Letters: Business districts | Milpitas council | Housing crisis | Sonoma flights | Strength in Mideast

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Business districts
should win swift OK

Re: “Job hub eyes business improvement district” (Page B1, Oct. 12).

How exciting it was to read about the proposed Monterey Corridor and Story Road Business Improvement districts as I believe the pooling of resources to improve safety and reduce blight in our urban industrial areas will bring positive changes for the businesses, workers and residents of District 7.

Our District 7 neighborhood associations have volunteered countless hours to improve our community and it will be exciting to have the businesses involved with this effort.

Hopefully, city officials will streamline the process and the City Council will approve the districts quickly so that the work can begin as soon as possible.

Alie Victorine
San Jose

Elect Bill Chuan to
Milpitas City Council

With all of the negativism in all levels of politics, it is refreshing to see a candidate who exudes positivism. Bill Chuan, an experienced Milpitas commissioner and volunteer, is that person.

I attended both the City Council and mayoral forums, and saw a lot of personal attacks, with blame for conditions in Milpitas. Bill Chuan never attacked anyone, but just offered solutions to the many issues facing Milpitas.

Everything about his campaign is positive. And as an Army veteran, his support for the JROTC program, on his own time, is greatly appreciated.

Bill Chuan would be a positive addition to the current Milpitas City Council.

Jim Arthur
Milpitas

Building boom would
solve housing crisis

Local government has helped create the current housing shortage. It was our local government that decided that open space is more important than housing. Martial Cottle Park is one example: 287 acres of open land across Highway 85 from the Blossom Hill light rail station.

So now we are on a course of passing bond measures that will pay to build “affordable” housing as if that will lower the cost of housing. It doesn’t lower the cost. It just shifts the cost to taxpayers.

Choices have consequences. We express our discontent over the high cost of housing while at the same time, we preserve open space and jack up the cost of housing.

There was a housing shortage in San Jose after World War II. The response was the building boom in the 1960s and 70s. That was the last time housing was truly affordable in San Jose.

Tom Ferro
San Jose

New flights could
right Sonoma economy

Re: “Avelo Airlines now flying from Sonoma County airport to Ontario” (Oct. 13).

I am thrilled to hear that Houston-based Avelo Airlines is offering new flights between Ontario in Southern California and Sonoma County, one of California’s premier wine regions.

This new route is a welcome development that could significantly help Sonoma recover from the devastating loss of tourism caused by wildfires in recent years. With improved access, I hope this will not only boost tourism but also create more jobs for the local economy and support businesses throughout the region.

Stanley Wan
Los Altos

Now is the time for
strength in Mideast

When I studied the history of World War II I wondered how intelligent people could have believed that the appeasement of Hitler would bring peace. Now I read some of the letters to the editor, and hear politicians urging a cease-fire and diplomacy with Hamas and Hezbollah and their benefactor, Iran.