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Friday, Nov. 20, 2009
Letter: A bully pulpit
Editor: Re: Des Johnston's guest commentary Tuesday, "Delay tactics kill jobs."
Challenging arbitrary and capricious acts of a public entity "like Merced City Council" is inherent in a California Environmental Quality Act lawsuit and the right to sue is a fundamental check and balance in our representative republic.
Filing a CEQA lawsuit against the city is not free either, and unsuccessful litigants run the risk of picking up the tab for the city's legal costs if their claims have no merit. Jobs, whether created or saved, is only one of 12 categories of impacts considered in a CEQA review of a project. For all his protestations, Des Johnston has been well paid for his opinions on CEQA issues whether as a planner for Merced County or in private practice. Now, representing the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce, Johnston has wrapped himself in the flag.
It was very bad form and poor taste for the Sun-Star to have allowed Johnston a bully pulpit from which to heap such calumny and derision on Merced County's most diligent watchdogs and whistle blowers. I hope they will keep up their good work.
BRYANT OWENS
Plainsburg
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