CLAWS doesn”t recognize how wonderful its employees are
I heard some rather disturbing news the other day. A tall blond woman was explaining to her friend that the CLAWS board was unhappy with the two women who are running the store and voucher program. I believe their names are Veronica and Lisa.
Please let the board know how wrong they are. I come in to the store at least twice a week. Those two never stop. One works in the office, the other on the floor, but they interact constantly. Sometimes their banter is lighthearted, but they have a way of doing business that makes it fun to be around them. Sometimes I feel as though they have invited me into their own living room. They make each customer feel special and unique, so you want to spend time there shopping.
?I know my spending has increased. I used to shop at CLAWS twice a month. Now I count on seeing new merchandise even every two days. I know it will be clean, and nicely displayed, and I know I can rely on a smile from the ladies.
If you fired them, you”d be cutting off your nose to spite your face. CLAWS would fall apart without those two. Please pass this message along: Any board that cannot recognize the talent, dedication, and sheer enthusiasm these ladies bring to their work, does not deserve them! I am very concerned.
Donna Robbs
Clearlake
Rent controls are not needed to help mobile home owners
Contrary to the statements set forth in Anita Sombs” letter (Observer*American, April 11), a mobile home rent control ordinance would not be good for Lake County, mobile home owners, or mobile home park owners.
A survey of mobile home parks by the mobile home task force reveals that rents have not been unreasonably raised in Lake County mobile home parks. In fact, rents in most parks are below market rate, and rent increases, when they have occurred, have been reasonable.
Such an ordinance would lead to more deterioration of parks because of the process that park owners would have to go through to recoup costs to make capital improvements to their properties. It would also hurt those low income residents who currently live in parks which have low rents because to be fair, rents would have to rise to market rates.
A rent control ordinance would not prevent the sale of mobile home parks, and a new owner would be entitled to a fair rate of return on the investment. It would almost insure that rents would increase.
Many park owners now have good relationships with their residents and are sympathetic to the needs of their low income residents — those who are working families as well as those who are retired. Additionally, the Mobile Home Residency Law has many protections built into it for mobile home owners because our Legislature recognizes that the residents have invested in their homes and it is costly to move mobile homes once they are installed.
The proponents of a rent control ordinance have created an atmosphere of adversary between park owners and residents — one which is not good for any of us. What they are proposing would create another level of expensive and unneeded bureaucracy and more adversity.
A rent control ordinance would be costly for Lake County to administer due to the large number of parks. It is estimated that it would cost in excess of one million dollars to administer — money that would have to come out of the pockets of all residents of
Lake County because it could not be borne only by park owners and residents of parks. Managing a park is becoming so complicated that only professional managers will soon be able to manage them — a new cost to be borne by many park owners.
We haven”t even touched upon the concept of property rights, a concept which is near and dear to most Americans. Park owners have invested a great deal of their own money and energy to provide their residents with a safe, clean, and low cost place to live. If park ownership was not a good investment, this type of living environment would not be available to park residents.
Mobile home park owner representatives on the task force have offered the concept of a long-term lease to mobile home owners who are concerned about the future rent increases. It would provide a protection that an ordinance could not provide.
A rent control ordinance is not needed and it is not good for Lake County.
Mary Ann McQueen, co-owner,
NorthportTrailer Resort
Member of the Mobile Home Task Force
Ruling threatens right to choose
To say I”m deeply disappointed barely scratches the surface. You can”t tell me that this isn”t designed to chip away at a woman”s right to choose. It”s tragic that we have to fight these battles over and over again.
Assemblymember Patty Berg, chair,
Democratic Legislative Women”s Caucus
Editor”s Note: Assemblymember Berg issued this statement Wednesday, April 18, responding to a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a federal law that bans so-called “partial-birth” abortion.
Foreign alliances will render United States laws null and void
The North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a disaster for many Americans. But most important, rulings from NAFTA”s judicial panels have superseded state and federal court decisions, thereby overriding U.S. and state constitutions, and our independence.
The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) was launched in March 2005 by President Bush, Mexico”s President Fox, and Canada”s Prime Minster Martin. Despite its pleasant sounding name, its purpose is to erase our Canadian and Mexican borders. Go to www.thenewamerican.com for details.
Another step toward creation of a North American Union (NAU) is the construction of a NAFTA Superhighway. If the Superhighway proceeds, and NAFTA, SPP, and NAU are in place, American law will be null and void, replaced by an incomprehensible mess of so-called trade law.
NAFTA is the foundation for this mess. Tell Congress to repeal NAFTA now!
Alex Randis
Northridge
Don”t forget to write!
The Clear Lake Observer*American welcomes letters responding to articles and opinions that have appeared in this newspaper, as well as on topics of general interest. Letters can be sent to news@clearlakeobserver.com or mailed to PO Box 6200, Clearlake, CA 95422.
