The Sunnyvale Sun

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Gas station owners not to
blame for high gas prices

DeCinzo's latest cartoon pokes fun at Sunnyvale gas station owners, who have complained to the city council that they are prevented from selling certain items, which hurts their business. DeCinzo implies that station owners make this complaint while profiting from the recent surge in gas prices, painting them as hypocrites. I don't even know a gas station owner, and I hate the increase in gas rates as much as the next commuter. But a 30-second Google search confirmed what I'd heard before--steep increases in gas prices actually hurt station owners' business because all of the profits go to the oil companies, while the station owners must bear the cost of increased credit card fees. In all of this, station owners are victims, not culprits.

I can deal with DeCinzo voicing an opinion that I disagree with. Lord knows it happens often enough. But when he simply gets his facts wrong, when the facts were trivial to verify, and when he defames a group of people in the process, that's not just wrong--it's irresponsible and unprofessional.

I sincerely hope that the Sun's new editor expects better than this from her staff, because I certainly do.

Station owners already have to deal with unwarranted abuse from customers who don't know the truth about where gas profits go. They shouldn't have even more abuse foisted on them because of mean-spirited commentary with no basis in fact.

Jim Griffith

Dunsmuir Terrace

Measure A passage could
help fix housing crisis

Thank you so much for your excellent coverage of the affordable housing crisis in Silicon Valley (May 17, 2006). Your article painted an accurate and sobering picture of the challenges that low-income workers face trying to make ends meet, and the real danger they face of falling into homelessness.

It is in everyone's best interest to help hard-working, low-income people put down stable roots in our community. We rely on our janitors, hair stylists, and lawn care workers, and when they can live in the community where they work, we all benefit.

Your article accurately assessed the crux of the problem as the lack of funding for affordable homes. The good news is that we have two solutions to that problem right in our reach. Measure A on the June ballot would provide an ongoing local source of funds for county programs, including affordable housing. And the Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act, Proposition 1C on the November ballot, will provide $2.85 billion in funds for housing programs statewide. As Marjorie Matthews points out, the cost of providing affordable housing to a family is much less than the costs to the county if that family becomes homeless. Let's do the smart and moral thing and vote for more funding for affordable housing.

Jennifer Pence

Mountain View

Too many absences mean councilmember must go

I find it unbelievable that councilmember Melinda Hamilton has only served on the council two years, and has already taken one extended leave of absence and is about to embark on another. If she has responsibilities that take her away from doing the job she was elected to do, she shouldn't serve this city.

She missed some crucial votes during her first long leave of absence and what will she miss during this next leave of absence? In the past year, she has taken on absolutely no intergovernmental assignments and, other than showing up for council meetings, doe very little. Why are we paying her a salary and medical benefits?

On May 9, she was absent for a crucial vote on whether to raise taxes. Where does she stand on this issue?

In my opinion, Mrs. Hamilton has been an ineffective councilmember. I believe that she and her "Friends" of Sunnyvale group derailed the downtown development. Some don't want the downtown built, but if we don't have the tax base from new stores, how will we make up the yearly $4 million deficit that the sales tax from these stores would have generated. What current services would she vote to suspend because of the deficit she helped cause? Oh, and three years ago, Hamilton sued the city of Sunnyvale.

Hamilton should resign now, leaving time enough to put her seat on the ballot in November so we can elect a council member who is totally focused on serving the people of Sunnyvale.

Marissa Weber

Sunnyvale