Red Line (July 14)
All comments are edited for length and content. Due to content or space limitations some comments may not be published. More than one comment from the same person during the same week will normally not be published. Please limit calls to two minutes or less.
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A man said he “had a story that might interest the newspaper. I live on Parksdale Avenue and 13 and a quarter and my road is terrible. The county hasn’t done anything to it in 10 years. Maybe you guys can write a story or something on it.”
A woman wanted to “congrat- ulate, after reading the article about Michael Prosperi being (named) Kiwanis nurse of the year. I wanted to congratulate him in the name of Marge and Roy Cipriani for his help last year with my father before his death. He is a marvelous young man and defi- nitely needs to be rewarded.”
A caller said he “was fed up with the graffiti, and the police and council. All they can decide is to spend $40,000 of our taxpayers’ money on some consultant. We could have used that money to put up a bounty on taggers. Get some bounty hunters involved, I bet that would solve this problem.”
A woman said we should be worried about “our new govern- ment. They have become a pow- erful and overwhelming veto-proof group, especially the Senate. (President) Obama has hired 33 new czars to run every aspect of our lives. They answer only to him. Our government is spending trillions we don’t even what it is being spent for. They’re buying car companies, banks, with our money. The Senate is passing bills that will cost us our future and double our PG&E bill.”
“Way to go, Sam Pistoresi,” (letter to the editor, July 10) said a lady caller. “Someone needs to tell Freddy Thomas (letters to the editor) that he doesn’t get it, and Sam did it quite well. It’s good to hear the other side of the coin. Although I’m more liberal than conservative you highlighted all the right points. Good job, Mr. Pistoresi.”
A gentleman said, “I’m very disappointed with the California School Employees Association union of Madera Unified and with our president, Alice Rios. Why doesn’t she keep us posted on what is going with the district? No memos, no correspondence, verbal or written on any situation. She gets everyone involved in this new merit system, and then disappears. She needs to wake up. Working for MUSD, I do not sit at a desk and have a computer. If I call, and heaven forbid I ask a question, only to have her say, ‘you should have gone to the meeting to find out the answer.’ Excuse me, I have a family to take care of and cannot always attend. Our previous president would always keep us informed. It is time for you to step down.”
A woman who “attended the Bobby Sox tournament at Town and Country Park last weekend, said, “I went to use the restrooms late in the afternoon on Saturday and they were a pig sty with no toilet paper. I couldn’t find a park person to tell him about the awful mess. I walked all the way to Starbucks to use the restroom. You would think during a large two-day tournament the Parks Department would have people check on the restrooms on a regular basis and not just wait for someone to have to try and call a phone number that is never answered on weekends.”
A lady called about “using the community swimming pool at 4th and Flume (streets). I use the pool on a regular basis. It is awful that the new pool building is not completed yet. What is wrong with the contractor? He should have started earlier if he knew it was going to take this long. All the lifeguards at the pool do wonderful work under the harshest conditions. They are friendly and very aware of all the kids. They should be commended for their efforts while they wait to get into the building. Let’s hope it doesn’t take until the end of summer for the contractor to finish.”
“I’m a little more surprised than usual,” began a call from a man concerning the editorial page (Friday, July 10) on two counts. First, I’m surprised (editor) Chuck Doud can’t understand Sarah Palin doesn’t have any common sense at all, and is just a figurehead.” Then he said, “Secondly, after reading the letter by Sam Pistoresi. He spent all those words to be negative and tear down what’s going on, and once again, like all the conservatives, does not have one word on how to do it better.”
A caller asked “what the county road department is doing about a pile of old tires, motor oil and trash on Road 26 between Avenues 12 1/2 and 13, and it’s been there for several months. I would hope someone could come out and clean this up.”
A caller who “read (Chuck Doud’s) article on Monday about Dale Drozen and his concern about the Board of Supervisors and the Brown Act” said, “it is absolutely right on. I hope that he (Drozen) continues on. I’d like to make a point that the Board of Supervisors tends to be a fairly arrogant body about its opinions and does not particularly like the public to comment on subjects they have pretty well decided.” He also mentioned, “The board should realize that the people who come in there to listen during open session are their constituents. It’s the people that vote for them.”
“In Madera, everyone seems to be worried about graffiti and gangs,” began a woman. “It is mostly caused by open borders with Mexico. But we have much greater things to be worried about in this country, and it’s our new government. They have become powerful and overwhelmingly veto proof.”
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