 |
|
|
|
|
Speak Out
SJ Airport taking curfew seriously
As a resident of Willow Glen, and also as an employee of Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, I would like to clarify information submitted to the Willow Glen Resident Feb. 26 in a letter written by Jeffery Wilhite.
The airport takes its curfew seriously, especially early morning takeoffs. Wilhite referenced a 6:07 a.m. departure of a private jet. I asked the airport's noise monitoring staff to investigate this particular flight. They informed me that the flight in question was a Lear 55, general aviation Stage 3 Business Jet weighing less than 75,000 pounds. Stage 3 business jets are quieter, new technology aircraft.
These Stage 3 Business Jets are not regulated by our curfew. There are many excellent reasons why these aircraft should be regulated; however, since 1990, federal law has prohibited airport operators from imposing additional aircraft operating restrictions on existing curfews. San Jose is therefore unable to now restrict these types of aircraft from operating during the curfew hours. We do, however, work hard to mitigate aircraft noise whenever possible.
Wilhite references two direct flights over his residence but, unfortunately, he does not provide accurate dates or times, and also references Reno Air as one of the flights. Although Reno Air has not conducted flights at the airport in approximately two years, we would be happy to make an effort to research the overflights if we are provided with accurate dates and times.
Under federal law, the FAA is not responsible for enforcing the city's curfew program. It is the city's responsibility to obtain compliance with its locally adopted restrictions, and airport staff takes this responsibility seriously. The airport has a curfew monitoring committee that meets on a quarterly basis to review and report on curfew intrusions. This group consists of members of our community as well as the business sector. Anyone is invited to attend these meetings.
I invite all my Willow Glen neighbors to continue to be involved in airport issues. Please call us at 408.501.0979, email us at communityinput@sjc.org or visit our webpage at http://www.sjc.org.
Jim Peterson
Deputy Director of Aviation Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport
Cartoon on mayor was a bit too 'much'
The DeCinzo cartoon printed in the Willow Glen Resident's March 6 opinion page on San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales was a bit much.
I have been quiet about the past cartoons because I figured that, after complaints by others, DeCinzo would tone them down.
I really am tired of seeing negative things in these cartoons and feel that you need to either replace DeCinzo or drop the cartoons altogether.
Criticisms like this are rarely ever funny and often tend to hurt or embarrass others.
So far, all the other articles have been interesting, especially those by Carl Heintze.
Let's make some changes in the cartoon area for the better.
Sue Evans
Dean Avenue
Writer supports cartoonist's humor
Please! Enough of the DeCinzo bashing! He is a satirist, not an elected politician! He's a comic, an entertainer, a person with an opinion. Sometimes I find his pieces hilarious. Sometimes I find them painful. Sometimes I don't have a clue. So what?
Get a grip, a life, whatever, and stop wasting this space with drivel about how annoyed and disappointed you are with the cartoonist and the paper for continuing to live up to our right to enjoy free speech. There are so many other problems in this town that need to be discussed, such as traffic, parking, building development, politics and schools.
What DeCinzo illustrates in his pieces is not shameful; they are excellent examples of his right to express his opinion whether or not you or I like it or hate it. For me, beyond an occasional chuckle, I am reminded weekly about what a wonderful country I live in that allows people like DeCinzo to express and be heard.
Yes, even when he goes after a subject about which I am sensitive and I feel a little pain or guilt--and he has. If DeCinzo does a good job, I suspect we will all fall victim to his pen at some point. That's America; and that's the Constitution; and that's why I live here.
Those who complain consider the DeCinzo cartoons an annoyance to ignore, yet they still appear to be reading them. Based on the activity in this section over the past months, it appears most of DeCinzo's critics continue to read his work, and some of them continue to feel the need to express themselves. Maybe the DeCinzo-bashing letters aren't so bad after all--the critic certainly has the right to express his or her view just as DeCinzo does. And they do give me something else to laugh at besides the cartoon.
I would suspect that DeCinzo also enjoys the attention--I believe someone told me he does. Maybe we'll see a satirical piece on the DeCinzo critic in the near future and then more letters! I sure am glad I'm an American!
Kevin Jones
Los Gatos
Low voter turnout is ominous sign
The record low voter turnout of 31percent in Santa Clara County and California is an ominous sign for whatever freedom we have left in the United States.
This, the lowest voter turnout ever, comes on the heels of the greatest curtailment of our civil liberties in U.S. history. Our constitutional freedoms have been eroding for years, but the USA Patriot Act has crystallized this erosion and converted it into an elimination. The Fourth Amendment has been obliterated, and the others sharply reduced.
These primary elections provided the first opportunity to send a message to our elected representatives that we value freedom. Instead, the clear message sent was that the electors do not care and no longer want a say; that voting is a nuisance and a bother.
Among other reasons, the primary elections were important because they provide the choices for the general election in November.
Voting used to be viewed as a civic duty, a sacred responsibility. I wonder how those who do not vote can look their children and grandchildren in the eye knowing that they are bestowing to them a servile society in place of the more libertarian and egalitarian society that was bequeathed to them.
Thomas Spielbauer
Former candidate for Seat 16
Superior Court of Santa Clara County
San Jose
|
|
|
|
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
