DEAR EDITOR:
I would like to comment on Paul Correa’s guest column on the
proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter of Feb. 16 and rebut Dennis Taylor’s
diatribe directed at me and published Feb. 18.
DEAR EDITOR:
I would like to comment on Paul Correa’s guest column on the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter of Feb. 16 and rebut Dennis Taylor’s diatribe directed at me and published Feb. 18.
First let’s look at some of Paul’s comments. “I think you are going to see a significant drop in business at other supermarkets. Some of these stores say they will have to close.” Now, if we apply Paul’s logic to the restaurant business, Jack In The Box, Burger King McDonalds and other big corporate box restaurants would have shut down Cielito Lindo, Harvest Time, the Longhouse and other local restaurants. It didn’t happen.
“The jobs Wal-Mart brings to town will be low-wage, low-benefit jobs.” Perhaps it’s better if we let the people who will fill those jobs keep busting their backs in the hot summer sun harvesting crops, mowing lawns, thumping nails or cleaning toilets for low wages and NO benefits. And while we’re at it let’s boot the agricultural industry out of town, too. After all they abuse labor and the environment just like Wal-Mart.
These two are my my favorites: “Is it worth the damage we are going to do to our kids’ lungs,” and “The Council needs to slow down before deciding that a little more pollution a little more congestion and a little more asthma is OK.” Transparent desperation or more Correa logic?
Now let’s shift our attention to Dennis Taylor’s lapsed opinion of me. After seeing his mug plastered to the opinion page every week I take his calling me “The Ugly” as a compliment. I must have hit your soft underbelly with my letter Dennis. So let’s ponder the particulars.
Fact: Your definition of “Archie Bunker Boys” does mean farmers, landowners, business people and hard working families. I know this because I know many of the people you have referred to in that manner and they are the latter.
Fact: I did not question anyone’s morality or patriotism. I just called you on your lack of integrity.
Fact: Your intellectual apoplexy doesn’t frustrate me at all Dennis. Your opacity just makes you easy cannon fodder.
Fact: I am a fourth-generation farmer from the Santa Clara Valley. Three of those generations right here in the Gilroy area, two of those generations being certified organic and hoping one of my kids can afford to make it five generations. I guess that makes me kind of “progressive” like your beloved church, the Sierra Club.
Fact: I’ve been competing against large corporate farms both foreign and domestic for at least 20 years. By some miracle (hard work), I am a survivor.
Fact: My family and I have lived here a lot longer than you and we don’t even consider ourselves longtime residents of Gilroy.
Fact: I never said anything about turning our nation into a theocracy. You fabricated that line. Reread my letter your comprehension seems to be somewhat weak.
Fact : “Narrow minds, fanaticism and ignorance” describe you perfectly. Were you looking in the mirror when that thought hit you?
Fact: As usual you did little or no research before spewing last week’s column of mendacity. If you did I hope you would have backed your assumptions with some facts. You did not.
Fact: I was a liberal democrat at one time. I exited the party in the late ’70s when they made a sharp left turn and spun hopelessly out of control. So I’ve lived the lies and hypocrisy of the left. I speak from experience.
This brings me to something my dear old grandad( a second generation Gilroy farmer) used to say: “It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than it is to speak and remove all doubt.” Simple wisdom you should heed Dennis. I do apologize for mistaking you for a big city yuppie.
Peter Van Dyke, Gilroy
Submitted Saturday, Feb. 21 to ed****@ga****.com
