|
To the editor:
How has the Naval air base in Crows Landing benefited anyone who lives in this valley since the 1940s, when it was originally purchased by the Navy to become an auxiliary air base?
I realize that this is a farming community, however, that being the case, why then the glut of home-building all over the valley if the intention was not originally to grow the area?
Now that the homes are here, and the people, we need jobs. We cannot all be teachers or work at the grocery store.
The West Park project would benefit all in the valley, beginning with the construction itself, not to mention the revenue it would bring to all of the communities touched by it.
While it is safe to assume there would be growing pains associated with the project, such as road improvements and five minutes of train movement, it seems worth it given the benefits associated with the project.
Over its 30-year buildout, West Park will bring 37,000 jobs, relieve current traffic congestion and improve air quality. It proposes a workforce training center, industrial parks and business campuses, as well as a very much needed hospital on the West Side of the valley. As the wife of a diabetic, this is a blessing.
As a homeowner and parent of grown children, living in this valley is becoming more and more difficult. My children must leave the community to work, putting undue stress on their tender marriages and young families. Those of you who commute to the Bay Area to work know what I am talking about.
There are now so many new homes in the valley that no one can afford to live in them because there is no work here. People are selling their homes as fast as they can just so they can leave here with their shirts. Soon there will be blight, crime and graffiti, not to mention gang activity, bringing our property values even lower.
A huge sacrifice to make so some good old boys can keep their power in a small farming community. If they didn’t want growth they should never have danced with the developers to build the homes.
For the nearly 10 years I have lived here, I don’t know one person who was born here who can afford to own one of those homes.
Please, at least give us the opportunity to get training and work at better than a minimum wage job, so that those homes can be owned by people who truly deserve them.
Diane Kaminski, Newman
Written by Danielle, on 01-03-2008 05:20
I'm sorry Diane but you are completely misinformed regarding this project. You are buying into all the false promises that the developer wants you to buy in to so he can have your support. If you look beyond his multi million dollar add campaign you will find that there is NO guarantee of any of those jobs. The port of Oakland isn't interested in this project and this developer doesn't have the money to build any of it. He wants our tax money and state funding. That's is documented fact, not just a paranoid opinion. I'm not a "good ole boy" as you mentioned and they are not the only in opposition. This is not about greed in holding on to the farm land. The problem and opposition isn't with the development of the land, it is with this particular project and it's developer. There really is a lot of truth in the matter out there if you look for it. What this developer is hoping for is that you don't go looking for it. Remember he can promise anything he wants, he doesn't have to follow through on those promises. |
Written by Danielle, on 01-03-2008 05:26
That should read that this developer intends to use our tax dollars and state funds to develop this land. He certainly has LOTS of his own money. |
|
- Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article.
- Please increase the credibility of your post by including your full name and city when commenting.
- Although we are under no obligation to do so, we reserve the right to remove any comments we deem to be defamatory, libelous or otherwise inappropriate.
|
|
Opinion 
Comments (2)
