The recent letter to the Courier titled “Residents are not crying for a stationery store” is misleading, sarcastic and unworthy of the current debate over the direction of our city.

The Concerned Citizens of Cupertino is a grass-roots organization that emerged from the frustrations of a large number of residents. These frustrations stemmed from citizens who spent months in the General Plan Task Force only to see city officials encourage a minority report championed by developers.

These frustrations were created by planning commission and city council meetings where the objections of citizens to high-density, high-rise housing were ignored in favor of the developers.

Rather than dwell on sarcasm, the CCC has taken a constructive and proactive approach in developing initiatives, which will allow the citizens of Cupertino, not the developers, to determine the future of the city. We are committed to maintaining the quality of our city and to allowing its citizens to decide how it evolves for the benefit of all.

We have also begun working with some city officials to attract much needed retail to our city, but Costco is not among them.

Those who offer no ideas and no solutions while resorting to sarcasm do nothing for the future of the city.

Cupertino Courier
Letters to the Editor, March 3, 2004
Robert L. Garten, Cupertino