Let's see - three elderly white men with personal stakes in the outcome, but unlikely to see much of the final product of the HSR. Why is this newsworthly? Why do they deserve paper and ink to publicize their view?

How embarrassing! These three guys haven't had a positive idea since the turn of the century. Engel wants "the damn train off the tracks." He hides behind the talk of financial concerns but, actually he, like his two angry compatriots, lives right near the tracks and he hates the train.

Why are these guys called "enthusiasts"? Enthusiastic for what? All three have attempted to sabotage just about every potential sign of progress in the last 15 years. Brown filed legal action in an attempt to stop the beautiful building at 1600 El Camino Real. Brady filed an appeal to stop the construction of the 4 unit medical building near his home on El Camino Real. Brown initiated a referendum against the Derry housing project which not only killed the project, it set a tone in which the housing development at the Cadillac site also died. Most recently, Brown has joined the naysayers who don't like the findings of the Downtown study.

These three men who live in the same neighborhood close to the train tracks represent the fundamental problem in Menlo Park. They want no change even when the change would benefit both the financial well being of the city or the environmental and livability of the city. This Almanac article is a puff piece. It bestows a status of civic leadership to these men when actually their only claim to fame is their obstructionism. Idleness is the devil's workshop.

These three very busy and involved residents should be thanked. Perhaps their wakeup call came more quickly than for some of the rest of us who live much farther from the tracks, but their message is sound: the financial analysis and pseudo-planning for HSR make no sense at all.

Please don't attack the individuals. They are attacking a poorly conceived and outrageously expensive dream that makes little sense for a state with financial problems. Even then, it doesn't make a lot of sense because there are so many better ways to improve transportation than HSR. Just think of what the same amount of money could do for our educational system or for a regional and local transit system that actually works. Our state and city don't have infinite resources. The ballot measure several years ago was highly misleading. A number of people who voted for it then now realize they made a huge mistake.

I agree with another view. Did you initial posters read the article...or are you on the payroll of the CHSRA's PR firm?

All three men are highly educated (PhD/JD degrees from top schools) with impressive professional credentials. They are bringing decades of experience and keen analytical abilities to bear on this issue. Even though they have had politicians in high places throwing barbs at them, they are so committed to helping the community that they continue to persevere.

Many local residents are still not totally aware of the devastation, both financial and physical, that HSR would inflict. Those of us who are aware may not have enough time or energy to fight what seems to be an uphill battle.

I am immensely grateful to all three of them for taking on this thankless task. HSR is the 21st century equivalent of a naked emperor, and more power to these men for pointing out the many flaws in the proposed plans and the fiscal foolishness and irresponsibility that is HSR.

If Hans Christian Anderson could receive residuals for every time this forum mentioned the "emporer" and his lack of a wardrobe his offspring would be very wealthy.

I agree with these three gents on HSR. I do not agree with their constant attack on progress in our town. Many of us who have younger kids do not have anything in common with the idea that we need a 1950s version of Menlo Park. It is like that "family values" line we all have to deal with nationally. What values are you talking about? Yours?

Then who cares?