I agree with the Weekly's Editorial, "Vote NO on Measure A,91-93; Vote YES on 94-97". You adequately explained all sides of each issue, and came to the right decision on each.
You were also correct in not opining on a partisan Presidential race, which is not suitable for a paper as small as the Weekly.
I do want to warn eveybody to beware of the mailers received in these last few days, particulary a rough, soft, 5 x 7 that was presented in a very dishonest way. Always read the very tiny print as to who really pays, not the big name they want to you THINK has mailed the ad. Please disregard that and follow
the recommendations above.

Although I am an Oakland resident, I agree with your decision to VOTE NO ON MEASURE A (and B).

I am disappointed and saddened to see a private hospital with such an objectively positive mission behaving with the ethics and morals of a cigarette company.

The hospital snuck behind the County's back to put these Measures on the ballot. It then unveiled a plan to build a 200-foot tower with helipad in a neighborhood of single family homes - with no input from neighbors. It even plans to take homes by eminent domain to do it.

Worse, as a private entity, it wants taxpayers to fund this project for the next 35 years. What other private company will be lining up to use public tax money as its piggy bank?

The Board of Trustees of the Alameda County Medical Center has unanimously voted to oppose Measures A & B. This is $300 million we need to fund and retrofit our own County medical facilities like Highland and Valley Care, to fund police and fire services, to take care of abused and neglected children.

County taxpayers already shoulder the burden of reimbursing the Children's Hospital for the Medi-Cal patients it treats. We should not pay for its decision to expand rather than do a smaller retrofit.

CEO Frank Tiedemann, Sr. VP Mary Dean, and Head of Trauma Jim Betts have all stated that the hospital will not leave Alameda County if these Measures fail. Yet, through their $1 million ad campaign, they continue to use vulnerable children to perpetuate the lie that they will. As a child advocate, I find this revolting and exploitative.

We must demand that the hospital be a good neighbor. The hospital must treat Alameda County, its residents and its children with dignity and respect. And, like all other non-profits, the hospital should seek a private bond, not a public tax, to finance its projects.

We can demand this by voting NO on Measures A & B.

You mention that candidates of some early voters are no longer in the race. Let that be a lesson to all. First, absentee ballots are
the easiest source and worst tool for fraud. They should not be a prolific as they are and should only be used for rare emergencies. I would go so far to say you need an airline ticket, or a note from your boss or doctor, to be allowed to use an absentee. I've heard several say their candidate's are no longer in the race, and would like to vote for my candidate (Romney) but their hands are tied. Well,shame on them. Anytime there's more than 2 candiates, the odds are good there will be a drop-out. Politics changes daily, so don't get locked in stone. These much too early primaries, and too many bunched together, favors those with name ID. People say they want fresh faces and change, but this compressed process doesn't allow for getting to know the newer candidates. It's only been 4 1/2 weeks since this madness started, but it seems like a lifetime. Just now voters are getting to know the newer candidates, like Romney and say yes, now I want to vote for him. This whole madness has been much too compressed for our country to get good government. Christmas trees should be down before you are expected to go cast an informed vote.

I agree with Judy about not overusing absentee ballots. It seems that CA is actually pushing people to vote early and remotely, and it's an aweful idea. However, I disagree with the sentiment that we now have a "compressed" timeline for the primaries. It's great that there are actually multiple candidates left by the time we get to vote (though some dropped out already). And it seems like the candidates have been campaigning *forever*. I'm glad it's done here until after the conventions.