News Poll
 
Do you support the Monte Carlo night club and restaurant moving into the former location of The Vault?
Yes
No
Unsure
Past Polls
   Top Opinion
 
       Opinion
     

     Thumbs up: Veterans get their due respect
    Nov 17, 2009
     
     Editorial: Two-tier benefits can open the door
    Nov 17, 2009
     
      More Opinion...
       

    OPINION > LETTERS


    The Myth of Smart Growth
    Mar 28, 2006

    Editor,

    The Council of Government's "smart growth" transport policy is rampant with deceit and folly. Myth No. 1: Smart Growth is good.

    In reality, it's not. Portland and San Jose, the two top "Smart Growth" cities in the U.S., have more unaffordable housing, higher job losses, higher urban unemployment and greater congestion, with much higher confiscatory tax and fee levels, than before they adopted their "Smart Growth" policies. Yet their leaders proclaim "success" from their policies. Hypocrisy has become the norm - lies and deceitfulness their standard operating procedure for government. Only their union employees and congestion management consultants are profiting - and the bankruptcy attorneys.

    The question is: Will COG's Directors adhere to the "success" of "Smart Growth," or will they stop killing small businesses, heaping more burdens on local taxpayers, and stop giving perks to their favorites?

    If Earthbound Farms is going to make $450 million more per year after merging with their competitor, do our COG Directors really need to have the county taxpayers pay for that corporation's employees commuting? Why not just buy them a bus and donate to that needy corporation? Or have their employees transported by limousines? It would be much cheaper, and fairer for their fellow business owners.

    Ask your readers: How many hundreds of thousands of dollars would we save San Benito County if we just bought each of their employees an SUV? Or don't they have drivers licenses, and if so, then COG's Directors are aiding and abetting the violation of our law, and thereby jeopardizing receipt of state and federal funds for highway safety improvements. Caveat Viator!

    Joseph P. Thompson, Tres Pinos


    POST A COMMENT

    If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.

    blog comments powered by Disqus

    Add to Google Add to My Yahoo!  Email This Article  Print
     Opinion: Letters
    Letters: Farr apparently likes smelt more than farm industry
    Oct 27, 2009
     
    Letters: Health reform writer needs correction
    Sep 1, 2009
     
    Letters: 'Obama-care' smells like 'assisted suicide'
    Aug 11, 2009
     
    Letters: Reader agrees with Richman on Hwy. 156
    Aug 4, 2009
     
     Opinion: Guest Columns
    Guest View: Johnny's owner concerned about mural tagging, gangs
    Nov 9, 2009
     
    Guest View: Reader sees value in Dial-A-Ride
    Nov 3, 2009
     
    Local applauds officials for affordable housing call
    Oct 27, 2009
     
    Guest View: Life on the farm
    Oct 13, 2009
     
     Opinion: Editorial Cartoons
    Editorial cartoon: Guess who made the terrorist watch list?
    Nov 10, 2009
     
    Editorial cartoons: If you take one more step
    May 12, 2009
     
    Editorial cartoons: Alien invaders prepared for flu
    May 5, 2009
     
    Editorial cartoons: At threat levels red, white and blue
    Apr 22, 2009
     
    More Letters... More Guest Columns... More Editorial Cartoons...


     Obituaries

     Catherine Naomi Schneider
    4/11/1921 - 11/19/2009

     Hiroshi Nishita
    7/15/1932 - 11/15/2009

     Dorothy Grace Bean Hollister
    12/26/1927 - 10/31/2009

     Jose L. Cabrera
    6/4/1950 - 11/16/2009

     Pauline A. Carrillo
    1/6/1912 - 11/12/2009

     Henry (Hank) Ernest Garcia, Sr.
    9/19/1937 - 11/11/2009

     Jose A. (Don Chon) Reynoso
    9/21/1938 - 11/12/2009

     William Stewart Byrd
    9/22/1924 - 11/12/2009

     Maria de Garces
    10/26/1948 - 11/7/2009

     Photos
    News
         
    Sports
         
    Special Events
         
    Full Pages
         
     Videos
    San Benito Score: Playoffs for football, volleyball and cross country
    3:33 PM
     
    Video: Veteran receives award 64 years later
    Nov 17, 2009
     
    Video: Highlights from the 53rd annual Prune Bowl
    Nov 17, 2009
     
    San Benito Score: Football, college volleyball and Barone's Baseball
    Nov 13, 2009
     
     Special Reports
     Most Wanted
     
    More Obituaries... More Photos... More Videos...
    Advertise | Contact Us | Subscriber Center | RSS Feed
    Copyright © 2009 | MainStreet Media Group | All rights reserved.