State leaders are paying attention to death penalty State leaders are paying attention to death penalty (September 02, 2005)

Editor:

I read with interest the Voice's editorial on the recent controversy concerning the request of the Human Relations Commission to discuss a moratorium on the death penalty in California. The editorial supported the commission doing so, but indicated "we would not expect the discussion to persuade state leaders to jump on the issue ..."

In fact, state leaders are responding to the growing evidence that there are serious flaws in the administration of the death penalty in our state. A recent study found that California's death penalty suffers from many of the same shortcomings that prompted the Governor of Illinois to declare a moratorium in that state. These shortcomings include incompetent defense counsel, the absence of important procedural safeguards, and evidence of racial disparity in the imposition of the death penalty. In the absence of serious reform, the chance that an innocent person could be put to death in California appears likely.

To address this critical issue, the State Senate last year established the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. This commission is expected to begin meeting this year to study California's system of capital punishment and make recommendations for reforms.

Clearly, the commission should be allowed to complete its work before another person --potentially an innocent one -- is put to death. For that reason, I have joined with Assembly member Paul Kortez in introducing AB-1121, which would establish a moratorium on the death penalty until the work of the commission is completed.

As these efforts move forward, we anticipate that vigorous public debate on the appropriateness of the death penalty will continue. State lawmakers need to hear from those who, like the Human Relations Commission, are concerned about the death penalty in California. Sally J. Lieber Assemblywoman, 22nd District Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore, California State Assembly

Perry has it right on building denser housing

Editor:

I'm afraid it is Mike Ritz, not councilman Greg Perry, who "doesn't get it" about "those cars stuck in traffic on the bridge, " as noted the letters on Aug. 19.

Mountain View is fortunate to have a council that thinks regionally and acts locally. All too often what the Sierra Club sees are cities acting without regard to the region. The results are homes we can't afford, traffic that is congested, and alternatives to driving being meager to non-existent.

Planning for denser, mixed-use, mixed-income housing designed around transit, bicycling and walking that don't require "driving for that needed quart of milk" will make for a sustainable Mountain View and a healthier Bay Area. Irvin Dawid, chair Sustainable Land Use Committee Sierra Club, Loma Prieta chapter

The larger purpose in war losses

Editor:

The article about Mountain View resident Karen Meredith was both informing and yet challenging in a very different way. Informing in that it told the story of one woman's anguish over a son's death in a very dangerous part of the world.

It was also challenging to think of some of the most heroic people in our history who lost their lives but gained something much greater because they and their families saw a larger purpose. When a family doesn't share a larger purpose for an action chosen by one of their own, death is the sound of the final door being shut. A family or a people who share in that larger vision view death as a painful yet heroic offering in the quest for a larger goal.

Whether we agree with them or not, our sons and daughters have stepped forward to accept whatever orders are given them to protect America's interest. We may not agree with their choices, but they have put their lives on the line while we are only hoping it will all end soon and all will come home. Honoring our military people doesn't mean just saying, "We Support Our Troops." It means honoring their choice and the life they have given because of that choice. The ineptitude of the administration is beside the point. Allen Price Velarde Street

Nail salon unfairly accused

Editor:

On Aug. 26, the Mountain View Voice posted an article in which faulty allegations by a lawsuit resulted in damage to my shop's reputation.

I have run my beauty salon for three years with the very warm support of Mountain View residents and neighbors. I have worked hard to keep my shop the safest place possible for customers.

My salon has not gotten any warnings from the Cosmotology State Board. In fact, we recently received an appreciation certificate from the Santa Clara County Health Department for volunteering in a survey and sanitary procedures. They found that our salon was performing all sanitation requirements with satisfaction, including effective disinfecting methods.

Our business has operated complaint-free since we took over from the previous owner three years ago, and our mission has always been to make every customer beautiful, happy and healthy. We have done nothing wrong, and believe this lawsuit against us might be driven by monetary desires. Vanessa Van, owner Top Hair & Nail 205 E. Middlefield Rd.

Dog owner's indifference was appalling

Editor:

I read the headline on the front page of the Aug. 26 edition, "Terrier kills cat, frightens neighbors," at first with sadness and dismay, but as I read the article, that initial reaction changed to anger and disgust. The callous indifference apparently displayed by the dog owner in this terrible incident was appalling.

For this person to react with such disregard for her neighbor's grief was unbelievable, but to compound that with her refusal to take any sort of responsibility afterwards is simply unacceptable.

Furthermore, her contention that the cat attacked her dog is totally unsupported by the evidence at the scene as reported in the article. Anyone with even passing familiarity with cats and dogs knows that it is extremely rare for a cat, uncornered and unprovoked, to leave the protection of its yard and spontaneously attack any dog, particularly a large, aggressive breed such as this one.

In my opinion, these dogs should be immediately quarantined and evaluated, with the bill for these services going to the owner. And in regard to financial responsibility, I also hope that the cat's owners do sue her, if only to send the message that pet owners have responsibility to control their potentially dangerous animals and that this cat had a right to live -- and if that right is violently taken, there should be accountability.

Finally, my heart goes out to Luigi's bereaved guardians. As an animal lover, I can imagine the pain they are going through right now. I hope you can take some comfort in the fact that you and others in your neighborhood who fear for the safety of everyone's children and pets will soon be free of the danger posed by this dog owner and her pets. Lisa Bail W. Dana Street

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