Monitoring our neighbors
Well, maybe, not so much. In the Aug. 28 edition of the Sun, Cathy Goldberg proposes a “hotline,” where Seal Beach residents can “rat” on their neighbors’ water abuse.
She describes how “people get very defensive even when one takes pains to be polite and understanding.” Polite? Understanding?
Personally, I’ve never become defensive when someone approach’s me in a polite manner. As to understanding, understanding of what exactly?
While I understand that water conservation is important, and that we are in the midst of a generational drought, am I not penalized in the marketplace, by an increase in my water bill if I use an excessive amount of water? Is the water bill, as other state/municipal managed limited resources not indexed, and affected by the economics of supply and demand?
While it is noble, I suppose for Ms. Goldberg to be concerned about her neighbors water usage, where would these “hotlines” end? Shall we monitor how our neighbors raise their kids?
Is there a number to call, if I see them enter their house with a McDonalds bag?
What about the neighbor who watches too much television, or lets their grass (God forbid) grow too long?
If Ms. Goldberg really thought this cause just, she might want to spend more time lobbying the Liberal politicians in our state, to better manage the resources that they are entrusted to provide.
Through their ineptitude much of our water was run-off to protect the Delta Smelt.
My use (or abuse) of water is infinitesimal compared to the water lost through mismanagement, ineptitude, and Leftist environmental terrorism.
She might lobby them, on their abuse of the poor and elderly; through their Bureaucratic dictate that California not buy cheap electricity, produced from Coal.
Or, shall we setup a “hotline” to report those who run their air-conditioners more than the state-approved time allotment?
What about the open-door policy advanced by Jerry Brown and our State Legislator’s to invite thousands (millions) of Undocumented Democrats into an already resource-tapped state?
Is she more concerned with her water-bill, tax-paying neighbor, than the millions of low-wage, resource-heavy persons being invited to setup residency in our state?
The “market” will correct the abuse of limited resources. God help us, if we have to start monitoring our neighbor’s behavior(s).
California and America has many challenges. Your/my Seal Beach neighbor is not one of them.
Earick Ward
Seal Beach
Coyote awareness
I’ve been selling real estate for over 12 years now in both the Rossmor and Seal Beach communities.
I don’t remember coyote sightings ever being a big concern in Seal Beach until now.
I do however remember several years ago when coyote sightings started in the community of Rossmoor.
At first the sightings were far and few between and then gradually became more frequent once learning that their prey was easily found in this Rossmoor community.
I for one only thought that they searched for fruit, squirrels, rats and gophers until we started hearing of them attacking our small animals (dogs and cats).
There is not a quick remedy for our coyote friends who have made themselves comfortable in our Seal Beach town because they are protected by Fish and Game.
The community of Rossmoor has done an excellent job at making the community aware of the four legged predator by posting signs throu8ghout the community creating awareness.
A few of the do’s and don’ts:
DON’T:
Don’t EVER feed a coyote or any other wild animal for that matter (it’s against the law).
Don’t let your small pets (cats and small dogs) roam free outside in the early morning or late at night.
Don’t feed your pets outside leaving pet food and/or water bowls.
DO:
Secure your pets at night. Pick up any fruit that has fallen from fruit trees.
Make sure you cover all trash cans leaving it impossible for a coyote to rummage for food.
I would like to assist with initiating the same awareness here in Seal Beach and create some literature to distribute throughout the town. Have I noticed a lack of interest with potential home buyers because of the coyote activity? No, Rossmoor and Seal Beach have so much to offer with our exceptional school district and thriving community.
Rosie Ritchie
Long Beach
Dangerous animals
They (coyotes) are dangerous animals, overpopulated and need to be thinned out.
The City Council, as usual, and animal control are incapable of making a decision.
Ship the coyotes to Wyoming; they make decisions quickly.
The ranchers will take care of the coyote problem.
Bob Anderson
Seal Beach
Let’s do something
YES, please let’s do something and ASAP regarding the coyote problem in Seal Beach. How many more innocent dogs and cats have to be prey to these wild animals? We are all in danger. Please add my name to the ipetitions.com list. We need to do something now!
Sandra Anderson
Seal Beach
Conserve water but be neighborly
Now that the city has adopted water conservation measures, we need to focus on techniques, which will actually decrease water use. What is not needed as suggested in earlier correspondence is a hotline to allow neighbors to denounce those they perceive (whether correctly or not) as being violators. Such a tactic seems more at home in a police state and will only serve to cause feuds between neighbors while not saving meaningful amounts of water.
Instead, it should be a simple matter to temporarily institute a tier system of rate paying, similar to the Edison billing system for electric rates wherein a minimum baseline is established and increased usage is billed at increasing rates. This makes everyone alert to their water use, which they can control by turning off the tap instead of making secret denunciations to a hotline, which may or may not result in actually saving water. It also eliminates the need for the City to employ a monitor at $100 per hour to paint a scarlet letter or yellow star on households secretly reported to be “offending” whether or not they are actually so. It is hard to see how singling out people in this fashion results in meaningful decreased water use, while it is easy to see how an appropriately structured water bill will focus attention on conservation.
Gerald Costello
Seal Beach
Valued government interns
Kudos to the intern for her excellent letter to the Sun on Aug. 21 – “A working summer: Interning for the Mayor” (Ellery Deaton).
Having proudly served as the first Chief Lobbyist for the newly formed Board of Trustees of the California State University (formerly colleges, CSU) for 10 exciting and successful years, I know firsthand the great value of the Government intern programs in Sacramento. I added to my staff a young intern from USC who promptly became an invaluable asset to my CSU lobbying performances.
When, in 1971 I left the CSU to form Les H Cohen & Associates she happily remained as the intern and eventually was promoted to be the Chief Lobbyist for the CSU. Various branches of the Executive and Legislative branches of State government have important/successful intern programs, which give the intern firsthand, high level experiences with the complex workings of State Government and a Model which local public officials, i.e. Mayor Ellery Deaton had the wisdom to follow.
Les H Cohen
Legislative Advocate Emeritus/OC Ombudsman
Seal Beach Leisure World
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