Anyone who rests in the belief that human sacrifice is a thing of the past need only look at the how our business & political leaders weigh the number of cancer deaths against the costs of litigation....as they come up with an "acceptable" loss of human lives. The Rocketdyne Affair is only beginning.

GS,

You may be right, but it goes beyond litigation.

I believe there are some in authority who are very nervous that even publically discussing the truth of this situation might upset real estate values, economic development plans and the tax base for local and county governments.

For some, it is best to believe that no problem has ever existed at the site. Their answer is a stone wall around the information on what has really happened there.

You tell me who is looking out for the residents and who is afraid to take a stand...

JIM DANTONA:
"Boeing and Rocketdyne have been lying to the people of this county and they actually withheld information," stated Dantona, who said he wants the company to be held accountable for fallouts that have contaminated the area since the 1959 nuclear power plant meltdown.

FARMER FOY:
Foy said he thinks the board of supervisors must make sure they are on top of the matter, Working with Congressman Elton Gallegly and all agencies involved to ensure that the citizens are protected and aware of dangers.

Dantona takes it upon himself and takes a stand on the issue. Foy's generic response pushes it off on "other agencies" and Elton Gallegly (who by the way has had several terms to deal with the issue - and has offered only limited assistance).

Garabaldi is right. Dantona is right. And Foy is FAR right.

Jim Dantona has been in touch with local activists and community leaders on this issue for quite a while. Mr Foy's supporters say that if elected, Mr Foy will hire some experts to look into the matter.
Gallegly's had 22 years in Congress and a long tenure as a local elected official and all he's got to show for it is a law protecting small mammals from being hurt on video. That's a disgrace.

By the Bubba - how about those "positive issue related" pieces that Foy hit with today? Are you going to justify those for Farmer Foy? Will you ask Foy for "proof" as they are riddled with lies, innuendo and half-truths.

Will you be consistent in your rage or will you rationalize your hate for Dantona.

Wouldn't it be interesting if Gallegly's Healtch condition that sent him into retirement on March 10th was Cancer caused by Rocketdyne that he failed to effectively address after 26 years of holding govt. office.

I didn't get the Foy flyer. Maybe it is because I am a Democrat.

Seems he only gives a !#$@ about Republican voters.

What a bad idea for someone to represent us when they don't even try to ask for our votes.

Don't worry! You did not miss anything.

Mostly lots of name calling, labeling and purpoeful misrepresentations about Dantona.

He does not tell you one good thing that Faker Foy has ever done for this county, this state or this country.

Garabaldi-

Perhaps Bubba's arguement IS valuable here. Foy is afraid. He saw the polls - they are not in his favor. In desparation, they throw out 3 hit pieces all at once. Could Bubba be right?

Or is it just the nature of politics - PERIOD?

Those Knolls residents have done a fantastic job in forcing Rocketdyne to clean up its mess. They have dedicated a substantial portion of a lifetime to get the job done. Even so, Rocketdyne's owners continue to drag their feet in an attempt to maximize profits at the potential expense of our residents.

Dantona will be the best thing for our east County residents when he is elected Supervisor. The Phony Farmer, on the other hand, will mean business as usual with no local support for the community. This right wing nut is a very scary figure.

Regardless of what happens on Nov 7 our elected leaders MUST open an investigation into WHO withheld, covered up and lied about Rocketdyne's problems, WHY they did so and WHAT needs to be done to protect the thousands of families affected. While our elected leaders are falling all over themselves to avoid being targeted by Mr Foy and the FoyBoys' extremist machine their constituents are scared to death, waiting to see if their children are destined to become cancer victims.

DO you honestly think that the majority of Simi Valley citizens are going to vote Dantona over Foy???

I spoke with a Democrat yesterday who said and I quote "I would never vote for Dantona, he is a liar"

So there you go boys----even the Democrats hate him!

Actually, Jim's ahead in the polls.

"Even the Democrats hate him!"? Well, my family has five voting members in the house and we are all registered Republicans and we are all voting for Dantona. In fact, we are Republicans who "hate Farmer Phony Foy" who is hiding too much.

I had coffee Sat morning with a woman whose son is gay. She's a devout member of a local church and has been a loyal Republican since before Reagan days. She is disgusted with Mr Foy's group, the CNP, and its Reconstructionist movement. As she tells it, there are some members of the movement that want to "cleanse" America of gays and lesbians. She is voting for Jim Dantona. Mr Foy admits being a member of the group but refuses to tell us anymore. Does Mr Foy also advocate a "cleansing" of gays and lesbians from America?

This question is mainly for Barbra and GS:

Has anyone talked about warning local residents not to use ground water? The Acorn said wells near the Arroyo are contaminated. Should we be warning people just to be safe?

I've not read the article in the Acorn. And I am not aware of a problem with the ground water..

Couldn't say.

Groundwater and drinking water are two different things. I don't know of any contaminated potable water outside of Rocketdyne property related to on-site contamination unless I missed something. The one that would know is that Dawn Kawalski chic. She is on top of this stuff and is quite the pistol. Farmer Phony Foy would say "if the water is contaminated, so be it. Let them drink bottled water like the rest of us."

Here is the money quote:

"According to the report, Tabidian said that perchlorate migrated off
the
laboratory site through surface water runoff, traveled into the Arroyo
Simi, then
entered the groundwater and wells near the Arroyo.

The study says perchlorate has been discovered in a number of wells
surrounding the area. "

So, knowing that ground water around the Arroyo has high levels of Boeing Juice should our elected offcials tell us not to grow crops in the ground?

If they err on the side of corporations they could expose another generation to the chemicals.

I wonder which local politicians recieved campaign bribes from Boeing? If only there was some way to find out...

Maybe the local officials don't care because they all live up in the hills not on the ground floor where the water table is thought to be dangerous.

I wonder how many council members would take Mayor Paul Miller's proof level before they went swimming in a nice pond of water located anywhee near the Field Lab.

I'd be a lot more concerned about the radiocative particle residue that's still blowing about the hills next to Rocketdyne. Its in the soil and every time someone turns over a spade it gets moved about.

Maybe one of the world's largest defense contractor has some local connections.

Otherwise how do you explain the entire local political establishment turning their back on this issue? Linda Parks of Thousand Oaks demands answers while everyone else says they will work with others. The others that haven't done anything.

Its a symptom of a political system that's grown fat and lazy and needs to be replaced. Virtually EVERY local politician made a deliberate decision to look the other way and not raise any questions. What this Community should do is invite every one of the 1800 or more cancer victims from within the Rocketdyne area to City Hall and make every one of those politicians answer their questions. Don't worry! There won't be all that many questions cause MOST of those victims are children.

You quote the high estimates! The low ball figures might be lower than 200 people with cancer. There is a trade off for not watching over corporations and sometimes the free market is worth it. Or the local politcal establishment would have us think.

If any of these fools think they can run for state assembly or the house they will get beat by the people that care about us like Linda Parks.

I should register the group cancer victims against ____________. The blank could be any Simi Valley politician since they have all ignored this issue.

Before you start lumping all politicians in one bunch, perhaps you should go back and read my comments about Rocketdyne. Even though we local politicans are small fish compaired to Supervisors and Congressmen we are concerned and haven't turned out backs on anyone living in or around Runkle, or the Knolls.

Well said Councilmember W. You always stand out as the voice on the Council with open ears and a clear mind for the concerns of our residents. You have always demonstrated with your actions that you are a strong supporter of local business while always putting residents in front of monetary gain. There is no better example of a fiscal conservative and social moderate than Councilmember Williamson. I am still proud to be a Republican with a fellow member such as you.

Loupy,
Thank you for the nice comments, and please, call me Barbra...

Will try Barbra. Old habit learned as a kid to show respect to those who have earned it. You certainly have. Thanks for the short cut.

What were once bogus scare tactics magically become valid points when you're trying to get your partner elected, evidently. See last paragraph.

The Daily News of Los Angeles, April 28, 2004

HEADLINE: CITY COUNCIL APPROVES RUNKLE CANYON DEVELOPMENT

By Angie Valencia, Staff Writer

The 461-home Runkle Canyon development won unanimous City Council backing this week despite some residents' concerns about traffic and pollution.

Approval came after a three-hour public hearing late Monday on the development, to be located south of Sequoia Avenue. It is scheduled for completion in late 2007.

"It's taken a long time to mature, but it finally got there," Mayor Bill Davis said. "You have a lot of people who won't like it no matter what gets built there. You just have to get the best project you can possibly get with the least amount of harm."

An environmental report found no negative impacts from the development, which will have 323 single-family homes and 138 homes for senior citizens, including 62 below-market units.

More than 90 percent of Runkle Canyon's 1,595 acres, being developed by GreenPark, will be preserved as permanent open space, providing recreational activities for the public. City officials also could decide to develop an 18-hole public golf course in the future.

Resident Patricia Coryell said the development's close proximity to Boeing's Santa Susana Field Lab should have ruled out its use for homes.

"It's a great plan, it just shouldn't be built in this canyon," she said. "Anyone willing to live in a house at Runkle Canyon would be living in a nuclear waste pile."

Council member Barbra Williamson dismissed those concerns as unfounded.

"That's so bogus. I get a little tired of it when they can't find issues relevant to the project so they bring out scare tactics," she said.

I've never seen Barbra unwilling to change her mind when new evidence is presented. The EIR addressed all the issues and that is the document upon which the Council had to rely. The fact that a resident opined that the site was not suited for homes really doesn't carry much scientific weight. When the issue of fugitive dust during construction came up, Barbra was the first to say "hold it. This may be a significant issue to the health and safety of the community. Let's study it."

EIRs!!!! What a laugh! Do you know what an EIR is?
It's the nearest equivalent to a District Attorney allowing a Defendent to do his own investigation and then deliver a summary to the Judge. Worse, if no one comes in off the street to object to something in that summary the Judge has to accept it, by law. "Case dismissed!"

EIRs are another way that Developers stack the deck against those that don't have the resources to do their own scientific studies and for government to avoid its obligation to protect its citizens.

EIRs were invented by, and exist only because of, state law (California Environmental Quality Act). And their primary purpose is not to "protect citizens," but to merely make the public aware if land use proposals could present impacts to the environment. They were invented for disclosure, not to solve potential problems.

Indeed that is true. And just as true is the responsibility of government to adhere to alternatives presented in an EIR and for the public to challenge an EIR when it is flawed. If the EIR in question was indeed flawed when certified, I would hope that those in the know, such as GS apparently, would advance that challenge. It is done all the time and is not that expensive. In fact, Ventura County has some fine legal organizations which do just that and all pro bono. I suggest, however, that this particular EIR may not be flawed to the extent necessary to be decertified and remanded back to the City for further consideration. If fugitive dust is really an issue because of radioactivity, I whould hope that AQMD be notified. If there is one agency that everyone is afraid of, it is AQMD. They carry a hammer like no other agency and use it.

Loupy sounds like a developer, someone who understands land use matters. Perhaps developer Louis Pandolfi, another Dantona crony? Get it, Lou P.?

Sounds like you would rather play a parlor game than deal with the real issues of Boeing contamination allegations.

If you were at the Rocketdyne meeting a couple of weeks ago you would have heard what one of the the speakers, presumably a Boeing spokesperson, said about testing for contaminants. Although its been proven that the soil & groundwater within the site's borders is loaded with contaminants, when asked if tests had been conducted offsite to see how far the stuff has spread, the rep said that very little off-site testing had been conducted. Apparently Boeing bases its claim that there's vitually no off-site contamination on the basis that there are virtually no tests to prove otherwise. This claim would be available for use in a developer's EIR and could not be rebuffed without someone providing the necessary field studies, lab work and scientific paperwork to oppose that claim.

Ok folks, here's the skinny...
Mayor Paul Miller and I met(as did other council members at other times) with KB Homes and they will not be grading on the property until the City of Simi Valley gets back our requested information from several State agency. We requested that the state agencys reply to all the questions that Mr. Michael Collins addressed in his newspaper article,(City Beat) as well as the questions put to us from the residents. Once we have that information we will make a decision about the Runkle Property. If you would like to see the letters the city sent, I beleive you can go to the Citys web site and they will be there.

Good work, Barbra and the other Council members. And thanks also to KB Homes for their assistance. It's certainly a step in the right direction.

Thanks GS...Just trying to stay in front of the curve and do the right thing. ;)

Seems like the city could worry less about signs and more about large issues that are always with us not just in even numbered years.

I've never seen an "off year" where Councilmember Williamson doesn't care about the large issues. Not sure what you are referring to. She has always appeared to me to have the capacity to deal with all issues before the City; large and small. This isn't to say she jumps at the chance to fight a development project based on rumor. She does, however, always seem to want to get the facts on an issue before making a decision.

One of the most tragic things that I see coming out of this issue is that the politicians and the spin doctors are always right their to push the so called "nimby" issue.

Whenever anyone speaks out against the status quo, their made an example out of. How many more Rocketdynes have to show up before people stop the polarization of our country?

One of the most tragic things that I see coming out of this issue is that the politicians and the spin doctors are always right their to push the so called "nimby" issue.

Whenever anyone speaks out against the status quo, their made an example out of.