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No person is hiding
BART’s projected value
On three separate days, The Mercury Information printed the identical deceptive assertions about my “hiding” federal projections of rising building prices of the BART Silicon Valley extension. Factual context is lengthy overdue.
Final yr, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) revealed what it known as “the worst believable possible state of affairs value” for the BART undertaking of $9.148 billion. VTA engineers constantly assert that the FTA projection doesn't represent the precise undertaking value.
The publicly launched texts reveal that VTA officers asserted that building contractors bidding on the undertaking “have been listening to the whole lot” stated publicly about its price range. Disclosing FTA’s “higher sure” projections would encourage contractors to extend their bids, costing taxpayers lots of of hundreds of thousands of dollars. When a pipe wants restore, no house owner pre-empts the plumber’s estimate by blurting out, “Other people say this may value greater than your final undertaking.”
To make sure, public disclosure of rising value estimates should happen upfront of any resolution by an company to spend the general public’s cash, however actually not whereas contractors are getting ready their bids.
Sam Liccardo
Mayor of San Jose
49ers’ political reward will
purchase entry in San Jose
Letter-writer Daniele Kriege seeks to allay voters’ considerations in regards to the Santa Clara-based 49er’s potential affect on San Jose mayoral candidate Cindy Chavez with its $300,000 contribution to the political motion committee, “Residents for Cindy Chavez 2020.” She writes that the regulation precludes such affect. (“Chavez has no say in 49ers’ political spending,” Web page A6, April 29)
Name me skeptical, however I don’t consider organizations like labor unions or companies make such donations to advertise “good authorities.” I’ll wager a Mayor Chavez will take a Jed York cellphone name over a name from a resident complaining in regards to the unacceptable high quality of metropolis companies.
Jerry Mungai
San Jose
Grid will catch as much as
swap to all-electric
Re. “All-electric houses are the long run; the grid isn’t prepared,” Web page A1, Could 11:
Sadly, this text leads with a deceptive headline that provides informal readers the improper impression – that we are able to’t begin electrifying our buildings and automobiles till the electrical grid is upgraded.
This isn't true. We are able to’t wait. We should instantly begin transitioning to a brand new modality that stops new fossil-fueled units from being put in – each in new and current buildings – not simply in Palo Alto, however throughout the nation. Completely, the grid will want updating, however this may be achieved incrementally as a part of a deliberate and measured substitute technique.
It’s uncertain that fuel might be “shut off” to houses or whole blocks. That is only one technique proposed by utility workers, and different methods usually tend to achieve acceptance.
So far, Palo Alto doesn't have a council-approved electrification plan. The aim is to have some strong plans put into place this fall.
Bruce Hodge
Palo Alto
Set a lady’s proper
to decide on as regulation
I'm a mom. I really like my youngster greater than something on this world. I gave start to him as a result of I needed to, not as a result of the state stated that I needed to.
My womb doesn't belong to the state, nor does my love for my youngster. Any effort by the state to take management of ladies’s wombs is essentially anti-life, and anti-freedom. If and when girls turn out to be moms should be their very own alternative. Not each lady turns into a mom, however each human being who has ever lived is totally indebted to the grit, grace and goodwill of a lady.
The notion that we are able to promote life with out respecting girls and the alternatives they make about motherhood is misogynistic, authoritarian and profoundly disturbing. The query that should be requested immediately is what's the worth of human life if procreation is dictated by the state?
Indra Levy
Palo Alto