What time Monday?

City Council meetings are always held (unless a Holiday) on the first and third Mondays of the month at 6pm at the Veterans Hall. Hope everyone can make it. We ALL have a stake in the outcome.

Jim Richards

Jim - I ask you to solve the "over crowding" without early release, with out the death penalty, and with out expanding the prisons throughout the state (which includes Tehachapi).  The liberals in our society do not want the criminals put to death, they don't want them let out of prison and now they do not want to expand the prisons. 

So enough griping and complaining, what is your solution? 

Know that the expansion WILL HAPPEN, so work with the state on a plan that can be beneficial to all.  Don't just whine, actually propose solutions!

Gimme a break, Red.  You've just told me that the state is going to do whatever they want, so what "solution" are they wating for me to propose?  And solution for what?  The MBTE contamination they've already caused?  The fact that they've got  7000 people hooked up to a septic tank?  That the thing sits out on the end of a dead-end, two-lane road? 

I don't think they need my advice on any of those, but how about this for a solution?  Build this thing where you HAVEN'T already contaminated the goundwater, and where it ISN'T on the dead-end of a two-lane road.  How about building it where the family members of the prisoners ALREADY live?

But enough of my ideas.  Since you apparently think there ARE some problems, how about listing what you think they are.

Where exactly do they plan to PUT this expansion? Deep inside? There's only so much room before they start encroaching on the outer part of the current prison walls. The extra traffic is a big concern the guards and visitors already fly down that part of the road as it is.

Why don't they just take all these funds and start a new prison out in all that desert wasteland along the 58 past Mojave?  I mean the land would be cheap, there are vast areas where the only things around are quarries and no residential areas to burden infrastructure.  Sure the initial investment would be comparatively large but then they wouldn't have all these issues when they want/need to expand which I would venture to guess in the long run probably costs them more money.  I seriously don't understand why they need to stick a prison in the middle of a small residential area, and then start expanding it when there are much more remote areas better suited that are still in easy commute distance for the employees.

 Where are our so-called LEADERS on this issue? Has anyone heard so much as a peep from any of them, City, County, State, Federal? They are our "Representatives" but it seems the only time we hear from them is when it's re-election time.

Will anyone else here join me in Forwarding this to ALL of them?

Jim Richards

If the Prison expands then every Guard should be required to car pool to work.  202 is a constant roar of traffic now and this will only make it worse.  I live off of 202 and when the prison is on shift change we see the most ridiculous driving.  I am going to call the CHP and ask if they will post up 202 on all 3 shift change times, enough is enough YOU are NOT above the law.  As far as the ground water goes how about all of the residents of Cummings Valley, Bear Valley, Stallion, Brite Valley, and Fairview Ranches, get together and bring a class action law suite against the state that will tie them up for years.  NO MORE PRISONERS in my backyard this is an industry that I do not support. 

sol2ride you chose to live where you do, now you get to deal with everything that comes with it.

Jimr you're just a little paranoid, Tehachapi has a fine quality of living, quit trying to scare everyone into going with your personal agenda for Tehachapi. CCI provides many quality, well paying jobs for people who would otherwise be stuck out in the rain because of lack of education. "Of all the 33 existing California State Prisons...How and WHY was Tehachapi chosen? Is it because we have a better quality of air for the inmates and their families to breathe?" Its absurd to suggest that Tehachapi was chosen because of better air quality for inmates, you should know that it was likely the most cost effective option, there's a lot of free space that the state already owns out there. You sound like one of those people who like to complain about a problem, but don't want to make the sacrifices necessary to solve it.

Rm6

 I chose to live where I live with the current condition, NOT with additional inmates and guards.  I also did not know that Guards think they are above the law and drive as if they are.  I do deal with it, by pulling out right in front of you onto 202 and then driving 55.  When more of you start getting tickets you can thank me.   The fact is that our state suffers and teachers are being laid off, yet due your Union who only care about your Union, prisons are built at the expense of us all.  The best thing that could happen is for the California State Prison Union to be busted and put a stop to more prisons and unwarranted high wages.  Lets build schools not prisons.   Our children will not get text books or teachers but those inmates sure will.  Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?

I think we need to build more prisons.  With a current 40% high school drop out rate that's where a lot of these kids are going to end up. Sad isn't it?

ASM8 ,well as RM6 said "the uneducated can work at the prison".  Yes our state would rather educate them in prison then in grade school.  Very Sad

you don't need a high school diploma to be a prison guard.............A GED will do

sol2ride, it's not that the people who work at the prison think they are above the law, where did you get that? everyone drives fast on 202, traffic moves at 60-70 mph even between shift changes. Do you honestly think that the worker's unions are responsible for the building of more prisons? That's ridiculous it's the CDCR that decides that sort of stuff, btw I don't work at CCI so don't say "your Union." There is no such thing as the "California State Prison Union," I have no idea where you got that? Perhaps out of your a**...unwarranted high wages? Yea these people have a very dangerous job, they deal with the people that all the rest of society doesn't want to, how can you say unwarranted??? There's sh*tty teachers at the high school that just spew bs out of their mouths all day that get paid the same, that's what I'd call unwarranted. Just throwing money at a problem isn't going to fix it, we need competent teachers.

I did not say "the uneducated can work at the prison," if you have to twist what I say in order to refute it then you're pathetic. I said that CCI provides opportunities for well paying jobs to those who aren't lucky enough to have had the money to go to college, it's not like you can just walk in and get a job. "Yes our state would rather educate them in prison then in grade school" you make so many illogical generalizations, I'm surprised that anyone takes you seriously.

A few other jobs that only require a high school diploma or GED: CHP, KCFD, KCSO, Los Angeles County Fire Department, BFD, BPD, Cal Fire, just about every entry position in federal, state, county, and city government.  They all do a background check for pre-employment. Heck you do not need to have a high school diploma or GED to run for President of The United Sates, Senator, Congress.  As for 202, take a look at all the new homes built in Stallion Springs, Bear Valley, and Cummings Valley in the last five plus years.  It is not just prison employees, but a combination of both.  Cannot just blame CCI on the traffic woes of 202