Ban paper, not plastic
As a citizen of California I want to apologize to the rest of the nation for California’s misguided ban on single use plastic bags. Although passed with good intentions, it is actually more harmful than good. If anything should have been banned, it’s paper, not plastic.
The paper process is actually many times as polluting as plastic. Plastic gets a bad rap because it is usually manufactured out of oil industry by products. But plastic can be made out of anything, including extracting carbon dioxide out of the air. Plastic waste can either recycled, used as fuel or stored underground to permanently sequester carbon from the environment.
Also, the amount of plastic in the bag is orders of magnitude less plastic that any plastic in the product in the bag. A plastic bottle has 100 times as much plastic as a bag. A ban on bottled water, for example, would be 100 times as effective as a plastic bag ban if plastic were actually a problem.
I am for saving the environment. Earth is our spaceship and we have to protect it so we can continue to live here long term. But we have to put science first and our plastic bag ban is not based on science. So I’m concerned that California’s bad judgment not be replicated in other states.
Marc Perkel, Gilroy
Street lamps an improvement
I think that the new streetlights are wonderful. Thank you city of Gilroy. They light up the streets and alleys much better than the old ones and the light is bright and white compared to the old, dim and sort of orange light. Best of all they make night driving immeasurably better, especially for us old folks who need all the light they can get.
Just one more good thing for Gilroy along with the other items like the levee and the new library and the hospital and the city parks, etc. Makes one glad to live here.
D. Barton, Gilroy
Thanks for the great story
Thanks so much for the great article (Oct. 24) on our monthly walking tours. Jennifer Lengsfield did a very nice job including information from both the September and October tours. Lora Schraft’s pictures were excellent too.
It is definitely true that we see a lot more walking than we do driving by. The tours give people a greater appreciation of our rich history as the third oldest city in Santa Clara County. My aim is always to raise the profile of our heritage and the article went a long way towards doing that.
Thanks again for all.
Connie Rogers, Gilroy Museum
Great, honest service at Redman’s Auto
We had a situation where our truck would not start and we called AAA. Nothing could be diagnosed by the tow truck driver, so the vehicle was transported to Redman’s Automotive Repair, on Luchessa & Monterey, their fairly new location. In the past, our mechanic was at H&R, who we had used for over 20 years, but we think he had gone into semi or full-retirement. We were at a loss to where the truck should be towed, but the AAA representative felt confident with Redman’s. Well … SO ARE WE! When we picked up the vehicle, it was such a minor, frequent occurrence that we were told there would be no charge. I think in the past, Redman’s has won best auto repair. If they have not, they would certainly get our vote. Great, fair, honest service! We found our new mechanic!
Mike and Susan Mister, Gilroy
Smart decision by voters
Oh, no! We just lost a chance at hiking taxes—I mean “quality of life”! Cry me a river, City Council! Can you feel your sky falling?
Yes, the voters wisely rejected the SHAM by City Council to try and take more of OUR MONEY to improve the quality of THEIR lives. (It figures that the east side of Gilroy fell for this; these are the same sheople who tried to put Rebecca Armendariz on Council. Can we disincorporate everything between 101 and Monterey Street?) We in California are already the highest-taxed and most indebted state in the nation. No more, no way! But what do you expect from the same Council that banned beer and smoking in parks? All they have done is try to take our money and freedom.
One recent liar, er, letter, claimed that sales tax is regressive. It is NOT; it is the only fair way to generate public money—people pay according to their buying power. But that still doesn’t mean we should raise RATES. In fact, we should abolish all property taxes, including that on vehicles, and phase out income tax, starting with a simple reform—a flat income tax, so everyone pays the same rate, regardless of income. Then, we will no longer have people voting to tax “the other guy.”
Outside of Kalifornia and Washington state, this was a great election. Let’s keep the momentum. Force reform.
Alan Viarengo, Gilroy
Thank you, Gilroyans
There are many individuals that helped, in one way or another, to make my run for a seat on the Gilroy City Council possible. The campaign wouldn’t have been possible without the early support and words of wisdom from Al Pinheiro, Jane Howard, Susan Valenta, Steve Peat and Donna Pray. Their thoughtful dialogue allowed me to reflect on what I was getting myself into and more importantly, if I could be of service to the residents of Gilroy. Thank you.
A special shout-out goes to my treasurer, Joan Lewis. Her advice and focused attention on the financial reporting requirements was simply amazing. She took on the challenge despite having other responsibilities that pulled her in different directions. Thank you so much for all that you have done.
Of course, I never would have committed to running if I didn’t have the support of my employer, Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman and the District One staff. Their support allowed me to have the work flexibility I needed to be successful. Thank you.
Lastly, I would like to express a heartfelt thank you to the voters of Gilroy for giving me the opportunity to represent them on the City Council. I’m grateful and humbled by your vote of confidence.
Now that the campaign is over it’s time to come together and govern. There will be many important issues that will be debated and decisions to make over the next few years. Those decisions will have a tremendous impact on the future of Gilroy. I commit to you, the residents of Gilroy, whether you voted for me or not, to work hard to provide the services we need and the representation you deserve.
Again, thank you.
Councilmember-elect Roland Velasco
