Claremont kid makes his mark

Dear Editor:

The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen. Brave’s Princess Merida. Nintendo’s Princess Zelda. The Roman Goddess Diana. Girl Scouts can now gather at La Casita Program Center in the foothills of Claremont and assume the role of their favorite archer heroine, all while perfecting their bow and arrow skills and earning their archery badge on the property’s latest feature: an archery range. 

This is all thanks to Claremont Eagle Scout candidate Thomas Andrews.  Thomas, a member of Claremont Boy Scout Troop 123, led the project, enlisting the help of dozens of family and friend volunteers, as well as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and their leaders, in building and painting the archery structure and making other improvements to the property. 

The Claremont girl scouts thanks Thomas for his time, energy and effort in planning the archery range and completing the project right on target and right on time for this summer’s day camp program.

Any Eagle Scout candidates in need of service projects are welcomed and encouraged to make their own mark as Thomas has at La Casita.

Claremont Neighborhood of Girl Scouts

Passage of zone change

Dear Editor:

When the city council disappoints, they disappoint greatly. Yet one wonders still, why our city staff was so aggressively pushing the zone change.

Many thanks to Councilmember Corey Calaycay for his very impassioned talk. Councilmember Larry Schroeder is absolutely correct, zone changes should require at least a super-majority city council vote.

Douglas Lyon

Claremont

Yes on Prop 50

Dear Editor:

The League of Women Voters in California supports Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment that would amend the state Constitution to give the California legislature clear authority to suspend members of the senate or assembly without pay. The measure is a simple and straightforward way for lawmakers to hold their own colleagues accountable for breaching the public’s trust.

The California Constitution does not make it clear that the legislature can suspend its members without pay. This issue came to light in 2014 when three state senators—all charged with criminal offenses—were suspended by a resolution of the senate. But those members continued to receive their salaries—more than $95,000 a year.

The incident frustrated lawmakers who wanted to hold their own members accountable, and angered the public, which saw it as another example of how lawmakers are shielded from the consequences of their own actions and play by a different set of rules than everyone else.

The legislature took it upon themselves to fix the problem. Lawmakers wrote and passed—overwhelmingly and with strong bipartisan support—this constitutional amendment and placed it before voters for approval.

The constitutional amendment would require the assembly or the senate to pass a resolution declaring why the member is being suspended. And to guard against political misuse, the resolution would require the higher threshold of a two-thirds vote for approval.

The National Conference of State Legislatures believes the power to discipline and expel members is inherent to a legislative body. That power has long been a staple of American democracy. It is common practice in most states. The California legislature has the power to expel members, and it should have the authority to suspend them without pay should the circumstances warrant.

Voters have passed many political reforms in the last decade to improve the governance in California, but more needs to be done to restore the public trust.

Prop 50 is a commonsense measure that would give lawmakers the authority to police their own, which is the right next step to holding all lawmakers accountable for serving the public interest. That’s why The League of Women Voters urges Californians to support Proposition 50.

Ellen Taylor

VP for Advocacy,

LWV of the Claremont Area