Only a few days left to send in groundwater protest letters

Letters on protesting the groundwater, the Highway 152 toll
road, Assembly candidate Janet Barnes,Mexican-style rodeos and
taxing the rich
Only a few days left – send in your groundwater tax protest letter

Dear Editor,

Some 20 years ago when the South County (Zone 5) voted to join the Santa Clara Valley Water District we were promised cheaper water rates in our zone due to the gift to the district of our water storage in Anderson, Coyote, and Uvas reservoirs. We should not have to pay the groundwater production charge because our collected reservoir water is used by the Santa Clara Valley Water District to recharge the groundwater in South County.

I am encouraging the cities of San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy, and all rural unincorporated South County well owners to protest the groundwater production charge by mailing in their written, dated, and signed protest with their address, parcel number or well number.

Please write the parcel number or well number on the outside of the envelope and mail to the Santa Clara Valley Water District prior to the April 27 hearing.

Ken Bone, Gilroy

One very lousy alternative for a toll road to replace Highway 152

Dear Editor,

I read with distress the article about improving Highway 152 and paying for it with toll booths. Not that I’m against toll roads. What bothers me is the recommendation in the article that “alternative seven is the most promising.” 

Under alternative seven, according to the article, “the driver would be tolled based on how many miles are driven on the road, with multiple toll booths throughout the highway.” 

Multiple toll booths means multiple places to stop and pay money. A review of the route options indicate this alternatives would result in six to eight toll booths in the course of about 15 miles. It would be one thing if there was room enough to have the toll booths on the on-ramps and off-ramps, but it’s difficult to imagine that much available land along the proposed route, or that the added land cost wouldn’t tip the balance towards unaffordable. At best, there will be a stop almost every three miles, at worst every two. I’ve driven toll roads like that when I lived in Florida and when visiting the Northeast.  Aggravating is an understatement. 

There must be a better way to afford such a vital improvement project than making us all regret it.

Jim Brady, Gilroy

Janet Barnes the right candidate to represent area in the Assembly

Dear Editor,

Janet Barnes is running in the Democratic primary for Assembly District 28. I have worked closely with Janet for many years as she has served the City of Salinas on the Recreation and Parks Commission and the City Council. She has served as liaison to numerous agencies for the Council on issues of solid waste, transportation, recreation, environmental preservation and city infrastructure.

The breadth of this expertise has helped to prepare her for the complex challenges facing California. I am impressed with her motivation, intelligence and integrity toward the pursuit of a better city and state for all residents. I am endorsing her candidacy and am encouraging District 28 voters to consider electing Janet Barnes for this very important position in the coming election. I have come to know that she will represent all our issues with our best interests in mind.

Denise Estrada, retired director, City of Salinas, Environmental and Maintenance Service Department

‘Brutal’ Mexican-style rodeos should be outlawed in the state

Dear Editor,

Rodeo season is upon us, and with it the Mexican-style rodeos called “charreadas,” common throughout California. Charreadas feature nine standard events, several of them especially brutal.

One, “horse tripping” (aka “manganas”), was outlawed in California in 1994. An equally cruel event, “steer tailing” (aka “colas”) was banned in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in 1993, but continues elsewhere. The steer’s tail, horns, even back may be broken, and sometimes the horses suffer broken legs when the steers run the wrong way. Not acceptable.

In 1996, the Legislative Counsel of California issued a legal opinion stating, in part, “We think that a court could conclude, and in most cases probably would conclude, that this practice of ‘steer tailing’ is prohibited by Penal Code Section 597.”

This legal opinion should put charreada promoters on notice, and inspire local Animal Control agencies to issue citations. A few court cases would help lay the groundwork for the needed state legislation to outlaw this cruelty throughout California.

Eric Mills, coordinator, Action for Animals

President should tax the rich and dump the idea of a value added tax

Dear Editor,

News reports say that President Obama is considering a value added tax. That would be a really bad idea. A value added tax is really a national sales tax and it is a tax paid mostly by the poor and middle class because they spend all their money and the rich don’t.

Instead, I would rather see them raise taxes on the rich to pay off the deficit because the deficit was caused by the rich. During the Bush administration the deficit ballooned because of the huge tax cuts for the rich. The bank bailout was to bail out the rich. Subsidies for the housing market were to keep housing prices up for the benefit of the rich. So why should we tax the poor to pay the debt of the rich?

The poor and middle class already pay taxes the rich don’t pay. We pay medicare, medicaid, and Social Security taxes on the wages we earn where the rich pay no payroll taxes on their capital gain income, which is taxed at a lower rate. And finally Mr. President, you pledged not to raise taxes on people making less that $250,000 a year and we expect you to keep that promise.

Marc Perkel, Gilroy