I am appalled by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber's meddling into internal Sunnyvale affairs. The wage dispute is covered by contracts and existing laws. Having activist politicians circumventing the rule of law undermines our democracy. Instead, she should focus on representing us in Sacramento to lower taxes and reduce the government burden on us.

Furthermore, the SMaRT station workers should upgrade their skills and seek better employment if they think they deserve higher wages. Employment in California is "At Will."

As a Sunnyvale resident and taxpayer, I refuse to be extorted into paying into an entitlement program solely because politicians want to gain brownie points for the next election or because unskilled laborers want more pay. They deserve what the market will bear, and they accepted the current wages upon employment. Additionally, the comparison to San Francisco is irrelevant and not indicative of market wages.

We taxpayers are at the brink of desperation with entitlement wages and generous benefit plans for civil servants and city-affiliated employees.

My charity starts at home and with those people in society who truly need it (homeless, abused children, etc.) and not with left-leaning activists who want to extort money from taxpayers.

Perhaps Lieber should demonstrate her generosity and solidarity with the workers by taking a pay-cut in her generous salary (provided by taxpayers), and give a chunk of it to the SMaRT station employees. And to the SMaRT station employees: there are many more unskilled workers waiting in the queue to take your job. Finally, benefits for most people in the private sector are remnants of more prosperous times; please adapt to the current, tough economic times just like the rest of us have done.

Rene Francois

Sunnyvale