Budget Reserve Woes … So Council Hands Out Raises?

Dear Editor, Doesn’t it take a lot of nerve for the City Council
to pass the raises two weeks ago and now tell us the budget reserve
is in a tailspin? Why was this information given after the vote?
Someone needs to re-think the raises.
Budget Reserve Woes … So Council Hands Out Raises?

Dear Editor,

Doesn’t it take a lot of nerve for the City Council to pass the raises two weeks ago and now tell us the budget reserve is in a tailspin? Why was this information given after the vote? Someone needs to re-think the raises.

I know that I won’t give another penny in taxes or city services until the raise is abolished. Looks like Mr. Craig Gartman was correct in stating the salary increase was fiscally irresponsible – and it only took two weeks to prove it. My oh my …

Debbie Bradshaw, Gilroy

Voters Should Start Evaluating Current Council, Mayor Now

Dear Editor,

As Gilroy prepares for local City Council elections this coming November, I think it’s appropriate for our taxpaying citizens to begin conducting a pre-election inventory of our local leaders including the mayor and the city councilmen, (and city administrator Jay Baksa who reports to the City Council), specifically on their leadership decisions.

The goal is to evaluate each of them as either “politicians” or “public servants”. I’m afraid that if we really do a thorough analysis, we’ll find that the responsibility of “public servant” is pretty much a profile that’s missing in action. The point is that these people are placed in office to serve us – the taxpayers. Due diligence on the part of all of our leaders is definitely in the public interest. While it might be stated that public interest consists of individual interests summed together, the net result must be that our public servants have a special duty to protect and promote the collective public interest, instead of acting as politicians jockeying for their own power, control, fame and glory – at our expense.

Someone has said that the collective public interest remains in the form of four values that public servants are required to promote: accountability, legality, integrity and responsiveness. Have each of our elected Gilroy leaders performed responsibly in these four areas on a consistent basis? If not, then it’s time to replace them with people who will serve Gilroy as public servants and not as politicians. Politicians are like diapers: they need to be changed on a regular basis.

James Fennell, Gilroy

How About Truth from Silicon Valley Leadership Group?

Dear Editor,

With taxpayers paying 100 percent of BART capital and construction costs, and about 50 percent of operating costs, couldn’t its defenders at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group give the voters some cost comparisons rather than “ridership” projections.

As things now are, taxpayers are paying the vast majority of the BART riders’ total costs, and so I think we should be given alternative cost projections, for example, limousine, shuttles, van pools and taxis.

If it turns out that the BART riders’ employers could have those employees at their jobs cheaper by having them flown by corporate jets into Mineta International and taken by limousine to their offices, then that is better for the 98 percent of taxpayers who are being asked to pay for the employees’ commuting via BART.

So, can we have truth in transport, or not?

Joe Thompson, Gilroy

Music Teachers Deserve Thanks and Support

Dear Editor,

I would like to publicly thank Gilroy Unified School District music teacher Mr. Tom Brozene for all the hard work he does every day. The scrutiny he has endured regarding this trip to Disneyland is just plain unfair. I don’t think he gets any compensation for all the extra hours he puts in for those exhausting days with our children.

It’s a shame that his own principal didn’t back up his initial decision to cancel the trip. Respecting Mr. Brozene’s decision regarding the integrity of the band’s sound was less important than some “squeaky” parents. I wonder why those parents don’t plan their own trip to Disneyland if it’s that important for them.

I also would like to thank fellow music teacher Mr. Creighton Yip for all his years teaching music to the kids of Gilroy. We have been lucky to have him. Upon his retirement, the band will play on, but it will be a sad song without him. I wish him a swingin’ retirement and hope to hear him in his band soon.

Lynne de Chambrier, Gilroy