Comments on: County receives $1 million grant toward parkland purchase

By: Dan J Drummond

Dan J Drummond — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:34:42 +0000

I remember Prop 84 back in Nov 2006. It’s a wonder it passed with 54% of the vote, after the failed very expensive special election Arnold Schwarzenegger put us through in Nov 2005.

The ballot title was: Water Quality, Safety and Supply. Flood Control. Natural Resource Protection. Park Improvements. Bonds. Initiative Statute.
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_84,_Bonds_for_Flood_Control_and_Water_Supply_Improvements_(2006)

I voted for it mostly for the protection of our natural resources. I hope the other grants go through and we are able to purchase the land. Completion of “a contiguous 4,500-acre wildlife corridor stretching from the Mayacamas Mountains to Mark West Creek and its tributaries” is of “great ecological value.”

Protected we stand = thumbs_up
Developed we fall = thumbs_down

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By: Reality Check

Reality Check — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:39:39 +0000

So the county gets $1 million in “free” money while California taxpayers get an additional $1 million in bond debt to repay. Dictionaries need to rewrite their definition of free.

And then there’s little matter that the $1 million applies only if the County spends another $7 million on a particular parcel of land.

If we keep getting all this free money, how soon before we’re broke?

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By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 02:57:07 +0000

Petaluma has one county park for 60,000 people. Could we please have some more?

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By: John Pendergast

John Pendergast — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 02:19:38 +0000

Woo hoo! Free money! Wait, it is free right?

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By: James Bennett

James Bennett — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:46:21 +0000

Is a grant like debt?

Is a park a place I can visit in the future?

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By: Dan Drummond

Dan Drummond — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:35:07 +0000

Don’t count on these lands or any of the other acquisitions being opened up for public access anytime soon. Even though we manage to come up with money to buy these parcels, there’s no money for operations or maintenance. Meanwhile negotiations with the county’s 11 employee bargaining units trudges on. The outcome of these negotiations re compensation and pension reform are key to freeing up some money to make these lands available to the public.

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