ReaderWire ReaderWire (February 20, 2004)

Council too large

There are too many on the current Palo Alto City Council. The bigger a committee gets, the less effective it becomes.

Large committees allow individual members of that committee to hide from responsibility for, and the consequences of, the committee's decisions. We would have a more effective City Council (an elected committee) with fewer members.

On a smaller council, individual members would be more accountable for council decisions.

Reducing the council's size would make the pool of candidates who run for City Council stronger. Palo Alto has many intelligent, high-quality people who are able to choose from many career and civic options.

Many of these people choose to avoid the council because they believe their efforts will be diluted. On a smaller council, individual members can have more impact -- and responsibility.

A small city such as ours does not need nine, or even seven, members of the City Council. Five would be a sufficient number. In the coming election cycle, two members are not seeking re-election -- and that would be a good time to remove two seats.

The following two seats could be removed in the following election cycle. Keen Butcher Ashton Avenue, Palo Alto
License fee for education

Last week I received a check from the state, refunding some of the vehicle license fee I paid last fall. I am going to turn around and donate this money to the Palo Alto Foundation for Education, which will help our public schools deal with their desperate financial crisis.

I urge everyone in Palo Alto to do the same thing with their "car tax" refunds. Richard Swent Clara Drive, Palo Alto
Wireless or fiber?

For me, the choice is simple. I've seen enough of ComCast's commercials pushing their low-cost introductory offers.

When the time comes, you can forget any business-run competition. It'll be either wireless or city-owned-and-operated fiber-optic cable. Michael Goldeen Tasso Street, Palo Alto
Compromise on horizon

I am wondering if too much emphasis is being given to the "divisive" element in the discussions regarding street closures. There will always be a few folks who choose to get upset with something is inconvenient or a change in the way they have done things in the past.

Spending more of the city budget dollars on a survey seems unnecessary to me. Please, let the community planners and traffic engineers work this out for the better or worse, as each individual may view the final result.

Personally, I have enjoyed the quiet the present trial has provided, and agree that some changes are inevitable. It would be fine to leave it the same, but in order to bring some harmony to those who are so violently opposed I can handle a compromise. Caroline Finch Poe Street, Palo Alto
Throwing stones

It seems that Mr. Bush expects to prosper at another's expense, and John Kerry is that other.

How can he throw stones, challenging the senator's "special interest" fundraising, when he has accepted contributions from corporate and special interests way in excess of Mr. Kerry? This is just one aspect of his manipulations to control the election in his favor.

We invite the president and his campaign managers and supporters to look themselves in the eye and, acknowledging the corruption of their campaign financing, end it. Realize that here and now you can use your leadership in honorable ways.

Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative in these last weeks -- in short, honor the American people. Joan T. Sullivan E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto

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