Letters for October 27, 2016

Building riches

Re “Folsom annexation blues” by Scott Thomas Anderson (SN&R News, October 20):

Scott Thomas Anderson has done a great job of showing how developers and politicians work together to meet their mutual goals. The South of 50 project will make a few developers very rich and keep city council members in office with undisclosed perks. Once the houses are built, the developers disappear, leaving the homeowners with the burden of traffic congestion, pollution and very possibly not enough water for basic needs. We have seen it many times before, but have not learned the lessons. And what about the wildlife? Where are they to go? Humans can not continue to expand and take over every available inch of land. I would love to see Folsom and the neighboring communities concentrate on mass transit, smaller houses, renewable energy, water conservation and protection of nature.

Nanci Lee Woody

Rocklin

Dark money blues

Re “Folsom annexation blues” by Scott Thomas Anderson (SN&R News, October 20):

This article is a perfect example of how the press can be played by a candidate.

Folsom has been nationally recognized as one of the best cities to raise a family, and this reputation is closely guarded by the Folsom Chamber of Commerce. This is why we support responsible growth. So, at times, our interests have been aligned with the building industry. But to suggest some sinister alliance is undeserving and inaccurate on so many fronts. SN&R chose to omit several examples of when the chamber and building industry disagreed on candidates. What’s more, this election will have no bearing on whether south of I-50 will be developed or not. That decision was made in 2004 when voters approved Measure W by nearly 70 percent of the vote.

Had SN&R done its homework, they would have found that Roger Gaylord, the candidate promoting this curious narrative, is being investigated by the Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to properly disclose thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and expenditures. It is ironic that SN&R, in a fruitless effort to expose “dark money,” missed the mark by disparaging Folsom’s small-business community, and by doing so, bolstered the candidacy of a serial election law violator.

Folsom BizPAC’s campaign contributions have always been publicly disclosed (not the definition of “dark money”), and they are posted on the city’s website for every voter to see. Unfortunately, Roger Gaylord has not shown this same commitment to transparency and SN&R failed to hold him accountable.

Marko Mlikotin

Rocklin

Editor’s note: According to Folsom city documents, the Measure W from 2004 referenced above wasn’t actually a public vote on specific development plans slated for the South of 50 project. Roger Gaylord’s position on the Fair Political Practices Commission review of his campaign documents is that it is based solely on a citizen’s complaint filed by a real estate agent whose company is an official member of the Folsom Chamber of Commerce.

A sexist betrayal

Re “Monsters, Inc.” by Rachel Leibrock (SN&R Editor’s Note, October 13):

What stands out in Leibrock’s column is this phrase “how horrifically sexist Trump really is.” Clear. Succinct. Trump is so bad we’ve pretty much forgotten Roger Ailes.

Who tolerates this criminal grotesquerie? We do. An invidious rot has entered the content of our character. We have betrayed our daughters. Too many men of all races grow up without someone to tell them that the most powerful people are the ones who choose not to exercise their power, including their power over people on their payrolls. Too many men grow up without anyone telling them that only barren self-pitying toadies commit the sordid crime of sexual harassment.

Courage happens when we feel fear. This is not paradox; it is truth. Courage cannot exist without fear. The next time you see one person sexually harassing another person, consider this: Courage is when you’re afraid to speak up, and you speak up anyway. That’s courage.

Good luck with this. I believe, frankly, that the next time you see one person sexually harassing another, you will say nothing.

J.O. Daunt

Davis