The Sunnyvale Sun

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Hamilton's contrition
is election-year ploy

I feel compelled to respond to Councilmember Melinda Hamilton's statement in this paper that she was "horrified" by negative messages sent on her behalf against her opponent during the 2003 election. Apparently Ms. Hamilton's negative emotional reaction to these distasteful tactics by the Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association has developed only after the last four years. Not once in the 2003 election did she ever publicly speak up and denounce these continuous unwarranted attacks, nor did she ever try to stop them. Even worse, election records show that after the Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association spent over $20,000 funding the "horrific mailers" on her behalf, Ms. Hamilton turned around and accepted a large cash donation from the PSOA.

This tainted money was used to fund even more negative mailers that were approved directly by Ms. Hamilton in the closing days of the election. It is clear that Ms. Hamilton's contrition for these unacceptable actions is simply self-serving political posturing to soften any potential criticisms since she is up for re-election this November.

Yolanda Risch

Sunnyvale

Fight to preserve
Sunnyvale's history

I just spoke with someone from Trudi Ryan's office at Sunnyvale City Hall's Heritage Commission regarding the old Sunnyvale Hotel at 394 E. Evelyn Ave. I was told that this building, dating back to the beginning of Sunnyvale, is not considered an historical landmark because it doesn't fall within the state's criteria and is in danger of being torn down for housing.

Can someone please tell me how many historical landmarks Sunnyvale currently has registered on the state books? The Heritage Commission admits that there are "very few.'' As a matter of fact, you can count them on one hand and not use all of your fingers.

The city is great at ripping and tearing down, but not so swift on preserving. Thank god the buildings on Murphy Street were worth saving. Why not use that big waste of land called the Sunnyvale Town Center for housing and parking instead of tearing down another piece of history? Convert the Sunnyvale Hotel into a restaurant or an office building or-- what a concept--a hotel, instead of tearing it down.

Past Sunnyvale city councils tore up the old downtown area just to decide 30 years later that they want to back in time to the way it was. Once you have reduced your history to dust, you can not resurrect it.

When I moved here with my family in the '60s this area was ripe with orchards, quaint little homes and a great small town downtown feel. I love this city and I hate seeing it lose its mall town charm like some other cities.

Lets fight to preserve our local history before we have none to preserve. If Mountain View, Palo Alto, Campbell, Santa Clara, San Jose, Saratoga and Los Gatos can do it, then why can't we?

The city council needs to rethink its Historical Preservation guidelines and make the Sunnyvale Hotel an historical landmark.

Candice McGee

Sunnyvale

Overpass project will
will disrupt residents

The city's pursuit of creating a major thoroughfare down Mary Avenue in the mold of Mathilda Avenue and Lawrence Expressway in order to accommodate non-resident commuters' need to use Sunnyvale community streets to get to the Moffett Towers is ridiculous.

Today at 8:30a.m., I couldn't leave my driveway without one of the cars in a long line of commuters allowing me to squeeze into traffic. If the city's plans for building the overpass from Almanor and N. Mary Avenue into the Moffett Towers complex is given the green light, the new commuter traffic jam on Mary Avenue will be far worse.

There is no reason to disturb the residents that live on and around Mary Avenue to bring commuters into the Moffett Towers complex. Phil Mahoney, executive vice president of Cornish & Carey Commercial, has stated such on the company's website. "The Jay Paul Company chose this coveted location because its strategic position at the junction of Highways 237 and 101 offers multiple transportation options. Moffett Towers location at the junction of Highways 237 and 101 makes it ideal for commuting employees. Getting to work will be simplified with the adjacent light rail and bus lines.''

They give no mention that it's important to tear into existing neighborhoods to afford easy access to this complex of class A office space. The seven-story, seven-building complex of office buildings is being built "green" to meet LEEDS standards. Isn't it a bit ironic that the city of Sunnyvale wants to accommodate entry to these green buildings for commuters by destroying its own community's residential neighborhoods?

Don't be fooled. The building of an overpass from Mary Avenue and Almanor over 101 and 237 into Moffett Park represents just the beginning of the restructuring of Mary Avenue all the way up to Fremont Avenue, where commuters can exit Highway 85 to bypass that commuter logjam.

Just say no to the Almanor/Mary Ave overpass!

Josh Salans

Sunnyvale

Campaign financing
needs to be reformed

I agree with the letter in the Sun on April 4 entitled "Publicly financed elections are needed."

Every year it seems that more and more money is being given to candidates by special interest groups. I feel if we don't change the current system we will continue to see even more money given to candidates by these groups.

I was very upset when I heard about the Medicare bill, because I feel this bill will cost average Americans extra money for drugs. That is why I believe that public funding of campaigns will save average Americans money in the long run.

I want my kids and grandkids to live in a country where politicians are working to pass laws that will make life better for them.

In the last four elections public financing has been successful in controlling campaign costs in Arizona and Maine. The governor of Arizona was elected without taking any special interest money.

I don't believe that special interest groups are going to change the political system, so it will only change if average Americans work to change it.

I hope the Sunnyvale City Council and Sunnyvale residents will take the lead and bring pubic financing of campaigns, which has already been shown to work, to Sunnyvale elections.

Jeanne Lamar

Crawford Drive