As a Saratoga resident riding my bike up Highway 9 this weekend, it became clear that our budgetary crisis would be over if we just gave out speeding tickets to the motorcycles who race up this road every weekend. At one point, three motorcycles passed me at least 80 mph; that would be good for a few hundred dollars. I counted about 30 motorcycles speeding during my relatively short ride to the top of the hill. Multiply 30 motorcycles per hour x $300 fine x 8 hours x 8 weekend days = about $60,000 per month.

Seriously, motorcyclists who race up this road do more than just endanger them, they endanger the other traffic including the bicyclists. A couple of our fine sheriffs on this road using radar would help out tremendously by preventing accidents and turning this lovely road into a normal road and not a raceway.

Mike Odenheimer

Saratoga

College bond the right
tax at the right time

In response to the letter from Aaron Katz (Sept. 15), "College bond the wrong tax at the wrong time," I submit that there has never been a better time for Measure H, the West Valley­Mission Community College District Repair/Job Training measure. Most of the buildings at West Valley College are more than 30 years old and have not been updated during these three decades.

It will be less expensive to upgrade and renovate community college buildings now than in the future. Residents of the district deserve a community college with modern laboratories, safe buildings and equipment to train students for workforce needs in healthcare, law enforcement and firefighting.

As Lisa Toth pointed out in her Aug. 4 article, "A time to bond," the maintenance crews have worked hard to repair leaking roofs, keep ancient ventilation systems working and laboratories open, but there is only so much they can do with duct tape.

When the district tried to pass a bond measure two years ago, it failed, primarily due to the controversy over proposed improvements to the athletic facility and the large amount requested. The district listened to the voters and has reached an agreement with the city and the homeowner's groups to avoid any improvements to the football and track field for 30 years. Now some of the same people who opposed the bond last time have approached me and offered to work on the campaign. The board of trustees also lowered the bond request to $235 million to be divided between West Valley, Mission and the district. This amount will not fund all repairs, but it will help pay for critical needs.

The investment cost in the West Valley­Mission Community College District would be $14 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Mr. Katz said the bond impacts seniors the most and the opposite is true. The majority of elderly residents have owned their homes for a long time and, due to Proposition 13, their assessed property value will be much lower than new homeowners'.

Mr. Katz says it would be more honest for the district to have a parcel tax rather than a bond measure. Actually the opposite is true. West Valley and Mission College need funding to repair buildings and bond measures are specifically set up to fund facilities and only facilities. Parcel taxes, on the other hand, can pay for salaries and needs other than renovations.

Another concern expressed by Mr. Katz was the student body. Non-California residents have to pay out of state tuition, but the law in California states that residents can attend any community college in the state. Previously, homeowner taxes directly funded community colleges in the county, but the state now collects all property taxes and distributes them accordingly. Community college fees, which were just increased to $26 a semester unit, are also determined by the state.

Although Mr. Katz is correct in stating that the state has passed a bond measure, there is a long list of facility needs among the 109 community colleges for this limited funding and the state expects community college districts to obtain renovation money from local bond measures. He also criticized the fact that tenants are able to vote, but the district cannot change the fact that in America all citizens 18 years and older have the right to vote.

The issue is not education; it is defining who determines who pays what, writes Mr. Katz. Both issues are important in my view. Many firefighters, healthcare professionals, law enforcement professionals, and teachers get their start at West Valley and Mission community colleges. Saratoga deserves a college that provides low-cost workforce training and prepares students to transfer to a university, not to mention a beautiful walking campus with working lights and sidewalks without potholes. As for who pays for these services, WVMCCD has never passed a bond measure, unlike the Foothill­De Anza College District and the San Jose­Evergreen College District.

This bond will safeguard taxpayer money with annual audits, required by law, and an oversight committee consisting of citizens from various parts of the community who will ensure that we spend our funds wisely on the facilities and equipment needs outlined by our facilities master plan. For a copy of the plan or more information, visit these websites: www.wvmccd.cc.ca.us or the Santa Clara County registrar of voters at www.sccvote.org.

Alan Aerts

Monte Sereno

Alan Aerts is a member of the West Valley­Mission Community College District Advancement Foundation board.

John McManus had six points in his argument opposing soccer fields in Kevin Moran Park (Letters, Sept. 8). I understand his emotional commitment, but his arguments are unsupported.

1. Kevin Moran is a neighborhood and community park. On certain days many people drive to the park. Mr. McManus may walk there, but some people drive—check the number of parked cars.

2. Just because the park is located in the corner of the city doesn't mean we should close it off to the community. Parks are and should be spread throughout the city.

3. The park is at the end of a neighborhood because it backs up against the freeway. The same can be said for all the parks along Highway 85.

4. The 2000 census has 30,000 residents in Saratoga. According to the Saratoga AYSO website, there are 108 teams. If each team averages nine players, then the nearly 1,000 registered children represents one-thirtieth of our population. We cannot ignore this large portion of our residents. This number probably outnumbers the number of walkers using our parks.

5. Parking will be a problem, but it will not be the 100 SUVs as Mr. McManus projects. The two planned soccer fields will accommodate four teams. Assuming 12 players per team, there will be 48 players and about 48 automobiles at any one time.

6. I heard the argument that bathrooms attract vagrants many times, but does anyone have data to show that bathrooms attract vagrants? Vagrants usually go to the bathroom whether or not there is a facility nearby.

In this era of overweight America, Saratoga needs to encourage youths to be active outdoors. The city must supported organized sports.

Rick Wong

Bellgrove Circle

Library should not be
a day-care center

Since when did our public libraries become after-school care centers? I do not think it is fair for the librarians to have this added burden of the kids bombarding the library to do "homework." And what about the people who want to use the library during the time school lets out? Have you tried it? It is a nightmare. Most of these kids are not doing homework, as their parents think—half are outside and half are inside goofing off.

I know for a fact it is used as a free after-school care center and something needs to be done. Good for the librarians for developing a set of rules for these kids to follow. What other choice do they have? These librarians should not be responsible to supervise all these kids. And the members of the public who wish to use the library should not have to put up with the noise and rude behavior.

Kathy Smith

Paseo Flores

Letter raises false
issues of utility tax

Charles Shaw's letter (Sept. 1) raises false issues about the proposed utility tax. His concern is that since the money goes to the general fund and since the companion advisory measure on how the tax will be spent is not legally binding, future councils may use the money for most anything.

There is no basis for that concern. Saratoga's term limits on city council seats are a result of an advisory measure and not legally binding; yet, not one council member has ever violated that "advisory" vote.

In the 1990s, the city council used a survey in the city's quarterly newsletter to provide advisory information about whether the Heritage Orchard land should be considered for other uses. Over 92 percent of responding Saratogans said they wanted the Heritage Orchard to remain permanently. Not one council member has moved to change the orchard since that "advisory" vote. To my knowledge, every advisory vote of this community has been honored by every city council, without exception.

Mr. Shaw states the council reduced the proposed tax from 5 percent to 4 percent to make it easier to pass. That is cynical and unfair. I listened to every council discussion on the utility tax and, although an independent citizens committee, the city finance commission and city staff had each recommended a 5 percent tax, the council argued that if the city was careful and conservative, they could accomplish the necessary street and infrastructure repair with a 4 percent tax. Shall we now punish them for being fiscally responsible and prudent?

Mr. Shaw's comment that the city did not perform due diligence regarding maintenance in the past ignores the fact that when there is not enough money, deferred maintenance is always one of the first cutbacks in any organization.

Saratoga receives less revenue per capita than any city in Santa Clara County, but we have low-density housing areas and many square miles of hill areas that are far more expensive to maintain than tract housing or apartment housing. Much of the beauty and charm of Saratoga is that we do not have the industrial development of Santa Clara or the late night retail establishments of Los Gatos, but we also lack those tax revenues. There is a price for being low density, semi-rural residential. The proposed utility tax is a fair and necessary embodiment of that price.

The most bothersome of Mr. Shaw's comments is his comparison of the Saratoga utility tax with the San Jose City Hall fiasco. Our five volunteer council members are smart and well prepared and treat the public and each other with respect and candor. Just what does Mr. Shaw think they have in common with hundreds of millions of dollars of cost overruns or groups of bureaucrats in bed with a major contractor? That is more than unfair.

Jeffrey A. Schwartz

San Marcos Road

DeCinzo owes apology
to the librarians

Once again, DeCinzo has ignored the facts in a lame attempt at cartooning satire and in the process has probably caused undeserved distress to our hardworking librarians. To label the librarians as some sort of raving Gestapo goes beyond absurd, given that all the librarians are doing is to request that the kids who use the library for free after-school day care observe the usual library ettiquete of quietly reading or studying while on the premises.

If the kids want to be more active or socialize with their friends, they can stop by the Warner Hutton House (also free and which many pass on the way to the library) or, strange as the concept might be to some, their parents could arrange and pay for alternative after-school activities for their children. In any event, DeCinzo owes the librarians an apology as well as a "thank you" for extending their job description to include day-care supervisors.

Mrs. R.H. Patton

Saratoga

A home game, and a
fine day for Saratoga

I went to watch the Saratoga frosh-soph football team play (on Sept. 9). What a treat to watch our team play on our own newly refurbished field. I looked around and, for the life of me, I couldn't see the neighbors placing for-sale signs in front of their houses because of plummeting home values. What I did see was my neighbors and friends playing hookey from work and coming out to enjoy the game and to experience the pure pleasure of being part of this wonderful community function.

I watched kids play football, wearing their school colors and playing with pride on their own field. It may just be me, but the Saratoga cheerleaders looked a lot prettier on the Saratoga field than they did on the Los Gatos field last year.

This day was a long time in coming and it was truly a fine day for Saratoga, one that these fine young players will long remember.

Just think how much fun it will be when we get good stands to watch from.

Dennis Farmer

El Camino Grande