In your editorial on April 13 you stated, "There are areas in town where it plainly is not safe to ride a bicycle," and proposed banning bicyclists. The fact is that the danger comes not from the area of town or from the act of bicycling itself. The danger comes from drivers who drive in a manner that endangers bicyclists.

To ban bicyclists would be to punish the victims while ignoring the real cause of the problem: bad driving. In fact, such an action would condone and encourage dangerous driving, increasing the danger to those who live, walk and drive there.

Your editorial goes on to say, "That stretch of Blossom Hill Road needs to be closed to bicycle traffic for the safety of all concerned." Banning automobiles from this stretch of road would do far more to increase safety for all concerned than would banning bicycles. How many people have actually been injured or killed by bicyclists compared to the number who have been injured or killed by motorists?

In fact, neither cars nor bicycles can legally be banned from public roads, so some other solution must be found. A vigorous program that balances engineering, enforcement and education may be able to improve driver behavior and truly increase the safety of all concerned.

Richard Swent

Palo Alto

Prescription drug
pricing is out
of control

I must be a dummy. I cannot figure out why the governments in this country (local, county, state and federal) cannot force the prescription drug manufacturers to lower their prices and alter their compact with their distributors and the retailers.

A former chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Roger Taney, observed in his damnable opinion on the Dred Scott case that the power of police was sovereign to each of the United (federated) States and further that power is defined as the power to promote and regulate the general welfare of the society the states govern.

Surely the honorable jurist Taney's memory is sullied by that horrid decision regarding the slave Dred Scott; however, no one has ever questioned his definition of the power of police.

Certainly a case can be made that the general population "en classe" would benefit from a general reduction of prescription drug prices, and then the state through its own power of police could force a favorable pricing formula upon the drug manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.

I would plead that any compound that can be sold at a lesser price in another country can and should be sold at a comparably reduced price here. It is disgusting that the American people and our patients have to support the rest of the world by subsidizing the drug companies' research costs, which should be spread in a more equitable manner.

I call upon the attorney general of the state of California, under direction of the governor, to sue in federal court each and every drug manufacturer whose prescription drugs are sold in this state for injunctive relief.

Further, I implore all readers who agree with my position to write to their Congress person, senator, state assembly person, state senator, state attorney general and the governor on this matter.

Let's bury them all in a blizzard of paper.

Prescription pricing is unfair and I believe there is a legal precedent for requiring a change in the formula.

Alan Caras

Los Gatos

Los Gatos a safe
place? It doesn't
sound like it

Regarding your article, "Los Gatos may be a safe community but residents must be vigilant" (April 13)--Los Gatos a safe place? Carjacking and bank robbery? Even a recent murder, one each in Los Gatos and Saratoga? It's far cry from when I was growing up there years ago.

Although I think there may have been one fake bank robbery by a group of high school kids on a prank, circa 1954, we had none of that real stuff. If your crime keeps getting worse it may entice me to apply for a county deputy medical examiner's job and trade this cold weather violence in for better working conditions.

Dr. Franc G. Fallico,

Chief Medical Examiner

Alaska

Bicyclists in town
should obey rules, set an example

After reading the responses to the April 13 "No bikes, please" editorial, I was compelled to point out the hypocrisy of the majority of the bikers in our town.

As a jogger who slowly navigates the hilly paths of Los Gatos, I've experienced the dangers that bikers pose to walkers and joggers. When jogging the Lexington Dam and Jones trails, I see signs like "15 mph" or "Walk Your Bike" in clear view, yet rarely see a biker obeying these laws. Of course, not all bikers blatantly disregard these rules, but the majority do. The courteous bikers are few and far between but very much appreciated.

I think that bikers should take a good look in the mirror--as well as their speedometer--before they point fingers at drivers, road conditions and anything else they can blame. One biker remarked, "An editorial reminding motorists of their responsibilities to other users of the road would be most welcome." How about a biker slowing down to a safe speed instead of speeding down a hill that is clearly marked "Walk Your Bike"?

Set an example by slowing down when you come across walkers and joggers. Set an example by walking your bike when the posted signs say to do so. Set an example by obeying the speed limits.

John Nicewonger

Los Gatos

Mayor should be
elected to a
four-year term

I agree with Egon Jensen in his letter to the editor on April 20 that it is not possible to establish any long-term continuity toward completion of programs introduced by a Los Gatos mayor, as this person only serves for one year. Egon suggests that "Rather than have the newly seated mayor publicly promote a program, the mayor and council should jointly develop a strategic plan to improve the relationship between the town government and the citizens of Los Gatos."

This is a good suggestion. I, however, am going to suggest we consider taking it one step further. How about the elimination of the "weak mayor" form of government we currently have, in favor of an elected mayor? An elected mayor would serve a four-year term, giving us the ability to have leadership and long-term planning in place over multiple years. For at least a four-year period, one person would be clearly in charge.

Paul Dubois

Los Gatos

Blossom Hill
'hill' a dangerous
place for cyclists

Thank you for your editorial of April 13 ("No bikes, please") regarding the "hill" on Blossom Hill between Union Avenue and Camino del Cerro being unsafe for cyclists. I have been a committed road rider and racer over the years and I couldn't agree with you more.

There are some roads that are simply avoided by wise cyclists, and the stretch of road you describe is one of them. Many years ago there was a sign on each end of that short stretch warning that the road is unsafe for bicycles. It was put up at the request of a member of the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, a group of civic-minded cyclists, but was removed when the road was re-paved.

Though I always give cyclists extra room on that road, not all motorists are willing to do that, and because of the thin shoulder on both sides it is very dangerous indeed.

Aldene Gordon

Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club

Monte Sereno

Resident is happy
to be living on a
county 'island'

In last week's front page article about Los Gatos annexing county islands ("It's true that 'no man is an island' with changes to annexation laws," April 20) I was quoted as saying it would be the worst thing that could happen to us. That is correct, but Grant Shellen left out my most important reason. We don't want to be under the dictatorship of the town of Los Gatos concerning trees on our private property.

We have lived in our home for 44 years and after 40-plus years we had three pine trees removed that had become a menace to life and limb. It was dangerous to have to get up on the roof to clean off pine needles, but the real danger was from wind storms that looked like they were going to blow the trees right down on our house and bodies.

The people who took them down told us we were lucky we were in the county as Los Gatos would never have allowed us to remove these dangerous trees.

Barbara MacRostie

Los Gatos