letter

College Agriculture Program Wrecked I was a little upset with the misleading information provided to staff reporter Wade Daniels in the Sept. 21 edition (“Pierce College Negotiating for Biotech Center”). Pierce President Bing Inocencio would have you believe that private companies would be working hand in hand with the school’s agriculture science programs to develop portions of the school’s farmland. Inocencio neglected to say that in order to develop the “roughly 200-acre parcel of unused farmland” it would require the demolition of several agricultural buildings, including all ag classrooms, ag faculty offices, ag study rooms, riding arenas, open stalls and corral areas, the barn/stable stalls, restrooms and all the current land the horses, cows, pigs, sheep, and emus sleep on and eat from basically eliminating the agricultural department altogether. After having watched President Clinton on TV, dancing around with the definitions of words, I know that Inocencio and I have very opposing interpretations of “unused farmland.” He would have you believe that the “development would help the school meet its goal of bringing in at least $800,000 badly needed dollars per year.” What he failed to mention is that Pierce will derive little, if any benefit from the money generated. The cash will disappear into the frightfully mismanaged district slush fund, where proceeds from previous developments of Pierce land have gone. DAN CASSIDY Lancaster