Newton letter displayed an antagonistic attitude
School board member/candidate Nancy Newton, in her letter to the editor, displayed the antagonistic attitude witnessed by parents, teachers and students (and other board members) who attended school board meetings this summer.
It became apparent to us during the board meetings that Nancy was more interested in fighting her personal battles with other board members than focusing on and resolving the serious issues at hand. With this lack of solidarity on the school board it is not surprising to us that vital issues are still unresolved in the Fremont Union High School District.
Rich and Laurie Tygerson
Cupertino
Vote for fair, legal campaign reform
Throwing the rascals out seemed like a good idea, but it hasn't worked. The only real way to improve government is to adopt campaign-finance reform. There are two measures on the ballot, Propositions 208 and 212, that propose to do that. Unfortunately, only one of them, Prop. 208, is designed to actually do it. Prop. 208 is sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, AARP and others. It would ban contributions from lobbyists, candidate-to-candidate transfers, campaign war chests and off-year fundraising and put a limit on contributions and on spending. This measure has been carefully crafted to pass constitutional restrictions that have scuttled previous attempts to attack this problem.
Prop. 212 has some good provisions, but it is fatally flawed, since it repeals Proposition 112, which limits gifts to local and state officials. It exempts from limits some of its biggest financial contributors, and it would no doubt be thrown out by the courts, and we would have even less reform than we do now. If 212 passes, it would nullify 208. So it is important that we vote yes on 208 and no on 212.
According to a Mercury News special report in January 1995, California permits more money to influence its legislature than any other state. During the 1993-94 legislative session, each lawmaker took an average of roughly $480,875 worth of campaign donations, gifts and services.
It is hard for me to believe that swimming in that sea of easy money makes for clear heads and fair decisions. We need campaign- finance reform. Vote Yes on 208 and No on 212.
Norma Medlin
Sunnyvale
El Camino Hospital story is about trust
The issues surrounding the return of El Camino Hospital to its former public status are highly complex and have garnered a great deal of media and public attention. I would like to share my thoughts on this with your readers, just as I have with the El Camino Hospital District Board.
After an extensive study of these issues, I believe that the El Camino Hospital story is not about an integrated delivery system, joint partners, affiliations, joint alliances or even managed care. It's about something more pedestrian.
The El Camino Hospital story is about the need for trust, the need for accountability and responsibility, the need for appropriate management and performance and the need for a decision-making process open for public scrutiny.
In short, the El Camino Hospital story is about the stewardship of considerable public assets. It is about a public board and a private board of responsible and decent citizens being misled by their advisers. It is about conflict of interest, inattention to reality, and insensitivity. It is about public assets being dissipated in a misguided quest to "insure the salvation of the hospital" through the establishment of a Management Service Organization and the purchase of physician assets.
The Integrated Delivery System as practiced at El Camino Hospital was flawed, had no public oversight and a 30-year unbreakable lease. Any other interpretation of this controversial experience is wrong and misses the point, which is: Public assets should be used in the public interest with appropriate public oversight.
In order to correct this situation, the district should soon assume full operational responsibility for El Camino Hospital. To accomplish a six-month transition of the hospital back to district governance, I envision a process of four phases of operation.
Phase I: Stabilizing and establishing a new organizational structure;
Phase II: Orderly transition of ownership and leadership, communications planning, review of operations and recommendation and adoption of changes as required;
Phase III: Operational, financial and budgetary plan of action developed; and
Phase IV: Long-term plan developed.
With the support of El Camino Hospital District's community, we will move beyond this difficult
and tragic experience and work together toward achieving a better future.
Richard M. Warren
CEO, El Camino Hospital
No need to vote on it-- the council knows best
Some people want increased air traffic at Moffett Field. Measure J in Mountain View gives voters there the chance to say whether they want air cargo or commercial aviation at Moffett.
Sunnyvale's City Council voted 4-2 to deny its voters the same chance to vote on this issue. They, not you, know what is best for you. One of their arguments against a vote in Sunnyvale was that they "already knew" what the outcome would be. Imagine how much money we could save if we only vote on issues where there is some doubt as to which side will win.
What does this say about our right to vote in this country? In Sunnyvale, the City Council decides on what and when you can vote on certain things--even if it means you lose the chance to influence Congress by a strong vote on whether air cargo is acceptable. Rep. Anna Eshoo said she will not consider any legislation for air cargo at Moffett until she has heard from both Sunnyvale and Mountain View.
Sunnyvale voters, your vote has been stolen to mute protest against air cargo at Moffett.
There is a curfew in San Jose on flights after a certain hour. People can sleep undisturbed--at least that's the theory. On the other hand, some overnight air cargo flights would arrive at Moffett beginning at 4 a.m. But the Mercury News and others say that we must suffer for the greater good.
Hypocritical? Yes. Self-serving? Absolutely.
The people of Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Cupertino, Monte Sereno and all the others affected by air cargo at Moffett deserve a fair shake. With air cargo, a few benefit and many lose. Property values would go down, despite what our charming county tax assessor says.
Imagine a prospective buyer's reaction when he/she finds out that air cargo is flown in and out almost every night of the week, nearby or overhead--including flights at 4 a.m. The Navy did not, for the most part, conduct operations in the middle of the night and early morning hours.
Moffett Federal Airfield could be many things other than a base for air cargo or increased flight operations.
We can do better. Let's work on solutions that will let us sleep soundly. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Dave King
Sunnyvale
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 30, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.