Letters Letters (March 11, 2005)

Is El Camino CEO hiding other perks?

Editor:

It was good to see in your newspapers that El Camino Hospital CEO Lee Domonico revealed his salary.

However, did he mention his Los Altos Country Club membership and dues, his no interest, unsecured loan, his retirement plan contribution, any deferred compensation agreement, how his bonus is calculated, expense account and travel expenses? I also doubt that the hospital's board of directors mentioned their travel expenses and other reimbursements.

Every dollar spent on these items is one less dollar that is spent on patient services William Teglia, Jr. Los Altos

Internet, Web should play role in local TV

Editor:

There's another side to community television that also needs to be considered as the mourning continues for KMTV.

That other side is content. While community television is based on a worthy premise of giving voice to volunteer productions, it is essential that we say at some point, "All right, we've donated the money, the studio has been equipped, the volunteers have appeared, the productions are mastered -- so how does it all look after a few years?"

I've looked in a few times and even appeared at the studio to broadcast my own views as well. Some of what I saw was, and is, valuable (coverage of city council meetings), some was "us" watching ourselves (local sports coverage), and some was beyond the beyond (fantasy fairy parties). Actually I'm struggling to label the last production variety. The only thing I know is that it was produced and starred the former KMTV director herself. I pondered at the time, "Is this the future of community TV?"

To make a long story short, the age of TV is fast passing. The Internet is the dominant, and far more efficient, means of communicating around the planet. Corporate TV production has nearly disappeared (and I was a former corporate producer myself), and commercial TV is struggling to hold onto viewers.

The two will probably have to settle for niche roles as people now tell their "stories" directly to the world -- that is, if anyone wants to listen. I think it very wise for KMTV to search for a new role in Internet space -- if there is one. Perhaps it's a hybrid role of some broadcast TV and some Web-based communication.

Since giving power to the people to speak is what we value as Americans, perhaps training more people to create their own Web-based communications is the new door through which we should pass. In that medium, Mountain View "knows how." Allen Price Velarde Street

Meet the Mayor venue raises questions

Editor:

Walking down Castro Street on Saturday morning, I was quite surprised to be handed a glossy flier beckoning me to come inside the Scientology and Dianetics center to "meet the new mayor" of Mountain View.

A photo of Mayor Matt Neely inside the Dianetics Center was prominently displayed on both the flier and in an ad that ran in the Voice last week. Mayor Neely has every right to associate himself with whatever organizations he wishes, but the title of mayor makes him the most visible representative of our entire city. I have some misgivings about the way the fliers and ad draw a close association between our city government and the controversial Scientology organization.

Our previous two mayors have chosen to have their Meet the Mayor events at more neutral locations. I would have hoped that our current mayor would choose similar locations. However, he has set a precedent with this event. While most churches would not be able to afford the slick glossy fliers advertising a "Meet the Mayor" event at their sites, it would only be fair for Mayor Neely to now hold similar events at other religious centers. Gloria Sias Perry West Dana Street

Who is responsible for downtown tree fiasco?

Editor:

Francis Trimmer's Feb. 18 letter is right on the money when she complains about the $96,000 cost to remove the Idaho Locust trees downtown.

The city states, in hindsight, that they made a mistake. What a joke. In actuality, the city council was informed of the adverse effects of these trees prior to their planting (captured on video at a council meeting) and a copy of Sunset Gardens critique and remarks by the UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara agriculture departments were supplied to each council member. All of it was thoroughly researched.

Obviously, the opinions of long-time Mountain View residents are not worth the council's consideration, but they do not mind accepting our taxes.

Why were the locust trees selected when the city was obviously made aware of the inadvisability of planting them?

In view of Mountain View's ordinance on removal of trees, can we dare ask what will happen to the locust's that are removed? And what will the fall clean-up cost for the current selection of trees? And when can we expect them to be removed? And I suppose it is too much to ask who is responsible for this expensive error? Can we expect them to pay for it? Rose Lesslie, Audrey Thomas Church Street

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