Letters to the Editor

What’s not to like? To the Editor:OK, so now we have three Democrats who want to challenge U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly because they don’t like the direction the country is going in. Let’s see. Since May 2003, the economy has added millions of new jobs. The unemployment rate is down to 5 percent – lower than the average for the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. More Americans now own their homes, and minority home ownership is near record highs. Real disposable income is up, and consumers are confident. New orders for durable goods have risen sharply, and shipments of manufactured goods are up. Over the past four and a half years, productivity has grown at its fastest rate since the 1960s, and small businesses are thriving. What’s not to like?Clark JohnsonFillmoreI careTo the Editor:Now that the “We Care” Referendum Petition has been submitted, which I had a hand in drawing up, and certain comments are being made about how the Petition was circulated, and where the city is going from here, a few points made now might be appropriate.First, as is the case with “One Santa Paula” spokesperson Cheryl Baudizzon, I live outside the city limits, but I have maintained my place on Foothill Road for some 23 years. Yes, that makes me “new” to the town. But I do care about Santa Paula and my name is on the wall in the community center as a substantial contributor, as a “for instance”.The petition gatherers who did “We Care’s” petition also did Pinnacle’s a month or two ago. At that time they were also collecting for breast cancer funding. I don’t remember anyone claiming “bait and switch” – let’s have an “investigation” – as a few are now solemnly proclaiming about the “We Care” Fagan petition. And there was no misrepresentation. The gatherers were true pros and were specifically hired to defuse an obviously volatile situation. They should be commended for their professionalism, and I must say I was originally somewhat skeptical of paid gatherers. No longer the case. To me the truth on this matter is clear, plain and obvious. There is no valid debate or “investigation”, here.I have been working with the “We Care” people because they asked for my help. I spent quite a bit of time previously working in Washington, D.C. on sensitive political matters involving P.R. and voters’ rights during the 60s and they thought I could help. And it’s for free, “We Care” has been and is operating on a shoestring.One thing to remember is this. When the bond of confidence and good faith has been broken between citizens and their government, a whole new universe of distrust and cynicism is ripe for exploration. Remember “Watergate?”. Been there, done that. Enough said.Many, many people on the other side of this issue are wonderful people and I know some of them, and they, me. The people at Cabrillo Economic Development do a terrific job and I know them. And most of those in “One Santa Paula” are good and sincere people, though occasionally overtaken by self-generating hyperbole and rhetoric. But they are sincere, as are the folks at “We Care.” Demonizing anyone over a housing development is unwarranted, and frankly, bush-league politically speaking. Think Dick Morris, not Lee Atwater.And I am sure all on the Council and in the city government believe in their heart of hearts that their vision for Fagan Canyon is the best one. But, it is not the only one. A 1,250-unit project would have gone through with minimum opposition. And Centex is no villain, they are businessmen, plain and simple.We do not have to agree on this project, or any other project, to be decent human beings and raising the false [in my opinion] specter of “racism” is not in anyone’s best interest, nor is it fair comment, nor is it accurate. In my own Welsh origin family are more recently Mexican Indians, Ukrainian grandchildren, Greeks and several people of Jewish origin. I strongly subscribe to the notion, “Erase the Hate”, worldwide, and rhetoric that runs opposite to that idea is just totally negative.So, I have a novel proposal. Let’s let the Petition run its course. Let the signatures be counted. If it was erroneously drafted, then I will take the blame for that as it is 90% my work product. But I do not believe even the canniest Philadelphia lawyer will find an error in my original work, that is, the first 14 pages. [The Spanish translation is not mine but from a professional translator.] The balance is the two city resolutions and the entire E.I.R., neither being my work. All together, over 80,000 pages were printed and collated to collect approximately 1,590 signatures. Pity the poor trees, but the law so required it be done that way, and all in 30 days, from take-off to landing.So I now make a radical proposal; let it go to the ballot. Centex can spend whatever it needs to, $100,000 or more. “We Care” has about $5 in the bank. Won’t go far. If the Plan is “perfect”, if most of the people of the city want 2,500 units in Fagan, or 495 units up in Adams, or maybe 1,750 on East Area One, let them vote “yea” or “nay”. Isn’t that the very essence of America?So, a few months will be lost in the process. Big deal. This is too important a matter for the future of Santa Paula to rush it through.Speaking for the writer, if the Fagan Plan is adopted by the voters, certainly a distinct possibility, I for one will congratulate them on their victory. The people will have spoken – and that is good enough for me.And I commend the Santa Paula Times and its publishers, the Johnsons, for their classic policy of publishing all letters on each side of the issue when we believe they strongly support Fagan Canyon and development in general. Good show!Richard Main, J.D.Santa PaulaDone dealTo the Editor:I wish to thank Beverly Harding for her December 6 Fagan Canyon Development comments. She helped explain why efforts to oppose the big project felt like howling in the wind. She said that long before the recent comment period, a councilperson had told her that it was already a “done deal”.We have always been taught to stand up for what we believe; I always believed it is a mistake to have urban development of a canyon. There are no canyons with seasonal streams in Ventura County which have more than sparse settlement, with residents using well water and septic tanks. This gives Nature a fair chance of survival. A proposal for a big canyon development in Ventura (which recently burned) was defeated by voters. Fagan is a particularly bad canyon for dense development, since it has little water and poor access, devastating our fellow residents who live on the proposed access routes.As a concerned citizen, I attended one of the first public meetings in the railroad station, but there was no room for dissension from those who believed in adhering to our general plan.I read in the paper that the next chance for an individual to weigh in on this huge project was to write comments on the draft EIR to Kevin Thomas. I perused the document, and spent many hours to write to explain why I think this project is wrong, but he didn’t write back. Six weeks later, I received a CD from RFB Consulting, which said, “comment noted, no response required.” That’s low. I sent my comments to three councilpersons (I thought Aguirre was ineligible), but no one answered. The paper didn’t publish my comments.Public hearings were scheduled, and I listened to Kathy Long say that it is healthy for democracy for people on both sides of an issue to make their opinions known. So I spent many more hours to write a 5-minute comment of my reasons why this development plan would be a mistake for our city. However I noticed, when the planning commission or the city council had discussions, they weren’t even talking about the question, project or no project? They were only talking about 10 acres of this or 9 acres of that, or 350 units per year or 400 units per year. I guess that I failed to wake up and smell the diesel. My time to speak was reduced to one minute, as other speakers who had already spoken previously, one for 15 minutes, were allowed repeat performances.I signed a petition to require a vote of the people for large developments, but the city attorney and clerk, with the council’s tacit approval, rejected the spirit of the law. I would think, with a decision as monumental as changing the general plan by 500%, and considering that two of the deciding councilpersons were elected having campaigned against urban sprawl into a canyon, that they would prefer to find out if this development is really what the people of Santa Paula want. But planner Nasalroad and councilwoman Krause have both written to disparage the general electorate voting on issues like this. How does that fit in with Kathy Long’s healthy democracy?Douglas SmithSanta PaulaCommunity effortTo the Editor:For over 25 years the generous people in our community have opened their hearts and pocketbooks to help provide a Merry Christmas to needy families in our city through the Rotary Christmas Basket Program. This year we were pleased to provide food and toys to 406 deserving families.As a first time Christmas Basket Program Chairman, I was deeply moved by the number of volunteers and organizations that came forward to help make this event so successful. In addition to the volunteer help, we had over 120 individuals and businesses contribute over $14,000, the most ever, to help support this important Christmas Program.You cannot imagine what a truly impressive sight it was when we began to put our Christmas baskets of food and toys together at the Community Center a couple days before Christmas. Over 100 volunteers showed up to help sort and distribute literally tons of canned food and non-perishable food items, and almost 2,000 toys were distributed among the baskets based on the age and sex of the children.Finally, the day before Christmas, over 100 volunteers again showed up at 6:00 a.m. to finish filling the Christmas baskets and loading them onto the trucks for delivery to the homes and the more than 1,000 children in need.I cannot begin to adequately express my thanks to all who helped and who generously donated money to the effort. I would, however, like to recognize the following people and organizations in particular for their generosity and commitment.• The 2005 Rotary Christmas Basket Committee, which included Maria Bombara, Carol Burhoe, Guy Cole, Dennis Culver, Jerry Conway, Scott and Cynthia Dunbar, Chris Bartelson, Ben Curtis, Luis Diaz, Kay Hara, Pete Fallini, Cliff Finley, Tomas Gonzales, Pam Lindsey, Bruce McGee, Mike Mobley, Chuck Mullett, Adrina Ramos, Otto Schimmel, Paul Smith, Dave Stegman, Mike Shore, Elias Valdes, Henry Vega, Norm Wilkinson, Peter Wright and Pat Zwagerman and other Rotarians and friends who helped make the project a success;• The Limoneira Company, Mission Produce, Freska Produce International and Mike Shore for donating fresh fruit, avocados and mangos;• Calavo for generously allowing us to use their facilities for toy storage;• Weyerhaeuser for donating the boxes that were used to put together the Christmas baskets;