Editor: 

It’s absurd and fear- mongering to say, as was stated, new fire-abatement laws could have prevented the last fire. I’m sick and tired of false and misleading statements. That’s as outrageous a statement as saying our firefighters helped cause the last big fire by not following existing abatement law. The cause was electrical sparks on a structured property. No abatement program could have changed the outcome unless you clear and clean the national and state forests.

In the same letter, the writer continues, describing our “community” members as bringing this up. It’s obvious the community is divided on the issue; just read the paper. I take the term citizenship and the rights of citizens very seriously. Our country is based on it.

Changes to existing fire-abatement law, new policies that will affect everyone, should be determined by registered voters exercising their rights and duties. This is the only way to determine what we citizens — our community — wants. Not by committees that are not elected, not by loud and controlled town-hall meetings.

Dialogue in the paper is great. Open public meetings help inform. But only a vote determines what the public citizenry wants.

What worries me the most are the fear tactics being used to push us. Add to that all the differing talk that officials have made on this issue. I distrust them even more, because they refuse to let us vote on it.

John Keil
Idyllwild