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• Examine City Hall spending

  Examine City Hall spending

  It is not only our right, but our duty to question our elected officials -- not only their motives, but the ways in which they get what they want without regard to what the people want.

  A recent letter in The Bee referred to Section 1218 of the Fresno City Charter. If this is right, there appears to be some irregularities in the outsourcing of departments within the city. If nothing else, this may deserve further investigation.

  We are asked to give more and get less, so spending of tax dollars must be looked at more carefully. Just because City Hall holds the purse strings doesn't mean the purse belongs to them.

• Fresno's crown jewel river

  Fresno's crown jewel river

  Fresno, the "All America City," for too long has been known as a "gateway" city to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, and also for its close proximity to San Francisco and the beaches of the central coast.

  While these "attractions" or "destinations" are a positive for Fresno, the actual crown jewel of Fresno is its very own San Joaquin River just down the street.

  I strongly urge Fresno's City Hall to not let this opportunity of development and access go away in regard to our trail system on the river bottom.

• City Hall needs better leaders

  City Hall needs better leaders

  After attending the city of Fresno's budget workshop and the City Council hearing on trash privatization, I am dismayed by the poor leadership of our great city. The failure of the mayor and some of the City Council members to get beyond their conservative philosophy of government will now cost the taxpayers at least $1 million.

  Simply stated, the budget workshop showed that, despite major cutbacks to police, fire and other staff, Fresno lacks the revenue needed to maintain current, insufficient service levels. Further, even with privatization, the city budget will be underfunded.

  What the facts called for long ago was for the city to place on last November's ballot a small, short-term public safety restoration tax and then let the voters decide if they wanted either to pay for increased public safety or have further cutbacks in city government. It would have cost the city only a few thousand dollars to let the voters decide then.

• It's all about the future

  It's all about the future

  My wife and I recently moved to Fresno. We chose to be here to start our careers even though we could have moved to a number of other places.

  Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about all the mistakes Fresno has made in the past. The Met, Granite Park and the stadium may have been bad ideas, but they're not the major source of the city's problems -- it's the recession, coupled with expenses that went up at the same time. The City Council passed ordinances to prevent problems like the Met and Granite Park from happening again, and the voters even changed the City's Charter to make sure future City Councils don't go back on these ordinances.

  We must stop picking at the scabs of the past and figure out what's practical and common sense today for our community. And we must make sure that City Hall has the discipline to stick with these rules moving forward so we don't repeat our mistakes.

• Slow those trucks down

  Slow those trucks down

  The mayor is right about one thing in regard to the difference between the city of Fresno and Mid Valley Disposal trash collections. The drivers at Mid Valley drive through our neighborhood just like they did with the city of Fresno.

  They drive like they are at the race track. I saw one driver (No. 126) the other day hang out the window and with one hand make a turn with that huge truck like she was driving a Miata at the race track. Way too fast for residential zones and way too reckless. The speed limit in residential zones is 25 -- not 45!

  Just like the city of Fresno! Crazy drivers speed through the neighborhoods as if this was the last day on Earth.