Letter to the Editor: A Message for Mike Ceremello & Some Thoughts About Measure N

The following letter to the editor comes from Dixon resident Janice Beaman. 

Below is an unedited version of the article sent to the Independent Voice.

I’ve requested this be printed as submitted and to not edit it as the Independent Voice did.  This is in response to Mike Ceremello’s column in the Independent Voice on July 27, 2012. 

He has referenced numerous times in his Musings column that the Dixon Rotary Club is “a shadow government”.  As the Immediate Past President of Dixon Rotary, I would like to set the record straight that the Dixon Rotary Club is NOT, HAS NEVER BEEN, OR WILL EVER BE A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION.  It is in our international bylaws that we are not a political organization.  Yes, we have elected and appointed officials who are members, but we DO NOT talk about politics at our meetings.  Dixon Rotary is a Service Club that has fundraisers throughout the year to give back to the community.  Dixon Rotary has given back to the community over $200,000 in High School scholarships, to Dixon schools, 4^th of July Fireworks displays, and much more in just the last five years.

Now switching hats as the Retired Dixon City Clerk, I am one that is opposing Measure N, the so-called “Open Governance Act” or Sunshine Ordinance.  After reading this proposed measure, I could not just sit back and let our community believe that the City of Dixon is keeping its citizens “in the dark”.  It is ALREADY open, honest, transparent, and responsive and is committed to following the Brown Act. 

Measure N wastes Taxpayers money by creating more bureaucracy by forming a new commission and takes money away from police and fire services and City maintenance.  If you haven’t noticed, our parks are looking pretty brown lately.  Measure N does nothing to make Dixon a better community.  As for those who signed the Ballot Argument against Measure N (Courtney Kett, Dan Ayala, Marime Burton, Mike Hagerman, and Dane Besneatte), they are all RESPECTED AND UPSTANDING members of this community who don’t deserve to be smeared in a newspaper.  Please VOTE NO on MEASURE N.  To help with the NO on Measure N campaign, send an email to:  no.on.measure.n@gmail.com.

I am sure that I will, once again, be called a “cockroach” or maybe even something worse by Mike Ceremello as he continues to use his Musing’s column to denigrate me, Dixon Rotary, the City, and the good citizens of Dixon.

Janice Beaman

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