What the Hell is Measure E?


Articles Dante Alighieri Arthur Dent Jesus Jones Thomas Paine Other Authors Contact Us! Letter to the Editor Dante Alighieri Arthur Dent Jesus Jones Thomas Paine	What the Hell is Measure E? Do you feel like you're the only person in the universe who doesn't know what this mysterious proposal is? If not, have a cookie. If so, read the arguments for the opposing positions... Point: Yes on E Dante Alighieri "Don't be fooled!" "Don't believe the lies!" "Don't support Measure E!" Be fooled by what? Believe what lies? Don't support Measure E? Why not? What is so wrong with a proposal that would raise money, provide more housing, give us a new fire station and library, and develop an area that needs it? Nothing. What it boils down to is this: the people who are shooting down Measure E are being selfish. They seem to say, "I have a house here, now no one else can have one!" Not only that, they are self-righteous, pointing out every petty grievance without suggesting any alternatives. Are these the people you want to listen to? "Don't be fooled!" "Don't believe the lies!" "Support Measure E!" Here's why: Pacifica needs to raise revenues. The development proposed by Measure E will provide that. We need a new library and fire station. What is now the quarry is a good place for both because it's an area central to Pacifica, making it easily accessible for the community. The quarry is a huge eyesore. Something needs to go there, and there's no time like the present to get it done. In addition to adding more shops and housing, work will go into restoring the wetland area of the quarry, thus beautifying our fair city. 20% of the new housing is earmarked for teachers, police officers, fire-fighters, and other civil employees. These people deserve to have good housing ,and Pacifica needs something to attract public servants. Voting "yes" on Measure E is the only way to go. Counterpoint: No on E D.N. Cider and John Little As TN students drive through Pacifica, we see a plethora of signs littering the lawns of opinionated Pacifica residents. Some advocate the election of Jim Vreeland, Julie Lancelle, Barbara Carr, or Maxine Gonsalves. Signs accompanying those of the former two blaze the words "NO ON E." So what is this "E" thing, anyways? An anti-drug campaign? A popular uprising against a single member of the alphabet? No. It's a measure allowing development of unnecessary residential property in the Pacifica quarry. So why so much the ado about housing? Pacifica is full of it. Do we really need more boring sleepy houses? Developing firm Trammel Crow seems to think we do. The question, then, is why this developer feels that we need more of this bedroom community bullshit. Plain and simple: Trammell Crow will make more money selling Park Pacifica-style houses than they would by leasing stores on a sorely-needed main street. A development agreement passed by our bumbling City Council last Monday, which would be executed by approval of Measure E, allows the developer to abandon the main street construction, meanwhile raking in enormous profits by selling residential units. Another issue regarding this vote is the misrepresentation of the project to the community. There exist discrepancies between what is on the ballot and what is stated in the ordinance, making the vote's credibility questionable. The ballot statement promises not only residential development, but also open space, a hotel/conference center, retail, restaurants, a library, a fire station, and a civic center/town square. However, the actual ordinance simply permits the City Council to authorize the development of residential units only. It does not assure any of the aforementioned amenities. The enfranchised public is being misled. Development is an idea that tends to spark hope in many minds. Some Pacificans believe that new homes will revive the wilting economy. However, one must realize that extensive residential development and a dearth of commercial growth is exactly what we have currently: a drab, homogenous suburbia. More residential units means a bit more money for the city, but also means more traffic, more concrete, more air pollution, more expense. Jumping in bed with Trammell Crow promises merely another row of expensive track housing and no town center worthy of pride. Don't settle. Vote "no" on Measure E.	Archive Back Issues Why? Cartoons Poetry Random Rants Disclaimers Losers and Kudos of the Week Letters to the Editor Editor's Notes Picture of the Week
Back		Top

Do you feel like you're the only person in the universe who doesn't know what this mysterious proposal is? If not, have a cookie. If so, read the arguments for the opposing positions...

Point: Yes on E

Dante Alighieri

"Don't be fooled!"
"Don't believe the lies!"
"Don't support Measure E!"

Be fooled by what? Believe what lies? Don't support Measure E? Why not? What is so wrong with a proposal that would raise money, provide more housing, give us a new fire station and library, and develop an area that needs it?

Nothing.

What it boils down to is this: the people who are shooting down Measure E are being selfish. They seem to say, "I have a house here, now no one else can have one!" Not only that, they are self-righteous, pointing out every petty grievance without suggesting any alternatives. Are these the people you want to listen to?

"Don't be fooled!"
"Don't believe the lies!"
"Support Measure E!"

Here's why:

Pacifica needs to raise revenues. The development proposed by Measure E will provide that.
We need a new library and fire station. What is now the quarry is a good place for both because it's an area central to Pacifica, making it easily accessible for the community.
The quarry is a huge eyesore. Something needs to go there, and there's no time like the present to get it done. In addition to adding more shops and housing, work will go into restoring the wetland area of the quarry, thus beautifying our fair city.
20% of the new housing is earmarked for teachers, police officers, fire-fighters, and other civil employees. These people deserve to have good housing ,and Pacifica needs something to attract public servants. Voting "yes" on Measure E is the only way to go.

Counterpoint: No on E

D.N. Cider and John Little

As TN students drive through Pacifica, we see a plethora of signs littering the lawns of opinionated Pacifica residents. Some advocate the election of Jim Vreeland, Julie Lancelle, Barbara Carr, or Maxine Gonsalves. Signs accompanying those of the former two blaze the words "NO ON E." So what is this "E" thing, anyways? An anti-drug campaign? A popular uprising against a single member of the alphabet? No. It's a measure allowing development of unnecessary residential property in the Pacifica quarry.

So why so much the ado about housing? Pacifica is full of it. Do we really need more boring sleepy houses? Developing firm Trammel Crow seems to think we do. The question, then, is why this developer feels that we need more of this bedroom community bullshit. Plain and simple: Trammell Crow will make more money selling Park Pacifica-style houses than they would by leasing stores on a sorely-needed main street. A development agreement passed by our bumbling City Council last Monday, which would be executed by approval of Measure E, allows the developer to abandon the main street construction, meanwhile raking in enormous profits by selling residential units.

Another issue regarding this vote is the misrepresentation of the project to the community. There exist discrepancies between what is on the ballot and what is stated in the ordinance, making the vote's credibility questionable. The ballot statement promises not only residential development, but also open space, a hotel/conference center, retail, restaurants, a library, a fire station, and a civic center/town square. However, the actual ordinance simply permits the City Council to authorize the development of residential units only. It does not assure any of the aforementioned amenities. The enfranchised public is being misled.

Development is an idea that tends to spark hope in many minds. Some Pacificans believe that new homes will revive the wilting economy. However, one must realize that extensive residential development and a dearth of commercial growth is exactly what we have currently: a drab, homogenous suburbia. More residential units means a bit more money for the city, but also means more traffic, more concrete, more air pollution, more expense. Jumping in bed with Trammell Crow promises merely another row of expensive track housing and no town center worthy of pride. Don't settle. Vote "no" on Measure E.