Letters; Mizner family thanks community for support following death
Jul 12, 2010
Mizner family thanks community for support following death<.strong>
Dear Editor,
My family and I would like to express our thanks and gratitude to our extended family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and community who gave so generously of their kindness and sympathy in the death of our loved one, Bill Mizner.
We are very appreciative of the outreach we have received from all of you.
Special thanks to Pastor David Whitaker, Morgan Hill Bible Church and Father Dan Derry, St. Mary's Church, for you support.
God bless all of you.
Lucina Mizner and the Mizner family, Morgan Hill
Continue to use Western Recycling, boycott Westside
Dear Editor,
I sincerely hope that the residents of Morgan Hill will boycott the new company and save their business for Western Recycle, wherever they move. I will be sending a message that I don't approve and that I want to keep our recycle local, where it will do economic good. Much of the point of recycling is lost when you add big shipping charges.
John Hester, Morgan Hill
Columnist off her rocker on the proposed 'four fixes' for California
Dear Editor,
If Lisa Pampuch can only re-hash her previous rants, I suggest replacing her with someone who can produce new, original material.
Her (July 6) column proclaiming four "fixes" to what truly is no more than California's Democrat problem has appeared in her drivel at least five times.
Term limits and the two-thirds majority rule to raise taxes has been repeatedly upheld by an overwhelming majority of voters. Moot point. Drop it. Without the 2/3 protection, state employees would be averaging triple what the rest of us earn (instead of a mere 70 percent more, boo hoo).
When the voters are dumb enough to approve a new tax (which will never go away), they are promised that said funds go only to said project. If we were to "end ballot-box budgeting," that would give the state free reign to deceive. "Hey, we need a new tax for this," and in a year, divert the funds to raises for state "workers." Ending this protection would be liken to wearing a "kick me" sign in addition to the carrot-and-stick hat.
Rather than "comparing our educational system and infrastructure today to 1978," compare the ratio of state employee compensation to that of the private sector. Compare how many families were literally being taxed out of their homes in 1978. Compare state spending (adjusted for inflation). "We pay our legislators better than legislators in any other state in the nation"; we can start cutting right there.
The problem is, Californians want everything and everyone else to pay for it. State taxes are higher than ever.
The best thing that can happen is the government shutting down. That will in turn bring about the end of public employee unions. The only way to abolish the socialist mentality is to force reform, and "by any means necessary." Get rid of property taxes entirely (not only on real estate, but also on vehicles). Property tax is archaic and socialist. The only fair way to tax is sales.
Alan Viarengo, Gilroy
High-speed train should carry freight to offset taxpayer subsidies
Dear Editor,
Carrier of passengers short of revenue? Solution: freight. As I said to the Assembly Transportation Committee at the Capitol in testimony in support of AB-2121 earlier this year, if you put enough UPS, Fedex and Postal Service tonnage on the HSR, then you wouldn't need to ask taxpayers for a dime. I've been telling the High Speed Rail Commission, later the High Speed Rail Authority, that for more than 12 years.
Wells Fargo did it. Canals did it. The Railway Express Agency tonnage revenue supplemented the losing passenger fares on America's railroads for decades. The bellies of those 747s carry high value revenue tonnage. UPS is UPRR's top customer.
Our railroads are the best in the world. Reducing air pollution and highway congestion would be positive side-effects of capitalizing (again) on capitalism. Let's ditch the VTA, Caltrain, Bullet Train socialism, and go with what history has proven to be sustainable transport. Caveat viator.
Joseph P. Thompson, Hollister
Don't rejoice over passage of Proposition 14
Dear Editor,
There is much rejoicing among the supporters of Proposition 14. Passage has brought the stress level for November elections way down. California voters will only have to decide which of the two corporate nominees they like best.
No worry about who will fight for the education of our children, or fight for affordable, quality medical care, or for good jobs and a standard of living worthy of middle-class Californians. There will be no fighting because the two nominees will agree that their job is to make the world as good as possible for our corporations.
Frank Crosby, Morgan Hill
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