The Editor's Desk

Our reporters focused on a brand new conflict over the contracts to build a wastewater facility at the latest council meeting, but the council also approved the second reading of its eminent domain ordinance for the Barstow Redevelopment Agency. The vote results were the same, 4-1 (with councilmember Joe Gomez dissenting) as the first reading.

So the city now has affirmed a policy as an ordinance that allows them to take private property to sell for private development.

I’ve had my say on the matter and didn’t have that much an impact, but I want to point out a bit of a contradiction. Last year, Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale spoke out in favor of Measure O, which prohibited the county from taking private property and then turning around and selling it for private developer.

So a year after opposing inappropriate use of eminent domain in the county, the mayor votes in favor of allowing the city to do exactly what he once opposed.

I think the lesson here is that when a politician says he’s in favor of less government, he’s referring to other governments, not his own.