Letters for October 31, 2002

Choice is yours
It seems we have two candidates who are not measuring up for governor of California: Davis and Simon. This is the perfect time to vote for a third party and show we do have a choice.

Isabel McCord
Chico

Key to the future
Chico has an award-winning General Plan that has often been ignored and unraveled by the majority on this City Council. As a result, many of the letters to the editor have pointed out the importance of this coming election. As a member of the General Plan Task Force, I agree there is need for a change in the balance of the present council.

With the help of our excellent city staff and a thoughtful, innovative council, planning can accommodate growth, traffic and affordable housing without losing the unique character of Chico. Pease vote for Maureen Kirk, Scott Gruendl and Barbi Boeger.

Mary Watters
Chico

Clear course
On Nov. 5 the citizens of Chico can send a message to the politicians that business as usual will no longer be accepted. We can tell the developers that their money will no longer buy a majority of the Chico City Council.

Two candidates, Mayor Dan Herbert and Ross Bradford, are being supported by expenditures of tens of thousands of dollars from a developers’ political-action committee called Clear Course. These are business people who don’t just throw money away; they invest it.

Clear Course is buying time for television ads and paying for mailings for both candidates. Supposedly these are “independent expenditures,” which means by law the candidates cannot work with the Clear Course in any way.

If you are a registered voter you will get a lot of mail supporting these two candidates. Look closely at the mail. Do these slick pieces of fluff have nice pictures of the candidates? Where did they get the pictures? Do they explain why they are putting upwards of 40 or 50 thousand dollars to elect the mayor and the nice old dentist?

If you watch TV, you’ll see lots of their ads. What do they say? Are they talking about issues or what nice guys they are? Do you want to elect people the developers see as an investment or the candidates who have the best interests of all Chicoans in mind?

Our course is clear. Vote Gruendl, Boeger and Kirk.

Charles Preusser
Chico

Planning pressure
A friend who works for the city was recently telling me how frustrated he is. It seems that the Planning Commission and developers are constantly pressuring the city planners and engineers to bend the rules for them. In the example he gave, the developers of a certain piece of land didn’t want to put round cul-de-sacs at the end of streets. You see, if they do it their way, they can fit more houses on the land. But, fire engines, street sweepers and other service vehicles cannot turn around at the end of the street!

This example shows that the only motivation of developers is greed! They don’t care about quality-of-life issues. Since the developers don’t care about our quality of life in Chico, we need a City Council that will. We need to elect people like Scott Gruendl. Scott Gruendl has a record of being fair and reasoned. He cares about the quality of life of all the residents in Chico, not just about the wallets of developers.

John and Ethel Geiger
Chico

Think Green
If you are feeling disenfranchised by the current political system, you are not alone. There are thousands in our community who feel just like you. If your reason for feeling powerless is a result of the dominant two-party system, don’t worry: There is an alternative.

You do have the opportunity to make a difference on Election Day, but it is important that you go to the polls and vote for the best person for the job. Not voting is not the solution to the problem. It is the problem.

When we vote for candidates who do not take money from corporations, we are making a strong statement about our values. There is one party that does not take any corporate endorsements: the Green Party.

The Green Party gubernatorial candidate is Peter Camejo. What a surprise it would be if the people not planning to vote and the people intending to vote for Davis—despite a foul taste of submission in their mouths (some of my friends included)—voted for Camejo.

Step up to the voting booth Nov. 5 and vote for Camejo, or else sit back and have either a crook (Simon) or an idiotic financial planner (Davis) for your next governor.

Stuart Kuhlman
Paradise

Support Gruendl
I encourage your vote for Scott Gruendl in the forthcoming Chico City Council election. He has and will continue to work hard for the betterment of our community. His vast experience in city planning will serve our community well. He will make intelligent choices for you. Vote Scott for City Council—you will be glad that you did.

Dick Cory
Chico

Not my mayor
At last week’s town hall meeting I was cut off and shouted down by Mayor Dan Herbert. We should demand more civility and truthfulness from our elected officials. Last year Herbert voted to “cancel Halloween.” At the town hall meeting, Mayor Herbert complained about “misinformation” while stating his goal was “not to cancel Halloween.”

I am a former member of a community task force created to address issues (primarily safety) related to Halloween and St Patrick’s Day. After two years of regular meetings, our group brought many options and recommendations to the council. None of our recommendations included the words “zero tolerance crackdown.” Neither did our board recommend hiring 350 extra police to cancel the event by force (this is how riots start). We never considered inflammatory TV commercials featuring police officers illegally grabbing students by the neck. Our recommendations were formulated to make Chico a safer place on Halloween.

Mayor Herbert and the council dissolved our group, and Herbert put together his own private task force. The current dangerous plan is the result. For pointing this out I was shouted down by the mayor and cut off before I could express the following opinion. People will not be safer on darker streets than they will on lit streets, and taking away restrooms with the intent of citing people for urinating in public does not show a concern for safety, cleanliness or the public.

Never before have I felt actual shame for a city official. If there is a riot this Halloween (and I hope not), the fault will rest with the mayor and the police. My recommendation is to vote for anyone but Dan Herbert on Nov. 5. I’m casting my votes for Gruendl, Kirk and Boeger.

Bob Ray
Chico

Yes on 47
I am a student at Butte College and would like to tell the readers to vote for Proposition 47. If it passes, Prop. 47 will benefit the Butte/Glenn Community College and K-12 schools, as well. Butte College will get money to construct the new Learning Resources Center that will house Admission and Records, Financial Aid and Testing along with other student services. K-12 schools will have money for repairs, and students will be comfortable in their classes during rainy, cool winter days and hot summer days. I encourage you to make the right decision when you vote on Nov. 5.

Irma N. Enriquez
Chico