Debt Finaced RDA paid back with State Allocated Funds

OBSCENE is the only word that comes to mind when thinking that the Grand Terrace City Council is making a money grab to increase the funds it gets from any source.

IT is not time to expand the demand for employees for maintaining parks and public spaces. It is not time to go into deeper debt.

IT is time to scale back to a bare minimum.

The best way to encourage development and investment is to remove the excessive cost of construction caused by Plans and Codes that have more to do with window dressing than public safety and the needs of a particular business.

Stop dressing up streets and parks while going into debt. Let businesses design for their purpose and locate in properly zoned areas. BUT, don't tell them what plants should be planted or what their building should look like. What works should be sufficient. IF and WHEN the economy turns around it may be reasonable for a business to add a more attractive frontage or the city to increase the number of parks to maintain. BUT not until there is an abundance of taxes in the State coffers should GT ask for a dime more for development that does not create a long term generation of economic value to the city.

It is time that all the city employees earning more than 60,000.00 per year have a dramatic pay cut. This should include the city manager on down. That is a pay cut, not a work reduction. They should work 40 hours a weak for Less Money. The rest of us are, if we are lucky enough to still have jobs.

None of the City Council Members should have gas allotments or medical insurance or retirement for their 8 hours a month gig.

No Travel should be approved for any reason.

Grand Terrace should be looking for ways to give the State more revenue, not get more from it. Look at what may happen to the schools because of State Cut Backs.

The spending has to stop. The reason the council and staff spend is so the staff can skim off administrative funds to pay this staff and more staff. IT is time this mary-go-round stops and the current Mayor, Cortes and Garcia leave the council. Walt S may have to go too if he doesn't see the light and start doing right. His saying that you can vote people off the council is a chicken mans statement. We can't un do a big fat debt this council is more than happy to acquire for future councils to deal with. NOW is the time he should start saying no, even if he is a minority vote. IF he is of a different mind. If he isn't then he should be replaced also, we can't afford him.

The city's sign is a perfect example of what should not be done. A private business could not have such a sign running 24/7 to sell their products. Just try and put up a yard sale sign when your family is losing their home. Try to have a business in GT see how much flack the Council/Planning and all give you unless you are part of their "Development Plan" or Select Developer, or a "Friend of the Council".

Dog park. Mow the field get some fence off of Craig's list and put in a double gate. People can bring their own water and take their doggie doo home with them to dispose of. IF and when there are sufficient contributions a restroom for humans would be a nice start. A doggie doo trash can would be also nice but it would have to be where the trash pickup can get it without a city employee's assistance. Mowing the field on a regular basis is all that is needed if the fence and gates are in place.

Not one additional city dime should be spent on the dog park. People who have dogs should contribute to its development over time little by little.