Letters to the editor

Editor,

Last week, President Barack Obama called on Americans to serve their country by becoming teachers. California is undermining the president’s plans by instead telling those who made a career out of teaching that they are no longer wanted, and discouraging others from entering the profession.

Education cuts are a counterproductive response to economic crisis. We cannot sacrifice a generation of students to close a short-term budget gap. Economic recovery requires a well-educated population.

I am an educator on the Peninsula. I have been working in my school district for three years and finally have been granted a full-time position teaching fourth grade this year. I have worked my entire life to become a teacher, the only occupation that I have ever desired. I have no experience in any other sort of career path. I have gone to college and graduate school and continue to attend classes to enrich the education of my students and myself. I am a lifelong learner. The amazing teachers that I had as a child instilled this in me. I hope that I have instilled it in the students that I have taught this year. I hope to instill a love of learning in more students. I will not be able to do that without my job next year. I, too, have been given a pink slip.

Jessica Melton

San Mateo

The letter writer is a fourth grade teacher at Brittan Acres School in the San Carlos Elementary School District.

Merit pay for teachers

Editor,

As a former teacher and administrator, the whole thought of merit pay for educators, as suggested by President Obama, is a total anethma and the fastest way to destroy any faculty. It becomes nothing more than: Who is the principal’s pet? The real culprit here is tenure; and failure to homogeneously group student classes, so that gifted students can be fully enriched and slower moving students will have more help.

James G.B. DeMartini Jr.

Foster City

Bay Meadows project, good for whom?

Editor,

The stable area at Bay Meadows race track employed several hundred people. The majority of these workers were the groomers and hot walkers. The stable gate security, yard jobs, etc. were held by union contract workers.

A couple hundred of the stable hands employed by the trainers lived in the dorm rooms assigned to the trainers. There was a recreation building with an activities director, a chaplain with an office on the grounds who supplied transportation to church services and other activities for the grooms and their families. There was also a dental and medical building which supplied low cost services and a California horsemans office where stable employees could sign up for retirement benefits. These workers were licensed by the state of California, finger printed, photo identified and legally living in the United States.

This is all gone now, replaced by piles of trash and a project called "Bay Meadows Phase II,” a project that would "be good for the whole community.”

About 500 mostly union, full- and part-time workers lost their jobs when the grandstand came down. They are now drawing unemployment benefits and most say they will never ever get a job as good as the one at Bay Meadows, victims of the Bay Meadows development that was to be "good for the community.”

We can now safely coin a new catch phrase for this project: "Bay Meadows Phase II — We lied, suckers.”

Robert Bacon

San Mateo

Children are the future

Editor,

You cannot deny that our children are the future. I am the future. My 6-year-old sister is the future. Why is it that an investment in education is such a burden for this state when billions of dollars are spent on companies every day? Are companies more important than the future of our children? Every child has the right to be given a good education and by laying off teachers this state is denying them that right. How is it possible that in this economic crisis that there are budget cuts in schools instead of in businesses? I think the state of California needs to reflect on what the priorities of this state are.

Noelia Corzo

San Mateo

Common sense on the roads

Editor,

I agree the roads should be for all but I have to register my cars for the privilege to use the roads. I think in this era of no money for various city and county projects, all bicyclists should pay at least $25 a year to register their bikes — they use the roads — they should pay.

I would like to see more cyclists obey traffic rules — stopping at red lights and stop signs, watching out for pedestrians and not riding two or three abreast on a two lane street, which makes the cars go into the wrong lane to pass them. So we should be courteous of one another, use common sense and we should all pay to use the streets.

Bill Hogan

Newark

Hope for animals

Editor,

Media coverage regarding the recent violent cockfighting activities ("Cockfighting ring busted” in the March 10 edition of the Daily Journal), and those individuals arrested, brings about many questions. What is it in the human mind that enjoys a blood sport, especially at the cost of animals’ lives? Is it the basic, psychotic desire to see pain and suffering? Is it the desire to gain a few dollars through betting? As a society, and as Peninsulans, we should feel repulsed and ashamed. Isn’t there enough gore and heartache globally to go around without creating more right here? Apparently the answer to the last question is "no.”

Fortunately the perpetrators were apprehended and there is now a legal case against them through the District Attorney’s Office. This is the only bright side. Those of us who feel compassion, maintain a level of integrity in our lives and loath mindless violence can thank our Peninsula Humane Society/SPCA for the amazing folks working against this type of atrocity. Ken White, president, Scott Delucchi, senior vice president, the incredible group of men and women in the Animal Control Department, and every member of the staff at PHS/SPCA are serving this county in positive ways unknown to most. These amazing folks are at the top of the charts in their tireless and constant efforts to protect not only domestic animals, but also the wildlife of this county! Please stop by the shelter at Coyote Point soon and let them know their grueling efforts are not going unnoticed by the residents of our county!

Coette Schmidt

Redwood City