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Uploaded: Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 9:55 AM

Palo Alto set to vote in new council members
As more residents choose mail-in ballots, precincts expect light voter presence

by Gennady Sheyner
Palo Alto Online Staff

Posted by Timothy Gray, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Nov 3, 2009 at 11:54 am

Even after the election, can we keep the focus on the deep love we all share for our City.

While the divisive topic of Labor Unions has captured our recent attention, let’s really focus on the end-game: that being a balanced financial future where there is room to:

1.) Support measures that that strengthen the emotional as well as the academic well-being of our youth,

2.) Find a way to fix our creeks before a flood delivers a tragedy,

3.) Revitalize our business district so that we restore a retail tax revenue base, and

4.) Find a High Speed Rail solution that does not blight our neighborhood.

I know we can unify around that better future.

However we must make some sacrifices today, just as the Labor Union members are being asked to share in the pain of the current situation. This is not an anti-Union statement. It is simply a necessity of the times.

My father, who retired from a Union job, impressed upon me the value that Unions play. As the first person in my family to graduate from college, my education was self-funded by a Summer Job with Teamsters Union wages.

We have great compassion and appreciation for the City workers who may only see a take-away. We have all had setbacks in the current environment.

I know for myself, looking to the future through the lens of appreciation has been the most effective medicine while bridging to a balanced future.

Thank you for the opportunity to insert a little humanity into the conversation.

Timothy Gray (Loyal to the greater good)

Posted by Darwin, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 3, 2009 at 1:25 pm

Tim Gray-

If you want to campaign on Palo Alto online please pay for advertising like everyone else. I'm getting a little sick of you spamming the message boards.

Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Nov 3, 2009 at 4:07 pm

"However we must make some sacrifices today, just as the Labor Union members are being asked to share in the pain of the current situation. This is not an anti-Union statement. It is simply a necessity of the times."

Yes the unionized city workers were "asked" to share in the pain and they all shouted "yes, yes" and sat there in the CPA dentist chair like Bill Murray in Little Shop of Horrors.

Specifically what "pain" are you (or anyone else) asking others to endure in order to rectify the current situation? Is this support for Measure A? Is it support to reverse the current Plutocracy and reinstall a taxation system like we had in the 4-'s to 60's when infrastructure was addressed?

"Necessity of the times"? What was no doubt necessary was that saving be achieved and expenditures curtailed. What is recessinary opportunism and price fixing is the area wide decision of municipalities to decide to attempt en masse to all do a fixed formula. It's as if a guy is stranded on an island with a female stranger and claims rape was "a necessity of the time".

Not everybody has had the setbacks. And when things rebound a bit, assuming the imposed settlement is allowed to stand, the gap will just be even wider still.

I suspect certain cogs must turn before things go in motion, the Council Election and Measure A being two of them.

Posted by cc, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Nov 3, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Yes, and like a rape, it can not be taken back. It has been done. The pain will always be there and the trust? Well, it's long gone too. Congrats, Mr. Keene and Council. Now try to get what you want for less, it just doesn't work like that. The pain will be felt long and hard for a lifetime.

Posted by mother, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 9:07 am

the union are a bunch of lazy crooks, they work only till a certain time and they hide behind the union! I'm really happy that Mr. Gray was funded by the union to go to College! Well I worked 3 jobs to put

myself threw college, My father was the Cheif enginineer

for the Alaskan pipeline, and he use to say that the union would come up and always try to muscle their way in wear ever their was money or a big job their was the union!! And he worked for Becktal corporation that was not union! So I hope that Mr. Beckman wins! Because the city workers want a giant retirement fund that we cannot afford? give me a break! don't we all!

Posted by mother, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 9:14 am

Its Mark Hackman, not Mr. Beckman

Posted by cc, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 9:16 am

Mother: What college did you put yourself THREW? WEAR EVER that College is, I would avoid the curriculum.

Posted by mother, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 10:20 am

Gee..... MS Southgate neighbor a College that you could not afford?

Does Standford ring a bell to you, I bet not since you have not grown up on the standford campus or attended standford. I guess you are for union also! well you pay the retirement fund?

Posted by cc, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 11:36 am

Well STANDFORD grad, at least I can spell where I went to College. Affordability has nothing to do with quality, obviously!

Posted by mother, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 4:12 pm

Well Bravo that you can spell!! What else can you do? sense you can spell so well? See you do not have to spell well to save lives, I guess in your case common sense is not so common ? Did you no that 60% of Doctors do not have good spelling ? You see we were taught greek which is the Medical Language, the Nurses decipher what we write! Get it, got it, good.

Posted by cc, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 4:53 pm

Oh, you should have said you were a Doctor. That explains why you are perfect and no one can tell you you're not. Well, I don't believe in God, so Get it? Got it? Good.

By the way, Standford does not have a Medical School, but Stanford does.

Oh, and I also know that with spelling like that, you could have NEVER graduated from any 4 year College, I don't care if your Daddy was Cheif Engineer of the whole world. You're full of it.

And, I've saved a few lives myself, and I'm not a Doctor, just a University graduate who cares about people, more than money. Get it? Got it? Good. And yes, I can spell. it comes in handy in the real world!

Posted by mother, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 6:26 pm

Well you really never said what you did? And by the way, what does you not believing in God have to do with being perfect? I'm not perfect, and I don't really know anyone that is! I'm glad that you saved some lives yourself, and Money does not matter to me, I give alot of my earnings to shelters and to the Military vets that come back with no arms or legs, and I can spell! and I do live in the real world!! Did you also know that half the High School Students don't know how to spell thanks to spell check! and 40% of College students cheat on exams and pay other students to take their test. Well you are sadly wrong I did go to stanford Medical school and graduate. You are a very angry person. And I feel very sorry for you.

Posted by cc, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 10:34 pm

Please don't feel sorry for me...I actually have it pretty good. And, I'm not angry. I just have a problem with sloppy grammar. SPELLCHECK! When I went to College, there was no internet, barely any computers, so spellcheck was just a pipe dream. The English language has reached an all time low.

So, you really rely on an overworked, underpaid RN to decipher digoxin from diazapam? That's why your malpractice insurance is cutting into your charitable donations.

Peace, and keep saving lives! We all need good humans here.