College Degree in Accounting/ Finance CPA License Chartered Financial Arnott Galligan Mandelkern NO NO NO YES YES YES NO NO NO • College Degree in Finance • CPA for 30 years • Masters Degree in Taxation • Mayor of Burlingame, past • Passed the Series 7 General Securities Representative Exam www.JoeGalligan.com Paid for by the committee to elect Joe Galligan I D No. 1318297 www.<strong>Spectrum</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.net
P.S. <strong>The</strong> People Speak: Letters to the Editor <strong>The</strong> easTer cross Dear Editor: I can fully understand that the <strong>Redwood</strong> City Easter Cross on the cover of the April <strong>Spectrum</strong> is an inspiring visible symbol of faith, hope and unity to all Christians who see it. To create an inspiration for real unity among all people of faith, including those searching for life’s meaning, the Easter Cross Association might remove the topmost part of the cross, emblazon the resulting “T” with bold, black symbols of the most popular religions (e.g., Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam) and rename it the “<strong>Redwood</strong> City Monument to World Togetherness and Peace.” A symbol of unity? George Sliter, <strong>Redwood</strong> City Dear Editor: I really enjoyed your cover article by Nicole Minieri about the 300-ton cross erected in Emerald Hills on the tallest point in <strong>Redwood</strong> City. <strong>The</strong> article’s stance was that this cross “is a community symbol of unity.” I wonder if the Jews, Muslims and atheists living in <strong>Redwood</strong> City feel the same way as they look up and are confronted with a looming, giant cross? Perhaps this enormous symbol is a divisive element in the landscape. It begs the question, “Why do Christians feel such a compulsion to shove their beliefs down everyone else’s throats?” John Lennon once said, “Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do, nothing to kill or die for, and no religion, too.” I say, “Imagine just some oak trees, high on the tallest peak, where all of Nature’s creatures, could live and play in peace.” My favorite part of the article was the amazing photograph of the cross surrounded by barbed wire, chain-link fence, water tower and various cellular phone towers. It makes one wonder which deity, if any, are we putting our faith in today? Atherton council disrespectful Art Sirota, <strong>Redwood</strong> City Dear Editor: <strong>The</strong> Atherton City Council voted to condemn the Saltworks project. Yet they hypocritically condemned this project as a regional issue, while delegitimizing the large crowd of supporters as not being from Atherton. One council member declared he preferred a complete restoration of the wetlands, but when asked who would pay for that restoration he did not respond. Dang those details! Today’s leading urban planners encourage green housing near mass transit and workplaces. Just what the Saltworks project enjoys! Yet its opponents don’t even want an environmental impact report to be done! What are they afraid of? In the future, people commuting from outside the valley will become common if we don’t make smart decisions now. Last year, the citizens of <strong>Redwood</strong> City overwhelmingly voted down a measure to kill this project! Let’s hope our local leaders will listen to reason! Realtors push Saltworks project Corrin Trowbridge, <strong>Redwood</strong> City Dear Editor: It is not surprising to see letters supporting agribusiness giant Cargill’s “Saltworks” scheme to re-zone, fill and pave <strong>Redwood</strong> City’s salt ponds for a new subdivision on our bay coming from real estate professionals. But why do their letters, such as those from Will Richardson or Jim Massey, omit industry ties? Perhaps they forget that while their council friends and real estate colleagues know who they are, most readers will not. When praising Cargill’s plans and the comments of paid Cargill/DMB advisors like Art Agnos, Realtors could help establish credibility and objectiveness in the minds of readers who readily understand Realtors are acutely and uniquely aware of the personal benefits of creating many thousand new homes for sale. As any Realtor can happily tell you, those new units clustered on our bay won’t sell themselves. Sequoia alumni deserve some respect Adrian Brandt, <strong>Redwood</strong> City Dear Editor: <strong>The</strong> Sequoia High School class of 1970 is having its 40th class reunion (the first I will be able to attend) on Saturday, June 19. I thought it would be nice to be able to walk the halls of the oldest high school in California one more time. I am bringing some of my children with me. I am now told that will not be possible because of sue-happy Californians. With school out and on a weekend, it would cost overtime to open the school. Bunk. We graduated; now the school does not want us around. I personally am coming from Bellingham, Wash., about 800 miles away. <strong>The</strong> principal or one of the staff could volunteer their time to come allow us access and give us a tour of the school. We are not asking for access to any of the classrooms, just the halls and maybe the theater. I feel very upset and disrespected by their lack of willingness to give us probably our last chance to feel the history that made us what we are today, proud Cherokees (not Ravens). What kind of message does this send to the children that attend Sequoia now? Once you graduate, you are no longer welcome here. One hour, that is all we ask. I will be on the campus at about 11 a.m. that day to reminisce with my children how important this school was to me. I hope that around noon someone shows to let us in. Alumni deserve some respect. It’s not the issue — it has to be fair for all Dana Hiler, Bellingham, Wash. Dear Editor: Kudos to Mayor Jeff Ira and the entire City Council in <strong>Redwood</strong> City for resisting the emotional, high-pressure tactics of Save <strong>The</strong> Bay to hijack the planning process upheld by the voters in 2008. By voting unanimously to proceed with an environmental review, these leaders have guaranteed that the people of <strong>Redwood</strong> City and the entire Bay Area will get all the facts about the proposed development of the Saltworks site. Whether the review comes back in favor of the site or not isn’t what matters. <strong>The</strong> easy thing would have been to roll over in the face of Save <strong>The</strong> Bay’s manufactured opposition and professional antidevelopment campaign. But, for once at least, politicians did the right thing and served the real needs of their constituents instead of bending with the wind and responding to the bullying of special interests like Save <strong>The</strong> Bay. Let your opinion be heard! Heidi Sjolund, <strong>Redwood</strong> City Send your letters to letters@spectrummagazine.net or Opinions & Letters, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Spectrum</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>, P.O. Box 862, <strong>Redwood</strong> City, CA 94064 Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words. Columns should be no longer than 750 words. Illegibly written and anonymous letters will not be accepted. Please include a daytime phone number where we can reach you. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Spectrum</strong> 11
Change language