The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Insulting mailings had a
negative effect on project

Paul Fong seems to have missed two of the main reasons that his pet project failed. Between the developer's very insulting (to one's intelligence) mailing and Fong's very insulting mailing (Let's not forget that some of us really missed Fong's message, as it was in a language that some of us can't read.), just how could he expect that we would all line up to march in his band?

One can guess what his motivation was, but for the rest of us, there was no payday.

It's interesting, at least to this humble Cupertino resident, that someone really believes that they are such a power in a community that others will just follow their whims without questioning the rationale or wisdom of the self-appointed leader.

Humble, common Cupertino residents and elected council disagree with Fong's idea of what's good for us.

Bob Hendrickson

Cupertino

City officials don't have
vision of city's future

Our Cupertino city planners, elected and appointed officials are now being asked by all residents in our community to do the math.

Do any of them have any grasp of the basic concepts of governance? They clearly have no well-developed vision for our city's future, no master plan that answers the basic question: Will our own city survive the fiscal and environmental impacts from all of the current growth that our city officials now fully support, all in the absence of a clearly expressed vision and one that is then fully supported by a real community consensus, one made by all of our fellow residents and not a falsely created consensus like the one brokered by Paul Fong and his fellow shadow associates who claim to speak for everyone in our city. Yet they only speak for themselves, and for the commercial property owners that prop them up as supercilious consensus builders and visionary designers for our future city.

They clearly don't speak for you and me.

Something doesn't add up here--our city of Cupertino's future success, that is.

Do the math, as our own city officials and private commercial interests clearly can't.

Keith Murphy

Cupertino resident, 45 years

Residents fighting for
their neighborhood

It's politics as usual as three elected officials, deciding 1,000 new condos from DeAnza to Tantau isn't enough, vote to put 137 more in Vallco's parking lot. Councilwoman Dolly Sandoval's 'yes' from her previous 'no' vote to rezone from retail to housing and Mayor Richard Lowenthal's lack of neutrality unless it's in his yard caused the mythical flywheel Councilman Orrin Mahoney touts as driving the mall to be thrust into the backs of adjacent Vallco neighbors. Only council members Kris Wang and Patrick Kwok stood firm to protect our interests against major intrusion.

Should we have to fight for neighborhood integrity, against traffic jams and the negative impact of hundreds of new students attending overcrowded schools? All of Cupertino and all the schools will suffer. Because they can vote for developer interests over those of constituents doesn't mean they should.

Ruby Elbogen

Cupertino

City officials don't have
vision of the city's future

Our Cupertino city planners, elected and appointed officials are now being asked by all residents in our community to do the math.

Do any of them have any grasp of the basic concepts of governance? They clearly have no well developed vision for our city's future, no master plan that answers the basic question: Will our own city survive the fiscal and environmental impacts from all of the current growth that our city officials now fully support, all in the absence of a clearly expressed vision and one that is then fully supported by a real community consensus, one made by all of our fellow residents and not a falsely created consensus like the one brokered by Paul Fong and his fellow shadow associates who claim to speak for everyone in our city. Yet they only speak for themselves, and for the commercial property owners that prop them up as supercilious consensus builders and visionary designers for our future city.

They clearly don't speak for you and me.

Something doesn't add up here--our city of Cupertino's future success that is.

Do the math yourself, as our own city officials and private commercial interests clearly can't.

Keith Murphy

Cupertino resident 45 years.

Fish in pond died as result
of chloramine in the water

Thanks for your March 29 article about the health concerns of chloramine in our water supply. I first became aware of the new additive after all my fish died. They were in an outside pond, so I replaced them and treated the water. They died again when the lawn sprinklers added enough untreated water to poison them again.

I didn't like the idea that water that comes out of the garden hose kills fish and frogs, so I looked into the situation further.

I found that my concerns were minor compared to the health problems other people were experiencing. I was further surprised that no significant health studies had been done before putting chloramine in our drinking water.

I think we all need to support Assemblyman Ira Ruskin's AB2402 to demand further testing of chloramine and looking at alternative disinfectants.

Now that I have become aware of the health issues caused by chloramine in our water, I believe that thousands are suffering, and they and their doctors have just not associated their problems to the water, which they bathe in and drink. Interested persons can contact Citizens Concerned About Chloramine to learn more.

Marty McGrath

Sunnyvale

Someone finally listens
to effects of chloramine

Kudos to Assemblyman Ira Ruskin for introducing the bill AB2402 addressing the chloramine issue. In the Sun's March 29 article on chloramine, Ruskin is quoted as expressing concern for the people suffering from the effects of chloramine in the water supply and hopes that his bill will "bring relief to people."

Finally, the claims of people are being heard and some action taken to investigate chloramine.

For Citizens Concerned About Chloramine, an organization seeking chloramine resolution, one of the hoped-for outcomes of the bill is that it will lead to the necessary studies on the health effects of chloramine, especially the skin and respiratory studies. The asthma-related symptoms are life-threatening.

As early as 1978, the question, "What are the health effects of chloramine?" was reiterated by the Federal Register (EPA, 1978). It seems unconscionable that any water regulatory agency would add a chemical into the water before knowing its potential toxicity.

What are we waiting for?

Lillian Liebermann

San Jose

Symptoms returned when
using Philadelphia water

Thanks for providing a much needed service in informing the public about the validated concerns over the addition of chloramine to our water as a disinfectant. There are many unsuspecting people (young and old alike), who are being unfairly treated when it comes to their health.

It took me many months to relate my congestion to the occasional showering in water containing chloramine. Using purified well water eliminated the hazardous effects I was experiencing.

But then during the last two months I spent in Philadelphia on a work assignment, I found all my previous congestive effects reappeared.

I was surprised to find the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Water District used chloramine also.

So, you see, the problem has become widespread and difficult to avoid. But once we set the correct standard here in our area, others will follow.

Bruce Dronek

Sunnyvale