Letters to the editor

The Salinas Californian
Posted on May 31, 2007

No on Measure A

In the May 23 edition of The Salinas Californian regarding Mayor Dennis Donohue's support of "No on A," LandWatch's Chris Fitz said: "(The No on Measure A campaign) must have put huge pressure on Dennis. It was my understanding he felt strongly about staying out of this."

Such tactics are exactly the type of squeaky-wheel political rhetoric that makes the Yes on A campaign so dangerous to county voters. Passing a measure that puts decisions about land use in the hands of the
people, though noble at first blush, is dangerous. It serves individuals and companies with deep enough pockets to support a campaign to convince voters they should have the right to develop.

This plays into the hands of LandWatch and the Yes on A campaign as Fitz, with his smooth style and well-financed organization, will use the court of
public opinion to win future land-use battles.

The truth is that through concerted discourse with a close friend, Donohue came to see that Measure A is dangerous to the economy and fair housing and puts the burden and cost of future development on individual municipalities. As he said in his speech, he was compelled to make his voice heard. Kudos to Donohue for taking a principled stand. Shame on Fitz for making such claims.

I'm not a land-use expert, nor are most voters in Monterey County, so why are we turning important decisions over to the public? We vote for county
supervisors to do this work. Support their work and Vote "no" on A.

Daniel Vorhies
Monterey