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| Written by PI Web | |
| Saturday, 12 January 2008 | |
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Leave voters in control EDITOR, I take issue with Donna Worley’s two local initiatives for City Council term limits and growth control. Term limits only take away voters’ rights to vote for the candidate they believe will do the best job as their representative. By setting limits on who can represent you, you give more control to lobbyists, because they can be around longer and eventually act as the “authority” on a topic for newer, inexperienced politicians. Term limits also allow lobbyists to control candidates who are strictly front men or women for the lobbyists. Imagine how well this could work in a small community like Patterson. It is hard enough to get local residents to run for a nonpaying city council seat now. When we’d finally get someone with experience under their belt, they’d be out of office because of limits. Term limits are for the lazy. They put our democracy on autopilot, again giving more power to the lobbyists and less power to the people through a lack of experienced representatives. Ms. Worley says her second initiative is to slow growth and maintain our way of life. Yet she supports the West Park development proposed by Mr. Gerry Kamilos, which will dramatically change our West Side communities. Since you have only lived here for a few months, Ms. Worley, let someone who has lived here for 19 years (and commuted to Fremont for 15 years) tell you about our way of life. The West Side communities have been, and still are, agriculturally based communities. The majority of people here like the small towns we live in. If your initiative had been in place a few years ago, most of you who have lived here a couple of years or less would not have had the opportunity to move here. Most of the members of our City Council were not in office during the recent housing boom and building fees fiasco, so why blame them for something they had no part in? If you are unhappy with the City Council, then vote them out of office — just don’t take away my right to vote for them by limiting who I can choose! Gordon Barbosa, Patterson West Park is too large EDITOR, I am against the West Park project as currently stated. It is pretty clear to almost everyone that the current version of the 4,800-acre project is simply too large for Patterson’s infrastructure. I think the project is being steamrolled through because someone is willing to say anything to get access to the millions of state dollars that may be available to the county. Patterson won’t see the property tax dollars, but Modesto and Turlock will certainly benefit. Patterson will be stuck with the problems. Even if you believe the employment numbers, those positions will be filled mostly by Tracy, Modesto and Turlock people and will most likely be transfer jobs from other cities. There is no challenge from anyone on the facts. West Park developer Gerry Kamilos has never shown us how he worked up the data, and certain people have just jumped on the bandwagon without checking the numbers. The dirty tricks are childish and a waste of time. How does the county have the right to proceed when the communities involved are against the project as it currently stands? (Sounds like someone is being bullied to me). I think Kamilos is using some kind of statistical average per acre of similar projects to obtain the results he and others want, so the project will fit the requirements needed to qualify for state funds. I believe the numbers actually would be closer to the following: (Yes, these are guesses)
Patterson already has an industrial park that is mostly empty. So, as a concerned citizen, I am asking to be shown how the numbers were arrived at. There are so many problems with this project. The negative impact of trains, traffic and utilities have been documented. And good luck with cutting down the trees on Las Palmas Avenue. Jim Thorpe, Patterson Let’s try term limits EDITOR, Term limits sound like a great idea. It’s on the ballot for statewide offices already. We should consider it locally. The idea of career politicians does not serve anyone’s interests. Fresh voices bring new ideas and end politics as usual. The status quo only reinforces bad behavior. While we have enjoyed some great leaders in this community, some are too polarizing and need to go. J.T. Souza, Patterson Letters to the editor may be e-mailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it mailed to the Irrigator at 26 N. Third St., Patterson 95363; or faxed to 892-3761. Signed letters of fewer than 300 words that deal with public issues will be given preference. Letters will be edited for clarity, length and civility. Routine thank-you letters will not be published.
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