Letters

Parcel tax election is April 9

The Los Gatos Union School District will hold a special election on April 9. They are requesting a parcel tax of $290 per parcel for six years. They declined to have their proposed parcel tax put on the ballot for March 5, probably because too many people would be able to pay attention and perhaps vote the parcel tax down (as Measure E was voted down in March).

The date of April 9 was selected for this special vote. Spring break occurs throughout Los Gatos (elementary schools, high schools, West Valley College) April 5-13. Many voters will be away on family vacations and will probably not have enough time to request an absentee ballot and execute it in time.

Many voters do not understand that a handful of voters in favor of the parcel tax will succeed in imposing the tax on all property owners. Maybe the schools should have the money they are requesting; maybe not. But the property owners should certainly have every opportunity to examine this request and vote on it without being hampered by "backdoor" tactics.

Suzanne Kleinschmidt
Monte Sereno

Large, vicious 'family pets' dangerous

I was walking on the Santa Cruz boardwalk recently. It was crowded, but the crowd was parting ahead like I imagine the Red Sea must have. The cause of this phenomenon was a young man with an unmuzzled pit bull on a leash. The dog weighed as much as he did, and it wasn't clear who was walking who.

I am annoyed by the attitude of dangerous-dog owners, who think it is their God-given right to own the biggest and baddest dog possible, and inflict its presence on the public at a beach park, or any other public area.

I know it is a macho thing; you only have to look at the owner to see that. Possibly these guys could prove their manhood in a different way, by carrying automatic weapons, for instance. At least then those injured would, hopefully, be only intended victims.

They all parrot the same story. The dog is a gentle pet, and wouldn't hurt a flea. I don't think dogs like pit bulls, Rottweilers and presa canarios have any redeeming social value. The only resemblance they have to the family retriever is that they have four legs. They should be outlawed, just as automatic weapons were, for the same reasons.

I know this is an unpopular position. I'm a cat person. We own two cats. I feel, however, that I should have the right to walk a full-grown leopard on the beach or at the mall. It weighs about the same as a presa canario, and it too makes a great pet, as long as she's not having a bad day. After all, she is just a pussycat.

Chuck Weber
Los Gatos

Urging voter support for parcel tax

When my family relocated to the Bay Area seven years ago, our number-one priority in selecting a home was that it be in a community that valued education and its schools. Among other wonderful attributes, it was apparent that the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno community made education and the funding of its schools a priority. Not only do our wonderful schools reflect this priority, but it is also reflected in our property values. Yes, we had to pay a little more to live here, but it was worth it considering the quality education my children are receiving.

On April 9, the Los Gatos Union School District (LGUSD) will once again be asking the voters in our community to go to the polls and make education a priority by renewing the parcel tax. The parcel tax was first passed in 1990 and has allowed the LGUSD to maintain four goals mandated by voters: to reduce class size; to provide enhanced instructional programs and services; to provide support specialists for student support needs; and to provide adequate personnel to properly maintain school buildings. These programs and services are not funded or required by the state.

Those of us with children in the district would sorely miss the programs and personnel that would be lost should the parcel tax not be renewed. Those of you without children in the district would see how mediocre schools affect your property values. You see, the amount spent on each child's education within a school district is directly related to quality of education a child receives. The average amount spent per California student in the 1999-2000 school year was $5,460. Without the parcel tax, the average amount spent per LGUSD student would have been only $5,169. With the parcel tax, that number went up to $5,793 per LGUSD student. For your information, the average amount spent per student in the United States was a whopping $7,146.

Los Gatos and Monte Sereno are not communities that strive to be average--another reason my family chose to live here. Let's put our kids first once again and give them the first-rate education they deserve.

Carol Peske
Monte Sereno

Student says, 'And E is for education'

Measure E did not pass. The West Valley-Mission Community College District was asking for a little assistance from the community by way of Measure E.

Voting "yes" would have enabled the district to build new classrooms and upgrade and repair old ones. It would have also brought much of the 35-year-old school up to state and federal standards. At a recent West Valley-Mission Community College District Board of Trustees meeting, this issue came to the forefront in a laughable manner. Several members of the Saratoga Homeowners Association, in their revelry over Measure E, proclaimed: "See, the voters have spoken and they don't support you or your colleges."

Wrong! The majority of voters and community members did support the district. In fact, 51 percent of them supported it. I'm not a rocket scientist or a political science major, but I do believe that constitutes a majority. At least, I think that's how it works in this country. It's laughable to bend the truth to serve the selfish interest of the minority who would hide the fact that the majority of voters were in support of Measure E.

Saratoga Homeowners Association got what they wanted, so there's no need to disseminate misinformation. Originally I had congratulatory tidings. However after last week's disgrace of degenerate behavior, I have only this to say: Shame on you. Yes, shame for placing more importance on property values and portfolios than on education and the future.

I say again, shame, shame, for actively working to hoard your prosperity while inhibiting the opportunity of others to be prosperous. Yes, that's right, shame, shame for not understanding that for many students, West Valley and Mission colleges are the last and only hope they have.

I would still like to say congratulations, and since the Saratoga Homeowners Association won't accept it, I say it to those in support of Measure E. Congratulations and praise to you for understanding that education is the surest way by which we advance as a society. I praise you for being enlightened enough to understand that giving the West Valley-Mission Community College District the resources it needs would elevate the caliber of education. In turn, I praise you for understanding that better education makes better workers and better citizens who are then better able to contribute back to their communities--all of our communities.

Vinh Phan
Student Trustee
West Valley-Mission Community College District

Congratulations on 'no on E' victory

I want to thank our many members who worked hard and contributed so much in the recent campaign against Measure E. I also want to thank the tens of thousands of residents of the West Valley-Mission Community College District who evaluated the "Yes on E" and "No on E" campaigns, and voted to defeat this excessive bond measure.

One of the college district trustees, Don Wolfe, told the Mercury News that "the voters were duped"; what a shame that Mr. Wolfe and the district don't have more respect for the democratic process and more faith in the voters of our area.

Make no mistake, this was pure grassroots politics against big money, special interests and corrupt practices. We raised less than $45,000.

In the end, we defeated Measure E in nine of the 10 geographic jurisdictions encompassed by the college district. Our deepest thanks to everyone for a fantastic effort and an inspirational victory.

Victor Monia
President
West Valley Homeowners Association

Correction

In the March 20 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, the owners of Chicken Salsa were incorrectly identified. Ann and Alex Cheng are the owners of the restaurant on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road at Prospect Avenue.

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