Letters to the editor

Editor,

In reference to recent news articles and San Mateo City Hall meeting agendas, I wonder how San Mateo’s leaders failed to incorporate a provision in the Bay Meadows development for timely removal of post demolition debris.

During negotiations the past few years, the public was made to believe that the city would be proactive to ensure there was no "eyesores and blight.” Now the city has "no control, no power to influence what the developer does with the site” as was recently stated by a city planner associated with the project.

If this is the case, everyone in San Mateo should be scared, very scared and angry. Our city entered into a development agreement that can take up to 20 years to come to fruition, yet they have no control over months-old piles of debris in the heart of our city.

If residential and other business property owners in San Mateo created such debris and disregard for neighbors; unsightly destruction, weed overgrowth, 12-inch uncut grass, wrecked and dismantled cars, storage of junk and debris, leaving trash cans out over 24 hours, be sure code enforcement officers would quickly enforce removal.

It seems smooth talking developer Wilson, Meany and Sullivan and the intimidator owner, BMLC, have received personal and private "go aheads” from the city, for days, weeks, months or maybe even 20 years. Shamefully, once again, the tail continues to wag the dog.

Linda Slocum Lara

San Mateo

Mentally ill are not violent

Editor,

The article about mentally ill threat to nursing homes (Mentally ill threat in nursing homes” by Carla Johnson of the Associated Press in the March 24 edition of the Daily Journal), has unfortunately done more harm to an already truly unfortunate situation. I suggest that the author of this article consult her local affiliate of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) to educate herself. The truth being that most mentally ill people are in fact not violent and most violence is done by people who are not mentally ill. The disorders of schizophrenia, bi-polar etc. do not increase violent behavior. In addition, the mentally ill are more often themselves the victims of violence. If you doubt this, I invite you to check the statistics.

Patrick Field

San Mateo

A scientific approach to global warming

Editor,

Regarding the March 23 edition of the Daily Journal, letter writer Tony Favero cited a passage from a Michael Crichton book. Readers seriously concerned about global warming could also go to Michaelcrichton.com/speeches.html and read his speech to the San Francisco Commonwealth Club on Sept. 15, 2003, titled, "Environmentalism as Religion.” He selected this topic because "Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentalism.” He pleads for environmentalism to remain in the domain of science.

His web site has two other speeches of environmental interest, "Testimony Before the United States Senate on Sept. 28, 2005,” and "The Case for Skepticism on Global Warming” given to the National Press Club on Jan. 25, 2005.

Michael Crichton does not try to convince readers one way or the other in these speeches. He only asks for a scientific approach.

Will Richardson

San Carlos

Millbrae tax increase issues

Editor,

Millbrae has increased water, sewer and garbage rates, fees and taxes. Now they want to renew the fire assessment/tax when new pay schedule provides for senior managers to be paid $191,000 base with bonuses and overtime available that could increase this to $210,000 and more, also full benefits and retirement at age 55 with as much as 80 percent of salary. Mid-level managers’ pay up to $162,000. Police and fire over $100,000. Police commander $131,000. Since the assessment, these are pay schedule increases up to 51 percent managers and 26 percent police/fire.

These people work hard. Do good jobs. As much as we want the best for Millbrae, accountability seems to have escaped Millbrae government culture. Five years ago, the assessment promised a plan to avoid assessment renewal. No plan was developed. Seems the plan was to increase pay scales, spend and ask for a new assessment/tax. You cannot blame the recession for this. How can one vote for renewal? Accountability must be restored and pay plan maximums rolled back to reasonable levels.

Lou Sandrini

Millbrae

Budget cuts

Editor,

On Tuesday, March 24, 2009, I attended the 2009-10 Proposed Budget cuts at City Hall. Listening to both city management people and seniors, as they will be affected the most, I was glad to see so many seniors attending. About 30+ people.

The presentation by the Project Consultant about a 8 million in shortfall in the 2009-10 budget. Cuts and reductions were proposed with associated costs. The greatest cost reduction were in the Police Department and Public Works. Next, there were two rounds of cuts presented. Public Works at $1.2 million; Police at $2.5 million followed by Parks and Recreation at $1.5 million and Fire Department at $1.4 million.

These are the most important parts of our city functions and receives the most cuts! The deputy city manager position was included but that position is not occupied at this time. The present salaries in San Mateo were just reported in the Palo Alto Post. It was reported that the city’s payroll is growing at twice the inflation rate for the Bay Area. That was a 12.1 percent increase in the last two years with the Bay Area only 6.2 percent.

There are 262 employees earning $100,000 or more per year and 11 employees making $200,000. The payroll jumped from $54.1 million in 2006 to $61.5 million in 2008. It is no wonder that San Mateo is in a fiscal quandary! These costs also included health care, auto insurance and other perks, as stated in the Palo Alto Post on Feb. 24.

After seeing the high cost of our employees, I would suggest a 10 percent reduction in all salaries until the economy recovers. This would provide a budget that would stop all the reductions projected at the March 24 meeting.

I think it’s time for a new management in San Mateo and that includes replacing some of those in our City Council that, I think, have been in office too long. Their terms should be reduced to two. San Mateo needs younger people on our council so that, in the future, they can see what their decisions have done to or for our city.

Frank George

San Mateo

Mind-boggling

Editor,

The public outrage over the obscene bonuses paid to the robber barons of AIG is largely a distraction over the far more serious crimes of the billions of taxpayer bailout funds paid to Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley. Billions more were squirreled to several foreign banks, including Société Générale of France, Deutsche Bank of Germany, Barclays of Britain and UBS of Switzerland.

These hatched deals are reeking with conflict of interests. For example, the head of AIG was on the audit committee and a board member of Goldman Sachs. Former Treasury Secretary Paulson was head of Goldman Sachs and the TARP czar was the vice president of Goldman Sachs. Obama’s economic advisor Robert Rubin, former head of Goldman Sachs, and his protégé Larry Summers, were responsible for pushing through deregulation of the banks which resulted in the current crisis. The TARP czar was a vice president at Goldman Sachs. Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, served on AIG’s board and is alleged to have been paid up to $800,000. Finally, AIG is suing its benefactor, the U.S. taxpayers, to recover more than $300 million in overpaid taxes using U.S. taxpayer funds. Mind-boggling.

Tejinder Uberoi

Los Altos