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Editor,

A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that Americans would prefer a universal health-insurance program run by the government and financed by taxpayers almost two to one over our current health-insurance system.

With 62 percent of Americans preferring a government-financed system, this poll highlights the growing dissatisfaction with the U.S. health-care system.

I am a second year medical student at Stanford University and one of the co-managers of the Pacific Free Clinic (PFC), a nonprofit free health-care organization in East San Jose. Though I am intensely proud of the work we do at PFC, I am also very aware that free clinics are really a stop-gap measure.

Every day I witness the impact of our broken health-care system on individuals and communities. I am appalled that we stand alone among the industrialized democracies in our failure to provide universal health care to our people, despite spending more on health care than any other country.

It is encouraging to know that the public strongly supports universal health care. Many opponents of universal health care have said that America lacks the political will to bring about true health-care reform.

But if this poll shows anything, it must be that Americans are beginning to understand the need for a better system than the one we now posses. It is time that we also begin to tell our legislators that health-care reform should be our country's top priority. Brent Kobashi Swain Way Palo Alto
Barriers by the numbers

Editor,

Over the last few months, proponents of the Downtown North street closures have made numerous claims about an extraordinarily high rate of traffic accidents in the neighborhood. It now appears that those claims are wrong.

According to Doris Cohen, the Palo Alto Police Department's crime analyst, for the three most recent calendar years (2000-2002) and before the traffic barriers were installed, Downtown North (police "reporting district 4") had 231 traffic accidents (all types) compared to 5,223 for the entire city. This amounts to approximately 4.4 percent. The population of Downtown North is approximately 4,500-plus or 7.7 percent of the city as a whole.

Over the same three-year period, figures for specific accident categories are also below the resident-population percentage: Pedestrian involved accidents totalled seven in the neighborhood and 101 for the city (6.9 percent); bicycle totals were 11 out of 200 (5 .5 percent).

Please note that "reporting district 4" also includes two additional blocks along University Avenue and so has slightly larger boundaries than "Downtown North proper" (the area within Middlefield Road, Lytton Avenue, Alma Street and Palo Alto Avenue).

Clearly, given the population here, the traffic-accident rate as it affects residents in this neighborhood is much less than in other parts of the city. It is unfortunate that proponents persist in misleading and misrepresenting the facts. The over-the-top rhetoric should stop as well. Nicholas Koras Hawthorne Avenue Palo Alto
Defending Nancy Lytle

Editor,

When accusations are repeated often enough, they can take on the legitimacy of fact. Even if the accusations have no merit. Let me correct the record on Nancy Lytle:

-- The reason why Nancy is often characterized as "controversial" is because she defends the interests of common citizens against the status quo. Nancy Lytle helped to protect the school lands at Palo Alto High School, Ventura and Terman from development by non-school organizations. Nancy made many powerful enemies who saw their development plans thwarted. The result has been an endless attack on her character.

-- One council member stirred up controversy by accusing Nancy and other colleagues of violating the Brown Act. The news media has unfairly repeated the accusations and downplayed Nancy's exoneration by the District Attorney.

-- Nancy Lytle's remark that the council could continue public testimony on SOFA II at the next meeting beyond what the city attorney said was allowable looked fairly innocent on the meetingās videotape. But detractors fanned the flames of controversy when the city attorney lodged a complaint based on a dubious clause in his employment contract protecting him from council criticism. Ironically, whichever City Council member spoke to the media about a related closed-door session went blameless.

A fair election focuses on the issues, not whisper campaigns and unfounded allegations. Karen Kang Patricia Lane Palo Alto
Memorable column

Editor,

Thank you so much for Rachel Metz's wonderful column "Multi-hued memories" (Weekly, Oct. 15), which described her feelings about the remodeling of Jordan Middle School's girls' locker room, which had been turned into a rainbow-themed memorial for the death of Autry Pritchett.

Autry was a seventh grader who was hit by a car and killed as she rode her bicycle home from school in September 1993. Autry was a schoolmate of Rachel's and so Rachel had mixed feelings about the remodel.

Autry's mother, Mary Jane, was a close friend and co-worker of mine at Kaiser Redwood City. I will never forget the terrible tragedy of Autry's death, or the struggles of her mother to live through the grief process and regain some reason for living.

Since that day, I would never call Palo Alto a bicycle-friendly town. When I read about "Operation Safe Passage," the program promoting bicycling to school for children, I wanted to scream from the rooftops to remind everyone about Autry's death.

Please be careful of children on or off their bicycles. In a way, it is better this fall because we have so many more crossing guards. But I find the automobile drivers are more careless and distracted than ever.

If your child rides Palo Alto streets on a bike, please remind them that the drivers are very dangerous. Be sure they know the rules of the road and the safest routes to take to their schools.

Have them ride with one or more buddies. Better still, ride with the child yourself. Don't live through what Autry's mother still lives through every day. Michele Hollar Adobe Place Palo Alto
The Rockwell mythology

Editor,

Many of us grew up with the wonderful idealized nostalgia of Norman Rockwell's art -- a perfect little town inhabited by interesting people.

In Palo Alto, our perception sometimes seems a variation of that mythology. We close our eyes to the surrounding reality while anger and fright drive us to deny we're part of a larger metropolitan area. While mouthing "the need for more housing" we rush to the exclusionary barricades if it is proposed for our neighborhood.

And while most of us live in housing that some prior builder/developer risked money to build, we condemn today's developers as evil.

Which brings us to 800 High St. (Measure C): Prior to deciding my vote, I attended the "no" group's presentation and also examined models and plans in the "yes" trailer on site. I traveled the surrounding streets to educate myself on the setting, noting access to groceries, restaurants and the train/bus station -- a place Palo Altans might want to move when their current house/yard maintenance becomes too much to handle.

In this context, and as a 45-year resident, I believe the 800 High St. project's location and density are appropriate and I'll be voting Yes on C.

Meanwhile, I believe thinking Palo Altans will reject "domino" scare tactics that 800 High St.'s density will automatically apply to the Hyatt and Elks sites -- where many of us will vigorously fight for designs and lower densities to protect the Wilkie and Charleston neighbors. Carl Anderson Amaranta Avenue Palo Alto
LWV oversight?

Editor,

It's sad and embarrassing that the Palo Alto League of Women Voters has come out in favor of dollar democracy.

All over the country, the League of Women Voters is fighting for campaign-finance reform. Not in Palo Alto. Here they're part of this corrupting process.

Palo Alto is enduring a huge, costly, dishonest ballot campaign to fight a grassroots campaign against a monster project -- and the local League is allowing itself to be used to stop a popular initiative.

Big glossy mailer. Photograph of Sally Probst: "The League of Women Voters of Palo Alto has thoroughly reviewed Measure C and the 800 High St. development."

No, they haven't. If they had, they'd know that the architect's rendering right next to the photograph of the League's housing chair isn't the project on the ballot.

It's sad, because the League's housing chair lacks the training and skills to evaluate a project of this size. Sally goes for growth, every time, because she can't read plans and can't see past the hype.

The League's board approved her recommendation for approval without even looking at the project. "We always approve the recommendations of our committee chairs," said League President Sandy Eakins.

Other Leagues don't do it that way.

How sad for Palo Alto that we don't have that independent, civic-minded group the League was meant to be. Carol Mullen Tennyson Avenue Palo Alto
No 'sarcastic' letter

Editor,

I was disappointed to read the Weekly article (Oct. 17) describing my letter to Larry Hassett as "sarcastic." This sounds more like an editorial than a reporting piece. What about it made you reach that conclusion?

My offer is sincere and genuine if Larry decides to leave town. Larry has repeatedly dodged the question as to whether his statement before the City Council to leave if 800 High St. proceeds is true or false. Larry is quoted as saying that "it's done for political reasons...." That my offer "takes attention away from the issues." The issue (that of leaving town) was raised by Larry.

Hardware and housing are completely compatible particularly with 63 additional much-needed parking spaces to supplement the five on Larry's property. Doug Ross Channing Avenue Palo Alto
No 'farewell' concerts

"Farewell" Brown Bag and Twilight concerts? No way! The citizens of Palo Alto have spoken, or at least have made pledges that well exceed the budget-cut shortfall. Now the arts-and-culture group is making follow-up calls asking fulfillment of the pledges.

After 22 years of varied fine artists -- from the Rumba Bums to San Francisco Opera, from the Yardies to Four Shillings Short -- we have looked forward to what's coming up next.

We enjoy right here in Palo Alto both great summertime entertainment and great weather.

The Brown Bag Series (in Cogswell Plaza Thursdays noon to 1 p.m.) provides a most enjoyable lunchtime event for people employed in the downtown area, residents of nearby community-housing units, young moms with children and even music-loving homeless.

The Tuesday-evening Twilight Series at various parks is a night out for the entire family -- bring a blanket, folding chairs and a box dinner and let the music move you.

The dance circles in our beautiful parks permit a great response -- young ones running around or on Rollerblades, line dancers over here, dogs part of the mix, young children dancing with parents or grandparents, jugglers over there. The scene is alive, a bit chaotic and a pure joy to experience -- true warmth.

And the wonderful response Ann Justice and I received when we set out to try to save the concerts was inspiring. As we moved through the audiences soliciting pledges, getting such open and generous responses was heart-warming.

We received more than enough pledges to save both concert series. But we're not there yet. If you haven't yet fulfilled your pledge, here's where to send your check: City of Palo Alto Summer Concert Fund, Palo Alto Community Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Thank you all for joining us in this great community effort. Elliott Bolter Walnut Drive