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Uploaded: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 4:28 PM

Palo Alto voters flock to mail-in ballots
But just before Election Day, only a small fraction have mailed them back, registrar's office says

by Jocelyn Dong
Palo Alto Online Staff

Posted by Mike Cobb, former Mayor, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 11:28 am

As Palo Alto voters go to the polls or fill out last-minute mail-in ballots, I hope they will take into account an issue that hasn't received the attention it should from the media and the candidates ... and that is how the City should approach the problem of the proposed High Speed Rail route through Palo Alto. This is a huge issue that threatens to destroy nieghborhoods, cause people to lose their homes, and dramatically change the character of Palo Alto. Most candidates say it can't be on a raised track and should be underground. A 'safe' comment, unless you consider how realistic undergrounding is. I submit it isn't realistic at all and think the media should have asked and candidates answered what do we do then? I have talked with most of the major candidates, and suggest that the ones who deserve my vote are those that recognize that any "solution' that puts HSR on the surface, elevate or not, is absolutely unacceptable, which means we must then challenge and resist the basic routing decision. We should be particularly concerned about candidates who advocate a HSR station for Palo Alto (which has, as I understand it, been advocated by some candidates, including Levins and Price). Such a station would require a massive structure and bring some 5,000 cars a day into Palo Alto. With this issue at the forefront, I recommend votes for Scharff, Shepherd, and Leong. Former Mayor Klein, who will deservedly be re-elected, is a strong and powerful attorney who could be a real asset if he would join those who are willing to challenge the basic routing decision.

Posted by Marvin, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 11:33 am

"Former Mayor Klein, who will deservedly be re-elected, is a strong and powerful attorney who could be a real asset if he would join those who are willing to challenge the basic routing decision."

I am sorry, Mike, I think your comment above is ridiculous. Klein co-authored the colleague's memo urging the council to support HSR and encouraged the voters to vote for it.

Then when the you know what hit the fan, he could never explain why he promoted HSR last year. All he could say was that he was misled. this is what a "strong and powerful" attorney uses as an excuse for deceiving the public? It shows a complete and total lack of responsibility, which has been echoed in other events during his current tenure on the council.

[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Posted by Timothy Gray, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 11:56 am

Hi, this is Timothy Gray, and my sincerity in opposing the current configuration of High Speed Rail is evidenced by the fact that the tracks are 30 ft. from my three children's playhouse.

My principle-based approach asks for nothing less than the equitable sharing of community benefits and community burdens: The High Speed Rail certainly has a community benefit, but in its current planned configuration, it will destroy and divide our neighborhoods, and safety considerations have not been thoroughly resolved. As noted, we have the Rail line just 30 ft. from our Children's playhouse, so I am deeply motivated to find a positive solution. For example, there is a regional transportation need to connect the Peninsula with the East Bay, (commute demand from the East Bay is 30 to 1 compared to the traffic from the Gilroy area.) This alternative route would eliminate the disruption of our neighborhoods and provide the much-needed additional link to the East Bay (this is especially reinforced by the recent Bay Bridge problems and the call for additional connections between these two areas.)

The health and safety of my family is at stake, so you can count on me to pull out every stop to protect this place we love. "I've got my back against the rail and I'm coming out fighting" is a literal description. I am not accepting contribution or endorsements, so my name may not be on your map, however my sincerity is grounded in community service.

Timothy Gray, Candidate for Palo Alto City Council

Posted by Barron park resident, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 12:24 pm

To Timothy Gray:

I'm sorry, but how is living 30 feet from the HSR different from being that close to Caltrain? And, why did you decide to live so close to the train tracks anyway if you are afraid for your children's safety?

It's embarrassing that Palo Alto residents are portrayed as NIMBY's in the New York Times, when it is so clear that HSR is the wave of the future, will save us time, money and reduce our carbon footprint. People often resist change, even when it is for the best. We need this HSR. How do other cities in France or Japan do it? They have elevated tracks that work well. How about the elevated BART tracks in the East Bay? Cities have built green belts underneath them that are used by cyclists, parents with strollers and runners. Why can't we have that?

Posted by Tim Gray, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 2:16 pm

Good question: The Commuter Rail Cooridor is a completely different animal than a towering and many times more frequent HSR.

The High Speed Rail configuration proposed is more like a super-freeway, vs. a commuter train right-of-way with occasional freight.

To answer your question, my wife and I chose public service careers and worked for the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, while our peers were raking it in in the dot-com boom. Not having inherited wealth, we saved our dollars and bought in Palo Alto where we could afford. We all make compromises in life. Little did we know at the time that we would adopt three children. Sometimes life takes its own course. The sound of the current rail is like a favorite song to my children, but imposing and divisive walls proposed will broadcast "the sound of nails on a chalkboard" to many more blocks.

Then imagine just one derailment from a towering train. This is not a NIMBY inconvenience. This is a valid health and safety concern that we must all have compassion for. Community really does mean that one member suffers, we all suffer. I will continue to work for the greater good of the entire community. There are HSR solutions that can deliver a win-win, and we must keep working to get there.

Tim Gray

Posted by HSR, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 10:28 pm

It gets old seeing posts saying, in an accusatory manner, that it makes no sense to oppose HSR if we live near Caltrain. Do you realize that future plans for HSR include trains EVERY THREE MINUTES?? A fact -- check it out!

Just because Japan or anywhere else does something successfully doesn't automatically mean it will be a success on the peninsula. The financial projections are distorted, the train will require ongoing government (taxpayer) subsidies, and gas prices are much lower here, which reduces motivation to use cheaper public transit. It escapes me how it could ever be appealing to the masses to take a train to LA that will take at least as much time (security procedures will increase), will cost at least as much as flying, and will leave you in the middle of a city. We need to protect our lifestyle and our financial obligations.