Salas’ view of Citrus College

Dear Editor:

I read with interest the paid COURIER insert for the Joe Salas for Citrus College campaign. Since my interest in Citrus College goes back to 1967 when Claremont joined the community college district, I have a good working knowledge of its growth and success.

While I agree with most of Mr. Salas’ stated goals, I would like to remind him and your readers that most of those goals are already in place and working.

Just last year, Citrus was recognized with the national award from American Association of Community Colleges as the number one community college for Student Success.

The school’s veteran’s center is active, popular, and just moved to a new building. Student services, including services for the homeless, are expansive.

For more information about what Citrus offers for student success, see their website at www.citruscollege.edu.

I was a member of the Citrus faculty for 25 years and witnessed the amazing growth and breadth of Citrus offerings to residents of the district.

Let us continue to build on this success and not assume, as Mr. Salas has, that we have to start from scratch.

Georgeann Andrus

Former president

Citrus Faculty Association

Costly Corey

Dear Editor:

Like many Claremonters, I recently received an oversized campaign flyer from Corey Calaycay, who is running for a fifth term on the Claremont City Council.

The flyer includes quotes from local residents, who remind us what council member Calaycay has supported during his 16 years on the city council.

I believe it is important that voters get the complete story, so I listed a few additional causes that Mr. Calaycay has supported during his tenure on the council.

Mr. Calaycay supported Measure PS, which would have cost residents in excess of one hundred million dollars, including interest, for a 47,000 square foot police palace. Thankfully, the voters rejected that highly inflated measure. However, the tax payers bore the additional two hundred and fifty-thousand cost for the special election.

Once again, Mr. Calaycay supported Measure SC, which would have cost residents over $50 million, including interest, for a still too large 26,000 square foot police station. Once again, insightful voters rejected this still inflated measure.

Mr. Calaycay supported the hiring of the law firm that employed the then city attorney, to pursue a poorly conceived take over of the Golden State Water Company, which was a conflict of interest. The presiding judge found in favor of the water company on all 48 points of law.

The judge’s decision undoubtedly saved the citizens of Claremont hundreds of millions of dollars in debt payments. Unfortunately, the proposed water takeover costs the citizens over twelve million dollars in legal fees.

Likewise, Mr. Calaycay supported Measure CR, which would have cost resident tax payers over $2 million per year, into perpetuity. Insightful citizens rejected that tax-increase, but were still on the hook for $225,000 in special election expenses.

Mr. Calaycay supported bonuses for city hall employees in each of the last two years, despite claims of financial structural deficits and leaking roofs in public buildings. Total costs for those bonuses was almost $300,000.

Claremont has serious financial problems and Mr. Calaycay has a clear record of wasting taxpayer dollars. Claremont cannot afford Mr. Calaycay’s continued poor judgment. It is time for the residents of District 1 to hold him accountable for his poor judgment leadership.

Make your vote count.

David Burgdorf

Claremont

Thank you, Mr. Belna

Dear Editor:

I would like to thank Jim Belna (“Slandering the Police,” letter to the editor, September 18) for directing me to Christine Margiotta’s article, “Six Actions for Anti Racist White People,” published on medium.com.

Actually, I found the article by Christine to be thoughtful, thorough and full of empathy and understanding. I wondered, “Did Mr. Belna and I read the same article?” What I read addressed systems of oppression and practical suggestions for what we can do to begin to make substantive change in ourselves, in Claremont and in our society as a whole.

It left me more convinced than ever that Christine is the outstanding candidate for these times and for the Claremont City Council.

Lynne Juarez

Claremont

Change the patch

Dear Editor:

Please change the logo on the police patch! I didn’t realize what was on the patch until you showed the picture of it in the September 18 COURIER.

After all the street protests and violence from coast to coast, largely motivated by opposition to excessive use of violent police tactics, how can peaceful Claremont’s official guardians want to display instruments of killing as their logo, their symbol of community service?

There may be a place where a gun might be displayed with dignity, but in my opinion that place is not on the arms of our police department personnel. 

Chief Vander Veen, do you really want those two flint lock pistols to be “imbedded into the heart of the police department,” saying that “It’s not the flintlock pistols…it’s what we know it symbolizes—it’s the dedication to service.”

There must be a symbol that speaks more clearly of dedication to service than two guns.

Ken Dale

Claremont