I want to congratulate Kaustuv Basu and Lisa Toth on their interesting cover story, "It's '04 No More" (Saratoga News, Dec. 29). However, there was one item that needs clarification: the objection to the De Anza trail. They state in their article that "some residents voiced apprehension" against the trail. "Many residents voiced very strong opposition" is a more accurate description.

Perhaps the reporters weren't at the city council meetings or at the task force meetings that were later formed to discuss the trail and therefore didn't know that more than 90 percent of the residents who live along the proposed trail highly object to it, not only because it would be a terrible waste of money as stated, but also for the following reasons: the lack of police patrol or fire protection access; the danger of crossing busy Cox Avenue; the steep accessibility from Saratoga Avenue; the loss of property values, privacy, and security due to the fact that the 12-foot-wide trail would be steps from our backyard fences; the lack of funds to keep it clean; the lack of parking except at the already overcrowded Congress Springs Park; the lack of right-of-way at the first two properties north of Cox Avenue; the disturbance of bird and animal habitat along the two creeks that would need to be bridged; and the possible closing of the pass-through between Fredericksburg Drive and Lido Way, which would cut off access to schools and parks for residents on both sides of the pass-through.

A natural trail already exists along the railroad tracks that is used by local dog walkers, joggers, bicyclists and strollers. We say: Keep it natural. No new trail!

Donna Poppenhagen

Fredericksburg Drive

Waltonsmith says thanks,
rips opponent, newspaper

I wish to send a heartfelt thank you to Saratoga citizens for supporting me in my re-election to the Saratoga City Council. I will work hard to help the citizens and the city cope with the difficult financial years ahead. I will continue to defend quality of life issues and promote basic services as we balance our yearly budget. Congratulations to Aileen Kao on her election to the city council, too. She will add to the ability of the city council to govern well in the future. I look forward to working with her, as well as the rest of the city council members.

I think that many citizens were turned off by Andrew Barnes' very negative campaign. I hope the attacks and misstatements about opponents and issues are not a trend for our future local campaigns. Saratoga council elections are about serious issues and should not be primarily about personalities. In addition, we are too small a city to recover easily from personal attacks, since we all have to work together as public service volunteers on so many city and school projects after elections.

This election also saw a dramatic shift in the role of the Saratoga News, changing from a forum for local news with the emphasis on a "fair and balanced" presentation of all sides of issues, to attempting to be a political "player" in Saratoga politics. Other newspapers do that but it was a surprise to see our Saratoga News go in that direction. In the future, I think that citizens will need to ask themselves: What is the Saratoga News' real agenda as it takes sides?

As for the defeat of Measure V and U, the people have spoken. This was a tough time to ask citizens for more money for the city or any public project. The city's financial problems are serious, deep and real. It will be a challenge to shrink the city's increasing, yearly costs to match the rather flat revenue. Many services will need to be cut or picked up by some other group. The council and staff are proceeding carefully. We are taking an open and fresh look at alternatives and we need to explain to the public the reality of the situation and the limited choices the city now has. We will work hard to keep you informed of the options. We welcome input from all of our residents as we face this challenge. There will be many public meetings.

It is my hope that in spite of strong differences during this campaign, we will all come together to keep Saratoga a beautiful and very special community.

Ann Waltonsmith

City councilwoman

Editor's Note —The Saratoga News has for many, many years endorsed candidates for city council and offered editorial opinions on local measures. So for Councilwoman Waltonsmith to say that this newspaper took a "dramatic shift" in this campaign is as much of a "misstatement" or "attack" as she accuses Andrew Barnes of making. We opposed Measure V, the utility users tax, as did more than 80 percent of the voters in the city. The main platform of Waltonsmith's campaign was Measure V, and we chose not to endorse her in this election. The newspaper's "real agenda," Councilwoman Waltonsmith, was to see a change in leadership on the city council, so we endorsed newcomers Barnes and Aileen Kao. We wonder how "fair and balanced" she would have considered our presentation had we endorsed her bid for re-election.

Dwyer shows lack
of respect in letter

Who can fail to be struck by the total lack of respect for tolerance and diversity that Saratoga High School teacher Todd Dwyer demonstrated in his letter published in the Jan. 12 issue of the Saratoga News? Liberals claim that tolerance and diversity are the fundamental qualities of their belief system, the basis for their superior understanding of what is good for society, and the required foundations of a one world government.

Seldom, however, will liberals admit what they actually believe and it is for this reason that we should acknowledge the author for his honesty. The author took a lot of words to admit what we suspected: "Our public schools advance the liberal ideology while disparaging and ridiculing any other beliefs, particularly those of our founding fathers."

Mr. Dwyer's letter does save Ms. Hocker the need to respond because it proves beyond any doubt that what she has been saying is true, perhaps doing so beyond her wildest expectations and fears. Maybe Mr. Dwyer, "masquerading as an educator" (to use his own words), can explain to his students, as well as to the members of this community, why liberalism (a.k.a., "socialism"), the ideology he espouses and in which he indoctrinates his students, has failed everywhere it has been tried. Mr. Dwyer must still be reeling from the triumph of conservatism in the last election. Shouldn't we be curious to know how he rationalizes that to his students?

Based upon Mr. Dwyer's letter, is there anyone who can explain why we should not be horrified by what he says and by what he admits he is teaching his students? Why should he be allowed to continue doing so at taxpayer expense?

Now that his honesty has exposed what our schools are actually teaching, mustn't we demand that this be corrected?

Wesley I. Ferguson

Chateau Drive