I am one of the
”
homeless
”
people at the BAMBOO VILLAGE. I’m writing on our behalf after
reading the latest article about us. Most people stereotype us as
dirty beggars, etc. who eat out of trash cans and are drunks! I
wish these people could get to know us.
Dear Editor,
I am one of the “homeless” people at the BAMBOO VILLAGE. I’m writing on our behalf after reading the latest article about us. Most people stereotype us as dirty beggars, etc. who eat out of trash cans and are drunks! I wish these people could get to know us. There are a few of us who actually take pride in our appearance and our campsite and our lifestyle. There are a few who don’t care about any of that.
My reason for writing this is to educate people about us and to plead our case regarding the eviction notice we received. If we had somewhere else to live we wouldn’t be at the creek! However, we think of the BAMBOO as our home. It’s where we know we can safely live without any threats of violence. We feel safe there and I personally love it there. The starry nights filled with the sound of the creek running and of tons of frogs that I love to fall asleep to! We don’t rob people.
After receiving the eviction notice a few of us “BAMBOOZALITES” as we call ourselves got together to figure out what we need to do now that we have been uprooted from a place we know as our home sweet home!
Two weeks ago after contact with one of the land owners – one of us took initiative and rented a dumpster to clean up the miscellaneous items that accumulated in and near the creek due to irresponsible people who had lived out here. Del Toro Brothers worked out the financial part for the dumpster so we could have it for a week. Another of us (all by himself) waded into waist deep cold water for three days clearing out the debris. Then a few of us helped load and unload seven or so truck loads into the dumpster filling it half full. We had high hopes that would save us from the eviction, However it didn’t! Now, if we have to relocate I do not know where we can go.
Anna Boscacci, Bamboo Village
Saint Louise caregivers taking back our union with NUHW
Dear Editor,
I’ve been a respiratory therapist at Saint Louise Regional Hospital for 18 years. I want to tell our community the truth about what’s been going on in our hospital over the last year, and why things are about to get better.
For the last eight years, my co-workers and I have been part of a labor union. You may have seen us on the sidewalk once or twice with picket signs, and wondered what was going on.
I helped organize the union because caregivers at Saint Louise were concerned about our patients as we worked harder and harder caring for more patients with not enough staff. We were tired of spending long hours caring for people in our community, only to come home unable to afford quality healthcare for our own families. We were tired of having no way to make things better.
Organizing the union was hard. We weren’t prepared for how hard hospital administrators would fight to keep us from having a voice in decisions. They threatened us with discipline and told us we’d lose everything – but that wasn’t true.
With our union, we finally had a way to solve the problems we all faced at work. We won contracts in 2002 and 2004 that improved patient care and helped attract and retain good, experienced caregivers.
But while we were moving forward here in Gilroy, trouble was brewing on the other side of the country. Officials of our union’s parent organization had hatched a plan to centralize power in Washington, D.C., and take control of negotiations away from healthcare workers like us.
The Service Employees International Union wanted more members and more dues money, they didn’t care who they hurt in the process. In time, we saw them make secret deals with nursing home companies to take away residents’ rights, and undermine many of the gains hospital workers had made in California. Then they tried to take our rights away.
Together in our local union, we stood up to SEIU and told them “No.” In retaliation, they took over our union last year, removed the co-workers we’d elected to represent us, and replaced our elected leaders with unaccountable staff from Washington, D.C.
SEIU took over negotiations at Saint Louise, and settled a contract that is nothing but takeaways – on scheduling, healthcare, job security, and more. They lied to workers about the deal, and made us vote on a contract we’d never seen. Employees at Saint Louise are sad and upset. Many of us have been targeted and threatened by SEIU.
It’s been painful to see this happen. I spent 10 months of my life under fire from management, organizing this union so that my co-workers and I would have a voice of our own. Now the bullying and intimidation are coming from our own union. We have no voice, and little protection if we speak out for our patients.
Saint Louise workers are taking our union back, by building a new union that belongs to us and no one else. A majority of us petitioned last year to join the National Union of Healthcare Workers, and an election is coming soon so we can make the change official. NUHW was founded by healthcare workers like us, and the experienced negotiators who helped us win our first two contracts are now supporting us in NUHW. Thousands of workers at Kaiser and at hospitals and nursing homes have already joined NUHW.
We’re voting NUHW to restore democracy and integrity to our union at SaintLouise, so we can keep standing up for quality patient care and better jobs in our community.
Kathleen Volle, registered respiratory therapist,
Saint Louise Regional Hospital
Check out the new library and note the grand opening date
Dear Editor,
We would like to invite you all
To our Grand Opening Celebration
For the Gilroy Library’s Temporary address
At our new and current location
Remember February 27th
As our special day
Where you’ll find us
Right there at 7652 Monterey
The building was remodeled quickly
With thanks to Gary and to Sean
Who organized everything so well
And worked so hard and long
Our building’s a little smaller
But thanks to Lani and her staff
Everything is back in order
That was done in your behalf
So come and checks us out
And please pardon the pun
But that’s what you do here
But returning, also must be done
Tom Engebretson, City of Gilroy library commissioner
Wine and chocolate to relax … why not smoke some marijuana?
Dear Editor,
In a recent column, the editor promoted a visit to local vineyards. He suggested indulging in chocolate and wine pairing, and relaxing with a glass of wine.
Later, in the same column, he discussed marijuana and wrote: “The issue of abuse is real, too. There are many horror drug abuse stories out there that involve young people and the use of marijuana in particular.”
Is the alcohol in wine a drug? Is the issue of abuse real, with regards to wine/alcohol? Are there many horror stories out there that involve young people and alcohol in particular? Why do you support the recreational use of alcohol but rail against the recreational use of marijuana? Why the double standard?
Perhaps it was intentional to spark reader reaction. If so, mission accomplished. I think wine/alcohol can be just as hazardous as marijuana. Why legalize alcohol for recreational use and not marijuana?
Vincent Freudig, Morgan Hill
Wonderful article on the services at Live Oak Adult Day Care
Dear Editor,
I was so thrilled to read the well-written article in the weekend edition regarding Live Oak Adult Day Services! I was in tears because I know that there in people who will read the article and call us to help them care for their loved one!Thank you and good news uplifts all of our spirit and gives up hope!
Kat Teraji really captured what we do in a way that anyone reading the article will understand and appreciate.
Colleen Hudgen, executive director, Live Oak Adult Day Services
