Do judges have the power to approve something the people don't want? Is this the land of the free?
The prison hospital proposed for Camarillo seems to have been approved without the people's approval. I, and many others in our city, don't understand how this can happen. We are scared of criminals, whether they are sick or insane. The prison hospital will be less than a mile from us. The beautiful neighborhood we chose will be ruined by high traffic, construction trucks and people we didn't expect to see when we bought our home two years ago.
There have been many reasons put forth for not building such a facility, and I think that each has made an important point. However, the point is that the neighborhood was not informed or given the right to choose. We are the land of the free, right?
We have made many trips to San Francisco and have passed a derelict military base, Camp Roberts. It has freeway on- and off-ramps, and there are many buildings that seem empty and in poor condition. I don't see any homes for miles. It should have all the utilities needed for a hospital. It is close to Monterey, where doctors would love to live. How about Camp Roberts as a site for this hospital?
I don't believe we should have to beg federal receiver J. Clark Kelso to leave us alone, but I am reduced to just that. Please don't build this prison hospital in Camarillo, Mr. Receiver. Do the smart thing and look around. Don't be pressured into the first site you see.
--Karen Crane, Camarillo