While attending the City Council meeting on May 5, I was somewhat taken aback by Mayor Hand's comment on record during the prison expansion presentation that the Department of Corrections should build a village on prison grounds and that all the employees should be forced to live there to be "closer to their employment". Forcing people to live where they may not want to sounds pretty close to Communism where the State makes decisions for the individual. The question I have for Ms Hand;does this logic apply to all the citizens of Tehachapi or just the prison employees? If it does apply to everyone, there won't be much of a City to govern. Maybe it is that Ms. Hand just doesn't like the prison employees. I talked with several people I know that work at CCI and their reactions ranged from being indignant to anger to finding the comments humorous. Some even suggested that if the City Council does not wish the employees of the prison in town (I include the entire City Council as no one objected to Ms. Hand's comments), then perhaps they would honor her wishes and not go to Town. I thought a bit drastic and said as much, however I did understand their position. I contacted the prison and was told that there are 2000 employees at CCI and 53% live in the Tehachapi area. That is a sizable portion of the local population to have to re-locate. Perhaps Ms. Hand should rethink her position.

CAJ