We, leaders and residents of Silicon Valley and Santa Clara County, are concerned about the future of the San Jose Mercury News, a highly valued institution here for 155 years.

We do not want the sale of the Mercury News to lead to a smaller, less ambitious newspaper.

Without an experienced news-gathering and advertising sales staff, the quality of the newspaper’s coverage and effectiveness as an advertising tool would be diminished.

Without vibrant, in-depth reporting of valley life, residents and workers will not be as well- informed or have the information they need to engage fully in civic life.

Without a civic-minded owner, many civic, cultural and charitable groups could lose a major financial supporter.

Leigh Weimers,  former Mercury News columnist

Ann Gregg Skeet American Leadership Forum-Silicon Valley

Yvonne Y. Lee, former
U.S. Commissioner on Civil Rights

Scott Knies, Executive Director, San Jose Downtown Association

Kirk O. Hanson Executive Director,
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

Martha Kanter Chancellor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District

LADORIS H. CORDELL, Palo Alto

Don Gagliardi,  President 13th St. Neighborhood Advisory Committee

Mona Onstead
President, Center for Literary Arts, S.J.State University

Christi Welter 
Co-Chair, Downtown Neighborhood Leadership Forum

Ken Podgorsek 
Co-Chair, Downtown Neighborhood Leadership Forum

Autumn Gutierrez President, Washington Area Community Coalition

Kathy Sutherland President, Delmas Park Neighborhood Advisory Committee

Beth Shafran-Mukai President, Campus Community Association

Ed Rast,  President, Willow Glen Neighborhood Association

Frank Penrose  President, Saint James Park Historic District

Linda Craighead  Director, Palo Alto Art Center

Signe Mayfield, curator, Palo Alto Art Center

Gordon Knox,  Director, Lucas Artists Programs, Montalvo Arts Center

ANTHONY CHANG, San Jose

Al Roosma, San Jose

Professor Ellen Kreitzberg, Santa Clara University School of Law

Rev. Lindi Ramsden, Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, Sacramento

Laura Goenne and Chuck Callejon, Santa Clara

J.I. MEREDITH, San Jose

Bethany Hanson
Pixar Animation Studios

Sarah Bachman
La Honda

Jeff Magill
Palo Alto

Steve Shaw
Kineto Wireless

Don Bragg
T Justice Studios

Anthony J. Gallardo
Chateau La Salle board of directors

Darlene Tenes
Marketing Maniacs

Diane Ichikawa
Palo Alto Unified School District, Gunn High School

BETHANY HANSON, Pixar Animation Studios

YVONNE Y. LEE, former U.S. Commissioner on Civil Rights

GIL  BAILEY, Former Merc reporter

STEVEN KIMBROUGH, VP; Intellect and Flowcharts

DIANE ICHIKAWA, Palo Alto Unified School District, Gunn High School

ANN MARTIN

CECILIA DECK, De Anza College

MIKE WALTON, Carnegie Mellon University

MARGARET MACKAY, former Mercury News Classified Advertising Sales

STEVE LAZARUS

POOJA KADAKIA

JEANNIE PHAM

RICK TORGERSON, West Point Publishing

JOHN PETERS, JJT Design, Inc.

RICHARD AND JEANNE PLACONE, retired residents, Palo Alto

BANG NGUYEN, San Jose

GARY SUTTON, San Leandro

DIANA EPSTEIN, San Francisco

SCOTT LANE, Akron, OH

NANCY MURRELL, Pittsburgh, PA

BRUCE LABADIE,Montalvo Arts Center/San Jose Jazz Society, Santa Cruz

KELLY LYNCH, San Jose

LEE EPSTEIN, Oak Park

EDWARD LABRADOR, Newark

BIL BRIERLEY, San Jose

GINA BOUBION, New York

BRYAN K. PRUITT, Sacramento

STACY PRATICO, Santa Clara

LORI HOPE, Oakland

KAREN CAOILFHIONN, San Jose

MICHAEL DI TORE, Cupertino

KIRK SCOTT, Gilroy

DIANA FOSS, San Jose

RICK WAITS, San Jose

ZACHARY BERNSTEIN, San Francisco

STEPHANIE ISERI, campbell

LESLIE STOMPOR, Naperville, IL

TERRY GLOVER, San Francisco

PETER, Oakland

JERI DOPP, Redwood

KEVIN WEAVER, San Francisco

KATHRYN TYSON, East Palo Alto

GLORIA L. PRESLEY, Palo Alto

GEORGE SAMPSON, San Jose

CLARK WILLIAMS, Founder, Silicon Valley LGBT Democratic Club, San Jose

BRAD REDMON, Los Angeles

MARISSA MACIEL, Santa Cruz

PHILLIP JACOBS, Freemont

LOUIE ROCHA, President CWA Local 9423, San Jose

RICK HOLDEN, San Jose Leadership Council

CHERYL TERBEEK, Fremont

LARRY SOKOLOFF, Mountain View

CINDY JONES, Santa Clara

MAURY KENDALL, San Jose

JOHN GRUBB, San Rafael

SUZY FREDRICKSON, San Jose

KAREN CROCKER SNELL, San Jose

DEAN DIERSCHOW, San Leandro

MALA IYER, San Jose

GARY ZOLLWEG, San Jose

CHRISTINA HOLLAND, Austin, TX

Ron Beach, Retired Classified Advertising Director, San Jose Mercury News, Grand Junction, Colorado

LUTHER JACKSON, San Jose

LISA ROBINSON, Santa Clara

BRIAN EDER, San Jose

ANTHONY, San Jose

M.E. HOM, San Francisco

JOSH RUSSELL, San Jose

KATHLEEN A VISGER, Felton

EDRIC ITCHON, Danville

FRANCES DINKELSPIEL, Former Mercury News reporter, Berkeley

JOHN SPREER, San Jose

TOM O'CONNOR, Rancho Cucamonga

THERESA KENTNER, Fremont

STEPHANIE OLLA, San Francisco

MARY ANN RUIZ

KEN MISENER, Santa Clara

DAN  STURGES, San  Jose

BOB KIEVE, San Jose

KEN PETERSON, Senior Public Relations Manager, Monterey Bay Aquarium

PAMELA WEBSTER, San Jose

CORINNE BORDELON, San Jose

ELIZA STRICKLAND, San Francisco

JEN KACZOR, San Francisco

SEAN MARTIN, San Jose

DAN ORLOFF, San Jose

TIM LEUNG, Palo Alto

JERRY LANSON, Boston, MA

BRUCE W DAVIS, Palo Alto

KAREN PARK, Sunnyvale

MATTHEW KELSEY, Saratoga

ANDREA LUCK, San Jose

KHOA NGUYEN, San Jose

SIRA SUDHINDRANATH, San Jose

RYAN COCHRANE, San Francisco

WILLIAM FOLEY, San Jose

LYNN RATCLIFFE, Las Vegas, NV

M. MCMILLION, Pinole

ANDY BENSKY, Scotts Valley/Santa Cruz

JONATHAN RILEY, San Jose

SANDIE GUY, San Jose

DON ROBERTS, San Jose

CHRISTINE MEREDITH, Sunnyvale

ELENCHELIYAN VISWANATHAN, Santa Clara

JULIA HOWLETT, San Jose

DAVID PANDORI, San Jose

ROBERT QUINN, Redwood City

PATRICIA FAUSETT, Los Altos

KRISTINA MAGGI, Davis

JURIS BLUKIS, Belmont

BONNIE & GRIGORY TENENGOLTS, Saratoga

GERMAN S. FALCON, Santa Clara

AIMEE ESCOBAR, San  Jose

KATHY ZONANA, Mountain View

PENNY CARL, Morgan Hill

CATHERINE O'BRIEN, Palo Alto

ROBERT A. HANSON, San Jose

KIM-MAI CUTLER, Cupertino

KRIS THOMPSON, Morgan Hill

PAT FRISCHMANN, Los Altos

JOSEPH LAPOINTE, Sunnyvale

RAVI, Sunnyvale

REV. AMY ZUCKER MORGENSTERN, Palo Alto

TOBIN DIETRICH, Sacramento

PAUL MCKIERNAN, San Jose

EUGENE BRADLEY, Santa Cruz

VERONICA NARVASA, Mountain View

MARY F PIMM, San Jose

DEBORAH HOPEWELL, Santa Cruz

THALIA ANAGNOS, Palo Alto

MILDREDM.PERRY, Saratoga

STEVE RHODES, San Francisco

ARTHUR KUSHNER, Sunnyvale

BRANDON GUERTNER, Mountain View

DYLAN NGUYEN, Milpitas

DAN ORLOFF, Orloff/Williams, advertising & public relations, San Jose

DAVID HOAG, Aan Jose

AMY RABINOVITZ

PAUL, Oakland

MICHAEL SMITH, San Jose

DOUG AND MYRNA WESTOVER, Palo Alto

KLAUS BRANDT, Palo Alto

ADDA  SIGURDAR, Palo  Alto

K.L. SEH, San Jose

JENNIFER LAFLEUR, Dallas, TX

DOUGLAS J RADCLIFF, Santa Cruz

JODIE WISE, Milpitas

BILLY WISE, Milpitas

BOB CHOW, Sacramento

RACHEL SKLAR, New York

SHARAN DANIEL, Mountain View

SISTER JOSEPHINE BURNS, Los Altos Hills

LYNETTE PEARSON, Pacifica

PAUL JOHNSON, Santa Cruz

ROBERT COOPER, Santa Cruz

SUSAN RUNSVOLD, San Jose

LORI GUSTAFSON, Sacramento

GREG LARSON, Santa Cruz

DONIECE SANDOVAL,San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose

DONNA LARA, San Jose

KARL SONKIN, Santa Clara/Menlo Park

CAROL M. PIZZO, San Jose

KATHY JONES, Santa Clara

ERIC PUTMAN, Sunnyvale

JOANNE NORTHRUP, San Jose

TERRENCE GOT, Nipomo

GINA MARIE URIZAR, San Jose

KEVIN B. AHERN, Campbell, California

BRAD MARCHAND, San Jose

SUSAN BRISTOW, San Jose

TRACY DEMAY, San Jose

HUGH C. BURROUGHS, San Carlos

ELTON H. BELL, Palo Alto

RICHARD BRUNNER, San Jose

HUGH C. BURROUGHS, San Carlos

MARION AND HARRY WORTHING, Sunnyvale

CLAUDETTE BRERO-GOW, Redwood City

JEFF BORDONA, San Jose

ENOCH CHOI, Palo Alto

JULIE PHILLIPS, San Jose

ERIN COUCH, San Francisco

DEBORAH MAGID, Burlingame  (work in Menlo)

MCGREGOR WATSON, San Jose

CHERYL KLEIN, Los Angeles

MARILYN CAHILL, San Jose

RON GREEN, Santa Clara

TOMMY BLACKWELL, San Jose

JAIME JIMENEZ, Watsonville

HSIN-LIN LU, Bloomington, IN

BARRY DEL BUONO, San Jose

JENS ALFKE, San Jose

DENNIS ACKERMAN, Los Angeles

MARY KINGSLEY, San Jose

KARI SNYDER, San Jose

SUSAN LANDAUER, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose

DEBBY AND MICHAEL FATJO, San Jose

ERIC SNYDER, San Jose

BILL & GAYLE SNYDER, San Jose

GAYLE SNYDER, San Jose

KATHRYN HEREDIA, San Jose

JUDIE CASANOVA, San Jose

RUSS HILLS, San Jose

ERIN MAYES, Campbell

ZEKE BARLOW, Ventura

LISA HETTLER-SMITH & GORDON SMITH, San Jose

DEBBIE, campbell

SHARON  MANCHESTER, Las  Vegas

CATHERINE PELIZZARI, Milpitas

KARL SCHRAMM, San Jose

KELLY BURNETT, San Jose

SUZANNE SARRO, San Jose

VAL DELANG, San Jose

REV. ROGER JONES, San Jose

LEON KAPLAN, Sugar Land, Texas

GREGG CHADWICK, San Francisco/ Los Angeles

ROSEMARIE MENAGER, Palo Alto

JENNIFER DUTRA, San Jose

JANIS GEMIGNANI, San Jose

JOHN REED

KAREN MEIER, San Jose

RUSTY TOOLEY, San Jose

FERNANDA TRIFILO, San Jose

CHANTELLE KARL, San Francisco

JIM & ELIZABETH ZIMMERMAN, Santa Clara

GUY ROSS, San Leandro

BRIAN STOGSDILL, Pacifica

AMIE BARNES, Sunnyvale

VERONICA SOLIZ, San Jose

MANUEL RODRIGUEZ, San Jose

MARCELINO SOLIZ, San Jose

MONIQUE, San Jose

JOSHUA SOLIZ, San Jose

MAYA SURYARAMAN, Los Gatos

VANESSA, San Jose

CHARLES L. KRUGMAN, Fresno

MARK BLAINE, San Jose

STANLEY & LUCY KARP JR., Saratoga

RON PRIGGEE, Temecula

DINA MEDINA, Union City

JACK AND RENATA THORNE, San Jose

MICHAEL F. FILICE III, San Jose

CANDACE DOYLE, Campbell

PHYLLIS MICHEL, Mountain View

TRISHA OKUBO, San Jose

KAREN SCHULER, San Jose

NANCY J. WYLDE, San Jose

GIOVANNI RODRIGUEZ, Principal, Eastwick Communications, Santa Clara

GAIL HASPERT, Mountain View

SUSAN MILLER, Sunnyvale

ELLEN KRASNOW, Palo Alto

LOUISE ANNE BEACH, Grand Junction, CO

RON LIND, Trustee, San Jose/Evergreen Community College District, Milpitas

BOB HUCKER, Pleasanton

GENEVIEVE WARNER, Mountain View

DON FULLER, Palm Desert

ERIC ALVARADO, San Jose

RYAN BRANSCUM, san jose

FREY LEIGH, San Jose

MARY MARTIN, Los Gatos

RACHEL W. BELL, Palo Alto

CATHLEEN WEDLAKE, San Jose

GRETCHEN HILL, Los Gatos

JAMES G HILL, Los Gatos

JACK GILLUM, Santa Clara

LORI WAGNER, San Jose

DAVID WAGNER, San Jose

ANN DAVIDSON, Stanford

EMILY AND JIM THURBER, Los Altos

VICKY BHUNDHUMANI, San Jose

KEVIN  COUGHLIN, New York

ERHARD, San Jose

GIL DURAN, Oakland

MICHAEL CHANG, PH.D., Cupertino

MICHAEL WOLGELENTER, Hong Kong

JOSEFINO RIVERA, San Jose

DAVID LOUIS BAIRD, San Jose

JOSHUA SANTOS, Santa Clara

JOHN VOELCKER, San Francisco

LORI ZINK, San Jose

LORI FERNANDEZ, San Jose

DAVID SHANNON, San Jose

BOB AND LISA DREWS, San Jose

DANIEL FENTON, San Jose

PETER R. WERP, San Jose 

JOYCE TOBIAS, Vancouver, Wa.

DIANE B. WERP, San Jose

TOM MCCASLIN, Hayward

GARY FIRCHOW, San Jose

CORINNE REILLY, San Jose

DENNIS UYENO, San Jose

DAVID COHEN, San Jose

JIM HOMER, San  Jose

THOMAS KNUEWER, Handelsblatt, Duesseldorf

ALAN W. NICHOLS, Wadsworth, Ohio

BILLIE JO HANCE, Mountain View

FELLIX KRAMER, Founder, The California Cars Initiative, Palo Alto

DOUGLAS BARR, Co-founder, Phojo.com, Bedminster, NJ

BOB SIMON, CEO, LogoToGo, Los Altos

FRANK SOLAR, Fremont

TEJVANSH SONI, Santa Clara

CATHLEEN HANEY-RENO, San Jose

JOAN BAZAR, Santa Clara

LEO GORIA, Campbell

KELLY LARABEE, Phoenix

Margy Bauman, Mercury News finance department, Santa Clara

Ruth MacKay, Stanford University, San Francisco

Loureen Giordano, San Jose

Steven Cogorno, San Jose

Paul Engstrom, Los Altos

Traci Kohler, San Jose

Jack Cooperman, San Jose

Arlene Zarou-Cooperman, San Jose

Rhonda Berry, Our City Forest, San Jose

Elisabeth Handler, San Jose

Sarah C. Jones, Las Positas College, Oakland

Chris Murray, former Mercury News employee, San Jose

Bob Thompson, retired teacher, Morgan Hill

Kevin Smith, San Jose

JOY-ELLEN LIPSKY, President, Success with Joy, San Jose

SUNDAY MARZANO, San Jose

MARTHA MALLONEE, Palo Alto

COLLEEN KELLEY, San Jose

ERIN PEACOCK, Newport Coast

COLLEEN KELLEY, San Jose

ERIN PEACOCK, Newport Coast

KIM LEARY, Pleasanton

DAVID GOLDSTEIN, San Jose

SHARON CALCAGNO, San Jose

CHRIS CHANGRAS, San Jose

VIRGINIA DIMPFL, San Jose

TESS PENDER, San Jose

TREVOR HUGHES, Merc Reader, Redwood City

ROSENDO RODRIGUEZ, San Jose

ARUN SWAMI, Cupertino

ED JONES, Palo Alto

BENJAMIN DAVIDSON, Asst. Dean of Students, Dir. LGBT Community Resources Center, Stanford

KATY LEMON, San Jose

MICHAEL KUSIAK, Alameda

CLAIRE ELLIOTT, Palo Alto

VICTOR JANG, San Jose

MICHAEL WHALEN, Assistant Professor, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara

CHRISTINA BELLANTONI ANDERSON, Congressional reporter, The Washington Times, Wash. D.C.

ROBERT ENGLAND, Saratoga

ELLEN DUMESNIL, San Jose

RICHARD D. CLARK, San Jose

JOHN BAILEY, President/J.Bailey, Inc., San Francisco

WILSON LEE, San Jose

ASHLEY GENZ-FOSTER, New Orleans, La

L. PETERSON, San Jose

SHARLENE STRABLEY, San Jose Musueum of Art, San Jose

KIP SCHAFHEIMER, San Jose

BRAD NICKEL, Miami

ANDREA COUSENS, Eastwick Communications, Redwood City

DENISE VARDAKAS, Associate/ Eastwick Communications, Redwood City

JEFFREY KOSEFF, Professor, Stanford University, Palo Alto

T. H. SCHILLER, Paso Robles, (formerly Los Altos

BRIGIT VALENCIA, Redwood City

BARBARA AVERY, San Jose

PAULA DUNCAN, San Jose

JAYESH GOVINDARAJA, Sunnyvale

BEN WEISS, Product Manager/Intuit, Mountain View

PATRICIA TRACY HARRIS, Gilroy

DON HARRIS, Gilroy

WENDY WALLEIGH, Santa Clara

MARY JO LEVY, Palo Alto

STEPHANIE REMINGTON, Costa Mesa

CHARLES BARRY, San Jose

VERN VONHEEDER III, Las Cruces

AMY YAMASHITA, San Jose

MARTY BILLDT, Livermore

LES MAHLER, Free lance writer/photographer, Livermore

JOAN BOSE, Saratoga

SARAH PURDY, San Jose

ERIC GODSHALK, 13th St. NAC, San Jose

ROBERT HARRISON, San Carlos

BILL MAXFIELD, Santa Cruz

GERALDINE HODSON, San Jose

HERMAN BETTEN, Editor Betten Beursmedia News, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

DENISE S SCHLAMAN, English teacher, San Jose

MARIAN J. COLE, Sunnyvale

ANTHONY MARTIN DAMBROSI, Middletown New York

CAROLINE VENZA, San Francisco

ELIZABET S. CODD, San Jose

LARRY SLONAKER, Holllister

CINDY AKUS, Raleigh

LAUREN DELP, Owner / Cardea, San Jose

TONIA FORBUS, San Jose

GEORGE FROST, Berkeley

BEVERLY A. WILLIAMS, Green Bay, Wi

LUCY LARSON, Menlo Park

DONNA PURDY, El Gato Medical Group for Women, Inc, San Jose

JEAN AND WILLIAM NIX, Sunnyvale

K HARTMAN, Freelance writer, Santa Rosa

LEONARD B. CHANDLER, Facilities Manager/Oki America, Inc., San Jose

BILL RUSSELL, San Jose

BARBARA WILCOX, Copy editor, PlanetOut Inc., San Francisco

NANETTE SILVA, Watsonville

ERIC CHONG, Mountain View

MISHA, Artist, San Jose

BEN WALTER, QA Manager, Apple Computer, Cupertino

CARMEN HUGHES, Belmont

AUDREY WEBB, San Jose

YVONNE CHU, Morgan Hill

RENE CAPARROS, San Jose Mercury News Classified Operations, San Jose

JULIANNE SCHENONE, Gilroy