Voice of the People: Common Sense: Vote “No” on Measure C

Thomas Paine was a 1776-era patriot who dared to write and circulate the pamphlet “Common Sense” encouraging unity as a means to fight against corruption. He also wrote that “One honest man is worth more than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.” Over the course of the last few months, a lot of groundless accusations have been made by two Council members and others that the citizens who are in opposition to the Measure “C” Utility Users’ Tax have deliberately misled voters with incorrect information, rumors, omissions and distortions. I am more than a little tired of such tasteless tactics. The truth is nobody devotes more time to attending public meetings, reading, researching, and analyzing in preparation. Last week the Blue Mountain Outlook appeared on business shelves, and within hours some unidentified character (not Jeffrey McConnell) retrieved all of the remaining copies because a full-page political ad full of half-truths sponsored by a Political Action Committee whose Principal Officer is the Grand Terrace Mayor Pro Tem exposed the Chamber to a conflict of interest and possible District Attorney investigation. It embarrasses me to relate another outgrowth of the Measure C ballot contest. A young man was exercising his individual right of free expression by passing out information in a public place. He was accosted by an elected official of the City of Grand Terrace and verbally threatened. The assault was one-sided. The young man had recently returned from a tour of military service in Afghanistan. He didn’t deserve that humiliation under any circumstance. Thursday my neighbor told me somebody was removing Vote No on Measure C signs. I checked the trash receptacles at City Hall and waited for the Enforcement Officer. She handed me six signs and instructions about placing them out of the public way. There was no confrontation and no accusations. We solved the problem in a civil manner. If we sacrifice our integrity in this process, then I am not sure what we have left. Please exercise common sense and vote No on Measure C.