Letters to the Editor 6/30

Charge the visitors

I grew up on Bello Street during the 1940s, and I recall leaving the house about dusk on the Fourth of July, walking to the beach as a family, picking out a good spot to observe the show (there were many available), and watching the fireworks.

Since I have returned to this area eight years ago, I have yet to see a fireworks show at Pismo Beach. The roads to the beach are consumed by thousands of outsiders, teeming like cockroaches, taking up every available parking place, covering every grain of sand and breathing every breath of air.

Afterward, they crawl away, leaving behind their cigarette butts, fast food wrappers and clogged sewers. They pay nothing for the entertainment, yet the people who live here, who pay taxes and donate to the show, must compete with these outsiders for the right to see their own fireworks display.

I don’t buy that encouraging these people to swarm in here is an economic advantage for us. Most of them buy their food and drink in Fresno or Bakersfield and bring their beds with them.

Pismo Beach and other beach towns need to start charging people admission, and if that keeps visitors away, all the better.

Wayne Roberts

Oceano

Buy food locally

It is shocking to notice you’re about to eat something that came from the other side of the planet. We don’t know the conditions under which it was grown, the way it was handled before it came to market, nor how long it actually took to get to the shelf.

The solution is our many local farmers markets. Not only do we guarantee ourselves fresh, local produce, we ensure the livelihood of the farmers in our community. We pay them and they pay taxes, spend their money and, in turn, support the rest of us.

Sometimes we need that special item that is locally out of season and the supermarket is the only place to find it. Market managers are generally very receptive to requests that produce be sourced, if not locally, at least in this hemisphere!

Karen Morgan

Los Osos

Waste of money

“Improvement” to Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande? Looks more like a colossal waste of money in our present economic times. Where the money came from, whether a grant or somewhere else, doesn’t seem to be important when business owners are losing business during the construction time, which is taking way too long.

I wonder how long it will take the businesses to financially recover from this ill-advised improvement, if they even can? Plus, the road and sidewalks didn’t appear to need repair, and the results now look cheap and ugly!

Whoever thought this one up should be put into another department, so we don’t have any more of these so-called “improvements” wasting money and creating hardship to businesses that pay taxes to help our economy.

Mark Wild

Pismo Beach

Crisis nearing

I believe that corrective legislation is needed to remedy two serious problems that have arisen with the union movement.

The extended time length of strikes has been a serious problem, putting companies out of business and their employees out of work. Fear of a lengthy strike has caused many companies to accede to the demands of unions for higher wages and benefits, especially retirement benefits. This often causes the employer to fail, unable to compete locally or in world markets and wrecking our balance of trade.

Secondly, government operations all across the country (federal, state, county and local) are staffed with unionized workers whose salaries and benefits are now in excess of workers in the private sector.

Reasons? Government workers, their families and friends constitute a voting bloc. The politicians managing them have no personal gain in holding outlays in line, saying no to them and losing votes.

Most public institutions are heavily in debt and borrowing themselves further into debt. A financial crisis is nearing. Hence, legislation should be instituted immediately. Public pressure should be brought to bear by every voter and both political parties, but careful not to damage the union movement.

Russ Connors

Orcutt

Mesa’s PM 10 levels

On June 10, the preliminary 24-hour average level of PM 10 on the Nipomo Mesa was 115.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The California maximum standard is 50 micrograms per cubic meter.

For 15 hours that day, from 9 a.m. to midnight, the levels reported at the Nipomo-Guadalupe Road site ranged from 57 micrograms to 328.

Eight of the 15 hours exceeded 125. Seven of the first 11 days of June exceeded the state’s 24-hour standards. These readings are from the state of California’s equipment and are available every day.

Unfortunately, by the time you have read the levels, the day is over and you may have exposed yourself without knowing it.

Thankfully, both the Board of Supervisors and Air Pollution Control District are working to get the PM 10 under control so we can breathe clean air again.

In the meantime, if you are a South County resident concerned about the health effects of the PM 10 pollution and would like to get in touch with other concerned residents, send an e-mail to Stoppm10@yahoo.com. You will receive information on PM 10, instructions on how to check the state’s website and information on upcoming meetings.

Rachelle Toti

Arroyo Grande

State’s hypocrisy

First, I am an American and a Californian, born and raised. Second, I am a law-abiding citizen. Finally, I am a taxpayer and have been my entire adult life. My family and I now plan to take our next vacation in Arizona because we support our fellow Americans who expect our laws to be followed.

Shame on California’s so-called lawmakers who are behind Senate Concurrent Resolution SCR 113, encouraging Californians to boycott Arizona because they choose to follow immigration laws.

California lawmakers have not yet demonstrated they can resolve some of California’s most pressing problems: unresolved illegal immigration, overcrowded prisons, welfare money gambled away at casinos and the lack of a balanced budget, to name a few.

Until California lawmakers can fix California’s problems, they have no business telling another state how to act.

Whether you believe in the Bible or not, I think what Jesus said in Matthew 7:5 applies here: “Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Aaron Armstrong

Los Osos