Willow Glen Resident
Letters & Opinions
Speak Out
Writers should prove assertions
As a retiree and consumer of news, I came across the three letters to you on your SpeakOut page for Aug. 17.
I've never heard of Bob Kieve, but have of Fox News and MoveOn.org. Mr. Kieve apparently had the temerity to criticize the latter.
While Fox News and Move On.org certainly have every right to offer editorial opinions in the marketplace of ideas, I find it curious that all three letter writers would evidently like to shush any opinions they don't like. In pursuing this, they use the same tactics they accuse their opponents of using.
For example, Ms. Allen asserts that "Fox News clearly misrepresents itself," and that Fox's "so-called" news is just blatant conservative spin, propaganda and "proven" time and again to be lies.
For another, Mr. Humbarger asserts that Fox News exploits wars with its spin, and that it uses its own propaganda as a weapon of censorship. And for still another, Mr. Pflager asserts that Americans were given misinformation by the media that led many to support an unnecessary war.
I have no beef with Fox News or the news media in general, but in fairness, I must ask Ms. Allen: What misrepresentation? What lies? Of Mr. Humbarger: What exploitation? What censorship? And of Mr. Pflager: What misinformation? By what media?
Come on people, where are your facts? Your proof of what you assert? Sadly, it appears that only in the fever-swamps of far-left ideology does assertion or allegation equal fact.
Ken Robinson
San Jose
Dog park is right
step to build on
I'm glad to hear that Willow Glen will be getting the much-needed dog park at Auzerais Avenue and Los Gatos Creek as part of two large housing developments by KB Home ("Oliverio sticks to his promise and promotes future dog park," Aug. 10).
San Jose needs more of this kind of neighborhood responsiveness. I urge Councilman Oliverio to support the Sunshine Reform Task Force recommendations when they come before city council because the task force recognized that people in Willow Glen have a right to know what happens in our neighborhood.
The recommendations will make businesses asking for city subsidies reveal the impact their projects will have on neighborhood traffic, parks, community centers and libraries with 30 days' advanced notice. This would be a great step toward more open government.
Christy Kincannon
Jenvey Avenue
Involve residents
in subsidy issue
Nancy Ianni will be a good member on the task force that San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed appointed to study future city development. She kept Willow Glen from being carved up by a web of proposed expressways when she was on the city council.
Another way the city can positively affect Willow Glen would be to develop a strategy for subsidizing business development and by involving taxpayers and community groups in the process. The subsidies are already being made, but there's no public disclosure about why or what they will do to traffic, schools and the like.
As long as we're going to give out these subsidies, we ought to make sure they're an investment in the future, not just tax giveaways.
Nancy DellaMattera
Patricia Way
We don't need any
more boondoggles
Telemarketers try to sell me something every day, but I never buy anything unless they can tell me exactly what I'm getting and prove why it's a good deal.
Why can't the city of San Jose work like that? The city council is talking about an open government law so citizens will know how the city spends our money. If some property developer or sports team owner wants a million-dollar handout, the city should ask for something back and tell taxpayers what it is.
Taxpayers need to know what the city subsidizes and why. As bad as Mayor Chuck Reed says the budget is, we don't need any more boondoggles.
Emily Moak Meacham
Aragon Court
