I would like to applaud the efforts of labor in our community to fight Measure C. Fixed on the goal of protecting union jobs and wages, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 staff and UFCW members living in and outside of Ventura volunteered countless hours in our community.
The failure to pass Measure C, limiting large retail space, will no doubt negatively affect Ventura. During tough economic times, one can understand the voter's trade for tax revenue and cheaper prices today versus the traffic, crime, loss of jobs and low quality goods of tomorrow. However, I hope that the retail giants will carefully examine the number of votes cast in favor of Measure C -- votes that represent the number of people who will not be shopping their stores in Ventura. Our vote continues by our actions long after Election Day.
-- Michele Ward, Ventura
(The writer is a member of UFCW Local 770. -- Editor)