The Sunnyvale Sun

Letters & Opinions

Letters

Temporary fixes
won't adequately
fund schools

We are writing regarding the Governor's May budget revision and its impact on local school districts.

Despite reversing course from January and not proposing to suspend Prop. 98, the latest budget plan still deprives schools of $4 billion compared to what we need just to maintain existing levels of service. The Sunnyvale School District is losing $600,000 in categorical funds dedicated to specific ongoing program needs. For the Cupertino Union School District, the cuts amount to approximately $405 less for each student. The FUHSD is losing approximately $890,000 in program funds dedicated to, among other things, helping at-risk students and California High School Exit Exam intervention programs.

There is no question that that the latest proposal is better than what we expected in January, but it's still a loss and it is dependent upon the Budget Stabilization Act and Lottery Securitization plan the governor has proposed, neither of which look promising.

We think budget stabilization is a great idea but, in its current form, it locks schools into ongoing inadequate funding by starting with an underfunded base year. This creates budget instability, negatively impacting the quality and consistency of the programs we provide to our students. Additionally, it's a power grab that gives the governor and his political appointee unprecedented authority to make mid-year cuts up to three times per year.

Lottery securitization can only be described as "lipstick on a pig." It's another short-term fix that won't address the imbalance between the educational needs of our students and existing revenues. We cannot continue to borrow our way out of our budget woes.

The leaders of tomorrow are in our schools today. Our students need a rigorous, comprehensive, well-rounded, public education to be able to contribute to the future work force here in Silicon Valley. It's time to invest in our future. Let's follow state Sen. Joe Simitian's advice. He's been saying for years "Spend less, raise more, do it now." We agree.

Josephine Lucey,

board member--Cupertino Union School District

Nancy Newkirk,

board member--Sunnyvale School District

Nancy Newton,

board member--Fremont Union High School District

Cement plant
must curb its
air pollution

Both the headline and the contents of your story on cement industry pollution in the Santa Clara Valley (May 28, 2008) must be clarified.

Make no mistake. Hanson Cement Plant is the biggest stationary air polluter in Santa Clara County as certified by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. It's way past time for a decrease, not an increase in its pollution. Yet, it and the BAAQMD are on track to increase air pollution.

Without any public notification or hearing, BAAQMD granted Hanson a permit in May 2007 to switch from burning coal to burning 100 percent industrial waste petroleum coke for cement production. According to a report by a Hanson consultant on an emission study filed with BAAQMC, emissions of the highly toxic pollutant, hexavalent chorminum, increased by approximately 20 times above the coals emissions. Hexavalent chorminium in miniscule amounts is a metal with severe health threats.

A formal Environmental Impact Report must be completed to disclose to the public the impacts from this fuel. The public has a right to comment on this.

As the same time the state has newly passed legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Hanson and the BAAQMD are allowing a new fuel that, according to the California Air Resources Board, produces even more C02 emission per BTU than coal.

Hanson has initiated yet another application for burning 30 percent additional petroleum coke. BAAQMD should revoke the May permit instead of allowing Hanson Cement to expand its blatant air pollution. Taking baby steps to incrementally crank up the pollution rate through multiple application, as Hanson does and as BAAQMD has improperly been allowing, robs the public of its California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

It's déjà vu all over again. Thirteen years ago, Hanson (previously known as Kaiser Cement) attempted to switch from burning coal to used tires, which cement industry spokesman Tom Tietz brazenly broaches in your story. That was another example of an increase in pollution without public notification or EIR review. However, the West Valley Citizens Air Watch and other local groups found out and publicized the findings that this change in fuel would have created additional dangerous emissions and it was stopped. In that case, dioxin, the same ingredient in the infamous Agent Orange, would have hugely increased.

Recently, Hanson and its multi-billion-dollar parent company, Heidelberg Cement AG, reported huge quarterly profit jumps of 12 percent and a whopping 38 percent, respectively. It certainly can and should turn off the coal burners and use its existing environmental-friendly natural gas facility to match with Hanson's self-proclaimed, but unproven "friendly neighbor" image.

Ignatius Y. Ding

West Valley Citizens Air Watch

Farm animals
deserve to be
treated better

When it comes to laying hens, they can endure quite a miserable existence and still lay eggs. Hens in battery cages cannot spread their wings, perch or dust bathe. Pigs and calves in cages cannot even turn around. A farmer who claims that farm animals are "happy'' because they are producing may think he is fooling us, but is really only looking at the bottom line profit. Profit is necessary, of course, but we can do so much more. Farm animals cannot form unions or make policy. It is up to us to step up to the plate on their behalf by giving them enough room to perform natural, routine behaviors.

I tend to think more along the lines of Gandhi, who said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man."

Isn't it more indicative of our humanity to treat our fellow earthlings with respect than to exploit them? Please vote Yes on the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act in November.

Ellen Sweeney

Dempster Avenue