SanLuisObispo.com: Letters

Letters to the Editor

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:08 PDT

A hero recognized

T hank you for the front-page article about Gene Bergman. I have lived in the North County for 15 years, and I had never heard of him. What a truly wonderful and inspiring man.

I’m sure there are many more people like Gene who are everyday heroes in our midst—we pass them in the grocery aisles or in the bank lobby and never know how they are affecting the quality of our lives and our communities through their efforts.

Letters to the Editor: On Oil and Gasoline

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:08 PDT

Don’t just sit back

C orporations have taken over our country — particularly the oil corporations. They have taken over not because they are “evil,” but because they are designed to make money and citizen apathy has permitted this.

Our administration was put in by money from the oil companies and payback is promoting oil drilling off our coast, in the Arctic National Wilderness Refuge and massive tax breaks.

Viewpoint: Central Coast airports can’t keep competing

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:37 PDT

I’m frequently asked why I don’t support airports as engines of regional economic growth.

Airport proponents from Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara tell me that I underestimate the economic benefits of capital projects at their airport. Not true.

There are two reasons that investments in airports have not and will not achieve the airport proponents’ expectations.

Letters to the Editor

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:37 PDT

Thanks a lot, Democrats

I n January 2006, the Democrats took control of Congress promising to correct all the wrongs forced on us by President Bush and improve our lives. They especially promised to put a lid on gasoline prices, which at the time were nearing $3.00 per gallon!

Well, it’s been 18 months, and I see they’ve really shown us how they “control” things now that they are in charge. Gasoline is now $4.65 and climbing every week.

Viewpoint: Progress counting dropouts

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:33 PDT

On Wednesday, California took a major step forward in addressing school dropouts. For the first time, the state’s dropout data is based on real numbers reflecting individual students who have left school.

When it comes to counting dropouts (students who leave school and do not transfer to another school or graduate), our state has relied on educated guesses that didn’t tell the whole story of how many students left school and why. Dropout rates have been estimates derived from aggregate numbers rather than tracking individual students. Now school districts have a system for identifying individual students and accurately reporting to the state when a student leaves and where that student plans to go.

In a state as large as California, with more than 6.2 million students attending more than 9,500 public schools, it is not a simple task to track individual students during their school career.

Letters to the Editor

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:33 PDT

Bless the horse vets

Iwant to thank my veterinarians Gary Evans and Don Warden for the 23 years you both treated my beloved gray Arabian, Solomon, during his 26-year life. Having Gary and Don around meant the world to me and my family, and I’m sure I am speaking for all of us here in the county.

My horse and I had the greatest life together. We lived our dream every time we went out together and rode the hills and shorelines from Morro Bay to Cayucos. Each day would end with a smile and “I love you.”

Viewpoint: Marriage initiative heeds will of voters

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:37 PDT

Regarding the Viewpoint “Ruling on same-sex marriage is true to nation’s principles” (July 5): The Coalition of Welcoming Congregations errs on a number of points in its opinion supporting same-sex marriage. It assumes that sexual orientation is “based on God-given characteristics of birth.” This assumption is not supported either scientifically or scripturally.

The coalition asserts that those who oppose same-sex marriage are “from within those traditions…that are used to divide, exclude or spread fear.” This outrageous assertion includes those who voted for Proposition 22, an overwhelming vote by the citizens that declared marriage is only between a man and woman.

It is apparent The Coalition of Welcoming Congregations has now become a political arm supporting the homosexual agenda. It alleges that the coming referendum this fall is wrong, that it provides “discriminatory language” that constitutionally sustains that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Letters to the Editor

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:54 PDT

Obama can’t take heat

It was President Harry S. Truman who said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!”

So the Obamas cannot stand the heat apparently, given their comments about the cover of The New Yorker magazine.

Viewpoint: Who should decide in city pay dispute?

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:58 PDT

I n our previous positions with the city of San Luis Obispo, we were and continue to be strong supporters of the Police Department. It is a strong, good department, and the officers and their commanders do an excellent job of protecting lives and property. They should be properly recognized and thanked, as well as properly compensated for the jobs they perform.

Why, then, are we opposed to binding and compulsory arbitration for our police and fire labor organizations?

It is because it strikes a fatal blow to a basic concept of government, particularly local government in California. It removed a fundamental decision-making prerogative from those who are ultimately held responsible for the well-being of the community— the directly elected representatives of the citizens (the City Council) — and it delivers a blank check to a party unknown to the community.

Viewpoint: City should look inward instead of blaming arbitrator

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:58 PDT

Y our recent discussion on “binding arbitration” and published viewpoints of Mayor Romero, Councilman Brown and public safety representatives Dale Strobridge and Erik Baskin (July 13) all are guilty of using improper terminology and as a result may have seriously misinformed your readers.

The dispute resolution process advocated by the public safety employees and approved by the voters in San Luis Obispo provides for what is commonly called “baseball arbitration” utilized when an unresolved dispute between the parties is referred to an arbitrator. Under this process, the arbitrator can only choose one or the other party’s position in his or her ruling and has no ability to conduct fact finding or to render a decision that might be somewhere between the two extremes.

To call this process merely “binding arbitration” and to state that it doesn’t exist in any other employee groups is also misleading.Most collective- bargaining agreements, be they public or private sector, contain a binding arbitration clause as part of a recognized grievance procedure for resolving employee/ employer disputes. Granted, those clauses do not generally allow the arbitrator to change the terms and conditions of a labor agreement, but still it is arbitration to which both parties are bound and the decisions of the arbitrator are final and binding.

Letters to the Editor

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:58 PDT

City tries to buy locally

The recent article (July 4) regarding Arroyo Grande’s alleged lack of support for auto dealerships was incomplete.

Our lease/purchase decision considered the budget as priority No. 2. Priority No. 1 was the safety of our police officers. We research police vehicles for safety and fuel efficiency each year using published road test data from larger departments. Vehicles are rated based on steering, suspension, cornering and overall safety at high speeds.

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:03 PDT

Conservation supported

We at the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District were very pleased reading The Tribune’s report (June 13) of our new three-year watershed coordinator grant of $204,000, one of 43 such grants issued by the California Department of Conservation, and the third grant received by the district.

One important clarification to your article: The watershed coordinators assist in environmental conservation efforts throughout our entire district, serving coastal SLO County from the Cuesta Grade to Morro Bay to Nipomo.

Letters to the Editor

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:38 PDT

Wal-Mart’s no threat

M y home is in Arroyo Grande, where Wal-Mart has been a “threat” for some years. I was amazed to learn from Tom Comar’s Viewpoint June 20 that Arroyo Grande has not received “additional sales tax revenue” or “increased jobs” from the presence of our Wal-Mart. Do the Arroyo Grande city fathers endorse this assertion?

When Wal-Mart arrived, it was certain that our beloved Kmart would be history in a short time. Although Kmarts across the nation have closed, it hasn’t happened here.

Arbitration debate: 10 things to know about binding arbitration

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:38 PDT

What is binding arbitration?

Under binding arbitration, an arbitrator has the power to impose decisions on the parties. For each issue in dispute, the city charter allows the arbitrator to choose one party’s proposal or the other, but not to “split the difference.”

Which employee groups can use binding arbitration?

Viewpoint: What the unions say

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:38 PDT

B inding arbitration provides a fair and balanced process for resolving disputes regarding wages, benefits and working conditions. The citizens of this community enacted this charter measure for a reason. Let us not forget why.

In the late 1990s, the city abused its power during collective bargaining by issuing “low-ball” and “take-it-or-leave-it” offers. City management acted with utter disregard for the link between competitive wages and the high-quality public safety services that the families and businesses in this community deserve. Because police and firefighters cannot strike, the usual tool for protesting oppressive management tactics and promoting awareness of how the safety of the community would be endangered by the city’s approach to negotiations was unavailable to them.

As a result, negotiations stalled and contract talks went on for more than two years, while police and firefighters resorted to painting messages on their car windows to keep the public informed of the jeopardy caused by their unsafe staffing levels and other service shortcomings.

Binding arbitration: Control or fairness?

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:04 PDT

Binding arbitration is a critical issue facing the city of San Luis Obispo.

On the one hand, police and firefighters say it ensures that public safety officers are fairly compensated— and that’s crucial if the city is to continue to attract high-caliber employees.

City officials, however, say it takes away local control and threatens to do away with many of the gains that could be accomplished with the sales tax revenue from voter-approved Measure Y.

Arbitration Debate: What the city says

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:58 PDT

B inding arbitration has been a buzz recently — in the media, in the community and even within the region.

The term sounds bureaucratic, but it goes to the heart and soul of San Luis Obispo.

Do we, the elected representatives and citizens of San Luis Obispo, have control over our resources, or is control handed over to a “binding arbitrator” who does not live here, knows virtually nothing about the city and is accountable to no one in the community?

Letters to the Editor

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:07 PDT

Effective energy plans

I n their letters of June 28, Robert Hyde and Michelle Good blame the current oil crisis on some form or other of government and oil industry corruption, while Meredith Whitaker offers some ideas on how the crisis might be ameliorated. All these ideas ignore the real crisis ahead. None offers real-world solutions.

World oil resources available cannot sustain consumption; this will become acute within two decades, perhaps sooner. Resolution of the current price spike notwithstanding, the larger problem will not be solved by market regulation, political reformation or the wind, wave motion, photoelectric, hybrid auto, ethanol pipe dreams preferred by elite environmentalists.

Viewpoint: Protect small businesses with Shield Initiative

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:42 PDT

Recently the Atascadero City Council voted 4-1 to put the so-called Atascadero Shield Initiative on the November ballot. I was the only council member voting “no.” Why did I think it should be adopted by the City Council, rather than put on the ballot?

Here are a few key reasons:

INTEGRITY

Letters to the Editor

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:40 PDT

Medicare needs focus

If nothing else tells us how far from the real world our government in Washington has become, it is the Medicare mess. Billions of dollars of taxpayer money has been spent and continues to be spent overseas, while doctors here who take care of our elderly have their Medicare reimbursements cut.

Of course, why should our so-called representatives in Washington care, they do not work 60 hours a week like doctors, and they enjoy better health care, retirement and other benefits than the rest of us.