Letters

Editor,

I was only a little astounded at Scott Abramson’s latest rationalization of why it is OK for Israeli Defense Forces to murder Palestinian children. In Abramson’s mind, Israel can do no wrong. I find his phrasing rather interesting. It seems that these innocent children were not killed by Israeli soldiers, but rather by Israeli weapons, as if there were no human element or decision involved.

Oops! Just another minor accident, no need to give it any attention!

Abramson poses questions regarding Palestinian rocket attacks and what might happen if they were to stop. Good question. But I beg to ask Mr. Abramson a question: What if the shoe were on the other foot?

What if it was Palestine that had a huge and powerful army, one that had forced tens of thousands of Israeli people from their land and their homes? What if Palestine built settlements over all of the Israeli aquifers and denied the Israeli people access to other water sources as well? What if the Palestinian Army uprooted thousand of acres of food crops causing widespread hunger and ruining the Israeli economy? What if scores of Israeli cities and towns were being occupied by military forces and in the process being destroyed? What if tens of thousands of Israelis were herded into huge refuge camps? What if there were no future for Israeli children, only despair?

What would the Israeli people do then?

I suggest to you Mr. Abramson that they would fight with any and every means that they could muster. Fortunately, none of those things have happened to Israel. But all of them have happened to the people of Palestine.

There are no quick and easy answers to the problems facing these two peoples. But a beginning could be found in the international recognition of a Palestinian state. A little empathy might help too. It isn’t just a one-way street.

David Kensinger

San Mateo

Foster City is visionary

Editor,

I write in support of Foster City’s bold idea to use golf carts to replace autos ("Electric car proposal loses spark” in the Jan. 3 edition of the Daily Journal).

Golf carts reduce speeds dramatically and thus remove traffic as the number one mortality factor for someone under the age of 50 in San Mateo County; eliminate traffic noise, a major cause of partial deafness in older age, and eliminate air and water borne pollution, a major factor in making the San Francisco Bay unsustainable today.

Foster City’s NEV proposal will do more to solve global warming in a single instance than anything else presently proposed world wide!

For neighborhoods and children this change would be a godsend. Pedestrians would have quiet, pleasant, non intimidating streets with safe intersections. Speeds limits can be reduced. Children can go to school on bikes. Parking places could be reassigned to golf carts, requiring less area, the remaining spots charged for autos, and businesses should be required to provide charging station like they did in the late ‘90s because of California Zero Emission Vehicle law.

Best of all these changes can be accomplished one street at a time, as part of specific plan, for the cost of paint; without reducing mobility options or transport functions for residents; and while encouraging mobility changes through promotions and a few measures like priority changes and parking charges. As the program grows add more streets.

Congratulations on taking such a bold and visionary step.

Gladwyn d’Souza

Belmont

Disappointed in article’s tone

Editor,

After reading your piece on Sam Johnson in the Jan. 1 edition of the Daily Journal, as a concerned resident and homeowner of the city of San Mateo, I am concerned the Daily Journal has presented a fluff piece to boost Sam Johnson’s image because of recent blunders in the administration and oversight of the San Mateo Union High School District.

I am not employed by the district and have virtually no connection short of hoping to send my children to San Mateo High School in the future. I am wondering when you will do an in-depth story on how the district has mismanaged the hard earned income by San Mateo County residents, including myself by Sam Johnson and his staff. Why are teachers and staff being forced to cut their health care benefits after a number of layoffs, no pay increases and service cuts have been absorbed? Why are so many employees of San Mateo Union High School district (both faculty and staff) upset at the way the business of the district has been handled? Why have more than 90 percent of the employees of the district voted a no confidence resolution for San Johnson? When are you going to report the news?

I really don’t care about the life and times of Sam Johnson, I want to know what is he doing to correct the financially disastrous year San Mateo Union High School district under his leadership has endured. Please report the news.

Matt Friedman

San Mateo

Rescind tree removal decision

Editor,

On Tuesday, Jan. 16 at Burlingame City Hall, the Burlingame City Council will reconsider their vote to remove a historic Eucalyptus Tree along historical Easton Drive. The problem, as I see it, is the council members wanting to remove the tree (Keighran, O’Mahony and Nagel) used safety as their corner stone argument to remove the tree.

Well I would like to point out some obvious contradictory facts. Vehicle accidents, extrapolated from a one-day sample of traffic volume, excluding Saturday and Sunday, and over a period of five years, show that there were roughly 2,479,400 car trips on Easton Drive. In this period there was only one accident reported at the intersection of Easton Drive and Cabrillo Avenue and it was not tree related.

There were no pedestrian or bicyclist accidents within the last five years. No damage or injury liability claims have been filed against the city within the last 10 years. The sidewalk and crosswalk are free of trip and fall hazards associated with the root system from the Eucalyptus tree.

There is sufficient room for two vehicles to pass adjacent to the tree, as long as two cars are not parked across from one another.

Contact the Burlingame City Council and ask them to rescind their vote to remove the Eucalyptus tree.

Rich Grogan

Burlingame

A decent president

Editor,

Former president Gerald R. Ford truly deserved the sincere and loving tributes to him from all his countrymen.

May whoever is elected in 2008 to serve our country as the nation’s chief executive have the courage and integrity of this decent and noble man.

Michael Traynor

Burlingame