What will Salidans get? Nothing

Since moving to Salida in 1973, I have seen the population grow from a small, sleepy town of just a few thousand people to over 13,000. Over the years, there have been several attempts to merge Salida with Modesto or to have Salida incorporate. Numbers just didn't work.

Now we are seeing another attempt (and a waste of $60,000 of taxpayers' money) to pull Salida into the boundaries of Modesto. Modesto's only reason for this acquisition is to expand its tax base, which will be at the expense of Salida residents.

As a resident of Salida, what benefits would I possibly receive from being a part of Modesto?

Better fire protection? No, fire protection has already been consolidated! Better police protection? No, Modesto is hard-pressed to cover the territory they have now and the Sheriff's Department is doing as well, if not better, than Modesto could do. Better say into what happens in Salida? You have to be kidding!

Wake up, Salida! They are trying to dupe us into paying more taxes and dealing with more bureaucratic red tape in getting anything done.

This appears to be not necessarily about what Salida residents want, but more about what Modesto wants.

ROGER FRAZER

Salida