideration that my opponent’s current district partially overlaps the new 19th District, her current district does not include Gilroy, and clearly she is not an incumbent for the voters in Gilroy.
As a candidate, I should be content with such mischaracterization, because this year, more than any other, being an incumbent is a decided disadvantage.
Voters are disappointed with Congress, to say the least, and are prepared to replace the incumbents with new candidates.
However, to the extent that there is any perceived advantage to wearing the incumbent label, it is inaccurate and a mischaracterization to give California’s sitting congressmen and congresswomen the incumbent label in your election coverage.
Once again, thank you for your otherwise excellent election coverage and your commitment to community affairs.
Robert Murray, Candidate for U.S. Congress 19th District
Former Vineyard Pre-school folks back in business
Dear Editor,
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people that have supported us and contributed toys, supplies, and monetary gifts to our new preschool venture.
As a result of their help, “Nature and Nurture” is now ready for enrollment. We are located in the ccity’s Temporary Environmental Education Center on the ranch site of Christmas Hill Park. Registration and more information is available at the City of Gilroy Recreation Dept. at 7351 Rosanna St.
Beginning Sept. 10th, we will offer “Nature Detectives: ABC Walk With Me”. It is a class for 3- and 4-year-olds built around the alphabet and exploration of the outdoors, utilizing the park setting, and letting nature guide our learning. We will have an open house at the TEEC on Wednesday, Sept. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to come check us out.
When we unexpectedly lost our home at The Vineyard Preschool last June, we were unsure that we would be able to find another one. Thanks to the City of Gilroy and our loyal supporters, we can continue to offer a quality program, doing what we love.
Lenore Penkethman, Laurie Teeling, Gilroy
Bottomless money pits: high-speed rail and Amtrak rail line
Dear Editor,
Congressional representatives promised in 1970 that Amtrak would be “self-sufficient” in three years. We’ve poured so many taxpayers’ dollars down the Black Hole
Caltrain and VTA Lite Rail that even Lenin would have been proud, and we’ve replicated all the mistakes that the Soviet’s planners employed in taking their country down.
Voters voted for self-sufficient high speed rail, without taxpayers subsidies, but our failed leadership has screwed the taxpayers, again. Please resolve to just say “No” to more socialist transit boondoggles, because we cannot afford the ones that our government agenciees have already hung around our necks.
Let’s tell the CAHSRA that we ought to do high-speed rail as they are in Texas – in the private sector only.
Joseph P. Thompson, Gilroy
Debt clock a joke at Republican party convention
Dear Editor,
The Republican party started a debt clock at their GOP convention to try to make a point about how fast the national debt is climbing. However the debt clock stunt might backfire because Republicans are counting on Americans being stupid and having a short memory.
In 2001 when President Clinton handed America over to George W. Bush we had a budget surplus. The debt clock was going down. But during the eight years America was under Republican control, Clinton’s surpluses became trillions of dollars in debt.
When Obama took over the banking system had failed, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month, and America was collapsing. Obama did what he could to fix the economy. But the Republicans have been working hard to try to make America fail.
Republicans want us to forget the Clinton surplus, the Bush collapse, and believe that it’s all Obama’s fault because he failed to clean up Bush’s mess in just 3 1/2 years. The debt clock reminds me of Republican failures, not Obama’s.
Marc Perkel, Gilroy
