As the new city council contemplates the election results (Measures U and V), I would like to think they are asking themselves: "How did we so massively underestimate voter preferences?" No proposition in the entire area failed so badly.

I don't think you can conclude that voters are against all tax measures. Los Altos polled 59 percent for a tax measure that in part covered road maintenance.

Saratoga voters who I spoke to perceive that the council has spent millions on giveaways, luxuries and things the city doesn't need (like North Campus) and yet claims it doesn't have the money to do essential bridge and road maintenance.

The voters could not more clearly have said: 1. "We want streets and bridges maintaine.d" 2. "We are not satisfied you have been spending the money you do have wisely." The city does not need a "revenue increase" tax force as Dick Allen advocates, but a "spending rebalancing" task force.

Peter Knight

Glasgow Drive

AYSO should look
for alternatives

In response to Mr. Howard Miller's letter, we would like to say, "What do you want, Mr. Miller? Additional soccer fields for AYSO children of Saratoga, or the Kevin Moran Park?"

What about the senior citizens who walk in the park every day? What about the men who like to scrimmage there on some beautiful Saturday mornings? What about the competitive neighborhood multi-family games that take place on random Sunday late afternoons? What about the volleyball games there on various weekends? There are more people in this city who have needs than just AYSO soccer.

Our city council members have looked at this park several times over the past 20 years. Each time the city has had development monies; it has been recognized that the neighborhood would not safely support organized sports. Fortunately for AYSO, but not for the neighborhood, the money for development has followed the need for soccer fields.

The AYSO needs now have the beautiful multi-field Congress Springs. Rarely does a city this size build such a tribute to their soccer infrastructure needs. These needs are usually met with schools and college fields.

The Kevin Moran Park neighborhood has done one thing. We have asked the city to develop the park without organized sports fields. We have worked to gather petitions that represent what neighborhood homeowners want. We have legitimate reasons to request our desires. And they are, Mr. Miller, responsible expansion requests. The city council has been spending more time attempting to satisfy AYSO needs for more flat grass fields than to look at our requests for development. Past promises of drip systems for our orchards have gone unmet, but AYSO has soccer fields.

We are people who have needs and desires for our town. Long after children grow up, they want parks, too. Not just sports fields. The 500-plus homes represented by people who vote and pay property taxes—and, yes, Mr. Miller, who have children who play soccer—will not go away.

Sandy Cross

Saratoga
(Six others signed this letter)

City needs Moran Park,
not more soccer fields

Saratoga was developed to preserve its natural beauty and historic preservation. Many residents moved here for the beauty, peacefulness, safety of the neighborhoods and outstanding schools. A city professed to serve the citizens without listening to any special-interest groups. We did not move here because of soccer.

Howard Miller (Letters, Oct. 20) indicated Saratoga's soccer space issues would not disappear. What has disappeared is anticipated growth of Saratoga's population. The Saratoga 2000 census indicated a population of 29,843 while projections were for 32,500. Current population is virtually stagnant growth (30,311, July 2004), suggesting the city has reached its limit and possibly AYSO participants have leveled off as well.

Saratoga soccer is only using five of the nine public schools within Saratoga versus "all," as Mr. Miller stated. Saratoga's boundaries house 11 schools (five school districts—nine public schools plus two private schools, excluding West Valley College) serving children inside and outside of Saratoga. As promised by the city of Saratoga, we expect all 11 schools, plus the junior college, to be actively engaged for the pursuit of further AYSO space.

Peninsula cities and towns the approximate size of Saratoga have indicated sports organizations utilize schools for practices and games. Those cities haven't built a dedicated park for organized sports such as Congress Springs Park (rebuilt in 2002) with seven soccer fields. Renaming it "Congress Springs Sports Complex" would be appropriate since it truly is not a park for year-round public use.

Many of our children and/or grandchildren played Saratoga soccer. At one point the league was not taking children below age 6, subsequently changing it to age 5. Then came spring soccer, followed by VIP (an excellent program). This year AYSO National wants to lower the minimum age to 4 years. Growing the league is great provided you live in an area with unlimited open space—not the case in Saratoga.

Mr. Miller commented that AYSO has been using Kevin Moran Park for seven years. What Mr. Miller may not know is that in 1996 the city council voted 5-0 to eliminate any new soccer fields from Kevin Moran Park, stating it remain a passive neighborhood park for all the same concerns and issues brought up at the July 28 Kevin Moran Park meeting. Park and Rec Commission Chairmwoman Weiner reconfirmed in 1997 "that past city council stated any development at Kevin Moran Park would not include a multi-sports field and should be considered a passive neighborhood park." AYSO does not have squatter's rights to this park since they claim to have been practicing in the meadow area for seven years.

Mr. Miller specified (July 28) there were about 16 players per team. Twelve seems to be the actual number currently. Increasing teams to 16 players could bring a league reduction of approximately 15 to 25-plus teams. Additionally, a limit on the number of players may need to be enacted to accommodate the current available space in the city.

We sincerely hope the city will pursue the passive, low impact, family-oriented development of Kevin Moran Park as the 500-plus neighbors have requested—with no further flat grass or redeveloped flat grass for organized sports.

Mary and Brian Robertson

Saraglen Drive
(Ten others signed this letter)

Rich citizens are
opposed to taxes

DeCinzo hit the nail on the head with his Nov. 10 cartoon. Measure U made sense and people voted for it. But when it came down to actually doing it, through Measure V, the Scrooge citizens of Saratoga voted a resounding no. I find it hard to believe that a Saratoga citizen would even notice an extra couple of hundred dollars a year in extra tax.

It's not a money problem. It's a philosophy problem. These rich citizens are opposed to taxes in general. It is baffling to me how they expect to maintain the infrastructure of the city, state and country, not to mention the ultra-expensive adventures this administration is indulging in (Iraq, tax cuts to the rich, etc.), if we don't tax ourselves to pay for these things.

Terry Zaccone

Anza Drive