By Emerson Drake
2/13/11
Reading the editorial page of the Bee can make you question your eyes. The Bee's Editorial Board consisting of Eric Johnston, Mark Vasche, and Judy Sly sends so many mixed messages you have to wonder if even they really believe anything they write.Today they act concerned about farmland mitigation, but are they?
In Modesto the Farmland Working Group's proposed growth management strategy is being bottled up by EDC (Economic Development Committee)consisting of Joe Muratore, Brad Hawn and Stephanie Burnside.
Joe Muratore, who's been committed to uncontrolled development from before his arrival in the City Council, Brad Hawn who's in business with Joe (bet most of you weren't aware of that) in a solar company and of course Stephanie Burnside, Kristin Olsen's hand picked successor (Olsen being best known for her work with Chopra Enterprises and Western Manufacturing Group.) Western Mfg. contributed to her campaigns and Olsen in turn voted against senior citizens in a mobile home park on north McHenry.
Chopra considered her their personal representative in the council.One of Joe's other business partners, Ryan Swelha, has consistently referred to the farms and homes along the Kiernan corridor as "low-hanging fruit."
Just two council meetings ago Muratore used that same phrase himself during the meeting, which should be a harbinger of things to comeDon't forget that Steve Madison of the Building Industry Association was just nominated by Muratore to be on the homeless commission.
Madison's group has cost the taxpayers of Stanislaus County approx. $1 million dollars in legal fees stemming from farmland litigation.Our problem is that while the ship MODESTO is navigating the river known as the future, the Bee is busy drilling holes in the bottom of the boat.
Every single one of the elected leaders in Modesto and Stanislaus County working against the very things the Bee is protesting, was endorsed by the Bee.So basically the Bee says elect these people KNOWING the developer driven path they have intended on taking and is now saying "please don't do that."
Denny Jackman and the Farmland Working Group need and deserve our support. We can't expect the EDC to be for the average citizens when the developers out spend us (the average citizens) in campaign donations 20 to 1.
Muratore and his cohorts are committed to supplying the developers any land they choose. They don't care about the last elections advisory vote denying the citizens vote of 60-70% saying NO to annexation.
Remember the city council just gave away $480,000.00 to an out of town developer to build homes.
What can they be thinking?
