Thank you Supervisor Mecham

February 10, 2015

OPINION By JOHN TEXEIRA

I want to thank Supervisor Frank Mecham for the actions he took at the last San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors’ meeting. As a resident of Paso Robles, I am very proud of my supervisor.

I think he showed he is a true statesman when he resigned his position as chair and nominated Supervisor Arnold for that position. Mecham showed leadership and courage when he took the action he deemed appropriate to resolve a situation he felt presented a significant problem to many of his constituents as well as the board in general.

Supervisor Mecham expressed concern regarding “the increased levels of anger and polarization seen by supervisors. He said, “We’ve got to get rid of that. We are supposed to be here to solve problems. Sometimes you say we don’t listen, I think it is we don’t agree. There is a difference.”

Could it be the reason for all the anger and polarization regarding board issues is because our supervisors have been governing against the will of the people? I am here to tell you that during the past several years I have observed all levels of government from Washington DC to San Luis Obispo County launch an attack on individual property rights such as I have never seen in my lifetime.

I am very concerned regarding what I see as my government robbing me of my freedoms. I see Agenda 21 put forth by the United Nations, pushed into our system of government by Presidential Executive Order and I watch as my local elected representatives either try to ignore it or deny its existence while they continually enact laws and regulations that facilitate its implementation and chip away at the individual property rights of all Americans.

Meanwhile, I see elected representatives chastising citizens for exercising their right to free speech. When you govern against the will of the people you should not be offended when your constituents voice objections to your actions. That is why we have free speech.

The move by San Luis Obispo County government to control the water rights of landowners is quite easy to understand. What good is land without water? Once government gains the control of the water they will then want to control the planting of crops, the raising of livestock, and everything else a property owner may want to do to improve or use their property. It will never end.

The founding fathers were firm believers in private property rights. They believed private property rights and liberty were intertwined. It was James Madison who said, “Government is instituted to protect private property” and “property must be secured or liberty cannot exist.”

As defined by the U.S. Constitution, is it not a government by the people and for the people? Is the power to govern not loaned to elected representatives by the people? Is it not the job of elected representatives to listen to the concerns of the people and enact laws in the best interest of the people while at the same time protecting individual property rights?

In the words of President Obama, “Elections have consequences” and the voters of San Luis Obispo County have spoken. I can only hope the new majority of San Luis Obispo County Supervisors will stand together and protect the individual property rights of their constituents.

John Texeira has lived in the North County most of his life. He graduated from a local High School in 1960,, served in the U.S. Navy, and later graduated from Allan Hancock Jr. College. He then embarked on a career in law enforcement with the California Department of Corrections which spanned a total of 34 years. He began my career as a Correctional Officer promoted up through the ranks and retired as a Correctional Administrator.