The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Letters

Council candidate
contradicts himself
in Chinese press

I found T.N. Ho's letter in the Jan. 2 issue of the Courier to be confusing since he was quoted in the Oct. 16, 2007 issue of the Sing Tao Daily as saying he will run in the February election in order to form a majority of Chinese Americans on the city council so as to push for programs facing the Chinese American community.

Issues facing Cupertino should be the same for all of us. So why does T.N. Ho say something completely different in a Chinese newspaper meant just for Chinese readers? He can't have it both ways and then, when the translation is circulating around Cupertino, try to spin it to this own benefit in English. He says he wants to represent all people in the Cupertino community in the Courier and states something completely different in the Chinese newspapers.

Which is it? All voters in Cupertino need to know.

Donna Austin

N. De Anza Circle

Ho is candidate
who can bring
needed change

Ruby Elbogen made several incorrect statements in her attack on T.N. Ho (Jan. 2 Courier).

She is incorrect in her assertion that the city council has no power to reduce school overcrowding. The actions of previous councils have greatly contributed to the current overcrowding. The council can choose to work with the school districts to mitigate the problem.

Elbogen is also mistaken regarding retail. The council can have a tremendous impact in attracting new retail. Past councils have created a hostile environment for retail. Unrealistic limitations on operating hours affect retailers' ability to compete with businesses in surrounding cities. Shopping center owners, believing that they will be able to get their centers rezoned to residential if they make their properties sufficiently expensive and undesirable, send retailers fleeing. The council must act to improve the retail environment; simply hiring a business development expert is not sufficient. T.N. Ho is the only candidate that wants to work to improve retail in Cupertino.

It's not surprising that Elbogen attacked T.N. Ho; Elbogen appears in the campaign literature sent out by candidate Mark Santoro, who is running for the council because he was turned down in his attempt to add on to his hillside home. Similarly, Chuck Ahern attacked T.N. Ho because Ahern lost to Ho in a 2006 election, after which Ahern resigned from his city commission post and left Cupertino. Such negative campaigning and special interest candidates have no place in Cupertino politics.

T.N. Ho will make a fine city council member. He has proven himself on the county board of education. He has no ulterior motives in running for the city council.

Save our schools, protect our hillsides, and stop Condotino. Vote for T.N. Ho on Feb. 5.

Steven Scharf

Somerset Drive

Recent letters
displayed a
lack of civility

The Letters to the Editor in the Courier (Jan. 9) show an uncomfortable lack of civility. Phrases such as "self-aggrandizing,'' "hunk of coal in her stocking'' and "unqualified opportunist'' do nothing to strengthen the points being made by the writers, but rather undercut the strength of their criticisms.

I would appreciate it if the Courier would edit such letters of criticism to focus on the points being made and not to allow the writers to include "cheap shots" about personality and intention. Perhaps publicizing (or re-publicizing) standards for Letters to the Editor might be appropriate in the next issue.

Criticism without civility is no better than the actions being criticized.

Eleanor Dickman

Fitzgerald Drive