The Feb. 5 Saratoga News stated that the city council was going to take up the issue of a resolution against a war in Iraq. We sincerely hope this happens. If only for the economy, such a war would have a major local impact.

Youth from our town would be killed or damaged through contact with the depleted uranium that our government has been bombing Iraq with for the past decade. Thousands of veterans of the Gulf War have died and thousands more are on disability because of it. Do we need more? Our CIA and many generals and admirals are saying there is no reason for war. The FBI says there's no Iraq-Al Qaeda connection, and most of the world agrees we should let the inspections proceed as long as is necessary.

Yes, Saratoga should join the cities in California and around the country who have passed an antiwar resolution. Yes, this potential war is a local issue, for it would affect every citizen across the country. And thank you, board of supervisors, for recognizing this.

—Barby and Vic Ulmer, Paseo Presada


War would be a disaster; city resolution needed

I was elated to read in the Feb. 5 edition of the Saratoga News that our city council would join a growing number of cities in discussing and possibly passing an antiwar resolution. Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed when told at city hall that such a resolution would not be placed on any future agenda.

My husband, Col. Thomas "Mac" Barrick, USA (ret.), served 33 years, including World War II, Vietnam and Korea. He feels strongly, as I do, that war with Iraq would be a disaster and would cause far more problems than it would solve.

We greatly appreciate the effort of Councilman Stan Bogosian to bring this issue before our council and agree with all of the points he raised. We now urge the other members of the council to reconsider their stands.

Anti-Americanism seems to be growing, making us less safe. To confront it, I recommend the suggestion of a prominent American official who stated, "It really depends on how our nation conducts itself in foreign policy. If we're an arrogant nation, they'll resent us. If we're a humble nation but strong, they'll welcome us."

That was George Bush—way back during the second presidential debate.

—Jean T. Barrick, Bonnie Ridge Way


Antiwar stance is not opinion of whole city

Wait just a minute here! I live in Saratoga and I believe it is imperative that the United States eliminate Saddam Hussein and his regime before he unleashes his biological and chemical weapons upon the rest of the world. (This has been strongly reinforced by the evidence presented by Colin Powell to the United Nations.) Just where do Stan Bogosian and Ann Waltonsmith get off purporting to represent the entire city of Saratoga with the passage of an antiwar resolution? I did not elect these persons to enact this kind of resolution; there has been no poll of the citizens of this city that I am aware of to see if that is, in fact, the opinion of the majority of its citizens. Until such time as they have the backing of the majority of Saratogans, this type of resolution by members of the city council is totally out of order.

—Nancy Leasia, Beauchamps Lane


Student urges parents to donate to schools

Our situation is outrageously frustrating. Here we are among the top 3 percent economically in the world, and educational opportunities in schools are being threatened.

Gov. Gray Davis is slicing deep into school budgets as a result of California's $34.8 billion deficit. These cuts are some of the greatest in California's history.

The Los Gatos­Saratoga Union High School District alone is losing $1.6 million.

California already has swollen class sizes, the second worst in the nation with a ratio of 21 students to one teacher. The national average is 16 to 1. This may not sound too bad, but that only proves that Californians have little knowledge of how much better the subpar public education in our state should be.

Wayne Johnson, president of the California Teachers Association, said, "The people who will suffer are the kids."

Unfortunately, his forebodings were correct. The situation of students has reached an extreme. Because of this cut, there is dim hope that next year will be an "enriching" school year.

First to go: extracurricular activities and athletics. Then electives such as drama, music, journalism and art. And after that it will be adios and au revoir to foreign languages. School will be the boring humdrum of basic academics—not that basic academics isn't being threatened either.

As a result of financial problems, the school library hours have again been considerably decreased. A meager one hour after school is all that students may savor in the state-of-the-art facility "provided" for us. (Not that it can actually be utilized, of course.)

And what of those students who have brilliant aspirations for their own special talents? They may go elsewhere. School would no longer be the focal point of opportunities.

When I approached the administration with my complaints, the same frustrating answer came glaring back at me: There isn't enough money.

So there isn't enough money in Saratoga to provide a proper education for our kids? If this is the situation, then the rest of the country must be in awful shape.

As if this is not devastating enough, it turns out that the prisons of California are being spared the pain of budget cuts. Perhaps this is because the only way this is possible is by releasing prisoners from overcrowded jails early—either that or exempting petty thieves from jail time, which would save the state $14 million. So schools fall as the innocent victims of budget cuts.

My proposal is simple enough:

I appeal to the parents of Saratoga. Your tax money is, unfortunately, being spent on confining criminals rather than on improving the school library. So I urge you to please donate to the school in hopes that it will continue to provide the education it was meant to.

We cannot allow financial problems to overtake us, for then students such as myself will find the "window of opportunity" slammed shut in their faces.

—Michelle Haq, Freshman, Saratoga High School


City council should not get involved in foreign policy

I am pleased to learn that our city council is competent on so many issues, including foreign policy, as the council considers passage of an antiwar resolution. I'm not sure where the council gets its foreign intelligence to justify such a resolution, or the idea that the majority of Saratogans desire our city council to advise our State Department on foreign policy. Clearly, the council is acting beyond its pay grade in this matter. Perhaps the council could focus its energy on local matters such as protecting our basic aid funding for our schools.

—Phil Gluckman, Tricia Way

CORRECTION

In the Feb. 5 story about the Saratoga High School music department, sophomore Alex Shiozaki's name was inadvertently left off the list of students who earned a place on the California Music Educators Association All-State Orchestra.