Wake up Sunnyvale, time to smell the coffee. I was one of those citizens who sat through the many hours of budget meetings held by council as well as the council session that ran into the early morning hours.

I sat there and listened to then-Councilman Tim Risch time and again vote to cut services. He has not been so supporting of our public safety services or the issues of the employees. His concerns for the citizens do not seem sincere as his concerns have only been around the effects on his family.

Risch has chosen to run a campaign that is ugly and underhanded. He will stop at nothing and will continue to sling mud. His reputation is not so stellar, and he has not cared about his friendships or who he has had to walk over to accomplish his goals. Yes, his goals.

His "friends" continue to write these rebuttals--putting him on a pedestal. That pedestal is quite short these days.

If he is so confident about winning this election, why is he stooping to such a low level? He just can't accept the fact that he was beaten by an unknown candidate in the last election and lost by such a big margin. That should be a message right there.

Why would Sunnyvale want to take a step back in time and relive the misery of Risch on the council? He has spent the last few years mocking the council and challenging its every move. He has been an embarrassment at times when he has spoken before council.

"If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it must be a duck." Is this the type of person we really want to represent this great city we live in? His name does not stand for Sunnyvale. Remember that on Election Day.

L.J. Johnson

Sunnyvale

Process of endorsements
is covertly biased

I am writing to question the value of endorsements for candidates running for political office given several recent incidents in Sunnyvale. As reported in your Aug. 31 article, "SUNPAC no longer part of the chamber," SUNPAC, a business political action committee now separated from the Chamber of Commerce, endorsed three candidates. I have serious reservations about two of those endorsements.

SUNPAC endorsed Tony Spitaleri, a long-time close friend and former campaign manager of former mayor and councilwoman Pat Castillo. Castillo's daughter is Spitaleri's campaign manager, and she is serving as his assistant treasurer.

The Sun's article quoted Castillo as saying "she was not concerned about any conflict of interest because the decision to endorse former firefighter Spitaleri was a decision of the group, not hers alone." It is inconceivable that Castillo, a founding member of SUNPAC, did not influence this endorsement. She should have removed herself from the entire discussion; she did not.

SUNPAC also endorsed John Howe because, as Castillo told The Sun, "he helped Sunnyvale at a time when the city was in turmoil...caused by hard budget times and widespread turnover in the city's high-ranking staff."

John Howe was mayor of the council that caused that turnover, firing the city manager and city attorney, costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars it could have saved.

Another group, the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR) endorsed John Howe, a realtor, two months before interviewing him and his opponent Nancy Smith. Why hold candidate interviews if the results have been predetermined?

While individuals and other groups may endorse candidates, SUNPAC and SILVAR contribute substantially to the candidates they endorse. I am not pretending to be unbiased. I am working on Nancy Smith's campaign. In the future, I hope that SUNPAC, SILVAR, and others who endorse candidates will be equally upfront and honest in their decisions.

Dan Gertmenian

Sunnyvale

Mayor Chu should follow
his own admonition

The Sun's Aug. 24 article "Council Race for Seat 1 is already heating up," quotes Mayor Dean Chu as saying "I'm just disappointed that one would stoop to personal attacks." I disagree with Chu's accusation.

Chu's hypocrisy bubbles to the surface again.

The first example occurred when, as a member of the planning commission, he voted to oppose the Sabercats' tent in October 2003.

Nine weeks later on Jan. 6, 2004, as a newly elected councilman, he voted in favor of the tent and offered an amendment favorable to the Sabercats that extended the duration of the permit for the "temporary" structure.

We can only wonder what great insight Chu gained in the two months between meetings. What transpired that changed his mind?

Clearly, the Jan. 6 vote by Chu, Fowler, Hamilton and Howe overriding the planning commission--all members of the public present spoke against the tent--was a foregone conclusion.

During subsequent council meetings, Chu made some derogatory comments--personal attacks--about Tim Risch. Later, when I spoke objecting to his comments and pointing out his hypocrisy, Chu attacked me, saying Risch had put words in my mouth.

In other words Chu asserted that I can't think for myself and express my own thoughts.

Now Chu is "disappointed that one would stoop to personal attacks."

If Chu finds personal attacks so disappointing, he should refrain from making his own.

Ken Jorgensen

Sunnyvale

Correction

The Sept. 7 story "Sunnyvale man helps in Katrina disaster" should have said Sunnyvale Neighborhoods Actively Prepare has trained 400 individual volunteers. In addition, for the past three years, all volunteers have been trained in all aspects of the SNAP program.