Concerned over plaza referendum
I am concerned about the practical barriers facing Citizens for Responsible Development in Thousand Oaks as it gathers signatures for a referendum on the Downtown Civic Arts Plaza redevelopment.
After signing the petition, I asked why signature gatherers were not positioned in high-traffic areas such as grocery store fronts, where community tables and petitions have often been seen.
I was told that some stores would not allow a table near their entrances, although circulators could reportedly walk through the parking lot to seek signatures.
Even if legally permissible, that kind of limitation reduces visibility and makes it harder for residents to participate in the referendum process.
I am also concerned that the current approach may be inconsistent
with the spirit of Measure E, the voter-approved slow-growth initiative adopted roughly 30 years ago. Many residents, including voters like myself, may reasonably wonder whether this project is being advanced in a manner that limits meaningful voter review on a significant redevelopment issue.
At minimum, these circumstances create a public perception that development interests are receiving preferential treatment over meaningful voter participation.
Charles Goldstein, Thousand Oaks
Police can abuse camera system
Re: Matt O’Neill’s July 22 letter, “Camarillo doesn't need new cameras”:
If you don’t see the problem with these cameras, then you are not paying attention.
An institute for justice report shows at least 14 times where police used the camera system to stalk romantic interests. At least 28 other personal uses by police officers were caught and acted on. A quick search for “officers using ALPR to stalk” will show how concerning these systems are.
Duane Smeckert, Ventura
A well-deserved retirement
Re: your July 21 story, “Camarillo doctor who helped lead COVID fight eyes retirement”:
I would like to thank Tom Kisken for his excellent article on Dr. George Yu. I have been a patient of Dr. Yu’s for about 20 years now and am deeply saddened to see him retire.
On the other hand, I congratulate Dr. Yu on his lengthy and auspicious career in Ventura County. In addition to treating my sleep apnea, he guided me through COVID-19 pandemic, making sure I had the most current information. But what I am so proud of him for is his outreach to the broader community at large, for his groundbreaking work to stop COVID-19 to his treating our veterans for their illnesses.
He has earned his retirement, which I hope will be long, healthy and blessed with many travels like his first one walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I wish I could go with him. Godspeed Dr. Yu and thank you for your service to our county.
Gerald Mitchell, Oxnard
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Issues with referendum, camera abuse, kudos to Dr. Yu | Letters
