From the Email In Box: Have You Considered

Grandpa:

Have you considered that the $1,290,000 the City paid for the Dodson's property as a favor to Gene Carlstrom, former Mayor and owner of Terra Loma Reality and employer of Councilwoman Cortes, and I might add over the objections of Councilman Hilkey would have bought seven more deputies for Grand Terrace. Mr. Hilkey stated that it was a property the City did not need and paid too much for. They did have it listed for $750,000, which in closed session with Carlstrom it ballooned to one point two million and the Mayor was less than honest about the backroom deal. So when your filing your stolen car report or your burglary report or when a man is chasing your eight year old daughter with a knife through your apartment complex you can thank Mayor Ferre and her crew. When you call a deputy and the dispatcher says she has sent him the call that usually means he's not in town and your on your own. You can thank Mayor Ferre and her crew. As much as the City manager and most of the Council are a detriment to the citizens of this community, it is becoming more and more apparent that they take their marching orders from Carlstrom. His real estate agency and only his, hire former Planning Commissioners and hire Council members wives and Council members. Terra Loma Reality and only Terra Loma Reality are given City (us) property to dispose of. They are not the only real estate agency in town. Why is there no fairness here and the City list OUR property with all agencies. Why, because the President of the Chamber of Commerce works for Carlstrom, why, because Councilwoman Cortes works for Carlstrom, why, because the Chamber luncheons are vital to keeping power in Grand Terrace. Why, because the Blue Mountain Outlook is the propaganda wing of the Council and City manager. The tax payers spend over $600 a month for space in the BMO and I deify anyone to give an instance where it gave or allowed any citizen to voice an opinion contrary to the Cities. Well there was Manhole Builders, but the editor and the President of the Chamber live there.That is a lot different from the ordinary folk that might have their house run over by a bulldozer for the glory of the Mayor.

Watch the Mayor when a citizen comes into the podium with a problem that does not involve Honey Hills or any of the Petta or social elite types or a personal friend of hers or a few of the other Council members. She does not just display disinterest she demonstrates it by looking at other things or shuffling papers that someone will have to explain to her later. She answers no questions and always defers to her puppet master Schwab to respond. You might as well talk to a sock puppet although to be fair she can tell time, anyway three minutes worth. Which is no real consolation if your trying to convey a real problem that affects your neighborhood.


Agree or disagree with Councilman Hilkey or Council Miller at least they show an interest in the rest of the community. When Mr. Hilkey was Mayor he would bend over backwards to allow a citizen to speak his mind even if it took more than the three minute rule that does not exist in any California Law nor does the law Mayor Ferre states at the beginning of the public speaking. What the law says is that the Council can make no ruling. Mayor Hilkey, even if he was opposed to what the citizen wanted to bring before the Council was fair and would answer and allow the citizen to respond when he had a question. There was a repoire and if action was needed he made sure it was and held Schwab accountable to the citizen. Those days no longer exist


In November there are elections coming and Madam Mayor is going to run for Mayor. Even if she looses she will not looses her Council seat. We will have to wait two more years for that. If any of us have a home left.


So here it is. Carlstrom was a former Mayor. He has his hand in all the Cities real estate deals. He was given the ten or so RDA houses on Van Buren to sell. He employes a Council member, he employes the President of the Chamber, he employes a former Planning Commissioner. The Citizens have to put a stop to this. Terra Loma should not be allowed to list any property owned by the citizens of the town. Period. Let us watch the thirty-five pocket lot houses on Mt. Vernon and the Senior Housing apartments to see whom that are give to. That would be a contract between the City and the developer to have a gander at. I wonder if Terra Loma will be mentioned. What Grand Terrace has become is abhorrent.

Grandpa's reply: THOUGHT ABOUT IT I DID. NOW ASK ME WHY HAVE THIS BLOG