I am writing in response to your Sept. 1 article on De Anza College. We have finally received our budget from the state and are preparing for classes to begin Sept. 20. The Courier is correct to note how hard we have been hit by the state's continued underfunding of higher education. Having lost more than $2 million from our operating budget, we have depended upon the incredible generosity and professionalism of our faculty and staff to reorganize, cut services where we must and still offer over 2,330 courses this fall quarter.

The college is turning no one away, has financial aid for those who need it and has a variety of new and experimental classes.

De Anza College is a remarkably strong institution, benefiting from terrific support from our local community neighbors. At the same time, we may be reaching the limit of our ability to carry out our broad educational mission unless the state increases its financial support.

But even at our financial limits we will serve our students and the broader community. We urge our neighbors to come by, enroll in our courses and attend the concerts and plays that mark our calendar. At the same time we urge everyone to help us carry the message to Sacramento that valuable local resources like De Anza deserve better support.

M. Brian Murphy

President, De Anza College

Playing game of Russian
roulette with our youth

I nearly cried after reading your lead story in the Aug. 8 issue of The Sun about pay and other cuts in the Fremont Union School District. With education being the seed of our country's future we are playing a game of Russian roulette with our youths who are trying to prepare for a role in a very complicated and competitive world.

It is without a doubt that the district is probably not managing funds in the best way possible. But it now matters little right now how the errors were made because it must be solved or we voters will have erred even more so by looking backward rather than forward for the needed well-being of our youth and country.

I place the responsibility for a solution solely on the back of the district's voters. Why? Because it was the ill-informed, misled, and greedy voters that largely got us into most of this mess. Our hands are now very tied by the laws of the infamous Proposition 13 tax law frauded on the California voters many years ago.

One problem is that a relatively small minority of voters can negate all the remaining voters' votes. When it comes to taxes the attitude is too often "let the other guy worry about it" or "get rid of the management."

Neither is rational but that's how it seems to go.

Don't get me wrong, tax reform was and still is badly needed in California.

However, Proposition 13 operated on the wrong end of the horse much to the detriment and future of our state, city and even neighborhoods. If you are new to the history of Proposition 13, then go to the Internet and search it via the Google search site. One thing you might learn is that the sponsors were holders of vast commercial properties that would profit handsomely from the law's tax relief.

You might also learn that the law has a loophole that allows commercial properties to be easily sold without a reappraisal to current market for tax purposes.

The fact that residential properties can be sold and a new lesser value (not likely in California) property purchased without a new tax rate exposure is largely unknown to retirees. And also note that the legislators have not seen fit to correct much of the fraud. These are just some of the tricks not readily known by the misled and/or poorly informed voters.

The FUSD will be asking for our help. Only we voters can do it now no matter the original cause or future corrections. I must sound like a tool of the district, but I'm not. I'm retired, childless and will certainly miss any money lost to increased taxes. It just seems to be the right thing to do. Don't you agree?

J.W. Rowe

Sunnyvale

Way we treat the bay
hurts water, ecosystem

About 10,000 years ago, huge glaciers melted, forming what we now know as the San Francisco Bay Estuary. Thousands of plants and animals inhabit the San Francisco Bay Estuary today. Although it has severely been polluted and damaged, there is still life that we can protect.

Sewage, agricultural runoff, boat discharges, spills, industrialization and more constantly pollute the estuary. This kills and damages organisms and the ecosystem. Dredging is a big problem involving the environment as well. The dredging causes hazards to the ecosystem by stirring toxics in the bottom sediment, it covers the bottom and organisms are removed from their homes and hurt, and much of the dredged sediments are dumped into other estuary sites.

Today, the mudflats are shrinking and there is a loss of sediment in the bay. Eighty percent of the bay's marshes and many of the mudflats were turned into salt ponds, marketable land, and cow pastures between 1860 and 1930. This reduced areas for tides.

Today, many of the wetlands are filled or altered because of urban development, flood control, agriculture, and other causes. This leads to animals losing their habitats and many organisms are in danger of extinction.

Although the bay is replenished by salt water coming from the ocean and fresh water from the rivers, streams, and other watershed sources, the water is still an issue and problem. Much of the freshwater flow is diverted for agriculture, humans, businesses, homes, and other uses instead of going to the estuary. This hurts the water quality, ecosystem, and fisheries.

There are many organisms that rely on the bay area and are hurt by the continuous damage. The fish population has greatly declined as a result from overfishing, dams, pollution and irrigation pumps that trap migrating fish. Birds depend on the habitat and resources of the San Francisco Bay Estuary area as well.

The Delta is one of the most important areas for migrating birds and many birds catch their food and build their nests in mudflats, wetlands, and other habitats. Restoration of the bay area has started and can use all the help it can get. People can help by cleaning creeks, environment, by planting native plants, by educating others, by organizing a fundraiser and by altering everyday activities and more.

Heather LeFevre

Monta Vista High School