http://terracetruth.typepad.com/files/2006/09/candidate_state.html
Mayor Ferre's candidate statement can be read by clicking on the link to her name. All four Grand Terrace candidates have been given the same set of questions, and all responses will be posted with no commentary or opinion added. The remaining statements will be posted as soon as I receive them.
Brian …….. Terracetruth Blog
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WELL Naturally Having Received this Gramps Has to Provide Commentary and Opinion. WHY, well we never have any IDEAS… you see a Commentary by its nature is an IDEA… as is an OPINION. But let us not stop here. I am in Blue Mt. BLUE… Mrs. Ferre’s Contribution is in Black… Brian… He is Italicized Black.
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1. Eminent Domain – I respect the property rights of all citizens. In regard to the Towne Centre Project, the Council has not indicated that eminent domain will be pursued. The Council has simply asked the one remaining property owner what she is looking for and she has refused to say. The remaining property owner has decided not to sell the property and instead, to remain in her late mother’s home. The City has respected her wishes and the Towne Center project has been reduced and revised accordingly.
&+*(($*This is why the City Manager is still working in Lock Step with Jacobsen in trying to Negotiate a Deal with “The Remaining Property Owner, Jo Stringfield. This is why the council approved the City Manager’s Tactics of Publicly Threatening all the Property Owners with Eminent Domain, and Even Allowing him to Write Several Letters threatening the use of Eminent Domain and eventually the Letter Restricting the Use, and Sale of Property IN the EVENT the RDA/CITY wants to Invoke the use of Eminent Domain. She has not supported Ordinance Suggestions to Protect Private Property. So how does she demonstrate a “Respect for Property Rights”… Jo Stringfield has Protected Her Own Property Rights, with the aid of Citizens Groups and a Lawyer. NOT MRS. Ferre. IT is not Just Jo… it is ALL of US who don’t want to have the HELL Jo has had for the past 2 years plus, at the Hands of the City and City Council.
2. New High School - When I first ran for the City Council in 2000, I stated that bringing a high school to Grand Terrace was one of my top priorities. Some people doubted whether the City could play a role in such an undertaking but I believed then, as I do now, that Grand Terrace students deserve a “State of the Art” facility. Such a high school could serve as a focal point for our community. I have worked hard to push this project along as much as possible from the City’s perspective whether it was through the Bond Committee or through the assistance the City has provided. Our community needs to stay focused on this goal to make sure the school district’s commitments are fulfilled.
$#*@() First of all a focal point for a community is not often put in an industrial zone on the furthest corner of town.. next to a power plant, and county line and more industrial property. “State of the ART” facility. Well what I see is more of the same. Same Sports Fields, Over Crowding, Transportation Dependent, UN GREEN BUILDINGS to Contain Teenagers for the day. State of the ART isn’t working so well. How about trying for better than that and truly making it a FOCAL point of the community. The city RDA should have never sold this property to CJUSD on the idea that the power plant would not be functioning in the future. Or that the train tracks don’t pose a problem that the City of GT can’t deal with.
3. Towne Centre Project – We are in the fortunate position of having a number of businesses wanting to come to our community. Not every city in the Inland Empire is in such a position. Stater Bros wants to bring to the Towne Center its “Top-of-the-Line” store with the types of products, services and amenities our community deserves. This is an important window of opportunity to take advantage of business opportunities in areas specifically zoned and planned for such purposes.
*()_*_)() LOWES wants to COME HERE…. BARS and GRILLS want to COME HERE. And DRUG STORES WHO SELL MORE LIQUOR than Prescriptions WANT TO COME HERE. “Top of the LINE Stater’s” that would be nice in the current location as well as in the “New” location. As far as areas “specifically zoned and planned for such purposes, that land is currently on the record zoned for Residential Property. It is Planned for Small Shops and Restaurants, NOT BIG BOX STORES and Bars. THE Plan was accepted by the community and council on the basis that Eminent Domain was not used to acquire the property. THE “PLAN” also included building a Retirement Facility or Senior Housing to complement “The Terrace, Assisted Living Facility”. THE PLAN was to promote Pedestrian Mall… or walking… sort of a Park Setting with shops and restaurants. THAT is not what we are getting. The GENERAL Plan and the Specific Plan are in Conflict and are not in full force and approved by the State Regulators. This has been done on her watch.
4. Recall – It is my view that since I have refused to place the interests of one group above the interests of the community as a whole, these individuals are attempting to overturn the results of the last election. The San Bernardino Sun, among other voices, have agreed that a recall is not supposed to be used for such a purpose. The recall petition is being attempted not because of anything I personally did since I am just one vote on the Council. The policies these people object to were approved by a unanimous vote of the Council and yet this group is only pursing a recall petition against Councilwoman Garcia and me. The recall proponents claim to speak for the overwhelming majority of the residents of Grand Terrace and yet they did not run for either office in this election. In my opinion, this group’s attacks on everything that takes place in this City are designed to hide the fact that they have no constructive ideas of their own. The one good result of this situation is that I have received a groundswell of support and requests of numerous citizens to fight back.
*)*()*()( A Recall is to remove from office Elected Officials who have demonstrated that the continuation of their service in office will result in a Harm to the Community, not only as a result of Illegal Acts, suspected or suggested, or proven. Mrs. Ferre is correct she has been party to the bad decisions of the Council, and those decisions have resulted in Law Suits against the City. She and Garcia were of the 4 long term serving Council members were and are the only 2 that could be recalled. YOU CANT recall someone who’s term is up within 6 months or who has only served 6 months. IF Herman Hilkey, and Bea Cortez were not up for re-election they would have been recalled also. It is necessary to offer the Citizens an opportunity to redirect the Council and not force it to surrender to continued law suits, and harm. Her answer shows a lack of understanding of the Right to Recall, and the reasons for the recall. This unawareness is not surprising it is why we are where we are.
&(*@#$ The publicly known recall proponents not running for office was a deliberate decision to allow the citizens to choose between the current Recalled Council Members, and a Candidate offering a new perspective, and not the issue of Recall or Not Recall. The fellow who recalled Davis did not run for Govenor. That Election also lead to a wide open field of replacements, and a circus of an election. Interesting as it was, that is not the purpose of the recall proponents.
Two Candidates did in fact arise to the opportunity to serve. The Recall has not yet qualified, and there will be a need for 2 more Candidates to arise for that future campaign. There is no reason to have 5 or 6 people run and dilute the field which is how elections have been won in the past. Perhaps having only ONE Candidate running against Mayor Ferre and Cortes was calculated so that the choice is clear and deliberate. Attempting to cast dispersions against the “recall proponents” is an act of desperation or an attitude snobbery and privilege, either way it is not effective logical rhetoric.
5. “Safe and Sane’ Fireworks – This important issue is currently being addressed by a citizens task force and I look forward to their recommendations. I will carefully balance the benefit of fireworks sales for our local nonprofits with the public safety concerns.
#*(!@(() THERE is no Benefit of Fireworks that can’t be replaced with the funds spent on Grand Terrace Days, for a one day event, of Hired Entertainment, and Bands to be in a “ False Community Day Event”. How much did it cost to have the Fireworks in GT? What are we risking? There is no Safe and Sane Fireworks, there are only less unsafe and insane. IF Fireworks are safe for my neighbor to fire off in his yard, they are safe to use in a city park. The Double Standard made the Safety of Fireworks Clear. It is time to return to the HISTORICAL BAN on FIREWORKS.. in GT. How about next year all persons using fireworks meet and have a party at the Council Members Houses…
6. Direction of Grand Terrace Development – My first involvement in City government was working on the 1999/2000 General Plan Committee. I was directly involved in the recommendations which were made to the Council and resulted in the General Plan which provides the guiding principles for land use decisions today. I believe that if the City’s land use policies provide, for example, for commercial development in specific areas of our City, then such business should be approved so long as the applicant complies with all zoning, planning and environmental requirements. I do not think it is beneficial for our City’s future when certain groups attack business applicants who pursue development approval for areas of the City which are specifically planned for such purposes.
The General Plan as Mrs. Ferre claims to have co-authored is not a functional document. What is Permitted on one page is not on the next… the lack of a Housing Plan, and a Traffic Plan makes it a document that is not worth the paper it is printed on. This is part of the reason the courts have decided against the city in the recent court cases. The Citizens Expressing Concern about the Business being proposed in the areas was not specifically planned for the purpose of Big Box Stores, Bars and Grills, and Loitering Day Workers. This statement suggestion a delusional state of acceptance of the presentations of the Staff and Developers. The citizens can not afford to continue to be represented by such delusional understanding of the issues facing the council and city.
It is Unfair that Developers have land transferred from the RDA to the Developer without the required Public Notice, and Public Hearings. It is Unfair that the treat of Eminent Domain was used to Bully people off their land and out of their right to Participate in the RDA PROJECT… if it is an RDA Project… we can never tell because to have a RDA Project the Project has to be approved, and in agreement with the Specific Plan and General Plan. It is UNFAIR that the Land owners and future potiential buyers of land are restricted by a Plan and thus forced to sell to a single buyer the Developer of choice of the RDA/City or the RDA. THEN the Developer of Choice is not FORCED to BUILD TO THAT SAME PLAN REQUIREMENT. The Town Center is not any of those things. Zoning Records and the Conflict with the General Plan needs to be resolved before the Specific Plan can Be Developed and thane an RDA PROJECT submitted and approved. This isn’t an issue of the came first the chicken or the egg. IT is more like what comes first Earth, or Day and Night.I
We clearly need to fight for the interests of our City on the issue of traffic and the development pressures happening in surrounding areas…
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What has she done to address this. Reduced speed limits? Made the use of LEV or NEV’s possible in town. NO. Closing a Street for the High School, (this will or could cause a bottle neck in the event of a derailment… and emergency. Failure to abide by Road Improvement for Essco Development as would be required of anyone else. Adding a LOWES and BARS and Grills will AID in TRAFFIC?
7. I believe I am the most qualified candidate for Mayor due to my experience in two very important areas. First of all, I have over 30 years of experience as a community volunteer and I had my dream job as a teacher and principal in Grand Terrace. Secondly, I have been honored to serve as a Councilmember and the appointed Mayor for the past six years and during that time, I have gained knowledge and experience about the realities of local government and the politics and obstacles that must be overcome in order to achieve what is important for our residents. These two different but related sources of experience have provided me with invaluable perspectives about the vision and values our residents expect their Mayor to advocate on their behalf.
#*()@ The time you have spent on the council has adequately demonstrated that your years of service to the community need to terminate. Your time is up please sum it up. You have been given opportunity after opportunity to rectify some of the actions which cause the Recall Effort, yet you wait for your guidance from Staff not the residents. It is time you no longer serve as Mayor. Mrs. Ferre Hopefully your time on the Council is also truncated. You have not provided the require Oversight of the City Staff, and their actions. You have not held Developers on an equal footing with citizens, and land owners. You have not protected the Property Rights of Citizens. Your time is UP... thank you for your service.... your service has been duly noted.
