Appointment should have gone to Kline
Editor, Ceres Courier,
In the previous election when Mr. Cannella was elected mayor, it left a seat open on the council. That was when Mr. Ochoa was appointed to his first term. In my interview with the mayor I was asked why the appointment should not go to the person who put his time in to get elected. I told him it should go to that person and it did. That was as it should have been. Mr. Ochoa had shown interest in the position.
Now we have the sudden death of Mr. Phipps and as usual the mayor does not want to rock his little fiefdom. In his statement about his recent appointment it is quite apparent that he does not want opposition to how he thinks the city should be run. I, for one, feel change is good, especially when it comes to politics. There is too much of the status quo by those who are elected. I wonder as in the past did the mayor and his boys' club go shopping for a council member so as to get another "yes" person? Or one who gets along with the city manager rather than a person who will question what goes on? If it was okay to put Mr. Ochoa on the council as the next highest vote-getter, then it should have been okay for Mr. Kline. I only hope that those who ran and were shunned by the mayor and his cronies will run next time. A wise man once mayor of this city said when he ran for a second term, "I am either doing things right or nobody cares." I'm sorry to say the latter is usually all too true.
Walt Butler,
Ceres
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Budget for Christmas
Editor, Ceres Courier,
In the Jan. 2 "Sound Off!" column a parent called in "Toys for Tots not their best." He or she was complaining that her children's free toys weren't brand new. These were toy that someone meant well by. You should appreciate what the donors' intentions were: to brighten the holiday of a child they didn't know.
I take issue with the caller's attitude. Most of the toys that are donated are new toys. But if you really want to make sure that your kids get a better Christmas this year, don't rely on someone else to give you the items. Start saving up today because you know Christmas is coming. If you saved $25 a month, that's $300 for Christmas.
Plan ahead. That's called budgeting.
Gwen Legori Chastaine,
Ceres
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Council snubbed wishes of people
Editor, Ceres Courier,
Ceres voters were snubbed with the appointment of our new council member Bret Durossette. With all due respect to Mr. Durossette, council members should be voted in by the populace. I feel the process that Mayor Cannella chose was biased and unfair to the voters and the candidates who campaigned in the original election. Mike Kline was third; no he did not win but he lost his bid by a narrow margin to Phipps. Kline received over 1,100 votes. Unfortunately, our mayor feels his judgment holds more volume then the 1,100 citizens who voted in good faith. So much for voting.
The selection process should have been restricted to those who campaigned in the original election. Once the council decided to open the replacement process to all who wanted to enter the selection should have gone to a election.
According to Cannella another election would have cost about $30,000. At least with another election the voice of the people would have determined the outcome, not a selected few. It would have been money well spent.
The mentality of previous and current city government in Ceres has been grow, grow, grow. It's obvious that the continued housing growth does not create the revenue to pay the bills. The need for Measure H is a prime example of neglect by our city government. Our city government put the importance of growth over safety. Our police and fire departments are overwhelmed because of inappropriate staffing due to a lack of funds. The taxpayers and voters bailed our city government out once, I doubt there will be a second time.
Don Cool,
Ceres
Editor, Ceres Courier,
In the previous election when Mr. Cannella was elected mayor, it left a seat open on the council. That was when Mr. Ochoa was appointed to his first term. In my interview with the mayor I was asked why the appointment should not go to the person who put his time in to get elected. I told him it should go to that person and it did. That was as it should have been. Mr. Ochoa had shown interest in the position.
Now we have the sudden death of Mr. Phipps and as usual the mayor does not want to rock his little fiefdom. In his statement about his recent appointment it is quite apparent that he does not want opposition to how he thinks the city should be run. I, for one, feel change is good, especially when it comes to politics. There is too much of the status quo by those who are elected. I wonder as in the past did the mayor and his boys' club go shopping for a council member so as to get another "yes" person? Or one who gets along with the city manager rather than a person who will question what goes on? If it was okay to put Mr. Ochoa on the council as the next highest vote-getter, then it should have been okay for Mr. Kline. I only hope that those who ran and were shunned by the mayor and his cronies will run next time. A wise man once mayor of this city said when he ran for a second term, "I am either doing things right or nobody cares." I'm sorry to say the latter is usually all too true.
Walt Butler,
Ceres
* * * * *
Budget for Christmas
Editor, Ceres Courier,
In the Jan. 2 "Sound Off!" column a parent called in "Toys for Tots not their best." He or she was complaining that her children's free toys weren't brand new. These were toy that someone meant well by. You should appreciate what the donors' intentions were: to brighten the holiday of a child they didn't know.
I take issue with the caller's attitude. Most of the toys that are donated are new toys. But if you really want to make sure that your kids get a better Christmas this year, don't rely on someone else to give you the items. Start saving up today because you know Christmas is coming. If you saved $25 a month, that's $300 for Christmas.
Plan ahead. That's called budgeting.
Gwen Legori Chastaine,
Ceres
* * * *
Council snubbed wishes of people
Editor, Ceres Courier,
Ceres voters were snubbed with the appointment of our new council member Bret Durossette. With all due respect to Mr. Durossette, council members should be voted in by the populace. I feel the process that Mayor Cannella chose was biased and unfair to the voters and the candidates who campaigned in the original election. Mike Kline was third; no he did not win but he lost his bid by a narrow margin to Phipps. Kline received over 1,100 votes. Unfortunately, our mayor feels his judgment holds more volume then the 1,100 citizens who voted in good faith. So much for voting.
The selection process should have been restricted to those who campaigned in the original election. Once the council decided to open the replacement process to all who wanted to enter the selection should have gone to a election.
According to Cannella another election would have cost about $30,000. At least with another election the voice of the people would have determined the outcome, not a selected few. It would have been money well spent.
The mentality of previous and current city government in Ceres has been grow, grow, grow. It's obvious that the continued housing growth does not create the revenue to pay the bills. The need for Measure H is a prime example of neglect by our city government. Our city government put the importance of growth over safety. Our police and fire departments are overwhelmed because of inappropriate staffing due to a lack of funds. The taxpayers and voters bailed our city government out once, I doubt there will be a second time.
Don Cool,
Ceres
