Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

Raise your hand if you live in Manteca and think it is “The Family City”.  It seems as if the Mayor and city council must think just because you build more and more homes and bring more families in that qualifies us as a “family city”.  However, once you move here you are relegated to the back of the line behind the developers. 

 Let a developer ask the Mayor and council for something and they will bend over backwards to accommodate them.  If we the residents ask for a safer town, having our crumbling streets fixed (not just slurry coated), or having a decent downtown it falls on deaf ears.  Personally I believe the Mayor and council members are more interested in their trips for conferences to Washington, D.C., Monterey, Las Vegas at the city’s expense as well as enjoying being the “big cheese” at various charitable and city events and wined and dined by their friendly developers than they are in their constituents concerns.  Whenever the residents start complaining too much they either try to placate by bringing up the possible hiring of a consultant to look into it or divert with a shiny new object such as Great Wolf.  These do nothing for the residents’ concerns.    

 Since our longtime Mayor and current city council have proven just how ineffective hey are we need to change it.  If we want change no longer can we rely on our current city leaders.  As the residents we are the only ones who can do it.  We need to talk to our friends and neighbors and get out and vote for change.  

Sandra Ahrens

Manteca