Atherton Town Center, the Library, and Perpetuating the Private Army Atherton, posted by Jerry Lewis, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Jun 24, 2012 at 10:57 pm
Right now Atherton is embroiled in one of the largest controversies it has ever had over the location of the library.
Didi Fisher, Jerry Carlson, Elizabeth Lewis, Valerie Gardner, and Charles Marsala are the leaders of a faction that are demanding special votes, recalls, and referendums on not building a new library in the park. They have recently recruited Peter Carpenter to their cause.
Kathy McKeithen, Bill Widmer and Jim Dobbie have been very inarticulate in defending why it's important to not let these detractors fool Atherton voters.
The whole point is to get the library money away from the library and into the hands of the new Town Center (which, for all intents and purposes, is a new police building) so the police department is assured to not get outsourced.
Preventing police outsourcing is personally important to many of the people leading the special vote movement, since they have received special treatment by their private army for years.
Let's look at the new Town Center, and whether the library should be considered as part of it. The Town of Atherton certainly cannot afford a new Town Center. It's money that is either going to be raised by private donations (they say), or by siphoning off money from the library in the Ponzi scheme Charles Marsala proposed several years ago.
Which of these two alternatives is true?
Well, how much money has been pledged by private donations so far?
Didi Fisher? How much have you pledged?
How about Steve Dostart, who is also on the committee?
jerry Carlson, Elizabeth Lewis, how much are you in for?
You really have to ask if these founders of the movement won't donate money, will anyone? Will they at least get it started by pledging their own donations to set an example?
No they won't. This is all about taking the library money to give to the police.
Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Jun 25, 2012 at 7:11 am Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online
There is no such committee and I am certainly not a member of any organized group on either the Library or the Town Center. It is a logical fallacy that the Citizens' interest in where the new library should be located is somehow connected to the Town Center project.
The fact is that our elected officials are split 3-2 on an issue which involves the long term location of the Town's only library in the Town's only Park. The citizens wish to be heard on this issue and the current petition will ensure a Special Meeting of the Town Council that will permit them to be heard.
CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 1 DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
SEC. 3. (a) The people have the right to instruct their
representatives, petition government for redress of grievances, and
As you can see, most of the individuals opposed to building the library in the park are on this committee.
Thanks for quoting the constitution. Of course it's up to voters to determine "common good." I say Fisher and her group want to get the library money for the Town Center. My analysis is above.
I'm hoping I'm wrong, that the money truly is not going to come from the library, and that Didi Fisher, Jerry Carlson, Elizabeth Lewis, Rose Hau, Steve Dostart, John Shenk and Phil Lively can let us know how much they have pledged for the new Town Center.
Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Jun 25, 2012 at 11:25 am Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online
The Citizens' Petition calling for a Special Meeting of the Town Council on the library issues does NOT presume or call for a particular outcome - it simply ensures that the citizens will have the opportunity to speak out on these issues:
The Petition Motion: We, adult residents of the Town of Atherton, in accordance with the Towns Municipal Code Section 2.04.010 hereby petition for a Special Meeting of the Town Council with the following agenda:
SPECIAL MEETING
ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENTS
A fundamental element of democracy is the right of citizens to address their elected representatives, therefore the public may address the Council on any item on the Special Session Agenda. Each speaker may address the Council once for each agenda item under Public Comment for a limit of three minutes. The filing of speaker cards is not mandatory, but is helpful in creating an accurate record.
AGENDA
1. Should the location of the new library be decided by a town-wide vote by residents?
Council Action: Vote Yes or No
2. Where should the new library be located?
Council Action: Park? Vote Yes or No
Council Action: New Town Center? Vote Yes or No
Council Action: Current Location? Vote Yes or No
3. Should Atherton withdraw from the county-wide Library JPA?
Council Action: Vote Yes or No
4. Should the Town prepare, with citizen participation, a Master Plan study for all buildings and structures, existing or planned, all Town-owned properties and their uses or proposed uses?
Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Jun 25, 2012 at 11:51 am Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online
" The agenda is clear; the motivations are not."
I wrote the agenda and my motivations are VERY clear - to ensure that the citizens will have the opportunity to speak out on these issues. I have NOT taken a position on where the new library should be located or on the Town Center BUT I have taken a position on the right of the citizens to be heard.
What are your motivations - beside casting aspersions?
Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Jun 28, 2012 at 11:03 am Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online
Note that the Town Council has called a Special Meeting of the Town Council for tomorrow to decide if a citizens' vote on the library location should be placed on the Council 18 July agenda.
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