All calls are edited for length and content. Due to content some calls may not be published. Please limit your calls to two minutes or less. Repeat messages on the same subject adding to the length will not be published. Some weeks, due to the number of calls and space, some may not be published.
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A man said, “All the fireworks stands have been torn down.” He continued, “What is atrocious, though, is all the garbage and all the boxes (shipping) that the fireworks came in left behind by those who ran those fireworks’ stands. They have no consideration for the town.” He also recommended “next year the stands be operated by non-profit organizations and youth groups.”

What was a similar voice asked the police department, “I wonder why you don’t pick up the people that are pushing the shopping carts around if they are in possession of stolen property? Are you trying to tell me if they have my TV in their possession you wouldn’t stop and pick them up?” He then asked, “why does Council Member (Sally) Bomprezzi want to take and tack a bill onto the local merchants? Everybody will pay extra at the stores.”

The same voice also called about the article on “Michael McHatten, the new director of administrative services for the city of Madera. He lives in Clovis and has no intentions of moving to Madera.” The caller asked, “how much interest can he put into the city of Madera when he lives outside the city? I would think when they hire people, they would want them to live in the community where they’re working so they have an interest. I think it is ludicrous.”

A woman called and said, “today’s paper, page A3, has a picture of the superintendent and Millview Elementary School kids. There is this boy that looks like he is holding up three fingers.” She said it might be a gang sign and concluded, “I can’t believe this picture could have been printed. It should have been looked at more carefully before being printed.”

“I’m not a Democrat,” began a gentleman’s call, “but I read Monday’s (July 16) letter to the editor by Gordon Skeels about George Bush and I must make some comments. First,” he said, “the Bush administration invaded a sovereign nation in the faint and false hopes of finding weapons of mass destruction. They (the Bush administration) introduced Al Qeada into Iraq. They were not there when we came in. The Bush administration has caused the largest deficit in the history of this nation that our grandchildren’s grandchildren will still be paying.” He mentioned laws being trampled, Katrina victims still waiting for aid, and benefits being cut. “The Bush administration,” he concluded, “will go down in history as the worst administration ever.”

A man called about the police not doing anything concerning a vehicle accident message (by a Red Line call) involving an illegal. “Our police department ought to be ashamed of themselves. They don’t seem to want to do anything. They just hide wherever they want to hide. In the case of an emergency,” the caller stated, “It takes forever for them to respond.” On another subject, he commented, “on how this town looks. I’m very ashamed to live in this in town. It should be called — (not discernible).” He gave his name as “Jim, and have been living here about four years.”

A man called about “the Madera Coyote football game going to play its opening football game in Las Vegas.” The caller “didn’t understand how Madera Unified would allow this when the Madera Unified cannot give their teachers a respectful raise in wages.” In the caller’s “opinion, classroom instruction is more important than a trip to Vegas for a football game.”

A lady called regarding the troubles of a local masseur and said, “in my opinion, the women bear some responsibility along with the businessman. If they don’t want to get burned, stay out of the kitchen.”

A woman added to the numerous messages “about the developers not repairing their roads. My car, as well, has been damaged by developers tearing up the roads with new home construction.” She felt “they should pay for all these damages to the vehicles.” She suggested people with similar problems “or damage to their vehicles (from the roads) write in to see how many have been damaged.”

A woman called about the cleaning businesses in town. Her opinion was “Only in Madera can people stay in business and do shoddy work.” She hoped, “They stay in Madera because if they were anywhere else they would have been put out of business a long time ago.”

A man “wondered why his (county) bill was received on July 17,” and concluded the county would reply, “We are understaffed in our new $40-million dollar government center. Huh!”

A male voice said he saw a newscast “with the governor at San Luis showing very little water” and pleas for water conservation. It was followed by a story that featured “Fresno building a golf course (Running Horse), which is the most non-productive waste of water there is. Less than 10 percent of the people will use it. It seems ludicrous to be wasting water on a golf course when we are not going to have enough water to drink.”

“Where is our postmaster?” asked a lady. “I have no complaints about the two mail clerks (at the counter), they do their job and are friendly.” She wondered what happens to the others “when the line gets longer (out the door) and the window’s are closed. The clerks go in and out as though they don’t even see us. Please do something.”

“Three shopping centers at one time is a bit too many,” began a man’s message. “The (city) council should not put in any city money unless absolutely required. But three at once is a bad idea. Someone is going to get hurt.”

“It just seems like there’s a whole lot of county officials and county people that don’t know how to react or act,” said a man referring to a pending lawsuit. “I don’t know how you say it, but it seems it’s time to clean up this place.”

Regarding a story about a 17-year-old boy being injured while playing “chicken” with a train, a reader said on maderatribuneredline.com: “Where were this young man’s parents? He was 17, out with a bunch of others probably the same age. Had he died, the parents would be the first to step up to sue, but where are they in the wee hours of the morning? I believe charges should be pressed against this whole group of young people. What a dumb thing to be doing and watching. What a horrible thing to watch someone die this way.”
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Thank you for your calls. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24 hours a day by calling 674-4478; readers may also visit maderatribuneredline.com to leave their comments.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2007 at 4:01 pm and is filed under City, Crime & Courts, Education, General, Nation & World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.