Call for transparency needs clarification
In Los Altos City Councilmember Lynette Lee Eng’s column in the July 5 Town Crier, she raises some excellent points and I join her call for residents to become engaged. Volunteering for a commission, a committee or running for council is extremely rewarding and an incredible way to give back to our community.
In the interest of transparency, I would like to clarify that on June 27, Councilmember Lee Eng voted to rescind the city’s Open Government Policy. I am proud to say that – unanimously – the city council took that necessary step to improve the functioning of our government and serve the residents of Los Altos.
Again, to be transparent, I also note that a number of the other changes she mentioned were ones the city council committed to when adopting our Housing Element Update, a process that included significant community participation. When the city council voted to adopt the Housing Element Update on Jan. 24, Councilmember Lee Eng did not oppose it (she abstained).
One minor correction: Councilmember Lee Eng said that council agendas would only be published four days before a regular meeting. In fact, the council adopted a policy requiring the publication five days before a regular meeting. This exceeds the state law minimum requirement of just 72 hours’ notice.
Jonathan Weinberg
Los Altos
Note: Weinberg is vice mayor of Los Altos, but he submitted this letter as a resident.
Leaf blower code draws praise
I’m thrilled that the Los Altos City Council has OK’d an ordinance that will regulate and better enforce the use of leaf blowers in Los Altos (“LA council codifies leaf blower regulations; uptick in enforcement,” July 5). After 32 years of frustration since the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers went into effect (and was mostly ignored), this is certainly welcome news!
As GreenTown Los Altos clean air advocate Linda Ziff commented, “Now is the time for proactive code enforcement of this 32-year-old ban.” And, according to the article, that is already happening. Thanks to Shauna McKimmie, the city’s new code enforcement officer, numerous citations have already been issued since she started her job in April.
While eliminating gas-powered leaf blowers may not be an easy transition for many homeowners and their gardeners, it’s important that we all try to take the broader, more environmentally friendly and socially conscious view that, in the long run, we will all be better off without the harmful air pollution and the grating, nerve-wracking noise created by these gas-powered blowers.
In order to maintain a livable planet for future generations, we must transition away from the harmful effects of fossil fuels. I applaud the city of Los Altos for taking these steps in the right direction.
Paula Danz
Los Altos
Citizens Climate Lobby
volunteer
Rename street after Steve Jobs
The story of Steve Jobs boggles the mind. How could this college dropout go from experimenting with his friend in a garage to creating the most influential company in today’s world? It really does seem impossible, almost mythical, yet it happened.
In an era where new companies are raising tens of millions of dollars before a product, it seems increasingly lost on many that a gigantic company like Apple could have its origin in a humble garage.
This story is one of the most inspiring ever to come from Los Altos, and it is important that we remind ourselves of it. The more that this exceptional trajectory from a garage is remembered, the more future generations will learn from it.
The right story at the right time might be the crucial factor in creating the next Steve Jobs of Los Altos (or Silicon Valley). Therefore, we should do our best to elevate this great story on the local level.
The best step to take here is to rename the road in front of the Apple Garage after the famous tech icon. This way, the thousands of people who travel on the road in the future will be reminded that such big dents in the universe could have such small beginnings.
Grant Guske
(No address given)
Presidential election will test democracy
July 1 marked the 160th anniversary of the start of the deadliest battle of the Civil War. It is estimated that 620,000 soldiers were killed during the war. The immense loss of life and the devastating economic impact seared the horrors of the war into the collective memory of our country.
Every July 4, we celebrate our separation from the British Empire as a result of years of growing partisanship that culminated in the Revolutionary War.
It is not hyperbole to say that the presidential election in 2024 will be the most significant stress test of our democracy since the election in 1860 when Abraham Lincoln was elected president. It was a very bitter and divisive time in our country’s history leading up to the bloody Civil War.
In July 1863, my great-great-grandfather, who was born in Pennsylvania, was fighting for the North. My wife’s great-great-grandfather, who was born in Alabama, was fighting for the South and was killed at Gettysburg.
Partisanship in this country is characterized by strong ideological differences, polarization and intense competition for power. Our nation would not exist if not for strong partisan men and women who decided to risk everything to break away from British rule. Partisanship can be a force for good. Unfortunately, partisanship in America is growing to a very unhealthy level. Jan. 6 was a canary-in-the-coal-mine incident.
History has many examples in which growing partisanship led to war. I trust Jan. 6 will be our wakeup call to America, so we can tone down the partisan rhetoric and start working together again to make us a more perfect Union.
John Swan
Los Altos Hills
