Opinion

EDITOR,

There has been a lot of discussion and downright anxiety around the country, not so much in California, about so-called voter fraud. Mostly Republican-dominated state legislatures have tried to make it more difficult to vote and courts increasingly are tossing out the plans as inadvertently discriminatory at best and intentionally racist at worst, which disenfranchise thousands.

Many of you will be approached in the next few months by someone carrying a clipboard and asking you to sign a petition to save California’s state parks.

On November 11, 2013 a public notice was sent out stating the Scotts Valley City Council was considering an agreement to allow the demolition of the historic Polo Barn complex. This notice was announced by mail and sent only to those residents that resided within 300 feet of the Polo Ranch development. The notice further stated that in just nine days time the demolition approval would be discussed at the City Council meeting. For residents interested in historic and recreational resources in the city this change was a complete surprise as this revised agreement had not been disclosed or discussed with the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, the Scotts Valley Historical Society or at any other public forum before the November 20, 2013 City Council meeting. 

• Editor’s Note: This commentary is reprinted from www.scsheriff.com, with some minor changes for style.

EDITOR,