June 17, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

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Two thousand autos filled with happy birdwatchers, duck feeders, strollers, moon watchers, photographers, picnickers, wind surfers, families and seniors entering our nature preserves at a proposed $5 an auto equals $10,000 equals one Digital Egg.
Mary Carlstead
Walter Hays Drive, Palo Alto

Allergies and the enemy

Now that the Palo Alto City Council has decided to ban gas-powered leaf blowers perhaps they will move on to the real problems of tree- and vegetation-based air pollution.

Many of the trees and plants on our streets planted over the past hundred years are major contributors to pollen and other irritants in our unique California near-desert weather. Our spring and summer winds move pollen and dust around in huge bursts of allergy-inducing irritants and scatter seeds from the liquid ambers to trip up the unwary.

Allergies are not something one has; one acquires them from continuing exposure to the irritants.

Which do you suppose contributes more to allergies: our gas-powered leaf blowers, which require us to go in the house for a few minutes and shut the doors and windows, or our 20- to 40-mile-an-hour winds kicking around pollen from our large numbers of sycamores and similar allergy-inducing trees for hours on end?

To paraphrase a famous Walt Kelly Pogo cartoon, we have met the enemy and it is not the gardeners and their gas blowers, it is us.
Marvin Lee
Harker Avenue, Palo Alto

Next on the ban agenda?

I suspect the leaf-blower ban does not represent the interest of most Palo Alto residents. The vast majority of Palo Alto residents have much more important issues to deal with.

This ban represents the views of a small, outspoken minority that has too much free time. Next on the agenda is to ban Caltrain and garbage trucks -- they too stir up a lot of dust and make a whole lot of noise.

Now comes the unpleasant and costly task of enforcing this ban. I believe that our police department has a lot more important things to do.
Stan Shore
Kellogg Avenue, Palo Alto

Retirement party

In a time of strained city budgets, which promise to be tight for the foreseeable future in part due to defined benefit giveaways and high salaries bequeathed by City Manager Frank Benest to more than 1,000 city employees, the City Council has given another gratuity -- worth about $700,000 -- for Benest.

The gift was conferred with a 5-3 vote, with councilmembers Judy Kleinberg, Hilary Freeman and LaDoris Cordell voting on the side of reason.

Two important things about this gift were not emphasized. First, the $900,000 tax-free loan that was extended for an extra 12 years is worth, at 5.5 percent per annum, about $50,000 per year. Focusing on the question of whether or not to pay Benest's $10,000 in taxes each year was an act of misdirection, familiar to all conjurers: "Look, we're only proposing giving him $10,000 each year."

The gift is really $60,000 per year for 12 years. Do the math. It sets a precedent of largesse for the next city manager to embellish.

Second, perks are given to attract and retain valued employees. In this case, the $60,000-per-year gift helps Benest retire early.

Thanks to the five generous spenders on the council, we Palo Alto taxpayers will be taking care of Benest's housing expenses for the next 12 years, regardless of whether he's doing anything for us. This new perk is a huge going away present.

Think of it as a $35 parcel tax for Benest's retirement.
Dan Bloomberg
Paradise Way, Palo Alto

Upbeat about crackdown

This week I happened to be driving around town several times at the end of the school day and was so pleased to see that all the students riding bikes were wearing helmets.

What a nice change. I'm sure the police crackdown has made a difference. Good job.
Sue Krumbein
Bryant Street, Palo Alto

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