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EDITOR:
I would like to respond to the letter written by Ms. Madden complaining about Dave Machado being utilized to help us build the Hangtown Haven on Broadway. In the first place, Mr. Machado is not the “project manager” on our project to provide a shelter for the homeless in our community. I am, and I hate to be demoted, especially in the newspaper. Under my direction, Mr. Machado is leading the effort to build 700 feet of fence to define the area. The city did not appoint him: I did.
I don’t care what he did in a previous life. We are utilizing his skills for two reasons. First of all he has built a number of fences before, and he is doing a bang up job for us now. Secondly, he volunteered to help us at a time when no one else stepped up to offer. I have seen him with sweat dripping off his forehead driving a post into the hard ground and leading his team through the blackberry bushes to get the job done. He has designed, purchased material, planned with me and executed the work to build the fence with great skill.
Ms. Madden, I don’t remember that you volunteered to help us in our efforts to provide shelter to those who are unfortunate to be without a roof over their heads. If you”d like to help, we have a pick and shovel for you any time you wish to drop by. Wear Levis and hiking boots and bring along poison oak pills. There is still much to be done in clearing brush, pouring concrete and building the fence. However, you might be working for Dave Machado; life is full of ironies.
ART EDWARDS
President, Hangtown Haven Inc., Placerville
The Mountain Democrat does not necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy
opinionJuly 31, 2012 - 2:48 pm
This is the first out of many letters written that actually mentions exactly what Dave Machado is doing for the project. I would think that you could understand people of the community being upset when public officials use their positions to benefit themselves in the way Dave Machado did, and after getting caught and given such a lenient sentence, would be allowed to serve their community service time in a cush job. I hope that what you speak of is true and that Dave Machado is actually digging in and doing the laborious work required as described, rather than sitting in an air conditioned truck supervising the project.
Dr. I. C. SpotsJuly 31, 2012 - 8:25 pm
Art Edwards, your public relations skills really suck. If your talents in helping the homeless are like your talents in the creating good will department, you are too incompetent for this job. Building a homeless shelter was already the subject of great controversy and now this ignorant act on your part set efforts to get much needed public support back a very long way. Using the services of David Machado in any capacity to build a homeless shelter, a man who made at least one family homeless as fruit of a fraudulent scheme to violate city housing codes, does not pass the smell test. “I don’t care what he did in a previous life,” you mindlessly declare. In “a previous life,” my god, are you crazy? Machado’s crimes -- that threatened the lives and housing for others here --- occurred within the past year! So go ahead, while you are at it, appoint Jerry Sandusky to head up youth services at your shelter. And how about that guy in Colorado who was just charged with more than a hundred felony charges for shooting seventy persons in a crowded theatre, you could have him head up security for Hangtown Haven. By your standards, both know much about these things and you don’t care what any of one of these folks “did in a previous life.” As for your smart remark to a critique that she should volunteer to help this homeless project, forget it, there will not be many who want to volunteer for anything with you at the top, as a figure head or worse. Fewer persons will want anything to do with this project now, and more may want the cit to defund anything you touch. There is no reason to have faith in your talents or judgments. All the public is owed at this juncture is just for you to name any and all city officials who had anything whatsoever to do with your appointment of David Machado. In the name of good government, full disclosure on your part as to whether you made this appointment solely on your own or whether you got any input or recommendations from city employees or elected officials is what the public is owed. Tell us who, when and what it was you learned from each regarding David Machado. Or tell us if you are just so brilliant you dreamed up this idea entirely on your own --- without any advice or counsel from anyone in or associated with government. =========<<<>>========
Foaming at the MouthJuly 31, 2012 - 10:34 pm
Yeah, you should name names like that guy who's using a fake name says.
fact checkAugust 01, 2012 - 6:38 am
Mr Edwards reports to the City Manager. True?
Ken SteersAugust 03, 2012 - 7:19 pm
Thank you for that information Mr Edwards. Building fences seems like community service to me. I see that you are in need of volunteers? How many homeless are there working on this haven? It seems to me that more than just the Mayor should be out there sweating.