Our view on the disability retiree battle
Attorneys with the Gilroy’s legal firm of choice, Berliner-Cohen, and the city administrator are penning their way around state law and holding up multiple efforts by the Gilroy Dispatch to obtain the names of six public safety retirees who claimed an industrial disability within the past five years.
Freedom of the press
Perhaps a reminder is in order why the First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, in part, “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”
A city attorney dedicated to Gilroy
Making a switch to hire an in-house city attorney – and putting the days of city reliance on a huge San Jose-based law firm, Berliner-Cohen – has the potential to be a very good thing for Gilroy.
‘Quality of Life’ tax concerns
The Editorial Board has serious concerns about the direction the fledgling “Quality of Life” sales tax or bond proposal is headed. What began as Mayor Don Gage’s idea to see whether Gilroyans would support some sort of tax increase to pay for capital improvement projects has morphed into a tax hike that would support city operations, specifically police and fire protection.
Keep service requirement for Gilroy high school students
Trustees should not back away from the requirement for Gilroy high school students to log 80 hours of community service prior to graduation. That’s 20 hours a year to give back to the community. It’s a reasonable expectation, and one that builds community spirit. To paraphrase the late President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your community can do for you, ask what you can do for your community.”
Imperative to save Saint Louise
In the best case scenario Saint Louise Regional Hospital, which is on the market along with the entire group of hospitals owned and operated by the Catholic Daughters of Charity, will be sold to a compassionate organization intent on providing quality health care to South County residents. In the worst case, scenario, there would be no takers and Saint Louise would be shuttered.
Red Barn: repurpose, recycle, reuse
The crumbling red barn on the ranch side of Christmas Hill Park may or may not be traceable to one of the area’s most prominent historical figures, cattle baron Henry Miller. While that matters to a degree, the point remains: the red barn is still a part of Gilroy history. The real question is how much the community values that history.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
… Yes, Virginia, there was an editorial about the credibility of Santa Claus, appearing more than 100 years ago in The New York Sun. It was written by Francis Pharcellus Church, an assistant to the paper’s editor. A true Christmas classic, it has outlived its writer, the recipient, and the newspaper that gave it life. Its most famous phrases are often recalled and sometimes parodied.
GUSD back on the right track
It’s heartening to hear that the Gilroy Unified School District has solid reserves of 9 percent, that a bond re-finance saved $50 million and that union negotiations with teachers have been both realistic and productive.
Minimum wage in the county?
The road to fiscal folly is paved with good intentions, as Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese has demonstrated.
