The Sunnyvale Sun

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Building a new
library isn't worth
the risk or cost

Ask yourselves: Why ruin a good thing?

I love going into the library and seeing people sitting in comfortable chairs around the fireplace and reading. Many of the people I've spoken to really enjoy our library and feel that it has a personality. Why should we change it? Why should we put all this at risk to build a shiny new building that will satisfy some egos?

A new library would cost homeowners more than $200 a year, depending on the value of their homes. Seniors will not be exempt. What will happen if seniors can't afford to pay? Seniors may have to default and have liens placed on their property! Renters don't pay and so the tax would fall on just homeowners!

But this won't be the end. The council admits it will need to have $1.5 million more a year just to run the everyday business of the library! So more fees would be added on to the homeowner!

This bond issue is a non-starter and would commit home owners for 30 years. The council sees the bond as a credit card, which it is, perhaps, but credit cards need to be paid back. And of course, you can't keep spending and borrowing without considering added interest to this bond, which means it will cost you double! We simply can't afford it! The current council is also creating problems for succeeding councils.

What is worse is that this council has been very accommodating in giving raises to our city employees and public safety and increasing their benefits. Why should they care--it's not their money!

We are living with a downtown mall that should have been up and running and instead has been losing revenue for the city for quite a few years.

The fact that this council is so willing to lay this bond on the ballot shows a blindness to the people they are supposed to serve. Instead of being careful on spending, they have been wildly spending. Somebody should tell them that they are being very [generous] with money that is not theirs!

We should not support this bond.

Micki Falk

Sunnyvale

Council takes
strong action
on environment

Three cheers for the Sunnyvale City Council!

On Sept. 11, it unanimously adopted the Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, joining cities nationwide in committing to work to reduce greenhouse gases emitted in the city. By following the suggested actions of the agreement, Sunnyvale will reduce global warming and its local effects.

On Sept. 18, the council unanimously approved the construction of two bicycle and pedestrian bridges on Borregas Avenue, over 101 and 237, allowing safe bicycle and pedestrian passage between north Sunnyvale and the city center. By allowing alternatives to auto transportation, these bridges have the potential for lowering traffic congestion, air pollution, and green house gas emissions.

Another of the council's initiatives is a special study session, Sustainable Sunnyvale, currently scheduled for Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. Sustainable means meeting the needs of our generation while providing the opportunity for future generations to meet their needs. This study session can confidently be expected to lead to further council direction to make Sunnyvale a better place to live for ourselves, and for the generations to come.

Patrick Gallagher
and Barbara Fukumoto,
for the Sunnyvale Cool Cities Team