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Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor: July 9–22, 2015

Thanks From the Motley Crew

A big “Thank you,” to all who helped out on our 8th Annual Mermaid & Pirate Parade, including Pirates Steve, Jeff Walters and Phil Edwards, wenches Jackie Edwards and Priscilla McRoberts, the musical Mudskippers, goody bag fillers the Morro Bay Seniors, Inc., salt water taffy supplier Geb Peters, the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol for the water jet display, and last but definitely not least, Dockside Too, for the delicious seafood grub!
A delightfully-rowdy time was had by the whole motley crew!

Janice Peters, Morro Bay


Loves His New Big

Dear Editor:
I am writing to you today to tell you about the new big brother I received through Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County’s mentoring program.
When I first saw my “Big’s” face I knew I would love him. I liked the way he looked because he had a big smile on his face. I think he is amazing.
We both have the same favorite color — blue! We have a lot of fun together shooting hoops, playing with turtles, and taking turns playing games on his phone. I usually win when we play basketball, but he destroyed me on “around the world” because hey, he’s way taller than me.
He took me to my karate lesson and we went to a movie, too. He said we can go fishing and shoot archery another time. He is really nice and we like to do the same kinds of things. We always have fun.
I’m looking forward to the next time I see him. I asked my mom if I would still be friends with my Big when I’m old, like when I’m 34.
She laughed and said “yes.” I think me and my Big will be friends for a long, long time. My Big is AWESOME!
Sincerely,

Little Brother Kevin Bamesberger, age 9, Los Osos


City Pushing Smart H2O Meters

Dear Editor:
I hope people will attend the special Morro Bay Public Works Advisory Boad meeting July 15 to comment on the $3.1 million proposal to install smart water meters across town. PWAB wants and needs your input.
The meters will probably provide more detailed reporting for Public Works and may even save some water by detecting leaks earlier, but is it worth $3.1 million?
It will also be turning the data collection, billing, payment, and customer service over to a private contractor in Arizona for an additional annual fee that could run $310,000 a year on top of the initial outlay.
We already have a continuous, annual program to replace defective meters. All of those meters replaced over the past several years will be chucked for the high tech models. Local jobs will be sent out of state.
The proposal is still viewable on the city website from the June PWAB meeting agenda, so please check it out. Unfortunately, there is no solid data in the staff report to make a reasonable comparison at this time.
Hopefully there will be more information when the July 15 agenda is posted. You need to comment at the July PWAB meeting before they make their recommendations that go to City Council in August.

Ric Deschler, Morro Bay


Homeless Help — All Talk, No Action

I write as a concerned 50-year resident of SLO, and a long-time advocate for local un-housed people. Homelessness (and the poor) has been around since the mid 1980s.
Up until 3-years ago, little was heard about the issue in SLO. Today, you can’t pick up a paper without reading something about local homelessness.
The question is not if “we” are for or against the “poor” — the question is why aren’t we doing more to get folks into real housing?
We have many local organizations working hard and succeeding at providing food, clothing, education, medical care, counseling, job training, etc. Its long-term affordable housing we’re short on. We have no truly affordable housing. Providing Section 8 housing to a tenant who pays a third of the rental fee while taxpayers pay the rest is not affordable housing. And not everyone belongs on aid.
The 50 Now Program is a great start – for the 30 individuals housed. By CAPSLO’S count, there are estimated to be upwards of 4,000 people who remain homeless on our streets. What about the other 3,900? Instead of talking “policy differences” we should be talking about “human beings in need.”
There is a segment of our un-housed neighbors who have fallen into a gap in services that is widening as I type. Please read the article about how homelessness is increasing everywhere — www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-count-release-20150511-story.html.
SLO is not exempt. Don’t even think we can come close to “ending” homelessness with the current priorities we have — the Bob Jones Trail, a new animal shelter, buying up open space, improving the ambiance downtown with lights in the trees, filling up the cracks in the sidewalks, tearing down the wall at Mitchell Park (where the homeless once found shelter in inclement weather), and installing dividers in the bus benches outside City Hall, so there is no place for people to get rest who have no homes.
There are no public showers in SLO, nor are the public restrooms open in the evening. And we continue to pass out tickets for “illegal” lodging.
Many folks here are ineligible or underserved by local homeless services for many reasons. This is by no stretch of the imagination “a stable living environment.” Until we look this problem straight in the eye, admit we have a huge problem, and stop the game of “he said/she said,” our housing crisis will continue to spiral out of control.

Becky Jorgeson, Santa Margarita

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