Reader Wire Reader Wire (January 10, 2003)

Voluntary reductions

Michael Reynolds recently wrote your editor that the only way the City of Palo Alto can remain solvent and eliminate the current city deficit is to reduce labor costs associated with employee salaries, pension and health care benefits (Weekly, Dec. 11).

Maybe Mr. Reynolds would be interested to know that our city employees voluntarily reduced labor costs in the past year by more than $1 million with reductions in health care costs and salary adjustments.

Although the current city manager has failed to communicate this information effectively to the general public, be aware, city employees are concerned about the current deficit. In recent past years our city employees have settled for less than 2 percent cost-of-living adjustments even when the City of Palo Alto received record tax receipts during the 1990s.

Only recently were employee salaries at below or even with the average median of neighboring cities. Cuts in our employee labor force, salaries and pensions will only serve to reduce an effective employee infrastructure resulting in deterioration of city services and invalidating any temporary cost savings. Ron Carlson Alma Street, Palo Alto
No new news

Wow! The vice mayor of Palo Alto was named mayor?! And the vote was unanimous?

What a shocker!

How is that front page news? Isn't that kind of like reporting that the sun is going to come up tomorrow? Keith Ferrell Escobita Avenue, Palo Alto
Leadership clean up

A recent letter complained about the leaders in Palo Alto.

We need custodians now, not more leaders. Walter E. Wallis Waverley Street, Palo Alto
Portrait of a 'hero'?

Kathleen Namphy (Weekly, Dec. 25) should weep for America if the present regime in Iraq remains what it is. If the United States does not respond to the growing world terrorism that originates from the Muslim right in the Middle East, a region she is so willing to help and support, her own country will not remain a refuge for her where she could come back to "raise her family ... free of turmoil."

Kathleen Namphy was born with a golden spoon in her mouth, who was free to write poetry, and who did not experience the true meaning of suffering at the hands of an enemy that one has to defend against. Therefore she can remain idealistic and naive and turn against her own by implying that America is to be blamed for the suffering in Iraq.

She forgets that the sanctions were placed there for a reason. She may not know that in Iraq medical treatment is not available to babies who are sick with terminal diseases because the money is spent on Saddam's palaces and riches.

It is a shame that you present someone like Kathleen Namphy as a hero, because she is not one. The heroes are the men and women who are prepared to give their lives to defend freedom which you and Kathleen are able to enjoy and take for granted. Yona Sternheim South Court, Palo Alto
Bush's economic ideas

When it comes to the economy, President Bush is demonstrating genuine leadership. The economic growth package he recently proposed takes us in the right direction by accelerating the successful tax cuts of 2001, providing marriage penalty relief, and providing incentives for individuals and small businesses to save and invest.

Contrary to the class-warfare rhetoric attacking the President's plan, the proposal helps everyone who pays taxes, and especially the middle class. This year alone, 92 million taxpayers will receive an immediate tax cut averaging $1,083 -- and 46 million married couples will get back an average of $1,714.

That's not pocket change for a family struggling through uncertain economic times.

Combined with the President's new initiatives to help the unemployed, this plan gets people back to work and helps every sector of our economy. Jack Tomsky East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto
Support President's plan

President Bush's jobs-and-economic-growth plan is good! Especially for the long term.

Please support him. Marilyn Tomsky East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto
A gathering danger

I'm deeply concerned by the liberal hand-wringing over Washington's so-called "double standard" in its dealings with Iraq and North Korea.

True, the North Koreans have broken their nuclear agreements with Washington, thrown U.N. inspectors out of the country and plan to build a bomb a year. But we should avoid false conclusions. All too often people have an acute liberal panic attack. They pant and tremble and point their finger saying, "See, see double standard. Inconsistency!"

But there's no double standard here.

Let's face the truth squarely. North Korea is building weapons of mass destruction the good, old-fashioned way -- they're building actual nuclear bombs, real, physical bombs that can be monitored and tracked. The Beast of Baghdad, on the other hand, that clever, slippery, and infinitely fiendish rogue, is building an entirely new class of weapons -- ones that can't be seen, perfectly invisible, totally undetectable, as U.N. inspections have shown.

This is a grave and gathering danger, indeed. Kevin Neilson Portola Court, Los Altos