The following letter by Sam Perry was published in the Almanac's March 21 print edition:

Editor:

Regarding your Feb. 28 editorial, "Warming task force needs public scrutiny":

With all due respect I urge you to encourage public participation first and foremost, and to acknowledge the spirit with which Mayor Kelly Fergusson has invited the entire Menlo Park community to participate in the city's Green Ribbon Citizen's Commission. Our community means everyone from residents and commuters to shoppers and venture capitalists.

Menlo Park is, after all, the hub of a venture capital community which in 2006 doubled its annual investment in green technologies to $1.2 billion. Kleiner Perkins' John Doerr said recently that he is gravely worried that companies, governments and individuals are not doing enough.

Let's embrace this opportunity to make Menlo Park a leader as a city and as a community by joining the mayor's effort. As a resident, investor and entrepreneur in Menlo Park for more than a decade, I urge your readers to participate, as have citizens of our neighbor Palo Alto, to achieve optimal recommendations.

Sam Perry

Hobart Street, Menlo Park