Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor (September 24, 2004)

Lawsuit could penalize MV school children

Editor:

This is a letter to Aaron Katz:

Please withdraw your lawsuit against the Mountain View-Whisman School District and the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.

Regardless of any legal validity it may have, pursuing your lawsuit is wrong.

It is wrong to penalize the children of Mountain View. It is wrong to require an increased bureaucracy to hold separate elections. It is wrong to drain funds from the cash-strapped local governments.

It's obvious that you're not pursuing this lawsuit for monetary remuneration -- the $750 additional tax burden per year that your group of investors will bear is most likely less than your daily lawyer fees. I can only imagine that your lawsuit is a case of ego grown too big.

My parents taught me that personal aggrandizement at the expense of others, let alone an entire community, is wrong.

Please reconsider your position.

Craig McKown
Church Street

Good schools benefit Katz, and his tenants

Editor:

I don't like to draw conclusions about people of whom I know little, but I would like to know what kind of Scrooge this Mr. Katz from Saratoga is. I am infuriated that he would cause such chaos for the already strapped finances of an efficient school district that is trying to educate our children -- our future leaders.

As part owner of 10 condos in our city, he is collecting from people who probably have children in the school district. Not only do his tenants benefit from the fine schools in the district, but he, no doubt, benefits from the higher rents that families are willing to pay to live near these fine schools. The $750 per year tax is a small price to pay for such benefits.

However, he has chosen to believe that because he owns property, his vote is more important in financial matters than those who rent from him because they cannot afford to buy property. According to the Sept. 17 Voice, "Katz maintained that only property owners --regardless if they live in the city or not -- should be allowed to vote in such a tax election." Of course, his children, if he has any, are not affected by such a vote.

I do not have children in the elementary school district, but as a property owner, I am very happy to pay the parcel tax to the Los Altos School District in which I reside (even though I am a Mountain View resident). It is important to educate all of our children. With the severe funding cuts from the state, the schools have no choice but to try to support themselves with local taxes for such "unimportant" subjects as music, art, physical education, school supplies, etc.

I believe that those who own properties, including those who rent to others, should be willing to contribute to the support of our excellent local schools. I also believe Katz should pay the Mountain View-Whisman School District's $50,000 legal bill for putting this huge legal burden on it.

Kathleen Creger
Woodstock Lane

Housing may not be best use of Mayfield site

Editor:

The city council is on automatic pilot headed toward rezoning the commercial Mayfield site. Mountain View voters have been lulled by wishful thinking and lack of information, but there is still time to express opposition. There are many reasons to do so.

Affordable housing: The proposed development of the Mayfield site does not increase affordable housing. The units will be sold at the maximum price that they can garner. The minimal required "below-market-rate" units will be priced well above "affordable."

Environment: Many beautiful mature trees will be cut down if the Mayfield site is rezoned. Mountain View needs more, not less, green open space. The minimal required "park" areas may be just squares of grass or at best save a few trees.

Preservation: The modest neighborhood, which adjoins the site, has maintained the look and feel of the time it was originally built. There is a certain charm worth preserving here that helps make Mountain View special.

Public transportation: Increasing the dense housing at the San Antonio station would not contribute to a more viable public transportation system. If sheer numbers and proximity were all that mattered, then the Crossings mega-development would be sufficient. In fact, the proposed addition of 800 more two-car families in an already congested area would surely exacerbate traffic problems.

Need for more housing: The outdated Association of Bay Area Governments report is based on faulty assumptions. Its projections were made prior to the crash that turned everything upside down. Moreover, the study measures housing needs by the number of potential jobs in a given city. By this logic, Mountain View -- with the highest overall housing density on the Peninsula -- is deficient in housing. Fairness and common sense dictate that surrounding cities do their part.

City finances: The city needs the revenue that accrues from commercial use. The proposed housing development, including four- to five-story cell block-style buildings, would produce a net loss of revenue. Saving the site for future commercial use would not be a problem as HP keeps the attractive building and grounds well-maintained and patrolled for security.

Laura Kostinsky
Elka Avenue

Soldiers marching against terrorism

Editor:

Mountain View Voices for Peace marched recently because the 1000th soldier died in Iraq. One thousand U.S. citizens die every week in automobile accidents. One thousand per week. Where are the marchers? Three thousand died in the twin towers in New York City. Where are the marchers against terrorism?

I will tell you where the real marchers are located. They are in Iraq keeping our butts safe.

Ron Bowlby
Sylvan Avenue

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