Letters

Editor,

Leland Yee’s campaign has a mailer stating $250,000 of Mike Nevin’s campaign funding comes from "real estate interests, developers, and construction trades.” I believe that estimate may be low because special interests have become very clever at hiding contribution sources. In 2004, for example, the Bay Meadows race track developer gave Nevin’s campaign $6,400.

We made that contribution public so the developer, Terrence Fancher, made only a $200 contribution to Nevin’s campaign this time around. However, the developer’s wife, who lists her occupation as "housewife,” gave $6,600 to Nevin’s campaign.

This appears to be an attempt to skirt campaign finance disclosure laws and should absolutely not be allowed.

Donna Bischoff

San Mateo

It’s now or Nevin!

Editor,

On Tuesday, San Mateo County voters should vote Mike Nevin for state Senate.

Mike has proven himself to be a community leader that we can trust to follow through with his promises. We voted to elect him to local office six consecutive times in San Mateo County and Tuesday should be no exception. Those who know the history involved in this race know that Lou Papan is only running as a spoiler to take votes away from Mike Nevin.

If he succeeds, San Mateo County will not have a representative in the Senate. Instead, Leland Yee, a San Francisco politician, would represent our county. Yee has already proven that he’s no friend of ours when he refused to return millions of dollars in jet fuel taxes back to San Mateo County.

Mike Nevin will ensure that we get our fair share. Don’t waste your vote on Lou Papan.

Give our county a representative that we deserve. Send Mike Nevin to Sacramento.

Bill Moore

Pacifica

California needs

watchdog for stocks

Editor,

This is an appeal to declines-to-state, and other non-partisan registered voters, towards restoring stability in our stock market. County election officials are required to give you a Democrat-ballot Tuesday, upon your request. No need to change party-registration. One of the Democrat governor candidates, Steve Westly, has "deep roots” in the corporation stock-option craze, of the last 15 years. I have not heard him say a bad word about stock-option issuances, option re-pricing, option bonuses, option back-dating, nor the instability of the market due to all the arbitrary issuances of stock options. Phil Angelides, as governor, will appoint better corporation watchdogs to commissions.

John Bauer

Martinez

Congratulations

Editor,

Congrats to the Daily Journal for winning 20 Press Club honors. Now the sole truly independent daily on the Peninsula, the Daily Journal knows how important local news is. Case in point: The recent banner, front-page stories on the two public school coaches involved in sex cases.

Also applaud you for noting the awards won by your competition. Magnanimous.

James O. Clifford Sr.

Redwood City

Will an excellent charter school be good for you?

Editor,

Our master planned community will soon make a momentous decision: What uses should Foster City approve for the 15 acres of public land adjoining the Civic Center? Our city has been collecting suggested uses through a survey, whose cutoff date is June 9.

Presumably the tabulated results will be discussed at the joint City Council-Planning Commission meeting on July 18. Many of us who have lived here since the city was built are hoping the surveys express a majority desire to include a public charter high school on the 15-acre site, thereby completing our Master Plan.

I’m disappointed that some of my apathetic older neighbors say, "My children are grown, so why should I care about a high school?” They should care, of course, because our new, young, and highly educated families are our city’s future — and they appear to support the proposed high school overwhelmingly.

I recall the UC student poll-taker who, some 40 years ago, queried us on why we moved here. She later sent us the survey results, indicating that the "pioneer” residents placed an inordinately high value on schools and learning. Forty years later, I see our new population holding identical values. They moved to our city largely because of our excellent middle and elementary schools.

So, my fellow-graying-residents, don’t worry about traffic; most of the students will bike; the amount of inbound traffic will be insignificant and neatly routed to parking beneath the Foster City Boulevard power lines. Roving hordes of noisy, aimless teenagers? Unlikely in a high-tech school concentrating on math and science.

Finally, if self-interest is your foremost concern, watch how your home value will be appreciating as you contemplate the question: Will an excellent public charter high school be good for me, too?

Robert L. Nelson

Foster City<