Keep pressing the issue

In the mid-'70s we were buying a house in Union City. Several builders in the area were building what seemed to be hundreds of very well-built 1,400- to 1,700-square-foot homes.

We discovered that a small parcel in the middle of all these single-story homes was designated as high-rise public housing and would cost more per unit than our brand new houses. We created a homeowners association to challenge them and even suggested they buy still-to-be-built homes in our neighborhood rather than build something completely out of character with the area.

Their answer was that our new homes were substandard. When that didn't fly, they resorted to calling us racists, although our association membership looked like the United Nations.

Fortunately we stopped the project, but it took enough people to force the future meetings to a school auditorium.

Shine enough light and the politicians scurry for cover like a bunch of cockroaches.

LEE ADAMS

Oakdale