Growth for the sake of growth

Dear Editor:

I am a resident of Claremont (have been for 30 years now), and I am writing to give my two cents about this proposed housing project on Mills Avenue. Just as an added side note, I teach AP Environmental Science at Walnut High School, and I consider myself an environmentalist.

I would like to start with a quote from Edward Abby that I feel applies to this situation, and what is happening with Claremont, in general: “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” To me, this quote sort of sums it all up.

The undeveloped ecosystems in our city are becoming a scarce commodity. Did you know that intact ecosystems are our life support systems? They provide us with oxygen, carbon sequestration, habitat, nutrient cycling, prevention of erosion, pollination, water recharge, and the list goes on. Why are we even remotely willing to destroy even more ecosystem? Sure, short-term gain, but what about the long-term? Native peoples teach that every decision that will impact an ecosystem should be considered 7 (seven!) generations into the future, that’s like 175 years. Forethought, people!

This land houses many species. This land acts as a water recharge zone, don’t know what that is? Look it up! This land provides for nutrient cycling, this land provides vital habitat for pollinators and top predators (hawks), this land is home to an underground water supply.

In addition, and probably most importantly right now, the state of California is in an official drought. Southern California is a semi-arid climate, people. We do not have our own water supply. We pilfer water from valuable ecosystems such as the Sacramento Delta and the Colorado River, we are destroying these extremely valuable riparian ecosystems so we can keep our lawns green and waste water as if it is plentiful. We are living under an illusion that we can turn on a faucet and the water will flow forever. At what point will we stop being ignorant and selfish about water, and start to understand what is really going on with our water supply. More houses equals more and more water use. How can we ethically afford to pilfer more water?

Please, let us leave this land alone.?Let us leave this scarce parcel to all the innocent creatures that now inhabit it. Let’s respect this land and treat it with regard. The choice is obvious; no more building. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Thanks for reading, I hope you did!

Kathy May

Claremont

Voting Rights Act

Dear Editor:

Representatives James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), John Conyers (D-MI), Bobby Scott (D-VA), John Lewis (D-GA), and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced common sense legislation that would repair and restore the Voting Rights Act. This bipartisan effort to fix the damage done by the US Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby v. Holder is necessary to restore and protect the rights of voters across the country.

The League of Women Voters of the Claremont Area urges all residents to relay support of the Voting Rights Act to congress. Support of this important legislation needs swift congressional action to move toward final passage.

Restoring the Voting Rights Act is common sense policy that will help prevent racial and language discrimination in our elections and protect the fundamental right to vote for all Americans. The legislation will modernize the Voting Rights Act and better protect all voters against discrimination at the ballot box.

Congress can pass this legislation this year and ensure that the electoral process is free, fair and accessible—but they need to know that you have their backs. Tell Congress that the Voting Rights Act needs to be repaired and restored this year.

Ellen Taylor

VP for Advocacy

LWV of the Claremont Area

Are we angry?

Dear Editor:

I used to be very active in political life, back when I was young and had lots of energy and hope. I don’t pay enough attention to what is going on around me now, but this is my perspective on the water issue facing me in Claremont.

One day, some large land owners in Claremont decided to do something about their high water bills. They could have torn their water-thirsty landscaping out and fixed their leaks, perhaps even removed their huge pools. They could have cared more about deteriorating schools, city property and our failing infrastructure, but they decided on a different course. They got together with some of their friends on the Claremont City Council who held closed meetings (violating the Brown Act?) and decided to attempt to steal a private corporation’s property via “eminent domain” and finance the plan by selling many millions of dollars in bonds. All of this is happening without a vote of the citizens of Claremont. I like votes by the people.

So, middle-class citizens of Claremont: how can you give a corporation $100 to 150 million (Yes folks, it will not be $55 million), hire people to run your newly-acquired water company, (yes folks, it takes lots of money, skill and knowledge of water) and also pay for the coming increases in costs of water because of the drought? I think it can be done with a tremendous increase in your property taxes to pay for it all!

And, on top of that, you will still need money to fix your schools, police station, sewer system and, oh yeah, the deteriorating water pipes torn up by age and those trees you so love.

I honestly invite you, the Claremont taxpayers, to express how this can and will be done.

Wow! I sound angry. Is it the threat to my retirement home property taxes? Is it the improper use of the right of eminent domain? Is it the closed secret meetings?  Are you getting angry?

Constance Condit

Claremont

Claremont authors

Dear Editor:

Congratulations to Isabelle Huber and Nan Miller. They have joined the league of published Claremont authors. I look forward to reading their books and invite them to donate a copy to the Claremont Library’s Claremont Authors Collection. We now have bank of beautiful, glass-covered bookcases to house our collection and the books we receive are entered into an online catalog for easy retrieval.

I invite all Claremont authors—if you live, work, attend school, or affiliate yourself with Claremont—to donate to our growing Claremont Authors Collection.  We welcome books by former Claremont authors who have moved on.  Also, if you own books by Claremont authors that you would like to donate, we would appreciate your gifts. 

Please bring your books directly to the desk with a note that they are being donated to the Claremont Authors Collection, or call (909) 621-9485 to discuss your donation plans.

Lanore Pearlman, President

Friends of the Claremont Library