Saratoga News

LETTERS

SONIC offers help in implementing G

The people who supported passage of Measure G offer our help as the City Council considers implementation of the measure (once certified by the Registrar of Voters as having obtained a majority vote in the election of March 26).

Published comments give rise to concern that Council/Commission members may have views on implementation of the measure which vary from the intent of the measure, as drafted.

We believe it only proper to hold open hearings to deal with existing procedures which you believe have been impacted by the measure. As drafters of the initiative, SONIC members would welcome an opportunity to explore with you any administrative obstacles you foresee. We would also be happy to put you in touch with the attorneys who drafted the precise language of the initiative, who can address procedural concerns in great depth, given their experience in initiative measures of this type.

SONIC would like to work with you in a productive environment to ensure the community interests and desires are met properly and effectively.

James Shaw

Treasurer, Save Our Neighborhood Initiative Committee, Kosich Drive

Saratogans should not pay G election costs

The fact that city officials are even considering passing Measure G election costs on to Saratoga residents speaks volumes about this City Council's priorities. How many Saratogans believe they should pay election costs associated with an opportunity for a developer to significantly increase his/her profit margin? Is there anyone, other than a developer or elected city official, who thinks this cost should not be borne by the developer? It is obvious that this City Council is beholden to development interests rather than citizens or neighborhood interests.

Parts of this situation are reminiscent of the passage of Prop 13. At that time, public officials threatened to cut police and fire services and endanger public safety in retaliation against the voters. Here in Saratoga, Mayor Jacobs is talking about abandoning the city's normal project review procedures and placing every application on the ballot to teach us a lesson. The City Council has no respect for the electoral process and they are going to administer Measure G badly in an arrogant effort to demonstrate what happens when the voters don't listen to them.

Jim Stuart

Allendale Avenue

Beautiful photo, inspiring story

My family and I really enjoyed Louise Webb's story and photograph of Frances Mae Hathaway and her great-granddaughter Claire. Though we've never met, I feel like I know them.

The picture was beautiful, the story delightful and inspiring. It would have made a great cover story.

Let's have more of Saratoga's beautiful faces of interesting people. Interesting people have beautiful faces and good photographs prove it.

Etta Palmer

Chateau Drive

Concern for Saratoga is alert, unflagging

Hooray for Saratogans! Our turnout for the March 26 elections starkly reversed a record statewide wave of voter apathy. And not only that. Whatever our vote on "G," we have proven yet again that our concern for the future of our city is alert and unflagging.

Nearer the crux of the matter, we have awakened to one of the sorriest features of California's recent history: the ravaging of a once-pristine landscape by an unthinking and unceasing encroachment of shopping malls, traffic jams, smog and an endless web of poorly planned housing tracts. And all the while under the untenable slogan, "growth is progress." Indeed?

As a son of century-long Californians, I have had it up to here with unblinking uglification of our still-splendid natural resources. No need to note how delighted I am to realize that so many others are of a kindred mind. Somewhat paradoxically, both "yes" and "no" votes on "G" affirm our concern.

This being so, we can hardly afford to stop here, to relax our vigil. Far from it. Least of all can we rest in the smug assumption that there is little need to worry about moves by those who would put private profit over public well-being. Not astonishingly, they'll merely be back. But be forewarned. We will be ready.

Quite simply, only an informed, caring and active citizenry such as ours can ensure this. Keep the faith!

Harold (Hal) M. Hodges

Park Drive

The city lacks money to fund every project

The letter from Don Lake regarding the council's lack of funding for teen counseling (April 3) unfortunately did not accurately represent the facts. Here's the truth:

1. Mr. Lake erroneously stated that the entire $160,000 in block-grant monies went to senior citizens. Of the $160,000, only about $35,000 is available for human services. The remaining $125,000 must be spent on housing for the homeless, disabled or poor. The federal government provides this money and sets the conditions for its use. It cannot be used for counseling services. Therefore, the $125,000 goes to a variety of housing projects, most of which are not for seniors.

2. Teenagers have parents, and they vote, too! Our decision had nothing to do with who votes. It had to do with the best use of limited resources.

Last year, West Valley Teen Counseling came to us for the first time to ask for a contribution. I strongly supported this request and, at my urging, the council included a portion of our proposed budget for that purpose. But, when it came time to pass a budget, the Finance Committee, a group of citizens who advise the council on financial matters, urged us to make substantial cuts in the budget in order to end a five-year history of deficit spending, and to end the continuing decline in the city's reserves. We did that, and, recognizing that we are a minimum tax, minimum services city, made cuts in areas that are not basic to the maintenance of the city. Our small social-services budget and other areas took the hit. This year, the council resolved not to spend money we don't have for social services that we have not previously supported.

We have long provided funding for the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council. The amount provided this year is actually less than in prior years. Last year, we told SASCC that they need to plan for the time when we can no longer assist them, and that they must become self-supporting.

There are many seniors in Saratoga who live at or near poverty level. This may come as a surprise to some, but these people lived here long before Saratoga became the affluent community it now is. There is a strong attitude in our community that the families of teens can and should pay for counseling for their own children and that taxpayers should not do so. The simple fact is, however, that we lack the ability to provide all the things that Saratogans would like and the city's priorities must be for basic services and services that can support themselves through their own revenue generation. We cannot print money, and to get the money to pay for things like teen counseling would require more taxes.

When we dropped teen counseling last year from the proposed budget, I personally made a monetary contribution from my own pocket to this worthwhile cause, and I offered to the board of the organization to open my home for a fundraiser. I would urge Mr. Lake to devote his efforts to getting others in the community to donate their time and money to this cause, rather than expending time criticizing the city for not spending limited taxpayer dollars on charitable endeavors, no matter how worthwhile.

Paul Jacobs, Mayor

City of Saratoga

Thanks for story on basket weaver

Many thanks for the photo and the short piece on Mr. Matsumoto in the March 20 edition of the Saratoga News.

We hope to have Mr. Matsumoto back in Saratoga one of these days for a hands-on class of two or three days. We have excellent facilities located below the deck that overlooks the smog in the valley. It is where I teach ceramics when I can find a student or two. We have held papermaking classes there as well.

We have had two programs on bamboo crafts in the past few years, one dealing with rather crude baskets and other woven items, the other with fences, gates, etc. Mr. Matsumoto makes extremely high quality items that sell for thousands of dollars apiece, largely based upon the time involved in their creation.

I am reminded of the constant knocking of the teaching of "basket-weaving" in our seats of higher learning. And for the most part, it is justified. The American way of instruction is largely a loser. The Japanese way, on the other hand, deserves study and emulation.

Bruce Parkinson

Trustee, Hakone Foundation
and President, Japan Bamboo
Society of Saratoga

COMMENTARY POLICY

The Saratoga News accepts letters and commentary on topics of local interest. Commentary should average 500 words and be submitted typewritten or on Macintosh-formatted disk. Deadline is 5 p.m. Wed., one week before publication. Send to: Editor, 14375 Saratoga Ave., Ste. E2, Saratoga, 95070. Submissions may also be faxed to 867-1010 or sent via email to sn@vval.com. Letters sent via email will include address unless otherwise specified. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, clarity and to correct errors known to us.