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City needs to lookout for Winter Colonial residents
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Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

What a deal! Two city issues to weigh.

 First, bravo, Dennis, for creativity – proposing concrete alleys for Winters Colonial Estates – and your insight into Manteca’s history of “affordable” housing (“Council needs to take a real look at workforce housing project,” Sept. 27, 2009). But the issue of Winter Colonial Estates’ parking … ? I need a calculator – one car in the driveway plus one car in the garage. Oh, wait, no one uses their single-car garage for a car. OK, a car in the driveway plus a car on the street. Got an RV? ’Fess up, you really dreamed of living closer to cozy downtown Manteca.

 If future Winters Colonial Estates residents are commuters, where is the access to mass transit? Manteca is full of bus stops (and SJRTD prices are shockingly cheap). Along with concrete alleys, can we assure future Winters Colonial Estates residents access to commuter buses and ACE trains?

 Second, another cheer for you, Dennis – your chronicles of city leadership nudge broader brainpower in our plucky, pumpkin-proud community. For instance, the city laments its numerous job openings, while many Mantecans look for jobs. Hmm. The city and the Manteca Police Department debate heartbreaking pay cuts/layoffs, while many Mantecans look for jobs. Hmm. The Bulletin posts a list of weekly pay in government/non-government jobs, while many Mantecans look for jobs. Hmm.

 What can ALL city leaders do to set aside ego and fear present in all communication – and move Manteca toward what it “could” be? Now feels like a desperately good time to be creative.

 Can we be a city where temporary public projects employ jobless citizens? Can we be a city where our police department expands its effective citizens’ academy to motivate public behavior and prevent crime? Can we be a city where ALL leaders truly understand the average Mantecan’s devastating financial loss and gloomy (at best) chance of recovery? To what degree are city leaders looking out for citizens in Winters Colonial Estates and beyond?

Cindy Peterson
Manteca
Sept. 27, 2009