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Comments &
Responses
I am pleased to share the following comments
that I have received in response to my website. I have not always included the names of
the individuals – but if you are interested - I will contact them to provide
authentication. I have
interspersed my comments in blue italic so you know
where I stand on issues brought forth by readers of my website.
1/31 Karl Very, very nice for a first attempt. Quite
impressive – extremely well done “politically” – in my mind you’ve
removed all the common “closet” barriers folks often try to hide. You
now have the platform to talk about our City and what you have to offer to help
get us back on our feet. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing.
Mr. Baker,
I am convinced that you are the only qualified candidate for this
election. Furthermore, I think you are more qualified then anyone on the
current council. You can count on my receiving my vote on March 6.
Thank you very much and tell your friends.
Your comments are indeed, heartwarming and similar
to others I have received. I will take a couple of moments to specifically
address some of the points you raise.
I am married with three children and own a home here in the City of Desert
Hot Springs. I work for the Postal Service in a different city, and my
wife is a school teacher at Bubbling Wells Elementary.
I worked as a "career temporary substitute mail
carrier" when I was in college and have taught at DSMS. Some of the
faculty members at Bubbling Wells were in the Masters classes I took at Chapman
University.
I have become very concerned about the way the City is being ran. This
is a city with a lot of potential if it were ran correctly.
AMEN!
With the slow down in the housing market, is the City even more financially
strapped?
Yes and no - it becomes very complicated. One of
the errors the current Council and past manager made was to use the "up
front" money from the new developments for current expenses leading to a
very unbalanced financial picture. I think - from what I know at this
point - that Ann Marie Gallant has sorted all of this out which lead to the
bleak financial condition and the lay offs. If I can trust her judgement -
and I have no reason not to - I think the recent lay offs were such that any
future cutbacks should be unnecessary.
Can we expect more layoffs and budget cuts coming in the near future?
This City need commercial tax dollars. It can not rely on just new housing
alone.
Correct - new housing costs us more in services than we
receive in property tax revenue from them. My vision is to get the
Redevelopment Agency active in securing major retail so that we don't have to
cross I-10 to shop and that the sales tax dollars stay here.
Here is what I think needs to happen. Start at square one.
We need to find out just what this City has and/or does not have. A
full blown audit and inventory of everything.
Much of this was done when the City was in bankruptcy
and excess property was sold. This, however, needs to be a continuing
process.
Also, need to look at contract services. I don't care if it is to
hire gardeners to mow the grass at the parks.
Unfortunately, DHS is the only City in the Coachella
Valley who pays all employees retirement benefits for CalPERS and Social
Security. This benefit is an extra 15% on top of other benefits, e.g.
health insurance. Contracting out services can save lots of money -
provided the contractors are given proper direction with adequate
controls.
We have to bring back some form of Code Enforcement. Driving
down West Drive between Hacienda and Two Bunch
Palms looks like used car lots in the yards. I stand on my
patio and look at house directly below me and there
are six cars parked in the drive way and/or yard. Only two
of them are used.
AMEN! Currently, the City is looking to put more
teeth into the enforcement avenues. That is to say that the current ways
available to bring about quick compliance are slow and cumbersome. Not
only are many yards like used car lots - they often resemble ongoing yard
sales. At one time, I proposed and volunteered to go throughout the City,
take photographs of serious - and some not so serious - code violations, give
them to the City with appropriate addresses so that the major legwork was done
and only the administrative process needed to be initiated. (This was all
done in an open Council meeting and is a matter of public record.) I even
volunteered to look up the owner records and prepare the paperwork for the
proper signatures - I am still waiting (over 6 months) for the opportunity
to do that - even though my offer was - on the surface - greeted
enthusiastically. I feel many retired people with computer and clerical
skills could help in this effort.
I would like the City to contract with Riverside County Sheriff's
Department for police and dispatch services.
By contracting with the County for police services we
will lose much of what we value in local service. Our department - only
when they have time available - will help the elderly change a front light bulb
to aid their security. The Sheriff would never do this.
Here is my reasoning for doing that. It is my opinion that the biggest
liability that the City has is the Police Department.
That is a very correct statement and a disturbing
one. I think that poor management practices have led to many of these
problems. I only wish our interim chief, John Hensley, could remain longer
as he has brought a needed change to the department. A compromise might be
to contract part of the police services - dispatch, detective work, etc., but,
retain our on site and 'in the field' police presence.
There is pending litigation against the department. By contracting
the Sheriff's Department, the city no longer has the
liability. You also get more services with
the Sheriff's Department. It will cost more, but in the long run
the City will save more in civil litigation expenses.
I am not so sure that we could be absolved of any civil
liability - that's why lawyers get rich - always looking for a deep
pocket.
I was told that the Police Department is looking at contracting
dispatching services in the future.
I have been hearing this for many months, however,
nothing has been presented to the Council to the best of my knowledge.
This City is a mess and needs the right people on board to turn
this around or this is a train wreck waiting to happen.
Hopefully, you can win this election and with the November election
remove those who are not getting the job done.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxx
Hi Karl
I like your website. I hope you are able to maintain it and pass along
information after your election.
Got your web site looks very good and I will support you.Good luck.
Site looks good, sir. Continue adding to it. I enjoy
that you've actually done your homework on these
issues, and some of them (I-10 overpass, windmills,
allowing other cities to annex land which would seem
to be de facto ours) are issues I've puzzled about
many times. My mother and grandmother both live in
this city, and I've lived in DHS for 21 of my 26
years. Our city has a terrible case of arrested
development.
Should you get elected (and I certainly hope you do),
please make sure that someone is confirming that
infrastructure is in place (water, power, and
ESPECIALLY roadways) before we develop any more
residential properties! Traffic is bad NOW. Getting
onto I-10, across to Palm Springs, or onto 62 will be
a NIGHTMARE when Skyborne finishes and the other
developments finish selling. Naturally a market base
is necessary for commercial expansion, but I think
code inforcement is the key to all this. It may be
somewhat draconian to write and enforce restrictive
codes, but I believe a few good rounds of code
enforcement sweeps could potentially drive out those
who are a detriment and beautify the city. At one
point, I was dragging my feet about a mess left behind
in a front yard by an evicted tenant of mine, code
enforcement got on me about it and that lit a fire to
get it cleaned up. In less than a week, it was gone.
How many residences in the "DHS Trailer Park" on 5th
Street are up to code?
Sorry to talk your ear off. It's refreshing to hear
someone address issues rather than just littering the
town with posters.
Yours in service,
xxxxxxxxx
Being that DHS has been long populated by members of
the permanent underclass, is it any surprise that
we've had the kind of elected leadership we have? Who
was it who says, "People have the government they
deserve?"
Hopefully all that is changing. I was going to allow
apathy and indifference to keep me from the polling
place on March 6, but now I will make time to go cast
my vote for you. Well done with the paper. Minor
revision, and then get it out to the people. They
deserve to know what has happened. Continue to fight
the good fight, sir.
Hi, I have just completed my absentee vote. Good luck, you have
our vote.
I can only hope that you can succeed with some of the items you
mention on your platform, I don't know how you're going to do it.
If we can be of any help, don't hesitate to let us know. We'll see what
we can do.
Rudy and Bill
Dear karl
I have always been impressed w/your input at the council
meetings.
Thank you!
at this time I would like to see more business in the city. at this time I
spent very little money in this town. I buy my gas/food @ costco. shop at
kohl's in laquinta. walmart either near costco or ramon. I work in
cathedral city. the vons in town doesnt look clean therefore I very seldom
go there. When we eat out (not often) at el matador or rocky's or
spa hotel cafe.
Try the Capri and/or the Paradise Grille (in the La
Toscana Resort neat 8th and Palm) sometime.
I have lived here since april 2001. My son & his family have lived
in dhs since 1990 our grandson started in kindergarden at pierson & west to
the middle school & now high school. (Im sure there are more of
us taking our money to other cities too)
The scenario you have outlined is far too typical of
many DHS residents. Your reasons are valid. By using
Redevelopment funds that are available the City needs to fund and hire
an Economic Development Director whose specific job will be to bring significant
retail to the City.
I also think the skate park was a waste of tax payers money. I work at
eicc & see several kids come in w/injuries from that park. & why would
anyone put that near a senior center(what was mary
thinking????
Probably the greatest problem with the skate park is
the lack of supervision. Bowing to significant pressure from many in the
community the Council had to do something. I think Arroyo Park would have
been a better location - but, what we have is a recreational benefit to many
young people in out City.
If they build the 2 schools behind rancho del oro & come thru sonora
& will blow this pop stand. not many kids in this area
I am totally opposed to schools above Rancho del Oro.
It is a totally impractical location and the City Council needs to bring
significant pressure on the School District to reverse their decision. I
don't think it is too late to do that.
thank you for listening phyllis tell yvonne
parks to limit her um's in her reports. i forget what she is saying w/all
the um's
A Reader Asks and
I Answer
Readers
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