During many of the 30 years that I have lived in Thousand Oaks, I have patronized the Do-it Center store in Thousand Oaks. I have friends who work there. But I will not shop there again.

I vehemently disagree with its corporate financed effort to stop Home Depot from locating near the Do-it Center on Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

The Doit Center has embarked on a campaign of deceit in order to protect its turf. Do-it Center owners are paying for a campaign that involved circulating a petition that would put the bogus but draconian Measure B before the voters.

Measure B would basically stop Home Depot from building its store on the site of a vacated building that's been an eyesore in this beautiful community.

The city of Thousand Oaks would either have to raise taxes or cut services if Measure B passes because the effect of the vote would be to deprive the city of about $2.9 million a year in sales tax, according to an independent analysis.

Our school district and our park district will also suffer.

When I ran into these people who were paid to get signatures on their petitions, they told me I was saving open space in Thousand Oaks. What would you expect? These signature gatherers were from out of town and their salaries were paid by the Do-it Center owners.

Although I had read the measure and knew they were lying, I saw many busy people pressured into signing based on the lies of the paid petitioners.

This is sad.

The stated philosophy of the Do-it Center is "serving others as we would like to be served." It's so sad that the company's actions do not match their words.

But sadder yet is the fact that the Do-it Center owners have stooped to this shameful anticompetition strategy.

The company's action in this case will end up causing significant difficulties in the future.

I pray and hope that the voters of Thousand Oaks will join a wide variety of groups and vote no on Measure B. Grant R. Brimhall Thousand Oaks

Brimhall served many years as the city manager of T.O.