Letters from the GPOA president, a condemnation of recall leader
Mark Zappa and an angry letter on possible Coe Park closure
Unanimous no confidence vote in mayor by officers doesn’t mean GPOA supports the recall
Dear Editor,
The Gilroy Police Officers Association wishes to clarify its position regarding a potential recall of Mayor Al Pinheiro. Contrary to remarks made by Dispatch editors and reporters, GPOA has not taken a position on this issue.
Our vote of no confidence in the mayor was based on the fact that he is the chief instigator of attempts to lay the blame for the city’s budget on public safety employees. Our letter to the editor to the Dispatch mentions nothing about a recall.
Our recent mailings to Gilroy residents is intended to provide facts about our current staffing levels and sacrifices for the sake of the city’s budget. It criticizes the mayor and Council equally. It also mentions nothing about a recall.
We have not taken a position on the issue, and our membership is not in any way assisting with such an effort at this time. We are busy keeping Gilroy safe.
The only thing we know for sure is that Al Pinheiro has not made public safety a priority with his across-the-board cuts.
Our recent efforts to communicate with the public isn’t the beginning of a secret plan to recall the mayor. It stems from the systematic misinformation presented by the Dispatch, the mayor, the Chamber of Commerce, and other city leaders about the positions and motives of our organization.
The Dispatch has used incomplete reporting to link the GPOA to one person’s idea to recall the mayor. Not one employee of the Gilroy Dispatch has asked the GPOA about their support of a recall prior to publishing its article claiming that we were involved in the recall effort.
The GPOA would not support a “special election” costing the city an exorbitant amount of tax dollars.
We want the community to understand two simple realities:
1) Though the federal government grant will help, their police force is in crisis due to low staffing levels, and
2) As our voluntary cuts show, we are ready and willing to share the pain and work with the city on its chronic budget deficits in
a way that continues to protect the public’s safety.
We will no longer sit by quietly when the city’s one and only newspaper, the mayor, the Council, and the Chamber of Commerce find it convenient to blame the unions for every misfortune in the governance of Gilroy.
Mitch Madruga, president,
Gilroy Police Officers Association
Republicans masters at turning the table on effective governing
Dear Editor,
Liberals just don’t understand how conservatives think.
Conservatives believe that big government is bad. So conservatives run for office to prove that government doesn’t work. And they succeed in making their point by being a failure in office.
For Republicans, failure is the new success. The more they fail, the more they succeed. It’s just like Sarah Palin proving she’s not a quitter by quitting. By not being a lame duck she’s taking four years of failure and accomplishing it 19 months sooner.
She’s showing that she ready to be president because she can create the kind of failure in five years that took George Bush eight years to accomplish. Those liberal intellectual elitists, they just don’t get it.
Marc Perkel, Gilroy
Reviles legislature and governor for Coe Park’s likely closure
Dear Editor,
What would Sada think?
In 1953, Sada Coe Robinson gave her 13,000-acre Pine Ridge Ranch to the people of California as a memorial to her father, Henry W. Coe. In her own words, “She would make it a gift to the people to live forever as a park in memory of her people.”
Through the years, Sada’s original gift has grown to almost 90,000 acres, making Henry W. Coe State Park the second largest state park in California. The governor’s latest move, to cut an additional $6 million from the state park budget, almost certainly dooms Henry W. Coe to closure.
Sada trusted that the park she gave in her father’s memory would always be available to the people of California. The governor’s actions have violated that trust. He and the legislature have violated the right of all Californians to visit any state park. All state parks belong to the people of California, not the governor, not the legislature.
Many people have misunderstood what closures of state parks mean. Closed means just that, closed to any public access. It doesn’t mean that no one will be in the visitor center, or that the parking lots or restrooms will be unavailable. It means you will be locked out from any access and any use of your state parks. Voice your disgust with the governor and the legislature now. Save your state parks.
Teddy Goodrich, Gilroy
‘Feel GOOD, do GOOD’ Sept. 12 should be a great day for youth
Dear Editor,
In recent months this newspaper has served as a platform for many opinions regarding youth volunteerism. Although there has been no agreement regarding compulsory volunteerism for Gilroy Unified School District high school students, the general consensus is that volunteerism benefits the youth that volunteer, the organizations that provides the volunteer opportunity, and the community as a whole.
Youth who volunteer gain the valuable experience of learning professional job skills, and how to work as a team while supporting the great non-profit work in the community. Research also shows that youth who volunteer and stay active in their communities, are less likely to participate in criminal activities, and more likely to pursue higher education opportunities.
Leadership Gilroy Class of 2009 believes Gilroy youth are full of potential and ready to take a proactive role in our community. We are planning an event called Go Gilroy! Feel GOOD, do GOOD, on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Las Animas Park to expose them to organizations that are able and willing to provide opportunities for them to use their skills and abilities to benefit others.
Organizations, either in need of volunteers or interested in getting the word out about youth related services including sports and health, are encouraged to participate in the Go Gilroy! event by contacting www.gogilroy.com.
Gilroy youth (15-18 years of age) are invited to Go Gilroy! Feel GOOD, Do GOOD, for an afternoon of fun prizes, lots of entertainment, and to learn how they can be active in keeping Gilroy a great place to live, work and play.
Lillian Castillo, Leadership Gilroy Class of 2009
True colors of recall leader shown in comments over the years
Dear Editor,
Recently, I have documented several of Mark Zappa’s comments in articles from several different sources. These comments show the true character of the man.
He claims that in 1991, he was responsible for the recalling of three members of the Morgan Hill City Council because they had the audacity to support a “library bond.” I could not find a link with Zappa and the 1991 recall effort, but I will take him at his word since he likes to brag about it to convince anyone who will listen that he is a “powerful” person to be reckoned with in this city.
When Mr. Zappa saw the story of Supervisor Don Gage intending to support Mayor Al Pinheiro and oppose the recall, he wrote: “I just spoke to Supervisor Gage and he indeed is teaming up with his friend Pinheiro in order to make a smooth transition for him (Gage) as mayor in 2012. He agrees with longtime friend Pinheiro that public safety isn’t more important than a clerk or janitor. It is sad to see how Don’s priorities have changed after sitting with the anti-public safety supervisors in San Jose.”
Do you actually believe Supervisor Gage would say this to anyone, let alone Mr. Zappa? Then Mr. Zappa made his famous statement in his letter to the editor. “Since recalling all members of the council who deserve to be removed from office creates insecurity, surgically removing the Mayor makes the most sense. It will send a strong message to the other starry eyed members of the council who the real boss is.”
Please don’t forget, he regards himself as a “Big Man” in the city, he’s “Powerful”, he is the “REAL BOSS.”
On Nov. 25, 2000 in the Pinnacle, Mr. Zappa said: “The liberal media is in the pocket of the pro-homosexual, pro-abortion and anti-Christian movement.” Now we know he hates gays, he is against women’s rights, and he hates anyone who is not of his religious preference.
In September 2007, Mr. Zappa attended the Republican state convention and was quoted in a Los Angeles Times story. When Gov. Schwarzenegger said, “Our party has lost the middle, and we will not regain true political power in California until we get it back. I am of the Reagan view that we should not go off the cliff with flags flying,” Zappa responded, “If you have to sway your beliefs just to satisfy society, you don’t have a moral basis. Does that mean you’re marginalized? Possibly.”
His statement actually cuts right to the heart of the issue. In a democracy, politicians sway your beliefs to satisfy society or nobody will pay any attention. Yes, there are matters of high principle, but if a majority votes for the other guy, how does that serve your principles?
Ron Kirkish, Gilroy
