We were disappointed by the Gilroy Dispatch’s failure to endorse
District Attorney Dolores Carr’s re-election bid.
Dear Editor,
We were disappointed by the Gilroy Dispatch’s failure to endorse District Attorney Dolores Carr’s re-election bid. Dolores has been a DA we can count on. Her emphasis on fighting gang violence addresses one of our area’s most pressing problems. She has the experience and leadership skills to stretch scarce resources to protect public safety.
We value her hard work and attention to South County. She has spent a lot of time strengthening public safety in our community and assigned some of her strongest lawyers to our local courthouse.
She has built collaborative relationships with our community based organizations as well as with law enforcement. Gilroy and Morgan Hill Police Officers associations have endorsed her. To throw all that away for a “fresh face” who has no experience would be a mistake.
Don Gage, Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 1
Sig Sanchez, Santa Clara Valley Water District, retired
‘Amused’ about the endorsement of Alvarado over Wasserman
Dear Editor,
I couldn’t help but be amused at last Friday’s editorial endorsement of Teresa Alvarado for District 1 Supervisor while dismissing Mike Wasserman’s admittedly superior experience with the wave of the hand. It was extremely reminiscent of the election wherein Don Gage first won the supervisorial seat.
In that election campaign the San Jose Mercury News endorsed Rosemary Kamei as the “most qualified” candidate but then made the mistake of publishing the resumes of all three candidates on the same page. It was instantly obvious that both of her opponents – Don Gage, Republican and John Redding, Libertarian – had distinctly more extensive experience in more responsible positions.
Don Gage’s resume was clearly the best as confirmed by the voters in the subsequent election. It was also abundantly clear that Rosemary Kamei’s endorsement as “most qualified” was simply because she was the Democrat in the race; little else.
Considering the coincidence in circumstances, could Teresa Alverado’s endorsement by the Dispatch be simply because she is the Democrat in the race and the daughter of another prominent Democrat? Perhaps the Dispatch could perform a public service and publish both candidate’s resumes for a side-by-side comparison.
Mark F. Lyons, Gilroy
Editor’s note: The Dispatch has consistently endorsed Don Gage in supervisorial races. Secondly, The Dispatch has not endorsed Rosemary Kamei – even in her races for the water district seat she holds. Third, the resumes are available on the candidate’s websites.
‘People are wrapping themselves in the flag to overcome bigotry’
Dear Editor,
I’d like to thank the Tea Partiers – for taking an issue the students wanted to heal, and rubbing salt into a wound until it became large and raw and much more painful.
Also, to the parents and other adults whose noisy protestations have kept this issue in the forefront – your claims of patriotism are lame and overdone. These people are wrapping themselves in the flag in an effort to cover their bigotry.
I’m as proud to be an American as anyone, but I have respect for other people’s cultures. If you shout and antagonize people they will never respect you. Asking a passing motorist who gave “thumbs down” at signs the Tea Partiers held, “Do you have papers?” is a huge insult which I would never accept. These claims of patriotism and love of country are nothing more than bigotry against a particular segment of society. For true patriotism, we should follow the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the tempest tossed, to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
Elaine Jelsema, Gilroy
