Bratton… is back!…Greensite …Grand Jury server Gillian will soon return… Steinbruner…Housing on campus…. Hayes…Fog, and Fog Lifting… Patton…A Community Conversation on Surveillance … Matlock…Trump in TIME, drilling for a billion dollars, and an escape from the delegation … Eagan…Subconscious Comics and Deep Cover. Webmistress…… Quotes….”Recycling”
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DATELINE MAY 15
KATHRYN HETH LEFT THE STAGE. There’s a definite haunted silence since Kathryn Heth passed on a week or two ago. Kathryn was the brains and brawn behind such community institutions as the Buy And Sell Press, Soquel’s Staircase theatre, Grey Bears, Santa Cruz’s Bus system, and even more. She had a non-stop sense of humor and would have you laughing in seconds. Many of the Heth family have moved back east but there’s still some saddened members here. We’ll all miss her for a very long time.
RANDOM RACIAL & RADICAL THOUGHTS. Good sources that I’ve known for a long time recently shared with me (and now with you) some surprising racial, community, political experiences that they have had during their coming of age here in Santa Cruz. My sources belongs to different and distinct racial groups and because the sharing of these views and opinions could raise tempers, I won’t reveal even the sex or the races they were born to. I apologize for the erratic mixed format of the writing. It was collected and assembled under some unusual circumstances. My editor felt that a list format would serve best to make it digestible.
- Every racial group has their own set of prejudices. They rant on and on about hair styles, clothing, and food choices. More and more clear headed people are even asking a larger question…why do we have to declare different races in all our official documents?
- Why are there separate groups in schools teaching different languages that are in the community?
- I’d never heard the term “Kneebacks” used against Mexican immigrants who didn’t get into the river far enough to be called “Wetbacks”.
- I learned too that the fancy Quinceanera celebrations when a young Mexican girl turns 15 can and often does cost $20,000 or more, and is for virgins only.
- Many Mexicans believe that they don’t receive painkillers as easily from our doctors and hospitals as other races do.
- It’s become more noteworthy and public lately about the unfair and unbalanced arrest records between blacks and white for the same offenses.
- Is it true that Blacks and Jews are getting more important roles in movies nowadays?
- Where will the talk lead about paying blacks for the decades spent in Slavery? Will the same happen for Jews and Mexicans?
GOING TO MAUI? Daughter Jennifer Bratton, award-winning former Santa Cruzan, has two available dates on her time shares on Maui. They are July 13-20 at the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas in Lahaina, which has some beautiful lagoon style pools! Another availability, also at the Westin, is the great New Year’s week December 28-January 4, 2025. They won’t last long!
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REPTILE. Netflix movie. (6.8 IMDB) 
Benicio Del Toro is near perfect as the detective who works full time and near silent investigating the murder (cruel stabbing) of a housewife. Real Estate plays a background setting as Justin Timberlake and Alicia Silverstone do only halfhearted acting in their fill in parts.
MIDSUMMER NIGHT. Netflix series. (6.7 IMDB) Set in Norway this celebrates Midsummer Night which is the longest night of the year. (news to me!) It’s contemporary and they use their cell phones a lot. Lots of sex involved here and some of it is surprising because it’s between and older male and a young babe. You’ll probably up thinking about your own morals and their validity. Go for it.
MAXTON HALL. Prime series. (7.5 IMDB). 
This saga is centered on the full relationship/courting of a rich, well-endowed, young male and a girl who barely makes a living and still they both go to Oxford. They use iPhones which keeps it current but the tensions and the repairs to their coupling start out so boring and end up barely making it plausible. He also plays lacrosse which should give you clues right there.
SUGAR. Apple series (7.8 IMDB) A genuine Hollywood movie about Hollywood. It stars Colin Farrell who does an excellent job in this absurd exploration of improvable plots. They throw in many, many cuts from classic Hollywood films in B&W and color. James Cromwell plays a legendary producer whose granddaughter is missing. It’s fun to watch especially when you try to match the old footage with the current confusing action.
FRANKLIN. Apple Series (7.01IMDB) Michael Douglas does a half convincing job as an older version (70) of Benjamin Franklin in this politic filled boring movie. Noah Jupe is his young boyfriend. It’s full of twists, romance, and a lot of the script is in French so you’ll be watching subtitles more than usual. Not recommended.
UPGRADED. AMAZON Movie. (6.1IMDB) 
Listed as a comedy I thought I’d try finding something to laugh at in this lengthy half interesting vehicle. Marisa Tomei plays a driven manager of an art investment company in London that auctions off “masterpieces”. Lena Olin is back in her usual tempestuous bossy role and has always been a favorite of mine so all in all there are a few smiles and near laughs… so do watch this one.
SOUND OF FREEDOM. PRIME Movie. (7.61 IMDB) The story centers on child abuse and the pedophiles who run the children’s sex trafficking between Honduras, Columbia, and South America. The actual statistics are horrible and run into millions of children annually. The movie stat3es that there are more slaves today than there ever were even during the time we had slavery in the USA It’s still not a great film but it does get the message across.
STOLEN. NETFLIX Movie (5.6 IMDB) In northern Sweden / Lapland there’s a settlement of islanders who raise reindeer as a way of life. They are known as Sami and are treated as racially and inhumanly as any minority ever has. This is a drama about a deer kill that brings out the worst in this isolated community. Watch it but be prepared to squirm.
BABY REINDEER. (Netflix Series) (8.2 IMDB) A cute and cuddly title for a British series from a book written about a true story. There’s a bartender who doubles his life as a standup comic. He becomes stalked, really stalked by a hefty woman who doesn’t give up. They go to the Edinburgh Comedy Festival and have quite a weird time. It’s neurotic but well worth watching.
FALLOUT. Amazon (8.6 IMDB). You’ll probably recognize and try hard to remember Kyle McLachlan who has a small part in this ridiculous, violent, near satire of an atomic attack on Hollywood in 200 years from now. There’s long scenes of mindless murders and just plain script flips of a plot that never makes sense… don’t go here.
LAKE ERIE MURDERS. MAX (7.1 IMDB) Being from Buffalo, New York I hoped this was filmed there but nope Lake Erie borders on four states and parts of Canada. It’s a documentary and is also referred to as Who Killed Amy Mihaljevic. Amy was only 10 in 1989 and the murder is still unsolved to this day. Dozens of interviews with possible kidnappers, yes they found her body but have never found enough proof or evidence to convict anyone. Go for it but don’t expect any satisfactory ending.
We’ve been told we can safely say that Gillian will be back next week!
| Gillian Greensite is a long time local activist, a member of Save Our Big Trees and the Santa Cruz chapter of IDA, International Dark Sky Association http://darksky.org Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild. |
CABRILLO COLLEGE ON-CAMPUS HOUSING PROJECT WILL BREAK GROUND NEXT SPRING
The multi-story 624-bed dormitory next to Highway One and on Cabrillo College campus, housing a mix of students from Cabrillo and UCSC, went out for a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on May 15 and will break ground next spring. This will be a private/public partnership, and President Wetstein said that the company building this massive dormitory will also operate and manage it.
Cabrillo is working on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents only now? Hmmm….
Last week,. Cabrillo College President Matt Wetstein presented the plan to the MidCounty Democratic Committee to build a new 624 bed student housing structure on campus, next to Highway One to provide UCSC and Cabrillo students an affordable place to live. He explained that funding the anticipated $181 Million project was initially a $4 million project to be done via State grants, but the College’s 2022 application was rejected. Then, SB 159 passed, giving project applications a 10% scoring favor if joint educational jurisdictions collaborated. That’s when UCSC and Cabrillio College teamed up to help each other.
They submitted an application last year, only to have Governor Newsom make a sudden and unexpected edict that all such educational housing projects must be funded by bond sales, and grants would no longer be available. Cabrillo College has not had good success with passing bond measures, and the recent backlash over the potential re-naming of the College would likely not help.
President Wetstein joined many other college CEO’s to lobby the State to change this. Senator John Laird stepped in to assist the $181 Million Cabrillo College and UCSC project to allow UC Regents to sell the bonds and the State will buy them, interest-free.
Cabrillo College students have priority for 40% of the 624 beds planned (250 beds) that will have four bunks per room. The monthly rent/bed will be $925-$950. Priority will be given to homeless, transitional youth, veterans and those with great financial need. They will be required to be a full-time student and maintain at lease a 2.0 GPA, showing progress toward obtaining a degree.
The other 374 beds (60% of the Project) will be dedicated to students from UCSC. It is unknown what those beds will cost, but President Wetstein referred to the Cabrillo student beds as “the cheap beds”, so one can only guess.
He discussed that he had insisted there be a child care facility adjacent to the dormitory, because 30% of Cabrillo students have children. Adding this to the Project placed it at a disadvantage, because of funding metrics. However, Congressman Jimmy Panetta successfully earmarked $1.7 Million to pay for the Project’s child care facility and the hope is that Early Childhood Education students could do internships at the center and gain credit and experience toward their education.
I thought it was interesting that President Wetstein said the College is “working on” CEQA issues now. He said impacts of of the Project on historic resources, biological habitats, water and traffic are being examined now., The Project EIR link and findings lead one to documents dated 1999:
Stay tuned for an interview with President Wetstein on Friday, June 14 at 2pm on Santa Cruz Voice online radio program…call in with your questions. santacruzvoice.com
THE COUNTY WILL BORROW $95 MILLION TO STAY AFLOAT AND USE ROAD FUNDING TO HELP PAY THE DEBT SERVICE
Last Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors waited until the very end of the very long meeting to discuss what was perhaps the most crucial item of the day….shoving the County into an unprecedented level of debt and not asking about an alternative to borrowing $95 Million to fund extravagant real estate purchases at a time when they and the CAO knew there was no money to pay for them.
Of course, FEMA was made to be the whipping boy.
CAO Carlos Palacios said it did not help that FEMA refused to reimburse $10 million the County spent in Project Room Key funds (to rent six hotels) to isolate homeless people during Covid. I did not understand that…Project Room Key was a State program, not federal. Project Room Key
I asked the Supervisors to request staff to submit a summary of the nature of the $104.8 Million that FEMA is balking on reimbursing, and is expected only to reimburse $41 Million, so that future County staff will know better next time regarding extravagant spending during the next disaster. Public Works Director Matt Machado stepped up top the podium and said that in the future, the County will not be so quick to respond to natural disaster damages. I suppose filing a Public Records Act request will be the only way to get the revealing information.
The focus was only on the disaster responses, but no mention made of the County’s acquisition of 150 West Marine Drive in Watsonville to create a new County Government Center that has no evidence it is needed or that it will reduce the number of vehicles traveling on Highway One (that was mentioned earlier in the day in a Climate Action Plan presentation).
This was Items #17 and #18 on May 14 Board agenda. Please click on Item 17 in the split screen and listen to the staff presentation
How can it make sense to borrow money to complete the purchase of 150 West Marine building with $4.5 Million so that theroom key County will not have to pay rent, yet as part of the lease revenue bonds the Board approved, the County will have to “lease back” the three buildings owned, and pay massive amounts of interest out of County Road Funds and Health Services funds???
Here is the analysis from Supervisor Manu Koenig’s newsletter:
The County has $125 million in outstanding claims to FEMA and State agencies to help pay for disasters including the 2017 Storms, COVID-19, 2020 CZU Fires, and the 2023 Storms. The County has had to pay upfront for disaster repair and response out of pocket. The long FEMA reimbursement timeline has put the County in a challenging financial position.
On the positive side, the County’s advocacy efforts have yielded $21.5 million in new FEMA reimbursements since last November and the California Office of Emergency Services has given the County a “cash advance.1 Nevertheless, a funding gap remains.
That’s why the County is considering issuing lease revenue bonds worth $95 million. Lease revenue bonds mean that County facilities including 701 Ocean St, Emeline and the Live Oak Library are put up as collateral for the bonds and the County “leases1 the buildings back.
Total costs for this financing include up to $24,185,000 in interest, $7,793,000 in capitalized interest, and $1,147,000 in fees and issuance costs. Interest costs could decrease to a projected $10,708,000 assuming a reasonable level of federal and State reimbursement over the next decade.
The annual debt payments would be financed from Road Fund revenue sources up to $2 million annually with the remainder covered by the General Fund resources. Based on current projections, the General Fund annual contribution would begin in FY 2027-28 (see Table 4) up to $1.39 million. The Measure K ballot measure approved by voters on March 5, 2024, will be an important resource for this portion of the General Fund’s future cost.
Take a look at the County’s projected debt service data
I am really worried about this. Are you? Attend the County Budget hearings next Tuesday and Wednesday and speak up, or write your County Supervisors. Board of Supervisors <boardofsupervisors@santacruzcountyca.gov>
AUDIT THE STATE’S AGENCY THAT IS FLOGGING LOCAL GOVERNMENT INTO MASSIVE BUILDING
State Senator Steven K. Glazer (7th District) asked the Joint Audit Committee to approve an audit of the State’s Housing and Community Development (HCD) for inconsistent and untimely procedures and processes regarding the approvals and implementation of Housing Elements of all cities and counties in the State.
The Committee approved Senator Glazer’s request on May 14. Senator John Laird is the Vice Chair.
HCD is the all-powerful fist of the State that is mandating all local government agencies to rush to meet unrealistic deadlines to get their blessing on their Housing Element in their General Plans, or risk losing all local control over how projects are designed or how large they are. This is known as “Builder’s Remedy” and it strips all discretionary ability over local land use projects.
Even if a jurisdiction has met the deadline for HCD approval, it could lose it at the mid-term evaluation if 50% progress in building the crazy-high mandated numbers is not done, automatically reverting to Builder’s Remedy!
Tune in to Catalysts for Local Control every Monday at 5pm to get updates on this issue and more:
catalystsca.org
WHY NOT JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION?
Last week, the Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors affirmed their agreement with CH2M Hill / Jacobs Engineering to operate the PureWater Soquel Project sewage water treatment plant and injection wells. You may remember that the Board initially approved the $4.5 million baseline agreement that will allow real people operating the plant Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, with the rest of the time being on-call for problems. You may also remember that the Board approved this agreement without seeing the contract…just snippets of words here and there.
Well, the District had the opportunity to fix that by providing the full contract, which they did, however, no costs are included. Also, the Board failed to revoke the March 5 Resolution authorizing the agreement, and passed another modified version that was missing four numbered Sections.
When I pointed this out to them, General Manager Ron Duncan asked for a two-minute break and went running out into the lobby. He quickly returned and suddenly, Legal Counsel Josh Nelson from Best, Best and Krieger announced from his remote location that “staff is confident there is language in the agreement that addresses the cost of the contract.” I had examined the 2000+ page agreement and appendices before the meeting began, and did not see anything describing the cost of service.
“Where in the contract is it?” I asked from the audience. My question was met with immediate angry retort from Mr. Duncan and President Bruce Jaffe, instructing me to be respectful. “Well, give me a page number. You did read it, didn’t you?”
President Jaffe adjourned the meeting.
In the past, I have attempted to discuss follow-up issues after meetings with Mr. Duncan and received only insults, but President Jaffe has been reasonable and would discuss things. So, I went to him and asked for his help in finding the information in the Agreement about the cost of the service to be rendered.
Immediately, Mr. Duncan stepped in front of me, put is face about six inches from mine and said “This is not a safe space! You need to leave!” I explained that I just wanted to know where to look in the Agreement for the cost of the service, because it relates to the recent District rate increases.
“Leave now!” Mr. Duncan screeched, his bespectacled eyes bulging and inches from mine. I refused, then agreed to leave if he would meet me at the back of the room where the two large binders of meeting documents resided on a table.
I retreated and went to the binders. As I was skimming the Agreement, Engineering Director Taj DuFour took the binders away and said “The meeting is over!”
As Director Rachel Lather walked past, I asked her for help but was ignored. I suspect she had not read this lengthy document…she had not read the Final EIR for the Project either when she rubber-stamped it in 2018, evidenced by her confusion about why people claimed we only had 10 days to read it, claiming it had been released months ago (she was talking about the Draft EIR, not the Final, and did not seem to know the difference).
Soquel Creek Water District Board approved Resolution 24-07 without revoking previous 24-04, with incomplete sections, no financial terms, no reference to Contract sections relative to cost, no explanation of “fixed cost savings” referenced in the staff summary. The Board asked no questions at all.
How can they justify the need of the new rate increase calculations, based on cost of the contract?
What a mess. Why didn’t the Board just answer my question?
I think it does not bode well for transparency, should there be any problems with the massive debt-ridden project to pressure inject treated sewage water into the pristine groundwater that all residents of MidCounty depends upon for clean drinking water.
[STAFF REPORT FOR REGULAR MEETING OF DECEMBER 14-15, 2023]
Write the Soquel Creek Water District Board with your questions about having the brand new high-tech energy hog PureWater Soquel Project operating on auto-pilot, injecting 1.67million gallons of treated sewage water daily into the drinking water source for MidCounty residents.
Board of Directors <bod@soquelcreekwater.org>
WILL WE GET TO VOTE ON THIS?
Why wouldn’t the Governor want to allow taxpayers to vote on whether there is a 2/3 approval required at the ballot box for new property taxes? Stay tuned for what the State Supreme Court thinks:
Will California voters decide tax limits in November? It’s up to the Supreme Court
Will California voters decide tax limits in November? It’s up to the Sup…
Alexei Koseff / CalMatters
The California Supreme Court will decide in the coming weeks whether to kick a measure off the November ballot t…
WHY GO FIREWISE?
The FireSafe Council of Santa Cruz County, along with local Firewise USA Recognized community leaders, are presenting a Why Go Firewise event on Thursday, May 30th. We will educate neighbors about the impact Firewise communities can make in reducing our risk to wildfire. After presentations from Central Fire and CalFire leaders, we will walk through the nuts and bolts of the program and leave time for Q&A. Supervisor Manu will be serving up free icecream!
Curious about Firewise – Maybe you’re concerned about insurance and the upcoming fire season, but don’t know what to do next. Or have you heard about Firewise, but don’t really know the benefits or what it’s all about?
Want to form a Firewise Community – You are onboard with the program and need help getting things going or need help finding neighbors who are interested in joining.
What a mess. Why didn’t the Board just answer my question?
– You have already seen a Why Go Firewise presentation and are in the process of applying, but either stalled out or need extra coaching to get to the next step.
Event Details:
Why Go Firewise Community Event
Thur, May 30th 5:30PM-8PM
Seventh-Day Adventists Conference Center
1931 Soquel San Jose Rd, Soquel, CA 95073
FREE and OPEN to the Public
RSVP here
DID YOUR PROPERTY INSURANCE GET CANCELLED?
If you were not able to attend the recent Wildfire Summit sponsored by the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce, here is another opportunity offered by the Santa Cruz County FireSafe Council: Thursday, June 6, 2pm-6pm at the Veteran’s Building in Santa Cruz. Wildfire Resilience Summit
WRITE ONE LETTER. MAKE ONE CALL. ATTEND A FIRE SUMMIT FIND OUT WHY URBAN AS WELL AS RURAL INSURANCE POLICIES ARE BEING CANCELLED IN CALIFORNIA.
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK BY JUST DOING SOMETHING.
Cheers,
Becky
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes. She ran again in 2020 on a slightly bigger shoestring and got 1/3 of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
Fog, and Fog Lifting
Tall black burned tree trunks hazily emerge into view through the thick fog. Days upon days of fog prevalence make many scenes more mysterious. That eerie scene of black tree poles joins other fog-induced memories this past week: puffs of blowing dense fog hiding and then revealing drippy, dark groves of live oaks; awakening to a wall of silver cloud obscuring everything beyond the window ledge, and one evening’s approach of fog…suddenly pouring over the farm’s western ridge and down the hillsides towards the farm like a wave of terrifying suddenly-released floodwater. Each morning every spider web is illuminated by silver moisture, every leaf and blade adorned by shiny droplets.
Us Moist Critters
The dawn bird chorus is delayed and the songs fewer because all animals are made chilled and sleepy, enveloped in low clouds. The brush rabbits shake the wetness from their pelts between bouts of meandering nibbles. Extended families of quail wander slowly along roads to avoid vegetation soaking their feathers. In the absence of bird song, there is a more peaceful constant patter of dripping. Sweaters, jackets, and long pants are in order for spending time outside. The richly humid air makes breathing feel refreshing and helps accentuate late spring farm scents.
Peak Perfume
The transition between spring and summer is the season of peak perfume. Eight foot tall bolting poison hemlock emits its telltale dusty, bitter odor, which carries far in the fog-moist air. When the clouds lift and the day warms, sweeter, resinous scents are released from the sage, coyote brush, and fir. Fresh-cut-hay smell is omnipresent across the fields and down the roads as mowers constantly challenge the burgeoning grass. Warmer days bring surprising clouds of sweetness, begging for a pause to ponder the origins of scent: madrone, French broom, lilac or lupine could be the source, but maybe there’s something new to discover. I squint to the distance, upwind for patches of flowers, then shift my gaze closer to see if there are bunches of hidden flowers. There it is! – clusters of tiny poison oak blossoms sparkling with nectar and wafting notes of clove and citrus.
Fog recently drapes the ridges surrounding Molino Creek Farm
Drying
The drippy fog does little to keep the inevitable drydown at bay. Deep soil cracks split and widen. Dust cakes vehicles and brush along the roads. This is the first week that the farm must irrigate everything or the plants will wilt and begin to die. The solar well pump runs continuously and the diesel generator will start shortly to push greater volumes of water to the grapes and storage tanks. The summer pattern of orchard watering commences: zig-zagging across acres of trees, digging 8″ deep into the soil to test moisture, adjusting irrigation strategies, turning valves, recording data, monitoring storage tanks, and communicating between many farmers to assure smooth operations. For now, cool days keep this work less hectic, but one eyes the forecast and makes plans for hotter spells.
Molino Creek Farm’s amazing onions, freshly planted and regularly irrigated
Snakes, a Month Late
April is normally snake month, but the cool, wet start of this season delayed the emergence of our slithery friends. Sylvie and her brother Isaac reported a surprising night time rubber boa, crossing the road despite the drippy fog. Smooth, fresh snake tracks cross the dusty roads, always wisely perpendicular. An irate hissing baby gopher snake lunged at my leather gloves from a patch of freshly pulled weeds. We are constantly surprised by scaled creatures jetting away from disrupting orchard management: a swift yellow-bellied racer snake, head held high, escaping…giant alligator lizards making for safer ground away from hoeing. Wherever we look there are oodles of lizards and snakes, an homage to organic tilth, the diversity of plants, and the wealth of prey that result from good land management the collective respect for nature found at Molino Creek Farm.
Cherries, lushly growing with irrigation and nestled in fog drip
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Grey Hayes is a fervent speaker for all things wild, and his occupations have included land stewardship with UC Natural Reserves, large-scale monitoring and strategic planning with The Nature Conservancy, professional education with the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and teaching undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz. Visit his website at: www.greyhayes.net
Email Grey at coastalprairie@aol.com |
Dateline: May 10, 2024
#131 / A Community Conversation on Surveillance
Beginning in 2014, and continuing to last year, I taught a Legal Studies course at UCSC that focused on “Privacy, Technology, And Freedom.” If you click that link, you’ll be able to read one of my earlier blog postings, from 2015, which discusses the course. My past involvement with that UCSC “Senior Seminar” is what must have garnered me the honor of acting as the moderator for an upcoming, online examination of “Privacy,” in the context of recent actions by local governments in Santa Cruz County.
The “Community Conversation on Surveillance and the Expectation of Privacy,” over which I am slated to preside, will take place on Monday, May 20th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The discussion is being hosted by the Santa Cruz County Chapter of the ACLU of Northern California. This community discussion will focus, most specifically, on the use of “Automated License Plate Readers” by Santa Cruz County law enforcement agencies.
If your schedule permits, please join our online discussion on May 20, 2024, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. I will be moderating. Click right here to register.
Participants in this community discussion will include Tracy Rosenberg, the Executive Director of Oakland Privacy; Nick Hidalgo, staff attorney for the ACLU of Northern California, head of its “Technology and Civil Liberties Program”; Matthew Guariglia, Senior Policy Analyst with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Mike Gennaco, who serves as an independent Police Auditor for the City of Santa Cruz, and serves, also, in the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office of Inspector General.
Again, I hope you’ll sign up and join in because this is an extremely important topic, and we all need to know what’s happening, and to understand the implications of what’s happening for both our “privacy” and (ultimately) our “freedom,” as automated license plate readers are deployed throughout our local communities. Here’s that link, one more time:
Please join our online discussion on May 20, 2024, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Click right here to register.
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Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
REOPENING PANDORA’S BOX FOR A NEW OUTCOME ON DAY ONE
The much-trumpeted TIME magazine interview with Donald Trump by Eric Cortellessa a couple of weeks ago, further emphasizes the danger he poses to our democracy should his presidential campaign be successful in November. The former president diagnoses pivotal mistakes in his term in office as “being too nice” to those who disagreed with him. Cortellessa questioned him why he has the trust of a wide swath of voters, yet many of those who worked closely with him refuse to endorse him for a second shot at the Oval Office. Without meeting the question head on, he replies, “I let them quit because I have a heart. I don’t want to embarrass anybody. I don’t think I’ll do that again. From now on, I’ll fire.” The interviewer admits that Trump is stronger and better positioned for a win than in either of his two previous campaigns despite facing criminal court proceedings which he characterizes as a badge of honor, and in spite of his fascist tendencies which he is embracing more fully as the election year progresses. He has expressed his desire to deport more than 11 million people, and is willing to build migrant detention camps with use of US military forces for border control. His wishy-washy standing on pregnancies and abortion has become more cruel by the day, and he is ready on “day one” to free the imprisoned “hostages” who were involved in the US Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021, who he terms as the “J-6 Patriots”…unless someone “was evil and bad.” And how would someone like him even know? NATO’s existence is in jeopardy, as is the security of our European allies who may not be “paid up” with their protection racket monies.
Still stuck in his craw is the existence of the White House pandemic-preparedness office, so that will go by the wayside…just like COVID-19, “one day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” His future staffing will include only those who will back him in his insistence that the 2020 election was stolen, loyalists who will adhere to his detailed agenda to grant him complete power. Trump feels he knows the ins-and-outs of DC, having done the drill once, when he had to depend upon others to guide him through the mysteries of Washington politics…plus, he will have more support in Congress than previously. He told TIME he would not attempt to overturn the Constitution’s barring of a third term, with public opinion providing a check on any attempt to do so. Cortellessa quotes George Orwell who wrote in 1945, that the ability of governments to carry out their designs “depends on the general temper in the country.” The true believers of the Trump base see his election as one of revolutionary promise, but to much of the country and the civilized world it personifies alarming probabilities. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley says a second Trump presidency could bring “the end of democracy, and the birth of a new kind of authoritarian presidential order.” His cohorts are planning a restructuring of the underpinnings of the office into that of a unitary executive theory, removing those impediments imposed by Congress and the courts, favoring a more powerful Commander in Chief, with a heavier thumb on the Department of Justice. Now attempting to downplay his earlier threats of retribution toward his perceived enemies, he leaves a slight opening saying, “It would depend on the situation. We’re gonna look at a lot of things. What they’ve done is a terrible thing.” A previous threat to appoint a “real special prosecutor” to go after Joe Biden for his “crimes” was soft-pedaled with a confident “I am sure Biden will be prosecuted for his crimes,” though no evidence of such has been brought to light.
When asked about his remark to Sean Hannity on not being a dictator – “except for day one. I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill” – he claims it “was said in fun, in jest, sarcastically,” comparing it to 2016’s asking Russia to hack and leak Hillary Clinton’s emails…which seemed to bring results. Yet he maintains of his dictatorial aspirations, “I think a lot of people like it,” which is unfortunately true. Jeffrey Engel of Southern Methodist University said, “This was a president who did to like the results of an election, did not like the fact that he was being voted out, and decided that his personal interests were more important than the constitutional process.” And of 2024, Trump was asked if he’s worried there would be violence if he loses, saying, “I don’t think we’re going to have that. I think we’re going to win. And if we don’t win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election,” or as he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “If everything’s honest, I’ll gladly accept the results. If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country.” And the only fair election is in Trump’s favor? Or so it would seem from all his supporters who offer only insipid, pathetic answers when questioned about the election outcome and its ramifications. Then we have to consider Arizona’s Senate candidate, Kari Lake, suggesting supporters “strap on a Glock” prior to the election, or Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton advocating tossing protestors off the Golden Gate Bridge, and the latest by Governor Kristi ‘It Had to Be Done’ Noem in offing her 14-month old puppy because it was too puppy-ish.
In January, Trump warned us that if his four criminal indictments prevent him from winning, the result will be “bedlam in the country. It’s the opening of a Pandora’s box.” “He’s telling us what his intentions are, as he did before January 6,” says Harvard University terrorism expert, Juliette Kayyem in a PBS interview. “The language of incitement. If he loses, we certainly know from what Trump has said – and we know from what the FBI is telling us – that there are large groups and organizations that are preparing to continue the fight.” He claims Hillary Clinton and the Democrats rigged the 2016 vote to prevent his achieving a popular vote dominance, and the 2020 election will never be settled for him, saying, “2024 is our final battle.” Aldous J. Pennyfarthing says, “The best way to interview Trump is to…not interview him. But since TIME magazine did that very thing, with his latest fibs being just fragrant fish heads in a whopping seafood ‘n’ BS paella, it’s important to at least take as taste if we want the full picture of his depravity.” To fact check Trump’s claims, go here.
Alas, poor Donald Trump saw the departure of a member of the Florida delegation headed to the July GOP convention in Milwaukee…son Barron who was to join his two half-brothers and half-sister, Tiffany, has bowed out due to prior commitments. Or was it because mama Melania decided he didn’t need to follow in the sleazy footsteps of the other family members? Most media outlets gave him bad coverage after the announcement so Barron may not be labeled a monster after all…at least until his next misstep. Delegate, and son, Eric Trump claimed on Fox News Saturday that his family has never done anything wrong! Interviewer Mark Levin asked about the criminal hush money trial against his father, with Eric replying, “Well, Mark. A hundred and ten subpoenas in the last seven years. Those are ones that I’ve received personally…I’ve never gotten so much as a traffic ticket. We’re a good family. Never done anything wrong. The way they’ve come after my father since he’s gone down that elevator is unthinkable.” He failed to mention that in the last year alone, Pops has been found liable in separate civil cases for fraud, defamation and sexual abuse, compounded by hundreds of millions of dollars in punitive actions; or, how about the four criminal indictments for stealing classified documents, for attempting to overthrow the US government, for attempting to subvert the election results in Georgia, or falsifying business records after romping with a porn star? So, Eric, what about the ‘family’ of current and former allies who are now convicted, and in the hoosegow, for their white-collar crimes?
Xtwitter was quick to respond to Eric’s claim: “I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that if you have received 110 subpoenas in just the space of a few years, you might be either a head of agency or a criminal,” “Your family is a bunch of con artists, traitors, crooks, and all-around miserable human beings,” “Eric needs his head examined. This is a factual statement,” “We’re a vegan family. We’ve never harmed any chickens. – Colonel Sanders.” A rough estimate of fines and penalties for Trump and his enterprises since 1988 total approximately $710,528,000, which seems just a tad into the criminal realm. Which brings up the report from last Saturday from The New York Times and ProPublica – a lengthy investigation by the IRS indicates Donald Trump could owe more than $100M in underpaid taxes for losses he claimed on his Chicago skyscraper, Trump International Hotel and Tower – by double-dipping in his filings. Eric claims this matter was settled years ago, supported by tax experts including the former general counsel of the IRS, but was revisited only when his father ran for the presidency. Donald bullied his way as a TV personality and a supposed real estate mogul into building his own political movement, refusing to release his tax filings “because we are being audited.” Well, maybe he was being truthful, after all…not justification for hiding his IRS returns, however! Trump has a history of ‘tax mishaps’ and underpayments, and it is known that he paid no federal taxes for a decade before winning the presidency.
And just when we think Trump’s Sleaze-athon can’t get any worse, he can barely hide his wide-open corruption tendencies. In a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with the country’s top oil executives, he responded to one of the attendee’s complaints of burdensome environmental regulations and futile lobbying of the Biden administration to the tune of $400M in 2023, by making an offer that stunned many. He asked them to raise $1B to put him back in the White House, whereupon he would reverse many of Biden’s rules and policies, and head off any new regulations from enactment, while making their tax burdens lighter. Aldous J. Pennyfarthing comments, “Of course, while a Trump promise is usually worth less than the sallow flap of neck skin his prison tattoo will eventually be printed on, you can rest assured he’d keep this one. For one thing, he wants that money spigot to stay open. For another, he hates anything that might save the planet and/or muss his golden tresses. And, well, he’s not exactly a policy maven so much as a clean slate that anyone with a couple billion dollars can write on like a yard sale Etch-A-Sketch.” Politico reports that the US oil powerhouse is completing ready-to-sign executive orders for Trump, aimed at pushing natural gas exports, cutting drilling costs and increasing offshore oil leases in the event he wins his second term, but then loses focus on energy issues for a quick reversal of green policies. Aldous adds, “And you should remember this excerpt in four years when you’re squatting in an ice bucket in northern Alaska, celebrating Earth Day by watching oil refineries explode. All this is particularly sad considering the clear benefits of Biden’s green infrastructure initiatives, which Trump would no doubt seek to roll back out of ignorance, spite, love of money, and a presumed hatred of narwhals. Well, as the old saying goes, ‘you got to dance with them what brung you,’ and it’s clear Trump is dancing for dollars – when he’s not fixing to jitterbug his way out of jail.”
Quoting The Atlantic magazine, Shirley Kennedy writes on The Palmer Report, “The Atlantic called Trump’s action ‘entirely legal and absolutely corrupt.’ The magazine wanted to put this information in the public eye so that people can learn to look at every aspect of Trump as a candidate. Promising favors to people for money is despicable, and that sort of behavior does not deserve a position of power to change laws. While Trump and his cronies may think they know what’s best for all of us, they don’t even give us an opportunity to contribute, by holding these meetings behind closed doors. Kudos to The Atlantic and Washington Post for bringing this vile information too light. As The Atlantic said, Trump is ‘arguably worse’ than other politicians who use these methods to gain entrance to the highest office in the land. Should he be elected, Trump will do nothing for anyone but himself. For this and reasons too numerous to name, Trump cannot be allowed to resume the presidency.”
Robert Harrington posted on The Palmer Report, “Of course we don’t know what their [the oil executives] decision will be – yet. But we do know something else about them. Of the couple dozen oil criminals on hand at MAGA-Lardo, only one person came squeamishly, anonymously forward to tell about it. The rest were going to just let it slide. Maybe they wouldn’t make a deal with the devil after all. Maybe instead they’d just hope the devil would do it anyway without their having to pony up a billion bucks. And you know what? They’re probably right to think just that.”
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Dale Matlock, a Santa Cruz County resident since 1968, is the former owner of The Print Gallery, a screenprinting establishment. He is an adherent of The George Vermosky school of journalism, and a follower of too many news shows, newspapers, and political publications, and a some-time resident of Moloka’i, Hawaii, U.S.A., serving on the Board of Directors of Kepuhi Beach Resort. Email: cornerspot14@yahoo.com. |
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EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Deep Cover” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.
“Recycling”
“When you put the whole picture together, recycling is the right thing to do.”
~Pam Shoemaker, Author
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
~Albert Einstein, Physicist
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
~Native American Proverb
“Recycling, packaging – businesses are changing all of those things because that’s what consumers want.”
~Jerry Greenfield, Co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled, or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.”
~Pete Seeger, Folk Singer & Social Activist
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Losing My Religion, the REM song, performed by Gregorian Monks. You’re welcome! |
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