Foes of Initiative Use ‘Money, Lies’

Ashley Dunn’s article in the April 21 San Gabriel Valley section was correct: members of the Northeast Pasadena Residents Assn. have been a little defensive lately.

Our opponents say our ballot measure to limit development in Pasadena will cripple the city. In fact, the city issued 3,653 building permits for all purposes--home building, improvements, garages, roofing, apartment houses, commercial enterprises--in 1987. Of those, 3,634 would not have been affected. The other 19 included the large, high-density, problem-producing projects the initiative was created to control. For instance, there were eight large apartment buildings, accounting for 80% of the apartment units for which permits were issued last year.

On that basis, is our opponents’ statement honest?

Regrettably, some very worthwhile people have been induced to lend their names to the opposition. Behind the respectable facade these names provide, however, we find the same old motivator--money.

Two public relations firms have been hired to throw sand in the eyes of the voters and to obscure the real problems and issues. And the president of the Pasadena school board, Noel Hatch, who lives in Altadena, still feels competent to tell the people of Pasadena how they should vote. He seems obsessed with getting the largest sum of money possible from the sale of the land north of the Pasadena High School for the Rose Townhomes project, regardless of how many people are hurt in the process. The thought of all that money from the land, he has repeatedly announced, fills him with “ecstasy.”

In addition, big developers are supplying money and inspiration. They have said they will spend $200,000 or more to defeat the initiative. Los Angeles-based Calmark, top bidder for the school board’s land, has said that it will spend $100,000 to try to defeat Proposition G.

The opposition seems to feel that the Pasadena voters will swallow anything, provided it’s short, emotional and scares them to death. Our opinion of the voters is somewhat higher. We think they will vote “yes” on Proposition G to control development, regardless of how much money the developers spend or how many lies they tell.

AMOS HOAGLAND

Northeast Pasadena Residents Assn.