(Chico Enterprise Record) Letter writer Kathy Moran innocuously suggested we sell Bidwell Ranch. Is this just a thought that skittered across her brain, or is this the beginning of a campaign?
Twice now I’ve heard Brian Nakamura suggest selling Bidwell Ranch. This is just another indication that Nakamura is incompetent to manage our town. He wants a quick fix – what? $20 million or so? To cover a $48 million pension deficit? $20 million is less than half the city’s operating budget for a year. The money would be gone before the ink dried on the sale agreement.
He also fails to mention what 1500 homes built on that constricted property would do to traffic, schools, our water system, etc. He also fails to mention the environmental restrictions. Scott Gruendl once opined that houses built on that property would be so expensive only the very wealthy could afford them.
Nakamura will tell us we need the property taxes – to pay his pension and benefits. Nakamura currently pays only four percent of his pension out of his $212,000/year salary. He wants to sell off our resources to enrich himself.
When asked if he would demand concessions from city employees during current contract talks, Nakamura professed a fear of the police and fire unions. Instead of fixing the root of the problem – over-compensated employees – he wants to empty our cookie jar to keep making the CalPERS payments.
We deserve better leadership.
Juanita Sumner, Chico Ca
Chico Taxpayers Association 