False claims by Golden State

Dear Editor:

On November 9, Denise Kruger, senior vice president of regulated utilities for Golden State Water’s parent company, released a statement which purports: “In 2006, the League of Women Voters suggested the value of the system could be $100 million and noted that it would cost taxpayers almost $200 million to finance the acquisition.”

As the author of that analysis, I must respond. The analysis actually shows Claremont water users could save money even if the city paid twice the $50 million appraised value of the system, financed by a 30-year water bond. 

At today’s rates, the savings would be much greater. Claremont water bills total at least $8 million more per year city-wide than they would with La Verne or Pomona rates. That’s $250 million over the 30 years, and probably closer to half a billion if GSW rates continue to climb as they have in recent years.

One wonders why GSW continues to make claims that are so easily shown to be false.

Freeman Allen

Claremont

Graber Olives

Dear Editor:

Our family has for decades shared with John Pixley his family’s love for visiting the unique and charming Graber Olive House gift shop, packing house and little green lawn and picnic area at the Graber Olive House, 315 E. Fourth St., Ontario. 

Also for eating their superior olives year-round, especially for holiday meals. Their olives are always available at Stater Bros. on Foothill Boulevard, as well as from the Olive House itself.

And now their special gift packages of olives, nuts, marmalades and preserves, dates and cakes can be ordered easily by phone, fax, online or by mail. And for very modern gadget owners, from the website via smartphone by scanning an image using the QR Code app on their order form (from their store or their mailing list).

Since 1894, the Graber family and Olive House has been, like Padua Hills in Claremont, one of this valley’s unique treasures founded by local families, which makes living here both special and happier. 

Thank you, John, for remembering your visits in your November 7 COURIER column.

Barbara and Ray Fowler

Claremont

Trending toward Socialism

Dear Editor:

The writers who have written to the COURIER post-election have preached to me that, as a Republican, I should change my ways or become irrelevant. I would like to remind them that over 58 million people in this country voted for Mitt Romney and President Obama got over 61 million.

The 58 million are not jerks. It was a close election even in the so-called swing states.  All these millions of people are not racist, homophobic people and I deeply resent that charge.

We are citizens who wanted a competent person to lead this country out of rampant unemployment for the betterment of all people. Mr. Romney was a man who is rich and that seems to be his crime. He had met payrolls, ran the Olympics with success and ran a company that made a profit, but that seems to have worked against him. Corporations and profits are evil.

With this election, it is clear that people want to be taken care of and it does not matter who foots the bill. The so-called rich must pay “their fair share.” The upper 2 percent are deeply resented and are going to be punished. That 2 percent are getting the message and are going to be working less hard because of this resentment and to avoid the tax hit.

Like certain leaders of other governments, i.e. Stalin, Castro and more recently Hugo Chavez, the people kept them in office because they gave them their milk, bread, etc. Now President Obama gives them their cell phones and because of the rampant unemployment, which he can’t figure out how to fix, they get food stamps forever, and who gives a darn who has to pay for them. However, they do have to pay for their own flat-screen TV but life is okay.

President Obama is the new Santa Claus and he sure has come to town. If our Constitution would permit (which he will probably want to change because it’s unfair), he could run forever and be reelected over and over like Vladimir Putin.

We are trending towards socialism but that is what the people seem to want. It is scary out there.

Jacqueline Mahoney

Claremont

Common culture

Dear Editor:

It truly pains me to read letters such as the 3 that appeared in the COURIER on Saturday, November 10, page 7.

In their post-election commentaries, it is obvious that these folks have accepted, hook, line and sinker (as the saying goes), the propaganda, talking points, and, yes, even outright lies spread by the Democratic party. 

These people (and millions like them) have already chosen, either wittingly or unwittingly, their new status as subjects, rather than citizens. They seem almost giddy at the prospect of an all-powerful government guiding and controlling their lives.

In response, I ask them, is it really just too much work to have to make your own decisions? And then to expect your fellow citizens to make their own decisions, no matter how flawed you may judge their decisions to be?   Gone in their discussions is any sense of dignity of the individual, pride, independence or self-reliance, in other words, those attributes which used to be typical American characteristics.

Reading through the litany of accusations these guys sling at the Republican party, one wonders if they have even been living on the same planet with the rest of us. One of them writes: “…4 years of unprecedented promotion of hate, misogynism, racism, homophobia, obstructionism and lies did not help any of us…” Hmm, now that would be the 4 years of Obama, so, yeah, I quite agree, so why do Democrats keep doing those things?

And he continues: “We as a nation need you to examine your policies and to denounce the lunatic fringe…” Exactly, I couldn’t have said it better myself. So, how soon, then, can we expect Democrats to examine their policies and denounce their lunatic fringe?

Another writer says that the country is changing to “multi-cultural.” This will appear to be good news to those who already loath traditional American culture, for whatever personal reasons they may have developed, but it is decidedly very bad news for the future of these United States. Why? Well, a culture, a common culture, is the glue that holds a society, any society, together.

Without a common culture (and language), societies fracture into balkanized enclaves and ultimately disintegrate. They fracture along ethnic, linguistic, cultural, political and religious lines. In fact, if we look—if we really, honestly look—we can see this fracturing happening right now in America. It is being gleefully promoted by Obama, the Democratic party, elected Democrats, and millions of Democrat voters. They believe this destructiveness is the only way to keep themselves in power.

Douglas Lyon

Claremont