From the Email INBOX: Taxes & Priority & Punishment

Dear Gramps:

The City Council’s Priority Setting Method should be revised.

The setting of Priorities should include consideration doing those things that may be lower on a priority but could be done with little or no cost. Those items such as making GT a LEV, NEV Friendly City will not cost more than staff time, and some paperwork and perhaps a few signs to change. One would bet there is grant money available from some rich Green Promoting Group out of Hollywood. But the City Council likes to look at big ticket items for the Political Status they will gain.

Why do we need Paramedics.

Well lets see. The number of arrests for Drugs and Alcohol related disturbances contributes to the need of Paramedics. Has the City promoted this. Yes, they allowed added distribution points and ABC Licenses to be issued where they could have opposed ABC Licenses that have bloomed down Barton Road like a rash.

Low Paying Local Jobs, and High Property Values. Gee how do all those not employed people arrested in GT earn their money to pay for their homes…

We’ll see more accidents along the 215 freeway, well it isn’t our freeway and the freeway folks don’t want to fix the freeway problems so paying for paramedics that will be called to the 215 should come out of State Funds, not local taxes. There will be no way to limit the Paramedics service area to GT Tax Payers ONLY.

What you see happening is similar to the attitude of the City Staff when the Utility Tax was not approved by voters. When that happened, they reduced Parks and Recreation services to Youth, increased Park Use Fees to the Youth Sports Teams, and allowed the sale of Fireworks for the first time in the City’s History.

Now adding to the need for Paramedics to be on the ready for a Fireworks Injury caused by Drunks using Safe and Sane Fireworks or Illegal Fireworks.

There will be an additional 120 Senior Citizens added to our population. They will live at the Blue Mt. Senior Villa and they will eventually need assistance… and that assistance will well be a couple of calls to the Paramedics before they are relocated to a care facility.

What are they Punishing the Citizens for? Well there was a clear statement by the Citizens that they did not want a LOWES type business. The Citizens did not want Eminent Domain used for Private Development. So the City Staff and City Council is in the “How to punish the Citizen Mode”. Of course they have to dress up the punishment, and currently it is popular to wave the flag, promote fear, and chant support our first responders, and men in uniform. I support them, but, I do not want the City Council in the loop.

This City Council, does not own the Library, the Town Center Plan for a Library was not a reality, it was not a “Gift of a Library” it was a boondoggle that was an embarrassment to the people who spoke for it. To say the loss of Lowes cost the city 600,000 in tax revenue where is the estimated increased cost of having a LOWES in the city. You never see those figures. Oh and do we need to add that the Town Center, and added traffic will cause an increased need for Public Services.

Mr. Schwab received a raise of over 50,000.00 per year… and a house, and a car. Youth Services and Parks and Recreations could have used those funds. Where is the Priority of the City Staff and the City Council? Where is their judgment?

What of the 33 items on the list were do-able with little or no investment, and or cost to the City. What of the 33 items on the list were actually interagency negotiations such as where to place a County Library. The Library Plan has to be worked out with the County, it is the County Library that Manages our Library not the City. The County has no plans to invest in moving the library, or building a building or paying an increased rent. SO unless the city had a plan to PAY for the LEASE and Move, there was not a REAL PLAN… and what plan you may infer was a trade… accept a LOWES and you get a Library… and we’ll call it even. This was not a well thought out plan, no numbers were chunked, no real agreements or plans were made. Yet the Public and City Council were imposed upon to believe there would be a Free Brand New Library if Schwab’s Town Center Plan was Built. That is just FICTION, if not worse.

For the Dog Park People, and the LEV supporters, at least you were on the list. That is progress. Good Luck Grand Terrace… Citizens: Know your City Council is out to Punish You for not wanting Eminent Domain and for Now Wanting a LOWES near Grand Terrace Elementary School. Know you will be looking at more ABC Places to get Drunk in the "Development Plans".. The City is selling RDA Land... again it is time to question those Back Room Deals that seem to be standard operations for the RDA. The Deals already have the smell of back door deals.... Oh how nice it would be if there was more truth and information that came from the Council and City Staff.

Item 2 on the RDA AGENDA did not indicate what was discussed. Their may be future Public Issue taken just on the representation on the Agenda alone.

Why on earth the City can't post the 33 items on the web site or the BMO... which they pay for articles to be written... so that the community could be informed, and excited, and encouraged to participate.... but, no this is not their intent.

Good Luck Grand Terrace... Good Luck...