From the Email InBox: Stuck Citizens Again

Again the City Council has stuck it to the citizens of Grand Terrace. "We're not voting on a project we're voting on a developer". Is everybody brain dead in here. What does Councilwoman Garcia and Councilwoman Cortes think Jacobsen was talking about and showing pictures of for two and a half hours. He was selling his project, not his abiltiy to be a developer. City Attorney Harper even told them they were voting on a project, in the absence of a second proposal. It only proves they don't listen to anyone but Schwab and if he says it, it must be true. Like the library." No City Funds or RDA funds will go into this project". Gee, what a suprise, now the RDA will buy the library from Jacobsen. So much for the folks that were told it would be "Free". So how much does a library go for these days?

I guess the Councilwomen did not really have to pay attention because like Ferre, their minds have been told what to think. (Oxymoron) It surprised no one how they voted. They have to do whatever they can to cover that they have allowed Schwab and the Redevelopment Agency to consume the property taxes we pay. Mrs Robles made one of the best points of the night. That less than half a million dollars of our property taxes go to us. That the majority of our tax dollars go to the Redevelopment Agency and the way Redevelopment Agencies are designed to function they will increase their demand of our tax dollars. We owe millions in tax allocation bonds.Every year it will increase. Ballpark figures, each household in Grand Terrace owes $2000 in RDA debt.Every year it will increase.

At least a couple of the public speakers brought out the fact that some of these council members and City Hall can be bought. The Citizens should have fought fire with fire. Take up a collection and raise Jacobsen's bid on the Council. By my figures he put up less than 10 grand, not counting what money most likely went under the table and bought the votes. While we are on the subject of 10 Grand, that's all Jacobsen has in the land on Barton. According to the Developer Agreement and the County records, the only thing Jacobsen has is 10 grand in a designated fund. That is like a deposit on the land he does not own. It's not even an escrow account, so when Schwab told the citizens that Jacobsen controls 13 parcels and Jacobsen said he owns 13 parcels, there is a big difference. Jacobsen does not own 13 parcels and the millions he said he has invested is questable at least and a lie at best. Show us where he paid for 13 parcels.

By Schwab giving "control" of citizen owned land to Jacobsen he has given him the ability to go to the bank and say 'Here, I control this land" and the bank will provide financing with that control letter as collateral. Now if this project fails, who does the bank go after for their money or what would they go after. I would guess it's our land they would take, after all Schwab has signed away our rights to the land to Jacobsen so he can get financing.

Why was not Jo Stringfield afforded the same opportunity? I'll tell you why and here's the rub folks and you should be angry. Thursday's Council meeting was to select Jacobsen as the developer and his plan for Lowes, it was a done deal before anyone walked in the front door of the Council Chambers. Schwab knew it, the Council knew it and those citizens that have been following the illegal actives of Schwab, knew it.

HERE IT IS. Before the long droning presention by Jacobsen and THE VOTE, Schwab stated that Jacobsen had been given control of 13 parcels of the land. During his presention Jacobsen said he owned 13 parcels of the land (albeit there is no record with the County that he owns 13 parcels) well, we have all heard lies from these two before. Now if we were there for the council to choose a developer why was Jacobsen given control over the land before a vote was taken. Why, from the get-go on all projects, have the voters of this community been ignored and lied to by City Hall? Because bribery works. Out of the 23 or so speakers at the Council meeting only a few spoke in favor of Lowes. The usual, Mr. Petta who has made millions off Council decisions over the years and the Friends of the Councilwomen. The majority of the speakers were opposed. Who Cares. Not the Council.

In any other endeavor, outside of the public realm, this would be considered a criminal activy. Organized crime. To the great extent, citizens, this is what you must deal with. So in November when your in the voting booth think back over the last couple years. Do you want more of the same until its your house that Jacobsen has "control" over. It's time to put a stop to the hand full of people in power that cater to the hand full of people in town that only consider the rest of us as a source of money to enrichen themselves on real estate to the detriment of us all.