Posted by
Mark on Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:55:21 AM
The results of Rocklin Measures J and H signal a vote for change.
Measure J failed because Rocklin voters rejected the ideas of the tax and spend Rocklin City Council. Remember this same group was going to push for an increase in our sales tax.
Measure H won, but by a very slim margin. I believe the battle was lost, but change is on the horizon for November. The Yes on H won because they spent nearly 1 million dollars to get their message out. They had a paid campaign staff. They had to mobilize the entire good ole boys network. The Save Clover Valley group spent around $71,000. They were all volunteers. The No vote lost by only 883 votes.
What does this mean? It looks like Clover Valley will be developed. But this is not a time to look back, this is a time to look what can happen this November. A difference of 883 votes tells us that the citizens of Rocklin are looking for a change in leadership on the Rocklin City Council. One million dollars and all they could garner is an 883-vote difference from a No on H win.
The time is now to look toward the November election. Three seats will be up for re-election. There is a possibility that the citizens of Rocklin can take back their community from the developers and the Thunder Valley Casino.
How many more fast food restaurants do you want in Rocklin? How many more gas stations do we need on each corner? The Rocklin City Council will not support the Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, a grade 7 – 12 charter school. This school would bring high paying jobs to Rocklin. These people would buy homes in Rocklin and contribute to our tax base. The school could attract new businesses. How many more pizza restaurants do we need in Rocklin? The guy delivering your pizza is not buying the $300,000 - $400,000 homes. How about a company with 25 PhDs? These people can afford to buy a home in Rocklin. People want a choice on where to send their kids. The Rocklin City Council has supported the Rocklin School Board’s decision to eliminate school choice in Rocklin.
The Save clover Valley group needs to continue the fight that will bring change to Rocklin. Rocklin is a great community. The City Council has done some good things. However, they have been there too long. Just like Congressman Doolittle, who lost the vision of knowing what is best for all Americans, the Rocklin City Council has lost the vision for what is best for the citizens of Rocklin.
Lets start talking about how to improve our quality of life in Rocklin. A new vision and new leadership on the Rocklin City Council will help get us down that path.