No water hotlines
I wish to thank Robert Goldberg for his Sun Newspaper Guest Opinion column last week (“Effective water conservation”), highlighting the issues surrounding water, how its priced, regulated, and the myriad issues surrounding our need to conserve. His piece was very informative.
But, while I applaud Mr. Goldberg’s commitment to this issue, I once again must refrain from supporting any “hotline,” where I am asked to rat on my neighbors, and presumably, they are asked to rat on me, and my use, or as may be the case, my overuse of water. Are we a free society, where we are informed about issues(as Mr Griffith eloquently does), and tasked individually with “doing the right thing,” or are we a society where diktats are issued from on high(Governor Brown) and the State, or its citizenry is tasked with keeping “the people” in compliance?
History is replete with “hotlines,” where neighbor was tasked with watching neighbor, and reporting their activities to appropriate authorities.
Mr. Goldberg references Governor Brown’s mandate to reduce water use by 20 percent.
While this is truly a noble gesture, and I have no qualms about doing my part, what is to be said for Brown’s, and the Democratic Legislature’s blatant misapplication of policy to drain millions of gallons of water to the sea? According to the Wall Street Journal (California Drains Reservoirs in the Middle of a Drought – May 23, 2014) the Bureau of Reclamation, last month, drained Folsom and other reservoirs on the American and Stanislaus rivers of more than 70,000 acre feet of water—enough to meet the annual needs of a city of half a million people—for the comfort and convenience of fish.
In the midst of a severe drought, we are draining reservoirs? How much water can I, or the residents of the city of Seal Beach save, to offset this loss? How ’bout we place a moratorium on draining reservoirs until we get some rain and snow?
Desalinization plants are on the drawing board. How ‘bout we scrap the “crazy train” and build for our future water demands, by redirecting monies allocated for the train to nowhere (5 times the projected amount approved by proposition, btw) to the building of desalinization plants, or expanding our reservoir systems?
And, while water shortage is most definitely a problem, would one answer not be fewer people? This past month, our Governor opened the flood gates (to coin a phrase) to let in yet more Illegal Immigrants. Would we not immediately save 20 percent of our water consumption, if we had 20 percent fewer people to support, with an infrastructure that was created a half a century ago, to service significantly fewer people? How can we support more “low-wage,” “resource-heavy” persons, in a state that by all accounts (all accounts) is bankrupt? How much money is spent in the state “servicing” these invaders? Wouldn’t this money be better spent expanding our water delivery systems, or our fast-declining Education system?
Again, I am all for “doing my part,” but if we are to educate the populace about issues that affect our Nation, State, City, let’s air it all out. We can advance, as a society, through education and information, allowing a free people “the opportunity” to do right, or we can empower our “Intellectual Betters” the authority to dictate how(and when) we are to act?
I vote for Liberty. Tyranny has been tried, and found wanting.
Earick Ward
Seal Beach
Beware in Rossmoor
Recently there have been a large number of door-to-door sales people canvassing Rossmoor.
One of our terrific Rossmoor Neighborhood Block Captains Ken Yee updated his block with the following note:
I know many of you have been bothered by door to door sales people.
According to the Orange County Municipal Code, Title 5, peddlers and business solicitors or canvassers are required to have a permit or license.
The license contains date of issuance, the date of expiration, and a designation of the type of license or permit. The signature of the issuing officer is on the license or permit.
The license is about the same size of a driver’s license.
In essence a business solicitor or canvasser takes orders for goods and services whether or not payment is collected at the time of the order. Peddlers collect the money and deliver on the spot.
You have the right to demand the solicitor/canvasser or peddler to show their permit.
If they do not have a license you can call the Sheriff at (714) 647-7000.
There was recent a report from Channel 7 News of an arrest of two women posing as housekeepers seeking work.
They would knock on doors and if no one was home they would call their male accomplices who would ransack the homes. Some of the home burglaries were in south Orange County.
Rossmoor Homeowners Association
Thanks to club
This letter is to express my sincerest “Thank you” to the members of the Cypress Women’s Club for inviting several hundred male and female military Veterans (and their spouses) to the annual “Veterans Appreciation Picnic” on Saturday, Sept. 13. Despite the intense temperatures, there was a big turnout. I was very glad to chat with several Veterans who had served in different branches of service, and the combat areas that we had served in, but we avoided telling “war stories.” I’m 90-plus and had been in Wold War II (last century, 1940s)
A very interesting time came when “chow time” was announced. I don’t mind mentioning I had a huge, extra thick and tasty hamburger, and two “bun-less” hotdogs, etc. Everything was so delicious.
My wife Soula and I had the personal pleasure of chatting with Cypress Mayor Leroy Mills, and later, in a longer discussion with Stacy Berry where we learned of her vital interests in serving on the City Council. Although Stacy spoke very highly of many of the great attributes of her city and how proud she is to be living in Cypress, she also mentioned some of the important positions she’d take on improving various problems in Cypress.
The part I liked best of what Stacy said was, “I have no interest in being a career politician. I like people, and I like what they have to say; then I know what problems we have to overcome in the City Council.”
Even as longtime residents of Rossmoor, Soula and I were most impressed to meet Stacy Berry and felt that if we lived in Cypress, Stacy would be the candidate we would vote for. Soula and I are very happy to have attended and enjoyed this wonderful Veterans Appreciation Picnic Day. Thanks again to the Cypress Women’s Club.
Bill Thomas
Rossmoor
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