Saratoga News

Letters

Resolution against Tseng inaccurate

I am an 11-year resident of Saratoga, and I have closely followed the issues surrounding the contract negotiations taking place at West Valley-Mission Community College District.

The resolution brought against Chancellor Rose Tseng by leaders of the union contains inaccuracies; however, it appears that some people are taking the charges in the resolution at face value. That is a grave mistake.

Because the district is a public institution, supported by taxpayers, all of its actions are public information. Members of this community need to check this information out for themselves to learn the true story.

Dr. Tseng's accomplishments over the past four years have enhanced not only both of the colleges, but the teachers, the students and the community at large. She deserves our support, but, more importantly, the community deserves the truth. On these complicated issues, don't believe everything you read.

Barbara Olsen
Sobey Meadows Court

One large district will impact support by parents

Here is an important issue that is being overlooked in the debate on redistricting. Bureaucrats are using the loudly debated redistricting controversy as a cover to quietly slip through a momentous boondoggle: a district unification plan that would give them full control over how district funds are spent, and give us the same quality of education as San Jose, the prime example of a huge unified school district.

We are vehemently opposed to the proposition to unify 11 school districts into one, in the guise of a cost-cutting measure. What this proposal actually accomplishes is the removal of any effective voice in school policy from the affected parents, and a resulting loss of parental control over funding allocation and educational quality. How much say would a group of concerned parents from a small school have in a huge district? Effectively, none. The politicians would have total control over all school funding and policy.

Small districts are what gives parents power, commitment and a sense of belonging in their children's schools. Currently, parents in small school districts such as the Saratoga, Los Gatos and Cupertino school districts have substantial control over school policies, including funding. As a result of this power, parental involvement is high. Each school day, parent volunteers are on campus helping the teachers, running the libraries and computer labs, supervising the playground, sitting on committees and making sure school funds are spent efficiently and effectively.

In those areas with small districts, the quality of education is high, and the use of funds is efficient. Cupertino school district receives one of the valley's lowest per-child allocations in state, federal and local funds, yet it has one of the highest ratings academically. San Jose, with its huge unified school district, receives one of the valley's highest per-child allocations, but its academic rating is much lower than Saratoga's, Los Gatos' and Cupertino's.

Today's schools depend on parent support. Apathy will increase and support will drop if parents' voices are lost in a giant unified school district. Parent and neighborhood support weakens, and quality of education drops along with property values as families with children look to other sources for high-quality education.

Tony and Jane Hoffman
Saratoga

Liberals are letting loonies get ahead

A recent commentary in the Saratoga News requested input from Saratoga residents on the subject of gun control. I would like to make reference to a story about four youth who were arrested for slaying a NASA scientist in Palo Alto. Four scumbags beat a man to death a couple of blocks from the Palo Alto police station. Although there is some question as to motive, it appears that the murder may have been part of an initiation rite to gain membership in a gang.

I believe in gun control. I define gun control as the ability to hit what you are shooting at. If Herbert Kay (victim in this incident) had not been a victim of the of the more liberal notion of gun control--namely not being allowed to carry a gun--perhaps he would be alive to raise his twin daughters, and four fewer scumbags would walk the earth.

I sincerely believe that had Herbert been armed and had practiced gun control, he would be alive today. The sad part is that if he had managed to blow these creeps away, he would undoubtedly now be in jail, facing criminal charges for defending his life. As it is, a NASA scientist is dead, and the liberals will carry on about how these four dirtbags were really victims of a system that did not give them proper support.

It is unconscionable that law-abiding citizens are not allowed to carry the means of defending themselves from the increasingly violent people who prey on those who only wish to live their lives in peace. How many people walk into a McDonald's or a post office and think of the headlines where some loony decides to start blowing people away? I believe that the loony would think twice if he knew that someone just might be armed and start shooting back.

The police cannot protect the community. The best they can hope to do is mop up the place once the crime is committed. The sooner that people realize this fact, the sooner and greater cry for dropping the restrictions on law-abiding citizens' right to carry a gun. A properly armed populace would most certainly be a safer place to live.

As to the liberal notion of gun control: it doesn't work. Some loony uses a gun, and the liberals scream about taking guns away from law-abiding citizens. They use alarmist terms like "assault weapons" and "cop-killer bullets" to emotionalize arguments that cannot be won by logic and fact.

I absolutely agree that loonies and dirtbag criminals should not be armed.

Dennis W. Farmer
El Camino Grande

Thanks for the support

The Redwood Middle School Graduation Committee would like to thank the following donors for their support of graduation and Redwood Middle School:

Berman's Diversified Industries, Bay Sheets, Balloonitics, A Rental Center, Pat Smith of P.S. I Love You Tea Room, the Games Committee of Saratoga High School Grad Night, Mike Wampler of Ski Renter.

Gene Oberhauser of California Stationers, Saratoga Country Club, Cucina! Cucina!, Coldwell Banker, Fox & Carskadon real estate services, Jan DeCarli of Cornish & Carey, Ravioli's, Juiceland, Gene's Quito Market, International Coffee Exchange, Bella Saratoga, Blue Rock Shoot/La Fondue.

The Coffee Grounds, Viaggio's, Saratoga Plaza Bakery, Le Mere Michelle, Saratoga National Bank and Joseph George Distributor.

Redwood Middle School
Class of 1997

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