Editor:

Thank you for shining the light on the arrogant actions of local builder Travis Schneider, and the responses to his building violations by the Humboldt County Planning Commission (NCJ Daily, Aug. 8).

Mr. Schneider needs to be held accountable for ignoring the stop work order. It's creepy to read his scripted sounding remarks; since he keeps invoking images of his children — "tears streaming down their faces," "being tucked into bed" — I want to hear how he teaches the kiddies simple concepts, like, "No means no" or "Stop right now." At the end of the most recent meeting, Mr. Schneider pledges to seek approval "at the local level." Is that what the image consultant is recommending now?

The defense (devotion?) iterated for Mr. Schneider by Planning Commission Chair Bongio tracks like a trail of slime. His racist remarks are unacceptable and he should already be gone. It is also appropriate to question his fitness for the job: he defends Mr. Schneider's 8,000-square-foot mansion as consistent with the others in the area that are half that size — stating nearby houses are "in the 4,000 to 6,000 square foot range." It calls into question his sense of proportion. Really, he needs to resign if only to spare us from his public displays of obsequiousness.

Trust in government erodes when such shenanigans arise "at the local level." Thanks for keeping us informed.

Sheila Evans, Eureka