Letters to the editor

Monterey County Herald
Posted on May 29, 2007

Reasons to vote no

Regardless of how one feels about the land-use policies in the competing LandWatch plan (Measure A) and the supervisors' plan (Measure C), there are two overwhelming reasons to vote no on A.

First, the rules for development should be decided by our elected representatives after vigorous public input. Allowing a special interest group to draft the rules is absurd. LandWatch removed itself from the public debate and had a private firm draft its view of the general plan.

Second, Measure A locks in the LandWatch plan for the next 24 years, and provides that any significant amendment of it requires a costly countywide vote.

Changing conditions make amendments absolutely necessary. Monterey County has amended its 1982 plan about four times per year since 1980. Having the entire electorate vote on plan changes is simply unworkable and unrealistic.

Granted, our supervisors sometimes have made poor decisions and sometimes may have been unduly influenced by one group or another. But the answer is to elect better representatives.

George Schroeder
Carmel