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Arroyo Grande needs new leadership

November 1, 2014
Jim Hill

Jim Hill

OPINION By JIM HILL

Economic development

Arroyo Grande has focused its economic attention on the Village, to the exclusion of most of the city. Arroyo Grande residents are proud of the Village, and economic development there is a good thing, but why doesn’t the rest of the city get to share in these benefits?

Arroyo Grande needs head of household jobs throughout the city. The Village is not and cannot be big enough to provide these. Private business throughout the city is the cornerstone of our economy. Businesses in all areas of the city need to be promoted, supported, and encouraged to expand local employment.

By pushing the proposed city charter with its explicit attack on prevailing wages while simultaneously allowing unregulated deficit spending, the mayor and council have declared they do not care about working people or taxpayers in Arroyo Grande.

We need to assure that balanced budgets are maintained, head of household jobs are paid at the prevailing rate for the benefit given, and businesses are encouraged throughout the city.

Water conservation

Everyone in Arroyo Grande is aware of the drought and the depletion of our Lopez water reserve. Most are aware of the chronic overdraft of our groundwater basin.

The need for water conservation is well known here – yet the city council insists on paying thousands of dollars to friends of the mayor to reiterate these well known facts. The city can and should communicate the need for conservation at council meetings and through bill enclosures, and could expand on this by supporting retrofits and giving recognition for reducing usage.

But additional advertising contracts to well-connected favorites is another waste of tax dollars.

Job creation

Job creation is a function of local business (including agricultural) activity. Most of us were attracted here because of the favorable climate and businesses react similarly. A favorable business climate includes reasonable regulations, taxes that are a good value for the services provided and consistent, fair treatment by the city- not insistence on use of favored contractors or lesser consideration than a well-connected few. The city needs to champion all our businesses, not just those located in the Village

Labor negotiations

Labor negotiations need to be based on knowledge of the services needed combined with mutual respect and trust. The mayor and city manager have failed in this area to the detriment of residents and city employees alike.

Good management facilitates pride in employment that is the cornerstone of quality services and value received for taxes and fees paid. Public officials such as the mayor who demand and have come to expect special treatment destroy morale and erode quality of service to residents.

Jim Hill is running as a write in candidate for the mayor of Arroyo Grande seat.

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Every article you have seen here by Jim has also been sent to the tribune. The tribune DID NOT publish a single article. So much for good journalism and trying to inform people, the Trib can’t do something as simple as that.


To bad the Tribune does all it can to keep Tony in office, they are both useless.


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Thanks for writing this. I feel like I am part of a large group of voters that have been wondering what your stance on some of the real issues are. Typically, his town has been big on agriculture, history, and the village. I’ll be interested to see the results of this election.


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Mayor Ferrara is for:


***After hours use of City Hall for personal reasons


*** Using City Council meetings to spread the gospel of Tony


*** Free use of City Employees and services


*** Development of Ag lands (East Cherry project)


*** Stepping stones to bigger office


*** Feeding his EGO!


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agag1 it’s again not the City that holds the events – it’s the MERCHANTS …… there are no favors for the Village. Grand Avenue could do the same …….


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Logistically it would be more difficult down Grand, the scope is much larger than the concentration in the village, but you have a point that the merchants would need to drive change.

Something not working to their advantage would be the number of chain businesses who more often than not, are not as willing as a local merchant to become involved.


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It’s the Merchants in our Village that get together and work on making it all beautiful – if the

Merchants on Grand Avenue would all get together and do the same thing all of AG would

be a showcase …..


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Jim – I do not agree with you on the AG Village. It’s the MERCHANTS that make the Village great not the City – All the Merchants have worked together to make the Village a beautiful place – tons of people volunteer to beautify and have wonderful events. I have been in the Village as a merchant for 10 years and if anything the City always stays in our way – no help from the city – in fact to the contrary – you MUST not use the Village as your platform it’s simply wrong. I was a supporter – but now that you’ve stated the anti Village facts I am not so sure. You must be more informed on what is really going on before you decide to be our leader.


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How can you honestly dispute the favoritism the village receives?

When was the last time the City held any event that would benefit merchants on, say E. Grand as an example.

In this economic climate ALL merchants are doing their best to maintain as well as attract new customers, but drive down Grand Ave and tell me you can’t notice the difference.

Are there little twinkle lights in the trees, potted flowering plants, etc? Why does the drastic contrast have to exist?


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The comments are not anti village–rather, for fairness throughout the city.


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C’mon folks…

The Village is for out of towners and Grand is where locals buy milk. Because the Village has policy protections against franchises ( sans the realty franchises), they have the ability to create a community more than the national retailers can such as Rite Aid and Check N Go.

So knowing this, the City must at least be equal in their support of the Grand Avenue merchants.


Lastly, when the City looks at where the sales tax is generated. The Auto dealerships and Wal mart & Marshalls are the biggies. Perhaps the City fathers should support the beatification of Traffic Way.


This is about Jim Hill and creating change in AG!

VOTE and fill in the bubble.


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Local, I hope you reconsider your support. A few years back the chamber did try to organize the merchants on East Grand, from the 101 to Oak Park. A few meetings were held, but for some reason Tony felt it was HIS committee and had to dictate what was to be.


You see the results, no organization by these merchants.


And yes, the merchants down the road do feel like the step-children. We would have loved beautiful twinkle lights at the holidays, and instead get this ugly gold/red/green mylar garlands looped around the trees…YUCK.


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Local, I know a merchant on Grand who the city tried to strong arm into the christmas lights contest. he was told ” it is in your best interest” even after stating he wanted nothing else to do with the city.


He had gone a few rounds with them when he moved into his building, and does not care to deal with them anymore.


It got so bad a city official came back to his business and tried to tell him he needed to take his Christmas lights down, they were distracting drivers and almost causing accidents. He asked the city to put that in writing and he would take his down when the village took theirs down.


Businesses on Grand have signs because they have all been treated so badly by the city. Steve Adams hounded cookie crock so badly the guy finally decided to take the buy out and leave.


Go ask the merchants, the stories are terrible. I think if any thing brings them all together it is the hatred they have for our city leaders. The crap they have been put threw because they want to run a business in this town.


I don’t blame one person for not doing business in A.G. I sure as hell wouldn’t and I live here. And thanks to Caren Ray she wants all franchises in AG, where I love the mom and pop small merchants.


I voted for Jim because we need business to come here and not be harassed.


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From AGDon: moving signs, really? Nobody cares about signs except for a small group. Why would someone move a sign. If you were going to tamper, then just get rid of it.


I believe tampering with signs is illegal, that even code enforcement does not move or remove them for this reason.

I do believe it is a very small group fixated on the Hill signs, perhaps a group of, oh let’s say, ONE!

One, who apparently feels it is her duty to not only move signs to unapproved locations, but to remove them as well, the very same tactics AGDon seems to approve of.


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Damn Pelican

You keep me looking for those jingles.

Thanks much


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Over hill, over dale,

As he hits the campaign trail

Jim Hill goes marching along


Up and down, in and out,

Mayor Tony’s sure to be out,

And Jim Hill goes rolling along,


For it’s high high he,

It’s the end of Mayor Tony,

Shout out your “No” You’ll soon be gone


For wher-e’er we go,

We will always know,

That Jim Hill goes rolling along..


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