Dalton On Politics

Quite often I see, in the political arena, that money supercedes all else. In the case of the Gateway Shopping Center, I was for proposition O because the town needs revenue, but against big box stores. I think we need to bring money into the area but not at the cost of "selling our souls." My suggestion was to put attractive Outlet stores in that spot. It would attract shoppers from a broad area who would continue into town to patronize the restaurants and boutique stores that Paradise has to offer, then go home. It would not compete with existing businesses, it would create jobs, and provide needed income to small business owners who struggle up here. The other part of the plan would be to find a theme for Paradise to market, such as offering up the local small businesses as "unique boutiques." It's all about marketing and perception, not just about bigness and being bought.

I also see that there is deference given to function over form. Some of the problems confronting the small businesses along the downtown area of Skyway are that street parking and pedestrian crossings are both highly dangerous. When asked about the issue of stop signs, the answer was that the town engineers feel that "rush hour" traffic would be backed up for miles. People commuting from Magalia would be angered. I know when I lived in Magalia, I quite often went out of my way to AVOID driving down Skyway, opting for Clark Road. Traffic could be diverted to Almond Street or Clark Road, giving those business owners more exposure (just for the record, my business is on Skyway). Skyway, through the downtown area, could be reverted back to 2 lanes, either with an attractive middle divider similar to Pearson at Black Olive with some judiciously placed stop signs, or make it a one-way street to downhill traffic and divert uphill traffic to Almond. This would also help to develop commerce along Almond and the intersecting streets. As it is, those flashing pedestrian lights may slow traffic in one direction, but then the pedestrian is put in a precarious position wondering if the opposing traffic will also stop. I haven't really seen these work very successfully, and when they do, the pedestrians can usually be seen running, just in case. This does not lend itself to an enjoyable shopping experience.

In my business, Real Estate, it is a well known fact that cosmetics sells! You can have an entirely functional house, even with all the funtional bells and whistles, but if it has no cosmetic appeal, it is very difficult to sell most of the time. In my opinion, Paradise has a lot to offer. The newly revised homebuyer's assistance program is greatly needed, the RDA is timely, and I think our town government really cares about the town, however, I think there needs to be far more thought given to FORM, not just to function. Find a cohesive and unified concept first, then plan how to implement it, not just a smattering of upgrades and incentives.

Finally, and I know I am in the minority on this but I am not running for office so I can say it, I think business owners should pay for a business license annually. Yes, this means that the town would have more regulatory power, but it also means that 1.) the town would get more revenue, 2.) business owners who pay an annual fee would be more likely to have increased longevity, and 3.) maybe we can have some better standards about the appearance of local businesses, which would be beneficial to all. I think there is a prevailing fear against taxation, but the local government needs money to operate. Taxation is not ALL bad. I remember one time about 10 years ago when Paradise residents voted against a $5 per year increase to pay for animal control. That turned out to be the most disgusting year of my life. There were dead and stinking animal carcasses everywhere. The town residents decided the following year that perhaps that $5 dollars would in fact be well spent. We need to take responsibility as individuals and as a community to do our part to help our local government do their jobs. You really do get what you pay for.

Thanks for your blog.

Christine Kerr

I agree about the traffic situation on Skyway. It does not lend itself to thinking that this is a place I would like to park my car and shop on foot. Skyway is very dangerous to cross. Until this situation is resolved, I think it will always be a second rate shopping area.

Rather than a business license there could be a mandatory business registration. At the present time neither the town or the Chamber of Commerce really know all of the business that exist here on the ridge. The fire dept. has no idea what the building layout of most business is nor do they know what the contents are. Examples, how many gallons of solvent does that sign painter have stored and where? Does the local pawn shop keep live ammunition?
For the protection of our firemen and our community these are things that need to be known.

almond street is a freeway..we got residents here with babies..as promised long alo almond was to get its drainage thing fixed..but they forgot to fix it..they spend the money on various others in so called downtown..it doesnt really matter cause the clown/ moron speeders will prevail.....but will prevail is a class action lawsuit toward the town for violating the rda to special interests..which will be proven by documents on public record at oroville..and at various fedral levels

While the Town, RDA, etc. spend all these $$ on a postage stamp-size park (which nobody can enjoy on a hot summer afternoon, yet closes at 10PM) with a museum-depot and a few picnic tables, and makes big plans for the rest of our so-called central business district, no money seems to be spent anywhere else in Paradise on basic infrastructure improvements. I live on Nunneley Rd. out beyond Stratton's Mkt. The average citizen cannot walk along the roads out here safe from speeding SUVs and other road racers. We have to drive everywhere. How does this fit in with keeping Paradise green and outdoorsy when trees keep being cut down to build more houses, and to create even more vehicular traffic and more potential hydrocarbon pollution of our (formerly) fresh air? There is no real town bus service like there is in Chico despite the large number of seniors and people too young or disabled to drive. There is no real planning being done on a consistent basis in the town as a whole, despite the DESIRE of the money-making interests in this town to have more people live here. So, while they build pretty little parks and depot-museums downtown (or should I say "uptown"?), the rest of this "burg" is slowly, but surely, going to rack and ruin, and, eventually, it will be like Yuba City (Rand McNally's "worst city in America") with balding, disintegrating hills. Is that what we want in our future? I think Town management, and the moneyed interests that seem to beckon to them, need a wake-up call, by the citizens at-large!