Regarding the, um…..rebuttal(?) from Bob Saylor:  Raving about how Supervisor Antonovich opposed Cemex and telling us we should be grateful for this (past) loyalty totally misses the reality of this issue as it stands NOW.  Mr. Saylor, that was then, this is now, and NOW L.A. County is standing with Cemex, and that makes L.A. County a Cemex-friendly enemy of this entire valley.  If we Cemex foes were puppets we might be able to look the other way.  But we can’t look the other way when someone, ANYONE, chooses to side with Cemex against us because we are anything BUT puppets.  We have been fighting the size and scope and dishonesty and collusion of this unmitigated mega-mine since 1998 in a very UNpuppet-like manner and we will not be ignoring L.A. County’s Cemex-friendly, anti-annexation stance NOW.

   Mr. Saylor, the only misinformation being tossed into the annexation issue comes from L.A. County/Cemex and Steven Huerta and his “followers.”  Mr. Huerta had a chance to go public about his annexation opinions but declined the invitation from The Signal.  Check out The SCV Signal Newsmakers of the Week interview by Leon Worden on June 6, Mr, Saylor.  It is noted that Steven Huerta did not return Signal phone calls at home or at work inviting him to be on the show with Bob Baida.  The interview then invited the President of SAFE Action for the Environment, Andy Fried.  Mr. Saylor, Steven Huerta had a chance to have his say but he was not interested in debating the truth and the facts about annexation with Bob Baida, who was not afraid to address annexation in a public venue.  

   As a director on the Board of Safe Action For the Environment (SAFE) I, and other SAFE board members, accompanied the president of SAFE, Andy Fried, to all of the L.A. County Regional Planning Commission meetings, all the L.A. County BOS meetings, and countless other mining meetings as this issue went on year after year after year. NOW you want us to look the other way when L.A. County sides with Cemex against us?  Sorry, no can do, got way too much blood, sweat, and tears and time invested in this issue to ignore all the L.A. County subterfuge and collusion just because they USED TO oppose Cemex.  Well, they aren’t opposing Cemex NOW, Mr. Saylor, they are vigorously ASSISTING Cemex now, Mr. Saylor, and welcome to reality!

   Expecting us to close our eyes to this obvious Cemex-friendly position of L.A. County is the same as asking us to turn our backs on our own city, and on this entire valley.  I’ve lived here since 1974, came here with my husband, childless but hopeful of starting a family in our brand-new Canyon Country home which we quickly filled with our dreams and plans for our future.  And we were blessed, and our two daughters were born and raised in this city.  Since 1974, my husband and I have loved this city that gave us so much; that is why we began opposing this mega-mine project back in 1998 and no one had better tell us we don’t have a right to question or oppose anyone who stands with Cemex against this city.  Once L.A. County made it clear that L.A. County would fight this city to prevent the Stonecrest annexation, L.A. County drew a line in the sand that put all 5 supervisors standing with Cemex.  If L.A. County wants to stand with Cemex, L.A. County has no right to tell us we should excuse any one of them for their unholy alliance with our enemy, Cemex, just because the county USED TO oppose this mega-mine.

   L.A. County wants our loyalty and appreciation while L.A. County assists Cemex and vigorously opposes the Stonecrest annexation?  That’s like asking a condemned prisoner to remember how nice you ONCE were to him while pulling the switch on him in the here and now!

   L.A. County opposes the Stonecrest annexation to prevent us from having any jurisdiction over the Cemex mega-mine – a clear upholding of the court order that says L.A. County must assist Cemex.  L.A. County is either with us or against us.  L.A. County’s opposition to the Stonecrest annexation clearly tells anyone with half a brain that L.A. County is NOT with us and that they are definitely abiding by the word of the court order by assisting Cemex to fight this annexation that Cemex wants quashed. 

   The court order binding L.A. County to assist Cemex is nothing more than a guarantee for Cemex that L.A. County will help Cemex fight the City of Santa Clarita. We WOULD have to be mindless puppets to believe that court order will ever be anything but an enemy of this city. We became our own city because we are NOT puppets.  Puppets would have continued on under L.A. County’s thumb, but we worked hard to break free and we succeeded and became the CITY of Santa Clarita.  We have earned the right to protect our city AND this valley from anyone who chooses to stand with Cemex against us.

   Mr. Saylor, Cemex does not want the Stonecrest annexation because they are terrified of the land-bridge that will be created by the annexation linking this city to the mega-mine site which will enable this city to have some input regarding any problems that arise from the Cemex  project.  Cemex wants their project to remain under the friendly eye of L.A. County, and L.A. County is assisting Cemex in every way to that end so that SCV residents will have to take mitigation concerns/complaints to a Cemex-friendly county board that has been ordered to assist Cemex.

   County attorney Deborah Fox’s double-speak trying to slither around the actual written word of the court order cannot alter the fact that taking mining complaints to our local city council that has fought long and hard for this city opposing the mega-mine will obviously be much more beneficial and rewarding for residents than taking such concerns and complaints to the county that has been ordered to assist Cemex.  Deborah Fox says that despite the binding court order that says the county must assist Cemex, the county can help us with our mitigation complaints anyway, but the county is opposing the annexation so they are already stabbing us in the back before Cemex has even started mining!

   And you want us to appreciate all this, Mr. Saylor?  IF we were mindless puppets, we just might be able to accomplish such a fantastic feat for you and L.A. County; but then, if we were mindless puppets Mr. Saylor, Cemex would h
ave been in there mining years ago, and Elsmere Canyon would be loaded with garbage. 

Pauline Harte,

The City of Santa Clarita