As four-year Dreamland Villa residents, we are getting more than a little annoyed at the small but vocal disgruntled minority tarnishing our community’s image.

Now be honest – when you moved here, did you not value the two very nice swimming pools, hot tubs, recreation halls, community events and crafts?

To those residents who say "I don’t use the pool anymore so I shouldn’t have to pay," our response is "you valued those benefits when you bought here and they remain an important part of your home’s valuation."

Try to convince the federal government you should not have to pay for roads and schools because you don’t drive or have school-aged kids anymore. What if the IRS had an "optional" program?

Our annual dues of $100 per person is substantially less than the $200 per month that most people pay for association dues offering similar amenities and far more regulations.

If you don’t pay your very reasonable fair share, you leave the burden to the rest of us and yet continue to enjoy higher values for your homes. Tell us you won’t brag up the amenities when you want to sell your house.

We would be much more upset if the Dreamland Villa Community Club could no longer afford the pools and buildings so that we could not "brag about them" when our day comes to sell.

We used to live "out in the country" and had no rules and no pool or community centers. You may want to consider that option.

We challenge anyone to show us a better homeowner "value" anywhere in the Valley. Your home’s value is tied to Dreamland Villa’s continued success or decline ... what do you want to lose?

Much has changed in our society since this community was originally developed. Whatever happened in 2004 happened ... let it go. Run for office.

We all have some politician or government official that we could hold a grudge against. Please give this new board a chance to keep DV a great place to live. They are good people volunteering their time for our benefit.

We are amazed the minority dissenters apparently feel no obligation to DVCC for increased values of their homes, whether they currently use – or for that matter have ever used – facilities and activities offered by the club. You receive value because you live here.

If we want to protect our good investments in our DV homes, we need a stronger, not weaker association to protect against neighborhood erosion, which comes first to the most affordable areas. It always has and it always will.

In the U.S. election year, let’s all remember we are going to have major political disagreements with friends and neighbors. When the votes are in, will you still be friends? Will you still be neighbors?

We’re confident this community can and will assist the true hardship cases that may exist – that’s what friends and neighbors do.

We support the freedom of speech "whistle-blowers" and an opposing view, but we do believe that there are arguments that are won and arguments that are lost.

How do you define democracy? The "minority" candidate received 51 votes in the recent election. The closest winning candidate received 363 votes. You lost.

We would appreciate your graceful acceptance of defeat and the end to your efforts to drive down all of our property values.

Would DVCC have avoided the outrageous legal fees if someone had not sued them? Would that be you? Run for office and win and we’ll listen to you.

Dreamland Villa

This is an open letter to the president of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Charlie Deaton. Taxpayers/utility users need to hear from you in response to questions that are "hidden" from the people of Mesa by our Mesa government:

•Why is it all information about you and your operation not considered public knowledge?

•What is your salary?

•Who do you represent?

•Who pays your rent and your salary?

•Who is your landlord?

•How much rent do you pay?

•Are you a member of the East Valley Partnership?

I was told by contact with the Mesa Chamber of Commerce this information was "not for public knowledge."

I recently received your call back and although you attempted to answer all the questions listed above, they made little sense.

The two most important questions you refused to answer were "What is your salary?" and "How much chamber rent do you pay?" That is disturbing.

You admitted your landlord was the Convention Visitors Bureau that is funded by chamber members at approximately $700,000 per year and by all bed tax collected. That’s a tax.

Bed tax was supposed to be used to run a city operation, not for giving cheap rent to the chamber to take over that operation.

If this is true, then it could connect the chamber to being partially funded by Mesa’s taxpayers and utility users.

Lastly, your opinion letter in the March 4, 2008 edition of the East Mesa Independent, "Home Rule keeps officials accountable," the garbage therein and coupled with the fact you refused to answer the two most important questions above, makes you suspect of being another fiscal player in the good old boys’ corrupt arena. I report, your readers decide.

Mesa

Mr. Hoover, a quick note to thank you for your article on the Crismon Water Project. It was informative and unbiased.

Tempe

In response to the "Senior tax relief nixed" story in the March 11, 2008 edition of East Mesa Independent, I’m disabled and I’m probably not the only one out there who the government’s been stealing from. That’s downright thievery.

If they know we’re disabled and they’re taking our tax dollars without us knowing, that’s stealing – downright stealing – and they should have to fork over what they owe us. I’ve taken seven years of that, and I’m not the only one out there, so it adds up to big bucks.

East Mesa

Yes – a fuel price went down and natural gas used by compressed natural gas vehicles in Utah are fueling for only 63 cents per gallon at public stations.

Natural gas vehicles have become a very hot commodity in Utah and the demand has spread into adjoining states.

I work for CNG Services of Arizona and get calls almost daily from people in Utah looking for natural gas vehicles, conversions for existing vehicles and home fueling equipment.

The state of Utah offers several incentives for alternative-fueled vehicles – for a new CNG vehicle, a $3,000 tax credit, and for an aftermarket converted vehicle, $2,500. The federal government also offers tax credits, but only for new, dedicated equipment.

The price at the public CNG pumps is the big news – 63 cents per gallon at strategically located locations in existing service stations in 26 towns along Utah’s freeway system.

The Utah public fill their NGV’s at regular gas stations unlike the few-and-far-between stations in Arizona, where it’s usually in an industrial area or major airport.

It would be a great step forward to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil if the rest of the country followed Utah’s lead.

Mesa