All four of the letters published in the May 5 Cupertino Courier point out why the three corrective initiatives are now so strongly in process. Each underscores the neglect of residents while promoting the excessive desires of business interests and developers by the sitting government of Cupertino.

Mr. Lowenthal says, "The initiatives will have a dramatically negative effect on business" and "The trouble is that initiatives themselves have some terrible, devastating side effects, some of which are difficult to foresee."

But not as negative or devastating as what we see has already been perpetrated and is currently being planned at city hall. When officials neglect to represent the interests of their constituent residents, the residents have the right to take back their lent power and do the necessary jobs themselves.

To expound a belief that the people are somehow deficient in intelligence to do this is both a condescending insult to the populace and an assumption of elitist superiority.

Mr. Lowenthal also plays the scare card in that if we do not accede to the developer's desire for a theater and business offset distances (Vallco) "the project will not go forward." Nonsense. I have yet to see a developer turn down a real estate plum regardless of any city's various restrictions!

Mr. Green pointed out how the General Plan Task Force swept over some valid concerns of citizen residents without seeing, investigating, discussing or considering these meritorious concerns. Who has the task force really represented?

Mr. Mark Burns (representing Cupertino/Sunnyvale Silicon Valley Association of Realtors) says, "Cupertino must encourage the creation of a diverse housing stock ... etc." It seems to me we have an adequately diverse housing stock already—or hasn't he driven around the Cupertino neighborhoods recently except in hopes of finding some undeveloped property.

Mr. Frolich makes a good point. Why are we installing these new signs all over Cupertino when our budget is in such bad shape as claimed?

Burt Schmitz

Cupertino