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Hanley should stick to Auburn issues Dear Editor,
Kevin Hanley’s recent endorsement of Tom McClintock is another example of one’s political and intellectual blinders standing in the way of clear visions and judgment.
Hanley decries representatives who place their self-interest and re-election above the (public) interest. McClintock is a career politician from Southern California who has run for every high and low office imaginable. No longer acceptable there, he decides he wants to be the representative for the northernmost district in California. Now just whose interest is he representing?
Tom McClintock routinely stands toughly up to the “liberal” ACLU and other organizations that advocate for the powerless and for the environment – and he routinely rolls over for the Haliburtons and Blackwaters and the Abramoffs. Mr. Hanley considers this “courageous.” This new pretender votes to cut education and social programs and health care while approving many times those amounts for new prisons and a senseless war in Iraq. Kevin calls that “fiscal prudence.”
Tom McClintock promises to continue the vicious partisanship and politics of attack that have so characterized the Doolittles, Karl Rove and Tom “The Hammer” Delay. Kevin calls this “integrity.”
Both Kevin and McClintock would have government abdicate some of its most basic responsibilities, that of regulation and control of abuses and protecting the public from more scandals. He puts “big labor” on a par with big business, while anyone with any knowledge of our government knows that the amount of money contributed by labor truly pales in comparison to the obscene amounts raised and contributed by the bloated oil companies and defense contractors, the mighty health and insurance firms, the mega developers and the media and entertainment conglomerates, etc. These are at the heart of what Kevin castigates as the “iron triangle” – not honest working people and their unions.
Kevin Hanley fancies himself a bright man. Indeed, he works hard and brings a lot to our city council. Hopefully, he will confine his ministrations to that realm and stop trying to select our national representatives for us.
Larry Smith
Auburn
Rocklin obsessed with development
Dear Editor,
Rocklin’s City Council was chastised for its obsession with supporting development in Clover Valley (Measure H) to the detriment of supporting a park funding measure in the recent election (Measure J).
It is shameful when elected officials ignore their mandate to work for the benefit of citizens and instead favor a profit-gouging, unnecessary, egregious development. The exact words in the Clover Valley staff report-project objectives reads, “Develop an economically viable project that provides a reasonable rate of return on investment for the landowner.” Resolution No. CC2007-page B7. By guaranteeing rates of return for developers, Rocklin City Council takes risks out of land speculation at the expense of environmental impacts.
Furthermore, even as Clover Valley’s developer made threats to sue the city, the Rocklin City Council didn’t bat an eye in approving an extension of the very development agreement that was close to expiring and relieved the city of such vulnerability. Instead of letting the development agreement expire and eliminating any lawsuit exposure, the city council voted to extend the agreement. One must wonder if they needed the lawsuit threat for fear mongering with their referendum campaign.
They’ve got their lawsuits all right, but they’re filed by three different plaintiffs who took steps to right the wrong. When Rocklin’s elected officials refuse to listen to constituents, become obsessed with development at all costs, and/or refuse to obey the law, citizens are forced to resort to the courts for justice. Rocklin needs a city council that supports city parks and is visionary enough to support a Clover Valley historic nature preserve. Too bad the current Rocklin City Council is incapable of satisfying either need.
Matt Marin
Auburn
Obama speaks to adult in all of us
Dear Editor,
I listened to Senator Barack Obama’s entire speech on race and was speechless when it ended. This was the first time in many years that I can remember seeing a public figure stand up and speak to the “adult” in all of us on a topic that obviously still runs raw in our country.
At a time when racial epithets and innuendos, both black and white, were being hurled across the airwaves and in the press, this brave man, the product of a white mother from Kansas, a black father from Africa, this United States Senator, and candidate for President, stood up before us, the American people, and after laying out the historical context of racism in this country in a calm and personal manner never before witnessed on T.V., ended his speech by encouraging us to stop tearing each other apart, stop tearing each other down, and to start working together if we’re ever going to achieve what we all hold dear, and that’s true democracy, freedom and justice in this country and in the world.
Senator Obama gave us a gift few leaders have given us: A chance to heal ourselves and our country in the most profound way. A great leader is one who can inspire us all to heal the huge divide in this country, repair our standing throughout the world, and help us achieve economic prosperity, affordable health care, quality education, decent paying jobs and a clean environment for our children to inherit. Thank you, Senator Obama!
Leslye Janusz
Auburn
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