Letters to the editor: An endorsement for Nader, without question

As a lifelong Placer County resident who has dedicated much of my life to promoting and protecting our agricultural resources and conserving our wonderful open landscapes, I have been concerned by the continued pressure from outside sources to develop what I have fought so hard to protect. Some of our elected representatives have gone along with pushing projects that jeopardize the beauty and quality of life that we hold so dear. That needs to change. This is why I am enthusiastically endorsing Wayne Nader for Placer County Supervisor. He grew up on a cattle ranch in Lincoln. Wayne understands and respects the sensitive balance between our natural resources and the competing urgings to develop. He served on the Placer County Planning Commission for eight years, where he showed himself to be thoroughly educated on each project that came before the commission. Wayne had the reputation of asking the hard questions to make certain that all potential implications of a project were considered. While he did approve many projects, he did stand up against those that were not in the best interest of our communities. Wayne has not taken any donations from developers or special interests. He has said he is dedicated to defending and protecting our rural character rather than being influenced by outside interests. I applaud his principled commitment to ethically represent us. Wayne is a person with integrity, who I trust. Please join me in voting for someone that will hold to the values that best reflect why we love this wonderful place. And that, without question, is Wayne Nader. Joanne Neft Auburn Tourism worker says 'Yes' on Measure F Dear Editor, As someone who works in the tourism industry, I know the impacts visitors have on a community. So I fully support Measure F in Auburn and will be voting YES on Nov. 5. Visitors and tourists coming to town have the luxury of enjoying all the great services Auburn has to offer, such as maintained roads and parks, fire protection and police. As such, it is only fair these visitors pay their fair share, while they enjoy all that Auburn has to offer. Measure F raises the hotel tax by 2 percent (from 8 percent to 10 percent) and would include short-term rentals. Currently, those staying at STRs, such as AirBnB and VRBO, do not pay at all, even though they use the city's services! This is about fairness. Best of all: No residents or businesses will have to pay a cent. Only tourists and other lodging visitors pay this tax. Measure F will add about $162,000 in annual revenue to help Auburn maintain our quality of life. Also, it will put Auburn's transit occupancy tax (TOT) in line with neighboring communities such as Rocklin, Lincoln, Roseville and Colfax, all of which are at 10 percent. Measure F is a great investment for Auburn's future. Vote YES on Measure F. Rob Haswell CEO, Placer County Visitors Bureau California Welcome Center, Auburn Meddlers host likes Gustafson's 'straightforward' style I have a unique position being the host of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce weekly Meddlers meeting. Each Tuesday since Cindy Gustafson joined the Placer County Board of Supervisors, she has given a report on the status of Placer County. During this time, I have seen her take tough questions from the audience, answering every one with a straightforward reply. No skirting issues. Cindy's tough and straightforward style of leadership is rare in the political world. But with Cindy, we get the real deal. I only wish we had four other supervisors with the courage Cindy has shown us. It is easy to be critical and disagree with decisions made by the board when the state gives us laws we do not like. But it is leadership that takes us through the process, listening to the concerns of the public and creating the best possible outcome for our county. Because of her strength and dedication, I am proud to stand with Cindy Gustafson and ask you to join me and vote for Cindy Gustafson for District 5 Supervisor. Steve Galyardt Auburn Hamm for PUHSD board Editor: As 45-year residents of Colfax, we have had three children graduate from Colfax High School. My involvement included serving on the Grad Night Committee for several years and working with Gayle Hamm. I know she is dedicated to being sure our schools meet the needs of our students, both intellectually and socially; and I know she is a hard worker and a thorough one. She is also a good listener who considers students, staff and community as partners. I encourage your vote for Gayle Hamm for the Placer Union High School Board. Caroline Hickson Colfax C'mon people, leave the candidate signs alone Let's be civil about the election and election signs. I placed a sign for my candidate of choice on public land in Auburn recently. Within two days, it had been removed. Removing or tampering with election signs is against the law and punishable by up to $1,000 fine. But more importantly, we each have a right to promote our candidate of choice. I understand signs are being removed all over our area. This needs to stop. Auburn, Colfax and surrounding towns, we are better than this. We live in a great area. Let's respect those who do not agree with our views, leave signs alone, and vote as a way to participate in our great democracy. Jan Foster Auburn Warning to homeowners before broadband underground work begins Homeowners on private roads beware! Homeowners who live on private roads in the areas noted in the Auburn Journal's article dated Oct. 2, 2024 ("County secures $23M grant to expand broadband services," page A1), regarding the county's approval of broadband expansion along the I-80 corridor need to be aware that any construction on or to private roadsrelated to the broadband installation by the contractor is not required to follow the encroachment permit requirements issued and signed by Placer County Public Works Department. The contractor can come in with their heavy equipment, tear up your road and there's nothing you can do. The county will not enforce their own encroachment permit, as county counsel states that since it's a private road, there's nothing they can or will do. I spoke with and contacted not only the public works department, county counsel, but the planning department as well. I contacted Supervisor Cindy Gustafon's office several times, but of course, that was useless. In my case, Frontier Communications contracted with Westech, LLC for underground directional boring. They did not provide any prior notification to the neighborhood of the construction. They did not adhere to any road closure or signage requirements. I took video of our road before work began. We now have potholes the size of manhole covers and four inches deep. Frontier and Westech refuse to fix the damage they caused. I highly recommend homeowners who live on private roads enter into their own agreement with the contractor before any work begins to guarantee they will repair the road to its original condition. The contractors know they don't have to be accountable, as they have no one to answer to, which leaves homeowners with absolutely no recourse. Beverly Bell Colfax Re-elect Hull to NID board I support Karen Hull to represent District 3 on the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board of Directors. As a physician, I know how important clean air and clean water are to good health. We must take care of our rivers, lakes and forests to have a reliable supply of water, especially as we face the challenges posed by climate change. Karen Hull shares this understanding and has kept our watersheds' health at the forefront of NID's planning to ensure our future water security. Over the past four years, Karen has leveraged her executive experience to streamline NID's administrative processes, including improvements in contracting. Her financial expertise has been instrumental in stabilizing NID's finances, and she has consistently worked to ensure that repairing and maintaining NID's aging infrastructure is its top priority. Karen and her fellow board members are committed to two key initiatives that will keep NID moving forward: First, repairing and replacing aging infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted water flow; and second, pursuing thoughtful and economically sound water storage projects. Karen has demonstrated that electing her in 2020 was a wise decision. I encourage you to vote for her re-election to the NID Board in 2024. Roger Hicks, MD Nevada City