Are you for or against Lowe”s, development or competition? These questions characterized debate over Clearlake”s strip-mall project ? but those aren”t the real issues.
I”m for development, competition and Lowe”s might improve employment and purchase options. But this deal? Absolutely not! As for pledging all our redevelopment funds to it? No way!
Avoiding public participation in the largest deal we”ve ever done and avoiding scrutiny and conditions of approval that might assure a project that provides community benefits? No!
Shouldn”t we insist on a transparent process to prevent shoddy accounting or shady deals? I hope so!
Some think you”re either “fer us or ”genst us.” Some of our leadership wants to blame our problems on others. But who? “You people,” etc. ? not “fer ”em?” This means you.
I sympathize for the cards we were dealt ? but “you people” and the “Sierra Club” didn”t cause the deficit. The mayor fumes for her inability to manage meetings and they authorized propaganda saying it”s all the Sierra Club”s fault ? give me a break!
The fact is our administrator”s own projections showed the only benefit, till 2012, from the Lowe”s project, was to allow redevelopment funds diverted to pay part of his and engineers” salaries ? a temporary measure covering their budget deficit ? before Sierra Club involvement, yet they blame the Sierra Club. Since the hours were cut and they have the same situation ? nothing”s changed. Any loss of services, at this time, has nothing to do with the club or you people ? same deficit budget they had. Yet they”ve used their offices and our resources to spread false propaganda ? opening us up to greater liability ? what in the world are they thinking?
Instead, how about charging that administrative time preparing an EIR to keep your teetering project moving forward?
But the real issues; responsibility, responsiveness, process transparency and community benefit are all lacking. I”m against scapegoating and I”m for intelligent planning with leaders that act maturely, accept responsibility and build consensus toward a shared vision.
So, council members, I won”t blame you for our economic state, so please stop blaming me (i.e. ? You people, Sierra Club, county, etc.) for your inability to manage the situation.
We”re in this together ? let”s get it together.
Tim Williams
Clearlake
