The Pet Network Cat and Dog Rescue organization is very appreciative of the financial support we have been given for many years by the residents of Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and surrounding areas. With your support, we have been able to continue to rescue, rehabilitate (both physically and mentally) and rehome animals that would have otherwise been sentenced to death. We are still a relatively small organization but have been able to do big things for our rescues.

Thank you, too, for your generous response to our last letter featuring Casper, the poodle that recently passed away. He had been in a loving Pet Network foster home for several years because of his age and his need for medication. He had a wonderful life because of your support.

If you are not currently on our support database and would like to know more about our organization and contribute, see our website at www.petnetwk.org, or send donations to Pet Network Rescue, P.O. Box 3253, Saratoga, CA 95070. Any donation is always appreciated. We are a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.

Roxanne Hetzel

Pet Network Rescue

League presents forum
on insurance crisis

SB 840, the California Health Insurance Reliability Act, a form of single payer health insurance, was introduced in February by Senator Sheila Kuehl. Is it all it's cracked up to be? The panacea for our skyrocketing health insurance costs? A way to insure the 6.5 million uninsured Californians (that's as many as the entire population of Massachusetts)?

Come hear what the League of Women Voters' health care panel has to say about it and other solutions to the health care crisis on Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., at the Saratoga Library.

The panelists include Dr. Donald Prolo, president-elect of the Santa Clara County Medical Association; psychiatrist Dr. Charles Browning, emeritus associate professor at Stanford; Kim Roberts, CFO Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System; California Assemblyman Ira Ruskin; and Andrew McGuire, executive director of Health Care for All. The moderator is longtime LWV Palo Alto member and student of health care issues, Geri Stewart.

Spending for health care has more than doubled since 1970, from 7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product to 15.6 percent today. How long before many of us will be priced out of the market? Did you realize that General Motors is spending $5.6 billion on health care this year--more than it spends on steel? That even many union members must work a full year before they are covered by insurance?

Come learn what you might be able to do about this crisis.

Barbara Mendenhall

League of Women Voters of Southwest Santa Clara Valley

No fake tree for the
gateway to Saratoga

Does Saratoga want one of its gateways to be a 50-foot fake Nextel commercial antenna tree located adjacent to a residential Saratoga neighborhood?

The city adopted Tree Ordinance 226 in 2003 for "real trees." Its purpose is:

* to preserve (Saratoga) as essentially a residential community;

* to exclude new industrial development in order to preserve the essential residential character of the city;

* and to protect and enhance real property values in the city.

Now is the time to consider expanding the Tree Ordinance to include the same criteria for fake trees, which are now becoming a real threat to Saratoga. While fake trees may have a place in commercially zoned areas, they do not have a place in residential areas. In fact, commercial exploitation, which is driving this need for fake trees, should not be permitted in Saratoga residential communities.

If you go to Prince of Peace across the street from the Quito Shopping Center you will see one in a commercial area. Now picture that tree in your neighbor's front lawn in your residential community and you will appreciate the concerns of 79 percent of the local neighbors that all have issues and are located near the proposed location of a Nextel commercial antenna at the Church of Ascension. This location is also one of the gateways to Saratoga.

Although the church benefits from the monthly revenue, the local residences will be impacted and it will reflect on all of Saratoga if steps are not taken now to put a stop to it. This type of commercial exploitation in a residential area, which created this potential problem, should also be stopped.

Hui Liu

Ashton Court

Article on 'liberal'
Bay Area amusing

In the article, "Conservatively speaking, local town, cities are not too liberal" by Jennifer McClain (Aug. 31), one couldn't help but laugh at several parts of the article.

First, there is the quote in the middle of the article that says, " 'I think conservativism has to do with wealth,' Busam said." But there is no mention of who or what anyone named Busam is in the article! He, she or it could be a talking parrot or someone living in another country as the reader doesn't have a clue from the article.

Next, there is a quote from [Jason] Alderman, identified as associated with the "non-partisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research," who though identified by Ms. McClain as being associated with this "unbiased group" is quoted as saying, "We think of the South Bay as being really cutting edge, but it's clearly not as liberal as we thought." Some people, not on the "cutting edge" might think this was a little "bias!" Clearly, according to Alderman, non-liberals must be on the dull-side of the edge. Whatever that is.

And later Alderman is quoted as being dumbfounded to find his unbiased report shows that cities with the highest African American populations have the highest percentage of liberal voters. Who knew? I was astounded, like all the professional pollsters and political scientists! But then again, I think the earth is flat, and I'm sticking to it.

David Bishop

Glen Brae Drive

Editor's note--Jennifer Busam of Los Gatos was quoted in the article, but due to an editor's error her name was omitted.