Parsons Captured Essence of Gnatcatcher Saga
The essence of the Fish and Game gnatcatcher saga was best captured in Dana Parsons’ column, “Builders’ Case Against Gnatcatcher Was Science Fiction” (Aug. 2).
I would add one additional observation from the beginning of the meeting where legal counsel warmed up the audience with a 20-minute dissertation on conflict of interest. Although he was speaking to the three voting commissioners, it was easy to look around the standing-room-only crowd and see just who had a conflict of interest.
It was the “suits” with the round sticker with the red slash through “listing.” And the “skirts” who gladly donned the same “badge” to show their bosses they could wave the company flag and sing the company slogan that “greed was good” (on company time, of course).
Conflict of interest is the theme played out at every commission meeting from planning commissions to Fish and Game Commission to Coastal Commission. It is the nightmare repeated again and again when the public good meets a private gain. The intent of the law is seldom reflected in the resulting product of such a collision.
DEBBIE COOK, Huntington Beach
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