December 4 – 10, 2019

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…Update on UCSC’s East Meadow plans, Chip visits from Boulder. GREENSITE…“Only one more week without a piece from Greensite”. KROHN…about weather, and water, the March 3rd primary, recall notes and fact-checking. STEINBRUNER…Her own Supervisor campaign news, Soquel Creek Water District plans and plots. PATTON…why he’s voting for Bernie. EAGAN…Subconscious Comics and Deep Cover. JENSEN…Me and My Girl. BRATTON…I critique Dark Waters, Queen & Slim, A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”RAIN”
                                 

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GALA CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, PACIFIC AVENUE DECEMBER 2 P.M. 1946. Don’t overlook the “majestic” St. George Hotel and the “Monkey Ward” catalog store. I think Bookshop Santa Cruz is where we see the Beauty Salon Sign. Any additional info would be appreciated.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

THE MOST UNUSUAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE WORLD.
KPIX NEWS AND HOMELESS ON THE BEACH. This is from Sept.1, 2019.

DATELINE December 2 

UPDATE ON UCSC’S EAST MEADOW DEVELOPMENT. The East Meadow Action Committee or (EMAC) issued an email last Friday (11/29). It talks about a lawsuit, the Long Range Development plan, and because they are talking about the next 20 years they ask for our financial help. Read the complete email…

“Thanks to all who have worked to protect it, the East Meadow is still undeveloped, a year and a half beyond its originally scheduled destruction. We can be grateful for this. But the struggle continues. Last August, a group from EMAC met with UCSC’s new Chancellor Cynthia Larive and new acting Vice Chancellor Lori Kletzer. Its administration might be open to a reconsideration of its plans for Student Housing West. It was also clear, however, that the presence of a lawsuit has been an important factor in keeping alternate possibilities alive.

Now, several months after that meeting, with no word from the administration, it seems clear that litigation is probably the only way to spare the meadow. We and our attorneys believe that we have a strong case that will prove the university violated California environmental law when it rushed to put prefab sprawl in the meadow. We are now preparing our legal brief, due in mid-January. The court date is scheduled for May 1, and we anticipate a ruling later that month. 

The upcoming phase of the process will be costly, and we are therefore asking for your further support. The fight could have implications beyond the meadow itself. The university has been holding discussions on its new Long-Range Development Plan, to guide campus growth for the next twenty years. By continuing to hold the administration to account we help ensure that further development will adhere to environmental law and good planning principles.  Saving the East Meadow is a victory for the campus, for what makes UCSC special.  Your support will be decisive.

With thanks,

East Meadow Action Committee (EMAC)

CHIP AND BOULDER THAN EVER.
Chip, our dedicated and devoted executive director of the Downtown Association, moved on to become chief executive officer (CEO) of the Downtown Boulder Partnership, in Boulder, Colorado. I bumped into him and his family when they were visiting here last Friday. I asked for a quote re his new job. He said, “Boulder is like Santa Cruz with a budget”. Now we know.

GREENSITE’S INSIGHT. She’s still in Australia but says, “Only one more week without a piece from Greensite”. (ie. Dec. 9)

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.
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December 2 

Winter of Our Content
Now, it is suddenly winter. The rain is here and we are so luxuriantly content, at least if it does not all fall at once. It certainly has been coming down. Nothing for months and then an avalanche of water. I’m loving it so far because it means the wildfire effect is minimized and things begin to turn green and greener. Life is a bit slower. Getting around is slightly impaired by all this water that is replenishing Loch Lomond Reservoir (that needed only a bit of replenishing), groundwater aquifers, and rainwater run-off systems are all revived. Lying in bed listening to the thud, thud, thudding of rain is so glorious that rest itself increases.

Politics of Water
The good news is we won’t be talking about drought for a while and the Fire Department just might get a deserved rest after fighting the blazes of autumn. The bad news is the Water Department infrastructure has to be maintained and Santa Cruzans have become so adept at conserving water, the same water that the system sells less of and therefore has to contemplate raising fees even with all this water around. We have entered a decade-long upgrade of city water infrastructure and over $100 million is planned to be spent on improving the system. So, water bills are not going down anytime soon.

March 3rd Primary
CA is in play! The California primary is now March 3rd and it could be a bell-weather state for Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren. It appears that Joe Biden has given up on the Golden State for now having chosen to skip two Democratic Party conventions this year. His handlers generally keep him away from any direct policy questions. Biden is likely banking on prevailing in two or three of the first primaries–New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada–building his Joe-mentum thing and then asking California voters: who has the best chance of beating Trump? Harris is not doing so well in state polls and is likely banking on second or third place finishes in Iowa and South Carolina in order to get some traction in CA. Pete Buttigieg is seeking to do an Obama and be so many things to so many people and it just might work. His resume–military, mayor of small American city, boy-genius– is still pretty slim. He’s probably thinking if only I was a billionaire…

Santa Cruz, March 3, 2019
There will be local issues too on the primary ballot, the Recall being most close-up and personal to me. How it got this far is quite the discussion, but how to run and defend my record while combating many of the lies told to petition-signers is what is now most important. Here is a three-parter, number one is my record, number two is a plan for the rest of this year, and number three, is a way to disseminate the facts from the fiction and ultimately create more openness and transparency in local government.

Record

  • More general fund money went to projects and programs supporting kids, workers, and tenants than would have otherwise if the four-person majority had not been elected;
  • The Service Employee International Union (SEIU) received one of their largest raises in years–10% over three years;
  • All downtown employees now have access to free Metro bus passes;
  • Kaiser-Permanente’s 13 doctors and their staff now have a home in downtown Santa Cruz at the Cooper House;
  • Tenant Sanctuary received funding to work with struggling renters when they have disputes with landlords;
  • This council recently passed the state’s rent control and just cause eviction legislation, several weeks earlier than it would have taken effect otherwise throughout the state
  • on (Jan. 1);
  • Two new pro-affordable housing Planning Commissioners were appointed by our majority;
  • A climate emergency was passed;
  • stopped the Corridors Plan and redirected staff’s work;
  • Oral Communication was moved to the 7pm session so more residents could have access to the city council.

Plans for 2020

  • Direct Economic Development and Planning staff to begin negotiating with non-profit housing providers to initiate affordable housing projects on three city-owned downtown parcels;
  • Renovate the Downtown Library;
  • Go forward with plans to acquire a much needed 24/7 emergency homeless shelter;
  • Form a resident Climate and Bio-diversity Commission to help assist and plan for climate change;
  • Bring together all city commissioners for a retreat on how commissions can integrate their work with each other, and with the city council;
  • Continue working on Traffic Demand Management strategies to bring traffic relief to neighborhoods while offering alternatives to resident’s use of single-occupancy vehicles;
  • And of course, BEAT this recall through vigorous discussion, debate, and information-sharing.

StopSantaCruzRecalls.org

This is a fact sheet prepared by the Stop Santa Cruz Recalls group. It is on their web site at stopsantacruzrecalls.org

The California Constitution does not provide a legal remedy for false claims in recall petitions. Hence the voters need to educate themselves about the facts. 

Allegation: “[Councilmembers Krohn and Glover] repeatedly voted against closing the Ross Camp, while failing to pursue legal, realistic, and humane solutions to homelessness in the City of Santa Cruz. By opposing the closure of the Ross Camp, he contradicted the recommendations of Fire Chief Hajduk and County Health Officer Leff, and endangered the health and safety of Santa Cruz residents, both housed and unhoused.”

Fact Check. 

Councilmembers Krohn and Glover:

  • voted with the Council majority not to close Ross Camp until other locations were in place for residents to go.  When other locations were identified, the Ross Camp was closed. 
  • sought increased health and safety measures at the Ross Camp pending its closure.

Allegation: “[Councilmembers Krohn and Glover] attempted to establish permanent RV parking sites and permanent homeless encampments in residential neighborhoods and city parks in Santa Cruz, without regard for public safety or potential damage to local businesses, and without consulting neighborhood residents, the Fire Department, or the Police Department.”

Fact Check: At Council request, City staff presented several possible alternative locations to shelter Ross camp residents.  Many members of the public expressed concerns about all the locations.  As a result, the Council, including Krohn and Glover, dropped consideration of all locations other than re-opening the Salvation Army camp on upper River St. 

Allegation: “Councilmember Krohn betrayed public trust and violated the Brown Act by requesting closed city council sessions to discuss relocation of the Ross Camp.” 

Fact Check: The minutes and video of the City Council meeting on April 23, 2019, record Councilmember Krohn voting against a motion to go into closed session to discuss the Ross Camp closure.

Allegation: “Council member Glover participated on behalf of the plaintiffs in a federal suit against the City to keep the Ross Camp open.  In a sworn declaration, Glover falsely claimed that there was no health and safety risk at the Ross Camp, contradicting the Fire Chief and County Health Officer.”

Fact Check

  • Freedom of speech and public trust in government requires that elected officials be permitted to testify when called in a lawsuit, even when it is against their City.
  • Glover did not deny health and safety risks at Ross Camp. He testified that those risks could be corrected in order to avoid dispersing hundreds of people back onto the streets and into parks and open spaces.

Allegation: “Councilmember Glover has introduced a culture of chaos, bullying and disruption to public meetings and general City business.”

“Councilmember Krohn… has failed to abide by the Rules of Procedure for Conduct of City Council Business by refusing to treat his fellow Councilmembers with respect.” 

Fact Check: The City hired an investigator to study allegations of misconduct against Krohn and Glover. The investigator’s report found:

  • The sole substantiated allegation against Krohn was that he uttered a sarcastic laugh during a staff person’s presentation to the Council. 
  • The sole substantiated allegation against Glover is that he got angry with a fellow Council member over the scheduling of a conference room. 
  • There is no evidence to substantiate that these incidents were motivated by gender. 
  • The investigator recommended that, “Councilmembers should avoid making public accusations of misconduct or bad faith against one another and against City staff without first privately and internally addressing these concerns and attempting conflict resolution and rectification when possible.”

Conclusion:Our community needs to come together to solve our challenging problems.  The diversity of representation on the Council may be the best way to solve our problems in a way that the needs of all people are addressed. Diverse points of view can sometimes lead to conflicts around policy.  Factual distortions and groundless accusations damage the community’s ability to successfully resolve difficult problems.

Look out for those in politics who like to label themselves “fiscally responsible,” yet only seem to care about the price of justice – not the cost of oppression. Everything has a price. And an unjust society is far costlier than one that invests in & values all people. (Nov. 27)
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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December 2

READY TO RUN!
Many thanks to all who donated money and good wishes for my campaign to become the  County Supervisor  in the Second District.  I will have enough money to take out nomination papers and will officially be a candidate by Friday, December 6.  I look forward to working with those interested in supporting my campaign and intend to run with a serious intent of winning.  There are big problems not only in the Second District, but throughout the County that I feel need better leadership that represents and is responsive to the concerns and needs of the people in rural areas as well as the urban parts of the County. You can look forward to reading more about who I am and what I stand for in next week’s column.  

GAVIN NEWSOM RELATED TO NANCY PELOSI?
In doing more research about political process, and listening to some excellent radio programs, I learned an odd bit of trivia…Gavin Newsom and Nancy Pelosi are related.  While it may not affect Santa Cruz County infrastructure and housing problems, I think it is interesting to ponder.

Take a look here and see what you think 

CHANGING THE CITY’S CHARTER TO ACCOMMODATE SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT’S TIME CONSTRAINT FOR CONSTRUCTION?
This week’s  City of Santa Cruz Water Commission agenda included the informational item 6.6 that would place on the March, 2020 ballot the initiative to change the City’s Charter regarding how Public Works projects are handled.  It would allow the City to no longer be required to put projects out to bid and accept the lowest bidder. as is the current language in Section 1415.  It would instead allow the City Manager to approve a public works project contract using vaguely-defined “best alternative delivery model”, that would seemingly cater to Soquel Creek Water District’s recently-funded project to inject treated sewage water into the drinking water supply of the MidCounty.

 Governor Brown signed SB 785 five years ago to allow cities to use this alternative bidding method.  Why would the City just now decide to change the City Charter to be able to use this method?  In my opinion, it’s all because of Soquel Creek Water District, and the agreement the City has with them to build the tertiary treatment plant for the PureWater Soquel Project on the premises of the City’s wastewater treatment facility.  The $50 Million state grant that the District just got requires that they MUST have their Project online by 2022.

Soquel Creek Water District has already issued a call for RFQ (Request for Qualifications) for the Project treatment plant in Live Oak and conveyance system from Santa Cruz to Live Oak.

The District has also have issued an RFQ for the company that would manage the very risky business of making sure the treatment processes work properly and not inject contamination into the aquifer….what a tragic and irreversible disaster it would be to inject treated sewage into the aquifer. 

Now, it seems the City of Santa Cruz is willing to change the City’s Charter, just to accommodate the Soquel Creek Water District’s misguided focus to inject treated sewage water, using vast amounts of energy, cause significant negative damage to the environment during construction,  and potentially causing irreversible contamination of the aquifer if there were system malfunctions.  Doing so, however, would allow the City to keep it’s agreement with the District, approved by the City Council on June 27, 2019, to share the tertiary treatment facility at the City’s wastewater treatment plant.  The District would build the plant, the City would operate it (unless some design-build-operate model were used, but is currently not allowed by the City’s Charter), and the City would provide the sewage water to the District for free.

Look at page 140 of the City Water Commission December 2, 2019 agenda packet.  It is nearly the exact same slide as was shown to the Soquel Creek Water District Board in July, 2018 when they were considering how to build the PureWater Soquel Project by 2022 and thereby get the State to help pay for it:

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=78246

Take a look at page 13 of the Soquel Creek Water District Special Board Meeting held on July 24, 2018 agenda when the Board met with a consultant to outline the various “fast-track construction” options the District could take in order to get the PureWater Soquel Project online by 2022. https://www.soquelcreekwater.org/sites/default/files/documents/board-meeting/meeting-minutes/07-24-18%20Special%20Meeting%20Minutes_final.pdf   We should also note that the Board was considering all this at a time when they were telling the public that they had not made any decisions about action on the PureWater Soquel Project, which was still undergoing environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process.

Write the Santa Cruz City Council and ask for justification of this proposed City Charter amendment Section 1415 that would, in my opinion, not encourage a level playing field for local construction contractors, and would remove the transparency of the public works bidding process.  You can compare the new language with the existing on page 144 of the Water Commission agenda packet: http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=78246

Santa Cruz City Council <CityCouncil@cityofsantacruz.com>

COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HOLD SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
The Board of Supervisors scheduled a Special Meeting on Monday, December 2, at the County Sheriff Center in Live Oak.  The agenda posted was rather vague, but I attended as well as submitting written comment in advance.  I was surprised to see a full house…mostly County staff.  Congressman Jimmy Panetta, State Senator Bill Monning, State Assemblyman Robert Rivas, and State Assemblyman Mark Stone all spoke about legislative priorities that affect our area.  County Supervisors then each spoke.    I will report more about this next week….it was audio recorded by CTV.  

As usual, Chairman Ryan Coonerty would not grant me an extra minute to speak when I asked.  He wanted to give everyone a chance to speak; he said…all four of us.

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING.  DO SOMETHING! Cheers, Becky

Becky Steinbruner is NOW running for Second District County Supervisor. She 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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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Saturday, November 30

#334 / Why I Am Voting For Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders, in Burlington, Vermont, from an article in The New York Times

Today’s blog posting is a kind of “follow-up” to my blog posting yesterday. In that Friday blog post, I suggested that our political system (at the national and state levels, though not at the local level, of course) operates as if we had a “parliamentary” system of government. And we don’t have a parliamentary system of government; at least, that is not the way the United States Constitution indicates that our governmental system is supposed to work.

When I read The New York Times on Thanksgiving, I was struck by an article on Bernie Sanders’ first successful political campaign, as Sanders ran for Mayor in Burlington, Vermont, and won. Here is a link to the article, which is titled “Sanders Forged Idea of Change Inside City Hall.” Actually, that is the title I found in the hard-copy edition that showed up on my front walkway. Online, the article is called, “Bernie Sanders vs. The Machine.” The article focused on Sanders’ campaign for Mayor, outlines a theory of political change that is most definitely not “parlimentary,” or “partisan.” I think it has a lot to tell us about how we could change our politics today – and how that would be a huge improvement.

I have some positive feelings about the presidency of Barack Obama, but anyone who cares about putting the “people” over “party,” in the politics of our nation, probably understands the following comment by Sanders, which indicates why he regards the Obama presidency as a lost opportunity for the restoration of democracy in our country: 

Throughout the 2020 campaign, Mr. Sanders has sounded like an echo of his younger self … He has pledged to campaign in even the reddest of states against lawmakers who oppose his ideas, including against conservative Democrats. It is a method of governing untested in the modern presidency. 

Mr. Sanders suggested in the interview that the last Democratic president, Mr. Obama, would have done well to apply relentless pressure of the kind he envisions, rather than seeking “middle ground” with Republicans. 

“Obama ran one of the great campaigns in American history — a brilliant campaign,” Mr. Sanders said. “Do I think he should have maintained that grass roots support and activism in his first term, in a way he did not do? Yeah, I do.” 

Mr. Sanders said he had discussed the subject with Mr. Obama in a private meeting. “He will tell you that it’s harder than it looks, which it is,” he said. 

He declined to elaborate on the details of their discussion. But asked whether Mr. Obama had raised any doubts in his mind about his theory of power, Mr. Sanders answered in a word — “No” — and pointed to Burlington. 

“At the end of a few years,” he said, “a sleepy political city became one of the most politically conscious and progressive cities in America.”

I was a Sanders’ delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2016, and I am supporting his presidential candidacy this year, too. The Times’ article outlines why. I believe that the kind of politics that is described in this article can work, even on the national level. I hope those reading this will review the article, and consider its argument as they cast their votes in the California Presidential Primary election on March 3rd. Incidentally, since The New York Times maintains a “paywall,” and that may prevent some or even all persons reading this blog posting from clicking through to the online version of the article, I have not only included a significant quote, above, but have also downloaded the article as a PDF. No pictures, but you can click right here to read the text if The Time’s paywall prevents you from reading the article on The Times’ website. 

I formed my own idea of how politics works (or can work) in local politics in Santa Cruz County during the 1970s and 1980s. I know what happened here, and it was very much like what happened in Burlington, Vermont. Our experience in Santa Cruz County indicates that politics can produce truly “revolutionary” changes in the way our communities operate. Measure J, the Growth Management Referendum Measure enacted by the people of Santa Cruz County in 1978, fundamentally changed land use policy in our local community.

I agree with Sanders that we need to try to bring the techniques that worked in Burlington (and in Santa Cruz County in the 1970s and 1980s) to the national level. 

President Obama is right, as Sanders says, that this is “harder than it looks.” Admitted. But the stakes are pretty high. For instance, this upcoming presidential election may well determine the possibility of a continued commitment to democracy in the United States of America. This, also, may be an election that will decide the fate of human civilization, given the reality of global warming, and the fact that the United States must radically change what it does, and lead the world in making comparable changes, if we wish to stave off the growing likelihood of a civilization-ending environmental disaster. 

To be successful with the kind of politics that Sanders is advocating is definitely “harder than it looks.” But I think it’s worth a try. Think about that. Without going too “religious” on you, and with the recognition that Sanders is Jewish, consider this timeless observation, from Rabbi Hillel, as you cast your vote: 

“If I am not for myself, then who is for me? 
If I am for myself alone, then what am I?   
 If not now, when?”

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Just a peek at what makes everything so obvious and confusing. scroll downwards.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Classic Covers ” 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

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Hands up, everybody who remembers Fat Freddy’s Cat! Why am I hanging on to this recently unearthed relic of hippie nostalgia? It’s a souvenir of the day I first walked into Atlantis Fantasyworld and met my future. Read all about it this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also: only one more weekend to catch Me And My Girl, the cornball but lavishly entertaining holiday musical from Jewel Theatre Company!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

DARK WATERS. You’ll never look at your Teflon or DuPont products the same way after seeing this fine film. Mark Ruffalo plays the real-life attorney who finally wins his case against DuPont, with the political and financial odds stacked 100% in favor of DuPont, the world’s largest chemical company. Just in case you want to stop supporting DuPont, stop using Kevlar, Styrofoam, Corian, Dow Corning, Great Stuff, Prima Green and many more names you can find on their website.

QUEEN & SLIM. Some character in this movie calls Queen and Slim the “Black Bonnie and Clyde”,and it fits. It’s a long chase featuring this mostly likable couple, caused by Slim killing an insane cop, and their adventures on the lam. There’s even some jokes and humor in it. But it’s really a vivid reminder of the police brutality, racism, and violence we read and hear about daily under the Trump administration. Go see it.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I think Americans now regard Mr. Rogers as our own Dalai Lama. Tom Hanks is the only actor in the world who could take and do so well in this movie. But before you go, if you haven’t already,  emember that this is not really about Mr. Rogers, but about an Esquire magazine writer who interviewed Rogers and his rigid, tormented life and choices. Chris Cooper is back as the writer’s father. It’s an oddly structured film, with many unusual directors’ touches. After skimming around the internet to see what the real Mr. Rogers was like, all I found was that he was an ordained Presbyterian minister, and went to Dartmouth. His mom knitted all his sweaters, he liked his wife’s dirty jokes, he had fun farting and he was a registered Republican. 

JOJO RABBIT. Centered on Nazi Germany, this is very rare political comedy with funny scenes. A little boy has Adolf Hitler as an invisible buddy. Scarlett Johansson plays the little boy’s mom, and does one of very finest acting jobs, ever. Hitler and the screwed up political/ military scene will make you think of Trump and our own screwed up political/ military scene. A wonderful and rare film, do not miss it!! 

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable! It just became the biggest – money making attendance record R-rated film ever!!!.  Now (11/18) it’s taken in over 1 billion dollars.

THE IRISHMAN. When you have Robert De Niro , Al Pacino , and  Joe Pesci in a mobster film directed by Martin Scorsese you have a monumental achievement in motion pictures.  Yes it’s 3 ½ hours long and you’ll love every minute of it. It’s a gang driven recalling of their past by these masters,  all in their 70’s. Al Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa and at long last we find out what happened to Hoffa’s body (at least according to this film adaption from a book) when he disappeared in 1975. Go online now and see that people are still today wondering and predicting where Hoffa’s body is, but see the movie first. 96 on RT. (CLOSES THURSDAY December 5)

THE GOOD LIAR. Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen two of the finest actors in contemporary films had never made a movie together. It’s too bad that this one wasn’t the predictable, slow moving cute product that it is. It is a treat to watch these pros work together; they are as great as almost every movie goer knows but the script is a poor copy of a plot that deserved to be better. But, in spite of all that,  go see it…they are perfect in their parts.

PARASITE. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho outdid his other international screen successes with Parasite. Wikipedia calls it a dark comedy thriller and so do I. It’s winning awards everywhere and deserves them all. There’s brain surgery, murder, basement dwellers, numerous surprises, even some shocks and well worth your seeing it ASAP.

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN. Actor Edward Norton not only plays the Tourette syndrome plagued detective posing as a reporter but he directed the movie too. It takes place in NYC in the 1950’s . Alec Baldwin plays a character based on Robert Moses the evil developer of NYC. Willem Dafoe and Bruce Willis have small parts. The movie is not only confusing, but it drags on and on with little if any conclusion. And no, you won’t believe Norton’s actors version of faked Tourette’s either.  (CLOSES THURSDAY December 5)

HARRIET. A real Hollywood tear jerker of Harriet Tubman’s amazing life and what she accomplished fighting slavery. Cynthia Erivo is excellent as Harriet and even looks like her. However the crashing crescendos of sobbing music, the homey corniness of so much of the plot and much of the acting makes this look and feel like a 1940’s Hollywood soap opera.

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers program read their entries on December 3. Alicia Kuhl from the Santa Cruz Homeless Union opens the December 10 program. She’s followed by Felicia Van Stolk, executive Director of the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, talking about their new exhibits and some exciting changes. Environmentalist Grey Hayes returns December 17 talking about saving our local environment. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc  You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

I love her accent so much…

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourneon Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

“RAIN”

“A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain” Robert Frost

“I always like walking in the rain, so no one can see me crying.”  Charlie Chaplin 

“Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure.” Emily Wing Smith, Back When You Were Easier to Love

“It was a rainy night. It was the myth of a rainy night”. JACK KEROUAC, On the Road 


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com


Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

November 27 – December 4, 2019

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…Saving the historic Merriman House from the Fire Department. GREENSITE…Still in Australia…still no internet. Next week for sure! KROHN…Letter to Justin Cummings and Sandy Brown for Vice Mayor. STEINBRUNER…Announcing her new run for County Supervisor, Aptos Village and Zach Friend, Zach’s trash talk, UCSC’s LRDP. PATTON…Politics and power and Fun! EAGAN…Deep Cover, Subconscious Comics JENSEN…Reviews the Good Liar and Pain and Glory. BRATTON…no new ones and some critiques of excellent “old ones”. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”COLLEGE”

                                 

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SANTA CRUZ’S HISTORIC MERRIMAN HOUSE. Robert Merriman lived here on Capitola Road. He was a Spanish Civil War (Lincoln Brigade) hero, and an inspiration to Ernest Hemingway for the hero and lead in “For Whom The Bell Tolls”. Developers and our fire department want to destroy/burn the house down.                                               

photo credit: a Bratton photo –  taken 11/23/19

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

THE QUEEN AND HER THRONE.
ORIGINAL VIDEO: WILSON, KEPPEL & BETTY, Sand Dance 1933.

DATELINE November 25

FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN HISTORIC MERRIMAN HOUSE!
Joe Michalak, the Commissioner of our Santa Cruz County Historic Preservation Commission,
has been working and researching hard for years now to save the Robert Merriman House. Last week he wrote to BrattonOnline… “Thanks for your mention of the Merriman House. After we lost the battle with the County, I received a call from the Planning Department informing me that I could have the house if I’d be willing to move it at my own expense. She even gave me the name of a house-moving company. That possibility wasn’t in the cards. If I didn’t want the house, she informed me that the Fire District wanted to use it for a “burn” exercise. I told her that burning down the Merriman House would not be a good look. Just to clarify, the Merriman House came under County jurisdiction, and is not regulated by the City of Santa Cruz. The County Historic Resources Commission had oversight”.  

Joe Michalak continued… “here is the document that Judy Steen and I researched and wrote to County Supervisor John Leopold and county staff, regarding our rationale for saving the house and turning it into a community resource that could be integrated into the Dientes Health project. It is a little detailed, but contains a history of Robert Hale Merriman and his subsequent impact. John Kenneth Galbraith praised his heroism and character. John McCain, looked to Robert Jordan (the fictional character based on the life of Merriman), the hero of For Whom the Bell Tolls as his lodestone. After reading the Hemingway novel at the age of twelve, McCain was inspired by Jordan’s deeds and dedication to “a cause greater than oneself.” McCain asserted in his biography that the Jordan character inspired him during the most horrific moments of his captivity in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.
One of the best books on the Spanish Civil War is the one written by Adam Hochschild, Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939 (Houghton Miffline, 2016). You must also read Marion Merriman and Warren Lerude, American Commander in Spain: Rober Hale Merriman and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, (U. Nevada, 1986). Marion, Bob Merriman’s widow recounts their life together in Berkeley and the battlefields of Spain”.

Santa Cruzans who care about tradition, honor, and community should care about this fatal attack on our history. From what I surmise the best action we can take is to write, email, call County Supervisor John Leopold and let him know how disappointed we are in his actions. It was more than kind of John Laird to send BrattonOnline this note last Thursday. “Bruce You mentioned Robert Merriman in your column.  There’s a great book – Spain in Our Hearts – 2016, by Adam Hochschild (involved with Mother Jones – his wife Arlie Hochschild taught at UCSC in the early years).  The book is about Americans in the Spanish Civil War, and has great info on Robert Merriman, including the end”. John is of course running for 17th district California State Senate. Bill Monning is termed out. Our bizarre district includes Atascadero, Pismo beach and 11.7% of Santa Clara County.

GREENSITE’S INSIGHT. Skips a week. She’s in Australia and not near a computer.

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.
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Nov. 24, 2019

AN OPEN LETTER TO JUSTIN CUMMINGS.

Dear Justin,

Thank you for allowing me to join you today. I appreciated seeing everyone, and I am glad you are meeting regularly with these folks. I regret that my passion is likely to have made you uncomfortable.

Giving Thanks

A lot has happened this year. We have made some terrific strides in what I call, “the progressive project.” 

  • More general fund money went to projects and programs supporting kids, workers, and tenants than would have if the four of us had not been elected. 
  • The Service Employee International Union (SEIU)received one of their largest raises in years–10% over three years;
  • all downtown employees are now eligible for Metro bus passes; 
  • Kaiser-Permanente’s 13 doctors and  their staff now have a home in downtown Santa Cruz at the Cooper House; 
  • Tenant Sanctuary received funding to work with struggling renters; 
  • we passed the state’s rent control and just cause eviction legislation several weeks earlier than it would have taken effect otherwise; 
  • two new pro-affordable housing Planning Commissioners were appointed by our majority;
  • a climate emergency was passed; 
  • stopped the Corridors Plan and redirected staff’s work;
  • and Oral Communication was moved to the 7pm session so more residents could have access to the city council.
  • Further, plans are afoot to go forward with a very needed 24/7 emergency homeless shelter.

There was, of course, more, but in the history of the Santa Cruz City Council these accomplishments will be considered significant progressive gains, ones not seen in more than a decade. Of course, it does take a village of organizers, some prodding and others pushing, to make such strides, because four councilmembers alone cannot do it.

Issues on the Progressive Table this Thanksgiving

The Harvey West Pool, the Delaveaga Golf Course, 20% inclusionary ordinance, transparency in the way city council agendas are put together, appointments to seats on the Metro and other boards, the city manager’s job status, 0% carbon emissions by 2030, and run-away executive pay are all issues where many residents still seek relief. Many are calling for a different path, a politically progressive path, one that re-orients the old ways of doing the city’s business and makes amends for previous one-sided policies that favor a minority. These issues all involve choices. They are most often political choices, not choices limited to staff expertise.

Politics is About Making Choices
We have a choice before us on Tuesday night. It’s about who will lead the city of Santa Cruz. Will it be just another rubber-stamping experience? Or will it be a Mayor and Vice-Mayor leading a solid progressive majority trying to help our city hold back some pretty powerful players from the real estate and developer sectors? Yes, things have been stirred up, because that is what voters were looking for both in the national and local 2016 election and again in 2018. This past November, to the north of us, a solid progressive city attorney was elected against the wishes of an entrenched mainstream, and the SF Board of Supervisors now has a left-of-center majority. There is a trend here. We can be part of that trend, or not. We make choices. We can choose a Mayor and Vice-Mayor that will lead our progressive coalition, first to a recall victory then to a strong majority in the November 2020 elections. I believe you and Sandy can do that.

Sandy Brown for Vice-Mayor
If we back off now, we will lose ground. Supporting a hostile Vice-Mayor now would not bode well for the recall election or for a progressive victory in November. We have made gains this year, but many more can be made in the year to come if we progressives take and exercise the power voters have given us. In contrast, 2020 will be a rocky year if it is marked by this division. We need to hang on to our tenuous majority of 4 and strengthen it. Sandy as Vice-Mayor will help do that.

Why Sandy?
I take the time to write to you on this spectacularly beautiful Sunday afternoon because I care about this city, about the progressive legacy of this town, about your mayoral year, and about moving the ball up-field and accomplishing what we are capable of this coming year. 

Starting off by selecting for the Vice-Mayor’s seat someone who has voted against almost every significant progressive issue we have been able to pass, who has not stood up for workers or renters when given the legislative opportunities, who I am convinced was not completely honest about my so-called “sarcastic laugh,” and who also has deep tentacles inside the recall camp would be a bad omen. Choosing this candidate over our reliable colleague would signal that we are not only giving up our power, but that their recall strategy is working. Our opponents will not take their foot off the recall gas pedal. They will not stop with the constant stream of untruths. They will continue to seed the undermining of our agenda. There is even an announced candidate for council who wants to reinstate the old wildly unpopular Corridors Plan. It would be too much of a minefield to allow her to be in the position of Vice-Mayor. 

In Closing–City Council Will Select Mayor and Vice Mayor Tues. Nov. 26 at 8p
Yes, my comments here are filled with “inside baseball,” but that is what we all play, as councilmembers. We must let people outside of the stadium know what is going down inside.

The progressives should accept our power now, and exercise it with great care, justice, equity, and fairness.I look forward to working with you this year as Mayor and Sandy Brown as Vice-Mayor. It should be a great year!

Sincerely,

Chris Krohn

Public education, libraries, & infrastructure policies (which we‘ve had before in America and elsewhere in the world!) are not “free stuff.” They are PUBLIC GOODS. And they are worth investing in, protecting, & advancing for all society and future generations. (Nov. 25)

 

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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November 25

STEINBRUNER FOR COUNTY SUPERVISOR !
I have been watching the County election website to see what choices voters will have at the polls next March.  There is no choice for County District Supervisor in the Second District, other than a trash-talking incumbent whose primary interest seems to be climbing the political ladder.  That is no choice.  

Because I feel the people in the Second District deserve a choice, I have decided to run for Second District County Supervisor. Unfortunately, in order to even take out nomination papers to have the necessary 20 supporters for my candidacy sign for me to submit by December 6, and therefore officially declare my candidacy, I have to pay $1232.38, non-refundable.  

I do not have that money.  If you would like to help me scrape that together and give the Second District voters a choice at the polls next March, and support having someone in the office who will listen to what all constituents say, try to honestly help, and not spew vulgar language back at them….I would welcome any and all monetary donations.  

Please send checks made out to “Becky Steinbruner” with a notation of “political donation” and mail to 3441 Redwood Drive, Aptos, CA   95003.  If you are good at creating websites, I would welcome your help.  

I am honest, polite, and sincere. I really care about the people and the environment in this County…and I am worried.  I ran for this office in 2016 and was terrified.  This time, I am not afraid.

TRASH-TALK BY A COUNTY SUPERVISOR IS FUNNY?
Last week’s Good Times reporter Jake Pierce wrote a glowing report about how funny it is to hear County Supervisor Zach Friend pretend to be a comedian by using foul language and piercing criticism.  Is that supposed to be funny?  Maybe for some, but many of Supervisor Friend’s constituents have reported he uses the same trash-talk to them when they bring concerns before him and ask for his help.  

Wow.  What happened to integrity and basic human respect?  Apparently Supervisor Zach Friend thinks it is important and acceptable to appear on stage and shock people with filthy language…and treat his constituents as if they are in and of the same.

I think it is odd that Friend was recently featured on Fox News TV discussing the impeachment proceedings.  I could not get my old computer system to play the audio…It is probably just as well because I find vulgar language offensive.  What a carpetbagger.

WILL SUPERVISOR FRIEND VOTE AGAINST APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT’S PHASE 2?
Recently, Supervisor Zach Friend voted against the Nissan auto dealership in Soquel because, he said, he could not support building something on the site that could not be torn down 15 years from now when the County wants to build something differently there.  His words and logic were shocking (luckily, he did not use vulgar language that day).

So, as the Aptos Village Project’s Phase 2 monstrous development nears coming before the Board of Supervisors for approval, will Supervisor Friend vote against it with the same logic as he used regarding another inappropriate and massive project?  Will he take into account all the common people who have voiced protest over the disastrous traffic congestion that Phase 1 has imposed, or the outrageous amount of money that the County has paid to put in one (soon to be two) traffic lights in the Village to mitigate the traffic disaster of the subdivision?

It likely comes down to how much the Aptos Village Project developers and Aptos Chamber of Commerce members donate to his 2020 re-election campaign.   Stay tuned…the matter may be before the Board of Supervisors as early as December 10.  Do you think it will be on the Consent Agenda?

Take a look at page 3 here to see what’s proposed (try not to use vulgar language when you see this)

You might find the 2003 Market and Financial Issues of Aptos Village Project of interest  especially the discussion on page 8 about it being a mistake to try to work with State Parks to supply 100 parking places for Nisene Marks State Park visitor overflow, and to instead build an overpass to the Cabrillo area on the Kock/Carmichael Property.  Also of interest is the economic need to have a mini-anchor store…the space that was to be used for that has now been taken over by the MidCounty Safety Center and Supervisor Zach Friend’s office (3220 SF).  Some mini-anchor, don’t you think? 

Also on page 8 is the opinion that “The development should preserve and expand on the local, small town flavor and quaintness that currently differentiate the Village from other retail centers in the trade area…”   Take another look at page 3 on the Phase 2 proposal documents above and tell me that the developers have or will accomplish any of that.

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT GETS LOTS OF MONEY TO HELP YOU DRINK EXPENSIVE SEWAGE WATER
I think it is no coincidence that immediately after Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Timothy Schmal denied my legal environmental action against Soquel Creek Water District, the State Water Resources Control Board granted them lots of money to fund their treated sewage water injection project.  Soquel Creek Water District was awarded the last of the Prop. 1 grant money, $50 million, and the remainder of teh low-cost 20-year loan money pot: $36 Million.  The State had been holding off on awarding them the money because, as Director Bruce Daniels stated,  they were very concerned by the legal action and the project being controversial.  Hmmmm….  I have alerted the State that I am appealing Judge Schmal’s ruling.

Soquel Creek Water District convinced the State that people just love the idea of drinking expensive treated sewage water, and got 100 of their friends to write letters of support to the State claiming such.  I wonder how many of those supporters are paying the exorbitant water bills the District now imposes?  

The group photo shown at last Tuesday’s Board meeting showed the entourage that had been to Sacramento that day to testify before the State Water Resources Board and accept the golden ticket.  Among them was the $325/hour attorney from Best, Best & Krieger who flew up from Riverside.  Also included was Robert Singleton, Director of the Santa Cruz Business Council.  He ran unsuccessfully for the Santa Cruz City Council…so he does NOT pay Soquel Creek Water District’s financially punitive and unfair water rates.  I wonder why he was invited to join their party bus to Sacramento?  Maybe he helped get all those 100 letters of support?  Hmmmm….

CONNECTING THE DOTS…..
If think about this, and consider the massive growth the City wants to pound in,  you too will see that the PureWater Soquel Project to inject treated sewage water into the MidCounty aquifer is being supported and fast-tracked to remove barriers to increased development in the MidCounty area, and perhaps beyond.

Read what the County 2020 Growth Goal Report states on page 2:

Potential Impacts from Population Growth 
“The growth management system was instituted to address resource and public services impacts of growth in the County. The most significant concern regarding resources and infrastructure has been the potential and actual water supply shortfall.”

  
This report came before the County Planning Commission on October 23, 2019.

Now, review what County Planners submitted in a federal grant application for the Aptos Village Project area to fund traffic lights to mitigate the congestion caused by the development:

“Aptos Village will be the first segment of the Soquel Drive corridor to implement sustainable transit options in advance of new development, and in this way will serve as a model for the rest of the 7-mile corridor.”    (page 4 of the 2012  TigerIII grant application)

So, now it becomes clearer why they Soquel Creek Water District is pushing this project to inject 1.3 million gallons/day of treated sewage water into the aquifer for local residents to drink after it sits there for two months.  Never mind the huge energy demands and healthy risks…

COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO DISCUSS UCSC 2040 DRAFT PROPOSED LAND USE MAP
There are big plans afoot for UCSC, but will they take the load off the strained housing market?  What about environmental impacts? There are three community meetings planned with the goal “to collaborate with the campus and local community to address issues of mutual importance.”  Here they are:

1) Monday, Dec. 2, noon-2pm   Stevenson Event Center, 1156 High Street
2) Monday, Dec. 2, 6pm-8pm    Seymour Marine Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz
3) Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6pm-8pm    Capitola Community Center, 4400 Jade Street, Capitola

The proposed Project has two lawsuits pending against it

What do you suppose it would take to get the UC leadership to sit down at the mediation table with the local City and County leaders and work out something amazing such as what happened in Davis last year?  Not only did the University agree to house 100% of all new students and make up for some of the back-log, but also agreed to contribute $2.3 Million to infrastructure improvements near the campus! 

Attend the meetings next month, but in the meantime, insist that City and County leaders to step up and follow the good example that the City of Davis and County of Yolo leaders provided.  Do we really want to just make the lawyers richer???

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. BUT JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK! Cheers, Becky Steinbruner 831-685-2915 

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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Monday, November 18, 2019
#322 / Political Hobbyism? Give It A Pass!


A friend recently sent me an excellent article published in the Boston Review, “Politics is For Power, Not Consumption.” I have a feeling that if you read the article you won’t need to buy and read the book shown to the right. I haven’t read the book, but I am definitely recommending the article!

Eitan Hersh, who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University, says that when people engage in genuine political work there is only one reason they do that: they want power. If you aren’t trying to obtain political power then you are not really engaged in politics, according to Hersh. Instead, you’re a “political hobbyist.” Hersh thinks that this is not a good thing. His article explains why.

I tend to think that those engaged in what Hersh would call “genuine,” non-hobbyist political work are not so much seeking out power as they are exercising power they already have. If we want to take self-government seriously, then we need to understand that we (both individually and collectively) have power already. One person’s power is relatively small, of course, but in the course of political organizing, as we combine our individual political power to achieve a particular political purpose, we increase our power. In other words, I basically agree with Hersh, but I want to start from an acknowledgement that we are not “lacking” power which we want to acquire; instead, we are mobilizing the power we already have. 

At any rate, my main point in publishing this blog posting is to encourage anyone reading my blog to read Hersh’s Boston Review article, too. Here is a small sample from the article, which I particularly liked: 

Each vote may seem like an insignificant drop in a 135-million-vote bucket, but the group labors with the knowledge that it is working in concert with like-minded organizations across the state and country each doing its part. The group also knows, and sees, that opposing groups, with very different values, are also getting supporters for the other side. They are in a pitched battle with one another, each seeking political control. 

What they’re all doing, that’s politics. 

I often think of groups like this during evenings I spend on my couch. As I fold laundry half-heartedly, I watch TV and clutch my phone. I refresh my Twitter feed to keep up on the latest political crisis, then toggle over to Facebook to read clickbait news stories, then over to YouTube to see a montage of juicy clips from the latest congressional hearing. I then complain to my family about all the things I don’t like that I have seen. 

What I’m doing, that isn’t politics. 

Most of us are engaging with politics to satisfy our own emotional needs and intellectual curiosities. That’s political hobbyism. 

What I’m doing I call political hobbyism, a catchall phrase for consuming and participating in politics by obsessive news-following and online “slacktivism,” by feeling the need to offer a hot take for each daily political flare-up, by emoting and arguing and debating, almost all of this from behind screens or with earphones on. I am in good company: these behaviors represent how most “politically engaged” Americans spend their time on politics.

I think Hersh’s analysis is right. If you are truly politically “engaged,” that means that you are in actual, personal contact with other real people, working together to accomplish a political goal. 

Would you believe me if I told you that real politics, as Hersh defines it, is lots of fun?

I’m telling you! It is!!! Better than a hobby!

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
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EAGAN’S  SUBCONSCIOUS  COMICS.

EAGAN’S  DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s classic 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. 

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “With the names Helen Mirren and Ian McKellan above the title, who cares about the rest of the movie? Only us pesky critics. Dame Helen and Sir Ian are delightful, of course, but find out why their towering performances are built on an increasingly unstable story in my review of The Good Liar in this week’s Good Times. Also, since my review of the marvelous Pain And Glory didn’t make it into print last week, it’s going up in its entirety this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975. 

 

PAIN AND GLORY. This is probably my favorite film of 2019. I do not state that lightly, I mean it. It was directed and written by Pedro Almodóvar and stars Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Julieta Serrano. It’s about a film director who has lost his energy and drive to make films. He gets into heroin, same sex love, booze and ultimately back into film making. The acting is perfect, directing is shockingly tight, and a masterpiece. See it as soon as possible. 

JOJO RABBIT. A very rare political comedy with numerous funny scenes centered on Nazi Germany,. A little boy has Adolf Hitler as an invisible buddy. Scarlett Johansson plays the little boy’s mom and does one of very finest acting jobs, ever. Hitler and the screwed up political/ military scene will make you think of Trump and our own screwed up political/ military scene. A wonderful and rare film, do not miss it!! 

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable! It just became the biggest – money making attendance record R-rated film ever!!!.  Now (11/18) it’s taken in over 1 billion dollars.

THE IRISHMAN. When you have Robert De Niro , Al Pacino , and  Joe Pesci in a mobster film directed by Martin Scorsese you have a monumental achievement in motion pictures.  Yes it’s 3 ½ hours long and you’ll love every minute of it. It’s a gang driven recalling of their past by these masters,  all in their 70’s. Al Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa and at long last we find out what happened to Hoffa’s body (at least according to this film adaption from a book) when he disappeared in 1975. Go online now and see that people are still today wondering and predicting where Hoffa’s body is, but see the movie first. 96 on RT. 

THE GOOD LIAR. Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen two of the finest actors in contemporary films had never made a movie together. It’s too bad that this one wasn’t the predictable, slow moving cute product that it is. It is a treat to watch these pros work together; they are as great as almost every movie goer knows but the script is a poor copy of a plot that deserved to be better. But, in spite of all that,  go see it…they are perfect in their parts.

PARASITE. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho outdid his other international screen successes with Parasite. Wikipedia calls it a dark comedy thriller and so do I. It’s winning awards everywhere and deserves them all. There’s brain surgery, murder, basement dwellers, numerous surprises, even some shocks and well worth your seeing it ASAP.

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN. Actor Edward Norton not only plays the Tourette syndrome plagued detective posing as a reporter but he directed the movie too. It takes place in NYC in the 1950’s . Alec Baldwin plays a character based on Robert Moses the evil developer of NYC. Willem Dafoe and Bruce Willis have small parts. The movie is not only confusing, but it drags on and on with little if any conclusion. And no, you won’t believe Norton’s actors  version of faked Tourette’s either.

HARRIET. A real Hollywood tear jerker of Harriet Tubman’s amazing life and what she accomplished fighting slavery. Cynthia Erivo is excellent as Harriet and even looks like her. However the crashing crescendos of sobbing music, the homey corniness of so much of the plot and much of the  acting makes this look and feel like a 1940’s Hollywood soap opera.

THE LIGHTHOUSE. Robert Pattinson plays the young, innocent, naïve and new lighthouse keeper wannabe. Willem Defoe works very hard to be the ancient, hard to understand keeper from the old days. Neither of them are likable, and they don’t like each other. And I didn’t like this movie because they were so unlikable. It doesn’t matter much but it’s set in the 1890’s in New England. It’s screened in black and white and in a small square frame. 

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. November 26 has Rick Longinotti for the full hour. Rick is with Stop The Recalls and Campaign for Sustainable Transportation. We’ll talk about Highway One and the library garage proposal. Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers program read their entries on December 3. Alicia Kuhl from the Santa Cruz Homeless Union opens the December 10 program. She’s followed by Jane Mio talking about The San Lorenzo River and related topics. Environmentalist Grey Hayes returns December 17 talking about saving our local environment. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

I don’t understand a word being spoken, but this is the cutest thing ever! Wait for it… 🙂

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    COLLEGE

“Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”  Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country 

“But if you tell folks you’re a college student, folks are so impressed. You can be a student in anything and not have to know anything. Just say toxicology or marine biokinesis, and the person you’re talking to will change the subject to himself. If this doesn’t work, mention the neural synapses of embryonic pigeons.” Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters 

“Usually when you ask somebody in college why they are there, they’ll tell you it’s to get an education. The truth of it is, they are there to get the degree so that they can get ahead in the rat race. Too many college radicals are two-timing punks. The only reason you should be in college is to destroy it.” Abbie Hoffman, Steal This Book 

“I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself”. Stephen Hawking  


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com


Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

November 20 – 26, 2019

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…Camp Ross and Phoenix destroyed, Top Ramen and real danger, saving Mauna Kea from UC, Merriman and Pitt’s Houses. GREENSITE…No dispatch this week from Australia. Greensite out of Internet range. STEINBRUNER…Soquel Creek request denied, City Council and water commission, fire tax and our schools. PATTON…Attorneys and Land Use battles. EAGAN…classic Sub Con and Deep Cover comics. JENSEN…reviews Pain and Glory. BRATTON…critiques The Irishman and The Good Liar. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “Thanksgiving”
                                 

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BEFORE THE DREAM INN. 1955. Long regarded as the biggest loss to our community by environmentalists, you can see what our beachfront looked like before the developers got here. Notice all the trees on Lighthouse Point, and the undeveloped lands surrounding West Cliff Drive.                                                        

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

PROFESSOR PREDICTS LAST 9 AND THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, SORT OF. Candace Brown was kind to send this one…
MONTY PYTHON COMMUNIST QUIZ SKETCH.

DATELINE November 18

CAMP ROSS & PHOENIX DESCENDING. The self-appointed directors/managers of the return to Camp Ross last week (Nov. 10-13) created a genuine and positive concept for solving the homeless problem: not just for Santa Cruz, but with worldwide potential. They established ground space rules, entry regulations, were bringing in toilets, creating food sources, and all of it on territory that was — and is — of no use to anyone. Santa Cruz police entered and ended Camp Ross last Friday morning (Nov. 26), saying it was all about trespassing. It was agreed by an unanimous vote that the City Council will take up this homeless matter again on Tuesday Nov. 26. The council hopefully will at least copy or use the plans from Camp Phoenix as a near-perfect model for a homeless camp. Many have suggested that they use property that is further from the public eye, which seems halfway cruel and a little illogical.

RAMEN WARNING!! I bought a chicken and a beef ramen last week. It had been ages since I depended on them to get me through UCBerkeley. For some reason I looked up ramen on the internet. I guarantee if you read anything online about ramen you’ll never touch it again. It’s chemically dangerous. Look it up…please.

PROTECTING MAUNA KEA FROM UC. We need to consider what our reaction would be if Tesla or Apple or CalTech wanted to build on Our National Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, or Gettysberg. Those are special places for US Citizens, just like Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii is to the locals living there. I got an email stating…Come listen to indigenous elders and cultural practitioners of Hawai’i and learn why they are calling on the UC to withdraw from plans to construct the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) atop Mauna Kea.

The event happens Monday, November 25th, 2019 5:00pm—8:00pm @ College 9 & 10 Multipurpose Room UC Santa Cruz/Free admission

Free dinner, live music & speakers: * Liko Martin— elder songwriter & storyteller of Hawai’I, and 50-year veteran of Hawaiian resistance movements. * Kealoha Pisciotta— Mauna Kea Hui spokesperson, cultural practitioner & former telescope systems specialist. * Laulani Teale— frontline Kanaka Maoli activist, musician, traditional herbalist and peacemaker. * Valentin Lopez— Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, whose tribal territory encompasses Santa Cruz. Chairman Lopez will speak about the Amah Mutsun struggle to protect Juristac, the tribe’s sacred grounds currently threatened by a proposed sand and gravel mine.
This event was organized in response to an urgent request for support issued by Hawaiian cultural practitioners to University of California students. UC provides funding and key leadership in the TMT project as a founding partner. [see GSA resolution link below for more details] 
Kia’i (protectors) of Mauna Kea have maintained a peaceful camp at the base of the mountain since July 15, preventing construction of the TMT from proceeding. Tensions are high, winter is coming, and the State of Hawai’i is threatening to use police or National Guard to remove Hawaiian elders and kia’i by force.
Check it out on Facebook…https://www.facebook.com/events/460236838177382/

More info: 

UCSC Resource Centers joint statement on TMT: https://resourcecenters.ucsc.edu/about/Statements%20of%20Support/maunakea.html

 EVENT SPONSORED BY:   Mauna Kea Protectors at UCSC • Pepper-Giberson Endowed Chair • Colleges 9 & 10 • Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center • Environmental Studies Department • Community Studies Department • History of Consciousness Department • Feminist Studies Department • People of Color Sustainability Collective • Student-Worker Union UAW 2865 • Center for Political Ecology • Everett Program • Roots & Routes Intercultural Collaborations • Amah Mutsun Land Trust • Cantu Queer Center 

DESTROY MERRIMAN HOUSE & REVERE ZASU PITTS HOUSE??

Robert Merriman according to Wikipedia… Robert Hale Merriman (November 17, 1908 – c. April 2, 1938) was an American doctoral student who fought with the Republican forces in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. He was killed while commanding the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the International Brigades. He grew up in Santa Cruz, and graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1925. “Because he was so talented, and because he died so young, and because Hemingway immortalized him, Merriman must be given the first position in any roll call of Californians in battle against the ultra-Right,” California historian Kenneth Starr later wrote. 

According to our Historic Resources Commission notes…This house (at 1938 Capitola Road) was the boyhood home of Robert Merriman, who was involved in organizing anti-Franco forces and fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and who was the model for a character in Ernest Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Now, as of last week developers have won the battle. The house will be destroyed and the developers really, really promise to erect a plaque with Merriman’s name on it. We have to wonder how and why Cynthia Mathews’ owning of house that movie star Zasu Pitts lived in is so carefully treated. Zasu was born in Parsons, Kansas and went to high school here.

November 18.

No dispatch this week from Greensite in Australia. Greensite out of Internet range. 

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.
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November 18

Explaining The Donald

Is Trump a Phenomena?
There is no way to explain the “Trump Phenomenon.” Or, is it a phenomenon? It seems there are multiple parts to the definition of the word, “phenomenon.” One is, in a scientific context, something that is observed to occur or to exist. Of course, in this context since Trump is real and can be observed, he becomes a phenomenon. The Cambridge Dictionary also offers this: “someone or something that is extremely successful, often because of special qualities or abilities.” The Beatles were a music phenomenon, Mohandas K. Gandhi was a political phenomenon, and Mother Teresa was a humanitarian phenomenon. A reasonable person could observe that each had special qualities and all possessed exceptional abilities. The latter definition is clearly not the case when judging one Donald J. Trump as a phenomenon. But the former? Well, he can be observed and he does exist so how does one explain his behavior, which is ultimately the key take-away for any observer of this man? Especially, how would you explain Trump to people in another country? How would Hungarians explain Viktor Orban, or Philippine’s, Rodrigo Duterte, or if the Russians were asked to explain Vladimir Putin? It could be a national quandary for each country’s paisanos, but still, it would seem more difficult to explicate very clearly how Trump rose to the presidency.

Scientific Phenomena?
Explaining the Trump Phenomenon in the scientific context, one which he himself would be loath to consider simply because science does not come up very often on “Fox and Friends,” is a kind of predicament most would rather not take on. Explaining Trump is more akin to cleaning a cat box, or perhaps, scrubbing the area just below the kitchen sink where the compost bucket sits, a place that has not been attended to in years. How The Donald arrived to the white house is a subject that has mere mortals gasping for breath, as if dissecting a flat worm in a Petri dish without the aid of a respirator. The stench of formaldehyde just might be suffocating. As you sliced and diced what in observing Trump might be like, unlike the flat worm’s gastrovascular cavity with one opening, Trump’s single orifice is really his mouth. To fathom the utterances coming out of this cavity is to be present immediately after the second plane has struck the South Tower and the many victims are anxiously hurling themselves out of windows from the upper stories. Trump’s verbal detritus is unlike any sensory phenomenon that humans might encounter except for maybe outside of a pub filled with soccer hooligans.

Trumping La Virgen
Mexicans are used to explaining all manner of phenomena, including how the Virgin Mary, La Virgin de Guadalupe, was able to leave her imprint on Juan Diego’s atilmàtli (cloak) in 1531. It would likely be too difficult to explain this president to a Mexican audience. That piece of clothing and imprint of La Virgin exists today and is daily viewed by thousands of observers from the moving sidewalk at the Basilica on the outskirts of Mexico City. Trump has labeled Mexicans as “rapists” and “drug addicts,” and he still expects them to pay for his dream of a wall of separation. Come again? At this moment in history both Americans and Mexicans would have an easier time explaining how the virgin’s image actually came to be imprinted onto Don Diego’s cream-colored cloak than they would in throwing any light on the Trump Presidency.

Out-Frenching the French
The French might have an easier time persuading Americans of the “French Phenomenon,” namely that all manner of French behavior–philosophy, food, and political values–are somehow the pinnacle of human existence, than Americans would in explaining away how Trump arrived to the White House. Even the Joan of Arc story becomes a metaphor for truth when laid alongside trying to explain, without twitching, how this reality TV Grinch ascended the steps of American power. Of course, with his first $100 million securely stashed in a Fifth Avenue vault, the reception of a low draft number and a failed draft physical during the Vietnam War didn’t hurt. This was followed by a series of Studio 54 visits only to arrive at his peak performance: the quest to find Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate. The average American could explain, even to the French, the French phenomenon with a straight and unhinged face, much more readily than they could offer a competent reason, even with the aid of several bottles of run of the mill French wine, as to what gave rise to the Trump Presidency.

Boris Can Explain Trump?
Now perhaps, someone from this side of the Atlantic would have an easier time explaining how the 45th President could have given Britain its own Boris Johnson Phenomenon. Frankly, we should know. It is clear that a role reversal has occurred here and the US has become perhaps a political mother country to Britain. It is in Johnson where an American can possibly settle on equal footing. We just might grasp the Johnson phenomenon as progeny of Trump. The American people are likely aware of the fact that the US has a President who does not read much, seems to be informed only through Fox News and other authoritarian state leaders, authors daily baby-nuke pronouncements the length and depth of a fortune cookie, and according to the Washington Post, has uttered a total of 13,435 “false or misleading statements” by Oct. 9, 2019, his 993rd day in office. Possibly Johnson’s thoughts on Libya, voting Tory, and Hillary Clinton are reflective of a Trump afterbirth. I offer three examples from Johnson: 1) The Libyan city of Sirte would have a more robust future as a luxury resort once investors “cleared the dead bodies away.” 2) “Voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts and increase your chances of owning a BMW M3.” and 3) “She’s (Clinton) got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital.” Clearly, if the Trump Phenomenon is to be comprehended by anyone outside the US, the Brits are the most likely patsies.

“Over and over, the corporate establishment has tried to convince people that we have no chance. Well, we just passed 4 million individual contributions—faster than any campaign in history. That’s a pretty powerful movement and we are ready to take on the billionaire class.” (Nov. 19)
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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November 18 

JUDGE DENIED MY REQUEST THAT SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT JUST FOLLOW ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
Judge Timothy Schmal denied my request and complaint that Soquel Creek Water District’s environmental impact report for their project to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water into the MidCounty area drinking water.  I do not feel I got a fair trial on November 8, for many reasons.  Therefore, I will appeal this judgment.  Stay tuned.

SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL AND WATER COMMISSION APPROVE REVISED WATER PLANS
In a joint meeting held last Tuesday, the Council adopted the City Water Director’s updated version of the Water Supply Advisory Committee (WSAC) plans for solving the water storage problem.  The Plan still includes regional surface water transfers from the City to Soquel Creek Water District that would allow the later to just stop pumping so much from the aquifer, but also would inject potable water into the aquifer via City wells in the Capitola area.  It is unknown when the water transfer phase 2 pilot program will begin…it depends on when the rain comes to increase water flows in the streams north of the City.

MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER AGENCY BOARD WILL APPROVE THE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT
This Thursday (11/21) the MidCounty Groundwater Agency (MGA) will approve the Plan to manage the groundwater supplies in the MidCounty area.  The MGA is a consortium of representatives from all water providers in the MidCounty area, and also has reps for private wells and small water companies.  The Plan will next go to the State Dept. of Water Resources, and hopefully be approved next year.  You can read the Board agenda packet and the Sustainability Plan here  

What concerns me is that it appears that the MGA is one and the same as Soquel Creek Water District, even though the other three main water providers are supposedly equally represented.  The Plan is also, in my opinion, very biased toward reliance on the District’s plan to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water into the aquifer for all of us to drink and to financially burden their ratepayers, causing great hardship to many.

WHAT WILL THE PROPOSED NEW COUNTY FIRE TAX MEAN FOR NON-PROFITS AND RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS?
The County Board of Supervisors want to levy yet another tax on rural property owners to pay for emergency response.  They continue to refuse to allocate any of the $18 Million the County receives every year from a statewide sales tax for Public Safety Support (Prop. 172).  Instead, they hand it all over to the Sheriff, Probation and District Attorney, and are now prodding property owners for more tax money to fund County Fire services.  

This assessment would be in addition to what is already being paid in County Service Area (CSA) 48 taxes, and will really hit rural school districts and non-profit camps hard: 

Bosch Baha’i School  $3,054.06
Bonny Doon Elementary School District $2,340.02
Central Cal. Conf. Assn Seventh Day Adventists  $16,828.17
Camping Unlimited for Retarded Children $3,101.38
Corralitos Union School District $3,120.03
Loma Prieta Joint Union School District  $4,985.26
Pacific School Trustees $2,527.23
Roman Catholic Bishop of Monterey $5,647.24
Poor Clares of California $3,120.03
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians $2,620.82
Corp. Pros. JC of LDS Saratoga Ca Stake $2,578.63 (actually higher, if you add in the 13 other parcels assessed at $5-$33 each)
Skyland Community Church $1,460.85
First Free Methodist Society of Corralitos $1,599.96
Vajrayana Foundation $2,651.93 (and more with other parcels assessed smaller amounts)
Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council Inc. Boy Scouts $1,595.29
Girl Scouts of Northern California $2,280.57

And then there is:
Westcoast Pre-Cooling Watsonville LLC $2,919.37
Bonny Doon Airport LLC $18,720.22
Lonestar California $24,501.96
Lockheed $58,104.39 

The Loma Prieta Defense Fire Team will have to pay $780.01 for their fire station protection!
The Corralitos Grange (barely able to hang on) $780.01
City of Watsonville (I think this is the Padres Community Center) $657.92 

If County Supervisors would allocate even just 8% of what the State spends annually from the Prop. 172 money, it would provide the $1.5 Million that they are asking rural property owners to pay.  The excuse is always that law enforcement needs it more….

Contact the Supervisors and ask them if they will be liable for lack of funding basic medical and fire response to rural constituents?  Call 454-2200 or email…

Write your County Supervisor:

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING.  JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK! Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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#321 / When You’re Facing A Land Use Battle

I was asked, recently, about what local groups and individuals facing an upcoming land use battle should know, as they think about getting help from an attorney. Here are some thoughts. 

If an individual or group learns about a potential land use “battle,” that usually means that there is likely going to be a major disagreement about some proposed action by a governmental entity that will probably have adverse impacts on a local neighborhood, or on a river or creek, or on a piece of natural land, or that might involve the use of toxics, or that might otherwise pose a potential public health danger. In general, such land use “battles” usually involve a proposed project that would adversely impact the natural environment. 

Even “private” proposals – like the construction of a new home – almost always require governmental approvals of various kinds, so while it makes sense to approach and have discussions with the private parties involved in a proposed project, it is most important to understand what governmental approvals will be necessary, and to focus on affecting those. A local City Council, or a Board of Supervisors, or the Coastal Commission, or a host of other governmental agencies, including state and sometimes even federal agencies, are almost always going to play a central role. The “battle” will be fought out on the terrain established by the governmental rules and regulations that apply to the proposed project. When you first conclude that you are going to be facing such a “battle,” it is most important to “get organized” as soon as possible. “Groups,” not individuals, do better in such battles. So, step one is to form a group, and to learn in great detail what the rules will be. Know in detail just how the process will move forward.

Decisions made by governmental bodies are, by definition, “political.” Thus, garnering widespread support from those who will be affected by the proposed project, or who share a common appreciation of the environmental dangers or community impacts involved in the proposed project, is absolutely key. One person who raises legitimate concerns is good. A well-organized group of ten, or twenty-five, or fifty persons or more will have a much greater “political” impact, and elected officials will pay much more attention to the concerns advanced by such a group than it will pay to the very same concerns when expressed by a single individual.  

“Legal” issues, while they will play a role in the decision-making process, are almost always less important, in the end, than the political decisions made by elected officials. This is not only pragmatic “political advice,” it is also pragmatic “legal” advice. Those opposing proposed projects should NEVER assume that the courts will correct bad decisions made by elected officials. In our system of government, we expect disputed and “tough” decisions to be made by our elected representatives. Thus, the courts will almost always “defer” to elected officials, and the courts will uphold a governmental decision if there is “any” substantial evidence in favor of the decision. Again, the courts “defer” to the decisions made by elected officials, and a mistake often made by those opposing a destructive project is to suppose that the courts will “correct” a decision made by an elected body, or by some non-elected governmental agency that approved the project. Is that true? Not usually!

I encourage all those facing land use “battles” to review my earlier blog posting on “Deference.” That blog posting makes clear just why the courts will, in most cases, be willing to uphold governmental decisions (even when the courts think that the governmental decisions were “wrong”).

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

The most important thing to decide, when you think you may be facing a land use “battle,” is whether or not you really want to get into the “fight.” You need to be “serious.” A lot of time and money may well have to be spent. It is NOT easy to stop proposed projects, but such projects absolutely can be stopped, and environmental and neighborhood battles can be won. But let me say it again, you do need to be “serious.” Many assume that because a proposed project is pretty clearly a “bad” idea no governmental agency, in the end, will approve it. Such people think they shouldn’t really have to spend their own money, or spend a lot of time in opposing what is clearly a bad idea.

Big mistake!

Get organized. Get an attorney. Win. And keep this in mind: You can’t win a “battle” unless you fight! 

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Classic time tested views of Eagan’s and our Subsconscious…scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s Vintage 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 with the slightly slanted “DEAR HILLARY. 

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS. Their second concert this season is titled “Virtuosity Defined” or Musical Creativity and Artistic Expression Beyond the Flying Fingers. Thery’ll be music by Bach, Paganini, Javier Contreras, Piazzolla, and Justin Hurwitz. Featuring Kris Palmer, Concert Director and flute; Steve Lin, guitar; Isaac Pastor-Chermak, cello. They are the Black Cedar Trio. The Black Cedar Trio brings their award-winning blend of flute, cello, and guitar with “Virtuosity Defined.” The program includes music of Bach, Paganini, and Piazzolla, plus new music by San Jose composer Andre Gueziec and Chilean composer Javier Contreras. After the trio’s recent San Francisco concert, The Rehearsal Studio blog wrote, “Contreras’ music was an examination of not only the unique sonorities of each of the three instruments but also a rich study of how those sonorities could be blended in different combinations…clearly a major undertaking; but those willing to listen to it attentively were richly rewarded.” The concerts happen in the Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, near the freedom Boulevard turnoff. The concerts are Saturday, November 23, 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 24, 3:00 pm. 

Lisa writes: ” Don’t look now, but I may have just discovered my favorite movie of the year: Pain And Glory, by the ever-intriguing Pedro Almodovar. Find out all the reasons why, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, an impromptu tribute to one of the most prized (if unexpected) possessions James Aschbacher brought across the Rockies to Santa Cruz with him, once upon a time. And if you feel like a few laughs (and who doesn’t these days?) consider the Jewel Theatre Company’s tuneful production of Me And My Girl, reviewed in this week’s Good Times!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975. 

THE IRISHMAN. When you have Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in a mobster film directed by Martin Scorsese, you have a monumental achievement in motion pictures. Yes, it’s 3 ½ hours long — but you’ll love every minute of it. It’s a gang-driven recalling of their past by these masters, all in their 70’s. Al Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa, and at long last we find out what happened to Hoffa’s body (at least according to this film adaption of a book) when he disappeared in 1975. Go online now and see how people are still today wondering and predicting where Hoffa’s body is, but see the movie first. 96 on RT. 

THE GOOD LIAR. Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen, two of the finest actors in contemporary films, had never made a movie together. It’s too bad that this one is the predictable, slow-moving cute product that it is. It is a treat to watch these pros work together; they are as great as almost every movie-goer knows, but the script is a poor copy of a plot that deserved to be better. But, in spite of all that, go see it…they are perfect in their parts.

JOJO RABBIT. A very rare political comedy with numerous funny scenes centered on Nazi Germany,. A little boy has Adolf Hitler as an invisible buddy. Scarlett Johansson plays the little boy’s mom and does one of very finest acting jobs, ever. Hitler and the screwed up political/ military scene will make you think of Trump and our own screwed up political/ military scene. A wonderful and rare film, do not miss it!! 

PAIN AND GLORY. This is probably my favorite film of 2019. I do not state that lightly, I mean it. It was directed and written by Pedro Almodóvar and stars Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Julieta Serrano. It’s about a film director who has lost his energy and drive to make films. He gets into heroin, same sex love, booze and ultimately back into film making. The acting is perfect, directing is shockingly tight, and a masterpiece. See it as soon as possible.

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable! It just became the biggest – money making attendance record R-rated film ever!!!.  Now (11/18) it’s taken in over 1 billion dollars.

PARASITE. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho outdid his other international screen successes with Parasite. Wikipedia calls it a dark comedy thriller and so do I. It’s winning awards everywhere and deserves them all. There’s brain surgery, murder, basement dwellers, numerous surprises, even some shocks and well worth your seeing it ASAP.

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN. Actor Edward Norton not only plays the Tourette syndrome plagued detective posing as a reporter but he directed the movie too. It takes place in NYC in the 1950’s . Alec Baldwin plays a character based on Robert Moses the evil developer of NYC. Willem Dafoe and Bruce Willis have small parts. The movie is not only confusing, but it drags on and on with little if any conclusion. And no, you won’t believe Norton’s actors  version of faked Tourette’s either.

HARRIET. A real Hollywood tear jerker of Harriet Tubman’s amazing life and what she accomplished fighting slavery. Cynthia Erivo is excellent as Harriet and even looks like her. However the crashing crescendos of sobbing music, the homey corniness of so much of the plot and much of the  acting makes this look and feel like a 1940’s Hollywood soap opera.

THE LIGHTHOUSE. Robert Pattinson plays the young, innocent, naïve and new lighthouse keeper wannabe. Willem Defoe works very hard to be the ancient, hard to understand keeper from the old days. Neither of them are likable, and they don’t like each other. And I didn’t like this movie because they were so unlikable. It doesn’t matter much but it’s set in the 1890’s in New England. It’s screened in black and white and in a small square frame. 

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On November 19 Kelly Damewood C.E.O. of the California Certified  Organic Farmers (CCOF) talks about local and national food issues. Then John Aird, local activist discusses UCSC growth and our water problems. Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers program read their entries on December 3. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

Some food for thought from The Atlantic

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    “Thanksgiving”

“It’s not the minutes spent at the table that put on weight, it’s the seconds”. Author    Unknown

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations”. Oscar Wilde

(I’ve used this one before but it’s so good…)

“My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor”. Phyllis Diller

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”. Oprah Winfrey


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Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
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Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

November 12 – 18, 2019

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…Final word on “McPherson”, Ross camp revisited, No more MAH mummers, Annrae Angel for Judge. GREENSITE…on Australia, beaches, trees and Capitola Mall KROHN…the recall, California Apartment Association, Santa Cruz Together. STEINBRUNER…Court case and Soquel Creek Water District and Judge Schmal. Fleas and bio-hazards. Cal Fire tax ballots Aptos Village and second traffic light?  PATTON…Gates And Rates: The “Perturbed Plutocrats” EAGAN…Sub Cons and Deep Cover. BRATTON…I critique “Jojo Rabbit” UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “Holidays”
                                 

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SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL CARRIER FLEET. June 9, 1956. If you look closely you won’t see a lot of smiles, but they have jobs. Where are they now? What a difference 63 years can make!                                               

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

PETE SEEGER’S WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE.
SMOTHERS BROTHERS: DUELING BANJOS…PLUS!
Smothers Brothers : Poor Wandering One/Dueling Banjos

DATELINE November 11, 2019

RETURNING TO ROSS CAMP. As many have noticed, people are moving back into Camp Ross. The FB page quote from the camp says there’s nothing the police can do about it. Keith McHenry states, “This is a Santa Cruz Homeless Union authorized camp. That’s what we explained to the police”. So we’ll see toilets being set up, a solar charging station is on order, and there’ll be regular trash pickups. There’ll also be a first aid tent, and even weekly council meetings. Homelessness is an international problem. We send money and survival goods to other countries, and yet turn our backs and hatred to our local homeless community. We watch as our affordable way of life is taken over by the ongoing developer-promoted invasion of “Silly Cons”, and their millionaire weekend condos replace our once democratic and fair way of life. Open minds and hearts should be created.  

NO ACTION TO/FROM MAH!! There’s been absolutely zero communication from either MAH supporters, MAH concerned Artists, Historians, or the county. We can only hope that their financial problems are being worked out. I’ll keep you informed when I hear anything.  

JUDGE ARIADNE SYMONS QUIT THE RACE. We can be very glad that Ariadne quit before the rest of her story was revealed. We can also be very happy that Annrae Angel has now entered the Judge’s race. Email her at her website www.angel4judge2020.com where you can also make a donation.

NO FEAR IN BRUCE MCPHERSON!!! As a brief Santa Cruz County hobby I began trying to get folks to say and pronounce Supervisor Bruce McPherson’s name the way he does. Usually folks say “MC Fearson”, as if there’s an A in it.  Not only was he my boss when I worked at the Sentinel, but I knew his Mom too, though our work on the Santa Cruz Historical Commission. So anyway, Supervisor McPherson was interviewed on our KZSC’s Bushwhackers Breakfast club last Friday. He was asked the correct way to say his name. He replied ON AIR “There’s no FEAR in McPherson”. So there you go. We stand (or possibly are seated) with this solution.

November 11

AUSSIE RULES
I’m looking forward to a trip to Australia for a number of reasons. I get to spend time with my friend and also visit my sister. My friend Edna and I met when we were 12 years old and beginning high school. There is no middle school in Australia, or at least there wasn’t back then. You went straight from primary school to high school.  Our school was the last of the single gender schools in the public school system, which in many ways was a distinct advantage. As all girls, up to 40 in a class with no teacher’s aide, it was expected, even in 1961, that the top person in math and science was a girl. (Edna was top in math, or maths as it is called in Australia). We escaped the unconscious bias towards boys that teachers exhibit in a mixed gender classroom. (At University I did research in this field and found distinct gender bias on the part of teachers in secondary schools.) We were serious students and had good teachers. I credit my ability to write a decent essay to my high school teachers. On the social side of life we were probably naïve. Boys were foreign territory.

I am also looking forward to a meat pie. Don’t laugh (or grimace) Australian meat pies are one of life’s pleasures for non-vegetarians. Also on the gastronomic front are fish such as flathead that my Dad and I used to catch off West Head in a tiny boat that he built. 

Then there are the beaches. The northern beaches of Sydney are stunning. Since I grew up there, I saw nothing remarkable about them at the time. Golden sand, sparkling waves, shore birds, and not an off-leash dog in sight. That’s right. Australians love their dogs as much as do folks in Santa Cruz but commonsense says that dogs running loose on beaches is anathema to bird life, children’s health and safety, marine mammal protection and the peace of a non-crowded beach. A simple sign, swift enforcement if needed, the provision of good dog parks away from beaches and the beaches are beautiful for all to enjoy. 

In Santa Cruz as elsewhere in California, there seems to be a paralysis of action on the part of rangers and law enforcement. Couple that with a dog owner’s attitude of entitlement plus a general disregard for birds and marine mammals and the result is less than stellar. I wince when I see off-leash dogs chasing snowy egrets and other shore birds on our beaches. Researchers scratch their heads and cannot fathom why sea lions are beaching and dying with symptoms of leptospirosis, a bacterium carried in, among other things, dog urine, at beaches where scores of dogs run off-leash in violation of posted signs. 

Then there are the trees. Even in the inner city suburbs of Sydney the trees dominate. It is rare to see a tree butchered by bad pruning. There is not the fear of big trees that seems to have gripped so many here. And woe-betide anyone who poisons a tree or cuts one down for a view. The council will erect a scaffold as large as the former tree in front of your view for as long as it takes for its replacement to grow as big as the original tree. Quite a deterrent! 

So you may ask, why don’t I go back to where I came from? Because my life, my friends and my community are here. And the trees need me…and you, especially you. 

If you love trees, write to the Capitola City Council at citycouncil@ci.capitola.ca.us and urge them to save all of the white gum trees currently growing in the parking lots at the Capitola Mall. They were planted when the Mall was built in the 1970’s. Their life span is in the hundreds of years. There used to be a beauty on Pacific Garden Mall before they cut it down to straighten the road. The Capitola Town Square Conceptual Review, a complete re-design of the Mall is on the council’s agenda for 11/14/19. While the Horticultural Report speaks to saving viable trees, building on the parking lots will put most of the trees into the “not viable” category. However, the trees can be re-located, by experts in the field.  Rather than belabor the obvious regarding carbon sequestration and climate change I’ll leave you with a message from a young tree lover who joined our vigil to try to save the red horse chestnut on Broadway. Heed her words and act.

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.
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November 11

CONCERNING THE RECALL
A recall campaign is going on in Santa Cruz to oust Drew Glover, one of only two African-American men ever elected to the Santa Cruz City Council, and me. You might’ve heard about it. We’ve been outspoken on the need for rent control and just cause eviction, demanding developers build the legally required affordable housing units that were often negotiated away by previous councils, standing up to the UC Regents’ extreme growth plans for UCSC, and building a much-needed emergency shelter. This is what we campaigned on, me in 2016 and Glover in 2018, and it’s essentially why we are being recalled. These represent political differences. There have been no “high crimes and misdemeanors” that I am aware. Political differences ought to be dealt with in regularly scheduled elections. The recall petition signatures from registered voters are being counted now on the third floor of the county building at 701 Ocean Street. The County Clerk gets 30 days to validate them, but she says she may have them done by Nov. 18.

Deep Throat to Santa Cruz: Follow the $$$
Who’s funding this recall effort? The next 460 filings that detail campaign spending are not due until Jan. 31, but you may have guessed that real estate and developer money is helping back the recall. If you remember, the California Apartment Association contributed mightily to stopping rent control here and it is in the thick of trying to overturn the last SC candidate election as well. Over $1 million was raised to defeat Measure M, rent control, last November and there’s more $$$ where that comes from. Remember too, there is a bigger picture to this recall and having a statewide and federal political lens might help. Republicans are flailing electorally in California. Voter registration has hit all-time lows, so in order to hang onto power they’ve devised a three-pronged national strategy: 1) gerrymandered districts, which several states are currently fighting back on, 2) keep using the voter fraud allegation to make it as difficult for new voters and non-regular voters to actually vote, and 3) stop anyone who has served jail time from voting. In California, since these three no longer yield positive outcomes for the GOP in this overwhelming Democratic and “No Party Preference” state, they are resorting to recalls. If they don’t like the outcome of a local election, because rent control, affordable housing, or homeless advocates have been elected, then they use our state’s fairly liberal recall method. There are also recall efforts going on in Westminster and Chico. The Washington Post and FiveThirtyEight among other news outlets have reported that Republicans are using recalls in states like Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon to overturn elections that did not go their way. The Los Angeles Times has a bit of recall history here 

Insightful Look at this Recall
I include this well-written analysis on the Santa Cruz recall by Paul Gratz. He originally submitted it to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, but it has not yet been published.

Don’t be Bamboozled by the Recallers!
Getting right to the point: Santa Cruz Together/United’s recall is all about disagreements with policy decisions and style. Clearly, it represents a brazen and well-funded assault on a democratically elected City Council majority. If successful, it would be a destructive and a precedent-setting development for the City of Santa Cruz. Last year’s City’s election broke the two decade-long hold by a business-as-usual council – a dynamic that reflected a significant swing leftward. No longer would we have an entrenched City Council cozy with the short-term interests of deep-pocketed developers, real estate speculators, investment firms, and landlord groups.  Unquestionably, 2018 marked an enormous set back to those elites accustomed to maintaining their political hegemony. 

In California, recalls were designed to unseat officials charged with maleficence, corruption, illicit activities, or misuse of power. Today, however, we live in a toxic society where facts often don’t matter. Most recalls have become an extreme means of political warfare — fueled by anger and waged through smear campaigns. Yet, the high cost of recall elections cannot be justified in an age of city budget deficits. One thing is certain: if conservatives want to derail the progressive agendas of local governments, then a recall machine spreading baseless allegations, disinformation, and discord is truly a powerful weapon. Statewide, housing industry groups have huge amounts of money available for mounting recall campaigns, including the funding of marketing, legal, and paid signature-gathering activities. Most notably, are the California Apartment Association (CAA) and the California Association of Realtors (CAR), the groups representing big landlords and property owners. Both are staunch opponents of rent control intended to keep living costs affordable for lower-income residents. 

CAA and CAR regularly meddle in the affairs of area cities where renters, affordable housing advocates, and progressive councilmembers are pushing for modest renter protections, including Alameda, Concord, Healdsburg, Lafayette, Marin, Milpitas, Mountain View, Pacifica, San Jose, San Mateo, and Santa Rosa. They have a history of misleading and intimidating voters and often are allied with so-called grassroots organizations claiming to be speaking for mom-and-pop landlords, neighbors, and community leaders.  Their aggressive tactics should not come as a big surprise — as the financial stakes are extraordinarily high. Central to their recall strategy is producing a fake narrative mantra containing denigrating allegations, falsehoods, and fear instilling propaganda. 

Drew Glover and Chris Krohn, as well as any other targeted progressive officials, should expect to be out funded by the real estate industry and its conservative allies.  It’s merely standard practice in such a lucrative housing market, especially when UCSC enrollment is exploding and where there are high home prices, egregious rent hikes, increasing levels of evictions, and swelling homelessness. Lacking any substantial evidence for removing two dedicated councilmembers, the recall effort amounts to an absolute attack on democratic election results and only fosters divisiveness within our community.  Don’t be bamboozled by the recallers!

Paul Gratz is a 37-year Santa Cruz resident and a retired public health educator. He has extensive experience in organizing ballot initiatives and petition signature gathering, including the successful Measure P “Right to Vote on Desal” campaign.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Tweet of the Week (July 18)

Another reminder of what people are calling the “radical, extreme-left agenda”:

  • Medicare for All
  • A Living Wage & Labor Rights
  • K-16 schooling, aka Public Colleges
  • 100% Renewable Energy
  • Fixing the pipes in Flint
  • Not Hurting Immigrants
  • Holding Wall Street Accountable

    •  

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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November 11

MY DAY IN COURT AGAINST THREE ATTORNEYS WHO RAKED IN NEARLY $1000 per HOUR 
Soquel Creek Water District brought not one but three attorneys to the hearing last Friday before Santa Cruz Superior Court Judge Timothy Schmal, and two had flown in from Riverside, CA to be there…ker-ching!   We had to wait nearly an hour to have our matter heard, due to the Judge’s busy misdemeanor court calendar.  The judge considered three matters relevant to my legal complaint regarding the disastrous environmental damage of the $95 Million plan to inject 1.3 million gallons of treated sewage water daily into the drinking water supply for the MidCounty residents, aka, “Pure” Water Soquel Project.

He had already denied my request last Wednesday to move the case to another County in order to have the very complex case heard by a judge seasoned in environmental law and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements.  He ordered me to remove bio-hazard from the County Court evidence room…more on that below.

Friday, Judge Schmal denied my request to amend my complaint to correct mistakes, add exhibits that I had not been able to include before, and to add a party to the case.  He said I had delayed too long in asking to do so, even though I had asked to do this two months ago and he had set Friday’s date to consider it.  

Judge Schmal then denied my request to continue the hearing of the main case, in order to obtain critical information from the State Dept. of Water Resources to verify that the Soquel Valley Basin (aka Mid County Basin) is in critical overdraft.  That is the argument that Soquel Creek Water District is making to justify their urgent fast-track construction of the Project, and to get state and federal grant awards to build it.  However, a professional hydrologist recently stated publicly that the reason the State determined the Basin to be in critical overdraft was because “Soquel Creek Water District had already determined that, so the State just went with it.”  There is no data or analysis to justify the claims.  Soquel Creek Water District declared a Groundwater Emergency on June 17, 2014….just a month after submitting an application to the State for their treated sewage water injection Project.  Hmmm…..

A Dept. of Water Resources staff member who happened to be present at the recent meeting when the hydrologist explained the “critical overdraft” determination agreed that there was no basis for doing so.  He advised me not to bother filing a Public Records Act request for any documentation.  “It would be a quick turnaround on your request, because there is nothing to give you.” he said. 

I filed a Public Records Act request on June 27, 2019.  The Dept. of Water Resources has delayed the response date three times…the latest coming the week before the Hearing on the Merits of my case and a possible change of venue to Sacramento County, with an amended complaint explaining all of this.  Hmmmm……..

However, the data from local groundwater monitoring reports shows the Basin to be recovering well, with groundwater levels rising, and no evidence of seawater intrusion.

On Friday, Judge Schmal heard oral argument of the Case 19CV00181.  You can view all documents in this case from public computers at 701 Ocean Street, in the Viewing Room on the first floor near the traffic court payment area (8am-5pm)  using the Court Portal for Case Inquiry.    Judge Schmal’s ruling is due any time now…..stay tuned.  

I was very glad he did NOT impose monetary sanctions upon me, as Soquel Creek Water District had asked him to do….nearly $40,000.   By law, they are not allowed to seek their attorney fees if they prevail because they are a public agency.

FLEAS ARE NOT A BIO HAZARD
Fleas are not bio-hazard, but what the County authorized created a bio-hazard. On Wednesday, November 6, Judge Schmal ordered me to remove bio-hazard from the County Court evidence room by noon Friday.   I am not licensed to do that, and later let the Court know I thought it would be a big liability problem for the County if I followed the Judge’s order.  I worried, however, that I might be held in contempt of court, or be billed for the disposal costs if I did not follow his orders.  

Luckily, Judge Schmal agreed to my request to not remove the bio-hazard.

You must be asking how I could be held responsible for bio-hazard in the Court’s evidence room?  Here’s the scoop:  Santa Cruz County policy is so backward in that local rules demand all administrative records of the proceedings of a case (i.e., all the documented history of the issues related to the case) be submitted (“lodged”) in hard copy in two-inch binders with no more that 400 sheets/ binder.  Paper, paper, paper.  Oh, but because this County is SO ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONSCIOUS, cases that are environmental are required to be printed double-sided.  Isn’t that just ridiculous??? 

Because I knew that the administrative record for my case would be voluminous, having spanned five years of studies, meetings, reports, and correspondence, I wrote a letter to Judge John Gallagher, who was assigned to the case, and asked for an exception, to be able to lodge the voluminous administrative record in electronic form.  HE REFUSED on the grounds that the Court could not risk computer viruses entering the system.  That made no sense since this County requires all attorneys to file their documents electronically…surely the County has protective firewalls for such virus concerns.   (Judge Gallagher later disqualified himself from my case.)

So, with the incredibly valiant and generous efforts of Mr. Jon Cole, who has helped me with IT work on my case, and is an experienced Pro Per litigant who successfully sued Soquel Creek Water District for their illegal rates, I was able to abide by Judge Gallagher’s demand to lodge  13 boxes filled with 87 two-inch binders full of paper with the Court on October 18, 2019.  Box #1 contained the first eight binders of the materials I really used a lot as I wrote my court briefs, so I kept that one in the house next to my desk, but all the others were in the garage.  

My sweet cat, Rosita, decided she loved sleeping on the Box #1 binders.  On the day I met friends to haul the 13 boxes to the County, I cleaned out Box #1, and wrote a note on it to courteously alert any Court staff with cat allergies to be aware that there could be cat hair still in the binders.

Last Wednesday, Judge Schmal informed me in court that fleas from my case administrative record boxes had infested the entire evidence room.  The County had a pest control company apply pesticide, but now there was a film over everything, and the County had determined the boxes were now bio-hazard that must be removed from the premises!  That is when he ordered me to remove the bio-hazard from the evidence room by Friday, noon. 

I would have willingly removed the 13 boxes that supposedly had fleas, but after researching the pesticide that had been applied without my permission or knowledge, did not want to risk my health or that of my family to be responsible for removing bio-hazard  from the evidence room.   Fleas are not bio-hazard, but what the County authorized created bio-hazard. 

Luckily, on Friday, Judge Schmal agreed that I did not have to remove the bio-hazard from the premises, and would not be charged for the disposal.   

What a disgusting waste of resources.  Several Santa Cruz Superior Court judges are up for election in March 2020.  We all need to insist that Santa Cruz County not require administrative records to be lodged in hard copy.   We can do better than that, and must.

COUNTY FIRE CSA 48 TAX INCREASE BALLOTS ARE OUT
Come to the Town Hall meeting in Corralitos on Monday, November 18 at 6:30pm to learn more about the proposed Benefit Assessment tax for rural properties in the CalFire areas of the County.  The meeting is free and will be at the Corralitos Padres Center (35 Browns Valley Rd.) near the Market.

This complex and rather mysterious tax is being handled as a Prop 218 matter, so there was no opportunity for opposing information to be included in the Voter Information Guide.  There is no explanation of the calculation, or how the money will be used.  The Board of Supervisors can increase the amount by up to 4% every year, provided there is a public hearing…which usually happens on a Tuesday morning without much notice other than “on the website”.

The real question that begs the Board of Supervisors to answer is WHY TAX PEOPLE MORE WHEN THE COUNTY HAS $18 MILLION AVAILABLE EVERY YEAR FOR PUBLIC SAFETY USES BUT CHOOSES TO GIVE IT ALL TO LAW ENFORCEMENT?  The County Sheriff is also supported by a County Service Area (CSA) #38, and also gets money from the General Fund.  County Fire volunteers get no money from the General Fund.  

The second big question is WHY DID THE NEW COUNTYWIDE SALES TAX MEASURE G, PASSED LAST NOVEMBER WITH THE STATEMENT THAT IT WOULD SUPPORT “FIRE”, YET ZERO DOLLARS FROM THAT FUND WILL ACTUALLY BE GIVEN TO COUNTY FIRE DEPT. ??? 

This is, in my opinion, local government corruption and the Board of Supervisors must be held accountable. Other Town Hall meetings in the Davenport, Summit and Bonny Doon areas will soon be announced.  Stay tuned, and please pass this information along to others affected.

ANOTHER HALF MILLION $ FOR A SECOND TRAFFIC LIGHT IN APTOS VILLAGE?
That is what the Board of Supervisors approved to ask of the Regional Transportation Commission in grant applications.  Happily, there are other more-worthy projects on the table, such as the Pioneer/Varni Road areas in Watsonville that are in shambles.  Notably, Lompico Road is NOT one of the projects submitted, which should cause concern, given that a national survey recently deemed that area as the #1 most hazardous fire evacuation route for residents in the entire Bay Area.  
Mercury News article

Where are our leaders?
You may be interested in knowing why the Aptos Creek Road and Soquel Drive intersection has required a seemingly endless pile of money vacuumed into the project of that second traffic light in Aptos Village.  It is known as Aptos Village Traffic Improvement Phase 2B (Phase 2A is a plan to connect a new Parade Street to Soquel Drive and close the legal entry to the Bayview Hotel from Soquel Drive that is supposed to be paid for by the Aptos Village Project developers.).  It is the traffic mitigation measure for the Aptos Village Project Phase 2 subdivision, and must be operational before the subdivision’s Phase 2 can be occupied.  

The Aptos Creek Road traffic light has been awarded nearly $2 million in RTC grant money over the past few years.  That grant source also helped pay for the Trout Gulch Road intersection traffic light and moved the bus stop out of the way for the new Parade Street intersection.

Part of why the traffic light projects are so expensive is because the railroad bed soils are highly contaminated and require special testing and handling to protect human and environmental health.  I came upon the link to the letter below while researching the Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Data Files

I selected the “Hazardous Materials Documents” and typed in “Aptos Village”.   Try it…you will be amazed at what you find.

Letter from Environmental Health to Public Works re: contaminated railroad bed soils work 

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE…BUT JUST TO SOMETHING THIS WEEK! Cheers,

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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November 11, 2019 #315 / Gates And Rates: The “Perturbed Plutocrats”

Let me follow up my blog post yesterday, which I titled, “The Billionaire Boys Club.” On Sunday morning, when I picked up the papers, I was happy to find the following editorial in The New York Times. I have copied The Times’ editorial, in its entirety, below.

It seems that The Times has noticed that the billionaire class is getting just a little bit restless. I endorse the newspaper’s response to these “perturbed plutocrats!”

When Bill Gates founded Microsoft in 1975, the top marginal tax rate on personal income was 70 percent, tax rates on capital gains and corporate income were significantly higher than at present, and the estate tax was a much more formidable levy. None of that dissuaded Mr. Gates from pouring himself into his business, nor discouraged his investors from pouring in their money. 

Yet he is now the latest affluent American to warn that Senator Elizabeth Warren’s plan for much higher taxes on the rich would be bad not just for the wealthy but for the rest of America, too.  

Mr. Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, suggested on Wednesday that a big tax increase would result in less economic growth. “I do think if you tax too much you do risk the capital formation, innovation, U.S. as the desirable place to do innovative companies — I do think you risk that,” he said. 

Other perturbed plutocrats have made the same point with less finesse. The billionaire investor Leon Cooperman was downright crude when he declared that Ms. Warren was wrecking the American dream. Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, complained on CNBC that Ms. Warren “uses some pretty harsh words” about the rich. He added, “Some would say vilifiessuccessful people.” 

Let’s get a few things straight. 

The wealthiest Americans are paying a much smaller share of income in taxes than they did a half-century ago. In 1961, Americans with the highest incomes paid an average of 51.5 percent of that income in federal, state and local taxes. In 2011, Americans with the highest incomes paid just 33.2 percent of their income in taxes, according to a study by Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman published last year. Data for the last few years is not yet available but would most likely show a relatively similar tax burden. 

The federal government needs a lot more money. Decades of episodic tax cuts have left the government deeply in debt: The Treasury is on pace to borrow more than $1 trillion during the current fiscal year to meet its obligations. The government will need still more money for critical investments in infrastructure, education and the social safety net. 

This is not an endorsement of the particulars of Ms. Warren’s tax plan. There is plenty of room to debate how much money the government needs, and how best to raise that money. The specific proposals by Ms. Warren and one of her rivals, Senator Bernie Sanders, to impose a new federal tax on wealth are innovations that require careful consideration. 

But a necessary part of the solution is to collect more from those Americans who have the most. 

And there is little evidence to justify Mr. Gates’s concern that tax increases of the magnitude proposed by Ms. Warren and other candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination would meaningfully discourage innovation, investment or economic growth.

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Just a thought below our deepest thinking…scroll down to check out Tim’s Subconscious Comics.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s Deep Cover classics 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 containing “Wrong and Wronger”

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS. Their second concert this season is titled “Virtuosity Defined” or Musical Creativity and Artistic Expression Beyond the Flying Fingers. Thery’ll be music by Bach, Paganini, Javier Contreras, Piazzolla, and Justin Hurwitz. Featuring Kris Palmer, Concert Director and flute; Steve Lin, guitar; Isaac Pastor-Chermak, cello. They are the Black Cedar Trio. The Black Cedar Trio brings their award-winning blend of flute, cello, and guitar with “Virtuosity Defined.” The program includes music of Bach, Paganini, and Piazzolla, plus new music by San Jose composer Andre Gueziec and Chilean composer Javier Contreras. After the trio’s recent San Francisco concert, The Rehearsal Studio blog wrote, “Contreras’ music was an examination of not only the unique sonorities of each of the three instruments but also a rich study of how those sonorities could be blended in different combinations…clearly a major undertaking; but those willing to listen to it attentively were richly rewarded.” The concerts happen in the Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, near the freedom Boulevard turnoff. the concerts are Saturday, November 23, 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 24, 3:00 pm. 

JOJO RABBIT. A very rare political comedy with numerous scenes that are actually funny, centered on Nazi Germany. A little boy has Adolf Hitler as an invisible buddy. Scarlett Johansson plays the little boy’s mom, and does one of her very finest acting jobs, ever. Hitler and the screwed up political/military scene will make you think of Trump and our own screwed up political/military scene. A wonderful and rare film, do not miss it!! 

PAIN AND GLORY. This is probably my favorite film of 2019. I do not state that lightly, I mean it. It was directed and written by Pedro Almodóvar and stars Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Julieta Serrano. It’s about a film director who has lost his energy and drive to make films. He gets into heroin, same sex love, booze and ultimately back into film making. The acting is perfect, directing is shockingly tight, and a masterpiece. See it as soon as possible. 

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable! It just became the biggest – money making attendance record R-rated film ever!!!

PARASITE. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho outdid his other international screen successes with Parasite. Wikipedia calls it a dark comedy thriller and so do I. It’s winning awards everywhere and deserves them all. There’s brain surgery, murder, basement dwellers, numerous surprises, even some shocks and well worth your seeing it ASAP.

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN. Actor Edward Norton not only plays the Tourette syndrome plagued detective posing as a reporter but he directed the movie too. It takes place in NYC in the 1950’s . Alec Baldwin plays a character based on Robert Moses the evil developer of NYC. Willem Dafoe and Bruce Willis have small parts. The movie is not only confusing, but it drags on and on with little if any conclusion. And no, you won’t believe Norton’s actors  version of faked Tourette’s either.

HARRIET. A real Hollywood tear jerker of Harriet Tubman’s amazing life and what she accomplished fighting slavery. Cynthia Erivo is excellent as Harriet and even looks like her. However the crashing crescendos of sobbing music, the homey corniness of so much of the plot and much of the  acting makes this look and feel like a 1940’s Hollywood soap opera.

THE LIGHTHOUSE. Robert Pattinson plays the young, innocent, naïve and new lighthouse keeper wannabe. Willem Defoe works very hard to be the ancient, hard to understand keeper from the old days. Neither of them are likable, and they don’t like each other. And I didn’t like this movie because they were so unlikable. It doesn’t matter much but it’s set in the 1890’s in New England. It’s screened in black and white and in a small square frame. 

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Keith McHenry from Food Not Bombs and Ross Camp activist opens then Paloma Curutenango from UCSC’s Common Ground Center discusses their goals, successes, and history on Nov.12. On November 19 Kelly Damewood from California Certified  Organic Farmers (CCOF) talks about local and national food issues. Then John Aird, local activist discusses UCSC growth and our water problems. Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers program read their entries on December 3. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

As much as I hate Christmas advertising too early, this is a damn good ad! 🙂

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    “HOLIDAYS”

“I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up – they have no holidays”. Henny Youngman

“Holidays are about experiences and people, and tuning into what you feel like doing at that moment. Enjoy not having to look at a watch”. Evelyn Glennie

“I need a six months holiday twice a year”. Anonymous 


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com


Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

November 4 – 10, 2019

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…Justin Cummings and developers and “conscientious”, Bookshop Santa Cruz Birthday party. Hot Damn String Band plays, Bach is rated greatest composer. GREENSITE…Climate and Santa Cruz developments.  KROHN… on Chile, uprisings, and PG&E STEINBRUNER…Removing local control over development, Soquel Water district and lawsuit and soaring rates. PATTON…end of human civilization. EAGAN…his art show and subconscious comics plus Deep Cover. JENSEN…reviews Harriet. BRATTON…I critique Pain and Glory, Parasite, Motherless Brooklyn and Harriet. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”VOTING”
                                 

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ESTHER AND CHUCK ABBOTT AND THEIR LIGHTHOUSE. October 27, 1967.  The Abbotts arrived here in 1960, and created a lot of positive changes for our city. The lighthouse is of course only decorative, a dedicated gift to the city in honor of their son Mark who died surfing at Pleasure Point. The Abbotts were photographers, and also owned and operated a dance hall in Florida before coming here.                                                  

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

OBAMA ROASTS TRUMP RE HAWAIIAN BIRTH.
HOW TO PLAY THE WASHBOARD (in French)

DATELINE November 4

CUMMINGS AND CONSCIENTIOUS. Many thanks to the folks who emailed in asking why I called Justin Cummings “conscientious” in last week’s BrattonOnline. The most honest answer is…  “I goofed”. Maybe it’s part of my curmudgeon stage… but no way is — or was — Justin Cummings “conscientious”. What’s even more telling about Cummings is that on my Universal Grapevine program last Tuesday night, Julie and Stu Phillips (two of the most active opponents against the Dream Inn expansion) told me and our listeners that immediately after Justin Cummings voted with the city council to allow that Dream Inn job ,they walked outside the city hall to see a happy group with Justin Cummings laughing and handshaking with not just the developers, but also with a bunch of the Santa Cruz City Planning Staff. Every Santa Cruzan knew about the City Planning crew and their support of Ensemble’s Dream development from the very beginning, but the surprise of Cumming’s vote will remain with us for a very long time.

BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ’S 53RD BIRTHDAY PARTY & HOT DAMN STRING BAND. Just so you know, the Almost Legendary Hot Damn String Band will be playing starting at 7:30 p.m. this Friday night Nov. 8th. There’s a Readers Club Member sale with 20% off storewide. There’s also cake and ice cream and just a grand get together. Our Hot Damn String Band has been playing for  these parties since before the 1989 earthquake!!! The Hot Damn String Band contains; Jim Reynolds – Guitar, Annie Steinhart – Fiddle, Dave Magram – Banjo,  Stewart Evans – Mandolin, Gary Cunningham – String Bass, and I’ll be playing the washboard and the Zayantephone..

J.S. BACH NAMED GREATEST COMPOSER OF ALL TIME. The October issue of the BBC Music magazine stated…Johann Sebastian Bach has been named the greatest composer of all time. The German Baroque figure has been voted top from a list of 50 musical masters for BBC Music Magazine. Bach was renowned for his organ playing, use of fugue, and works including The Well-Tempered Clavier and the Brandenburg Concertos. No British composers made the top 10 list in the poll, which ranked Igor Stravinsky and Ludwig van Beethoven in second and third place – ahead of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Composer Unsuk Chin said of the result: “Bach’s music displays great emotions and fiery temperament, while being the highest conceivable summit of composition as an intellectual art. “It is a synthesis of past music and the creations of his own time as well as a bold vision of the future. “Up to Bach, musical works disappeared after a premiere or, at least, after a composer’s death. Bach was too grand to be ignored.” Bach triumphed in a poll of 174 leading contemporary composers, who ranked their individual top five favourites based on originality, impact, craftsmanship, and enjoyability.

The result of the proposals from composers led to Bach coming out on top, and a list that spans musical history from the 12th century to the present day. Oliver Condy, BBC Music Magazine editor, said: “The sheer breadth and depth of our top 50 list proves that today’s composers look to all countries, styles and centuries for inspiration. “In gathering together 174 living composers for our poll, our Top 50 composer list turned out to be our most ambitious feature to date – and makes for fascinating reading.” British composer Benjamin Britten narrowly missed out on the top 10, voted in at 11th place in the rankings.

The top 10 composers are:
 

  1. Johann Sebastian Bach
  2. Igor Stravinsky
  3. Ludwig van Beethoven 
  4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  5. Claude Debussy
  6. Gyorgy Ligeti
  7. Gustav Mahler 
  8. Richard Wagner
  9. Maurice Ravel
  10. Claudio Monteverdi
GREENSITE’S INSIGHT.

November 4. 

 CLIMATE AND SANTA CRUZ DEVELOPMENTS.
I’m a believer. I’m convinced. The science is in. The climate is rapidly changing towards extremes. The seas are rising. Species are collapsing. Disease and food scarcity are spreading.  We have only a decade to act. So why is it that others, including city staff, four council members and public figures say they accept this climate reality and also cheer at the recent approval of a massive new structure of 79 luxury apartments and retail at 190 West Cliff Drive?  

A tally of the carbon footprint for just this one project would be an eye-opener: the excavation and trucking away of thousands of cubic yards of soil and bedrock for a two story underground parking lot; the production of thousands of cubic yards of cement for concrete, (cement production is one of the most carbon intensive and polluting of products); the carpeting; the wood floors; the plastics; the steel; the removal of 51 trees: all this resource depletion and carbon production for the wealthy to secure a second home at the beach. Anyone serious about climate impacts would eschew such conspicuous consumption. 

The contradiction between the climate-induced need to scale back our consumption and the market imperative to increase it can be seen across Santa Cruz. It is multiplied by millions of projects and products across the country. If you attend public meetings where new projects are approved and at the same time read any worthwhile Climate Action Plan you can see the disconnect. If your thinking stops at “it’s a Green Building” then you aren’t seeing the gap. 

We are a throw away society. What we truck to the landfill every day, other countries would preserve or re-use, if not by custom then by regulation. The Family Student Apartments at UCSC, built in 1971 and soon to be bulldozed are described as “beyond their lifespan.” The historic La Bahia on Beach St. is deemed, by neglect, beyond preservation. The small local businesses along Front, Water, Ocean and Mission Streets, the so-called Corridors, are to be bulldozed to make way for glass and steel high-rises with the attendant rent increases that will drive the local businesses out of business. These will be replaced by high-end retailers catering to the new high-end residents whose carbon footprint via their consumption patterns exceeds any savings from the hoped-for reduction in automobile use as per the “smart-growth” paradigm.

Since we are immersed in a capitalist culture of consumption we rarely see it from the outside. And some consume a lot more than others. As a nation we emit twice the carbon as do folks living in Europe and for a variety of reasons, including the casual disposal of finite resources. 

The photograph is of a house being built in the Rift Valley in Tanzania by a teacher who works at the nearby Maasai School for Girls. Such rare schools are important as an alternative for Maasai girls who otherwise would be married at a young age and lose any chance for an education. Being a product of western society I at first did not believe what he was building was a house. Where will you cook I asked? Outside, the teacher replied. It was a humbling experience. 

The gulf between the Tanzanian hut and the West Cliff Drive luxury apartments is a measure of our disproportionate impact on the global climate scene. Such disparity will continue so long as we let the market and investors drive our choices. To those who supported the West Cliff Drive project as well as other projects in the works, I suggest you leave your climate hat at the door.

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.
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November 4

WHY A SANTA CRUZ FOREIGN POLICY?

Policy Perspectives
I have always encountered a strong sentiment in Santa Cruz for debate, discussion, and action around issues of both domestic and foreign policy. It’s an interest bordering on the severe in Santa Cruz. That is, residents here have always been involved in the larger issues of this state, the nation, and the world. Often, locals expect and demand that their elected public officials take stands against unjust national policies–not sending immigrants back to dangerous places as the council did in passing numerous resolutions to protect immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. The council often addresses and sometimes takes action on state issues such as housing, homelessness, and firearms. Why? Because the state’s policies often impact our spending and ultimate quality of life here in Surf City.

Santa Cruz Foreign Policy
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, and the hopes of its children”.
–From (Dwight Eisenhower’s “Chance for Peace” speech soon after the death of Joseph Stalin)

In the area of “International Affairs” and “Foreign Policy,” the Santa Cruz city council has often put its collective toe, and sometimes foot, into the steamy and muddy waters of global concerns. We’ve demanded that Great Britain for example, hand over Augusto Pinochet to the Chilean people, proclaim our support for the Salvadoran people over the Reagan war machine in the 1980’s, as well as pronouncements in support of the rain forest, banning sex slavery, and upholding the MacBride principles of Northern Ireland. The city council has made statements, demands, and passed resolutions usually because our residents demanded discussion and action on these issues. So here is an update on international concerns I’ve been hearing from Santa Cruz residents recently.

Updates on Concerns Expressed by Residents

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

Trump and the World Rightwing-mania
It is perhaps no coincidence that the world is besieged by rightwing heads of state and Trump is seems to be a friend to most of them. Trigger warning: this scorecard of right-wingers is gruesome. In Hungary, Victor Orban has successfully kicked out Central European University from Budapest. It was founded by billionaire liberal, George Soros. Kim Jong Un of South Korea has an up and down bromance with President Trump as does Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump has said he admires Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for the way he goes after (and kills) drug dealers. Trump also seemed to be the choice for Russia’s Vladimir Putin in the 2016 elections. But perhaps most disturbing is Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia and his embrace of Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and this is despite all evidence that leads to Salman’s ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. These foreign “entanglements” kind of relationships should be disturbing to most voters, but I would bet there is a larger percentage in Santa Cruzans who want to debate and discuss the current administration’s spiraling downward in the area of foreign policy.

Addendum: What to do About P.G.$ E?
Now, here we have a corporate investor-owned, for-profit utility that has shown more concern for its shareholders than the rate-payers of Northern California and Santa Cruz. What can our residents and ratepayers do to confront this out of control company and maybe help the push toward democratizing P.G.$ E’s future actions? What might residents want their city council to do? Something like making a demand that P.G.$ E not be allowed to get away with the past blackout or future ones as well? No other utility has thus far shut down the grid because of high winds; it is not an industry standard. Residents could demand that P.G.$ E’s people be present at the next city council meeting meeting and respond to the to the community’s questions. Or they could ask for a resolution to sever ties with P.G.$ E, or to buy out P.G.$ E assets as San Francisco and San Jose are asking to do. The least we can do is have the mayor write a letter expressing our community’s strong feelings about this issue. What do you think we should do?

“Won’t you look at that: turns out all the chicken littles on raising min wage were wrong! GOP said the sky would fall if we (New York) raised tipped wages to $15/hr w #TipsOnTop. Turns out both revenue & employment are UP since the #Fightfor15, & way more people are getting a fair shake.” (Nov. 3)
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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November 4

COUNTY PLANNING DEPT. HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION TO REVIEW IMPENDING (AND FOREBODING) LEGISLATION 
This Wednesday, the County Housing Advisory Commission will consider the many pieces of impending legislation regarding the heavy-fisted State mandates that would remove significant local control over dense development in the future.  If you are able, attend this meeting: November 6, 1pm, 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, 4th Floor large conference room.  Here is a link to the agenda, which includes direct links to all legislative actions

These meetings are NOT audio or video recorded, but I will do my best to record it and post it as a YouTube in the near future. Of great concern is the SB 330 (Senator Nancy Skinner) is a re-hash of Senator Scott Wiener’s attempts to remove the ability of local planning agencies and the public to refuse large dense developments, but adds in language that any opposition must prove there is non-conformity with zoning and general plan language in place at the time this bill is approved.  YIKES!  Councilmember Chris Krohn wrote about this last week in BrattonOnline.

Read his thoughts, and read the legislative proposal yourself, then contact your local representatives about the status of zoning and general plan amendments.  The County is in the middle of updating all of that language NOW.  831-454-2200

Write your County Supervisor:

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT RATE INCREASES ARE UNFAIR AND HURT FAMILIES
Join the 535+ ratepayers and sign the online protest and let Soquel Creek Water District Board know that their outrageous rate restructuring and 9% annual rate increase is really  hurting families and those on fixed incomes.  

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

You will now find that complete document on the November 5, 2019 agenda, pages 18-23. I think it is shocking that the Board was so willing to squander so much ratepayer money and to accept the questionable actions of General Manager Ron Duncan to attempt to hide critical financial information from them and the public that was very relevant to decision-making regarding the expense.

What amazed me at the October 15, 2019 Board meeting was Director Bruce Daniels’ angry retort to the ratepayers, stating (as you can read on page 6 in the Minutes):

“Vice-President Daniels responded to public comment, explaining that staff and the Board identified and evaluated a variety of water supply options, and there is no alternative to Pure Water Soquel”

WOW!

Please visit the Water for Santa Cruz County website and learn the truth.  Santa Cruz County does not have a water supply problem, but rather a water STORAGE problem that can be regionally managed if only there is a political will from the Soquel Creek Water District Board and staff.  

MAKE ONE CALL. WRITE ONE LETTER.  ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.   BUT JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK! Cheers,  Becky Steinbruner

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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November 3 #307 2050 IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

2050 is “just around the corner.” At least, that is the perspective of someone like me, who has already lived for seventy-five years. 2050 is roughly thirty years away, so I have lived more than twice as long as the thirty years that now separate us from 2050. For someone who has lived thirty or fewer years, of course, thirty years is likely to appear to be a rather long time. It is a “lifetime,” in fact.

From whatever vantage point you consider the year 2050, and whether you think that thirty years is a “long” time or a “short” time, the following headline should make that 2050 date significant:

‘High likelihood of human civilisation coming to end’ by 2050, report finds. Here is a link to an article in The Independent, published in Great Britain, to which the headline above applies. Harry Cockburn, who wrote the article, is reporting on a paper produced by the Melbourne-based think tank the Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration.

The Breakthrough Centre defines its mission as “the development and promotion of strategies, innovation and analysis which are required to restore the climate to a safe condition.” The Breakthrough report was written by David Spratt and Ian Dunlop, with a forward by Chris Barrie, the former chief of the Australian Defence Forces and a retired Admiral in the Royal Australian Navy.

Clicking this link will take you to the full report. The article already linked provides a good synopsis. The key point, and the reason for this blog post, is not just that we need to take very seriously the impacts that accelerating global warming is having on the natural environment. We do need to do that, of course, but we also need to think about what the impacts of the coming changes in the natural environment will mean for our human civilization. We need to think about those dangers and threats, in other words, the way Admirals and Generals have always thought about the threats and dangers posed by other nations, as nations skirmish for geopolitical advance and/or domination. 

Human-caused global warming is initiating a Sixth Mass Extinction. That is horrible, but what the Breakthrough Report is trying to make clear is a point that I, too, try to make clear in the series of daily blog postings that I have been making on this website for almost ten years. 

We live ultimately in the World of Nature, but we live most immediately in a Human World, a “Political World,” a world that we can properly call our human “civilization.” While we have the ability to undermine the integrity of the Natural World, and are doing so (witness that Sixth Mass Extinction) our own, human world is less resilient and more vulnerable than the World of Nature. 

In other words, our human civilization will break down BEFORE the worst has happened in the Natural World. In fact, according to the Breakthrough report, we don’t have long to get ready and to do something about that. 
This is obviously very bad news, but is there an upside? Is there any good news? 

Maybe there is! If we can truly understand that we live, most immediately, in a human world, and that all our lives depend on being able to maintain the viability of our human civilization, then the unity of human beings across all perceived boundaries and differences will melt away. We are in this together. All of us. Every single one of us. In our current situation, in our current crisis, it is only human empathy, love, and commitment to each other that can avert the end to the human civilization we have created and that makes it possible for our lives to continue. 
Sooner or later, we are going to realize this. Young girls are sailing across the ocean to bring us this news. I think we’re going to figure this out, but we don’t have much time.

2050 is just around the corner!

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. More of the early years of Eagan’s subterranean sneaky looks into our other selves. Check them out below a few scrolls. 

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s sharp, poignant political plots 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. 

TIM EAGAN SAYS…”Hi everybody. If you find yourself in Santa Cruz in the near future, please come take a look at my plein air oils at the Gabriella Cafe on Cedar St. It will be there until the end of December. Hope to see you there”. If you want to subscribe to Tim’s blog, go here 

12×12 ARTWORK The Webmistress, Gunilla Leavitt, wants to let everyone know about an awesome local art tradition, the 12×12 exhibit at the Cabrillo Gallery. It’s open to anyone residing in California, pieces must be 12×12, and the show opened Monday and goes until December 6. There’s a reception on Saturday, November 9, 4:00–6:00, come see all the different ways you can make art in a 12×12 square! Most of the artwork is for sale, and the whole event is a fundraiser for the Gallery. Gunilla has three pieces in the show, woodworking and knitting! Come check them out and say hi at the reception!

LISA JENSEN LINKS. “Maybe now that we’re all so woke, the times have finally caught up to the amazing life of Harriet Tubman, a real-life superhero who fought for justice and won major victories against impossible odds in her lifelong battle to end slavery in the American South. In Harriet, filmmaker Kasi Lemmons explores the woman behind the historical footnote in a tribute that feels long overdue, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, some memories of Halloweens Past for this witching season. And if you were going to dress up as your favorite literary character, how would you choose? Your actual favorite character or the one with the coolest outfit? You’ll get your chance next week when Bookshop Santa Cruz hosts a Literary Masquerade in honor of author Erin Morgenstern (The Night Circus), and her new novel, The Starless Sea! ” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975. 

SPECIAL BRATTONOTE. WHEN YOU CAN’T QUITE FIGURE OUT THE PLOTS TO ANY FILMS OR TV SERIES, GO TO WIKIPEDIA. For example the “Watchmen” series is/was completely beyond me to decipher. Go here if you too need explaining…  

PAIN AND GLORY. This is probably my favorite film of 2019. I do not state that lightly It was directed and written by Pedro Almodóvar, and stars Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Julieta Serrano. It’s about a film director who has lost the energy and drive to make films. He gets into heroin, some sex love, booze — and ultimately back into film making. The acting is perfect, directing is shockingly tight, and a masterpiece. See it as soon as possible. 

PARASITE. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho outdid his other international screen successes with Parasite. Wikipedia calls it a dark comedy thriller ,and so do I. It’s winning awards everywhere and deserves them all. There’s brain surgery, murder, basement dwellers, numerous surprises, even some shocks, and well worth your seeing it ASAP.

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN. Actor Edward Norton not only plays the Tourette syndrome-plagued detective posing as a reporter, but he directed the movie too. It takes place in NYC in the 1950’s. Alec Baldwin plays a character based on Robert Moses, the evil developer of NYC. Willem Dafoe and Bruce Willis have small parts. The movie is not only confusing, but drags on and on with little if any conclusion. And no, you won’t believe Norton’s actor’s version of faked Tourette’s either.

HARRIET. A real Hollywood tear-jerker of Harriet Tubman’s amazing life, and what she accomplished fighting slavery. Cynthia Erivo is excellent as Harriet, and even looks like her. However the crashing crescendos of sobbing music, the homey corniness of so much of the plot, and much of the acting makes this look and feel like a 1940’s Hollywood soap opera.

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable! It just became the biggest – money making attendance record R-rated film ever!!!

THE LIGHTHOUSE. Robert Pattinson plays the young, innocent, naïve and new lighthouse keeper wannabe. Willem Defoe works very hard to be the ancient, hard to understand keeper from the old days. Neither of them are likable, and they don’t like each other. And I didn’t like this movie because they were so unlikable. It doesn’t matter much but it’s set in the 1890’s in New England. It’s screened in black and white and in a small square frame. 

CURRENT WAR. I thought at first this might be about today’s White House and foreign relations. Then I wondered maybe it’s about swimming against the currents. Could it possibly be about black versus yellow Currants? None of above, it’s really about George Westinghouse versus Thomas Alva Edison versus Nikolai Tesla. The war is about Direct Current or Alternating Current. Too bad we can’t raise hands and count how many folks care about the difference between the two currents. Worse than the boredom is watching and hearing Benedict Cummerbatch doing an American accent. For the first time on screen he is boring. This is the “director’s cut”, too bad he didn’t cut it much more!!!. CLOSES THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. .  On November 5 Dean Kaufman Veterans Service Officer talks about the meaning and events happening on Veterans Day. Gail Pellerin Santa Cruz County Clerk talks about voting and elections after Dean on Nov. 5. Paloma Curutenango from UCSC’s Common Ground Center discusses their goals, successes, and history on Nov.12  OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

I was careening down a YouTube rabbithole of videos about drummers. There are several on what a fantastically talented and genius drummer Ringo Starr was, and how underappreciated his contributions have been. I meant to post one of those, but then I stumbled on this one about John Bonham, and so this is what you get this week. The death of John Bonham was a tragedy to music, and you wonder what he would have come up with had he been around.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    “VOTING”

 “We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” Thomas Jefferson 

“Too many people fought too hard to make sure all citizens of all colors, races, ethnicities, genders, and abilities can vote to think that not voting somehow sends a message.” – Luis Gutierrez

“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Plato 

“Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.” – Pericles 


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com


Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

October 30 – November 5, 2019

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…Justin Cummings, Dream Inn Expansion, Tim Eagan Show. GREENSITE…on the 190 West Cliff Drive decision. KROHN…General Plan & zoning, corridors plan, 190 West Cliff Development, Vacate and just cause issues. STEINBRUNER…Soquel treated Water rate increase, water storage problem, Nissan decision and John Leopold, rural Fire tax. PATTON…Trump the Underdog Billionaire EAGAN…Sub Comics and classics. JENSEN…reviews The Current War. BRATTON…I critique Where’s My Roy Cohn?, The Current War, and Lighthouse. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “FIRE”
                                 

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DREAM INN CONSTRUCTION April 26, 1963. You can see the old Sisters Hospital halfway up on the left margin. After some moves, it became our Dominican Hospital. The hospital site became a parking lot for the Dream Inn                                                  

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

LISA MINELLI DANCES (she ain’t no Judy!)
CHINESE SWAN LAKE…or Swans into frogs!!

 

DATELINE October 28

JUSTIN CUMMINGS, WHAT A GUY!!! It seems like only yesterday we thought we had a 4 to 3 progressive majority on our City Council. Then we watched and trembled as Justin Cummings flipped 4 or 5 votes to the Pro Development–Cynthia Mathew’s side. Last week was a pre-Halloween nightmare, as Cummings voted to support The Dream Inn-Ensemble 190 West Cliff expansion. From now on, Santa Cruz will be subject to a 3.5 vs. 3.5 City Council. Of course that places Cummings at the center of all the development pressure. He’s not only new to politics, but conscientious too. It is, as we say…anybody’s guess, as our Silicon Beach city continues to grow. 

DREAM INN EXPANSION, MORE ABOUT. Despite the fact that 22,438 Santa Cruzans voted for Trump in 2016, it’s tough to believe that so many of our “City Institutions’ like the Chamber of Commerce and our Santa Cruz Business Council are so pro-development. Robert Singleton — the sexually-charged executive director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council — sent a report/reaction on their website. Read it all here… 

Cutting to the core of his reaction to the Dream Inn victory, Singleton wrote…

“The Business Council has been working on this project with a myriad of other community partners, from MBEP (Monterey Bay Economic Partnership) to YIMBY (YES in My Backyard) and beyond, because of the precedent this project will set in a truly post-redevelopment world, where there exists very little local funding for affordable housing.

You really need two types of “political cover” in order to get our electeds to support what they all know deep down inside is a great project. The first one is obvious, in that you need a broad coalition of folks from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds to speak in favor of new housing. No ifs and or buts about it, no broad based coalition of more than just old white folks in the room? No housing for you. Said another way: the whole community needs to show up, and even then Chris Krohn is going to vote against it on some bogus environmental reason.

When people get emotionally invested in a project outcome, no amount of facts or studies are going to persuade them. Only those very few and disciplined decision makers seem to be able to rise above the constant back and forth and be able to genuinely synthesize information well into the evening. Obviously members of the public have no interest in overcoming their emotional stances, they came to the hearing to let their elected leaders have it, which doesn’t help frankly. But to constantly question the expert input of staff, lawyers, geologists, hydrologists, traffic engineers, etc.–all of who went to school for many years in order to qualify to give such testimony–is really hard to watch, and slightly demeaning. To take all of their information in and then dismiss it entirely, or nit pick it until you find a minor inconsistency that is usually one poignant question away, that’s just completely regressive”.

BrattonNote…Maybe we should name the new Dream Inn’s Sauna and Spa room The Cummings Cute Calorie Count Court. Plus we should all relax, since UCSC’s Gary Griggs also gave his approval. 

TIM EAGAN SAYS… “Hi everybody. If you find yourself in Santa Cruz in the near future, please come take a look at my plein air oils at the Gabriella Cafe on Cedar St. I’ll be hanging the show on October 31st, and it will run until the end of December. There is also an opening from 3 to 5 on November 3rd. Hope to see you there” .If you want to subscribe to Tim’s blog go to..
http://www.timeagan.com/?subscribe&email=bratton@cruzio.com&code=0d8422df1273fe4dd17422347d63a7a8&action=unsubscribe 

October 28

LET THEM EAT CAKE
We have only 3 city council members who genuinely represent the people and not the “stakeholders.” And two of them are facing a recall. This is not a good time for the common folk. It’s a great time for developers and those whom they suckle. This reality was in full display at the council meeting where the decision to approve the mammoth high-end development at 190 West Cliff Drive was made on a 4 to 3 vote.

Ensemble, the out of town big-scale developer and owner of the Dream Inn had assembled an impressive cast of actors in this high stakes drama. Union members were there in support, hitching their star to the rich. Various housing groups spoke, including the powerful MBEP (Monterey Bay Economic Partnership) and the Santa Cruz County Business Council.  These interest groups remind me of the right to lifers who are so protective of the unborn but couldn’t give a damn about children. Who cares if Clearview Court, the adjacent community of 67 manufactured homes owned by long-time low-income seniors, many disabled, lose their sun, their privacy and in the long run even their homes as this area gentrifies, when what is gained is 79 luxury apartments for over the hill investors, plus a token smattering of minimally required low income units? 

Those of us who spoke against the project were not asking for much. Just an EIR , (Environmental Impact Report) to better assess the traffic, pedestrian and geologic impacts which were understudied in the documents used to approve the project.  Robert Singleton, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council laments that those of us who oppose such projects just don’t trust the experts and that for us “to constantly question the expert input of staff, lawyers, geologists, hydrologists, traffic engineers, etc.–all of who went to school for many years in order to qualify to give such testimony–is really hard to watch, and slightly demeaning.” Gird your loins and read more here

If I’ve learned anything from the past 40 years it’s that “experts” make findings consistent with whom is paying their costs. It’s hard to find an expert who gives bad news to their boss.  And sometimes they lie. That is not an opinion. It’s an observation from reading tons of “expert” opinion for myriad projects that I have opposed or appealed, usually involving trees and the environment.

Another clever gimmicky success noted by Singleton is to stack the meetings with people of color to support a development in order to contrast with the aging white folk who turn out to defend their long-time neighborhoods. Works every time. I wasn’t sure why the NAACP came out in support but there they were. This reminded me of the battle over Longs (now CVS) on Mission St. It was controversial so the meeting was held in the Civic. Neighbors came out in force. The argument in favor of the development was that the new Longs aimed to employ many African Americans in its new store so how could white folks stand in their way? CVS today is a shining example of what not to approve and I doubt there are many if any African American employees.

UCSC is adept at co-opting people of color to support their various plans. When we opposed the establishment of fraternities on campus the administration enlisted the support of a black Fraternity to effectively silence the largely white opposition. The same tactic was used with the first building on the Great Meadow, which was originally a Student Center. It failed as such since its location was absurd. The administration offered space for the African American Resource Center and dissent for the project dissolved.

Expect more of this well-organized seduction of people of color and trade unions to support the myriad city projects that are in the planning stage. What is being lost is any notion of class impacts. Research documents that the losers in this in-filling, high-rise, smart growth era are the low-income renters who include significant numbers of people of color.  Council member Drew Glover captured this class affront in his pointed response to the Mayor’s suggestion that if shade from the 55 feet tall development means that the Clearview Court residents can no longer grow vegetables to augment their tiny incomes, then maybe they can be given left-over food from the retail businesses in the new luxury development. Let them eat cake!

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.
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October 28

PROGRESSIVES MUST FIND THEIR WAY

Progressive Tip-toe at the Edge of the Development Abyss

The Santa Cruz City Council continues on its unsettling “majority” tip-toe journey into charted and uncharted political territory. Two huge issues were decided by 4-3 votes last Tuesday, Oct. 22nd, and they did not have pretty progressive endings, unfortunately. The afternoon agenda had only one item of real significance. What was innocuously billed as, “Monthly Report on General Plan and Zoning Ordinance Reconciliation Effort” became a city staff recommendation to spend $300,000 to $450,000 to pay for “staff time” and an outside consultant. What’s at issue? From the city staff report:

The Housing Accountability Act and SB 330 

The Housing Accountability Act (HAA) 

The HAA expressly prohibits jurisdictions from requiring a rezoning when there is an inconsistency between the objective density standards allowed on the site under the GP land use designation and those allowed under the Zoning Ordinance. In short, for sites which permit housing development, if a proposed project is consistent with the objective density standards in the GP, but the zoning has not yet been updated to match, the jurisdiction must allow the applicant to utilize the GP’s objective density standards. Once the GP density standards are permitted, the jurisdiction can then require the applicant to meet the remaining objective standards found in the Zoning Ordinance. The HAA requires that, if a housing development conforms to specific objective general plan and zoning standards and a city seeks to deny the project or condition it in a manner that reduces the number of proposed dwelling units, that a decision-making body must make specific findings, supported by a preponderance of evidence in the record, that the project would have a specific, adverse effect on public health or safety. 

Corridors Mistaking, Part II

My problem is that there weren’t any neighbors, or neighborhood groups involved in this rather dramatic action to invest a lot of money into a plan that staff is contending that the state is basically holding a planning gun to our head. If we do not have “objective density standards” in place then the state will impose them? This action flies in the face of what the city council had previously passed, that is, get neighbors and neighborhood groups involved in planning. At least in this case, put off a decision until the next community meeting on Oct. 28th with Save Santa Cruz and other interested parties is completed. But that did not happen. If the council does not allow neighbors and other parties who are not financially invested in how building takes place in our town to participate, then city staff will only replicate the past failed corridors plan. Yes, new state laws have somewhat constrained the power of the city council to decide many land-use decisions, but not totally, and this decision like most would’ve fared better with more input from the public. The message of the community leading the city council and city staff has not yet fully rooted in our local governance structure, but progressives must continue tending the garden. Let it alone for the upcoming election cycle and we will be back to square one with 1) more developer-friendly council-directed plans, 2) more BearCat Tanks, and 3) it is unlikely we will find that permanent home for the downtown Farmer’s Market on Cedar Street.

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you can’t fix a corrupt system if you’re taking its money.” (Oct. 28)
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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STEINBRUNER STATES.

October 27

JOIN OVER 500 SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT CUSTOMERS IN PROTESTING PUNITIVE RATE INCREASES TO FUND DRINKING TREATED SEWAGE WATER

The water bills for Soquel Creek Water District customers have jumped excessively since the Board approved a new punitive rate structure that charges anyone using more than their low 5.99 units/month FIVE TIMES the amount/unit that Tier 1 charges.   Sign the online protest petition here and please share it with neighbors and friends who are affected by this Draconian rate and fee increase: Sign the Petition

The Board needs to rescind their rate and fee increase scheme that will raise rates AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN…four annual increases of 9%/year have already been approved.

All this is to rake in the $90 Million the District wants in order to build the expensive and unnecessary treated sewage water treatment plant in Live Oak and three injection wells in Aptos.  The pipes bringing the effluent from Santa Cruz City Wastewater Treatment Plant will cross the San Lorenzo River and other streams a total of 18 times, and will have to cross under Highway One at least once.  What could go wrong?!! 

Write the Board of Directors bod@soquelcreekwater.org   

SENDING WATER FROM THE SKY INSTEAD
It is widely recognized (except by Soquel Creek Water District) that this County does not have a water supply problem, but rather a water storage problem.  This can be addressed with a regional management approach, but the District lacks the will to pursue it.  I am encouraged by the news that the water transfer pilot project will again happen this year, which is a start toward using existing infrastructure to send water from the sky to Soquel Creek Water District:

Second year of Santa Cruz to Soquel Creek water transfers to continue

Learn more about this common-sense project and how it could be expanded…if only Soquel Creek Water District will agree to accept the water from Santa Cruz City sources: waterforsantacruz.com

WHY IS SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT FAST-TRACKING THE TREATED SEWAGE WATER PROJECT?
That is a question many have asked.  District staff is quick to wave their arms and insist the aquifer is in such overdraft, the sky will fall tomorrow if the sewage water doesn’t get injected in the aquifer immediately.  However, several reports show the groundwater levels have risen to historically high levels because of the conservation measures people took, thereby reducing pumping needs.  Those conservative efforts have held, both in Santa Cruz City and in the District, and production demand continues to decrease.

Here is a good article in which District General Manager Ron Duncan discusses the high groundwater levels:

What rising aquifer levels in Soquel Creek Water District means for customers

Interestingly, at a June, 2019 MidCounty Groundwater Agency Advisory Committee meeting, the expert hydrologist said that “the reason the Basin got determined to be in critical overdraft is that Soquel Creek had already determined that it was, so the State just went with that.”   Wow.  I confirmed that information with the State staff member who had attended the meeting.   He advised me not to file a Public Records Act request for information to verify the State’s critical overdraft determination because “it would be a really quick turnaround, because there is nothing to give you.”

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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October 24 #297 / Underdog Billionaire

On October 22, 2019, The New York Times printed an article with the headline (hard copy edition): “Trump’s Base Is Steadfast Even as Troubles Mount.” Why is that, do you think?

My opinion is that our president inspires such fierce loyalty because he vividly portrays, in person and in everything he does, the resentment and sense of betrayal that many Americans feel about their lives in general, and about their government in particular. Whatever happens, Trump claims that some powerful person or agency has “framed him,” or has “betrayed” him, or has “misrepresented” him, or has “downrated” him, or has “ignored” him, or has, in some other way, treated him unfairly. Government employees are always in the wrong. Donald Trump’s sense of grievance is unending. He is truly an “underdog billionaire.” 

Those who have no ability live out the “billionaire” part definitely identify with the “underdog” part. I think that this is key to Donald Trump’s political success (of course, the fact that he communicates, naturally, at a third-grade reading level also helps). 

As I searched for an image to accompany this blog posting, I typed “underdog billionaire” into a search box, looking for images. What came up was the picture above, which accompanied an article from the Trump Times, titled, “Donald Trump, Billionaire Underdog.” It looks like the Trump campaign well understands the phenomenon I have identified as critical to his success. Here, for instance, is a comment from a Trump Times reader: 

Jennifer Sasser says:

May 29, 2019 at 11:42 am 

Yes.. I think that they the Elite are orchestrating and rigging everything and the average Joe Blow democrat has nothing to do with the corruption, they are guilty of being naive and believing the news without question.. Thank you so much … 

Those who are not captured by the narcissistic, “I am abused” message of our current president, should understand that it nonetheless constitutes a powerful appeal to millions of ordinary Americans. Trump’s “underdog” appeal is so powerful because so many Americans are and have been mistreated by the realities of our economic, political, and social situation. In other words, many Americans have a very reasonable case to make, as Jennifer Sasser says, that our “elites” are “rigging every thing,” and rigging it against ordinary Americans.

Donald Trump seems authentically to be on the side of those who feel themselves abused – since the sincerity of Trump’s sense of being abused is beyond question. To beat Donald Trump, an opposing candidate needs to convince the Trump “base” that the opposing candidate is on the side of the millions of Americans who have been abused and ignored by our political system and our elected officials. 

Who are the candidates most clearly trying to make that case, and showing some empathy for those who comprise the Trump “base?” 

I would identify Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. I think that is why they are high in the polls. 

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Diving into our psyche and bringing  up details just for us…check out his Sub Cons just a scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Classic Deep Covers ” 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 and his “No One But You”  poem.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. “Powerhouse stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon fuel his tale of the rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to electrify America in The Current War, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Not a lot of flash and dazzle, but plenty of imaginative onscreen storytelling to honor the most enduring by-product of Edison’s genius — the motion picture! ” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

 

WHERE’S MY ROY COHN? This documentary about Roy Cohn is a history lesson about how Donald Trump learned to become what he is today. Roy Cohn taught him everything crooked in politics and money. It’s important to see and learn from this film. You’ll learn just how loaded, money driven, and illegal our USA politics are now, and have been for generations. Go quickly; it is another Landmark 6 day showing. CLOSES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31.

CURRENT WAR. I thought at first this might be about today’s White House and foreign relations. Then I wondered — maybe it’s about swimming against the currents. Could it possibly be about black versus yellow currants? None of above, it’s really about George Westinghouse versus Thomas Alva Edison versus Nikolai Tesla. The war is about direct current or alternating current. Too bad we can’t raise hands to find out how many folks care about the difference between the two. Worse than the boredom is watching and hearing Benedict Cummerbatch doing an American accent. For the first time on screen he is boring. This is the “director’s cut” —  too bad he didn’t cut it much more!!!

THE LIGHTHOUSE. Robert Pattinson plays the young, innocent, naïve new lighthouse keeper wannabe. Willem Defoe works very hard to be the ancient, hard to understand keeper from the old days. Neither are likable, and they don’t like each other either. And I didn’t like this movie, because… they were so unlikable. It doesn’t matter much, but it’s set in the 1890s in New England. It’s screened in black and white and in a small square frame. 

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable! It just became the biggest – money making attendance record R-rated film ever!!!

JUDY. Renee Zellweger does the best possible imitation of Judy Garland in this dramatic and still musical tribute. Garland transcended the usual fame and popularity and has become a legend. This film starts off in 1968 and ends with Judy’s last days and five husbands later plus drugs. It’s corny and hammy but so was Judy. For some reason Liza Minnelli isn’t in much of it. 

You’ll almost cry at some scenes…so don’t miss it. CLOSES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31 

DOWNTOWN ABBEY. With an audience score of 96 you can’t go wrong. It topped Rambo and Ad Astra and earned $31 million in its’ opening weekend. I have no way of knowing if those few people who didn’t watch all or most of the Downton Abbey tv years will love as much as we devotees do the movie. Same cast and the plot is centered about the King and Queen of England coming to visit the Abbey. There’s a clash between the Abbey staff and the service crew that the Queen brings with her. It’s grand fun to see all our long time screen friends again. We know so much about each character. Don’t miss the big screen version it just ain’t the same. CLOSES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31 

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. With an audience rating of 99 on Rotten Tomatoes it’s gotta be good…or great! Her politics, talent, integrity plus an amazing voice makes her truly unique in the field of music. She mastered many styles, never gave up and is dying of Parkinson’s right now! Her Mexican heritage, time with Gov. Jerry Brown and sheer guts will keep you surprised as you learn so much about her. CLOSES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31 

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. . Lisa Robinson president of the San Lorenzo Valley Museum details the events and news from the museum on October 29 then Julie  Phillips and a friend from Clearview Court sum up what happened with that tragic decision on the Dream Inn expansion.  On November 5 Dean Kaufman Veterans Service Officer talks about the meaning and events happening on Veterans Day. Gail Pellerin Santa Cruz County Clerk talks about voting and elections after Dean on Nov. 5. Paloma Curutenango from UCSC’s Common Ground Center discusses their goals, successes, and history on Nov.12. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

Mmmm, art!

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

QUOTES. “FIRE”

“What fire does not destroy, it hardens”  Oscar Wilde   

“The difference between a good life and a bad life is how well you walk through the fire“.     Carl Jung 

“Build a man a fire, and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life”.Terry Pratchett 

 “Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell”.   Joan Crawford 


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com


Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

October 23 – 29, 2019

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…more facts and opinions on MAH, County reaction to MAH questions, earlier Earthquake preparedness. GREENSITE…defends low income ClearView court against luxury high- rise development at 190 West Cliff. KROHN…Q & A re Dream Inn 190 West Cliff  Development. STEINBRUNER…Soquel Creek rate hike, double taxes for fire protection, Pure Water Soquel, Nissan Auto vs. Sustainable Soquel, Gov Newsom and voting transparency. PATTON…News from China. EAGAN… JENSEN…Earthquake memories and movies. BRATTON…I critique First Love UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”TREES”

                                 

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COUNTY BUILDING SITE AND SAN LORENZO RIVER. 1961. This photo bears a lot of studying. You can pick out the Hindquarter, Holy Cross Church, Outdoor World, County Jail and a lot more.

photo credit: CE Meyer, USGS

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

ART TATUM PLAYS DVORAK.
BONNY DOON. Symphony by John Wineglass
ONE YEAR OLD PLAYS PIANO CONCERT!!

DATELINE October 21

MORE NEWS AND VIEWS ON MAH. I sent County media rep Jason Hoppin’s reply to a very active MAH member . Here’s that member’s reaction . “Jason’s response is classic stonewalling. It is sham transparency and total bullshit! He’s describing the process without giving us any substantive details. One cannot make sense of this without the lease and financials. Percentages without whole numbers is useless information. Also, Wayne Palmer wrote a letter to Nina (and assume the Board) excoriating her lack of ethics and calling her a “public liar.” It is circulating but not everyone has seen it. One of the current board members (a big Nina supporter) is also in the running for the Executive Directorship. Doesn’t the institution need a clean slate—a start over with no partisans? It will be more of the same if the Board chooses an internal candidate and rejects an outsider”.  Now read the letter to Jason…

COUNTY RESPONSE TO MAH QUESTIONS RE FINANCES.

I Sent this on Monday, October 7, 2019 12:18 PM to Jason Hoppin, County Communications manager stating “Here are some of the many MAH questions”. My questions from so many MAH board and regular members are in bold type.+ 

Jason, Here’s a compilation of what MAH board members and many readers want to know…

What are the specific provisions of the current lease agreement between the County and the MAH? The director renegotiated the agreement sometime after her arrival in 2011. The agreement involves some sort of financial payback to the County.

The original lease involved a number of financial provisions, including the MAH being responsible for paying off the debt used to refurbish the County-owned building, annual payments by the County to MAH and escalating percentages of gross rents to be paid to the County, among other provisions (we would gladly provide access to the lease itself). Under the original lease, the final percentage of the gross rents was to have been 40 percent. 

In 2016, the lease was rewritten to reduce the MAH’s obligations to the County for gross rents to 10 percent, which will include percentages of the subleases (Abbott Square and offices) backed up by financial statements. This provision begins in September 2021. Under the agreement, the County forgave prior MAH indebtedness and the MAH chose to pay off the remainder of the bonds used to refurbish the County’s building (approximately $800,000). The MAH is responsible for all building, maintenance and improvement costs, though it must seek County approval for structural changes to the building. The County did not contribute toward the Abbott Square project. 

Were any monies owed to the County forgiven based on the past or current agreement?

Yes, as part of the new lease agreement the County forgave outstanding indebtedness under the original lease. We do not know what the total amount is. As a matter of policy, the County sees the MAH primarily as a community benefit and not a profit center. 

How is the revenue from leasing office space split? Is there an annual accounting of the expenditure of public funds and how does this translate into a public benefit? Does the full museum board have any idea?

The County will receive 10 percent of the gross rents beginning September 2021, which will be deposited into the general fund.  We expect these amounts to be verified by audited financial statements; however, detail about how the MAH spends the balance of leasing revenues is between the MAH and its Board. We expect the rents will offset the costs of operations and help subsidize a community benefit.

Why is it so difficult to obtain this information and the perceived shroud of secrecy? Also, currently the MAH receives annually a grant of about $154K from the County Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services Department. What is the reporting mechanism for this expenditure and how is it evaluated?

The contribution to the MAH is accounted for the in the Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services budget to fund museum operations. Historically, this has been part of the County’s community program spending, but I don’t believe this amount has been increased in recent years. We would be happy to provide you the lease, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors.  Going forward, the County is required to receive an annual report of activities and a copy of the financial statements.  

thanks Jason, I hope we can get to the resolution of this ASAP. Concern keeps growing. Bruce Bratton

DUMBING  DOWN MAH AND NEW YORK’S MUSEUM OF MODERN ART. Still another very active MAH member sent the following email this week to BrattonOnline…

“Lisa Hochstein, a respected painter who has in past been featured in MAH exhibits, has sent a well-written and thought-provoking piece about the MoMA reopening by Philip Kennicott from Washington Post to the large number of individuals concerned about the MAH on Wayne Palmer’s list. 

The last 8 paragraphs of the article say things that most likely apply to any museum experiencing tremendous growth by popularizing, — what some might call ‘dumbing the cultural significance or the art down’ by prioritizing crowd-pleasing over explaining the art in cultural context’. The critical text of the article has been edited into 5 paragraphs. The last sentence could certainly be applied to the GLOW Festival of MAH last weekend — a lot of fun to see and participate in,  but not so different from almost any fire-themed carnival  — varied sights, loud sounds and dramatic sensations, but no lasting lessons and absolutely no history” .   

“The [MoMA] museum . . .  is no longer teaching, but simply opening itself up to exploration and discovery . . .  to abandon the idea that the museum serves an educational function would be a disaster. But, though such language may sound good to other museum professionals, the public generally does want a lesson. And despite efforts to abandon “grand narratives,” people generally revert to them, at least to provide a general intellectual skeleton on which to hang their observations and discoveries.”

“But there’s a difference between complicating narratives and abandoning them. MoMA seems to want to do the latter but can’t quite bring itself to do so. The rough narrative in the galleries remains broadly chronological, with the stars of its collections still pretty much where you expect to find them. . . .  Even more worrisome is the stated goal of abandoning the didactic function. No one wants a cultural organization that hectors, but they do want to learn. It’s a question of tone.”

“And it’s not entirely clear at whom the new installation is aimed: the ordinary visitor who is supposedly demanding to see art without any supporting intellectual apparatus or the more sophisticated audience who will understand why it is interesting to, say, hang a 1967 Faith Ringgold painting near Picasso’s 1907 “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.” Some of these juxtapositions are telling and smart; others seem merely clever.

Now MoMA faces the same challenge it faced before: how to manage its own success. Like widening highways, which tends to simply induce more traffic, expanding MoMA will only make it more attractive to more people. The new building may handle the crowds well for a while. But MoMA has become one of the great “winner takes all” cultural institutions, and the more it grows, the more it will feel the need to keep growing. And, with that, the pressure to do the big, dumb, crowd-pleasing shows like the terrible 2015 Bjork exhibition will only increase.

At some point, if the institution is to remain genuinely relevant to the discourse of art, it will have to grapple with this cycle and interrupt it. That will mean recommitting to first principles, or at least some principles that reference not just access to art, but the actual experience of thinking about it. MoMA knows how to get people through the door, but no one seems terribly concerned with what happens when they leave. Did their eyeballs simply lounge over lots of intriguing things, or did they learn something?”.

The MAH Board member who sent this concludes by stating…

My opinion: the abandonment of learning, “the disaster” mentioned early in the quoted excerpt, seems to have already taken place, both at MoMA as described, and at MAH. Philip Kennicott, the author of the MoMA thought-piece, says it all in the final paragraph. Like MoMA, it’s time for the MAH Board, the donors, the volunteers and the staff, but most of all, to find a visionary new Director who actually loves art and history to begin to grapple with the unfortunate cycle, interrupt it, and to recommit to principles that emphasize not only access to art, but also to thinking deeply about art as a product of its time”.

12 YEARS BEFORE THE ’89 EARTHQUAKE WARNING!!! Jim Ellmore, Architect Retired (Ellmore /Titus Architects) sent the following email to BrattonOnline…”Interesting to read your input about the downtown merchants lack of action on earthquake preparedness two/three years before the big earthquake. In 1977, twelve years before the quake, we did a Feasibility Study of Upper Floor Renovations on the Pacific Garden Mall. Eleven building owners were contacted and of that number, seven agreed to be surveyed. 

The first one analyzed was 1111 Pacific Avenue, the former Hotel Metropole, which was currently occupied on the ground floor by Plaza Books and Paper vision. “The biggest cost item is to bring the structure up to present seismic requirements. Because the building is totally open on the first floor, all seismic loads that occur during an earthquake would have to be taken by the outside walls which probably could not withstand the stress . . . .” This was typical. In doing the study, it was interesting to note how many of the upper floors were formerly hotels (Virginia, Alexander, & etc.) and lodge meeting places such as Elks, Moose, Odd Fellows and others”.  

October 21

DAVID AND GOLIATH: 190 WEST CLIFF DRIVE.
The decision whom to favor in this battle is determined by a city council vote at its October 22nd. meeting.  On one side is Ensemble, owner of the Dream Inn, which self-describes as  ” a versatile real estate company that envisions, manages, brokers and owns transformative projects in the health care, hospitality, commercial and urban multifamily/mixed use sectors.” On the other side is ClearView Court, a neighborhood of 68 single-story manufactured homes, whose residents are mostly seniors, many disabled and all low income. If the mammoth project of 55 feet tall, 79 luxury apartments and retail, across from the Dream Inn is approved, it surely will be  “transformative.” The residents of ClearView Court, feet away from the project, lose their view, their sun, their privacy, their peace, their quality of life and in the long run, probably their homes since this is the thin end of the wedge of upscale development, sprouting all over Santa Cruz. In this battle, city Planning staff is on the side of Goliath. They deserve far more than an inaudible sarcastic laugh in my opinion. 

Below is what I communicated to city council. Staff has clearly abandoned the neighborhoods. It will be instructive to see which council members follow suit.

Dear Mayor and City Council members,

Much appreciation for your careful review of the following concerns regarding this development. To cut to the chase, this project is massively out of scale for protection of the surrounding neighborhoods. 

  • The introductory paragraph in the Agenda Report for this project states: “The purpose of the Motel Residential Performance Overlay District is to establish and control uses to ensure development which protects neighborhood integrity while supporting appropriate uses.”  The following examples demonstrate the neglect for the protection of neighborhood integrity, which, in itself is grounds to send the project back for environmental review and downscaling.
  • The traffic and pedestrian studies are scant and inadequate. Conducting traffic studies in April is outside the busiest traffic season of June and July and lacks environmental review credibility. Vastly increased foot traffic crossing dangerous Beach St. (one death) to reach the retail aspect of the project is not adequately studied and thus not mitigated.
  •  The 5 tall heritage trees (cedar, redwood and pine) on the west side of the site are among the most spectacular trees in the city of Santa Cruz. They deserve the labels “iconic, majestic, and unique”. They are a signature gateway to the Monterey Bay from the north. Only 3 out of these 5 beauties are to be retained. This is a violation of the Heritage Tree Ordinance, which states that (outside of disease or danger or impacting a current structure) a heritage tree can be removed only if a development cannot be altered to accommodate the tree. Clearly the project design, which is still only on paper, could (and should) be altered to protect all of the amazing trees along the western property boundary. The conclusion on p. 25 of the Environmental Check list that there is no conflict with the criteria, provisions and requirements of the local (Heritage Tree) ordinance is simply wrong.
  • The Environmental Checklist Review on p.12 is incorrect in concluding that the project would have no impact on: “substantially damage scenic resources, including but not limited to trees…” Removing two of these majestic, tall trees and squashing the rest against a 55 feet tall, massive structure will have a significant impact. 
  • Although the Planning Commission’s approval included investigating the relocation of the two heritage redwoods growing in the interior of the site, the Agenda Report leaves that up to the developer if and after you approve the project. This guarantees that no relocation will be properly evaluated since the project arborist has already stated that relocation is rarely successful and he advises against it, despite experts in big tree relocation (Environmental Design Inc.) giving an over 90 percent success rate. 
  • There is nothing specific in the General Plan EIR, nor the B/SOL plan that addresses this particular site. Tiering off those documents is inadequate to assess the impacts. The commercial beach area mapping may overlap this site but in reality this site is, apart from the Dream Inn, far more neighborhood than commercial in character. Bringing retail up the hill to West Cliff and Bay St area is a radical departure from what currently exists. Its impacts should be studied more closely or abandoned.
  • The Environmental Checklist states on p. 13 that this project is not visible from the wharf. Yes it is. The visuals provided by the applicant show it to be highly visible. 
  • A project of this scale should require story poles so that the community can get a more accurate sense of the visual impact. Many other communities make this a practice with all new development. I provided the Planning Commission with examples from Half Moon Bay to show how important such tools are, especially as a counterpoint to developers’ routine use of visual distortion (people in foreground, project in background) to minimize the scale. 
  • As a selling point, comments that the few low-income units included can be bought by workers at the Dream Inn show ignorance about those who work at the Dream Inn. I can attest that most of the Dream Inn lower income workers have families and are not single. The low- income units are not suitable for families.
  • The impact of this project on the adjacent ClearView Court of low income, many disabled, many senior, long-time homeowners and renters should be your highest concern. This proposed project, with its provision of 79 luxury apartments for wealthy, high-consuming new owners is not a plus for the city of Santa Cruz. Nibbling around the edges of this mammoth 55 feet tall structure as a response to the hugely negative impacts on the residents of ClearView Court is not even a token. It is injustice.

As one of your constituents and a neighbor to this project, I urge you to significantly downscale, remove the retail, protect all 5 heritage trees on the Bay St. side, relocate the two heritage redwoods in the interior and ensure that the impacts on ClearView Court residents are minimal, before approving this project .

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.
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October 21

190 WEST CLIFF DRIVE QUESTIONS.

The Santa Cruz City Council is set to discuss, dialogue, and likely decide upon a mixed development project that includes an 89-unit condominium project at the corner of Bay Street and West Cliff Drive. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 22nd at 730pm at city hall, 809 Center Street, downtown. It is a pretty big project and has some pretty big implications concerning growth, development, and housing in our community. I am devoting the column this week to a series of questions I posed to the SC Planning Director, Lee Butler. I sent him a list of questions and he emailed me back the following responses.  I have edited some responses for brevity and bolded others because of their significance. And yes, while there are only 2500 words here, a lot, the documents for this project total over 1200 pages. Wow!

1)      Traffic. The “peak” parking demand (TIR traffic impact report) was done in April and August, when it seems that actual peak demand would be in June and July. Is it because during those June and July months the traffic cannot be “mitigated?” Or are there other reasons? How can these measurements be deemed “Existing Peak Parking Demands” when they do not seem to be done during actual peak times?

Lee Butler (LB): Your questions here touch on both parking and traffic, which can be related but are typically treated separately for a variety of reasons.  The CEQA Checklist removed references to parking impacts 10+ years ago, so we do not mitigate parking impacts from an official CEQA mitigation perspective. Instead, we have on-site parking standards in the Zoning Code that we apply.  (See responses to your Question #2 below for more on that.) We do currently have CEQA mitigations for Level of Service (LOS) traffic impacts. (FYI, those too will be going away soon, as SB 743’s implementation deadline is 7/1/20, and vehicle miles travelled (VMT) will be the new CEQA transportation standard rather than LOS. 

With regards to traffic and the timing of the counts, here’s info from the traffic study that’s posted on the project website and on the Planning Commission website under the August 15, 2019 agenda.

Traffic Volumes (April 2017)

Though additional data was collected in August, it was deemed appropriate to analyze the project impacts using the April base-line data since local schools and UCSC were in session.

I believe that we do not mitigate for peak summer traffic for the same reason that we do not require on-site parking spaces for the demand that stores have the week before Christmas.  Such measures would lead to excess capacity and would be counter to a number of our City’s goals – promotion of alternative modes of transportation, efficient use of land, reduction of impervious surface, etc.

2) Parking. Actual number of parking spaces (stalls). Is it true that 317 are required for the Dream Inn and their restaurant, but 299 are included in materials provided? Should I assume that there is some kind of “cooperative” parking facility or non-vehicle use program justifying this reduction? Is there off-site parking somewhere for employees? Then there seems to be another 8 spaces absent for residential parking. I assume that covers the 8 “low income” units? Looks like project is providing 152 spaces (not 167 required?) for residential use…which the total of “lost” parking spaces comes out to 32. There appears to be a possible double-dipping of sorts going on here to my untrained eye. Or, what would more specifically account for a reduction of 32 spaces? Also, how does Dream Inn/Ensemble mitigate for these seemingly lost required spaces? Will there be bus passes made available to all employees? Jump bikes? More shared shuttles? In addition, will construction workers also need parking spaces? Will they be made aware of any bus pass or jump or shuttle program put in place by Ensemble too?

LB: Below is an excerpt from the Planning Commission staff report.  The paragraph under the table answers most of your questions, including some basic info about transportation demand management (TDM) strategies.  If you’d like to dive deeper into the TDM measures for the project, a 212-page-long report is posted on the project website and on the Planning Commission website under the August 15, 2019 agenda.  I’d recommend reading pages 13 to 20. A condition of approval requires that the applicants adhere to the TDM plan. 

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

“We will not stand idly by and allow three people in this country to own more wealth than the bottom half of America, while at the same time, nearly 20% of our children live in poverty, veterans sleep out on the streets and seniors cannot afford their prescription drugs”. (Oct. 21)
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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October 21

SIGN THIS PETITION AGAINST SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT’S UNFAIR AND ADVERSE RATE INCREASES
If you are one of the hundreds of Soquel Creek Water District customers whose water bills have increased by over $200/month, even though you are working hard to conserve water, you need to sign this online protest petition!  Nearly 520 people have signed it since it was recently launched by customer Kris Kirby…and the numbers increase daily.

Sign the Petition

Soquel Creek Water District Rate Increases Are Unfair and Hurt Families!

Is the District Board listening?  Who knows, but when the customers upset with their outrageous bills filled the District Board meeting audience and spoke out, Director Bruce Jaffe asked staff to return at a future meeting with some real data on what the effects of the recent rate and fee increases have brought about.  “It’s one thing to have a model, but what is really happening?”  he asked.

…. Stay tuned.

COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WANT TO DOUBLE TAXES FOR RURAL FIRE PROTECTION
This Tuesday, October 22, the County Supervisors will consider (and most likely approve) a very confusing and complex fire protection tax increase that will be handled in a special mail-out ballot that will give more weight to votes from very high-value properties than it would to votes of common folks.  Item #12 will be heard at 1pm…and a public hearing scheduled in January when the voting period closes.

The County General Service Dept. finally finished their 44-page Engineer’s Report that no one from the citizen-based Fire Dept. Advisory Commission  (FDAC) has seen or discussed publicly.   The Staff Report claims there were 10 in attendance at the last FDAC meeting and that the Commission made the recommendation to move forward on a ballot measure.  That is not true.  There were only three of the five Commissioners there, and they only voted to support some sort of supplemental funding “in concept”.  There were other people at the meeting, but they could not vote. 

Here is the link to the Board Agenda;   Item #12 is this matter to be considered at 1pm at 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, in the Board’s 5th Floor Chambers

Take a look in the Engineer’s Report at the part about determining General Benefit that would be funded by some other means (Page 20) and let me know what you think.  Page 23 states that 48% of the costs of the Services can be attributed to General Benefit, and therefore must be funded by a source other than the proposed Assessment….where do you think that money will come from?  Prop 172?  Measure G sales tax passed last year that stated it would fund “Fire” response?  The County General Fund?   No…page 24 states that: 

“The Assessment District’s total budget for 2020-21 is $5,303,336. Of this total assessment budget amount, the County will contribute at least $3,767,729 which is more than 71% of the total budget from sources other than this proposed assessment including dedicated property taxes and the existing benefit assessment. This contribution constitutes significantly more than the 48% general benefits estimated by the Assessment Engineer, which must be paid for by non-assessment sources. ”  

WHAT COUNTY FUND ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?  
I think this is the existing CSA 48 fees that, according to the County Fire FAQ sheet, WILL NOT GO AWAY, but rather this new Assessment would be added on to it.

“How much do I pay for current services in CSA 48?

$79.78 per fire flow unit, per year. The average single-family resident pays for two fire flow units per year. ”

“Will the current CSA 48 fee go away if the new one passes? 

If the measure is passed, the new special benefit will be in addition to the current CSA 48 fee. The new fee would be for additional services not currently covered under the current fee. As an example, for an average single family home (see Case #2 above) this would be two fire flow units at $79.78 each, plus the average new fee of $151.78 for a total of $311.34. As noted previously, the actual amount for the new assessment will differ for each property and will be shown clearly on each ballot.”

*****The Staff Report on Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor agenda does not discuss this at all.

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

THANK GOVERNOR NEWSOM FOR SUPPORTING TRANSPARENCY FOR VOTERS
Many thanks to Governor Newsom for his veto of AB 168 that would have effectively hidden critical information about proposed tax and bond measure on the ballot.  It would have forced voters to dig through the tiny volumes of print in the Voter Pamphlets to find out the truth about bond and tax measures.  Written by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and our own Assemblyman Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley), this was a real sneaky attempt to trick voters by just not telling the entire truth about proposed tax and bond matters on the actual ballots.  

It was also one of those “gut-and-amend” bills that allow the bill’s authors to strip out the original language of the bill that has been approved by various committees, and put in whatever they want before the final frenzy of floor voting takes place, and on to the Governor’s desk.  I think gut-and-amend should be made illegal…Mark Stone should have more principle than to resort to such trickery.

 However, here is the link to what Governor Newsom wrote about Assemblyman Stone’s and Senator Wiener’s AB 268 

You can read other comments from veto and approvals of other legislative actions here

While I am not sure I support everything that Governor Newsom is doing, I wrote him and thanked him for standing up to support voter transparency.  You can, too!  https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/

THANK YOU TO THE KIND ANONYMOUS BENEFACTOR 
Last week, I discussed why I am worried about the future of this beautiful County, and mentioned the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) conference coming up.  Some very kind and generous reader paid for my ticket to attend that nefarious group’s State of the Region conference this Friday!  Many thanks, whoever you are!  I will report next week about what I learned.

In the meantime, take a look at MBEP’s free events during “Santa Cruz Affordable Housing Month”.  October 30 features a tour of the Mid-County affordable housing subdivisions in Aptos.  I cannot help but notice that the tour DOES NOT INCLUDE the Aptos Village Project’s supposedly five affordable Measure J units in Phase 1 of the subdivision.  I wonder why none of those units has been occupied yet when the building was completed last May???   Hmmmm…..

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.    BUT JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK!

Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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October 20
#293 / China In The News


On Saturday, October 12, 2019, I found that China was in the news. The picture above, from a New York Times article titled, “One Country, No Arguments,” made clear how successful China has been in propagandizing its own population. It’s an article worth reading. 

You might also like to read an article in the edition of The Wall Street Journal that showed up on my front lawn on that Saturday, along with my New York Times. The Journal’s article is titled, “America Is Losing the Chinese Shopper.” The picture below illustrates the article. The point of the article is that Chinese consumers have now become patriotic when it comes to purchasing. One can’t help but believe that propaganda has played its part in that! Popular American brands are losing out, and Chinese shoppers (like Chinese army cadets) are getting into line and getting with the program. 

If you are in business, what is happening in the Chinese consumer market might worry you. It has clearly worried Apple, which has eliminated a mapping application, formerly available on iPhones, that was being used by Hong Kong protesters to alert themselves to where they might encounter the police. The Chinese government said to Apple, “don’t do that,” and Apple kissed the ring. There was a lot of economic leverage going on!

And how about the NBA – the National Basketball Association? Also in my newspaper on that Saturday was an article about Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors. Kerr has refused to be drawn into a dispute in which the Chinese government has threatened to cut the NBA out of the Chinese market (which is a big market, of course) if any NBA player, coach, or franchise owner dares to criticize the Chinese government over its treatment of Hong Kong protesters. As already noted in an earlier blog post, the NBA has yet not kissed China’s ring (nor has it kissed anything else, at least so far). Some sportswriters, though, are predicting that this might not last, and that the League will hew to the requirements of the Chinese government. There is so much money involved; that counts for a lot (and maybe for everything)!

Nationalism (sometimes called patriotism) is like a virus. It can spread, and we are not immune. In fact, the United States is infected, too. It’s not just China. 

But the right freely to express oneself, in both public and private settings, is still cherished here, and the right of free expression is one of the main things that the Hong Kong protesters are trying to protect. 

Free expression is like a political immune system; it helps protect us against a deadly political disease. 

Let’s not forget it. Speak out! 

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS.Be here now with “Buddha and enlightenment”. Check out the classic Sub Con just below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Vows and Pledges” at Eaganblog                     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. 

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “It’s been 30 years this month since the notorious Loma Prieta earthquake. The shouting and the shaking are all over, but find out how my personal quake story had an unexpected upside this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975. 

 

FIRST LOVE.  Takashi Miike has made more than 100 films. (104) This one has violence, laughs, tension, and blood and guts, plus more laughs, tenderness and it all happens in one night in Tokyo. A young would be boxer gets a life ending message and with help from a beautiful prostitute they face a drug loaded bunch of gangsters. The black and white film is outrageous, inventive, and you’ll never take your eyes off the screen. It’s a very foreign film and not just the subtitles!! CLOSES THURSDAY OCTOBER 24.

LUCY IN THE SKY. Natalie Portman is almost always near great in her movies. She seems to be trying extra hard to make this movie work, but fails. Based on a sad but true story she’s an astronaut who has extra earth visions as she floats through space. Jon Hamm is in it too but he too can’t make a meaningful story from this dull plot. 23 Critics, 28 Audiences on RT. CLOSES THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 

MONOS. An award winning film about a bunch of young Columbian boys in an organization who are assigned to guard a young woman Doctor. Like “Lord of the Flies” they have shocking fights among themselves as they roam and roam some more through some beautiful jungle scenes. I didn’t enjoy any two minutes of the film and was sorry I saw it. 92 Critics , 81 Audiences on RT. CLOSES THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable!

JUDY. Renee Zellweger does the best possible imitation of Judy Garland in this dramatic and still musical tribute. Garland transcended the usual fame and popularity and has become a legend. This film starts off in 1968 and ends with Judy’s last days and five husbands later plus drugs. It’s corny and hammy but so was Judy. For some reason Liza Minnelli isn’t in much of it. 

You’ll almost cry at some scenes…so don’t miss it.

DOWNTOWN ABBEY. With an audience score of 96 you can’t go wrong. It topped Rambo and Ad Astra and earned $31 million in its’ opening weekend. I have no way of knowing if those few people who didn’t watch all or most of the Downton Abbey tv years will love as much as we devotees do the movie. Same cast and the plot is centered about the King and Queen of England coming to visit the Abbey. There’s a clash between the Abbey staff and the service crew that the Queen brings with her. It’s grand fun to see all our long time screen friends again. We know so much about each character. Don’t miss the big screen version it just ain’t the same.

AD ASTRA. Brad Pitt is much more than his usual cute self in this 2001 type space adventure. Shocking but it’s true that film critics liked it more than “audience” on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics gave it 83, audience gave it 45!! Tommy Lee Jones plays Brad’s mysterious and missing father, and Donald Sutherland has a bit part. It’s a serious film about humans, genetics, space, dying, and it’s worth every bit of admission. See it soon. CLOSES THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. With an audience rating of 99 on Rotten Tomatoes it’s gotta be good…or great! Her politics, talent, integrity plus an amazing voice makes her truly unique in the field of music. She mastered many styles, never gave up and is dying of Parkinson’s right now! Her Mexican heritage, time with Gov. Jerry Brown and sheer guts will keep you surprised as you learn so much about her. 

BRITTANY RUNS THE MARATHON. Actress Jillian Bell plays Brittany and I could not like Jillian Bell no matter how hard I tried. In real life Jillian even lost a lot of weight so she could give a better performance, I didn’t care. As promised she doe run the NY marathon …no she doesn’t win it. The movie is supposed to be a comedy I didn’t laugh once. CLOSES THURSDAY OCTOBER 24   

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. October 22 has Jim Coffis co-founder and deputy director of Green Trade talking about marijuana business. Then Phillippe Habib manager of Common Roots Farm discusses their aims and growth issues. Lisa Robinson president of the San Lorenzo Valley Museum details the events and news from the museum on October 29. On November 5 Dean Kaufman Veterans Service Officer talks about the meaning and events happening on Veterans Day. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

I love me some Golden Girls! The snark level is out of this world! 😀

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    “TREES”

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” Martin Luther 

“Trees exhale for us so that we can inhale them to stay alive. Can we ever forget that? Let us love trees with every breath we take until we perish.” Munia Khan 

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” ? Chinese proverb

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” Franklin D. Roosevelt  


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com


Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

October 16 – 22, 2019

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…My earthquake story, Downtown Merchants’ stupid mistake, MAH report waiting, Tushar Atre, CVS response. GREENSITE…“Due to technical problems on her end, there will be no Greensite Insight this week. Apologies.” KROHN…Thanks supporters. STEINBRUNER …Big Change in Santa Cruz, developers’ plans, Newsom’s rent control. PATTON…on Trump’s mental health. EAGAN…Classic Sub Cons and Deep Cover. JENSEN…reviews Lucy In The Sky. BRATTON…I critique Monos and Lucy In The Sky UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”Earthquakes“
                                 

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COOPER STREET OCTOBER 17, 1989. The real reason I’m using this photo is that I was exactly upstairs above Snandrydan when that BIG ONE hit those 30 years ago. Read more about it just below. Logos books started out in the Shandrydan Store, as a matter of fact.

photo credit: CE Meyer, USGS

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DON’T BLAME PG&E PAL. I wrote and recorded this song along with Dick Fagerstrom and Wayne Pope, aka The Goodtime Washboard 3. The video shows Diablo Canyon as our point of protest, but we wrote and were very active in stopping their Bodega Bay nuclear power plant.
SANTA CRUZ 1955. Vintage film sent to us by Chris Krohn
Santa Cruz from 1955…and “the progressive spirit of its citizens,”
SANTA CRUZ POST-EARTHQUAKE FOOTAGE 1989.

DATELINE October 14

MY EARTHQUAKE STORY. I was genuinely surprised to see the Good Times cover photo last week. It was the exact spot I was in before, during and about two minute after the 1989 quake — right upstairs over the Shandrydan Shop in the Hihn Building at 110 Cooper Street. I was the promotions director for the Downtown Association, and along with the effervescent and incredibly talented Mimi Paulsen, we were working on some Halloween plans for Downtown. The quake hit, and we rumbled and almost got under tables but it stopped, and through a very thick cloud of dust we started for the stairway to get downstairs. We met Cynthia Mathews who was up there too, probably working on Planned Parenthood stuff, and Karla Krebs Hutton, songstress and former Good Times sales person. Blindly we walked downstairs and miraculously Karla was only hit on her heel by a large piece of brick façade that fell milliseconds after we excited the building. Cooper Street and Pacific Avenue were nearly lost in clouds of red and orange dust from the brick and stucco and cement collapsing buildings. My first instinct was to find my good buddy Charles Hilger, who was directing and managing our Art museum in a little store behind Weber’s Photo Shop on Pacific. Together Charles and I made our way back onto Pacific and demanded popsicles from the poor guy who was selling them at a stand at Pacific and Cooper. We needed them because of nearly choking from that dust.

There was so much confusion and erratic happenings I headed over to City Hall to see what our Downtown Association could do to help. Our Mayor and mu friend Mardi Wormhoudt was just exiting the hall and grabbed me, saying let’s go check out the Bookshop Santa Cruz’s collapse and the search for bodies. We watched a while and tried to figure our next best move. The earthquake story goes on… Mardi told President George Bush he couldn’t just walk down Pacific Avenue on an inspection when he was here; she had to be with him. He and his team agreed, and she was 100% instrumental in getting us the governmental help we needed. Later on I was more than happy to emcee the special earthquake dedication at the Town Clock with Mardi, Gary Patton and Sam Farr.

As the promotions person with the DTA I staged a “Secret Parade” through the Pavilions (tents) led by the Flying Karamazov Brother,s ending up at the Civic where we had a huge stage show as a benefit for the downtown. The Earthquake story goes on and on. That’s enough for now.

WAITING FOR MAH REPORT. Here’s how Jason Hoppin, communications manager for the County, replied to our questions on determining MAH’s financial status. “Thank you, Bruce. I haven’t read the lease so I’ll work with folks here in the office to get answers back to you shortly. We’re about to head into a PG&E power shutoff event, so it may be a few days.” 

DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS STUPID EARTHQUAKE DECISION. Three years BEFORE the ’89 quake, the downtown merchants hired an expert to advise them on earthquake preparedness. He did and told them to retro-fit ASAP. They said it would cost too much…and ignored it. Max Walden, who owned the Cooperhouse, had Michael Bates Construction retrofit it completely. But Jay Paul who owned the Cooperhouse then — and still owns O’Neill’s now — had it torn down to collect the FEMA money. Watch more about all this below:

TONY RUSSOMANNO AND THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATION. 

TUSHAR ATRE MURDER. I knew and saw Tushar Atre many times back around 1987. He was one of my more than 200 clients when I was a marketing consultant for Cabrillo’s Small Business Development Center. We worked on promoting his Atrenet business. I met his folks, and we met at his Yacht Harbor office quite a few times. Nice guy. His money must have come from his folks. He was intelligent, friendly, sharp and obviously naïve…as we read in the press.

WHAT CVS STANDS FOR? Big thanks to all those folks who sent me the translation of CVS. What I was trying to get at was to ask their employees the next time you are there…few if any I’ve met know what it stands for. But in looking up CVS I found… Consumer Value Stores CVS Pharmacy is currently the largest pharmacy chain in the United States by number of locations (over 9,600 as of 2016)  In early 1972, CVS introduced America’s first refillable plastic bottle. But yet CVS CEO Tom Ryan has said he considers “CVS” to stand for “Convenience, Value, and Service”.  


October 14.

Gillian says, “Due to technical problems on her end there will be no Greensite Insight this week. Apologies.”   

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.
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October 14

AND NOW, LET US PRAISE GREAT SUPPORTERS
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to everyone who showed up at last Tuesday night’s city council meeting. It cannot be said enough times that it is the people of Santa Cruz, when they participate; they drive the narrative and ultimately write the history of our town. This history is made only because it is the residents marching–two large support for women’s marches, the Martin Luther King march last January, and the Global Climate Strike march last month are examples of taking it to the streets; knocking on doors and talking with neighbors, especially during the past two election cycles, and advocating for the environment over rampant development–Lighthouse Field, Wilder Ranch, Moore Creek Uplands and the Pogonip–has made a great impact on our quality of life here. Of course, attending neighborhood meetings, serving on city commissions, and showing up to city council meetings are all vital constituent parts of the democratic process. Last Tuesday evening’s city council crowd not only felt comforting to this councilmember, but it sent a clear signal that votes count and we will not allow our democracy to be compromised by taunts, misperceptions, or misinformation. Keep on keeping on my friends, the people will win and the community will determine what kind of community we will have!

The People’s Bully Pulpit
Appearing at the podium to address the city council was an array of straight-shooters, poets, community activists, and many others concerned about the future of the city and wanting to lend their voice as we proceed into the future, hopefully on a calmer, more measured, but truly principled path. I offer an amalgam of eloquent and energizing voices here. It is a tribute to why so many of us have found a true home here in Santa Cruz among what some used to call, Fellow Travelers.

Out of their Mouths & Straight from the hip
Please, don’t kick off reconciliation with punishment. (Brett Garrett)
This censure is a misuse of feminism. (Katherine Herndon)
This is a #MeToo town, the city manager should’ve fixed this before it turned into a civil war. (Ed Porter)  
The CPVAW by-laws were not adhered to. (Ann Simonton)
This is all about the recall. (Drew Lewis)
The city should not have spent $29,000. (Shelley Hatch)
The person punking all of you is the City Manager. (Nora Hochman)

The Philosophers
From the Merchant of Venice, “The quality of mercy is not strained.” (Darrell Darling)
Yom Kippur is a day of atonement, but you must first go to the person and ask for forgiveness. (Rabbi Posner)
Donna and Martine, perhaps your deepest need is to be completely heard and understood. (Satya Orion)
I’m sorry to everyone. The censure, nor mediation will work. (Pat Mahlo)
Conflict is not abuse. (Alicia Kuhl)

The Realists
Censure is just more shaming. (Rick Longinotti)
Censure is a political tactic to reinforce the recall. It’s a Republican tactic in many states to    overturn elections. (Eric Ericsson) 
You can still be a lesbian and still be a racist. (Anon.)
What happened to mediation and conflict resolution? (Alex King)
We have NVC (Nonviolent Communication) in this town you know. (Jackie Griffith)
Reject this censure as antithetical to the path of reconciliation. (John Hall)
The City Manager should’ve intervened. (Jane Doyle)

Card-Carrying Supporters
These same councilmembers are the ones who most represent the people, yes, I support Drew Glover and Chris Krohn. (Marilyn Garrett)
You unfairly shut down Sandy Brown! (Shalom Compost)
I campaigned for them, I never saw anything. (Sally Gwin-Satterly)
Rodney King and Aretha, ‘can’t we all just get along,’ and ‘Respect’ (Scott Graham)

Passed, 4-3 MOTION:
Councilmember Sandy Brown moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Justin Cummings, that the Council finds that the censuring of two of its members is inadequate based on the findings of the Rose report as it relates to Administrative Procedure Order II-1B regarding respectful workplace conduct, which states, “A single act shall not constitute disrespectful conduct unless especially severe and egregious.” (‘Nuf said.)

“For working people. 
For the poor. 
For jobs. 
For justice.
For peace.
For prosperity.
For economic mobility. 
For society. 
For our planet. 
We fight for a #GreenNewDeal.”

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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October 14 

THIS IS WHAT I THINK, AND WHY I AM WORRIED
For quite some time, I have had a “gut-sense” that the quality of life in beautiful Santa Cruz County is on the cusp of big change and it is approaching with the largess of a steam roller.  I am worried. Over the past four years, I have been delving into how and why local government works the way it does.  Speaking as an ordinary citizen, it has been truly eye-opening.   I remember County Traffic Engineer Jack Sohriakoff telling me in 2015,  as I was asking multiple questions about the approvals of the Aptos Village Project, that “for a long time, we haven’t been able to build big projects like this one, but things are about to change.” 

I have lived in rural Aptos for 35 years, and was semi-active in local politics in the late ’80’s and early ’90’s, attending critical community meetings and occasional Board of Supervisor meetings.  However, let me tell you right now, the general attitudes of the local political landscape have changed for the worse, both in how the public is treated, and certainly in the City of Santa Cruz, respect given to colleagues.  By and large, elected officials, especially at the County level, now regard members of the public with a dismissive and sometimes arrogant attitude.  People who take time off work to attend public hearings and ask thoughtful, well-informed questions get absolutely no answer.  Many give up out of disgust, and do not return.

The Brown Act encourages public participation and requires elected officials to take one of three actions when the public brings forth concerns and questions: briefly clarify issues brought up, direct staff to look into the matter and contact the person, or direct that the matter be placed on a future agenda for thorough public discussion.  Instead, the standard response of County Supervisors is silence, but if pressed, answers “we can have no dialogue”.  Such is the case when scores of neighborhood residents fill the Board chamber, yet leave feeling the Board paid them no attention, and what got decided was a “done deal”.  As I have learned, that is usually true.  

The County Administrative Officer (CAO) is the real wizard behind the curtain that runs the County government show, dictating in tandem with the County Economic Development Director, what will happen to bring in more money to fund the tsunami of debt this and all government agencies now face due to CalPERS employee pension funding debt in the next couple of years.  And of course, the CAO has favorite projects and responsive developers.

What happens then is Ad Hoc Planning, such as what is happening with the Nissan auto dealership at 41st Avenue and Soquel, the Mid-Pen Housing project that includes a large medical clinic and a large dental clinic at 1520 Capitola Road, the five-story Kaiser medical clinic and detached five-story 730-car parking garage at 5490 Soquel Avenue, the two large and very dense developments on Portola Drive (which somehow got reduced to half the number of traffic lanes, despite strong public resistance to do so), and even more larger, dense developments in the City of Santa Cruz.  How could City Director of Economic Development, Bonnie Lipscomb, make the statement in September, 2017 on KION that “the City of Santa Cruz has already promised 500-700 new residential units to high-tech employers” for their workers here? 
  
What worries me is the rising tide of developer clamor to streamline the project approval process so that their projects will “pencil-out.”   Santa Cruz County Housing Planner Julie Conway seems all too happy to accommodate the plaintive cries of these developers and has actually dissuaded the County Housing Advisory Commission from recommending the County require 15% of rental housing developments be set aside for affordable housing because developers have told her it just wouldn’t “pencil-out” for them.  We are seeing the same actions in the City of Santa Cruz, where new large rental housing developments are not required to include 15% of the units for affordable housing.

State Senator Scott Wiener is working hard to pass SB 50 that would be a real boon for developers and remove any opportunity for local residents to refuse massive developments.  It would make all such projects exempt from any environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which has been the only opportunity for environmental scrutiny and public interest participation.  Therefore, all analysis and methods of redress of adverse ENVIRONMENTAL concerns and protections would vanish. Senator Wiener’s bill would give local government only 60 days to review any developer’s large project application, and unless it can be proven that the project would cause a specific adverse impact to public HEALTH AND SAFETY, there would be nothing to stop the ministerial approval of the project.  

*****If the County did nothing within the 60-day window, the project application  would automatically be approved.  

Do you think members of the public who may live near these proposed developments even KNOW about them within the 60-day window?   Doubtful, because unlike neighboring Monterey County, this County does not require developers to “stake and flag” the height and boundaries of proposed developments.  Would it matter anyway, since Senator Wiener’s bill would recognize specific adverse health and safety impacts only.  What about preserving your ocean view or winter sunlight?  GONE.  What about adverse traffic increases that developers might have to pay to mitigate?  GONE.  What about saving significant trees and preserving important historic and cultural resources?  GONE.

Senator Wiener’s SB 50 would remove local control of development, but would not address any infrastructure necessary to support new large subdivisions that his bill would force local officials to rubber-stamp if the project were within a 1/2 or 1/4 mile radius of a transit stop.  It would virtually remove parking requirements for projects.  It would pay no attention to water supply availability. When asked about this issue at a Monterey Bay Economic Partnership conference in November, 2018 when he was a guest speaker, Senator Wiener’s reply was essentially that when conditions get so bad, people will be more likely to agree to tax increases to fix things.   It was shocking. If you take a moment to read what Senator Wiener is relentlessly pushing through, I think you will be worried too.  

What also worries me is the State Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA 1) to allow a lower voter approval threshold (55%) to pass new or increased special purpose taxes, instead of the now-required 2/3 approval.  It narrowly missed getting enough votes to get to the Governor’s desk.  You can be sure the proponents will re-work the language and keep trying.  Advocates already had the publicity engines humming for what was to be called the “Community Say for Community Needs” ballot measure.  

As the good article describes, ACA 1 would have finished ripping the hole in your wallet that people such as the Santa Cruz County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios would love to have passed, making it much easier to impose new taxes to pay for basic public services that the General Fund should cover and that developer impact fees should supplement.  You may be interested in knowing that local State Assemblyman Mark Stone SUPPORTED ACA 1.

Here is the text of the bill that luckily failed (note that it  was co-authored by State Senator Scott Wiener)

GOVERNOR NEWSOM IS HAPPY TO IMPOSE STATE-MANDATED LOCAL PROGRAMS
He just signed two bills that mandate the City of Oakland build the new sports coliseum and large mixed-use development at Jack London Square.  AB 1191, authored by Rob Banta (D-Alameda) took away local control of the Oakland City Planning Dept. and handed it to the State Land Authority to decide whether building a large development adjacent to wetlands is a proper thing to do.  

Governor Newsom also signed SB 293, authored by Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) that streamlines the process to finance the infrastructure necessary for this new large development.  Usually, the public debt incurred by sales of bonds would have to be put to ballot and get a 2/3 voter approval.  However, Governor Newsom has just mandated that NOT HAPPEN, but instead, mandate the City of Oakland for a special taxation board, hold three meetings, and unless 50% of the affected agencies and people who would be taxed to pay for the development protest, the massive development will be funded by widespread taxation burden.  Wow.

GOVERNOR NEWSOM JUST MANDATED STATEWIDE RENT CONTROL
Yet another significant state level action that takes away local control of critical issues just happened with the Governor signing AB 1482 to impose rent control statewide.  Although the October 9, 2019 Santa Cruz Sentinel had barely a couple of paragraphs buried on page 6, it was front page Local News in the Mercury News on October 9, with a prominent photo of the Governor signing the bill. Effective January 1, 2020, the bill caps rent increases to 5% retroactive to March 1, 2019 and would require landlords to pay for tenant relocation in certain instances. Here is an interesting analysis of why landlord lobbyists did not fight this state action

When WILL a local leader sit down at the table with UCSC leaders and negotiate the University to become a responsible partner in the County and provide housing for its students in an ecological way, and help will the infrastructure to support it?  The City of Davis and County of Yolo did just that with UC Davis, and successfully negotiated that the University would house 100% of increased student enrollment as well as contributing $2.3 million to local infrastructure.  Wow, why can’t we do that here???

What can you and I do?  We have a lot of work to do, but I still believe in the power of people who join together, get scrappy, and fight to protect what they believe in and value. 

Start talking with your neighbors.  Maybe we all need to unite and move to put some issues on the local ballot to protect our beautiful Santa Cruz County, just like then County Supervisor Gary Patton and other did in the 1970’s when Measure J put the brakes on frenzied development that at the time had this County as the fastest-growing in the state.  Measure J required developers include 15% affordable housing in their subdivisions because there was an “affordable housing crisis”.  Measure J protected prime agricultural land from development, but that is now being chipped away by new state laws mandating on-site farm worker housing, maybe run by non-profits but paid for by farmers.

Write Governor Newsom and let him know your thoughts

Consider running for a public office.  Three County supervisorial jobs are open in 2020, and you need to declare candidacy by December 3, 2019.

Take a look at what we could do with Home Rule activism:  https://celdf.org/law-library/local-law-center/home-rule/

Please let me know what you think.

MAKE ONE CALL.  WRITE ONE LETTER.  ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. BUT GET SCRAPPY, AND JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK!   

Cheers, Becky Steinbruner
(831) 685-2915

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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October 12 #285 / He Really Believes It

“As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!)…”

I read the paper each day with interest, but I almost always read it with a good deal of trepidation, too. What bad news will the paper bring today? I am almost always assuming the worst. I don’t think I am alone in this.
Whatever the merits may be of the president’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria – and there is a good argument to be made that this is a completely justifiable decision – the statement quoted at the beginning of this blog post sure makes me nervous.
In fact, the president’s statement above, quoted in a recent news story in The New York Times, chilled me. I had a hard time accepting that this could be a real quote. The picture I have put on top of today’s blog posting is from a July 2016 story in The Star. That story was headlined, “Is Donald Trump OK? Erratic behaviour raises mental health questions.” Writing in today’s New York Times, Jennifer Senior puts a name to the disease: pathological narcissism.

People have been concerned about our president’s mental health from the beginning, from before he was president. And the statement above, in which our president asserts his “great and unmatched wisdom,” appears to qualify as a reason for all of us to have great concern about the president’s mental state. At least, that is what this statement would indicate if the person who says it means it. 

He means it!

Trepidation doesn’t even begin to describe what to feel about a nuclear-capable president who claims “great and unmatched wisdom,” and suggests that he intends to use that wisdom totally to destroy and obliterate the economy of another nation.  

Jennifer Senior’s article argues that is is hard to figure out what to do (“We are all at the mercy of the Narcissist in Chief …You can no sooner quit your President than you can quit your family”). There are, however, remedies found in the Constitution. 

It’s time for the Vice-President and others to start reading up on the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. 

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Look back just a few years and check out our darkest and funniest thoughts. Scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “classic” view 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 with his power outage advice.

MUNCHING WITH MOZART. Every third Thursday of almost every month there is a free concert held in the upstairs meeting room of the threatened Santa Cruz Public Library. This month the musicians are Tatyana Rekow, saxophone and  Marina Thomas, piano. They’ll be playing works by Tchaikovsky, Bozza, Planel, Debussy,Albeniz, and Piazzolla plus Ellington and Joe Garland. It happens Thursday October 17 from 12:10-12:50 p.m. 

Remember…it’s free and at the Santa Cruz Library, Thursday October 17, 2019 12:10-1:00 Central Branch Meeting Room upstairs. 

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS. The first concert in their 2019-2020 season is titled… “BLOWING IN THE WIND”. It’ll be at Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos. That’s Saturday October 19th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday October 20 at 3 p.m. Music by Carl Maria Von Weber, Glinka, Villa-Lobos and D’Rivera and others. Aude Castagna is the director and cello player. Lars Johannesson, flute. Jeff Gallagher clarinet and VladaVolkova-Moran on piano. For cost, tickets  and other information, go to http://www.scchamberplayers.org  There’s two performances Saturday, April 27, 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 28, 3:00 pm. The Chamber Players concerts are all at … Christ Lutheran Church 10707 Soquel Drive, Aptos (Off Highway 1 at Freedom Blvd.) 

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Turn off the damn TV and tag along on my ongoing trek into the deeply human fantasy realm of Robin Hobb, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). And find out why walking in space is like having sex with Jon Hamm in my review of Lucy In the Sky, in this week’s Good Times!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975. 

LUCY IN THE SKY. Natalie Portman is almost always near-great in her movies. She seems to be trying extra hard to make this movie work, but fails. Based on a sad but true story, she’s an astronaut who has extra earth visions as she floats through space. Jon Hamm is in it too, but he too can’t make a meaningful story from this dull plot. 23 Critics, 28 Audiences on RT.

MONOS. An award-winning film about a bunch of young Columbian boys in an organization assigned to guard a young woman Doctor. Like “Lord of the Flies”, they have shocking fights among themselves as they roam, and roam some more, through beautiful jungle scenes. I didn’t enjoy any two minutes of the film and was sorry I saw it. 92 Critics , 81 Audiences on RT.

JOKER. Joaquin Phoenix should just be given the Oscar now, instead of all that fuss in January. Yes this is the origin of why the Joker haunts Bruce Wayne (Batman) and it’s so much more than that. The film is deep, dark, brilliant, violent, clever, absorbing, haunting, and will move you into a different perspective. Forget the criticism about protesters; the Joker is insane and magnetic. See this film if you like films beyond what’s acceptable!

JUDY. Renee Zellweger does the best possible imitation of Judy Garland in this dramatic and still musical tribute. Garland transcended the usual fame and popularity and has become a legend. This film starts off in 1968 and ends with Judy’s last days and five husbands later plus drugs. It’s corny and hammy but so was Judy. For some reason Liza Minnelli isn’t in much of it. You’ll almost cry at some scenes…so don’t miss it.

DOWNTOWN ABBEY. With an audience score of 96 you can’t go wrong. It topped Rambo and Ad Astra and earned $31 million in its’ opening weekend. I have no way of knowing if those few people who didn’t watch all or most of the Downton Abbey tv years will love as much as we devotees do the movie. Same cast and the plot is centered about the King and Queen of England coming to visit the Abbey. There’s a clash between the Abbey staff and the service crew that the Queen brings with her. It’s grand fun to see all our long time screen friends again. We know so much about each character. Don’t miss the big screen version it just ain’t the same.

AD ASTRA. Brad Pitt is much more than his usual cute self in this 2001 type space adventure. Shocking but it’s true that film critics liked it more than “audience” on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics gave it 83, audience gave it 45!! Tommy Lee Jones plays Brad’s mysterious and missing father, and Donald Sutherland has a bit part. It’s a serious film about humans, genetics, space, dying, and it’s worth every bit of admission. See it soon.

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. With an audience rating of 99 on Rotten Tomatoes it’s gotta be good…or great! Her politics, talent, integrity plus an amazing voice makes her truly unique in the field of music. She mastered many styles, never gave up and is dying of Parkinson’s right now! Her Mexican heritage, time with Gov. Jerry Brown and sheer guts will keep you surprised as you learn so much about her. 

BRITTANY RUNS THE MARATHON. Actress Jillian Bell plays Brittany and I could not like Jillian Bell no matter how hard I tried. In real life Jillian even lost a lot of weight so she could give a better performance, I didn’t care. As promised she doe run the NY marathon …no she doesn’t win it. The movie is supposed to be a comedy I didn’t laugh once. 

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. . Mariam Gafforio from Extinction Rebellion will talk about XRSC and their goals and accomplishments on October 15., followed by former County Supervisor and Land Use Attorney Gary Patton talking about many of our local issues.

OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

I love Emma Thompson!

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    “EARTHQUAKES” 

“I noticed that volcanoes, earthquakes and floods, though are not good events, they are better than the silence of good people when bad people take the podium. The latter are to an extent uncontrollable, but the former can be stopped.” Israelmore Ayivor, 

“Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match”. Karl Kraus 

“I live a half mile from the San Andreas fault – a fact that bubbles up into my consciousness every time some other part of the world experiences an earthquake. I sometimes wonder whether this subterranean sense of impending disaster is at least partly responsible for Silicon Valley’s feverish, get-it-done-yesterday work norms”. Gary Hamel

“The safest place to be during an earthquake would be in a stationary store.” George Carlin

“The earthquake, however, must be to everyone a most impressive event: the earth, considered from our earliest childhood as the type of solidity, has oscillated like a thin crust beneath our feet; and in seeing the laboured works of man in a moment overthrown, we feel the insignificance of his boasted power.” Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle 


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

October 7- 13, 2019

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON… whistleblowers, MAH, and the Nissan project… GREENSITE…on Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women forgets its charge. KROHN… yoga, the political journey, and self-care. STEINBRUNER… on water PATTON… on books EAGAN… old favorite from the Deep Cover vaults JENSEN… on Molly Ivins BRATTON… also on Molly Ivins – don’t miss this film, closes Thursday! UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “WHISTLEBLOWERS”
                                 

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TWO WAY TRAFFIC ON PACIFIC IN 1953. It really should be made a closed Mall, but here’s what it used to look like. Remember too, it had out of town corporations like Bank Of America, Woolworth’s, Montgomery Ward, J.C. Penneys, B.F. Goodrich, and plenty more.

                             

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

INVISIBLE DRUMS…
PEOPLE FALLING OFF LADDERS

DATELINE October 7

“Curmudgeons speak up because they have to, because it’s become critically important for them to tell the truth as they see it. Telling the truth is as natural to them once more as it was when they were children. The fact that no one cares to listen is inconsequential. Curmudgeons speak up, raise their voices, stand for something too right to be silent about anymore, whatever the cost, despite a world that deals with what it doesn’t want to hear by crucifying the messenger. Increasingly these days, they’re being called by another name: whistleblower.”

Lionel Fisher 

Whistleblowers at MAH…

STILL MORE ABOUT MAH. I received an email asking why I’ve spent so much time dealing with MAH’s problems — saying MAH has provided a good influence on a young person she knows. I’m completely convinced that MAH still provides grand services to much of our community. Let’s hope it can stay in existence, with the financial flaws so many MAH insiders have been whistleblowing. I’ll confess right here that probably 96 % of the topics I write and raise on air come about because I hear of their troubles from the inside, and making them public has changed their operations…for the better. As I once wrote, it’s like throwing out the books and making all our county libraries into Community Event Centers. It’s the same old plea “don’t shoot the messenger”. When I get so many pleas and reactions, from groups such as the decades of MAH Board members and attendees, that tell us something is very wrong I think the public should know about it.

ANOTHER LETTER ABOUT MAH & NINA SIMON.  I received this letter on OCT 3:
“Of the many local Boards on which I’ve served, never have I seen such rapid turnover as I did among MAH Trustees during the Simon era. Because constant changes on the Board paralleled very high turnover among staff, I’ve tried in vain to get a list of all those who’ve served as a Trustee since Nina took charge. If MAH was doing so exceptionally well why did so many leave the ship? Is one of the reasons Nina stopped producing annual reports about 2012 because it would have made Trustee turnover too obvious?”  

THE NEXT STEP FOR THE COUNTY. As per Ryan Coonerty’s suggestion, I sent the following questions and pleas — assembled from MAH Board members — to Jason Hoppin Communications Manager for Santa Cruz County…

MAH QUESTIONS TO RYAN COONERTY:
What are the specific provisions of the current lease agreement between the County and the MAH? The director renegotiated the agreement sometime after her arrival in 2011. The agreement involves some sort of financial payback to the County. Were any monies owed to the County forgiven based on the past or current agreement? How is the revenue from leasing office space split? Is there an annual accounting of the expenditure of public funds and how does this translate into a public benefit? Does the full museum board have any idea? Why is it so difficult to obtain this information, and what is the reason for the perceived shroud of secrecy? Also, currently the MAH receives annually a grant of about $154K from the County Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services Department. What is the reporting mechanism for this expenditure, and how is it evaluated? Years ago Nina Simon turned MAH into a community center. Aside from what that did to ruin our Art and History community, we need to straighten and make the operation transparent and functional so that it has a healthier existence.

CVS – WHAT’S IN A NAME? I use CVS a lot and as a chain operation it’s ok, but just for fun —next time you’re in one, ask any employee “what does CVS stand for?”  I haven’t found any one who knows!!!

SOQUEL NISSAN PROJECT COMING TO VOTE OCT. 22. As if Soquel traffic isn’t bad enough, the proposed Nissan Car dealership at 41st and Soquel would make it worse. Here’s what the Sustainable Soquel folks sent out.

Santa Cruz County Supervisors are to Vote 9 am October 22nd on Soquel Nissan Project Please write ALL Supervisors and ask them to: VOTE “NO” to the Nissan Dealership.  On May 2018 the Supervisors approved a flawed EIR for the Nissan dealership.* March 2019 Sustainable Soquel’s EIR lawsuit prevailed in court.* July 2019 the Revised Nissan EIR released.This project is in Supervisor John Leopold’s district. Sadly, he still chooses not to embrace the forward-thinking Sustainable Plan that he approved in 2014 which:* Recommended maintaining the community commercial zoning for this location. * Encouraged local development which would promote walk able neighborhoods and workplaces. *Create a community commercial environment that shortens car trips.*Encouraged designs that improve and lower greenhouse gas emissions. * Encouraged designs and concepts to enhance the unique characteristics of the community.

Supervisors to Vote 9 am October 22nd on Soquel Nissan Project Please write ALL Supervisors and ask them to: VOTE”NO” to the Nissan Dealership and “NO” to a Zoning Change 

For further information please contact SustainableSoquel@gmail.com 

SHOPPERS CORNER &  MEAT & PLASTIC? A very concerned reader (and talented artist) asked me to include a very all too common question… “Why does the main meat handler at Shoppers Corner continue to use PLASTIC bags on every piece of meat. Here we are trying to cut back on plastic and help save the planet and this guy insists even after requesting, to use plastic, plastic, and plastic.” 

October 7

START BY BELIEVING

The city Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women has decided to weigh in on the highly charged issue of censoring council members Glover and Krohn for one instance each of violating the city’s Respectful Workplace Conduct Policy. In a recent opinion piece to the Sentinel, the chair of the Commission, Kevin Grossman attacks Krohn for not attempting to stop “victim shaming” comments from some members of the audience towards staff members (the victims) who spoke at the last council meeting. Apart from the fact that Krohn said he didn’t realize it was going on and apart from the fact that it’s the Mayor’s job to keep order, the Commission is fomenting this issue which is not its mandate. There is nothing in Ordinance 81-29, which created the Commission that gives it authority to involve itself in workplace conduct issues outside of sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic violence and stalking. None of these issues is involved in the charges against the two council members.

The Commission was established as a result of a citizen’s Initiative in 1981 and as such is unique. Its powers and duties include recommending a comprehensive plan for the prevention of rape and domestic violence in the city of Santa Cruz, hearing citizens’ complaints about city police department service to women who have been raped or battered and making recommendations about police training and service. One entry in the Ordinance states that the prevention of rape and domestic violence shall be one of the city’s highest priorities. Not that that has ever happened. As one of the co-founders of the Commission, its first chair in 1982 and chair again in 2004 and 2005, I was unceremoniously dumped from reappointment after uncovering serious neglect and malpractice on behalf of the SCPD towards those who reported rape. This research was met with hostile pushback from the police and indifference from the council of the time. As I pushed back harder, staff to the commission accused me of bullying but couldn’t remember any examples when I met with her and her supervisor. Nonetheless, this was sufficient for council member Mathews to block any further appointment of me to the Commission to this day.

Last year there were 34 rapes reported to SCPD. There have already been 52 domestic violence calls in Santa Cruz County received by emergency dispatchers from October 1st. to October 7th. ( October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month). Yet the Commission’s sole Sentinel opinion piece in years has nothing to do with these issues. Its topic is outrage about the tabling of a censure motion against Krohn and Glover. That all five who lodged complaints against the two male council members are women is suggestive but not in itself grounds for Commission involvement. No complainant approached the Commission for support and no complaint involved issues of sexual harassment, rape or domestic violence. 

On its agenda for Wednesday October 9th the Commission is poised to discuss and vote on a policy labeled “Start by Believing.”  I know the originator of this slogan and national program of the same name, retired Sergeant Joanne Archambault whom I brought to Santa Cruz to conduct training for SCPD in 2004. The slogan is a good one, confronting centuries of suspicion and disbelief towards women who report rape but in the hands of the current Commission majority I fear it will be a club to further bash the two male council members. The agenda report even situates it in “the political agenda on city council.”  The report also states, “As a commission, we believe women.” It continues with the proposal that if a commissioner does not behave or make public statements in the framework of this principal, they need to step down from the Commission.  

This is dangerous stuff if you believe in justice. By all means start by believing. But if the facts don’t support the accusation, then perhaps there was no crime committed. Innocent until proven guilty is not a tiresome technicality. To “believe women” as proof of guilt ignores the scores of black men lynched or incarcerated on false claims of rape by white women. Such tragedies are not the norm across the spectrum of rape but they exist and they counsel caution on assigning guilt based on emotion and slogans. 

I’d advise the Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women to get back to its mandated focus on rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence for all genders. Leave workplace conduct to those who are paid to attend to such issues. The investigator found no basis for a charge of gender discrimination. Start by believing. 

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.
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October 7

ON RECONCILIATION, RENEWAL, AND RE-GROUPING.
A recent acquaintance, Taj, asked me during the Global Climate Strike march, which was followed by a rally on the Downtown Commons space, what I do for self-care. “No, I mean really, how are you taking care of yourself during these troubled times,” he asked. His two young children tugged at his pant-leg and he was headed to 99-Bottles for an early dinner. I was quick to say I’ve been practicing yoga, I ride my bicycle up the hill to UCSC, and I run along the San Lorenzo River path. I did not have time to say more as he was being pulled away for dinner. So Taj, this is what I would’ve said if we have more time…

Political Journey
The 2016 campaign for city council was intense, lots of candidates and lots of issues. I was inspired by Bernie Sanders’ democratic socialist campaign of real issues–healthcare for all, tuition-free public colleges, $27 dollar political contributions and eschewing corporate PAC money, inclusion, the anti-racism and gender equity platforms as embodied by Killer Mike the rap artist Nina Turner the former Ohio state legislator, and finally, the sheer mad enthusiasm of young people for this 70-something Brooklynite-turned-Vermonter was intoxicating. It was nothing short of a new lease on life for me. Four of us ran together that year and we called our group, The Brand New Council to honor Bernie’s urgent mission to the Whitehouse bringing with him a Brand New Congress. I became sure after attending the July Democratic National Convention. Running for city council was not something I necessarily wanted to do again (I was on the council from ’98-’02 and was Mayor in 2002), but hearing Bernie’s call to elect judges, senators, congress, schoolboard, and city council members was inspiring and life-changing. We can do this was his bottom line.


Free Sunday morning (8:30am) Yoga continues at Patagonia on River Street…a little self-care for you and your community.

Self-Care
I know, at first blush the term, self-care, might sound like self-absorbed or even bordering on narcissism, but I have not been deterred. What it is essentially is taking care of yourself so that you can take care of others and in my case; help carry forward the work and hopes of those who have not always had a voice at city hall. It was during the 2016 council campaign that I turned to yoga and meditation on the recommendation of my fellow Brand New City Council candidate, Steve Schnaar. I had already been an avid bicyclist and runner, but I soon found that those pursuits were quite different than yoga–breathing first, then stretching, then breathing into the stretch some more, and meditation, which is succinctly encapsulated by a bumper sticker I oncesaw decades ago while driving south toward San Diego on the I-5: Meditation, it’s not what you think. So, for the past 3 years I have been using yoga and meditation to maintain calm and quiet the never-ending appeals to be anxious, and to remain in reasonably good health. People often ask me, especially during this recall time, how are you doing? And I really appreciate their concern. They are sincere and they look into my eyes with are real sense of caring and outreach and I usually say, pretty good, thanks for asking, which sounds run of the mill, like a sound bite. But what I really want to say is that I am in this for the community to win and while the seas are stormy now, if I can take care of myself and with your help we can move on to more pacific waters as we do the people’s work, together. Breath. We can do this. Breath. I am not alone. Breath. We shall overcome. Thank you everyone for caring.

By the Way, there’s also a City Council Meeting This Week…

The big issues I have my eyes on for the upcoming city council agenda are:

Item #8, a 10% pay raise over three years for the city’s executive class. These are the top-earners in the city and adding 10% to their $200k salaries (much more than the simple math of $20,000, also add CalPERS and other perks) makes little sense to me in terms of closing our budget gap and directing our scarce city resources to those lowest paid workers so that they may just find a way to live here. It might be an opportunity to set an example. The 400-plus SEIU city workforce would certainly sit up and take notice if the execs said no to a pay increase, or were denied it by a majority of the city council. 

Item #10 Adoption of Biarritz, France as a Friendship City. I am all for offering “Friendship City” status to any city, except maybe Riyadh or Pyongyang, unless we could somehow get them to change their human rights policies. But, I would think Ferguson, Mo. or Staten Island for human rights connections; Ashville, N.C or Berkeley for bohemian purposes; or on the international rights front surely Sana’a, Yemen, or Hong Kong might qualify for Friendship City status, possibly all ahead of Biarritz, “a luxurious seaside tourist destination…” They do surf there and the weather is good, but one of its most important economic interests is “spa tourism,” according to Wikipedia. The median income for Biarritz-ans between the ages of 25 and 64 in 2010 was well over $80,000 a year. By the way, Sister City status is only achieved by going through a “Friendship City” relationship first, for two years, and then each city determines whether it will enter into the coveted Sisterhood realm. Onward.

Item #15 Declaring October Co-op Month. This is an important opportunity to offer a boost to the dozens of Santa Cruz businesses that already operate, and struggle, as cooperatives. Of course, there is “no fiscal impact” for this item, which usually means it will be relegated to the ceremonial dust heap of history, unless present and future councilmembers keep bringing it back during May budget hearings as an Assistance for Local Businesses line item to help the Co-op movement grow and thrive. Let’s all remember to do that come May budget meetings.

Item #17 Rental Inspection Ordinance updates. Wow, this is really one the council needs to zero in on. I for one am in favor of abolishing this mean, nasty and brutish–for both renters and landlords–program. We heard it during the campaign, I hear it from students on campus, and I definitely hear it from people evicted, not for purely “health and safety” reasons, but for other city code violations. Here’s an idea: what if the city simply uses the current Housing Authority rules and regulations? In addition, focus on health and safety first and make this ordinance “complaint-driven,” instead of having inspectors traipse through neighborhoods hoping to find violators of their city codes? After all, my understanding is that this was brought up in 2008-9 by UCSC officials who feared a vacancy problem within their already super-expensive ($1100-$1300 per month to share a double or triple room on campus) dormitory system. Through negotiations, the city put the rental inspection program into place in 2010 and it has now become a millions of dollars per year bureaucracy, taking in inspection fees and fines, which are passed on to tenants without much to show for it. More scrutiny from both council and the general public is warranted if this program is to continue. Raise your hand if you are in favor of a study session on the Rental Inspection Ordinance?

Item 21 Appeal (by Councilmember Meyers on request of 2nd floor tenant Bob Cagle) of Kaiser-Permanente’s approved application to set up a clinic on the 2nd and 5th floors of the Cooper House. Folks, I’m scratching my head here. Why is there opposition to this move against an organization that will likely stay in Santa Cruz for many years, is helping underwrite the local basketball team, and is willing to bring hundreds of patients to downtown Santa Cruz? The opportunities for additional spending on the part of these patients in frequenting downtown businesses before and after their appointments are numerous. I was told by the Kaiser CEO for San Jose and Santa Cruz counties that 13 doctors would be moving into this space along with dozens of staff to support the clinic. So, what’s going on? I suspect there are chess moves being made to further the interests of real estate and condo developers. Seems like the city’s own Economic Development department is also heavily involved. I also suspect, given the interests surrounding the library-in-a-garage, the 205 unaffordable units at 208 Laurel, and hundreds more condos planned for Front Street right along the river that there exists some Master Plan ,at least in a few people’s minds. Further chess moves by these forces have perhaps been narrowed by a council majority that is staunchly driven by the community needs of affordable housing. But, I am still not sure on the totality of this picture. Help me out.

Item 22–Censure. I do not believe it has any place on this or any past or future agenda. Having written that, I urge supporters of Councilmember Glover and myself to attend Tuesday’s meeting with dignity and grace. I urge you to speak up and speak out about the need for reconciliation in this community. The city body politic is resilient and will get through this, but only if we choose to take a step back from our local council dais abyss and project an air of forgiveness, hope, and carry on with our active work ethic that embraces equality, social justice, equity, and fairness. We cannot now be deterred my friends. We have much work to do. Please join us on Tuesday, October 8th at 4pm (time is approximate) and stand with the council majority that you elected. 

(BTW, it is Yom Kippur, the day of “atonement” and the meeting will definitely end before sundown, which is by 630pm.)

Down, but definitely not out…

“Money is not speech. Corporations are not people. And you shouldn’t have to beg the rich and powerful for money to run for office. Today we are releasing our plan to get corporate money out of politics.” (Oct. 7) Nice!
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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October 7

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT RATE INCREASES ARE UNFAIR AND HURT FAMILIES
Join over 450 people who have signed this online Protest Petition against Soquel Creek Water District’s outrageously high rate increases….due to happen every year for the next four years, and possibly beyond! 

Many ratepayers feel this Board is out of control, spending money on expensive outside contractors, such as the $42,000/year (for five years!) contract with CapitalEdge to lobby for a federal grant for the District’s expensive and unnecessary plan to inject 1.3 million gallons/day of treated sewage water into the drinking water supply for the MidCounty area.  Ratepayers have also paid the bill for the Board and the staff who have made many trips to Washington, D.C. to glad-hand with officials, and ratepayers have also paid for the CapitalEdge lobbyist to fly to San Jose for meetings with staff in exclusive hotels for the “PureWater Soquel Project Team“.

The next Board meeting is Tuesday, October 15, 6 pm, at Capitola City Council Chambers.  Public Comment is at the very beginning.  Let them know your thoughts on these outrageous rate increases that are hurting families that have already done all they can to conserve water.  In 2017/2018, the Board heard information from their Finance Director, Ms. Leslie Strohm, that District rates were second-highest in the state for a water municipality of their size.  The Board promptly voted to increase rates 17% to pay for capital improvements because customers continued to conserve water and revenues were down.  On November 6, 2018, the Board approved further annual rate increases over the next five, possibly eight years, to pay for the PureWater Soquel Project, with estimated construction cost of $90 Million but with debt service, could be closer to $200 Million.  That is the rate increase that is now stinging customer budgets, and is unfairly penalizing families due to the low Tier rate thresholds.  

The District mailed out information to rate payers about the impending rate increases….stating that over 70% of the customers would only see an increase of $5 or less/month.  Not so!  Many are shocked by their bills jumping over $100 or more….and continue to conserve, and have no leaks detected.

Write the Board of Directors bod@soquelcreekwater.org

PUREWATER SOQUEL PROJECT IS NOT NECESSARY!
Join Water for Santa Cruz County this Wednesday, October 9, at the Aptos Library (7695 Soquel Drive) at 7 pm to learn the truth about this issue.  Why hasn’t Soquel Creek Water District asked the City of Santa Cruz Water Dept. to buy excess water when it is available…Loch Lomond is still nearly full!   Although District Manager Ron Duncan has publicly stated the District has “sent three letters to the City” to ask for water, a Public Records Act request to the District revealed that those letters are all old….October 20, 2011, April 4, 2012, and June 25, 2015.  There’s nothing recent, even though Director Bruce Jaffe has stated multiple times during Board meetings that he will personally ask.  

Why hasn’t the District pursued applying for water rights to the San Lorenzo River, as they were told they could in 2015 by County Water Resources Director, Mr. John Ricker, based on a legal analysis by Best, Best & Krieger, LLP, outlining several legal and potentially very feasibly supplemental supply options for regional surface water conjunctive use to allow groundwater levels to continue to improve.

A group of thoughtful and well-educated local residents, under the leadership of Mr. Scott McGilvray, continue to bring well-researched and public documents to the Soquel Creek Water District and City of Santa Cruz Water Commission to point to the publicly-available facts that indicate there is plenty of water regionally to send to the District without the need for customers to spend outrageous amounts of money to fund an energy-hog and technology-dependent PureWater Soquel Project that would not even come online for three years.

Find more information here

REGIONAL WATER TRANSFERS WILL BEGIN THIS NOVEMBER
That’s right…the water can be flowing now and will be flowing this winter between these two utilities thanks to an intertie connection to allow water to go both directions in emergencies or to assist with supply needs.  That was built shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake to address water emergencies regionally.  

The Santa Cruz City Water Commission will hear a report regarding the continued Regional Surface Water Transfer Pilot Project on Monday, October 7.  Look for the audio/video recording of that meeting on the City website.  The same report will be presented to the Soquel Creek Water District Board on October 15, 2019, 6 pm in the Capitola City Council Chambers. Last year was the first year of the Pilot Surface Water Transfer, and the service area will be expanded this year. 

So, the infrastructure is already in place for Soquel Creek Water District to accept water from the City….they just have to be willing to ask.  WHY DON’T THEY JUST ASK??? 

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL CONSIDER MEASURE J RE-WRITE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GUIDELINES
This Tuesday’s Board Consent Agenda includes Item #37, a proposed re-write of the landmark Measure J affordable housing ordinance passed by County voters in 1978 when developers were in a building craze that landed this Santa Cruz as the fastest-developing county in the state.  Voters then stood up and demanded the environment and prime ag lands be saved, and mandated a 15% affordable housing component to be included in any subdivisions because there was an affordable housing crisis.  Sound familiar?

Well, the Planning Dept. has been busy whittling away at these mandates via Ad Hoc discretionary planning processes, and even Supervisor Zach Friend publicly stated that “Measure J is old” and should no longer apply.  That explains why the County Planning Dept. is trying to sneak the edited version of the existing Measure J document (29 pages) through APPROVAL BURIED IN THE CONSENT AGENDA as Item #37, allowing no public scrutiny of the new 59-page version.  The staff report claims the County Housing Advisory Commission had comments when the group reviewed the document in early last month, but those comments are not publicly available.  The Commission’s meetings are not audio or video recorded.  Minutes are not available until the following month, and are only Action Minutes and make no note of any content of discussion, participation by members of the public (unless it is a developer who submits their version of what they want to have happen, as did Sibley Simon awhile back..which became the basis for the Commission’s actions).

Also, the Commissioners do not have to declare Ex Parte communication with any parties involved in the discussion items, as do the Planning Commissioners and even the Historic Resources Commissioners.  Hmmm…

Below is text of a letter I wrote to the Board of Supervisors re: Consent Agenda Item #37:

Becky Steinbruner ki6tkb@yahoo.com

To: Ryan Coonerty, Greg Caput, Zach Friend, John Leopold, Bruce McPherson
Cc: Becky Steinbruner
Oct 7 at 5:12 PM

Dear County Supervisors,

Please pull Item #37 from the Consent Agenda and refer it to the Planning Commission for further public review.  I am not certain that the Proposed 59-page document will help streamline the process for Measure J applicants and developers as it is written.

In giving this matter further thought, I want to relay to you that the Measure J process seems to already be a challenge to navigate for those who are lucky enough to qualify.  I heard this from people who attended the Campaign for Sustainable Transportation Conference at Cabrillo College last Saturday, and it comports with what Ms. Julie Conway, Santa Cruz County Housing Planner, has explained relative to the Aptos Village Project Measure J units. 

On August 19, 2019, in reply to my question about this matter, Ms. Conway responded:

“The buyers of the five Measure J homes in Phase 1 have all been determined to be eligible, have secured financing and will close escrow on their homes in the next couple of weeks.  There will not be additional publicity on the Phase 1 ones.”

It has been nearly eight weeks, and there still has been no publicity about any of the five Measure J occupants moving into their new affordable homes.  Therefore, I have to wonder if the delays are related to a cumbersome process, but regardless,   wonder why no Measure J units are yet occupied in the Aptos Village Project Phase I when the process began well over a year ago, in February, 2018?   

I feel this relates to the proposed Measure J document before you October 8, and bears witness to the need for this document to receive greater public scrutiny.  PLEASE PULL ITEM #37 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Becky Steinbruner

On Monday, October 7, 2019, 8:04:24 AM UTC, Becky Steinbruner wrote: 

Dear Supervisors,

I am submitting comment re: Consent Agenda Item #37 on the October 8, 2019 Board Agenda.

I do not think this item should be on the Consent Agenda to be accepted and approved.  Although the Housing Advisory Commission is said to have reviewed the proposed document, the minutes of that meeting are not included in the Staff Report, so the public has no information regarding what comments the HAC made or if changes were incorporated.  I think the Planning Commission should also review this document before your Board considers further action.

I note the following:

  1. The Proposed document is 59 pages whereas the existing form of the document is 28 pages.  This is a significant change to a critical affordable housing document that should not be merely swept through on the Consent Agenda with approval that would not include thorough public discussion.
  2. There are discrepancies in information for Maximum Monthly Rents for Affordable Rental Units.  On page 14 of the Existing document, the rates are about $200-$300/month less than the rates shown in the Proposed document on page 59 for the same matter.  Why are the rates listed differently when the criteria and date of information are the same?
  3. I see not clear discussion in the Proposed document regarding standards that Measure J units must meet, but in th existing document, on page 22, it states that Measure J units must meet HUD Section 8 requirement.   Is this requirement being eliminated or buried in the Proposed document?
  4. In the Proposed document (page 57) there are significant fees charged to buyers and sellers, but I saw no such table of fees in the current document.  Are these new fees?  If so, that does not serve the purpose of the affordable housing goal to help people get into housing that they can afford.
  5. Finally, why limit the percentage of inclusionary affordable housing to 15% for deed-restricted  home  buyers?  The City of Watsonville requires 20% affordable units in developments.  Why has the Planning Dept. allowed developers who are building rental housing to not abide by the 15% inclusionary affordable unit requirement?  This favors the developer’s profit margins, but hurts the affordable rental market available to those in our community who really are struggling. Overall, I think the existing document is much simpler to read and yet provides the necessary information in a more clear and concise manner.  

Please send this Item to the Planning Commission for their thoughtful review, post comments of both that Commission and the HAC with the Item when it returns to your Board as a Regular Agenda item for better public discussion.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Becky Steinbruner

Well….we shall see what happens…tune in next week.

COUNTY SUPERVISORS WILL VOTE WHETHER OR NOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO PUBLIC INPUT FOR A SUSTAINABLE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 
In two weeks, on October 22, the Supervisors will vote on whether to approve the re-worked Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Nissan auto dealership at 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive in Soquel.  This is Ad Hoc planning at its worst, with a developer waving money under the nose of the County and the Planning Dept. making interesting deals behind closed doors, many of which were brought to light by the Sustainable Soquel group who sued and WON because the EIR was such a sham.  Now, the County Public Works Dept. has magically come up with the Half a Million Dollars needed to pay for a new traffic light in the area that will supposedly address traffic problems inherent with the auto dealership.

This just stinks.  Doesn’t the County care about the massive amount of money and countless hours spent in community outreach meetings to develop the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan that would put housing and public amenities at this very busy intersection?  That Plan has been stalled by the Planning Dept. (I suppose they have been busy with several other closed-door sessions) but finally has gone to Dudek Consultants to begin the EIR process, over five years after it was approved in concept by the Board.  

WRITE THE BOARD about this

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

BUT JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK! Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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October 6 #279 / Indian Country

I have already written about my enthusiasm for the essays of George Scialabba. Wikipedia describes Scialabba as a “free lance book critic,” and most of his essays are, indeed, formulated as relatively brief reviews of recently-published books. My earlier recommendation that people read Scialabba was based on my own reading of Slouching Toward Utopia. 

Let me now extend my recommendation to Scialabba’s book, Low Dishonest Decades: Essays & Reviews 1980-2015. His essay, “Indian Country,” included in that book, was written in 1983. In this essay, Scialabba turns his attention to television, and specifically to “Vietnam: A Television History,” produced by the Public Broadcasting Service in October 1983.” Apparently, it would cost you over $200 to buy the DVDs. Reading Scialabba’s essay will cost you a lot less, and may be more thought-provoking. Scialabba’s main point about the television series is that it is impactful as a “presentation,” truly showing the horrors of the Vietnam War, but is much less satisfactory as an “analysis” or “criticism.”

Here is a brief excerpt from the “Indian Country” essay:

One episode opens with the narrator observing that “American combat troops went into Vietnam to prevent the Communists from taking over.” That’s one way of putting it. Here’s a different way: “American troops went into Vietnam to consolidate its takeover by a corrupt repressive ruling elite, in opposition to what even American policy makers recognized was the only popular, honest, competent, genuinely nationalist political movement in the country.” The latter formulation is no less accurate, as the documentary makes clear. But imagine hearing it, flat-out like that, in a narrator’s authoritative baritone voice, on national television. Though true, it would sound stilted, strident, propagandistic. In the ideological universe of American mass media, radical truth risks sounding like propaganda.

The point is worth insisting on – it may well be the most important of all the lessons of Vietnam. Only recently, Stanley Hoffmann, at the far left of the political mainstream, could write in the New York Review of Books that America’s purpose in Vietnam was to “protect a small country from aggression.” This perfectly commonplace statement is almost Orwellian in its neat reversal of the facts … If it is still not possible on national television to apply the words “aggression” and “invasion” to American behavior in Indochina, then the government has won and the peace movement has lost its unequal battle for American hearts and minds.

Later on in the essay, Scilabba lets us know the reason for his title:

American barbarism and American innocence come together for an instant during Vietnam: A Television History. The narrator says: “The Vietcong and the North Vietnamese army controlled large parts of South Vietnam. GIs called these areas ‘Indian country.'” … This remark appears out of nowhere and leads nowhere. Yet it leaves one breathless. After all, most of what GIs and the rest of us know about Indians comes from cowboy movies and TV shows. “Nation building” was what Americans frequently told themselves they were doing in Vietnam; the building of an American nation, in opposition to indigenous non-whites, was what those movies and TV shows mythicized …

Television’s mythic power is precious. But myth needs to be controlled by criticism – the world cannot afrord much more American innocence. Central America is literally “Indian country.” And if the Rapid Deployment Force invades the Middle East, Arabs will soon be the new redskins …
Written in 1983! Very prescient, Mr. Scilabba!
Read what Scilabba has to say, in “Indian Country” and in his other essays. Those who care about the future of American democracy, and who yearn for a world at peace, actually cannot afford to lose the battle for the hearts and minds of America. We can’t assume, either, that we have truly “lost” it. We need to keep trying.

If we continue to consider the entire world to be “Indian Country,” and believe that it is our American duty to tame and subdue it, the bodies of the dead will be piled ever higher. Unless we can first admit, and then change, our historic commitment to “aggression,” we will also experience a lesson that is absolutely contrary to what we have been told in the cowboy movies.

Those we have allowed ourselves to think about as the “Indians” will come to say (and a lot of them already think it) that the “only good American is a dead American.” You can probably recall a different formulation of that statement, popularized by former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Think about it! Turnabout is always fair play, and history is just about ready to turnabout on the United States of America. The more we keep asserting that everywhere else is “Indian Country,” open for our aggression and domination, the more quickly that turnabout day will come.

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Just a peek at what makes everythings so obvious and confusing. scroll downwards.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Classic Covers ” 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 WITH NEW COMMENTS RE IMPEACHMENT!! 

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “She was an Amazon among us puny mortals. Now the late, great, sharp-witted, joyfully irreverent political journalist Molly Ivins gets her own irresistible movie, Raise Hell, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com )!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975. 

 

RAISE HELL: THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS. I laughed more during this great documentary of the great Molly Ivins than I have at any film in years. Not only was she supremely funny, she was brilliant, with a grasp on USA politics unlike any we’ve ever seen. You’ll even feel the link to today’s Trump sinkhole, and see her unique role in G.W. Bush’s White House. Don’t miss it by any means!!! CLOSES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10!!

JUDY. Renee Zellweger does the best possible imitation of Judy Garland in this dramatic and still musical tribute. Garland transcended the usual fame and popularity and has become a legend. This film starts off in 1968 and ends with Judy’s last days and five husbands later plus drugs. It’s corny and hammy but so was Judy. For some reason Liza Minnelli isn’t in much of it. 

You’ll almost cry at some scenes…so don’t miss it.

DOWNTOWN ABBEY. With an audience score of 96 you can’t go wrong. It topped Rambo and Ad Astra and earned $31 million in its’ opening weekend. I have no way of knowing if those few people who didn’t watch all or most of the Downton Abbey tv years will love as much as we devotees do the movie. Same cast and the plot is centered about the King and Queen of England coming to visit the Abbey. There’s a clash between the Abbey staff and the service crew that the Queen brings with her. It’s grand fun to see all our long time screen friends again. We know so much about each character. Don’t miss the big screen version it just ain’t the same.

AD ASTRA. Brad Pitt is much more than his usual cute self in this 2001 type space adventure. Shocking but it’s true that film critics liked it more than “audience” on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics gave it 83, audience gave it 45!! Tommy Lee Jones plays Brad’s mysterious and missing father, and Donald Sutherland has a bit part. It’s a serious film about humans, genetics, space, dying, and it’s worth every bit of admission. See it soon.

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. With an audience rating of 99 on Rotten Tomatoes it’s gotta be good…or great! Her politics, talent, integrity plus an amazing voice makes her truly unique in the field of music. She mastered many styles, never gave up and is dying of Parkinson’s right now! Her Mexican heritage, time with Gov. Jerry Brown and sheer guts will keep you surprised as you learn so much about her. 

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. The more movies you’ve seen in your lifetime the more you’ll like Quentin Tarantino’s latest. With Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in the leads and it all happening in L.A. in 1969 it almost can’t miss. Slightly under the cuteness of the relationship between Pitt and DiCaprio is knowing that the film ends with the Manson Family killings of Sharon Tate and four other characters at the house that she shared with her husband, Roman Polanski. Add Al Pacino for about two minutes to all of that and you’ll be forced to like it.

BRITTANY RUNS THE MARATHON. Actress Jillian Bell plays Brittany and I could not like Jillian Bell no matter how hard I tried. In real life Jillian even lost a lot of weight so she could give a better performance, I didn’t care. As promised she doe run the NY marathon …no she doesn’t win it. The movie is supposed to be a comedy I didn’t laugh once. 

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Tuesday, October 8th has Becky Steinbruner talking about the many issues both environmental and developmental that face our county. Then Phyllis Rosenblum director of the Santa Cruz Chamber Players discusses their 2019-2020 season. Mariam Gafforio and a friend from Extinction Rebellion will talk about XRSC and their goals and accomplishments on October 15. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

This family looks so much fun!

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    “WHISTLEBLOWERS”

“Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance.”
Barack Obama

“Every country needs its whistleblowers. They are crucial to a healthy society. The employee who, in the public interest, has the independence of judgement and the personal courage to challenge malpractice or illegality is a kind of public hero.”
Fuad Alakbarov 

“Specific protection must be granted to human rights defenders and whistleblowers who have in some contexts been accused of being unpatriotic, whereas they perform, in reality, a democratic service to their countries and to the enjoyment of human rights of their compatriots”. Alfred-Maurice de Zayas 


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com


Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

October 1 – 7, 2019

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Bruce
Highlights this week:

BRATTON…much more on MAH financials, letters from board members and County responsibility questions, donors name removal, MAH’s intended purpose. A view of the Real Donna Meyers. GREENSITE…explores the attacks on Glover and Krohn. KROHN…Who killed the Corridors plan, what was the corridors plan? Affordable housing, public policy. STEINBRUNER…Soquel Creek rate protest and petition, county drug house, Live Oak Medical facility development, Capitola Road development, Portola Drive development, Nissan and Soquel news, Sandy Lydon’s newsletter. PATTON…Greta Thunberg EAGAN…Subconscious Comics & Deep Cover. JENSEN…reviews Judy and Sondheim’s Company. BRATTON…I critique Judy and Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…Greta Thunberg.
                                 

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HISTORIC OCTAGON AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTY COURTHOUSE. The courthouse was built in 1867 and burned down in 1894. The Octagon was built in 1882 — and along with Abbott Square, has been  “San Joseized ” by Nina Simon ever since 2011.                                                     

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

TED MACK’S AMATEUR HOUR. 1953
CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS A BRILLIANT GROUP.
HOW TO PLAY THE BONES. The teacher is just a bit hammy but excellent.

DATELINE September 30

PLAYING THE BONES. My grandfather played the bones in minstrel shows. Naturally I inherited them and play them too. Take a look/listen to these artists performing on an ancient instrument that dates back centuries!! Videos on the right —>

MAH’S MYSTERIES. More and more MAH board members and concerned citizens are writing to Bonline.com and are allowing us/me to use their names. They have tremendous concerns and maintain a sense of emergency, due to the failing financial situation and near-total lack of contact with MAH’s present board. Remember that Museum of Art & History is under County government, rules and regulations. If the kind of shaky and financial and governing principles happening at MAH right now were happening at County operation such as The Animal Shelter, Parks, Health Services — or especially our county elections — you can bet we would see action…and correction. Read on, think about our community. And a special thanks to our local whistle blowers. I wrote to County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty for help and direction to clarify the relationship between MAH, the County and OF/BY/AND FOR. because MAH is in his jurisdiction. He responded immediately and is having “Carlos” followup on this.

MAH’S REMOVAL OF DONOR’S NAMES. Nina Simon and her group removed many very serious donors’ names from around the Building. Here’s one reaction from Wayne Palmer, former President of the MAH board of Directors..

Hello All,

I received an email from Jack Baskin’s stepdaughter, Cameron (“Cammy”). I have passed this on the the MAH board but thought all of you should also receive a copy. Jack was one of the original three capital campaign co-chairs charged with raising substantial gifts towards the building of the museum. Jack was also one of the original significant donors to the museum and continued to be a financial supporter of MAH for some time. Without Jack and people like him we would not have the building we have today. FYI. As of today I have received 15 more signatures to our statement to the MAH board. (Total 116) 

—Wayne Palmer

Here’s the letter from Cameron Torgenrud, who also repeated the question of selecting the next Executive director….

September 22, 2019

To the Board of Trustees of Santa Cruz MAH: 

Ultimately, reading about MAH, I wonder whom you are targeting as your audience. By focusing on igniting “vibrant youth” are you irretrievably distancing yourself from the more staid cohort, the ones who treasure moments of quiet reflection? Can the center be a refuge for contemplative introverts as well as a place for extraverts to connect and share? I have hope that you’ll find a better balance in MAH’s next chapter. The museum has clearly shifted orientation in the past 10 years. I understand many of the reasons for some of the leadership’s reorienting the mission, and I am curious to see where you land. The selection of your next Executive Director will shed much light on the direction you intend to take. The question of the plaques, though, is very clear to me and those with whom I have talked. The museum made a misstep, one which must be redressed. I speak for those, like Jack, who can no longer speak for themselves. Removing these plaques without notification was disrespectful and demonstrated a lack of sensitivity as well as awareness of the pivotal role people like Jack have played in the community. Be the phoenix. Rise again, this time deliberately serving the whole ?community, including those who were there from the beginning. Honor those who put MAH on the path… wherever it chooses to lead future generations of culturally minded denizens of and visitors to our area.

Respectfully,

Cameron Torgenrud

MAH’S LEGAL AND FINANCIAL STANDING. Linda Burman Hall, longtime UCSC Professor, and MAH member wrote..

Dear Wayne , MAH and History Forum Members — 

Thank you for courageously standing up for the future of the MAH. I am writing as an individual MAH and History Forum member, with an intense lifetime involvement in arts and humanities education.

A great many energetic and diverse individuals, — including artists, historians, volunteers and donors — have worked long and hard to bring the MAH into existence and to sustain it for our community.

The concerns about curatorial issues, social justice, aesthetic judgments, local vs global topics, and the representation of diversity are all vitality important (and sometimes emotional) discussions that need to be ongoing.

But 501(c)(3)s must operate with financial and other records available for viewing, and financial decisions made openly by the Board. But recent Annual Financial Reports seem to be unavailable

I’m concerned the current path may risk suspension of federal and/or state non-profit status due to non-compliance with normal and standard non-profit operating requirements.

The most basic next step is for the MAH to return to fully standard operation as a legal 501(c)(3) immediately. 

By-Laws may need to be strengthened to mandate clear communication between all stake-holders and to prevent future lapses in this and other areas.

To restore the confidence of those who have given previously (and encourage future gifts), all donors must be given [or restored to] the public acknowledgement that was promised at the time of their gift.

Thank you to Wayne for coordinating this massive effort to get things back on track. — LBH

MAH’S FINANCIAL MYSTERIES. Another concerned citizen wrote..
“You’ll need a forensic accountant to fully understand the MAH’s IRS filing for the FY ending June 30, 2018, which was submitted April 30, 2019. The devil is in the details and this document doesn’t give us enough info. The information is buried in the line items which we can’t see. Money going to of/by/for/all can be disguised, I think.
Google: “IRS form 990 search” enter the identity number: 94-2718861.  

The latest form filed pops right up.
So is there a line item on MAH financials that shows how much “fiscal” support they give to Nina’s pet project, of/by/for/all? I’m sure the MAH Exec. Comm knows, but no one else? 

THE REAL DONNA MEYERS. As one of our new council persons, Donna Meyers has succeeded in working with Cynthia Mathews to do whatever’s necessary to stop any genuine progressive action. Here’s a video from 9/24/2019 that shows the other side she so carefully protects. A Racist? A Lesbian?

As a guide to watch her in action…

All times approximate…

Mathews introduces the censure resolution 5:02
Motion to table 5:07
Chris’ apology starts around 7 hrs
Drew’s part around 7:06 (ideological battle right here in River City)
Meyer melt down re being Lesbian and 34 years and not a racist…7:23

Santa Cruz City Council 9/24/19

RACIST HATE CRIME PHOTO. I should have made it more clear in BrattonOnline a few weeks ago that I have no idea why anyone in our city of Santa Cruz would want to pay more attention to that terrible photo and incident of the two men hanging from our bridge. 

The photo I ran in the column has been printed dozens of times as part of our history, and I’ll never know why. We’ve had worse crimes, worse murders, and yet that incident still draws more attention. I tried to get some kind of explanation for this proposed publicity from Historical organizations, and I still couldn’t see why. We’ll have to see what our City Council does or doesn’t do.

September 30th 

AFTER CAREFUL SCRUTINY…

Reconciliation was not on last week’s city council agenda. Although the complaints of gender harassment and misconduct against council members Glover and Krohn were largely not substantiated by the independent investigator, and conflict resolution recommended, the main item on the council’s evening agenda was to formally censure Krohn and Glover, initiated by council members Meyers and Mathews. It had the predictable effect: further polarization, emotional outbursts and general mayhem.

I’m not easily persuaded that complaints of sexism against two males by five females are without merit or that they are solely politically motivated. I started by believing. Then I read the transcript of the charges and witnesses carefully, many times. I read the investigator’s conclusions. I attended or watched past council meetings where some of the offending behavior was said to occur. I paid close attention to the tearful testimony of the city staff member, whose three young daughters were made to stand by her side as she read her victim impact statement against Glover with passion and conviction. Despite her feelings of being harassed, the investigator did not find that Glover’s behavior violated the city’s workplace misconduct policy. It’s true that Glover and Krohn ask hard, probing questions of staff, who are more used to attaboys from previous councils. Hard questions of staff by elected officials seem appropriate to me.  If behind the scenes staff has any problems then surely a heart to heart talk about mutual respect etc. would temper the zeal and grandstanding when or if it occurs? From the investigator’s notes, whenever someone spoke to Glover with concerns he was usually conciliatory. Krohn twice wrote and asked to discuss the Mayor’s concerns, with no response.

Given the nature of the two substantiated charges, namely that Krohn gave a snort or a laugh when a staff member cited her “professional opinion” (although no laugh can be heard on the tape) and that Glover confronted Meyers in a disrespectful manner when she failed to exit on time a conference room he had reserved, a reasonable person might wonder at such high stakes drama and emotion over what could and should have been addressed offstage. That is, unless one factors in that it is Krohn and Glover who are facing a well-funded, well-organized, determined recall effort supported by the two council members seeking the public censure. 

At the meeting, a motion to table the censure item was made by council member Brown and seconded by council member Cummings. However the Mayor refused to recognize Brown. While motions to table are infrequent (made on eight occasions over the past five years and not usually on minor issues) a refusal to recognize a council member wishing to make a motion is unprecedented in my experience. That refusal to recognize was appealed by Brown and with four votes the appeal and the motion to table were passed. Then things really heated up. While the next item was to fine tune recommendations for a revised workplace policy and conflict resolution procedures, the Mayor allowed the public to vent, making later claims moot that the motion to table silenced the public.

Evaluating this whole controversy, I find a finger can be pointed at the Mayor’s speech at the February 12th council meeting where she launched into an accusation of sexism on the part of Glover and Krohn. Labeled as a “perception” by others rather than her own experience and after her lengthy accusation with no right of reply, the Mayor concluded that she brought the issue up “to name it and move on.” I don’t know about you but if I were accused of such egregious behavior at a public meeting I would like a few minutes to respond. The Mayor allowed no response. I thought Glover and Krohn, who displayed no outward emotion, were restrained given the circumstances. This was in stark contrast to council member Meyers who at the last council meeting, pounded the table and yelled, “I’ve been out as a lesbian for 34 years so don’t call me a racist!” This was apparently in response to someone’s Facebook posting. That a white woman whether lesbian, straight or bi cannot also be racist suggests a need for further education as called for in earlier conversations by Glover. He has a point. 

Staff is, in my view, overstepping their bounds. At the following night’s meeting of the Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women, after the commission coordinator re-read her tearful testimony against Glover that she had delivered the night before in front of council, the commission voted to send a letter asking for the censure of Glover and Krohn to be put back on the next council agenda. They are entitled to do that.  However, the coordinator told the commission to do a press conference, something they had not decided on their own. She is not entitled to do that. It was not framed by “maybes” or “perhaps.” She also advised one of the commissioners who happens to be an intern for Glover, to think about her professional future before she voted. The intern voted for the motion. The commission voted also that a draft be shared with the whole commission prior to being adopted. However by the next day, without full commission input, there it was, posted on NextDoor. 

It’s past time for the city manager to have a heart to heart talk with his staff about civil service. And past time for those who are frenzied about the recall to stop throwing about terms such as “victim blaming.” We worked too hard to have victim blaming taken seriously for its misuse in the service of political posturing.

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.
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September 30

THE DEATH OF AN UNFAIR, UNPOPULAR, AND DEVELOPER FRIENDLY PLAN


The “Town Commons” filled after a day of marching. Over a thousand-strong filled the current site of the Farmer’s Market, many advocating for a permanent home and for a Town Commons.

Corridors Plan
Is the Corridors Plan dead and should it be revived? A very distinct yes to both those questions was featured prominently in a recent Santa Cruz Sentinel Op-Ed by four former Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners.(http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/guest-commentary-killing-corridors-plan-is-killing-the-planet ).I would like to address a few of the salient points as to why the Corridors Plan died an ignominious death. In other words, not many local renters or corridor business owners will attend its memorial, but a whole lot of for-profit housing developers and real estate “providers” will be there, bemoaning the lack of economic opportunity in Surf City.

Affordable Housing
All housing development is NOT equal. We have crisis, yes, but it is an affordable housing crisis, not a market-rate one. There would be little affordable housing in the Corridors Plan housing scheme. In fact, the previous city council voted 5-2 to reduce the amount of affordable housing (“inclusionary”) required outside of the downtown from 15% to 10%. Stated simply, 90% of these prospective five-story (65 feet) buildings would be unaffordable to most Santa Cruzans. It’s true, ten out of one hundred units would be affordable, but the majority would be condos marketed to Tech workers from over the hill, or second-home buyers looking to invest in a place close to the beach. Even university professors making $80-$100k per year would be priced out. I honestly believe if 1) the community was able to have more input, 2) building heights remained at 40 feet, and 3) at least 50% of the units were “affordable” and evenly distributed over the “moderate, low, and very low income” categories that HUD uses then there would’ve been a lot more support from residents and new councilmembers for the plan. But that didn’t happen. In fact, the whole notion of “affordable” is used as a bait-and-switch game by those seeking great economic remuneration from a community like ours struggling to find good housing options. Moreover, another constituency, local business owners, were rather perturbed when they found out that a whole lot of on-street parking would be eliminated per the plan.

Democracy
The Plan was a campaign issue during the past two city council elections. Besides no eastsider being appointed to the 14-person “Corridor Advisory Group,” over 80% of the development would take place east of the San Lorenzo River. Eastsiders spoke up after meetings were held that contemplated demolishing the Rio Theatre, Charlie Hong Kong’s, and the building where Lillian’s is currently located. One commissioner who took umbrage to the El Rio Theatre wall was heard to remark to the horror of some eastsiders, Tear them all down. The city council in 2015 was a 6-1, pro-market-rate council. Over the past two election cycles–2016 and 2018–four new members have been elected and all four said they opposed the Corridors Plan during their respective races. In fact, most all candidates in 2018 said at various candidate forums that they opposed the Corridors Plan as written. Many went to work and campaigned and voted to support a new council majority because they felt their voices were not being heard previously. Many voters saw the Plan as not environmentally sustainable and actually growing our traffic, housing, and water problems, as well as diminishing our community’s quality of life. What I heard loud and clear from eastside residents was that they were hearing that many historical and cultural attributes of the Villa Branciforte community were either at risk or not currently protected. As a result, many were organized by the Branciforte Action Committee (BAC) and later,  Save Santa Cruz group confront what they saw as predatory city power steamrollering their neighborhoods. This would not stand. They went out and voted and that vote has yielded up a much different makeup on the city’s Planning Commission as well.

Environmental Sustainability
Building thousands of new market-rate housing units is only environmentally sustainable if all these new residents decide not to drive, unlimited water can be obtained, and global warming can be mitigated. If not, this term was misused in the Sentinel Op-Ed. It is of no surprise that Santa Cruz has a finite carrying capacity. As defined in Sustainable Measures, a publication focused on sustainability, “in the context of sustainability, carrying capacity is the size of the population that can be supported indefinitely upon the available resources and services of supporting natural, social, human, and built capital.” Water and the potential for rising sea levels seem to be two limits to Santa Cruz growth. The whole concept and practice of “sustainable development” are hotly contested and manipulated in both academia and business. By no means is the concept, sustainable, fully fleshed out in city, state, federal, or scientific arenas. The Corridors Plan was essentially doubling-down on market rate housing development when we actually need to double-down on providing housing for people who live here now, and on protecting our unique natural environment and planning mitigations for what many scientists are predicting as a global climate catastrophe in the making.

Sound Public Policy

If the Corridors Plan was “the nuts and bolts of the zoning code updates” necessary to implement the 2030 General Plan, then we need to also go back and amend these updates. Santa Cruz County has one of the highest poverty rates among the 58 California counties. Not building more affordable housing in much greater percentages than is currently mandated, but unenforced on rental housing until recently, is not an option. Continuing to allow 85% unaffordable units to be built is likely not what Santa Cruz residents neither demand nor want. Despite what the Op-Ed writers would have us believe, the Corridors Plan was not “meaningful action to stop global warming,” but would’ve resulted in a further sell-off of community resources to the highest bidder and would ultimately yield a much higher collective carbon footprint. We must put General Plan policies in place that will avoid yielding to house flipping and market-rate only benefits.

Finally…

Justin Cummings, Drew Glover, Sandy Brown, and Chris Krohn did not single-handedly “kill” the Corridors Plan, the voters did. Yes, the Corridors Plan would “transform Santa Cruz” but into Silicon Beach and not into the community most residents envision. What also rankled both neighbors and affordable housing advocates were the recent city council decisions not to enforce the 15% affordable rule for rentals on two Swenson projects, 94 units at 555 Pacific Avenue and 79 condos for rent at 1547 Pacific Avenue. I have to believe many residents were paying attention and that the lack of affordability in these two projects were bad omens for the future. The Corridors Plan, as it was, is a destructive plan for our town, lacking in affordability and sure to exacerbate the current unacceptable traffic mess we are also experiencing. Now for the finally. In the motion passed to “kill” the current Corridors Plan the council voted to “Direct the Planning Director, as a first step in carrying out the Council’s direction on this matter, to meet promptly with representatives of Save Santa Cruz and other community groups that have previously commented on the now terminated Corridors Plan to seek agreement on possible changes to the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance that can achieve broad community support and that will allow the Council to achieve its objectives.” Hence, a new plan may likely rise out of the old plan’s ashes, but with real community input and hopefully achieve much greater affordable housing percentages.

“One of the major reasons we don’t talk about debt & poverty is shame. Yet way more Americans are living in poverty than our country wants to admit. It’s time we stop looking the other way on economic abuse, like predatory lending, abusive workplaces, & extortionary landlords.”(Sept. 30)
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com
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September 30

JOIN THE NEARLY 400 SIGNERS OF THE SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT RATE PROTEST!!
This Water District has just gone too far, expecting families and people on fixed incomes to be able to pay the outrageous rate and monthly service fees now in place, and that are scheduled to go up again every year by 9% for the next four years. Anyone in Tier 2 now pays nearly $30/unit, five times the amount of Tier 1, and it’s all to pay for the expensive plan to inject treated sewage water into the drinking water supply of the MidCounty.

Sign the Protest Petition now, and pass it along to others who are now struggling even harder to pay their water bill, while working hard to conserve as much as possible.

Sign the Petition Soquel Creek Water District Rate Increases Are Unfair and Hurt Families!

WATER FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY EVENT A GREAT SUCCESS…WRITE THOSE LETTERS TO THE WATER BOARD
The Aptos Library Meeting room was full last Monday evening, with some standing to hear the excellent presentation by Mr. Scott McGilvray of Water for Santa Cruz County explain the water production information taken directly from the Santa Cruz City Water Dept. and Soquel Creek Water District websites showing ample water to transfer for regional management and aquifer recharge.  

Learn more here: Water For Santa Cruz County

So why does Soquel Creek Water District insist that the only solution is to inject 1.3 million gallons of treated sewage water daily into the drinking water supply for the MidCounty?  Why has the Board structure outrageous rate and monthly fee increases to pay for something that is unnecessary and is now bringing real economic hardship to many, many customers? 

That is a mystery.  Rate payers need to write the Board now.   Ask them to rescind the rate increases and hold a public study session to explain themselves and any further rate increases they feel necessary.

What matters most is that you write the Board right now.  Attend the Tuesday, October 15 Board meeting and speak at the very beginning, at 6pm (Capitola City Council Chambers).  Ask the Board to rescind their Resolution 19-01 that approved these onerous rate and fee increases that will burden all users with a 9% rate increase every year for the next four years, and possibly 8% per year for three years after that.  Ask the Board to reconsider supplemental water supplies other than the very expensive and energy-demanding PureWater Soquel Project.

Here is a “template” letter.  Feel free to edit it to suit your situation, and pass it along to others:

e-mail the Board of Directors bod@soquelcreekwater.org

Board of Directors
Soquel Creek Water District
5180 Soquel Drive
Soquel, CA   95073

Dear Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors,

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

HIGHWAY ONE IS 70 YEARS OLD!

Here is a piece of local historian  Sandy Lydon’s latest newsletter that you may enjoy.

Happy 70th Birthday Highway 1!

Sandy Lydon’s Central Coast Secrets

Highway 1 c. 1955 Highway 1 2019

Chopping the County in two:
Highway 1 was the Santa Cruz-Watsonville Road and slid dutifully through each town and hamlet. Actually the route followed pretty closely the same one taken by the Portolá Expedition exactly 250 years ago, October, 1769. During the postwar infrastructure boom, freeways and throughways all across California were being lifted out of small-towns and neighborhoods and laid alongside, with the existing merchants screaming bloody murder about the loss of business.

Note of Clarification – Highway1 was not a freeway in 1949, it was a “limited access throughway.” Many of the roads that intersected with the new highway did so without cloverleaf or on-ramps. The road simply attached right angle, and one drove across, right or left, using the wide median as a “safety island.” As a result, given the light traffic, there were a lot of accidents. In some places, overcrossings and on-ramps were added later (Clubhouse and Highway 1) while in others, they put up fences and made the road dead-ends on both sides – such as Chanticleer and Mar Vista. 

A highway engineers nightmare but a bridge-builders heaven.Between East Santa Cruz and Rob RoJunction, the coastal is riven with gullies, arroyos and creeks. By cutting and filling, most of the fissures would be handled with culverts, but there are two daunting barriers—Soquel Creek and Aptos Creek.

Capitola and Soquel Separated after 150 years as co-joined siblings.
Highway 1 decapitated Capitola from Soquel. Whacked them apart. Capitola incorporated the same year (1949) that Highway 1 was opened, but the actual building of this section of highway caused some pain. A

There’s a LOT of history here on the Capitola-Soquel Borderlands, but you’ll never see it unless, as the police officer sternly commands:

PLEASE GET OUT OF AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CAR!
So many anniversaries! In honor of all the anniversaries – Portolá’s 250th, Highway 1’s 70th, Capitola’s 70th, and the 1979 publication of the landmark book From Soquel Landing to Capitola-by-the-Sea that book’s co-authors (Carolyn Swift and the History Dude) will be leading a stroll up and down, over and under of the Capitola-Soquel Borderlands. 

We’ve co-led a lot of walks over the years, but have never focused on this specific area. We’ll change the way you see that stretch of Highway 1, and you’ll be able to entertain yourself or your passengers while creeping along every afternoon.  

A lovely stretch of Soquel Creek gugles along directly beneath the bridge on the west side of the highway complex. But, you’ve never noticed because you’re too intent on merging, hoping that the cars beside you have local drivers who KNOW how it works.

Saturday, November 6
10:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Estimated Distance 2.5 miles
Adults only: Must be over 21
Administered by Cabrillo College Extension

For more info, cost and to register: www.cabrillo.edu Note: Only a few spaces remaining.

TRANSPORTATION EVENT WILL FEATURE EXCELLENT DISCUSSION

A reader sent me this information that I think will provide some excellent information about planning, transportation and possible solutions: http://sustainabletransportationsc.org/ 

Note that County Planning Commissioner Michael Guth will speak at 1:15pm and hopefully will discuss the ad hoc planning that is causing such woe to our communities.

OTHER GREAT INFORMATION. Gary Griggs talks about Loma Prieta earthquake …Scotts Valley Library on October 1st:  Aptos Library…Loma Prieta Quake and tribute to Nisene Marks State Park Ranger Jerry Waggoner (Aptos History Museum loaned materials) 

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. BUT JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK. Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

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.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com
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September 28 271 / Greta The Ungrateful? 

Presumably, anyone reading this particular blog knows about Greta Thunberg, pictured above. If by some chance you don’t know about Greta Thunberg and her “School Strike For Climate,” please click this link for a write-up. In late September, Thunberg appeared before the United Nations, and spoke forcefully about the need for world leaders to take immediate and concrete actions to combat human-caused global warming. The picture above, betraying her anger at the lack of serious action by world governments, was taken during one of her appearances. The picture immediately below, showing a much more “sunny” version of Greta (the “nice” Greta), comes from the Wikipedia profile linked above. 

As it turns out, some people did not like the version of Greta Thunberg that showed up at the United Nations. What she said (among other things) was, in fact, pretty “angry.” Here is a link to a full transcript of her remarks, and here is how she began those remarks:

This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!  

You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

So who got offended by Thunberg’s speech to the United Nations, which can be characterized as the kind of “straight talk” that was the specialty of former United States Senator John McCain? Well, Jake Novak and CNBC got offended. 

According to Novak, Greta’s most recent pronouncements on global warming seek to shift responsibility from individuals onto to governments and big corporations. This assignment of responsibility (although right on target, in the real world) is highly problematic politically, according to Novak. We all know who runs the world, right? Novak thinks that “Greta Thunberg’s rise could backfire on environmentalists.” 

David Harsanyi, Senior Editor at The Federalist, was even more outraged than Novak by Thunberg’s remarks at the United Nations. His article, titled “The Tragedy Of Greta Thunberg,” basically calls her ungrateful, and denounces her for not appreciating how great she’s had it in a world that is the product of capitalist productivity:

Sixteen-year-old Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg lives in the healthiest, wealthiest, safest, and most peaceful era humans have ever known. She is one of the luckiest people ever to have lived. 

In a just world, Thunberg would be at the United Nations thanking capitalist countries for bequeathing her this remarkable inheritance. Instead, she, like millions of other indoctrinated kids her age, act as if they live in a uniquely broken world on the precipice of disaster.

What can I say about this? How even to begin to react to this diatribe? How about that “straight talk” stuff?

Harsanyi objects to Thunberg, “acting like millions of indoctrinated kids her age,” and acting like “they live in a … broken world on the precipice of disaster (emphasis added).”

David, where do you get the idea that millions of young people have been “indoctrinated,” and that they have somehow been tricked into believing that they live in a “broken world on the precipice of disaster?” No indoctrination has been needed. A world on the “precipice of disaster” is exactly the world in which we live. That’s the kind of world in which I live, and that’s the kind of world in which Greta Thunberg lives, and that is the kind of world in which YOU live, too. 

Instead of calling Greta “ungrateful” for drawing our attention to our actual situation – and doing so in a strong and forceful way – let’s thank Greta, and be grateful to her, for trying to get us all to stop denying the facts and to start doing something about them. 

Just as a kind of footnote, David, to speak to one of your concerns, the sooner we begin actually to make progress in ending our use of fossil fuels, and the sooner we start taking effective action to reduce human-caused global warming, the easier it will be to avoid the kind of “authoritarian” approaches you say you are worried about. 

In other words (my final thought): 

THANK YOU, GRETA THUNBERG!

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
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EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS More classic peeks at our sub and unsub – conscious. Scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” UKRAINE BUT ” 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. 

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Renee Zellweger’s gutsy performance  (and Judy Garland’s legacy) survive the showbiz clichés of Judy this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). But for genuine entertainment, check out a nifty new staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Company at the Actors’ Theatre!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975. 

EXTRA CINEMA COMMENT. What’s provocative and coincidental is that both Judy and Miles Davis are such similar films about the pressures of fame. One’s a documentary, the other a dramatic saga…both worth seeing.

MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL. I’m happy to say that I saw and heard Miles at the Monterey Jazz Festival, but also and more importantly at the Blackhawk in San Francisco. This is a searing and important documentary that shows us the real Miles Davis. In addition to his trumpet, he was an artist, composer, band leader, and shifted into so many roles just to keep creating. A genuine genius. See this quickly, Landmark will probably pull it very soon. (I was right it Closes Thursday, Oct. 3) 

JUDY. Renee Zellweger does the best possible imitation of Judy Garland in this dramatic and yet still musical tribute. Garland transcended the usual fame and popularity and has become a legend. This film starts off 1968, and ends with Judy’s last days after five husbands plus drugs. It’s corny and hammy but so was Judy. For some reason Liza Minnelli isn’t in much of it. 

You’ll almost cry at some scenes…so don’t miss it.

DOWNTOWN ABBEY. With an audience score of 96 you can’t go wrong. It topped Rambo and Ad Astra and earned $31 million in its’ opening weekend. I have no way of knowing if those few people who didn’t watch all or most of the Downton Abbey tv years will love as much as we devotees do the movie. Same cast and the plot is centered about the King and Queen of England coming to visit the Abbey. There’s a clash between the Abbey staff and the service crew that the Queen brings with her. It’s grand fun to see all our long time screen friends again. We know so much about each character. Don’t miss the big screen version it just ain’t the same.

AD ASTRA. Brad Pitt is much more than his usual cute self in this 2001 type space adventure. Shocking but it’s true that film critics liked it more than “audience” on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics gave it 83, audience gave it 45!! Tommy Lee Jones plays Brad’s mysterious and missing father, and Donald Sutherland has a bit part. It’s a serious film about humans, genetics, space, dying, and it’s worth every bit of admission. See it soon.

OFFICIAL SECRETS Keira Knightley heads the cast along with Ralph Fiennes and this is a winner of a whistle blower true story. This young woman has to decide whether to expose a confidential letter that shows the USA and Britain involved in the illegal start of the Iraq war. The acting, plot, reality and quality of this movie make it one of my top favorites of the year. Closes Thursday, Oct. 3

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. With an audience rating of 99 on Rotten Tomatoes it’s gotta be good…or great! Her politics, talent, integrity plus an amazing voice makes her truly unique in the field of music. She mastered many styles, never gave up and is dying of Parkinson’s right now! Her Mexican heritage, time with Gov. Jerry Brown and sheer guts will keep you surprised as you learn so much about her. 

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. The more movies you’ve seen in your lifetime the more you’ll like Quentin Tarantino’s latest. With Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in the leads and it all happening in L.A. in 1969 it almost can’t miss. Slightly under the cuteness of the relationship between Pitt and DiCaprio is knowing that the film ends with the Manson Family killings of Sharon Tate and four other characters at the house that she shared with her husband, Roman Polanski. Add Al Pacino for about two minutes to all of that and you’ll be forced to like it.

BRITTANY RUNS THE MARATHON. Actress Jillian Bell plays Brittany and I could not like Jillian Bell no matter how hard I tried. In real life Jillian even lost a lot of weight so she could give a better performance, I didn’t care. As promised she doe run the NY marathon …no she doesn’t win it. The movie is supposed to be a comedy I didn’t laugh once. 

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UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. October 1 Jessica Burns and Robert Morgan lay out the program and plans for the Transportation Justice Conference at Cabrillo College happening on Oct. 5. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com 

Some of these look like fun!

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. 

    GRETA THUNBERG

“We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, then maybe we should change the system itself.” Greta Thunberg

“We need to get angry and understand what is at stake. And then we need to transform that anger into action and to stand together united and just never give up.” Greta Thunberg 

“You are never too small to make a difference.” Greta Thunberg 

“We have to understand what the older generation has dealt to us, what mess they have created that we have to clean up and live with. We have to make our voices heard.” Greta Thunberg 

I had forgotten that Greta Thunberg aged 16 has Asperger’s Syndrome 

“I’m not public about my diagnosis to ‘hide’ behind it, but because I know many ignorant people still see it as an ‘illness,’ or something negative,” she continued. “And believe me, my diagnosis has limited me before. Before I started school striking I had no energy, no friends, and I didn’t speak to anyone. I just sat alone at home, with an eating disorder. All of that is gone now, since I have found a meaning in a world that sometimes seems meaningless to so many people.” Greta Thunberg


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