Or the blogger engine dropped the message. Hopefully, the full copypasta will appear this time - my apologies if it shows up twice.
It doesn't seem to want to work - at least, not in "preview" mode. If you want to see the original, feel free to email me and ask (and if the whole thing shows up, please let me know how you see it. Blogspot may have shuffled something around while I was away... -JDK)
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I am emailing you both at the same time, openly, because I would like to know where you stand on a few issues.
- I note that you are consistently running on platforms of "public safety." Much is being made of the idea of cutbacks to the San Jose Police Department, or pension arrangements, or street officers, or whatever. My question on this? What do you plan to do to allow and enable people to protect themselves? There are many of us who are quite willing and able to defend ourselves against a number of threads - but the means allowed us aren't comprehensive. We aren't all interested in putting more officers on the beat - simply because you cannot man the SJPD enough to protect everyone. However, those of us who are ready, willing, and able to take efforts and actions to provide for our own security, and find our efforts limited by law, are frustrated by this. Have either of you a plan to address this idea?
-
The California macroeconomy, and the Silicon Valley microeconomy in
particular, has been hit especially hard by the effects of the "dot-com
bubble," followed by the "subprime mortgage bubble." This has resulted
in property values becoming artificially inflated by an order of
magnitude - if not more. The artificial (and wholly unnecessary)
inflation in housing prices has contributed to homelessness, is driving
people out of the area, and has actually trapped more than a few people
IN the area (simply because they'd get raked over the coals on capital
gains taxes if they sold up. Despite having made NO improvements to
their own homes, but resulting from the improvements made by
neighbours.) Have either of you a plan to address this?
-
Speaking of homelessness: for a number of reasons - but most
particularly artifically-inflated properly values - we seem to be
leading the country in terms of relative homeless population (and
probably absolute. I haven't checked recently.) I suppose this hits
particularly close to home - as my wife and I are homeless. Our address
is essentially two license plates and a Post box! "Moving along" is no
sort of solution to homelessness, the problem needs to be FIXED, not
relocated. I believe a city in Utah had taken a novel approach - by
providing housing and assistance for job placement. Perhaps something
similar can be done here? Provide basic housing for those who are
"sleeping rough," create an "RV Haven" for those of us who have
motorhomes (can hook up to limited City water, shore power, and sewerage
in exchange for contributing some amount of work? While both of us are
disabled, we are still willing to work part-time within our abilities;
I, for instance, would be perfectly willing to perform light maintenance
work, consistent with my skills, experience, and limitations.)
While
I'm sure there are more issues to address, those are the three that
come to mind first. Do please note that I am posting this letter to my
blog (jondkelley.blogspot.com,) as well as any replies that I get.
While I have consistently challenged the idea that the press has
fostered an absolute and unlimited "right to know," I do think that this
is the sort of thing that the body politic should be made aware of.
I
have been a California resident since 1990, and a San Jose resident
since 1997, so I've been watching things happen around here for a
while. I've seen at least a few trends that should properly be
reversed, but no-one is doing anything about it.
Further, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with either - or both - of you in person, should you care to do so.
Jon D. Kelley
San Jose, CA
