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Brentwood Press - DiscoveryBayPress_08.15.08 - Index

18A | THEPRESS.NET AUGUST 15, 2008
Letters from page 17A
reason why I should not voice my disappointment.
This community is clearly split.
There are those such as Mike Welch,
who say hands off the CSD, even if it
means taking away one’s basic rights.
Then there are those who have high
expectations of elected offi cials and who
don’t mind speaking out/acting when
they feel slighted. I know which category
I’m in … this November we all will have
the opportunity to stick with Mike and
the status quo or to move to a new level
by electing those who seek a more open
and forthright local government.
Jeff Barber
Discovery Bay
Officials dropped the ball
on PWC safety
Editor:
Last week in this paper’s article
about water deaths, I read a quote by
Supervisor Mary Piepho, who said, “We
can do more as a community and do
more to gain awareness.”
This statement was part of her
commentary on what else the county
can do in the wake of the two recent
PWC-related deaths. Her remarks also
referenced the no-tow zone and what
additional jurisdiction the county might
have.
The words “additional jurisdiction”
should be a cause for concern by the
citizens. We have more than enough laws
today. Licensing is not the answer, either.
That will just lend to more taxes and bureaucracy.
We are already an over-taxed
and over-litigated society.
I take this opportunity to remind
the supervisor and the community that
well over a year ago, as soon as concerned
local citizens found out about the
proposed no-tow zone, they went to the
California Department of Boating and
Waterways and commissioned a comprehensive
database study of the target
waters to analyze the actual safety issues
(no government agency had done this).
We were not surprised to learn that
the majority of all boating deaths and
serious accidents proximate to Discovery
Bay were PWC related. It was also
confi rmed to us that in these waters
there had never been a boat-related accident
involving tow-behind water sports.
Armed with this information, we
approached Piepho, the Board of Supervisors
(BoS) and the Discovery Bay
Community Services District (CSD) to
propose a comprehensive boating safety
measure (as exists in a nearby county)
that would increase the safety and safety
awareness of all boaters and specifi cally
address, at certain times, the dangerous
behavior that often contributes to PWC
fatalities.
This comprehensive approach to
Discovery Bay boating safety was summarily
dismissed by Piepho, the BoS
see Letters page 19A
Speak from page 16A
I feel the repetitive badgering by Bill
Richardson and his small group of supporters
both at meetings and via letters in
this section of the Press have painted an
unfair characterization of the true community
sentiment toward the CSD. It’s time
the truth be told.
I have read Bill Richardson’s complaint
and his proposed stipulations for
a settlement. What he is asking for, in my
layman’s read of these documents, is 1) to
change procedures to facilitate his desire to
micro-manage all board actions and decisions;
2) an apology for his belief that the
board has somehow insulted him; and 3)
an admission by the board of wrongdoing
where none exists.
Bill Richardson insists the CSD has
broken the law. Twice a judge has not
agreed with him, the county DA does not
agree with him, but here we are with his
third attempt at getting someone – anyone
– to agree with him. And Bill Richardson
feels those personal needs are worth
$100,000 of your and my money? This
has gone beyond anything rational, in my
opinion.
I believe many citizens are either too
busy or just plain afraid of pushing back
on this issue out of fear of becoming a
target themselves. We all have witnessed
the written assaults on anyone who stands
up to these four or fi ve individuals. Using
the local newspapers as personal weapons
in an effort to make their views seem collectively
wider than they really are actually
strikes me as cowardly. The CSD is elected
by the citizens as a whole to do our business,
not to cater to the demands of a select
few citizens to serve their personal desires
or agendas.
These attempts by this small group to
shout down and bury opposing opinions
is not how I want to see the community’s
business done. They scream for protection
of their free speech rights, but turn and
attack others when they exercise theirs.
Let’s allow them their time in the spotlight,
but stop the suggestion that they somehow
speak from a majority position or community
consensus, because they don’t.
I did my best to communicate with
Mr. Richardson and Mr. Kier in a personal
meeting and while I found them to
be cordial, they clearly lacked objectivity in
their viewpoints and compromise in their
approach. How can one expect to discuss
issues with any hope of resolution when
one party adopts the “my way or the highway”
attitude? No wonder they are at odds
with our CSD. I want to protect their right
to these opinions, but we have to recognize
that they must be balanced with the rights
and well being of others, too. One cannot
override the other.
It is now up to the community to pay
attention and get involved. I hope you
will join me and the group of concerned
citizens that wish to preserve Discovery
Bay, but do so with respect to all opinions
and commentary. If Bill Richardson is
unhappy with the CSD, let him try to
make the changes at the ballot box, not by
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