BY DONNA WESTFALL
In the early 1970’s, the public wanted access to beaches. Out of that simple desire, the California Coastal Commission was created. All these years later, the Commission has amassed a multi-million dollar budget and far more power than ever imagined.
In our community the Vets have been trying to build a memorial going on 8 years now. What’s standing in their way? The California Coastal Commission. In Roger Gitlin’s article dated May 25th, he writes about this travesty along with the lots in Pacific Shores being sold at garage sale prices to create a wetlands. How much more land does our County need to absorb?
I agree with Supervisor Gitlin in that Kellogg Beach would make a spectacular RV site along with erecting windmills to generate power. However, that will probably never come to pass because of the California Coastal Commission standing in it’s way.
Here is Roger Gitlins letter to the Supreme Court. Please feel free to send a letter to the Supreme Court yourself by changing it to reflect your concerns, then include your name, address and contact information.
Roger Gitlin
Del Norte County Supervisor
District I
981 H St., Suite200 FlynnCenter
Crescent City, California95531
(707) 464-0801 direct line
(707) 951-6361 cell
May 25, 2013
Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye
Associate Justice Joyce Kenard
Associate Justice Marvin R. Baxter\Associate Justice Kathryn M. Werdegar
Associate Justice Ming W.Chin
Associate Justice Carol Corrigan
Associate Justice Goodwin Liu
California Supreme Court:
Honorable Justices:
I write you as a private citizen. This letter does not necessarily represent the sentiment of the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors.
Enclosed is a recent Op / Ed I authored in The Triplicate entitled Supreme Court must rein in Coastal Commission. The thesis of my article focuses on the failure of the checks and balances system in our State government. I am of the opinion, The California Coastal Commission operates as its own government with the GoldenState and it rules with virtual impunity. Edits, pronouncements, regulations, and rules have no boundary in this Agency. Clearly, the Commission’s governance borders on the verge of complete autonomy as there are virtually NO checks and balances from the Executive or Legislative branches of government. It would appear there is no oversight from our Judiciary, either.
As I stated in my opening sentence, I write you as a private citizen but, indeed, I am the sitting Supervisor in a remote California county who observes the purview of this Agency as excessive, expansive, and growing. One would only have to look at the Agency’s original mission on coastal access, when it was founded in 1974, to see the California Coastal Commission has morphed into something unrecognizable. Four decades later the Agency demands our County donate four acres to receive permission to develop one acre to extend the runway of our local airport. In yet another egregious case, our local veterans have patiently waited over eight years for a permit to build a monument at our harbor honoring all five branches of the military. Why do I write you? I do so with the hope that you will comprehend our plight to survive is one that is shared by 57 other counties and countless municipalities up and down the State.
Cannot this Judiciary rein in the out-of-control unconstitutional reach of the California Coastal Commission? Is there no protocol for our Judiciary to limit the authority of the Commission to its original mission?
I am and remain hopeful the branch of government you lead and least affected by political whim will the branch of government that re-defines boundaries of our checks and balances system for California.
Thank you.
Sincerely Yours,
Roger Gitlin
Del Norte Supervisor District I
There is a plain and simple solution to this matter at hand. Since there is no law North of the Klamath River, then why abide by what the coastal commission wants. In fact why even ask the Coastal Commission. Just erect the memorial for the Vet’s in the night while the officers of the law are directed north of town to perform a sobriety test.
After all, do you think the coastal commissioners are gonna drive up here to see what is going on?
Think back in the past when lake earl needed to be dredged….in the middle of the night it got what it needed and nobody knew who dun-it. maybe it was the dredging angel.
one other note. I saw a for sale sign along the coast for 5 acres not far from where the memorial is to be erected. like, what is able to be erected at this 5 acres….some political ploy somewhere eh?
This letter to the CA Supreme Court on this issue is long overdue and if it is the only one I as a Del Norte county resident hope for the sake of our county is not the last. Every point Mr Gitlin has made is accurate and needs to be addressed. Organizations such as the Coastal Commission are what have lead to the downfall of the nation by usurping the power of the people and abusing our legal system in the favor of a few.
Roger deserves this county’s highest ‘atta boy’ award!
Jesse, you are correct. The location of Point of Honor is at the S curve, on the extreme northern end of the Harbor. It is the original and only location our local vets have sought for OVER eight years. The excuses by the California Coastal Commission to deny are frivolous and irrational. The opposition to build Point of Honor is championed by Coastal Commissioner and 2nd District Supervisor Martha McClure. This Commission and Martha McClure have long exhausted their purpose from its original benevolent mission to provide ingress and egress to California’s magnificent ocean coast. It is time to mothball this monster.
DN County Supervisor Roger Gitlin, District 1
“I read Rogers letter to the Supreme Court. I wasn’t aware that we have been trying to erect a Veterans monument at the harbor, i thought we had been looking to put one on the by the “s turn” . In the past i have seen many projects, (big and small) die at the hands of the Coastal Commission. I have also seen them try and subvert our authority ( the Costra Norte condo fiasco ). But i have seen them be a tool that we could use to keep (Hampton Inn) from taking away our conscription rights (removing our beach access rights). But what really bothers me about the California Coastal Commission is that it has turned into such a powerful entity that seems to rule over us and is now a great bottle neck to progress.” Jesse Salisbury