In Mr. Norman Ihle's letter to the editor in the local newspaper regarding the planning commission approval of the Cristallago Project, he accuses Supervisors Brown, Smith and Comstock of perpetuating the Good Old Boy (GOB) rule of Lake County. In my opinion he is terribly mistaken and the past history proves it. For the past 50 years the GOB rule has been to discourage development. Looking around Lake County, I see a county that has lost much of its economic base. With the closing of Konocti, the loss of several large employers over the past few years, the recent loss of two major bass tournaments and the expected downturn in tourism, Lake County is shrinking both economically and socially.

Soon, it will populated by a large segment of the have nots and a small group of the haves. Hopefully the planning commission and the Board of Supervisors will not continue the past folly of discouraging growth and revert to the past GOB no-growth rule. While I do not always agree with decisions made by the Board of Supervisors, I will be the first to applaud them if they go forward with Cristallago. It will mean a huge gain for all of Lake County. It will create long-term employment for our now unemployed craftsmen, it will bolster sales at local building supply companies, it will add to the need for decent housing for workers. As the project builds out, it will certainly bolster all aspects of the retail and restaurant economy. I certainly hope that the Chamber of Commerce and all merchants will loudly and clearly tell the supervisors how they feel.

Wayne Diggs lives in Lakeport.