Before I sign off, I’ll answer the most common question people posed today: why did Gaylord’s offer fall short? Well, it fell short because they wanted over $300 million in public money, but they didn’t want to make a legal commitment to hire workers from Chula Vista and the surrounding area. Plain and simple, the agreement we negotiated with them is the only way to do this. We compromised on every other issue.
Gaylord has a track record of going to small towns, making big promises and breaking their word. And we weren’t willing to abandon the local men and women who deserve these jobs. That’s what this is all about. We don’t understand why the Port District and all local officials wouldn’t insist on this, but we’re proud of standing up for Chula Vistans. And a smear campaign by the folks who really blew up this deal (ABC) isn’t going to change our commitment to local workers.
Chula Vista has one of the last remaining coastal properties open for development. There is no reason for our community to settle for an out of state developer who isn’t trustworthy, refuses to hire local workers and tries to skirt California’s premier environmental laws.
I wish to thank all who participated and Café San Diego for a forum to address these important issues.
— TOM LEMMON