OK, I haven’t written a letter to the editor in a awhile. I want to be positive; but when I see local corruption pushing itself off in the interest of property owners I get upset.
Idyllwild Community Recreation Council wants a community center funded by property tax dollars (a recreation facilities use contract) and Idyllwild Water and Fire want to expand their revenue base, really?
Is this about expanding Hill services, perhaps inflation, retirement obligations or something more sinister? The facts are they are run by the same folks (town business predators). Again, they want Hill property owners to flip the bill for tourists; call it predatory business welfare.
Not one recreation function will be performed at the community center. Where are the soccer, basketball, softball, and volleyball games? Not there.
Town motorcycle hogg fests, for profit renaissance fairs, speaker series, after school daycare, and concerts are not recreation and are not to be funded by property tax recreation dollars. Sorry folks. It’s just another attempt to push off business profit motives as community interest.
As for Idyllwild Fire and ambulance service, it’s about who can provide the best qualified ambulance and fire service to the residents of this mountain. Sorry, Idyllwild, it’s not you.
American Medical Response [ambulance provider for Riverside County] has the infrastructure, professional competence, objectivity, and yes, pay structure, to meet our needs well into the future.
As for your ability to save homes, when was the last time you saved a home? Let’s be fair, what are the last five homes you saved from established resident-initiated fire. Step up and explain. Rah rah.
Idyllwild residents, let me explain. You are the only defense against fire from your home, period. It’s kind of like law enforcement here, they are reactionary and serve little to save you.
As for Idyllwild Water, it’s their track record that matters. Water use is disproportionate between property owners and visitors.
IWD faces a legal fight that will strip them of stolen surface water, hence the need to recycle human waste back into the water supply to offset these indiscretions, period. Did you really think that they are “green” and socially conscious, or perhaps other water sources just don’t exist? Maybe if they behave like a “green” company they will be allowed to continue with their indiscretions. Not likely.
What is certain is that you will pay the bill for this established misconduct unless they are voted out of office.
Where they each fail is in their arrogance, deceit, and abject refusal to publicly admit to their misconduct. For this, you must tell them “No deal.”
Don’t mistake the solution as the establishment of a county service district as advocated by the editor of this paper. Take three warlords and lop the heads off two of them and you end up with one warlord on a power trip; stupid, stupid, stupid.
Short of eliminating each office, keep each of them weak, so not one builds power. Call it the history the Idyllwild Area Historical Society won’t share with you.
Jeff Smith
Pine Cove
Just to be fair when was the last time Riverside County Fire save a home on the Mountain. In the 20 years I have been on the Mountain I know of only 2 or 3 save by any fire department up here.