By Bad time for self-aggrandizement
California is reported to be now facing a $50 billion deficit just two short years after a period of surpluses. When the good times roll the politicians spend! But our state highways are ranked No. 48 in maintenance. Our schools are broke. There is little to show for the spending except the near constant reports of corruption.
Now the city council of Los Altos Hills is following suit! We are in a recession and the end is not in sight. Yet the city council persists in building an extravagant, unnecessary edifice to themselves in the form of a new town hall. It will allow them to have “small parties” and an expanded council chamber. The proposed structure is being crammed down the throats of neighbors. All for their own self aggrandizement! Is there so much in the coffers they can’t find anything worthwhile to do with it?
And the price? it’s $500 per square foot, and they already own the property. All you contractors and architects line up! They are handing out money at town hall!
There is a school just down the block living out of trailers. Do we have to emulate the state in road quality, or can we just use the money to make them safer? Can we build and maintain the pathway system for the benefit of everyone (particularly those who donít need a town hall for “small parties?”
No, because the council is proposing to abandon the interior pathway system, for the exclusive benefit of a few (generous?) supporters. These same paths were to get children, riders and hikers safely around town. Importantly, they were supposed to provide safe escape routes in the event of a catastrophe such as fire and earthquake that might trap people, close the roads or obscure escape routes (as in the Oakland fire). They provide access for public safety and rescue personnel.
Then there is the council’s proposal to sell off the town’s open space/recreational properties. It is like San Francisco selling off part of Golden Gate Park, say the Panhandle. The land is irreplaceable. It is our heritage. It gives our town its rural atmosphere and adds value to our property.
For what? Well so they can underground the utilities. But PG&E collects part of our bill for that purpose and is a private company that requires it to do its own undergrounding. Maybe if we are going to bail PG&E out of bankruptcy we could use the new town hall money.
The state government is demonstrating manifest incompetence in running government. We are the laughing stock of the nation! Must the city government of Los Altos Hills follow suit?
When we face recession, have nearby schools in trailers, have a magnificent path and park system going fallow, all they can do is spend our money on self-aggrandizement (their own self-centered monument?).
Thomas ReynoldsLos Altos Hills
Meeting their goals?
In a July 17 Town Crier feature article titled “Meeting Their Goals,” I was quoted as saying that the council vilifies those who think differently from the council majority. While technically accurate, this comment was taken out of context making it seem carping and petty, and totally missing the larger council assessment that I was attempting to illustrate.
The Casey Council has established goals that are highly commendable. These include utilities undergrounding, a new town hall, a review of pathways and open space, and a review and updating of town code. There was an excellent opportunity here for a town consensus on all of these issues. Even the “old guard” recognizes the need to revisit the pathways plans.
By listening to both points of view on these issues, the Casey council could have reached an accommodation position and built a consensus. Instead they have gone with a “take no prisoners” approach, actively disenfranchising the other viewpoint by purging the town committees of all points of view other than Casey’s.
For example, the Pathways Committee is now chaired and populated with off-road pathways haters who are bent on eliminating off-road pathways.
They have then proceeded to take action by brute political force.
The result is an underground utility plan that is going nowhere, a new town hall plan seriously embroiled in controversy, an open space and pathways situation faced with threats of legal action and a pending voter’s initiative.
Add to this a sharply divided citizenry (due to the disenfranchisement) where consensus could have existed, and you have defined the Casey Council’s greatest failure, the failure of lost opportunity.
One must give Casey a very high grade for political maneuvering, but a dismal “F” for statesmanship and community consensus building, which is what is really needed.
Let’s look forward to a more open minded and broadly based council after November.
Jim SteinerLos Altos Hills
No ideal times without local pool
I’m the head coach of Covington Swim Team, summer 2002. We have 114 Los Altos youth swimmers on our roster this year who are participating at 7 a.m. at Gunn High School in Palo Alto and at 7:30 p.m. at Rengstorff Pool in Mountain View.
These are not ideal times for young children to participate in a swim workout, but these children bear with it because they really want to be on our swim team. A dedicated committee of parents searched for pool time for several months, and were lucky enough to find these inconvenient times.
I can vouch for the fact that these Los Altos families of 114 swimmers, 154 parents, uncounted siblings, grandparents and one head coach wholeheartedly support the plan for a modern pool with capacity to meet the needs of Los Altos in 2002 and beyond.
Alexandra Desmond
Head Coach,
Covington Swim Team
