The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Endorsements Election '98: As we see it Measures S and T The cops in Sunnyvale are right. Labor negotiations with city officials are unfair because the City Council holds the ultimate power to overturn any settlement reached. After working without a contract for close to two years, the public safety officers need an outside arbitrator to level fair, binding decisions. But the cops in Sunnyvale are also greedy. They make on average $100,000 per year, including benefits and overtime, and have relatively little crime to deal with. Their arguments of unfair working conditions deserve little sympathy. After the cops put measure S on the ballot, a quick-thinking, albeit vindictive, City Council, tacked on the competing measure T to stymie the pro-cop momentum. If passed, Measure T would allow the arbitrator's final decision--assuming Measure S passes--to be upheld or overturned in a winner-take-all vote by the residents of Sunnyvale. Now, that's a good idea. Give the cops fairness at the negotiating table by allowing binding arbitration, but keep both sides honest with the power of referendum. Vote Yes on both Measures S and T. FUHSD Board With four candidates vying for three open seats on the Fremont Union High School District Board of Trustees, a tough decision must be made as to who to exclude. All four are good people and very qualified candidates. We think that the most deserving, however, include the knowledgeable incumbent Randy Okamura, the experienced outsider Mike Boyd and the caring educator Avie Katz. These three candidates should play well off each other, and might provide a fresh dose of originality and vitality to the board. Okamura is the seasoned veteran who will surely continue the strong legacy of the exiting board members. He is in touch with his constituency, is cool under pressure and isn't afraid to make tough decisions. Although Mike Boyd says he's not a professional politician, he does have some valuable elected and appointed governmental experience that will benefit the board. Although his viewpoints on instituting tougher math and science standards may not appeal to each student, we like that the Sunnyvale engineer isn't afraid to try something different. As an educator, Avie Katz has demonstrated a commitment to students and staff, and has expressed a desire to create original methods of including those parties in decisions that will affect them. We think Katz will take an honest, egalitarian approach with the decisions he makes. Katz also says he is skilled in getting diverse people to work together--a strength that we believe will serve a FUHSD board with so many new faces well. Foothill/De Anza Board In the Foothill/De Anza Community College District, the decision is even tougher. Four candidates can't all have the one open seat. In a district that turns out the leaders of tomorrow in one of the most educated areas in the country, it makes sense that the board reflect that. That's why we feel Pat Millar will make the best trustee. Put simply, she's smart. She's experienced in shaping educational policy, as well as knowing what to do with the big budgetary pie that not everyone can have a piece of. With years of experience at Stanford University, Millar has used her Ph.D. in educational administration to advise state legislators to use money wisely. She has dedicated her life to academia and helping students get the most for their money. The only word of advice we have for Millar is to maintain contact with the student bodies of these schools. Students at our community colleges benefit by being involved with their boards, and it's up to the boardmembers to help foster such relationships. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 28, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.