Brought a chuckle

Editor,

I must admit, your latest editorial attacking me gave me quite a chuckle.

In particular, the hypocrisy of your new found concern for taxpayer’s money struck me as comical, given the content of some of your editorials of the last three months.

Let’s review, shall we?: Aug. 5, “Supervisor Pay Raise Wrongly Opposed”; Aug. 8, “Burton Shouldn’t Give Up On A Tax Measure”; Aug. 14, “City Contribution To Chamber Is Justified”; Oct. 17, “Support Lindsay School’s Bond Measure L”; Oct. 24, “We Recommend A Yes Vote On PUSD Measure J.”

From what I can tell, there hasn’t been a city appropriation to a special interest, a bond measure, a tax increase or a governmental pay increase that you haven’t been in support of. So given that you are obviously of the tax-and-spend persuasion, I hardly think you are in any position to comment on how “fiscally conservative” I am.

However, since you brought it up, let’s do a little of that stuff that you’re not particularly fond of; it’s called “research.”

In the two and a half years that I’ve been on the City Council, I have never allowed the city to purchase a single ticket for me to any event nor have I ever accepted a single penny for any of the travel I have taken while representing the city of Porterville.

However, in the last three years, the citizens of Porterville have paid nearly $1,000 for certain other councilmen, staff members and their respective guests to attend the posh annual Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet and Fundraiser.

And, what about the nearly $4,000 a year of taxpayer’s money being spent on personal computers, iPhones and air-cards for other city councilmen?

But, you know all of this. It just didn’t fit with the slant of your story.

As always Mr. Editor, I ask that if you can’t be unbiased or objective in your editorials that you at least be professional. Writing editorials that are poorly researched or only state half of the facts do you and your newspaper a great disservice.

For a complete, unedited version of this letter, please see my Facebook page.

Greg Shelton
City Councilman