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[feedback]
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46 votes as of 12:00 noon 10/16/12.
The following are comments left on loscerritosnews.net pertaining to the Goodwill store.
Cerritos residents protest Goodwill during Thursday’s city council meeting.
Dear Editor:
I have lived in Cerritos for 16 yrs. and am completely ashamed to be associated with the city. I am a registered voter in Artesia because I never took the time to change. But, after reading this article I am going to reregister in Cerritos. I am going to go to the polls and vote against all the candidates that voted against the Goodwill store. I will go out of my way to get the truth out. This is a slap in the face to the founders of this country and city.
Dear Editor:
The residents of Cerritos (self included) support Goodwill and all the other charities that collect donations and greatly benefit our community. There already is a Goodwill store in Cerritos, this would have been a second. What wasn’t desired was a store with a donation dropoff close to 25′ from homes in a residential shopping center, complete with security lights. These locations have been used for illegal dumping of household furniture and items that Goodwill doesn’t want after hours. In turn others scavenge the after hour drop offs and it results in increased crime and law enforcement. There would be no tax revenue from this store to offset the increased costs to the city in the same year that the state has taken away 30 million dollars in revenue. We would gladly welcome Goodwill to collect as other charities collect through donation bins, curbside, or in a less residential setting. This is not about NIMBY.
Dear Editor:
As far as the loss of sales tax revenue to the city, it is my understanding that the property owner went as far as to tell the city he would pay it.
Remember, the city does not collect the entire amount you pay at purchase. They only collect a small percentage of that amount.
As for the state taking $30 million in revenues from the city. If you are talking about tax revenue the amount it FAR higher. And that is because of the incompetence of the city council and not understanding the reality of redevelopment.
Dear Editor:
The people of Cerritos are not against Goodwill. We are against any business that does not belong in a certain location. Goodwill is welcome to do business in an area that is better suited for their type of business. It’s interesting that people claim the residences are prejudice just because they do not want a donation center near their house. This has nothing to do with race, culture or social economic status. This has to do with residence not wanting a donation center near their house, it is that simple people.
Will we be sexist if we didn’t want a strip club near our house or a marijuana dispencery near a school. Certian business does not belong in certain areas. You vote how you want, it is your right. However, don’t blame the council members who heard the voice of the residence and voted for the same residence they represent. If you want to shop at Goodwill just go to the other one already located in Cerritos. Mark Pulido stated he had lots of personal friends that wanted the store and he also said that he voted for Goodwill for his kids. Hey Councilmember Pulido!!! You represent the people of Cerritos, not just your “friends and kids” you are very clear in your intentions when you are in office…. its all about your “friends”.
Dear Editor:
Thanks City Council for voting no to Goodwill . I will vote out the person who voted in favor. We already have one Goodwill already we don’t need another one .
Dear Editor:
Again, you are missed informed. The owners never offered to pay sales tax. Lets stick to the facts if you want to have a mature disccussion or debate. We can’t work with false statements. Also, if you watched the city council meeting you would have heard that staff did contact the Sheriff’s department and other local police departments. Staff reporting what they were told by the sheriff’s department is just as good as having one there to speak. I would much rather leave the deputy in the field to patrol and protect us then come in speak at council. Please get your information validated before you start posting it. It appears that you just have a dislike for our city officials and goverment and you have your own agenda. It’s a simple fix…. move out of our city!!!!!!
Dear Editor:
I have lived in Cerritos for 16 yrs. and am completely ashamed to be associated with the city. I am a registered voter in Artesia because I never took the time to change. But, after reading this article I am going to reregister in Cerritos. I am going to go to the polls and vote against all the candidates that voted against the Goodwill store. I will go out of my way to get the truth out. This is a slap in the face to the founders of this country and city.
Dear Editor:
The residents of Cerritos (self included) support Goodwill and all the other charities that collect donations and greatly benefit our community. There already is a Goodwill store in Cerritos, this would have been a second. What wasn’t desired was a store with a donation dropoff close to 25′ from homes in a residential shopping center, complete with security lights. These locations have been used for illegal dumping of household furniture and items that Goodwill doesn’t want after hours. In turn others scavenge the after hour drop offs and it results in increased crime and law enforcement. There would be no tax revenue from this store to offset the increased costs to the city in the same year that the state has taken away 30 million dollars in revenue. We would gladly welcome Goodwill to collect as other charities collect through donation bins, curbside, or in a less residential setting. This is not about NIMBY.
Dear Editor:
As far as the loss of sales tax revenue to the city, it is my understanding that the property owner went as far as to tell the city he would pay it.
Remember, the city does not collect the entire amount you pay at purchase. They only collect a small percentage of that amount.
As for the state taking $30 million in revenues from the city. If you are talking about tax revenue the amount it FAR higher. And that is because of the incompetence of the city council and not understanding the reality of redevelopment.
Dear Editor:
The people of Cerritos are not against Goodwill. We are against any business that does not belong in a certain location. Goodwill is welcome to do business in an area that is better suited for their type of business. It’s interesting that people claim the residences are prejudice just because they do not want a donation center near their house. This has nothing to do with race, culture or social economic status. This has to do with residence not wanting a donation center near their house, it is that simple people.
Will we be sexist if we didn’t want a strip club near our house or a marijuana dispencery near a school. Certian business does not belong in certain areas. You vote how you want, it is your right. However, don’t blame the council members who heard the voice of the residence and voted for the same residence they represent. If you want to shop at Goodwill just go to the other one already located in Cerritos. Mark Pulido stated he had lots of personal friends that wanted the store and he also said that he voted for Goodwill for his kids. Hey Councilmember Pulido!!! You represent the people of Cerritos, not just your “friends and kids” you are very clear in your intentions when you are in office…. its all about your “friends”.
Dear Editor:
Thanks City Council for voting no to Goodwill . I will vote out the person who voted in favor. We already have one Goodwill already we don’t need another one .
Dear Editor:
Again, you are missed informed. The owners never offered to pay sales tax. Lets stick to the facts if you want to have a mature disccussion or debate. We can’t work with false statements. Also, if you watched the city council meeting you would have heard that staff did contact the Sheriff’s department and other local police departments. Staff reporting what they were told by the sheriff’s department is just as good as having one there to speak. I would much rather leave the deputy in the field to patrol and protect us then come in speak at council. Please get your information validated before you start posting it. It appears that you just have a dislike for our city officials and goverment and you have your own agenda. It’s a simple fix…. move out of our city!!!!!!
This is so sad. The city has become a “elite” mess. I just learned that a 99cent store is going to open in Beverly Hills to allow the residents to shop in their own city.
What is wrong with our Council. Plus,, what message is this sending to the disabled who are employed at the Goodwill. Also, I think you get some of the best bargains at the thrift store. Frequent visitor.
Hiya,
Thank you for voting against having a new Goodwill store in Cerritos.. I am also against having another one in Cerritos..
FYI..Cerritos residents against Goodwill, with the economy the way it is, many families have the need to shop at Goodwill stores just to afford school clothing for their children. You are not affluent, you are ignorant. Ignorant to the needs of today’s society. For those of you who held signs stating “Goodwill will bring crime.” Being part of a needy family does not make you a criminal. In reference to a previous comment “How can you compare Goodwill to a strip club and a marijuana facility? Wow!That just proves the mindset the supporters of Goodwill are battling.
Goodwill is a non-profit business chain that collects donations of used materials, clean them up, and then sell them back to customers. The City of Cerritos already has a Goodwill store operating on the corner of South St. and Palo Verde Ave. Goodwill tried to open a 2nd store in Cerritos at the south-east corner lot of Carmenita Ave. and Artesia Blvd. (a neighborhood shopping center not a commercial shopping mall). We, the resident of Cerritos, are not opposing Goodwill, we are opposing the 2nd Goodwill store. Make no mistake that city of Cerritos has only a population of 49,041 residing on a land of less than 9 square miles.
The reasons to oppose the 2nd store in Cerritos include:
1. According to Goodwill SOLAC, they have 18 stores among 22 cities in southern Los Angeles County. In average Goodwill SOLAC has about 1 store per population of 100,000 people and yet, they want to have two stores in Cerritos(population under 50,000). We believe this is too unbalanced. Why?
2. Goodwill SOLAC operates all stores with a tax-exempted non-profit status. The City of Cerritos gets no revenue from them. Instead, we need to provide full city services to the stores. For example, if any dispute or pick-pocket case occurs in the store, our law enforcement needs to go and resolve the issue using our city’s resources. Traffic accidents due to more traffic flow in the area will increase and have the city spending more money and resources to clear these cases and clean up the site.
3. Security of the neighborhood areas will have to be intensified and we would have to pay the money, not the store.
4. Non-Cerritos thrift-shoppers coming only for Goodwill from other areas will create more noise, exhaust waste, and polluted air as well as an
overall dirtier environment to the community. They won’t spend more money on other Cerritos stores, and the City will have to spend more money and
resources to resolve these issues.
5. We already have charities and appointed organizations picking up our donations and used goods from designated plastic bags set outdoors
conveniently in our front yard. This is a better option because we won’t need to drive to drop-off locations (saving time and gas). With Goodwill in
the area, People will dump those unwanted furnitures and bulky materials at the store location especially in the night when the store is closed regardless it is sellable or not thus, creating more headaches for both the city and the nearby resident.
That’s why we are opposing the 2nd Goodwill store, not the Goodwill. Please make no mistake on our community’s concerns. We have gathered more than thousand (1031+) Cerritos resident’s signatures submitted to the city to express our grave concerns and opposing to the 2nd Goodwill store (again, not the Goodwill).
To those fighting to keep the Goodwill out, based on no sales tax revenue, increased traffic, potential for crime and deterioration of your family’s quality of life, don’t be too sure that the city council voted with your best interest in mind.
In February, 2007 the city published the economic development strategic plan. That report specifically mentions the Goodwill shopping center (site 9) as a property of interest.
Page 99, “In addition, this monitoring process can alert the City as to any properties that come up for sale, which the City may wish to acquire for activities such as public use or future ground leasing.”
For those not wanting the Goodwill, because you felt it was not a “good fit” for your neighborhood, just think of the potential for massive development should the city take control of this property.
While I have meet some good civic leaders I have come to see that too many politicians do not care about our families, our neighborhoods or promoting a deep sense of community spirit. They only care about feeding their egos and funding their perks on the taxpayers dime.
To be clear, I am not suggesting you should not have spoken up. What I am suggesting is to be beware, your struggle may have only just begun.
And for those who continue to be concerned for our city please, let the city council know that they need to act responsibly and stop the Multimillion dollar losses at the Performing Arts Center. And the Multimillion dollar losses at the Magnolia Power Plant. Millions of dollars lost each year that could be used on community programs.
Likewise, start asking about the $9 Billion Meglev train and how it will affect the quality of life in our city.
“Good JOB Cerritos…for those of you who really want a Goodwill…..take Norwalk’s ……brings a bad element—come for a visit…ride the bus, I hope you don’t mind sharing it with the people who sleep on it day in and day out……right next to the NLMUSD…embarrassment.”
I am not from Cerritos, but I pass by this specific area everyday and see this little center abandoned with barely 1/4 of the whole campus parking lot full. From morning till afternoon it looks like a very depressing sight compared to the city it is in. Why not allow Goodwill to open up right there and bring some life to that little center? It’ll help out the neighboring businesses and the one across to where the Gas station is at. It’ll also help out the community with cheaper clothing alternatives during these slow economic times and provide JOBS (Gee, isn’t this the primary topic in the Presidential Debates?). I’d like to address a few thing while I’m at it:
@Sue Luan
On point 2 you said the city has to provide it’s full services to them while they pay no taxes. These services are ONLY used if they HAVE to be used, it’s a public service for THE PEOPLE and no different than having to provide a tax exempt church the same services in case anything happens. Traffic accidents? That’s what they are, ACCIDENTS! And they happen anywhere and everywhere whether there’s a high volume of traffic or not. You are overly paranoid to be worrying about car accidents that are minuscule compared to the change Goodwill can bring to this little area.
Point 3: Wouldn’t this be the case for the LIQUOR store that sells CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL in the opposite side by the Market Store? Do you seriously think a Goodwill is going to attract more crime and require more surveillance than a Liquor Store?
Point 4: You’re worried about the noise from non-residents? Boy, you’d be the queen of complains if you live near Alondra and Carmenita. Cars make noise, burn petrol,walking and speaking makes sound, is that too much for the community to handle? Or have those Uhaul size trucks and big rigs that pass by Artesia Blvd have your mind fogged up with fumes?
And @Mark Hyland: That condescending attitude of scoffing at the Goodwill in Norwalk made me giggle. It showed me that you’ve probably never frequented that area. If you did, you would know that the there are no “bad elements” to it and the image that Goodwill has has absolutely no effect on the NLMUSD offices anymore than the Military recruiting base across the street. Does the thought of having the District buses stationed right next to the offices make you go eww too? If buses are as you claim they are, then why ride them? If it’s for the lowest common denominator then take your dandy car on over on your dime and not on the subsidized buses.
I would rant some more, but maybe some other time. Don’t worry Sue, I’ll try to keep the non-residential smog from my car to a minimum in Cerritos. It’s not like all those trees in Carmenita Rd are going to filter it, right?
Goodwill will bring more crime and pollution to Cerritos? Really?!! I would like to see a scientific study on that. Maybe us non Cerritos residents should stop shopping in Cerritos and go elsewhere. Boycott Cerritos. We wouldn’t want to pollute or cause accidents in there city.