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As trustee, Bernald
will keep school on top
How fortunate we Saratogans are to have this amazing institution in our backyard.
My children have taken summer classes at West Valley College that were transferable to their UC schools. My grandson just graduated from West Valley and was accepted directly to the business school of Loyola Marymount University. In order to keep West Valley at “the top of its game,” I encourage voters to ink in their ballot for Mary-Lynne Bernald for the District 5 open seat on the West Valley Mission Community College District board.
I’ve admired Mary-Lynne from afar when she successfully served on the Saratoga Historical Foundation’s board. She is smart, confident, genuine, creative, cooperative and fun to be with. She definitely will help keep West Valley Community College District at the top of its game.
Joan Bose
Saratoga
This election is
about democracy
This election is not about who will give you the best deal on taxes or the price of eggs. This election is not about you, it’s about us, we the people. Are we to continue being “the shining light of democracy”? Or are we to become a country run by election deniers, insurrectionists, bigots, felons and fascists?
That is the choice, that is your choice. Choose wisely.
Paul Osborn
Morgan Hill
Educators possess
experience for board
This fall voters have a rare opportunity to elect experienced educators to the West Valley-Mission Community College District Board of Trustees.
The board oversees the fiscal health of the district and its decisions have lasting impacts on students and programs. Diane Lamkin (Area 5, emeritus faculty, Mission College) and Rebecca Wong (Area 6, emeritus faculty, West Valley College) are outstanding candidates who have direct experience in community college education. Through years of service as department and division chairs, they will bring to the board a strong understanding of the importance of good, participatory governance in the community college system. Most importantly, through their many years of classroom experience, they understand and appreciate the needs, challenges and aspirations of our students.
Please cast your ballot for these dedicated educators and give our students the best possible representation on the board.
Thais Winsome
Emeritus faculty, Mission College
San Francisco
Hiking minimum wage
is no threat to business
Re: “Should California raise minimum wage? No, hike would raise costs” (Page A7, Oct. 18).
I am writing in response to the opinion piece by small business owner Jim Relles. I’d like to share why saying yes to Proposition 32 would benefit small businesses and working families.
I appreciate Relles’ concerns as a small business owner, noting that higher wages could increase costs. However, this wage increase could also help people recover from pandemic challenges. Relles referenced West Hollywood businesses receiving relief from wage increases. Proposition 32 offers similar flexibility, giving small businesses time to adjust. According to CalMatters, small businesses would pay $17 next year and $18 by 2026, with gradual changes lessening the impact. Additionally, industries like fast food and health care have secured wages beyond $18.
UC Berkeley studies found no job losses from California’s gradual rise to $15. Proposition 32 could help 2 million workers afford basic needs without jeopardizing business health.
Andrea Saldana
San Jose
Proposition 4 is
a prudent investment
Californians have a chance this November to vote for a historic $10 billion climate resilience bond, Proposition 4. The bond would pay for wildfire prevention via forest thinning and controlled burns, water conservation and recycling projects, protection against sea level rise, and projects to reduce the effects of extreme heat in urban areas. It also includes funding for protecting natural lands that absorb greenhouse gasses, including $25 million for San Jose’s Coyote Valley.
Ten billion dollars is a prudent investment in comparison to the cost of climate disaster recovery. It’s already costing California billions each year to recover from fires and flooding, not to mention agricultural losses caused by water shortages. When it comes to disaster preparation, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Vote yes on Proposition 4.
Ann Monroe
San Jose
Your vote is critical
to our democracy
It shouldn’t take too much convincing that this election is extremely important for the immediate future, but also has the potential for dramatic changes long term, no matter what party you belong to.
Both sides are equally passionate that only their candidate has the answers. Voting is not a privilege. It’s a responsibility. It’s your duty as a citizen. You have no right to complain or criticize unless you cast your ballot. And it’s not just the criticality of choosing our president and the hidden ramifications of Supreme Court appointments. Your San Jose City Council member will be making decisions that directly impact you, your house and your overall quality of life in our little corner of San Jose.
You need to vote. As the League of Women Voters says, elections are not a spectator sport.
David Wilkins
San Jose
We must end inaction
on climate crisis
Re: “U.N. blasts lackluster effort with climate change” (Page A1, Oct. 25).
Planet Earth is in big trouble. We risk coral reef extinction, polar ice melting, devastating hurricanes and flooding if we continue to warm the planet above the Paris Agreement of 2 degrees Celsius.
And yet, the United States is the top producer of oil and natural gas, carbon emissions continue to rise, and the Republican presidential candidate promises more of the same — “drill, baby, drill” and “frack! frack! frack!”
Concerned citizens, it is time to “vote, vote, vote” the climate deniers out of office. Join the climate movement to apply pressure on our elected leaders to take bold climate action, including enacting HR 5744, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, a carbon price with a dividend returned to the people, the most effective tool to quickly transition to clean, renewable energy.
Time is running out in this decade to reduce carbon emissions by half to meet the Paris Agreement.
Lisa Oliver
Milpitas
Voters should give
Sunnyvale a new library
Sunnyvale voters have an opportunity in the upcoming election to replace our 64-year-old main library with a new library designed to be sustainable and meet the needs of our growing, diverse population. The new library will be three stories tall, provide space for the total collection to grow by 30%, and expand by four times the spaces dedicated to children and teens.
Modern libraries are for much more than checking out books. They provide spaces for communities to gather and learn together. Library programs can include maker spaces, arts, crafts, 3-D printers and cultural programs.
Sunnyvale also has a Library of Things that can be checked out including a Chromebook, a Digital Camera Kit, a Wi-Fi hotspot and hundreds of other items.
The bond measure will raise property taxes by about 2% and benefit our entire community for decades.
Please vote yes on Sunnyvale Measure E. Libraries are for everyone.
Michael Serrone
Sunnyvale
Volleyball boycotts only
exacerbate divisions
Re: “What to know about San Jose State volleyball team and why opponents are boycotting matches” (Oct. 25).
The decision by several teams to boycott matches against San Jose State’s volleyball team due to a transgender athlete’s participation is rooted in flawed assumptions about fairness. The idea that transgender athletes hold an automatic advantage ignores the complexity of the issue, including the fact that hormone therapy and NCAA guidelines are designed to ensure a level playing field. Boycotts, rather than fostering dialogue or offering solutions, merely deepen divisions and perpetuate a culture of exclusion.
Fairness in sports is about more than just biology. It is also about the values of inclusivity, respect and sportsmanship. Transgender athletes deserve the opportunity to compete in environments that respect their identity without being subjected to exclusion based on unsupported fears. Instead of boycotting, teams should engage in constructive conversations about inclusivity in sports, which would lead to more equitable outcomes for all athletes.
Calvin De Ramos
San Jose
MAGA candidates make
border problem worse
What we have in America is an education problem in civics.
There are three coequal branches of government, and the Harris-Biden administration only controls one — the executive. Donald Trump controls the other two — the Congress, evidenced by his torpedoing of the Republican-written immigration reform bill, and the judiciary, well-known by now as being in his pocket with court-stacking from his previous administration.
So when 80 million MAGAs vote this time, they should know that they will be reelecting the party responsible for the immigration mess, not the one trying desperately to solve it.
Robert Wahler
San Jose
Sunnyvale council slate
is best for the city
Re: “For Sunnyvale, elect Klein, Cisneros and Le” (Page A12, Sept. 29).
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I commend the Mercury News editorial board for endorsing Larry Klein, Eileen Le and Alysa Cisneros for Sunnyvale City Council. Together with Charlsie Chang, running unopposed, I am confident that they will continue Sunnyvale’s tradition of progressive, inclusive, fiscally responsible leadership.
Larry Klein has been consistently present in the community, serving effectively as Sunnyvale’s booster- and consoler-in-chief for years. He successfully led our city through COVID and kept our business community going strong. He brings a collaborative leadership style to the dais, where he works to make sure that all councilmembers succeed. He deserves reelection.
Richard Mehlinger
Sunnyvale
