This article was originally published in the October 28, 2014 edition of the Tri-City Voice.
By Bob Garfinkle
Official response of the Save Our Hills Committee to the Draft Compromise Solution proposed by Richard Valle on behalf of the Yes on KK campaign, on October 16, 2014:
The Save Our Hills Committee rejects the Draft Compromise Solution proposal in its entirety. The Committee feels that it is a disservice to the voters of Union City who are already casting their absentee ballots. The proposal came way too late in the campaign, and its timing and purpose are very suspicious.
The Save Our Hills Committee cannot take this Draft Compromise Solution seriously, because on Friday, October 17, 2014, Richard Valle falsely announced that an agreement had been reached. The next day, walkers for his Yes on KK campaign started spreading this misinformation and telling voters that, because of the phony compromise agreement, Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci has changed sides. She has not switched sides.
The disingenuous actions of the Yes on KK campaign taint this issue.
The Draft Compromise Solution requires the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) to purchase 30 acres of the flatlands. EBRPD management has informed the Save Our Hills Committee that the District is not willing to purchase the 30 acres, therefore, at this time there is no willing buyer, thus, there can be no compromise.
The Save Our Hills Committee will not enter into any negotiations nor compromise our principles before the election on November 4, 2014. The Committee will not abandon our supporters who wish to see the Union City hills and flatlands remain as valuable open space. We remain committed to NO on Measure KK.
Bob Garfinkle
Spokesman for Save Our Hills Committee
The Save Our Hills Committee NO on KK is endorsed by the Sierra Club National Organization, Alameda Creek Alliance, Ohlone Audubon Society, Congregations Organizing for Renewal (COR), Foothill Glen Homeowners Association, Greenbelt Alliance, The Argus, California League of Conservation Voters of the East Bay, Save Niles Canyon, Tri-City Ecology Center, Filipino Advocates for Justice, Union City Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci, former Mayor Dick Oliver and many Union City voters.
