City Council's Shame

Great show of small town politics. Mayor’s insistence that council member Mr. Hilkey can not engage in questioning a citizen in order to clarify a comment brought to the council during public comments exemplifies the dictatorial nature of town hall politics. Was the Mayor trying to stop information being made public? Was the Mayor trying to protect the public from hearing that the City Manager, acting as the Czar of the Redevelopment agency used the words eminent domain as a negotiation tactic to pressure property owners into selling to a preferred developer for the Redevelopment Agencies Plan and Purpose? Was it the exposure of this duplicity of function and the process of negation was possibly criminal coercion? The use of zoning changes causing the limitation of property use so that the owners have fewer options for the use and sell of a particular property is underhanded use of power.

Assuring a 90 something woman the right to die in her home… How gracious of the City. How about assuring the woman that she and her family will have the use of her property for their own for as long as and for what they what for ever.

Freedom…. Freedom… isn’t that what President Bush hails as a basic right for all HUMANS… are the Citizens and Property Owners of Grand Terrace not Humans deserving of basic property rights?

The money grab for grants available for a bike lane and eventual plans for the north side of Barton Road further shows a lack of honesty on the part of the City Manager, and the City Staff doing his bidding. The presenting of a plan to put in sidewalks, curbs and a bike lane, which will most likely result in further on street parking limitations and the loss of parking spaces in the business lots affect as being…. “ Let’s use the money available or we will have to send it back. Present the whole plan… It sounds like a boondoggle… send back the money.. Advise the land owners affected on how to put in a minimally invasive or encroaching walkway. Bikes are allowed on the road… Let us not pretend they aren’t. Let us not pretend that the only real problem we have is that we allow the traffic to flow too fast through our town.

This writer, doesn’t use alcohol, nor do I wish to promote its sale and use. However, the reasoning used to deny the permit to sell at the Old Grand Terrace Market due to non compliance to new code requirements is symbolic of petty logic. The two issues are not related. The city should not be punitive or restricting trade because a older pre-existing business has grand fathered variances. Clearly, again the City has decided to limit the business person’s rights for reasons of their own intentions, such as hoping the failure of the business and an opportunity to “Redevelop the Property”. That is just mean spirited at the least, possibly self-serving, and one may even ask, are they profiting in some way from their actions?

If we need a new public Library… Mr. Schwab’s House is centrally located and convenient to the access of the majority of the citizenry… Use Emanate Domain, pay him 7.00 per foot and build a neighborhood library there. Please include a band stand for the town swing band while you are at it. If the land isn’t properly zoned, change it.

Regarding the crime report to the people of Grand Terrace… The city web page should provide more details without the editing or summarizing of the data to minimize the reality and nature of the crime in Grand Terrace.