Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - AntiochPress_10.03.08 - Index

18A | BRENTWOODPRESS.COM OCTOBER 3, 2008
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EDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY
OPINION
National
Bailout a necessary evil
Editor:
I never passed Economics 101, but I
knew that when they shipped planeloads of
$100 bills to Europe, they were worthless. It
never occurred to me that the results would
be so tragic. The proposed bailout is better
than having 20 or 30 million families out in
the cold collecting unemployment.
I do hope that Congress will make being
stupid a crime with long jail time for some
bankers.
Bob Oliver
Antioch
Mother, pin a rose on me
Editor:
I watched the city worker load the
trashcans onto a fl atbed trailer. The green
one for yard waste, the blue one for recycle
waste and the brown one for plain old waste
waste.
I felt a little sad. Our young neighbors
were gone. On their way out of California
for a better life. They had lived next to us just
over a year. His job was downsized and he
had diffi culty fi nding work. We hired him
for a small job in our home and when we
gave him a healthy bonus he seemed to really
appreciate it.
His wife was very friendly and a good
neighbor. When we would go on a two-day
trip, she would pick up our newspaper so it
wouldn’t lie in the driveway all day, telling the
world that no one was home. She worried
a lot and it showed in the furrows of her
brow. She told us in the spring that they were
losing their house to foreclosure and would
probably leave by mid-September.
This was the third family on our block
that walked away from their home, unable
to meet their monthly payments. I hear there
are over 500 families in the city that were
in the same predicament and that it would
get much worse before it straightens out. I
had predicted that something like this could
happen with the easy-to-get, interest-only
mortgages, homeowners borrowing heavily
from their equity, and balloon payments
hovering in the shadows.
It happened in this country once before,
in 1929. Then it was called buying on the
margin, and when the margins were called,
the house of cards collapsed. I was born in
1932, right in the middle of the depression.
I suppose I was as welcome as a turd in a
punchbowl.
But why do I feel guilty? I’m not rich;
I’m comfortable. I won’t lose my house to
foreclosure because I have no mortgage.
I own my cars and never pay interest to
anyone for any reason. You see, I believed my
grandfather when told me the story of the
little squirrel who stored his nuts all summer
long to carry him over until spring.
My money doesn’t go as far as it
used to. I refuse to pay $40 for a steak in a
restaurant, so I eat fi sh and chicken Marsala
with mushroom gravy. I used to have the
cleaning lady in every two weeks. Now she
comes every three weeks.
My “mow and blow” gardener cried
that his expenses were increasing and he
needed to increase his monthly fee. I said my
expenses were increasing too, but my income
wasn’t and I would have to fi nd someone
I could afford. My car owner’s manuals
suggest I use nothing but premium gas – they
get the cheapest gas I can fi nd: 87 octane.
I eat leftovers, iron my own shirts,
cut coupons, and I take issue with greedy
medical practitioners who don’t think the
Medicare and private insurance payments
are enough. Old habits die hard, but they
have served me well. Mother, mother, pin a
rose on me.
My heart goes out to all our exneighbors,
but most of them are young
and have time to recover. I hope they have
learned something from this experience.
Ron Beatty
Brentwood
Hazards of firing from hip
Editor:
After reading the article “Oakley joins
Brentwood in seeking fi re move” in the Sept.
19 issue of the Brentwood Press, I decided to
write this letter.
There is no lack of control over district
spending. As for sub-par pay for fi refi ghters
and below standard staffi ng levels, I agree
to this. But here’s the reason: prior to
1991, all of East Contra Costa County
had all-volunteer fi re districts. The budgets
during this era were small. In 1978, Prop 13
was approved by the voters of California.
Because of Prop 13, East Contra Costa
Fire Protection District can receive only 6
percent from property taxes to hire, run and
maintain the fi re district. Con Fire receives
15 percent from property taxes because they
were fully staffed with good pay years before
1978.
Con Fire has three men on each
engine. In order for East Contra Costa
Fire Protection District to bring the engine
companies up to three men, it would need
to hire 24 more fi refi ghters at a cost of $2.9
million dollars per year more. Has anyone
asked Con Fire if it has an extra $2.9 million
dollars? It also takes money to keep the
equipment in A-1 shape.
People that shoot from the hip can
shoot themselves in the foot. Oakley was
once with Con Fire. Why the change?
Nick Papadakos
Former member and fi re chief,
Byron Fire Protection District
Solutions solicited
Editor:
Are you as frustrated as I am with the
unkempt, dying yards of your neighbors due
to foreclosures, rentals, or just plain “don’t
care, folks”? I am asking you for suggestions
to present to the Brentwood City Council on
Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. We will have an opportunity
to present positive solutions at that time.
“ I do hope that Congress will make
being stupid a crime with long jail time
for some bankers.
Bob Oliver
”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
This will not be a griping session.
Please send your suggestions to my e-mail,
kayeroze@comcast.net. Put in the subject
line “BW Suggestions” so I don’t think it’s
spam. I will type them up and we can present
them to the council. Code Enforcement
agency will be there to tell us what they are
doing also.
This is our city, and it will be a long time
before the real estate market turns around.
I hope you will join me in helping to keep
Brentwood beautiful. Let your neighbors
know! Put it on your calendar: Oct. 14, 7
p.m., City Council Chambers, 708 Third St.
Kaye Roozen
Brentwood
Noise complaints bypassed
Editor:
“Final Bypass leg to kick in” was the
heading of Dave Roberts’ article in the
Sept. 26 Press, and I appreciate Mr. Roberts
including in his article the longstanding
“kicker” issues of some Summerset residents;
namely, the potential audible and visual
pollution we expect from Segment 3, as well
as the landscaping issue.
It was gratifying to learn that the
Bypass program manager is “trying to work
with Caltrans and the homeowners to see
what kind of landscaping …” We’ve not
heard that from the Authority.
Sometime ago we submitted a simple
four-point plan to the Bypass Authority,
but have had no response, even after several
follow-ups:
• An invitation to Bypass Authority
Board members to visit the area to see for
themselves, on the Bypass itself, northbound
between Fairview and Balfour; and in the
neighborhoods below and above the Bypass,
in the vicinity of Upton Pyne, Desert Gold
Terrace, Regent Drive, Cellini and others.
• Study and consider alternatives to protect
Summerset residents from obvious traffi c
pollution (engineering studies to the
contrary); alternatives such as extending
the wall to close the “gap,” constructing an
earthen berm, or providing for traffi c-hiding
landscaping.
• Provide for post-construction noise
surveys in the neighborhoods affected, for
the purpose of verifying the noise-impact
modeling of the original study.
• Forming a Landscaping Advisory
Committee, including Summerset residents,
to work with the landscape consultants at the
appropriate time, for landscaping between
the sound wall and the homes.
To my knowledge, there has not been
any response to our request, and you’ve got
to see this situation to believe it.
By the way, it’s not about the Bypass
per se. We’ve known for some time the
Bypass was coming (referred to as the
“Delta Expressway” when we purchased in
Summerset). What most of us didn’t know
were the closeness of the roadway to our
homes and the height of the sound wall
above some roof levels, blocking out light
and view.
So, thanks Mr. Roberts, for your article,
and to the Press for continued follow-up.
While the complete Bypass opening heralds
a new day in Brentwood and East County
transportation annals, I do not look forward
to the Segment 3 opening. I feel like I’ve been
“stonewalled.”
Kermit Sveen
Summerset II
Ballot background
Editor:
Know something about the candidates
before voting.
As a property owner in Discovery Bay
since 1979, I feel I should give my opinion
about the candidates to be elected to the
Community Services District (CSD).
Mr. Bob Doran is the incumbent and
should be re-elected. Bob is the proactive
installer of the CSD for the Town of
Discovery Bay. He worked hard and spent a
lot of his time to get us where we are today.
Let’s retain Bob as a CSD Board member.
Mr. Ray Tetreault was also a CSD
Board member but was never re-elected. He
ended up on the Reclamation 800 Board as
a member. Mr. Tetreault cannot serve on the
CSD Board and Reclamation District at the
same time.
We need Ray Tetreault’s expertise on the
new so-called Pantages development. That
development is outside of Rec 800 territory
and will need to be annexed into Rec 800
territory by the vote of the people. I have in
my possession pictures of the damage of the
slope failure in Starboard Bay the north side
of Drakes Drive.
Other homes lost their decks and docks
because of the slide action.
The attorney for the district told us
nothing could be done because two out of
the three trustees have a confl ict of interest,
being employed by the Hofmann Co.
Ray would have no confl ict of interest.
That’s why we need to retain Ray Tetreault
on the Reclamation District Board.
If the property owners approve the
annexing of the Pantages property, we need
people on the Rec. 800 Board to make sure
the engineering and digging of the bays and
the setback of homes will not cause another
failure. The developer and reclamation
district could be sued.
I also noted, Mr. Richardson is sporting
a button backing Ray Tetreault. In my
opinion, he is the gentleman that is suing
himself and using his tax money along with
the rest of the taxpayers’ money to defend
the CSD in court.
In my opinion, it pays for the voters to
know something about their candidates and
who is backing whom. I’m committed to
Bob Doran.
For 29 years (I have the papers to show
see Opinion page 20A