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Council majority
skirts democracy
Re. “San Jose council to appoint 2 seats,” Page A1, Dec. 7:
Well, the fix is in. Having lost the mayoral race, union and progressive factions came up with a workaround — deny the electorate in Districts 8 and 10 the right to select their own representatives and anoint two more union-leaning reps.
The new mayor will have two fewer allies on the council. It is hard to imagine how the new mayor will be able to implement any of his moderate policies in this arena.
So much for democracy.
Phillip Griego
San Jose
Council’s choice
affirms cynicism
The City Council’s shameful 7-4 vote to ignore precedent by filling the two vacant council seats by appointment rather than holding a special election just reinforced the negative opinions I have about politicians and extremism, regardless of what side they represent.
I expected so much more from so-called progressive councilmembers who like to brag about their respect for democratic principles and who certainly never refrain from spending money.
The city manager confirmed that the election was affordable and that basic services would not be affected. And if the ridiculous argument that the special election should not be held due to low voter turnout was accepted, then I suppose other elections could be canceled for the same reason.
This was an obvious power grab to prevent voters in Districts 8 and 10 from possibly selecting political moderates.
Tom Watts
San Jose
Students will have
say on education board
Thanks to a new state law, the Santa Clara County Board of Education received its very first student petition that paved the way for student representation on our board.
The Santa Clara County Office of Education is charged with serving a combined 270,000 students across our county’s 31 school districts and authorized charter schools. For more than 160 years, the County Office of Education has provided high-quality education resources.
My colleagues and I consider it critical for students to have democratic input into their education system and its policies, and to enjoy opportunities for civic engagement. We spent the summer modifying our procedures to embrace our new student representatives and are extremely proud to welcome our newly elected student board member and alternate board member.
Student board members will serve for one school year, and through their representation, will contribute to countywide student engagement, collaboration, empowerment and leadership.
Tara Sreekrishnan
Governing Board Member, Santa Clara County Board of Education
School picks right way
to honor students
Nowadays, news about our public schools usually falls between terrible and tragic. Fortunately, occasionally, we hear some good news such as the one my granddaughter – Zeiya – brought home the other day.
The second-grader recounted how at the school assembly, she and a few other students were invited up on the stage and introduced to the whole school as “students of the month.” The practice of handing out such awards is nothing new. However, it was the way it was handed out that made Zeiya’s school a shining example of what a public school could be. By “honoring” students in such a manner, the school inspired all the students at the assembly. Zeiya’s reply “Their cheers were the loudest” to my question, “Did your friends congratulate you?” made it clear that the experiment was a resounding success.
Clearly, the goal of promoting academics and citizenship has been achieved.
Myo Kyaw Myint
San Jose
Ukraine’s self-defense
is not ‘brazen’
Re. “Latest drone strike hits oil facility in Russia,” Page A3, Dec. 7:
Reporters suggest that a drone strike against Russia was “one of the most brazen attacks” since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 10 months ago.
What about Russia’s “brazen” invasion of Ukraine involving the torture, rape and murder of thousands of civilians, and the destruction of housing, schools, hospitals and infrastructure to the point that hundreds of survivors were driven from their birthplace and dragged into Russian captivity for “reeducation” into a new Russian life?
Would that Ukraine had had the resources and backing to perform this rather trivial response at the beginning of the Russian invasion such that it might have prevented the enormous loss of life and safe living conditions for this relatively peaceful and productive country.
Now the survivors are left dealing with no food, heat or shelter; trying to stay alive while the world community tries to help defend them from Putin’s madness.
Stephen Russell
Menlo Park
Source: www.mercurynews.com