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Published on 03/15/1999 All articles from this issue

Letters to the Editor

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Fight back with 'ZEROTicket Campaign'

Capt. Cliff Balch gloating and bragging over doubling the number of tickets written is too much. Cops who look like storm troopers with black boots and gloves, bullet-proof vests, and dark sun glasses while hiding in the bushes with radar guns is too much. We've crossed the line.

It's time to fight back before a few righteous zealots get total control.

Fight back by beating them at their own game. Citizens of Los Altos, take control of your driving. Maliciously and scrupulously comply with the exact letter of every traffic law. If we discipline ourselves to not break any laws, the police can't write 400-plus tickets per month. Don't give them a chance to write one ticket.

Help each other to stay within the letter of the law. Flash your headlights to warn oncoming cars of a police trap. Be very careful. Drive exactly and precisely at the speed limit. Full stop at the cross streets where the cops hide, signal your turns and stop on the yellow lights. Don't give them one chance to give you a ticket. It's the only real way to fight back.

Tell your friends outside Los Altos about the police siege here. Warn them. Don't give the police a reason to write a ticket. Tell your teen-agers, "No tickets." Police are especially after them.

With "ZEROTickets" written, the $500,000 of extra revenue from fines dries up and so will the cops. Radar guns will atrophy. Motorcycle cops will go when the special grant money does. We'll have no reason for them.

Make the "ZEROTicket Campaign" a reality. Bring common sense and rationality back to the streets of Los Altos.

John ToppelLos Altos

Majority opinion still not being heard

The Los Altos Hills Civic Association membership continues to grow as a result of the recent election, energized by the notion that the majority view plays a role in guiding town policy.

The recent election placed into office two council members with the mandate, among other things, to remove the unfairness faced by residents with projects in the site development review process. Proponents representing the planning commission policies of the past not only lost the election, but lost on their issues. Town policy must now change. This is the essence of the democratic process and right of the public to chose.

To date, the majority opinion of Los Altos Hills residents is not being heard. Lobbying by the special interest of a few is obstructing fairness in the site development review process. This is facilitated by the fact that the candidates who lost in the election continue, as members of the planning commission and finance committee, to influence policy even though they lost the election. This represents a blatant disrespect for the majority opinion

I have heard that attendance at city council meetings by a vocal minority may also be guiding town policy. Furthermore, Mayor Johnson is being heavily lobbied by this vocal minority. I want to assure Mayor Johnson that the majority of residents are not in the dark and that interest continues to mount as to what the council is going to do about respecting the majority opinion and fixing the problems generated by past policies.

Toni Casey and Steve Finn were elected by a substantial majority over Dot Schreiner and the policies of the past. I hope the council will steer away from a vocal group that attends council meetings and dedicate government to upholding the mandate of the majority who voted in the last election. The Civic Association, for its part, will continue its role to inform the town of issues before the council and actions by the council. Our membership continues to grow, having increased by 20 percent since the last election, to more than 1,000 members.

I hope Bob Johnson's legacy as mayor will be that he ensured that the majority opinion was honored.

Lisa VellequettePresident, Los Altos Hills

Civic Association

Reporter missed ambience of meeting

Until the past five to six years, the Los Altos Hills City Council heard mostly issues regarding challenges on variances.

At the March 4 council meeting, a settled issue was brought forth by Toni Casey.

This appeal set the start date of the Srinivasan project back at least four weeks. It took a little over an hour to hear this appeal only to have it remain the same.

Your reporter seemed to have missed the point. Toni Casey pulled this issue from the consent calendar and made an issue of it.

At the admission of the speaker, who lives outside the area in question by at least a mile, he was called by Toni Casey to make the point that he had to lower his roof, too.

There was no history as to the reason why Toni verbally attacked some of the neighbors and challenged the opinions different from hers.

I feel the story was biased. It did not put forth the correct ambiance of the meeting.

There was frustration, bewilderment, discontent, rudeness, and even a bit of hostility.

I would like to see better reporting for the Hills in the future.

Toni Casey, and now Steve Finn, cause much friction. Lots of the council meetings are peppered with bickering not only on the council but with the audience, also.

This kind of atmosphere should be reported. People need to know how our government is working. All of it.

Betsy Bertram

Los Altos Hills