On a patio with stunning views of downtown Napa, the winding Napa River and Mount Tamalpais off in the distance, neighbors gathered to learn about a major threat to Alta Heights.

As many of you may know, the California Ombudsman Program was hard hit by recent budget cuts. Some programs had to close their doors or drastically reduce services.

The proposal for Lake Luciana, a golf course and residential development in Pope Valley, is a flawed one that cuts against the grain of the county’s land use policies, against smart principles of development and is tainted by a strange political path that placed it before the Napa County Board of Supervisors this week.

Dear editor, I am most concerned because the Lake Luciana proposal appears to have become all about money and political pressure and not about the General Plan, the zoning ordinances relating to converting ag land to recreation or preserving Napa Valley agriculture.

Dear editor, Are there new criteria for development of ag lands in rural Napa County?

Over the last several weeks a number of land use issues have surfaced into the local press and it all starts to seem like deja vu all over again listening to the protests.

Left v. right, liberal v. conservative in a type-until-your fingers bleed death match.

This is your blog to talk about local, state or national non-political topics.