Anti-Growth Crusade is Hurting Calaveras

Couldn't have said this better myself. In today's Calaveras Enterprise...

Opinion

Anti-growth crusade is hurting Calaveras

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Posted: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 11:00 AM CDT

Keep it Rural and MyValleySprings.com types are up in arms over the Calaveras Deputy Sheriffs Association’s endorsment of the Trinitas project. This rift is going to widen as people, like the members of the DSA who live, work and want to shop here, learn their way of life is being negativley impacted by KIR and MVS.com trying to preserve the imaginary utopia they believe exists.These groups say they are for smart growth. I’m asking either group to respond with the name of any project they have supported. Smart growth must mean: in another county.Calaveras County employees are going to suffer a far worse fate than what’s being discussed in this year’s budget. In the upcoming years more jobs will be cut because this county wouldn’t or couldn’t find the wisdom and courage to expand our economy.

The county has many good employees like those in the DSA. Look for them to begin to stand up and ask why no retail projects are moving forward. Why is the county using resources to hurt existing businesses like the Valley Springs Fruit Stand? More importantly, look for them to ask how can you continue to pay for my job when we are going backward economically?I wonder if Ironstone Vineyards was being processed today what KIR and MVS.com would say.

Sheryl Crow was just there and the thousands of folks who came to Murphys got along just fine. They made it up the one-and-a-half lane road to enjoy the concert, The local businesses did well and the county government got their share. Who thinks Ironstone could get through planning today?

Thank goodness KIR and MVS.com didn’t have the chance to kill that deal.Trinitas will have impacts and they should be required to mitigate their impact. I also support the Trinitas project and I encourage supervisors to direct staff to bring it forward. The slow death of postponement is killing many projects that will benefit the majority of folks here.

It’s time to change the can’t-do attitude that overshadows this county. It’s time for a vocal few to realize they are hurting families who deserve a chance to earn a living just like they were given.

Jeff DavidsonValley Springs