Letters to the Editor

Mayor deserves all the credit
Editor:
Thank you for acknowledging in your February 28 editorial the City Council’s creation of a new volunteer City Historian position, an idea which you credited to me. This idea was entirely that of Mayor Joanne Sanders, who brought the matter before the Council for consideration on February 6. Council Members unanimously agreed with this concept and subsequently approved creating the position on February 20. I look forward to working with the new Historian, as this volunteer approach is a wonderful way for us to tap the knowledge and resources already available in our community. If anyone is interested in applying for City Historian, applications are due March 10. More information is available on our Web site at www.sonomacity.org.
Linda Kelly
Sonoma City Manager

Encouraging special fund to support veteran care
Editor:
For those whose families are untouched by the affects of military service, we have been asked to believe the war in Iraq can be waged with no attendant sacrifice on the part of the average citizen.
Among the facts this ignores is the tremendous cost associated with the long-term care and support of our injured veterans. This unfunded liability is estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars and without some new source of revenue, it will be one more burden we shove off on our children and grandchildren.
Robert Hormats, author of The Price of Liberty, has suggested a novel approach to this problem—a voluntary check-off on our federal tax returns allowing donations to a special fund to support veteran care. It could not only help relieve this looming financial burden, but also provide a concrete means for us to honor the sacrifice these brave men and women have made on our behalf.
It might be difficult to predict the response, but it seems like a relatively risk-free opportunity to put Americans to the test.
Steve Page
Sonoma