Saratoga News

LETTERS

Consider the source of unkind comments

Our heartfelt thanks to the many kind Saratogans who have called to express their dismay over Karen Anderson's unkind letter of Jan. 3.

Our family has received numerous calls from friends and colleagues, as well as from people of differing political minds, extending their sympathy, and in some cases, embarrassment over Anderson's offensive letter. Her continued attacks on Meg Caldwell are unnecessary, untimely and obviously personal rather than political at this point.

Meg is not only my sister, but she is my dearest friend. She has my utmost respect for her tireless gift of volunteerism to the community. She is also fortunate to be blessed with a large, loving family and wonderful friends.

The calls we have received about Anderson's letter reveal the fact that people do indeed consider the source of such letters. Mean-spirited letters always tell more about the author than the intended victim. Rather than reciprocate an unkindness, our family wishes Karen Anderson only well. We hope she can somehow find peace in this new year.

Jennifer Crotty

Raven Court

What's bothering Mrs. Anderson?

I was shocked at the mean-spirited, gratuitous personal attack on Meg Caldwell by Saratoga's doyen of dirt, Karen Anderson.

As a City Council member, Anderson was forced to apologize to the Asian community for a racial slur, was forced to repay the city for using city property for personal political advantage and became the deal-maker for the pro-freeway forces after campaigning as a freeway foe.

She led the charge to demean Don Whetstone's efforts to clean up Saratoga Creek and engineered and distributed the racial hate-mail flyer against Meg Caldwell--and lied about it until confronted with evidence of her involvement. She defamed a Saratoga merchant and ruled to stifle public expression at council meetings.

Her signing an improper map on the Cocciardi property and her vote on the Velinski property led to over $150,000 in city legal fees. These exploits, along with years of her boorish humor and constant interruptions of everyone in sight, spawned Saratoga's first recall effort, an effort that fell barely short.

Still, why this attack? And why now? After all, Meg didn't resign as planning commissioner. She just chose not to apply for reappointment, citing philosophic differences with the [current] council, and declined a newspaper request for an interview about her decision.

Meg Caldwell has been a bright, thoughtful and always extraordinarily well-prepared planning commissioner. She is a consistent and committed environmentalist, with deep integrity and a reasoned approach to public issues. She was Phi Beta Kappa from Berkeley and a Stanford law graduate. She has prior experience as a policy analyst for the Environmental Protection Agency and with San Francisco's oldest law firm, and she now heads an environmental law program at the Stanford Law School. She has a wonderful family and is much liked and greatly admired by everyone who knows her well.

What ever could be bothering Mrs. Anderson?

Jeffrey A. Schwartz

San Marcos Road

Freeway noise group seeks political solution

The Route 85 Freeway Noise Abatement Committee (FNAC) has been very busy during the two months since the last public meeting.

We have been successful in convincing both the Saratoga and Cupertino city councils to pass resolutions urging our state and federal representatives to designate the newly built section of Route 85 through Saratoga and Cupertino as a "test corridor." The objective is to get funding to test all available noise abatement technologies in this approximately 5-mile stretch of road. The reason for selecting this particular section is that it passes through dense residential areas. We believe that 5 miles is a workable test segment.

We are working to create a task force consisting of our elected representatives, (city, state and federal) representatives from the various traffic agencies, and representatives of the FNAC. We have received positive responses from many of those invited to participate, including Assemblymember Jim Cunneen, Assemblymember John Vasconcellos, Supervisor Jim Beall and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The FNAC goal is to get legislation to implement the work necessary as quickly and efficiently as possible.

We have been meeting with attorneys as well. It is quite possible that the citizens of our cities have a cause of action in inverse condemnation. We believe that at this time, the political route seems more promising in light of the strong support we've been receiving. It is the opinion of the Saratoga City Council as well that, since we are getting such a positive response from most of our elected representatives, that a political solution is the more positive way to proceed.

The FNAC will therefore continue to pursue a political solution to the noise abatement issue until all avenues of relief have been exhausted. We'll continue to publish updates as events unfold, and we invite you to call if you have any questions or constructive suggestions.

Joan Hershkowitz

Co-Chairwoman
Freeway Noise
Abatement Committee

Defeat wrong-headed, unnecessary measure

This comment concerns the City Council meeting of Dec. 20, 1995, and in particular that part of the agenda dealing with the "Saratoga Neighborhood Protection" Initiative. I commend the council for the manner in which the hearing was conducted, and especially for having so obviously done their homework.

The proponents of this initiative, when gathering signatures, gave assurances that there would be plenty of time for debate before the election on March 26.

At the Dec. 20 meeting, initiative proponents argued vigorously to have the council adopt the proposed initiative, thus eliminating further possibility of debate! Why did they do this? Possibly, they are afraid that open public debate will reveal that passage would pretty much freeze most land use for thirty years! Further, that their basic aim is to eliminate any probability that the Odd Fellows property can be developed for senior housing.

The Odd Fellows location is the only property available in Saratoga for senior housing. There are many Saratoga seniors who have a substantial history and deep roots here. We are (or soon may be) looking for smaller homes with less attendant need for maintenance, etc. We do not want to pull up our roots and leave our friends simply because there is no appropriate housing available in Saratoga.

In the end, the council unanimously agreed to place the initiative on the ballot in March. Further, each council member made clear an intention to try to defeat this wrong-headed, unnecessary initiative, which if enacted, would bind the Planning Commission and the City Council retroactively for the next 30 years.

Get all of the facts. Enter the debate. Defeat this very bad initiative!

Paul Bowlin

Past president, Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council
Saratoga Citizen of the Year, 1994