Dear Editor,

I had to write in response to the letter and article pertaining to the proposed boundaries for Christopher High School. Melanie Gonzalez's argument that the current policy of the district will "push the best parents into private school schooling" is comical at best and otherwise insulting. By Mapquest's calculations Magnolia Drive, where the Gonzalez family lives, is 2.37 miles from Gilroy High. Please name a private high school that is closer than that?

According to Mapquest's calculations, Christopher High is 1.91 miles from Magnolia Drive - an insignificant difference. Both schools would require that her children cross busy streets if they were to walk to school. The reason that consultants are hired to assist in making these decisions is to provide an unbiased opinion. Their opinion is not final; the appropriate board then votes on it.

The article also mentions that the Gonzalez family has a child at Rod Kelley and at Rucker School. If this is correct, the family has made the decision to drive across town for their child's best interests. This could also be seen as separating their neighborhood community.

As far as Trustee Denise Apuzzo's argument that people in the rural areas cannot walk to school anyway and should thus go to the school with the most capacity, I could not disagree more. Gilroy High is 6.4 miles from my house in the northeast city limits. Christopher High is 3.5 miles. With two round trips to the school a day this makes a difference of 58 miles per week. Please do not lump all people living in rural areas into the same category.

The nature of society is that we are more likely to speak up when we are unhappy than when we are in agreement with something. Because of this, most of the press we will see on the subject of Christopher High's boundaries will be those against the original proposal. I urge those who are happy with the original proposal to write to your school board.

Rhonda Callen, Gilroy

Motorists pay a fortune to subsidize public transportation

Dear Editor,

The present method of funding public transportation is inequitable, unsound, and unsustainable. Transit riders are paying a very small percentage of the cost of their rides, while motorists pay 100% of their own transport, plus about 99% of the transit riders' costs.

Here's the National data for the most recent year for which all statistics are available, in billions of dollars per year. Source on page 10 at www.urbantransport.org/costcomp.pdf.

Transit is taxpayer subsidy dependent, while motorists pay much more in gas taxes than the government spends on highways. The motorists' overpayment is used by our leaders to subsidize transit. I believe that is inequitable, unsound and unsustainable transport policy.  

The blue ribbon panel you mentioned concluded that we must transition to "user fees funded" transport. I agree - it's time for transit riders to pay for their own transport, and not depend on motorists to pay most of the transit riders' expenses.

Thank God transit gets such a small percentage of total trips. We'd be in Soviet Union-type trouble if people did start switching to transit, leaving their cars at home.

Joe Thompson, Gilroy

Ringing endorsement for new city administrator from retired chief

Dear Editor,

Gilroy is very fortunate to have Tom Haglund as their new city administrator.

I recently retired after 20 years as the police chief in the City of Galt, and I worked  with Tom several years ago when he worked for Galt as the city manager's assistant. 

I have the utmost respect for Tom and know he will be a good fit with Gilroy.  

Doug Matthews, chief of police (retired) City of Galt,
1973-2006

Punishment for graffiti criminals should be cleaning up the mess

Dear Editor,

Those convicted of graffiti-related crimes should be made to clean up graffiti in the city for an entire year.

Bob Sutton, Gilroy

Farmer's tragic death prompts a heartfelt memorial from a friend

Dear Editor,

Gary Lomanto was a great friend of mine and our family since 1959. Just like his mother, Virginia, and his father, Tony, he was a genuine pillar in the Morgan Hill-San Martin farming community who never turned his back on a friend. He was someone we should all try to emulate. 

Fred G. Borns, Gilroy