Opinion

• No. As long as at least one on-duty dispatcher is present. It would be interesting to know how a multi-lingual city such as San Jose handles this. It seems very unlikely that every 911 dispatcher in San Jose speaks English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. • No. Our system has worked for years as is and with no crisis reported due to a language issue. Let it lie and inform the public that we have an activist running for the council who will do all she (Rebeca Armendariz) can to create problems where none exist. • No one who works in a public capacity needs to know another language necessarily, although it truly is helpful, especially in our city of Gilroy, to know Spanish. To require this as part of the job will limit job opportunities for people, and if someone is calling 911, they do know the basics of their need such as their address or place where they need assistance. • Given the demographic of Gilroy in 2010, yes. As long as English is their primary language I think it’s a good idea for Gilroy dispatchers to speak Spanish. • No, but a bilingual operator should be available on every shift. • No. I don’t think all of them should be Spanish speakers. At the very most, enough for one per shift seems adequate. • Yes. It would be nice if everyone moving to the United States learned to speak English, as I would expect to have to learn the native language of any country I moved to; however, that being said, the safety of our residents should be most important. • It depends. How many dispatchers are working at a time? If more than one, then at least one of them should be bilingual. If there is only one person at the helm, they should be fluent in Spanish. I would hate for someone to not get the help they need. We should look at other languages in our community as well. • No.  At least one person per shift should speak fluent Spanish to cover emergency calls from Spanish speaking and limited English speaking callers. • Emergency dispatchers should be fluent in English and Spanish with the first response being in English, but the ability to communicate in Spanish as necessary. That should be a basic requirement and not a skill that requires additional pay. Emergency dispatchers make a fine living already. • No. I think there should be a dedicated line for Spanish speakers only. • No. I do believe there should be one person on each shift required to be fluent, but not all dispatchers.

Obama is not competent or a leader

Do you support state Proposition 34 on the November ballot, which would abolish the death penalty in California and replace it with life in prison without parole?

THIS WEEK’S POLL: Will you vote for or against the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s 15-year, $548 million parcel tax measure on the November ballot?

Mosque size doesn’t matter, it’s all about who’s building and who has influence

• Yes, it’s the lawful and ethical practice to follow. The founder of Mi Pueblo came to the U.S. as an undocumented resident by his own admission, as did many others, including affluent Gilroy residents. They were given opportunities and were intelligent enough to benefit from those opportunities. Although some view his choosing e-Verify as hypocritical, he must follow proper employment processes in order to protect his business. • Yes. It is the appropriate thing to do in the hiring process. I do when I hire and I hope you and others do, too! • Yes. Mi Pueblo and all companies within the U.S. should use eVerify to ensure that workers are citizens or have the proper work permit and are in our country legally. This is a country of rules and we need to follow the rules or risk losing our country. • Yes. I believe it is the law to ensure employees have the legal right to work in this country. • Yes, this is an American business and should follow all the rules of this country. • Unquestionably, yes. It’s the right thing to do in every way. • Yes. This should be a normal business practice when hiring employees, but because of the nature of this business, as well as any other service industries, this is a sticky topic for management for many reasons.  For Mi Pueblo to have the integrity to say this will be their policy is definitely in their favor. • Yes they absolutely have made the right decision! The fact that the union Is contemplating protesting is ridiculous. MI Pueblo will not only be following the law they will be creating an environment that makes employment for legal immigrants and citizens more fair. If Mi Pueblo follows through with the checks, I will shop there more because of it. • Yes, not sure where a “decision” comes in, it’s the law! • Yes. In these economic times, it is fiscally responsible for Mi Pueblo to protect themselves against costly fines associated with employing undocumented workers. • Absolutely YES! This is the law, all the rest of us have to follow it, check our employees or be checked as an employee – this is a legitimate business and does need to follow the law, the rules and the regulations of the land.

Jeers for Councilman and mayoral candidate Peter Arellano who threw a tantrum and stormed out of a City Council meeting Monday night after coming out on the short end of a 4-1 vote. Our local elected officials have to have thick skin and possess the judgment to know what battles to pick and when to let go. Those attributes are especially valuable when the going gets a little rough. And those skills are absolutely necessary for the next mayor who has the unenviable task of “putting Humpty Dumpty” back together again. The Council is fractured and listless. This is just the latest example – and a really bad one from someone who says he’s ready to lead the city?

No room for name calling this election; it is a time of healing instead