Readers hope Gilroy residents become more informed before the
election, write that many Islamics speak out again violence,
chastise the Council for being crybabies and wonder about the
burdensome cost of illegal immigration
Mayor’s Looking Out for City Hall, Not the Residents and That’s a Big Problem
Dear Editor,
On Thursday’s opinion page, there were two letters which greatly moved me. First, the man on the street interview’s regarding the mayoral contest between Mayor Al Pinheiro and Councilman Craig Gartman and last but not least, a fantastical letter from Laurie Weber comparing Christianity to Islam.
Hmmm, I think I will address the latter letter later. When reading the street poll, six random individuals were asked If they would vote for Al Pinheiro or Craig Gartman for mayor. I found only one answer that was credible, and it came from a 21-year-old student who answered, “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t looked into the candidates enough yet.” An honest answer.
Sadly, the others said things like “he’s my neighbor” or “I don’t have a clue, but I think he has been doing a good job.” Ugh! To me this shouldn’t be a popularity contest but since most people vote for someone based purely on emotion and not facts, we often get the short end of the stick.
The facts are that the mayor has not done a good or even an average job as mayor. Instead, Mr. Pinheiro turned over the reigns of the city to City Manager Jay Baksa and then lead the weaker members of the City Council down the rubber stamp road. Only Craig Gartman has been consistently independent in his decisions. I haven’t always agreed with his positions or liked his haircut, but on balance, he has kept the taxpayers of Gilroy in mind.
I find it laughable when Dion Bracco, who has been a huge disappointment and Russ Valiquette accuse Gartman of grandstanding. At least Gartman stands for something – like, for instance, being the lone dissenter when Jay Baksa sold the mayor and the remaining five members of the council, HUGE raises for his staffer members as a parting gift for his retirement.
Imagine a $20,000 raise for his assistant. What the … That alone is enough for a recall! The mayor had a great opportunity to show himself to be a leader who is in touch with the little guy but instead punted to Jay’s team. Jay 1, Taxpayers 0. And so it goes. Al may be a likeable great guy … and I think he is, but we need a mayor who looks out for the average citizen and not his cronies in City Hall.
Mark A. Zappa, Gilroy
Numerous Islamic Groups Speaking Out Against Terrorism and Violence
Dear Editor,
There are numerous Islamic Organizations, both in the United States and worldwide that are against terrorism and are definitely working hard to stop this cancer.
One such organization is called Muslims Against Terrorism, it was founded in Calgary on Jan. 11, 1998. You can look online at www.m-a-t.org Another organization is called Muslim Bridges and you can learn more about them at www.muslimbridges.org.
Mr. Fennel you are mistaken when you state that Muslims in the United States are consistently silent.
Mary J. Silva, Gilroy
Illegal Immigrants Cost Trillions – Are Cheap Strawberries Worth It?
Dear Editor,
When you buy that pint of strawberries for $1.50 it really is costing you over five trillion dollars! This is the estimated cost of subsidizing the illegal and immigrant workers drain from the social programs in our country.
When someone breaks into your home and steals your credit card, then uses it to obtain a motel room, meals and medical treatment, have a baby or medical operation and charge it to you; use your transportation, enroll in school and buy books it is called theft. When caught, this thief will likely go to jail and be forced to pay you back. Unless, of course, they are illegal immigrants breaking into your country and “stealing” the rights and social services “credits” that you pay for, for you and your family and other legal Americans who are in need.
Not only are these so-called “illegal residents” not prosecuted for the crimes they commit on a daily basis by being here and sapping the strength of our overburdened social programs, they now demand a permanent status to continue their criminal ways. At last count there were 20 million! Our spineless president is now supporting an immigration plan in Washington that will give them everything they want, plus much, much more.
We are being lied to by President Bush that this plan is a good thing because we need workers to do jobs that we won’t do. He wants us to trust him that he is doing the right thing by giving them all legal status. If he is asking for our trust now, what ever happened to the border fence that he promised to build? We trusted him then, too.
What this immigration program is really all about is to support the many industries that now want cheap labor regardless of what indirect cost it will have on our social programs. A consumer paid subsidy, if you will, one designed to let many industries and farms pocket the extra profits of low-cost labor while forcing us to struggle with the higher and higher indirect social costs given illegal immigrant workers such as free schools, health care, Social Security, welfare and housing and much more.
Joseph Caro, Huntington Beach
‘Go Along to Get Along’ Council Whines While Failing Gilroy Residents
Dear Editor,
The headline “Gartman, a Watchdog or Grandstander” is an insult toward Gilroy City Councilman Craig Gartman. My 2006 Webster’s defines grandstand – adjective: done for show or to impress onlookers; intransitive verb: To play or act so as to impress onlookers.
But your newspaper, in recent editorials, has written “Cheers: To Councilman Craig Gartman, who was the only dissenter on the new salary schedule vote – April 20, 2007” and “Only City Councilman Craig Gartman insisted that the top manager’s pay increase scheme be pulled from the consent calendar” and “only Mr. Gartman cared enough to ask the important difficult questions. Predictable, he alone voted against the plan, choosing to take the heat for raising these questions instead of gong along to get along – May 3, 2007.”
Gartman has been praised by many Council watchers for doing his homework, checking details, visiting sites under consideration, asking insightful questions, finding comparisons/conflicts and looking behind the material available. He seeks the opinions of others, carefully balances many views on an issue and then makes an independent decision.
If this is grandstanding, perhaps other Council members, and mayor Al Pinheiro, can become active participating grandstanders.
Unfortunately current Council members, and the mayor, seem more interested in attacking Gartman’s willingness to know what he’ll vote on than his willingness for “going along to get along.”
Councilman Roland Velasco grouses Gartman “At the dias … tries to embarrass the Council …” How, Mr. Velasco? By being knowledgeable of Council business? By asking thoughtful questions that bring out, at times, the true motives of those who come before Council? Where the embarrassment, Mr. Velasco?
Councilman Dion Bracco pouts Gartman is “performing for the Dispatch” and indignantly “questioned Gartman’s style of politics. I don’t believe this is a good way to go, being a maverick.” Why not? A maverick is an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party. Is being a “maverick” that frightening to you, Mr. Bracco? Or, as you’ve shown since joining Council, do you prefer to “go along to get along”? How does that serve Gilroy residents’ best interests?
You have a subtle warning for Gartman – “… if he’s elected (mayor), how’s he going to lead a Council that isn’t on his side? That’s something he needs to be careful about. He’s running the risk of alienating people.”
Pinhiero gets more condescending. “As mayor, (Gartman) is going to have to bring people together. He can’t just go in there like a bull in a China shop, what is he going to do as mayor? Force them to agree?”
What can Gartman be expected to do as mayor? Hopefully, inspire Council members to learn, study and challenge, think and question, examine and reflect much more thoroughly all matters brought before Council; that they’ll exercise independent thinking before voting; and, always, they’ll have Gilroy’s best interests in mind.
That’s where Gartman is today. Following the November election that’s where, hopefully, Council members will willingly go.
James Brescoll, Gilroy
