BRATTON…MAH — much more stuff, Supervisor McFurson, GREENSITE…on Santa Cruz drops the ball for Rape Survivors. Krohn…will be back next week. STEINBRUNER…Soquel Creek Water rates, drinking water contamination, MidCounty Groundwater Agency news, Kaisers new 5 story plan, county losing population, Nissan dealership on Oct.22, County budget questions. PATTON…about Watchbirds and Facebook. EAGAN…Deep Cover & Subconscious Comics. JENSEN…reviews Downton Abbey. BRATTON…I critique Downton Abbey, Ad Astra and Aquarela . UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “October”.
THE “MIGHTY” SAN LORENZO RIVER. March 18, 1966. There are so many folks involved in caring for our river, forever trying to bring it back to its previously healthy condition. This photo show the power not of the river, but of the Army Corps of Engineers — who as you see, work hard to control it and take the nature out if it.
SANTA CRUZ 2015. No awards for his one…but note the many changes in four years!
DATELINE September 23
OPENING MAH’S DOORS. It is very gratifying to receive so many helpful ideas, support and a willingness to do whatever can be done to help straighten out the directorship and money problems of our Museum of Art and History. Unfortunately, local pressures keep these revelations anonymous. Let’s hope that our Art and History County Museum will soon be set straight and aimed at the future. It was gratifying to read Jake Pierce’s Good Times take on the problem. It was glossy and probably well-intentioned. In answer to many questions, yes, Nina Simon does still live here, and has created another organization with some involved inner connections.
Here’s an important letter thanking Wayne Palmer for his courage in opening the areas that are plaguing so much of MAH’s existence.
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 active 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” That’s the attitude of so many MAH members and supporters..
ANOTHER MAH SUPPORTER. This letter is also from a serious, long-time involved MAH member… The letter was titled “Chutzpah”, and most of it was taken from the MAH website so I’m including the opening which stated … “Just unreal! So on the official MAH website under “our Story” we get 3 paragraphs about La Niña (Simon) and even a big plug for her new entity. Especially the last sentence!!!!! “Our story” of the museum, not really!! And no mention of founding directors, actually no mention of anyone except La Niña, even though her tenure was only 6 years out of all those decades”.
FINANCIAL QUESTIONS. We read on the MAH website and on Nina’s Of/By/For all website that… “OF/BY/FOR ALL is a nonprofit organization fiscally-sponsored by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History“. Another MAH member wrote in to ask… “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?”
GOOD MAH IDEA. Reader and activist Joe Blackman has a good idea. He wrote… “Just a thought about MAH — would it make any sense for the Board to invite the history and art depts. at Cabrillo and UCSC, plus Arts Council, plus Tannery folk, to discuss and recommend a future for MAH, and how it could fulfill the purposes for which it was intended?”
SUPERVISOR BRUCE “MC FURSON” NOT “MC FEAR-son”. Even the emcee of last week’s History Forum at the MAH on 9/18 pronounced Bruce McPherson’s name wrong. It’s Mc Furson!! There’s NO A in McPherson. I attended the history forum, and got to see many, many old time friends. One little note was that at the end of McPherson’s talk about the history of The Sentinel, he added that History people and Art people “come from different cultures”. But also a very positive announcement was made at the History Forum, and Marla Novo tells us that Sandy Lydon received the History Forum’s “historian of the year” award. It’s now called “The Sandy Lydon Award for Exemplary Contribution to Local History.”
ARMISTICE 100 SANTA CRUZ. This is a video by LB Johnson, our local filmmaker. I haven’t seen it and just wanted to pass on the details she sent me. It is an official selection at the 2019 Santa Cruz Film Festival. Its 56 minute screening takes place on Saturday, October 12 at 4:45 pm, at the Tannery. Armistice100 Santa Cruz honors the 100 years since the end of WW1, and documents the local Veterans for Peace and other peace groups’ efforts to educate about the November 11, 1918 Armistice, what it means and how we can revive the much-needed message of peace in our world.
Garza letter re hanging
Sept. 23
RAPE RESPONSE: A GIANT LEAP BACKWARDS FOR SANTA CRUZ
I was surprised to read in the Sentinel (9/18/19) that a woman who reported a possible drug-facilitated sexual assault after drinking at the Red Restaurant and Bar in downtown Santa Cruz had to travel to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for a forensic exam. Surprised, shocked and angry! How did Santa Cruz lose its status since the mid 1980’s as a leader in providing trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) as part of the nation’s first Sexual Assault Response Team? (SART). As one of the founders of the SART/SANE program, if I am just learning about this situation from the daily newspaper, what does that say about where this fits into the community’s priorities? Why has this increased trauma for rape survivors been allowed to continue a year after it was supposed to be remedied, according to a sergeant interviewed in a 2017 Sentinel article I found in the archives? Where’s the attention from city leaders, the call for action, the public outrage?
Many people worked hard to bring the SART model to fruition in Santa Cruz. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s it was well recognized that reporting a rape to the police was only the beginning of an often long, arduous, re-traumatizing experience. In those days, a forensic exam to collect evidence after rape was performed by emergency room physicians who had no training in rape response and little or no training on how to collect evidence for a criminal investigation. Survivors shared horror stories of male doctors lecturing them on why they shouldn’t have been drinking, or out late at night or any variety of victim-blaming comments as they roughly combed pubic hairs for evidence and performed internal examinations. Those who had been raped had to wait their turn in crowded emergency rooms.
By chance, attending a conference of the California Sexual Assault Investigators Association in the 1980’s, I learned of a program in San Luis Obispo where a nurse trained in gathering evidence after rape was the sole person responsible for conducting forensic exams. Excited at the possibilities for a far more sensitive response for rape survivors, I shared the SLO model at a follow-up conference in Santa Cruz. Then District Attorney Art Danner was in the audience and strongly supported the idea. With input from the local Rape Crisis Center and a conference bringing together nurses organized by the city Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women, the SART/SANE program was launched in 1985.
Santa Cruz became the model for the rest of the country. A special examining room was set up at Dominican Hospital. Instead of waiting hours in a crowded emergency room, survivors were seen immediately and in a private, supportive space. Advocates from the local Rape Crisis Center, now called Monarch Services, as well as the police or a sheriff’s deputy accompanied the survivor and followed up after the exam. State law required the exam to be free. For decades I shared this model as an encouragement for those willing to report rape. Apparently for the past two years, a person traumatized by rape has to endure a 7 to 8 hours process, a doubling of the previous time and a shuffling between institutions. The police interview takes place at Dominican and the forensic exam takes place in San Jose.
“We got to a place where it became really hard to provide the service,” Sergeant Clark said in an interview in 2017, adding “there are plans to bring the response team exams back to Santa Cruz County clinical space in September 2018.” That was a year ago.
There have been other rape stories and reports involving the Red Room. All were apparently drug facilitated beyond alcohol. I became aware of them when chair of the city Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women in 2005, before my re-appointment was blocked by council members Mike Rotkin and Cynthia Mathews. They would say the reason was my inability to work well with staff (sounds a bit like Krohn and Glover). I would say it was my bringing to light the inadequate response to rape by city police with the data showing Santa Cruz city to have one of the highest rates of rape in the state, especially rapes by strangers as well as one of the lowest arrest rates and investigations, with rare exceptions, either non-existent or poorly conducted.
Fourteen years later, with a new police chief, I hope the response has improved. That the SART/SANE program, once the shining light for Santa Cruz and a source of reassurance for rape survivors has been dysfunctional for two years does not inspire confidence.
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.
September 23.
Chris Krohn will return next week.
(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.
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT RATEPAYERS ARE MAD ABOUT NEW RATES THAT HURT FAMILIES
Sign the Online Protest Petition to voice your upset over the outrageous new Soquel Creek Water District rates that are pounding the budgets of families and fixed-income customers that were already struggling to pay their water bills. Now, no matter how hard they work to conserve water, families with any more than one child are receiving whopping water bills because they used more than the allotted 50 gallons/day and appreciate a small amount of cooling garden greenery that supports a healthy wildlife habitat.
Consider running for a place on the Board next November. Tom LaHue and Bruce Daniels are up for re-election and really need to be replaced by ratepayers who will bring common sense and a respectful attitude toward the public.
Do these Board members really need to have multiple paid trips to Washington, D.C. to shake hands with federal grantors when there is already a $45,000 lobbyist contracted to do that work? They also traveled to Denmark to talk with the company that did the 2017 helicopter study of the salt water interface. Board members are paid $350-$500/month (last reported in 2014) and receive health care benefits.
Hmmm…..
NO RESPONSE TO INQUIRY REGARDING CONTAMINATION IN DRINKING WATER
Soquel Creek Water District Board members did not respond to the public’s questions last Tuesday about the consumer confidence problem when Director Bruce Daniels stated economic reasons for why the District kept pumping from the Country Club Well even though they knew the water contained levels of a carcinogen nearly three times the limit that was soon to be set by the State.
The Board members and staff dismissed as “misinformation” the questions from the public about water transfers from Santa Cruz City rather than injecting treated sewage water into the aquifer, and wondered how chemotherapy drugs could be removed?
I read the following at the Board meeting and asked for a response…nothing.
Subject: Re: Stop Country Club Well Production Now re: TCP Contamination Problem
If a well is unused for even 12 months, then the State DWR declares that the well is abandoned and mandates that it be destroyed. Given how many millions of dollars we have invested in that one well and therefore how many millions we would need to spend to replace that well, then we cannot risk its loss.
On 6/8/17 1:38 AM, Becky Steinbruner wrote:
> Dear Mr. Duncan,
> Thank you for responding to my concerns regarding 1,2, 3-TCP contamination of the District’s Country Club Well.
>
> My question remains: why put ANY of this polluted water in the potable drinking water supply for your customers to drink? If the well is supplying such a small amount, why not just eliminate it entirely and improve the safe quality of the water you sell?
>
> Please respond.
> Sincerely,
> Becky Steinbruner
MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER AGENCY BOARD WILL CONSIDER COMMENTS
Last Thursday, the MidCounty Groundwater Agency Board voted to allow Chairman Tom LaHue (Soquel Creek Water District) to choose a Committee that will review all comment submitted on the Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan and decide whether to respond to them or and if any have merit.
Although the letter was not made public, the Board members lamented receiving a three-page comment letter from the Nature Conservancy that seemed to be rather critical of the Plan. The Board will reconvene in November and adopt the Final Plan to send to the State in December. I hope the Board will make all comment submitted verbatim available to the public. I also hope that the private well representatives will have a voice on the Comment Review Committee.
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO AUTHORIZE EIR FOR 5-STORY KAISER MEDICAL COMPLEX WITH 730-CAR MULTI-LEVEL GARAGE
I was surprised to see that the County Supervisors will consider (well, approve) a consent agenda item #47 to authorize a Request for Proposal (RFP) to conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the massive Kaiser Medical Complex at 5940 Soquel Avenue. I thought the County would declare that project categorically CEQA Exempt like all the other large projects on the table.
How will a 730-car parking garage fit with traffic patterns in the area? No public transportation to the area? That could be a problem. However, the consultants at the project open house awhile back pointed to the pedestrian/bicyclist freeway over-crossing that taxpayer money will take care of as a possible mitigation.
What upsets me is that now the truth comes out about the sneaky Planning Dept. getting the Planning Commission to approve the RM-2 combining zone for the massive MidPen Affordable Housing Project on Capitola Road (and bulldoze the historic Merriman House and chop down over 100 healthy trees). The Kaiser site is supposed to be the location of over 100 affordable housing units, but in order to push the Kaiser project along, the Planning Director is helping the developer find other sites, such as the MidPen project, to split up and allocate the affordable units to instead.
But was the Planning Director forthcoming about that plan? No. When asked by the Planning Commissioners if the RM-2 designation were necessary for the MidPen project to proceed, Ms. Molloy said, “Well, no, but we thought we’d just go for it.” Even though I questioned at the time if the two projects were connected, no one responded.
Well, it will be interesting to see which consultant gets the job to do this EIR. I hope it is thorough, factual and includes public participation. That is the essence, after all, of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process.
However, as Soquel Creek Water District was able to accomplish for its perfunctory PureWater Soquel Project EIR, you just have to find the right contractor and pay them to create a vague and meaningless EIR to shove through.
County staff report states the contract award will return to the Board for approval in January or February of 2020. Nothing can happen until the remaining 44 affordable housing units in the RM-2 overlay are relocated. I wonder where that will be? Keep your eyes on the next few Planning Commission hearings.
STORM-DAMAGED REPAIRS NO LONGER FUNDED
That’s in Item #9, and states there are 37 un-funded projects worth $18 Million but CalTrans has let the County know there is no more money.. That is why the Public Works Dept. is asking the Board to release $2 .7 million in Natural Disaster to help cover $6.7 million in projects that not even eligible for funding.
The Planning Dept. has embarked upon taking certain elements of the “Code Modernization” and declaring them CEQA exempt to shove them through when it suited the County and economic benefit. Take a look at this and attend if you are able.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING THIS TUESDAY IS LIKE TRYING TO DRINK FROM A FIRE HOSE. Somehow, I think that it the intention…overwhelm the people and sneak all sorts of things through. Here is a portion what is on the Consent Agenda…non-controversial issues???
#19: AMENDING THE COUNTY’S ADHERENCE TO CEQA GUIDELINES Link
This is a bit troubling because look at the change in the “Purpose”:
Here is the existing purpose
16.01.010 Purpose.
The purpose of these regulations is to preserve and enhance the environment of the County of Santa Cruz by providing for the adoption of County environmental review guidelines setting forth regulations and procedures implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and State Environmental Impact Report Guidelines promulgated pursuant thereto. Authority is also granted for the adoption of further measures designed to preserve and enhance the environment of the County as the Board of Supervisors see fit. [Ord. 2117, 1975]
Here is the proposed:
16.01.010 Purpose. The purpose of these regulations is to adopt public agency implementing procedures pursuant to Section 15022 of the State CEQA Guidelines (14 California Code of Regulations § 15022), in order to avoid and mitigate environmental impacts, as feasible, that could occur from approval and implementation of projects subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and in order to preserve and enhance the environment of the County of Santa Cruz, by ensuring that County actions on projects subject to CEQA are undertaken consistent with the requirements and procedures of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines promulgated by the State of California.
Notice something missing?
Now the piece about “Authority is also granted for the adoption of further measures designed to preserve and enhance the environment of the County as the Board of Supervisors see fit” is gone. Not that the current Board would ever take such action, but the change now takes the possibility and authority away if there were ever to be an elected body that might be responsive to public concerns, and leaves it basically up to a court of law. I see that as a loss for the people and the environment, and democracy.
Here’s another issue that bothers me:
The existing language says this:
16.01.040 Applicants—Information to be furnished.
Applicants for permits or other authorizations under the Santa Cruz County Code shall provide the information required by current County rules and County environmental review guidelines. [Ord. 2117, 1975]
The proposed language says this:
16.01.040 Applicants – Information to be furnished. Applicants for permits or other discretionary authorizations under the Santa Cruz County Code shall provide the information required by the County as determined by the Environmental Coordinator to be needed for compliance with CEQA.
Hmmmmm…who is this new Environmental Coordinator that will be determining what the developers need to do to be compliant with CEQA? Will that be County Counsel? The Planning Director??? Yikes!
And finally, this change has me worried:
Here is the existing language describing who it is that makes the decisions: 16.01.050 Decisions to consider environmental factors.
Where environmental impact reports are required pursuant to this chapter, the decision-making body shall give such consideration to the facts developed therein as it deems necessary and in accordance with County rules and guidelines. [Ord. 2117, 1975].
And here is the new language:
16.01.050 Decisions to consider environmental factors. Prior to taking action to approve a discretionary development permit, legislative matter or other project subject to CEQA, the approving body shall either determine the project to be exempt from CEQA, or make required findings and adopt a Negative Declaration, or make required findings and certify an Environmental Impact Report. Findings and actions taken shall comply with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines
HMMMMMM….What is the difference between a “decision-making body” (which is more in keeping with CEQA language) and an “approving body”? It seems the decisions regarding what is needed for environmental review is getting murkier and murkier. That is not a good sign, in m opinion, and does not bode well for the quality of life in this County with developers pounding at the doors for more massive projects and “streamlined ” process to help them make their projects “pencil out”.
#21: THE COUNTY BUDGET LOOKS LIKE IT IS MORE SMOKE AND MIRRORS :Link
#23 and #26: GIVE THE ANIMAL SHELTER ANOTHER QUARTER MILLION TO EXPAND WHEN THE NEIGHBORS ARE OPPOSED TO HAVING MORE BARKING DOGS ILLEGALLY RIGHT AT THEIR PROPERTY LINE???Link here
#27 & #28 & #29: UPDATING THE COUNTY FIRE CODE…Setting a public hearing for November 19. Too bad this wasn’t done in time to make the Aptos Village Project comply with no new dead end streets. I do wonder about the fire code official making determinations about restricting access to public places, such as parks, regarding fire risk.
What I wonder about is the definition of a “greenhouse” mandates that the structure be of non-flammable material, such as glass. How will that affect the cannabis and horticultural industries in the Pajaro Valley? Most commercial greenhouses are fiberglass, not glass, as is specified in the new code.
This is a huge issue for those who live along the beaches or coastal bluffs because there may be new sand mitigation fees and greater setbacks for building.
#57: NO MORE APTOS HIGH SCHOOL PARADE IN PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE ROUTE ON SOQUEL DRIVE?
This makes no sense to shove the high school kids and their amazing floats out of the public view and to a residential area of Seascape. Who complained to Supervisor Zach Friend and gave him a campaign contribution???
At least the County sees the benefit of working with the City of Capitola, but what about the Cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley?
With so much happening at once, it is easy to become overwhelmed but it is important to …
MAKE ONE CALL. WRITE ONE LETTER. ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING. MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. 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.
I found about this new Facebook product in a bulletin sent by Privacy Blog. If you care about your privacy (and many don’t), you might want to sign up to receive your own Privacy Blog advisories. I teach a course called “Privacy, Technology, And Freedom,” so I follow the “privacy” topic as a kind of work assignment.
“Given Facebook’s appalling history of spying on its users,” says Privacy Blog, “do you REALLY want this device in your home? If so,” Privacy Blog suggests, “you might as well also leave your front door unlocked all the time.”
Of course, Privacy Blog may just be overly suspicious. According to an article published in the business section of yesterday’s San Jose Mercury News, Facebook is assuring its prospective customers that there is no problem at all. “Don’t worry,” says Facebook, “the Portal TV’s camera and microphone can be turned off with a tap.”
*You have to be pretty old, I think, to remember the phrase I have used as the title for this blog post. I do qualify. I was exposed to both Highlights For Children and The Ladies’ Home Journal when I was quite young. My mother definitely let me know about the Watchbird that was watching me.
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. See the funniest and most profound look inside our sneaky personalities. Scroll below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s system shattering views 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: “What’s badder than Rambo and more spectacular than Brad Pitt in outer space? Surprise! It’s the genteel folk of Downton Abbey, who elegantly trounced the competition at the box office this weekend before those other movies even knew they were in a race. Do you have to be a Downton nerd to enjoy it? Find out 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.
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 did. 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.
AD ASTRA. Brad Pitt is much more than his usual cute self in this 2001-type space adventure. 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.
AQUARELA. The impact of this Russian film devoted to water hits you about 5 minutes from the end. It’s as staggering and unusual as Koyaanisqatsi. Waterfalls, ponds, floods, frozen lakes, icebergs and rolling oceans will give you a new respect for global warming, and mother nature. There’s not a word of spoken voiceover — but the visual content which was filmed with extra frames per second. See it with an open mind, AND HURRY!!! CLOSES THURSDAY, SEPT. 26.
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.
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.
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. September 24 has John Hall and Karen Simmons updating us on The Downtown Commons Advocates and their plans. Following John, Nancy Macy from the San Lorenzo Valley Women’s Club talks about PG&E and the tree removal issue. 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
Funny, funny! 🙂
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.
“OCTOBER”
“Let’s spark up October and make it better than September”. unknown
“October is the opal month of the year. It is the month of glory, of ripeness. It is the picture-month”. Henry Ward Beecher
“I wish that every day was Saturday and every month was October.” Charmaine J. Forde
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
BRATTON…Suicide and Murder, Free streaming movies at our library, our Downtown Streets team. GREENSITE…on DeLaveaga Golf Course. KROHN…Long strange trip, Chambers of Commerce, money, development, UCSC system issues. STEINBRUNER…Soquel water rates and purity, Mid County Groundwater agency problems, Firewise time, CEQA exemptions (fair?) tech jobs in Santa Cruz. PATTON…gambling in/on politics. EAGAN…Subconscious Comics and Deep Cover. BRATTON…I critique Official Secrets, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, Brittany Runs The MarathonUNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”Buttigieg”
THE ONE AND ONLY HARVEY WEST! That’s the real Harvey West on the right! He was receiving some sort of plaque from that other guy, on May 30, 1957. West was born in Soquel, grew up in Placerville, and died April 26, 2011.
TSUNAMI IN SANTA CRUZ. 2011. Just in case we forget where we live.
VIMEO post of literally otherworldly footage of “an active alien body, far out in the depths of our solar system.” Take a minute or three to watch this amazing space film. From 2014 to 2016, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft followed the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67p) around space: collecting scientific data, sending a probe to its surface, and capturing some 400,000 photographs of the comet. This cinematic video was made from those photos.
DATELINE Sept. 16
SUICIDE AND MURDER. Our Doctors, therapists, and social workers go to great lengths to ask and probe if we have any suicidal thoughts? There’s so much concern legally and socially about possible suicides — but has it occurred to you that nowhere and no how are we ever asked about murderous thoughts! With so many murderers running around, you’d think those same professionals would care as much about stopping the deadly shooters before they break out. Besides that, suicide is becoming legal and easier around the world. The newest edition of Exit International’s newsletter headlines an article about the latest discovery of drugs and medicines like sodium azide and sodium nitrite as effective end-of-life drugs. Go here to read more… If you wonder more about this note that in 2017 there were 47,173 suicides in the USA and 39,773 murders by guns.
LATTE BREAKING NEWS…
FREE MOVIE STREAMING AT OUR SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY. I just found out that we/you can go to KANOPY on our Santa Cruz Library website, and can get eight films per month for free. These are excellent, arty, foreign, independent films. Definitely not the kind you’d think would be on a public library list.
DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM NEWS. It was news to me when I interviewed Brooke Newman on last week’s Universal Grapevine. Among other items she told us such things as…it was Chip Flatulencia — formerly head of our Downtown Association (mostly known as just “Chip”) — who worked so hard in 2017 to establish our Streets Team here. There are 15 cities with Street Teams, with a staff of over 50. It was started in Palo Alto in 2015, and is a 501 C3 non-profit. There’s a waiting list for homeless to get on our team. She also told us the horrible statistic that sexual abuse is at 97% for women experiencing homelessness along with severe mental illness bipolar, major depressive disorder, etc. but as you’ll find in the article link below. The numbers are ridiculously high for all subgroups of women, a fact that is definitely underreported.
NEXTDOOR NOOSE. Reading danged nosy Nextdoor is a hard habit to break. I copied this topical summation from it. I also left off a name or two…just in case.
“You must not understand all the San Jose style building plans the city manager and Economic Development have in store for the city of Santa Cruz. The only problem will be that we don’t have the same multiple choices of freeways and expressways that they do have in San Jose. We already feel how crowded our roads are now, just wait, not for too long, and you won’t recognize much in Santa Cruz that will reflect our historical and formerly quaint and funky beach town. The city rolled out the red carpet for all of this to happen when they became deeply enmeshed with the Silicon Valley Leadership group and Monterey Bay Economic Partners. That influence is now the main thrust of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce , check out their website and read who their leadership is and make the connections for yourself. From Casey Byer to Cynthia Mathews, along with other city leaders, this is a takeover by moneyed interests to profit from what was once our community, but is now their commodity.” Very well stated.
September 16
THE POLITICS OF GOLF
I’ve never found golf interesting. Then again, I’ve never played the game. Where I grew up in Australia golf courses were alien territory, oases of green that seemed to serve no purpose aside from keeping development at bay. Those who played golf were jockeys, on their days off from riding the ponies, or so pictures in the newspapers led us to believe. Then again, I never knew anyone who played golf.
I am aware that the Municipal Golf Course at DeLaveaga Park is controversial, with many progressives viewing it as a rich person’s sport that sucks up too much of the city’s water and financial subsidies. I now know people who play golf and while I still have no interest in the sport, I do know that those who play at DeLaveaga are largely not rich folk but are long time locals, predominantly in the trades or service industries.
All of this is to say that when the issue of the DeLaveaga Operations Plan came before the Parks and Recreation Commission last week, I had an open mind. I am a recently appointed Parks and Rec commissioner thanks to the votes of Krohn, Cummings, Glover and Brown. The other 3 council members did not support my application to be on the commission.
The city’s General Fund has been subsidizing the golf course to the tune of up to $750,000 a year, with water being a recent top revenue drain. It requires 9 FTE personnel (described as a skeleton crew) to keep the course in good condition. While golf has declined in popularity around the state with many courses closing, the course at DeLaveaga has weathered political attempts to shut it down over the past 20 years. The current proposal from Parks and Recreation is for an aggressive marketing plan to attract new players, an increase in fees to play plus costly investments in modern irrigation and recycled water with the goal for the course to become more self-supporting.
The Parks and Recreation Commission voted (6-1) to support the staff recommendation with a request to review the business plan from the private operator (GSL, Inc. Tim Loustalot) added to the motion. The absence of the operator from both the commission meeting and the city council meeting the following night was noted. Also noted was the seemingly modest allocation to the city from the operator’s profits. According to the recently signed Lease Agreement with the operator, the city gets 6% of gross revenue from Food and Beverage, 8% from alcoholic beverages and 10% from Merchandise sales. I asked how this allocation compares with what the city gets from the operators of the Municipal Wharf’s restaurants and concessions, which also fall under Parks and Recreation. Neither the Parks Director nor the Parks Superintendent knew the answer. Unfortunately the Lease Agreement with the operator has already been signed by the city’s Economic Development Department so changes for the next five or ten years, the length of the lease, are not possible.
Left on the table were recommended fee increases to play the game of golf. Listed as percentages they appear reasonable. Broken down into dollars, the increases are low to the point of being negligible. A $3 increase spread over 3 years is proposed for a Monday to Friday 18 holes game (from the current $49 to a high of $52 by 2022). A weekend 18 holes increase is $6 spread over the same time period (from the current $64 to a high of $70 in 2022). Discount cards and member programs have higher percentages but all are modest given the base cost. I understand the balance between attracting more golfers and the deterrent of increased fees (if we accept the course should stay open) however anyone who can afford a game of golf should shoulder their share of increased water rates to keep the greens green. Or the cost of a pipe system for recycled water from Soquel Creek.
It was with this in mind that I watched with interest the city council deliberation and vote on the Golf Course issue the following evening. It started as interest and quickly became frustration. No longer does Community TV run the email contact to reach council members during the meeting. Nothing to do but watch as the Mayor ruled that Council member Mathews made the first motion even though Council member Krohn had offered one in writing earlier and had been told to wait. Nothing to do but watch as Mathews said she was “miffed” if she didn’t get to make her motion that undermined Krohn and Brown’s attempts to accelerate a plan for the Golf Course to come up with a balanced budget. Nothing to do but watch as Mathews opined without any evidence that staff had reviewed the Business Plan (from the operator) in great detail. If so, they did not share that with the Parks and Recreation Commission. They seemed to be caught as flat- footed as the rest of us. As a final shove to get her motion approved, Mathews said it would avoid “sticker shock” for players to know about the increases coming their way. Sticker shock? A $2 or $3 increase spread over 3 years?
As Council member Glover noted, the $750,000 subsidy of the Golf Course is essentially what it would cost to re-open Harvey West Pool year-round (the next item on that evening’s agenda) and offer free swim lessons and free swimming for our city’s youth. With Council member Myers absent and a 3-3 tie, the Golf Course item will be back to council for another vote. I wonder what Vicente DeLaveaga would say?
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.
SEPT. 16
WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT HAS BEEN
Road Trip!
Imagine if you will, me in a bus for two and a half days with the likes of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce executive, Casey Beyer, the SC Business Council something, Robert Singleton, the SC Economic Development Director, City Manager, and others representing public agencies, banks, the Warriors, UCSC, Kaiser, Poly (Plantronics), and a home builder (developer), all members of the Chamber of Commerce, tripping towards Southern California to see how “smart” development is done there. Okay, open your eyes, turns out you can now imagine it because it happened. I learned no secret handshake, drank no special water, nor was there even a bonding song that we all were required to sing extolling capitalist virtue and damning the communist menace. I never even heard the names Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, or Adam Smith mentioned even once. It was more a serious field trip to the heart of what I would call the real Central Coast: Goleta, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and Ventura. The excursion was surprisingly mellow and informative, full of rich discussion around affordable housing, transportation, homelessness, and the principles of “Lean Manufacturing.” But, before you begin shifting uncomfortably in your seat…
What was I doing on this trip?
I wanted to meet, greet, and rap with some leading figures inour local development, commerce, and academia communities and get in touch with that familiar Marxist refrain about how the state greases the wheels for the owners of capital to come in and do what they do, make more capital. First stop was picking up Kristin Miller, the CEO of the Goleta Chamber of Commerce. I had always thought of Goleta, population 31,000, as a bedroom community for UC Santa Barbara, but it’s much more. Miller hopped on the big bus just after we pulled off the 101 into one of those famous SoCal “strip malls.” She said Goleta was about 15 years into a 20-year general plan. It was basically an “infill” plan because everyone loved the Bishop Ranch, and if the ranch was not going to be developed, then everywhere else around it basically had to be. “The community has had a lot of pushback on the plan,” she lamented. Miller outlined the top three barriers for development in the Goleta area as a lack of “workforce” housing” and “access to a qualified workforce,” as well as “over-regulation.” She offered up the example that Corning, one international company with a subsidiary here, located in an area that includes the likes of Raytheon (largest private employer in Goleta), Decker’s and Direct Relief International among others, called her up just the other day and asked where they could get some workers for $17 bucks an hour. She told them it would be difficult because of the cost of housing. We then passed some apartments that she said were going for $2400 a month for a one-bedroom and up to $4000 for two and three-bedrooms. Miller also pointed out that the median home price was “only $850,000,” whereas in the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz it’s $905k. She said Goleta had instituted a popular “interest only” program in which a home-buyer could borrow up to $100,000 and pay it back after 10 years by refinancing the home. I guess in Goleta there is built-in optimism that home prices will keep going up. Post-recession development in Goleta parallels that of Santa Cruz and began in earnest in 2012. “Part of the angst we lived through is that a lot of builders had permits acquired in the pre-recession days, then in 2012 the building boom hit,” she said. Miller also mentioned that the pro-chamber of commerce city council was voted out in 2017, but “elections happen, we try again,” she said. Sound familiar?
Lean Manufacturing
Perhaps the most inormative, surprising, and revealing stop was at FLIR Systems. They make thermal imaging (infrared) cameras of all sizes, from $200 to $100,000. They’ve grabbed “60-70% of the infrared camera market.” Our tour guides were Richie Antles, the VP of Operations at FLIR, and Sam Chapplewho began there as a mechanical engineer and is now the Production Manager. Both exude a deep passion that only comes from profound commitment and interest in what you are doing. Their faces often had that we have something special here look. They offered the group a guided tour of the factory floor. Smiling often they told interesting stories. Of course, some of their body language borders on an almost cult-like company loyalty, but I wouldn’t go there yet because their zeal really seemed to stem from a love of the work environment they’ve helped create. Antles and Chapple spoke highly of the concept of lean manufacturing . It’s a factory shibboleth practiced by way of the Japanese and incorporates the concept of kaizen, which refers to “activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to assembly (line) workers.” Antles said lean management is “the elimination of waste in all forms, from scraps to motion…” It is not only continuous improvement, but “the elimination of error” too. Both Antles and Chapple touted “visual management,” a visual inspection of every situation that includes these large color-coated boards everywhere signaling orders filled orders yet to fill, along with production line stoppages and successes. FLIR employs 600 employees over two daily shifts and churns out what seems like thousands of cameras daily. The assembly floor is set up with rows of work stations, assembly part bins, and courteous employees who are putting together these expensive infrared cameras. Both Chapple and Antles emphasized a philosophy that Santa Cruz needs to take a look at: risk + trust + willingness to make mistakes = buy-in, from management, from employees, and ultimately from the people you serve, the customers. I felt like I was looking into a crystal ball and something tangible was becoming palpable. Kaizen events happen daily and weekly and monthly apparently called for by both employees and management. They are “innovation centers,” and become forums to see and analyze mistakes made on the way to improvement.
UC Santa Barbara, Public Funds Supporting Private Tech Start-ups?
The group of 22 Chamber invitees sat before a panel of tech professors from the Technology Management Program at UCSB. The group discussed their recent organizational endeavor,Innovation and Entrepreneurship. We heard a pitch about the marriage of publicly funded efforts concerning students and faculty and their attempts toprivatize spin-off enterprises, which may or may not result from the academic capital expended. It was a worrying conversation in terms of minor league teams of college students not being funded by major league tech companies, but instead by the taxpayers of California. The prime issues confronted by faculty of the greater UC Santa Barbara community is similar to Santa Cruz: the cost of space, rental housing, a dearth of for-sale housing, and access to adequate transportation. I found it interesting that the profs are staying away from cannabis projects “because 80% of their grants are federal,” but have some students pursuing “hemp” projects because hemp is no longer on the schedule one federal drug list. A red flag for me went up when after a lengthy slide show there was no mention of internships. When I brought it up they pointed to a slide that called it, “Business Partnerships.” Is the business of the university becoming just business? I wondered.
Embassy Suites by Hilton, Mandalay Beach Resort
Happy hour at the Mandalay, a quasi-Hawaiian, quasi-Thai-themed but very SoCal venue that was, you guessed it, right on the beach. It may very well be one of the pre-eminent places to be while staying in Oxnard. Frankly, the hotel was a welcome respite after a day on the West Valley Trailways coach and listening to how cities might be developed and how high-tech may be transforming the economy in this part of the world. These kinds of power-get-togethers–S.C. Chamber’sTireless 22–on a trip of this sort are invaluable for rolling up sleeves and having the tough conversations about what is affordable housing and how it gets built, and the role developers play in that process without getting their pencils broken. Is it the responsibility of government to insure a profit for builders? Who are we building housing for, Santa Cruzans, techies, or second home buyers? Can Santa Cruz attract well-paying jobs and not just attract the San Jose tech sector to the Santa Cruz housing market? UCSC was represented too and that made for robust discussion about the interests of the new Chancellor, the future of campus housing, and me wondering if the 3P–public-private partnership–Student Housing West will ever be built? A law suit was filed by the East Meadow Action Committee (EMAC) on April 25th. “EMAC filed suit under California environmental law against the 5% of the Student Housing West project that the University proposed to sprawl across the East Meadow, just inside the Main Entrance to the campus.” (Go to Eastmeadowaction.orgfor more.)
Next week–What happens after capitalist schmoozing? The rest of the trip and a bit of analysis too.
Build and rehabilitate 7.4 million affordable housing units
Build 2 million mixed-income units
Enact a national rent control standard
ENd homelessness
Fully fund Section 8 vouchers
(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.
SIGN THIS PETITION TO PROTEST OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH AND UNFAIR SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT NEW RATES!
Sign this online petition if you are among the thousands of Soquel Creek Water District customers who are shocked that your water bill jumped by hundreds of dollars when the District claimed the new rate increase would only average $5/month more but you are working hard to conserve water:
Sign the Petition Soquel Creek Water District Rate Increases Are Unfair and Hurt Families!
This petition, launched by ratepayer Kris Kirby, has over 200 signers after just a couple of days.
Ratepayers at Soquel Creek Water District are stunned by their outrageously high water bills when they have continually been held up by the District as the water conservation poster children for the State. The District Board approved new rate increases last February to amass revenue needed for the $90 million project to inject treated sewage water into the aquifer, but assured customers that the average monthly increase to bills would be “$5 or less”.
Attend the Board meetings. Write and demand the Directors to be accountable:
MAKE SURE TO READ AND COMMENT ON THE MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THIS WEEK
This Thursday, the MidCounty Groundwater Agency Board is meeting to consider approving the Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and close public comment period on the document. The Board meets September 19 at 7pm at Simpkins Swim Center. This Plan will dictate how water is used and who will pay for projects that affect the groundwater levels and water quality.
I am very concerned that the Draft GSP relies on the Soquel Creek Water District’s outrageously expensive, risky and unnecessary project to inject 1.3 million gallons/day of treated sewage water into the aquifer in Aptos. The draft GSP also includes the City of Santa Cruz’s Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) project to inject water into the aquifer in the Live Oak area, and the City is currently considering using treated sewage water for this too, although the recent pilot tests have used potable water that has been (hopefully) de-chlorinated.
*******Soquel Creek Water District has NO FINAL ANTI-DEGRADATION EVALUATION FOR ANY COMPONENT OF THAT PROJECT. That means that there is no analysis of what injecting treated sewage water into the aquifer would do to the water quality in the aquifer and/or associated surface streams. The District likewise had no such evaluation in place when they recently injected millions of gallons of water 1000′ deep into the Twin Lakes Church well from a nearby hydrant and also brought in by trucks from an unknown source. The results of that pilot test have yet to be made public by District Engineer Taj Dufour, although it was promised for debut “sometime this summer”.
The draft GSP relies only on information modeled for the City’s ASR and the District’s Toilet-to-Tap projects for sustaining the basin. Water transfers and regional conjunctive use was not modelled and seemingly not considered. The only other scenario modeled was to investigate the effects of shutting down all private wells.
*****Also troubling to me is that the Draft GSP makes no citations to the technical information that supports much of the Plan and recommendations. Where are the technical references? I have written the Lead Planner, Ms Darcy Pruitt, to ask for the information, especially related to groundwater contamination and the proposed injection projects, but received no reply.
I recommend the July 19, 2018 meeting, Item #8 Potential Projects and Concepts to Support Recovery and Sustainability of the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin and the May 16, 2019 (Items 9 & 10)(and note public questioning of Soquel Creek Water District reporting discrepancies for chloride levels in the Pleasure Point area as well as the statement of Montgomery & Associates staff that there was no scientific basis for the State to declare the MidCounty Basin in “critical overdraft”), and the July 18, 2019 joint meeting with the GSP Advisory Committee, reviewing the Draft GSP goals.
Even though it appears that the Board will only see comment submitted before September 12, I urge you to submit your written comments all this week and to attend the meeting.
HOW TO BECOME A FIREWISE COMMUNITY
This Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 7pm, the Aptos Library will partner with Aptos/La Selva and Central Fire Protection Districts to encourage communities in the wildland areas of Santa Cruz County to do some grassroots organizing and become a certified FireWise Community. This not only improves fire safety for neighborhoods and the environment surrounding them, but also may help stave off non-renewal notices from insurance companies and even earn a premium discount. Join Fire Marshall Mike DeMars or the brand new Deputy Fire Marshll, Marco Mack, from Sonoma County and learn what you and your neighbors can do to address wildland fire risk.
CALIFORNIA ON FIRE…THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE STATE’S FIRE ECOLOGY
This Thursday, September 19, 7pm, at the Rio Theater, you can learn about the State’s fire ecology from Native American tribal representatives, and noted fire ecologist Tom Parker, joined by Ken Pimlot, retired State CalFire Director, and our own County’s marvelous Director of Emergency Operations, Ms. Rosemary Anderson.
HOW CAN ALL THIS MAJOR DEVELOPMENT BE EXEMPT FROM ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW???
I was recently shocked to hear the County Planning Dept. declare the massive three-story Mid-Pen Housing Project and large two-story medical and dental clinics approved for the Capitola Road near 17th Avenue be “CEQA Exempt”, meaning there will be no public hearings or environmental review of the very significant and negative impacts of the development on the surrounding neighborhood and habitats.
Yet another shocker now is the massive two and three-story mixed-use dense development on Portola Drive near the 41st Avenue intersection that is likewise being declared as “CEQA exempt”. On September 25, the County Planning Commissioners will consider this project:
Proposal to demolish two existing commercial buildings and miscellaneous accessory structures and to construct a 31,560 square foot two and three-story mixed-use building with five retail units, a leasing office and four one-bedroom residential units at the ground floor; nine one-bedroom units and 33 storage rooms at the middle floor at the rear of the building, and 20 two-bedroom apartments at the upper floor. In addition, two 3,230 square-foot, one-story carports are proposed to be constructed for residential parking. The project includes a request for a 50% residential density bonus in exchange for provision of four very low income affordable rental units. The site is located in the C-2 zone district. Requires a Commercial Development Permit and Coastal Development Permit and a CEQA Notice of Exemption.
Property is located on the north side of Portola Drive at approximately 350 feet west of the intersection with 41st Avenue in Live Oak.
What is CEQA, anyway??? The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a set of laws established by the legislature in 1970 to supplement the newly-enacted federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The purpose of the CEQA, signed by none other than Governor Ronald Reagan, was to require that any development project be scrutinized regarding any and all direct and indirect impacts to the environment surrounding the proposed project.
The primary intention is that the public be allowed to publicly review the analysis of these potential impacts, and to be able to submit written comment on the project that could help determine if the proposed project can be done differently so as to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts it would bring, or if the proposed project’s goals can be accomplished without the project being built at all or perhaps in an alternative manner or location.
So, my question is how can the County Planning Dept. continually declare these massive development projects to be “EXEMPT FOR CEQA DETERMINATION”???
I think they are making it all up as they go, and hope they will not get sued. It takes a lot of money to hire an attorney, but the Sustainable Soquel group did just that and WON.
In the case of the MidPen subdivision and medical/dental clinics on 17th Ave and Capitola Road, how can destroying 115 of the existing 152 trees on the site, including nearly all of the 25+ trees the arborist recommended for preservation, not affect the habitat of the Live Oak area on Capitola Road? Residents brought photos of hawks and herons that they have seen living in those trees that MidPen and the County want to chop down.
CEQA exempt?
The MidPen Housing Authority hired legal firm Holland & Knight in San Francisco to create what was needed: justification to be CEQA Exempt. The County Planning Dept. went along with certain critical aspects such as agreeing that there are adequate infrastructure services to handle the increased traffic (“the County will just widen Capitola Road to four lanes sometime in the future”) and professed to not know of any other projects in the area that could cause cumulative impacts. (see pages 380-385 as Exhibit R in the Planning Commissioner’s packet)
What about the large, ugly housing complex being built on 17th and Brommer? What about the proposed five-story Kaiser medical complex and 700-car multi-story parking garage near 17th Avenue and Soquel Avenue Frontage Road?? What about the proposed hotel and large new subdivision at 7th and Brommer?
CEQA exempt with no cumulative impact?
It is folly to claim that large projects like these will not have impacts on the communities and the environment.
How can the County Planning Dept. continue to approve these projects without having finished the CEQA analysis for the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan that was developed with extensive public input, thousands of dollars, approved in concept in 2015 by the Board of Supervisors, and which may or may not comport with these massive and dense developments now being approved in an AD HOC MANNER?
The County Board of Supervisors recently approved a large contract with Dudek Consultants to complete the CEQA evaluation of the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan. As the Sustainable Soquel legal action determined, the Plan needs to be analyzed, adopted and followed.
What are the causes to be able to claim CATEGORICAL CEQA EXEMPTION?
I hear the Planning Dept. staff continually make that declaration, but never do they explain why or how the determination is made. I suspect it is to save the developers the money and time that a thorough and impartial Environmental Impact Report (EIR) brings about.
But, as the Soquel Creek Water District has learned with their disgustingly expensive and unnecessary “Pure”Water Soquel Project, with enough money, you can find a consultant to make it appear that the impacts are being addressed, even though they are NOT.
Furthermore, as was pointed out by an astute member of the public at the August 28, 2019 County Planning Commission hearing about the massive MidPen project on Capitola Road, just because a project is exempt (in this case because the total land area is 3.6 acres and therefore exempt because it is less than the 5-acre-project-required level) the County still has the discretionary ability to require some level of environmental review to address known negative environmental impacts.
NEW STATE BILL WILL GIVE SANTA CRUZ CITY $16 MILLION FOR HOUSING
Maybe you saw Jessica York’s good report in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about how Assemblyman Mark Stone was able to get AB 411 passed and to the Governor’s desk this week. This would allow the City to spend $16 million on new construction of 100-150 units, such as near the Metro Station, instead of paying off old debt from Redevelopment Agency bonds sold in the past and returning the money to the taxpayers.
Here is the link to an analysis of this troubling precedent that Assemblyman Stone’s bill could set in motion, as well as other tactics to grab money wherever it can be found. I wonder if the money would actually build something or if it will go to administrative and permitting fees to support government? I wonder what back-room deals are in the works with the developers as you are reading this?
It is beginning to be clear what is really driving the supposed need for a multi-story parking garage that would bury a library.
You may find this earlier report about AB 411 with an interview of City Economic Development Director Bonnie Lipscomb:
Don’t forget that Bonnie Lipscomb made it known on KION TV in September, 2017 that:
Lipscomb said, “Our goal to provide more housing more all…and we have between 500 and 700 housing units already approved for the downtown…and at different levels of affordability…so we are supporting the creation of all types of housing to support a range of workers throughout the community.
Each day thousands of tech workers commute from the Central Coast over the hill to Silicon Valley.
But what will this “Big Tech Hub” do to the quality of life and the environment in Santa Cruz County?
Will all future development in the County and City be CEQA Exempt? Hmmmmm…….
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.
I recently found out that there is now a way to transform our national politics into an opportunity to make money by gambling. Or to lose money through gambling, if you really want to be honest about it.
Would you like to place a bet on what’s going to happen in American politics? Click on the link to be transferred to PredictIt. An article by freelance writer Whitney Kimball, published in The Daily Dot, will give you some guidance before you put your money on the line.
I am not very much tempted by this invitation to turn our all-too-typical “horse race political commentary” into a chance to gamble (just like on the real horse races). First, I am just not the betting kind! Second, I have an objection based on my deep concern about the future of politics in the United States. This idea of turning politics into a betting game gives me the shivers.
I believe we create our human world, the world upon which we most immediately depend, through the political actions we take, individually and collectively. I never tire of telling my students that the “equation” I set out below is the political equivalent of E = MC2.
Einstein’s equation tells us about the incredible power that resides in the matter that constitutes the physical world. This is the World of Nature upon which we ultimately depend. The following equation tells us about the power that resides in politics, the activity that creates, sustains, and transforms our human world:
Politics > Law > Government
Political “action” is what powers our institutions of self-government. “Betting” is an activity that is based on “observation.” We are, of course, both actors and observers, but democratic self-government is based on the idea that we must at some point stop “observing,” and that we must take “action” to make things happen the way we want them to.
Instead of “betting” on Elizabeth Warren, or Bernie Sanders, or Cory Booker, or Joe Biden, or Kamala Harris, or Julian Castro, my advice is to do something about it! Take action to support the person you want to represent you.
Political power comes from political action. Our political actions elect those who will represent us, and pass the laws by which we tell ourselves what we want to do.
If you care about self-government, you need to get involved, yourself, in the politics that will define our future. “Betting” on what is going to happen to us is the antithesis of trying to make things happen the way we want.
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. See the funniest and most profound look inside our sneaky personalities. Scroll below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s system shattering views 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.
MOZART, MUNCHING WITH. Every third Thursday of the month Carol Panofsky and friends create a free concert. This month Elbert Tsai, violin- Christina Simpson, viola -James Jaffe, cello and Chia-Lin Yang at the piano. They’ll be playing…
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94bis by Sergei Prokofiev and
Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 87 by Antonín Dvorák. The concert happens on
Thursday, September 19, 2019 12:10 – 12:50 in the threatened Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown Branch – in the Meeting Room Upstairs. It’s sponsored by THE FRIENDS OF THE SANTA CRUZ PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BRANCH OF THE MUSIC TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA.
OFFICIAL SECRETS Keira Knightley heads the cast — along with Ralph Fiennes — and this is a great whistleblower true story. A young woman has to decide whether to expose a confidential letter that shows USA and Britain were involved in the illegal start of the Iraq war. The acting, plot, reality and quality of this movie make it one of my favorites of the year.
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, and 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 lost a lot of weight so she could give a better performance, but I didn’t care. As promised, she does run the NY marathon…no, she doesn’t win it. The movie is supposed to be a comedy, but I didn’t laugh once.
HONEYLAND. A documentary set in today’s Balkans. Mainly it’s about how to raise and care for honeybees. It’s really about humans, community, money, family, love, health, and just about every human characteristic you can think of. Brilliant, touching, well filmed, important, sensitive,. Please see this film. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE. It’s listed as a comedy because it’s an adapted from a book regarded as funny. Cate Blanchett makes the story of a woman looking for her place on earth and a settling of her life into a deep depressed saga. Billy Crudupis her over the top understanding partner who has to live with her searching. Kristen Wiigacts as her troubled neighbor who becomes one of a few good friends. By luck I also watched Ingmar Bergman’s Persona the next day and found a very sensitive revealing similar story of a woman in search. Both are fine films and well worth seeing. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
AFTER THE WEDDING. Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams and Billy Crudup do excellent acting work in this re-make of a twisted marriage saga. Part soapy, part tragedy, it’s a sad tale of money, family, death, and child raising. Partly filmed in Calcutta it’ll keep your attention but won’t earn your praise. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
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.
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing….and remembering. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
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. Faisal Fazilat and Janina Larenas appear on Sept. 17 to talk about the co-operative group CO-OPSC. After those folks Vanilla Queen Patricia Rain talks about the Chocolate Vanilla Festival that happens Sept. 26. September 24 has John Hall updating us on The Downtown Commons Advocates and their plans. Following John, Nancy Macy from the San Lorenzo Valley Women’s Club talks about PG&E and the tree removal issue. October 1 Robert Morgan returns to lay out the program and plans for the Transportation Justice Conference at Cabrillo College 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
Ok, so how I arrive at these videos is sometimes a bit of a journey. This gem you get to see because I was on Youtube, watching a documentary about Queen and how they got a lot of flak for permorming in Sun City, South Africa, in the time of apartheid. That made me remember this song, which apparently was not as big a hit in the US as it was in Europe. Just look at this all-star cast though… 34 years later, all too many of these musicians are no longer with us. Watch the video, and see how many faces you recognize!
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.
“BUTTIGIEG”
The Electoral College needs to go, because it’s made our society less and less democratic.” Pete Buttigieg Like anyone who follows politics, I am sometimes mesmerized by the twisted and relentless drama playing out in Washington. But I also know about the price of distraction – the consequences of our attention being diverted from how politics affects daily life”. Pete Buttigieg “Our neighborhoods are safer when there is trust between communities and the police who are in charge of protecting them”. Pete Buttigieg
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
BRATTON…What a city, Swimming Pool, Library garage, election info, MAH matters. GREENSITE…on Placido Domingo and other sexual abuse stories. KROHN…DeLaveaga Park, good council meeting, city bail, corridor plan dropped, Water Street Bridge plaque…STEINBRUNER…More trees, fire tax postponed, being a leader class, Sustainable groundwater. PATTON…Earth alienation. EAGAN…Deep Cover and Sub Con classics. JENSEN…reviews Official Secrets. BRATTON…I critique Nightingale, Honeyland.UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “Alabama”
A SPECIAL PLAQUE SITE. This is Francisco Arias (left) age 35, and Jose Chamales (right) age 21 — hanging from the Water Street Bridge. They were hung there May 3, 1877. Both were San Quentin veterans, hung by some unknown group convinced that the two had committed a murder. For debatable reasons our City Council is creating a special plaque to commemorate this.
WHAT A CITY!
It’s impossible to place any of Santa Cruz’s issues in any order of importance. The re-call of two of our city council. Building a library garage. Watering and supporting our golf course. Opening and maintaining a city swimming pool. Creating lower and middle income housing. Dealing with the growing UCSC student problems and growing population. Losing the trust and culture in our County Museum of Art & History. The crush of Silicon Valley’s money changing the very nature of our city. The national and international problem of homeless and hunger. A BIGGER QUESTION— is Santa Cruz really changing or is it the gloom, doom and hatred coming from Washington, D.C. splitting us too?
HARVEY WEST SWIMMING POOL. Activist and involved citizen Fred Geiger tells us…
Just think about the Harvey West pool finances. It looks like the progressives want to keep it open at least 1/2 of the year. Apparently the previous arrangement had the Jim Booth swim school paying $75K a year for exclusive use of the pool, but the City costs were $175K? Now City Staff is claiming a much higher cost for its operation. Was this previous arrangement a sweetheart deal for some friend of a previous Council majority?
COMMUNITY COMMONS NOT A GARAGE. 10 Reasons why No Garage library. The Campaign For Sustainable Transportation’s email has some absolutely necessary points to make about why a new car garage won’t work… check it out…
ELECTION NEWS. A few pages below, Becky Steinbruner says “County Supervisors Zach Friend, John Leopold and Bruce McPherson are all up for re-election, and their primary election is in March, 2020.
MAH MATTERS CONTINUED. It seems that no County or city officials care or dare to take on the complex financial and management problems that exist at our Museum of Art & History. I continue to receive information from deep inside MAH, in hopes that what could and should be one of our most important and meaningful institutions might one day return to its important role in our community. Here’s one note from a MAH person last week… “Note that the MAH is “fiscally” supporting Nina Simon’s organization. Who knows about this? Note that the interim Exec. Director is on the Board Of Trustees of Nina’s OF/BY/FOR ALL organization.
Note that quite a few MAH board members are either on the board of Nina’s new venture, or listed as advisers—Peter Orr, for example, and all the MAH Exec. Committee are all advisers. It appears to me that all these people have been bought off, probably loath to criticize her—for their moment of so-called reflected glory. So it appears that the current MAH board will never do anything to effect change.
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. Committee knows, but no one else?”
Sept. 9
THE BIGGER THEY ARE…
The latest titan to be charged with sexual assault is Placido Domingo, the current general director of the Los Angeles Opera. I found the story shared by one of his victims to be particularly galling. I’m no stranger to stories of sexual assault and sexual harassment. As founder and head of Rape Prevention Education at UCSC for 30 years, my role was to encourage students to come forward, to listen to their stories and offer support and resources. Frequently I was the first person to hear their stories. This was long before the #MeToo movement. All stories were poignant. One theme was universal: shame. All who suffered sexual assault or sexual harassment at the hands of another, felt shame and self-blame. This is understandable only in a culture, which uses a different standard for women than it does for men for enjoying the same freedoms. If a female drinks too much at a party and flirts she is “asking for it.” The “it” here is the unexamined “right” of any man to sexually exploit her lack of decorum, her failure to protect her virginity, that eons-old control of female sexuality to ensure private property is handed down to legitimate heirs. That most men don’t exercise that “right,” says a lot of positive things about most men but nonetheless, many do. Not all cultures have historically defined female sexuality in these terms but the ones we have inherited do just that.
The story that I found particularly galling was described by the then, 28 year-old opera singer, Angela Turner Wilson to The Associated Press. According to her story, Domingo roughly grabbed her bare breast under her robe as they were preparing to go on stage for a production of Le Cid, the highlight of the Washington Opera’s 1999-2000 season. The opera was also being filmed and the performance was a huge career boost for the young second female lead. So far nothing out of the ordinary. What female hasn’t had to endure, laugh off, groan or feel scared in the face of a grinning male grabbing her breast or other bodily parts. Our president boasts about it. What made this story particularly galling for me was that Angela Turner Wilson, after enduring a rough grab of her breast by Domingo, had to immediately go on stage and “act like I was in love with him.” And her career was at stake! In my imaginary re-telling, Le Cid does not have a happy ending.
Such big-name men whose past and present sexual assaults have been exposed via the #MeToo movement have finally been brought to justice or at least the loss of hero-worship. I wonder at the other end of the socio-economic scale if the manager of a fast food restaurant has stopped cornering the new young female hire and making sexist propositions? Or if today’s younger workers are more respectful, more egalitarian? The research so far does not look hopeful. Over 60 percent of Silicon Valley professional female employees at big name firms have experienced sexual harassment or discrimination such as being asked to do menial tasks not asked of their male counterparts. Men are sometimes the victims and women sometimes the perpetrators, but overwhelmingly, the sexual abuse is instigated by males in positions of power over females. Domingo claims the norms in the past were different. He has a point there. In the past, women shut up and kept sexual assault and sexual harassment a private, painful secret, protecting their attackers with self-blame and self-doubt. That corner has been turned. New norms encourage females, males and transgendered to speak out and name their abusers. The biggest challenge is how to address potential abusers, preferably when they are young enough to learn new norms of respect and equality. Parents need guidance and skills on how to prepare young boys to transition successfully to manhood. Schools need to embrace sex education that goes beyond pregnancy and disease prevention and talks about sexual relationships. Having strong sexual desires is human. What we do with those desires is a social issue that reflects the relative status of women and men in any society. Prior to colonialism, rape was rare in most American Indian tribes.
I recently gave a lecture on rape for a Human Sexuality class at UC Berkeley. The prof. had asked some written questions in the context of the #MeToo movement and a sizable percentage of young heterosexual males expressed confusion on how to act in a sexual context. Would anything they said or did be taken as an offense? Sometimes that is used to discredit the movement but often its honest confusion. Talk about the need for a conversation! First, all genders need to be sexual subjects. It’s a norm to expect the male to initiate sex and cultural practices vary in how strictly that is practiced. So we educate males that they need affirmative consent. All good, except that advice keeps females confined in the role of sexual object. And consent means different things to different people. A smile is sufficient consent for Barry whereas for Brian, only an enthusiastic yes to a specific sexual request is consent. Brian is less likely to offend than is Barry. Hopefully Brenda also feels fine about asking Brian or Betty if they would like to be more sexually intimate…and listens to and respects the answer. If the downfall of big names like Placido Domingo brings us closer to more egalitarian sexual relationships, and inhibits those in power from abusing it, then we know we are moving in the right direction.
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.
Sept. 9
GOT GOLF?
“DeLa!”
One too many meetings not long ago I heard our Parks Director let slip, “And then there’s DeLa…” I couldn’t hear anything else he said after that as those two syllables rattled me. The words rang in my ears for days after. I had not heard this reference before, that is the vagary substitution, a four-letter impersonation with a bit of onomatopoeic tonal pop, for our spacious, wild in places, and always a beatific local refuge, DeLaveaga Park. We’ll talk golf in a second, but what about naming rights first. DeLa, similar to Cali, Norcal, Frisco, and Sandy Eggo, all represent the linguistic cheapening of our local and state historical and cultural foundations. It’s perhaps a form of ‘pop-linguistic creep’ into our local and state lexicon. DeLaveaga Park, California, Northern California, San Francisco, and San Diego all spring from deep histories, part imperial and part descriptive, but all well-earned through blood and treasure. (Oh yeah, then there’s Midtown, but don’t even get me started there.) The park, named after its benefactor, Jose Vicente deLaveaga, contains six miles of hiking trails, numerous picnic areas, softball fields, a frisbee disc golf, and yes, the DeLaveaga Golf Course and Lodge.
Some History
Local historian, Ross Gibson, wrote: His love of nature led him in 1887 to purchase a forested estate of hills and canyons, which had grown to 565 acres by 1892 and was valued at $81,500. He laid out a network of bridle trails and planted trees, vineyards, citrus and nut groves and rare plantings from around the world. The estate was watered by five springs and 14 streams plus a flume along Branciforte Creek powering a waterwheel. (First published in the San Jose Mercury News, Nov. 1, 1994)
Golf Course Deficits
Since at least the year 2000, the DeLaveaga golf course has been in the city budget conversation. It has run a deficit for much of that time. It is unclear how it went from the realm of “enterprise fund,” a city service that pays for itself and maybe even raises revenue, to now relying on the city’s General Fund to make ends meet. This year, more than $750,000 is set aside to fix the golf course hole in the city budget. This comes on the heels of our city shelling out more than $800,000 to remodel the restaurant that is also part of the golf course operations. Since fiscal year 2013 the golf course has sucked in close to $4 million of General Fund revenue. What?!? That is money that could have been used to underwrite other Parks and Rec. programs, or operate a 24/7 year-round shelter, or help fund childcare for working parents, or fix the showers at the Homeless Resource Center. Yes, there are a lot of needs in this city and as much as I might empathize with golfers–my Dad was a golfer, my brother was a golfer–I believe we could get a consensus from local residents that subsidizing golf should in fact be a low priority for this city. Can I get an “Amen?”
The military presence began in 1901. The armory took over the zoo site after 1933, blocking off the main entrance, and later the Naval Reserve blocked the Parkway entrance. (Gibson, 11-1-94)
Deep State Golf: Follow the Money
Who runs this business you might ask? It has been a family, The Loustelots, in control for almost 50-odd years, and they have been odd because the city for at least the past ten years has received no economic benefit from their business. The senior Loustelot, Gary, started at DeLaveaga in 1970 and was a revered figure in the local golfing community. But for now, my question is simple: why can’t the golf course balance its budget? While the community’s swimming pools’ open hours have been cut to the bone, as the weeds on parking medians continue unabated, and the bathrooms at Loudon Nelson Community Center go unattended and are locked to the general public, the golf course gets a pass and continues to go on in a sea of red ink. In 2010, a study commissioned by the city was done for the “purpose…to evaluate the performance of the golf course and develop strategies to make it self-supporting.” Deficit spending has continued. The bleeding of city coffers has gone on far too long and it is time for the golf course, aka The Loustelots, to allow the city to raise green fees, maybe even kick in a higher percentage of alcohol and merchandise revenue, and finally get the course off life support and into the black.
Over its lifetime, DeLaveaga has contained 14 park areas, including an 1894 covered bridge, three movie studios complete with false-front architecture, an amphitheater, rifle and archery ranges, and the “Flying Links” Frisbee golf course. (Gibson, 11-1-94)
The Buck Stops at the Council?
The city council will take up the golf course business operation at its Sept. 10th meeting. If 40,000 rounds of golf are played next year, like this year, then the average green fee must be raised by $18.75. We need a plan that raises fees at least that amount. There is no plan yet before the council that would see the golf course break even. The current plan is to only run lower deficits at least until 2023. I believe most would agree that the city does not have to subsidize golf, we can’t, and there are too many greater needs. Yes, of course, the high school teams should be given some leeway, non-profits allowed exceptions to run fundraising tournaments, residents given a discount over out-of-towners, but for the most part we need to the De-la golf course to balance its books.
[DeLaveaga] died in Santa Cruz at age 50. His will left $775,000 of his $900,000 estate to charity, with bequests to his servants, friends, Protestant and Jewish hospitals and orphanages, the needy of Spain, Mexico and Switzerland, local societies protecting animals and children, and Golden Gate Park. (Gibson)
Pretty Good Council meeting on Aug. 27th
In case you missed it, we had a pretty good meeting with some significant results:
We moved the city “bail” schedule–amount paid for fines–to the Public Safety committee for discussion.
Voted to terminate the corridors plan and council directed staff to meet with neighborhood groups to discuss development in their neighborhoods and what a more effective plan might look like.
Council approved the placement of an historic plaque on Water St. Bridge to remember the victims of lynchings that took place there in 1877.
A Planning Commission subcommittee was dissolved because it had previously been shown to be too cozy with applicants thus compromising judgment on major projects coming to the commission.
A resolution of support for Ocasio-Cortez and Markey’s Green New Deal passed unanimously.
The council passed Vision Zero Traffic Policy with the intent of reaching zero bike and pedestrian fatalities (with direction to staff to come back to council if certain “projects would be delayed”
The council ordered the public restroom at city hall to be opened throughout the day. It had been closed for at least the past couple of years.
Finally, the city council voted to limit the existing policy that allowed parks director to close parks for undetermined amounts of time without council input. Now the council must be notified 7 days ahead of planned closure, or 24 hours after emergency closure and Parks director must come to council to for approval of any closure longer than 21 days.
“We are part of a global community. To combat the climate crisis, we must come together as a nation AND a planet. The good news: We don’t have to wait. We can start now, from the bottom up. Cities are creating jobs& advancing justice w/ a #GreenNewDeal, as global mvmts mobilize.” (Sept. 5)
REMEMBER, CLIMATE WEEK IS COMING, SEPT. 20-28!
(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.
MORE TREES, PLEASE
I heard a very interesting report last week on National Public Radio (NPR) about the importance of large trees and the health of urban dwellers. The report talked about a study showing that when trees disappear from urban areas, the overall health of the people who live there degrades. Many urban areas are losing their grand trees to make room for dense, tall developments with reduced set backs from the streets and property lines. It is happening here in Santa Cruz County and in the City of Santa Cruz, too.
It makes sense that having large trees to shade and cool neighborhoods and commercial spaces is a logical solution to creating inviting places for people to live and work, while providing habitat for birds and insects. That is why Mr. Chris Berry, on behalf of the County Fish and Wildlife Commission, submitted a letter to the County Board of Supervisors at their August 6, 2019 meeting and asked them to strengthen and expand the County’s Significant Tree Ordinance. The current ordinance is only effective in the coastal areas. Many members of the public testified in support of that action then, but the Supervisors have taken no action.
Please write the Supervisors and ask that our venerable trees be saved…and to tailor new development to preserve the trees, not destroy them. That the Planning Commission approved the MidPen Housing Project on Capitola Road and had no problem with chain sawing over 100 trees on the site is unbelievable…even when local long-time residents showed them photos of hawks and herons resting in the tress at the site. CEQA-exempt?? Unbelievable.
the Clerk of the Board is at (831) 454-2200 during business hours.
PROPOSED NEW FIRE TAX ON RURAL PROPERTIES POSTPONED AGAIN
The County Board of Supervisors were to have publicly discussed a proposed new public benefit tax on all rural properties to fund County Fire Dept. protection on August 27, but when people protested the idea during a Bonny Doon Town Hall meeting, the discussion disappeared from the agenda. It was supposed to be discussed this week, on September 10, according to Supervisor Zach Friend, but it still is not on the agenda for public discussion. HMMMM…..
Maybe the County Administrative Officer (CAO) Carlos Palacios, who tricked the County voters into approving the Measure G new half-cent sales tax last November with the claim that it would fund fire and emergency response needs, BUT WILL ACTUALLY PROVIDE ZERO DOLLARS TO THOSE AGENCIES is trying to figure out a new way to trick rural voters into accepting the proposed new fire protection tax.
Maybe the Board needs to be honest and admit they have repeatedly REFUSED TO FUND COUNTY FIRE WITH SOME OF THE $18 MILLION THAT COMES TO THE COUNTY VIA STATE SALES TAX MONEY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY UNDER PROP 172. County Fire Dept. gets ZERO of that. Law enforcement gets 99.5% of the money, and only a crumb of 0.5% remainder of the money goes to the County Fire Chiefs Association…and no one can provide verification of how that money gets spent. Those meetings are not public, so you and I cannot even go ask. The website is private, so you and I cannot send a message to ask: where is the money going?
Why is the County Board of Supervisors neglecting to fund fire and emergency response to the residents in the rural areas of the County?????
The wildland fire last week on Bear Creek Road should be a wake-up call for everyone, especially the Board of Supervisors.
WHAT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CAN DO TO BECOME A CERTIFIED FIREWISE COMMUNITY
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has a program to help people organize at a grassroots level to improve fire defensible space and overall fire safety in their community, and some insurance companies recognize the benefit and reduce insurance premiums of those policyholders. Learn more about this at a FREE educational event at the Aptos Library on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 7pm-8pm. You can contact me if you have questions.
FREE TRAINING TO BE A LEADER FOR THE PEOPLE
The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) website has some great information for anyone interested in learning more about being a local government leader. The Institute only happens every two years, but there is a wealth of information on the website.
Candidates for local government office, such as County Supervisor, can begin this Thursday, Sept. 12, to collect signatures of people who support you in your candidacy and help reduce the amount of money you might have to file to run for office. Here is the website
County Supervisors Zach Friend, John Leopold and Bruce McPherson are all up for re-election, and their primary election is in March, 2020.
Soquel Creek Water District Directors Tom LaHue and Bruce Daniels are also up for re-election in 2020, but their election will not happen until November….you have more time to consider running for that critical office.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER IN THE MIDCOUNTY AREA?
Now is the time to take a look at the Santa Cruz MidCounty Groundwater Agency Draft Sustainability Plan and submit your written comments before September 19. Read the Draft Plan online here or in hard copy at the local libraries (you may have to ask the librarian to see it, as it is not on the reference shelves).
I am concerned that the Plan is biased in support of Soquel Creek Water District’s plan to inject treated sewage water into the drinking water for the area.
A VERY SAD LOSS OF A WONDERFULLY KIND SPIRIT
The tragic diving boat fire in Southern California claimed the life of a really kind woman, Vaidehi Campbell. She was passionate about helping people learn more about water, and was patient and kind. She once helped me access some important documents at the Soquel Creek Water District Office when I arrived a few minutes after their 5pm closing time and the doors were locked. She saw me looking in at the door, parked her car, and went inside the office to retrieve the critical document for me. Other staff there had passed by and looked the other way, but Vai went out of her way to help me. She was always so kind to me.
I will miss her, and am so sorry for her family, as well as for the families of all the others who perished in the fire. I am reminded of my good friends, Dave and DeeDee Houghton and their two young sons whose small airplane crashed into the medical offices near the Watsonville Hospital and burned. I still miss them.
Send good thoughts to these families and a gentle “thank you” to the kind souls of Vai Campbell, and the Houghton family.
WRITE ONE LETTER. MAKE ONE CALL. ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING. BE KIND, AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
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.
In his recent essay, linked above, Berkowitz has this to say:
For Hannah Arendt, the launch of Sputnik … was … an event “second in importance to no other.” Sputnik meant that human beings had taken a real step toward actualizing a long-wished-for goal: to escape the earth. In Arendt’s telling of the story, earth alienation is part and parcel of the all-too-human dream of freeing ourselves from our humanity. Sputnik’s launch thus signified not simply the lowering of humanity’s stature, but humanity’s destruction of humanity itself.
By destroying humanity, Arendt does not mean the replacement of working people by robots or even the possibility of nuclear Armageddon. The danger Sputnik poses to humanity is something else. She names the danger “earth alienation.”
At the core of Arendt’s concept of earth alienation is her imagination of earthliness as an inextricable part of the human condition. As Arendt writes, “The Earth is the very quintessence of the human condition . . . ”
For Arendt, to be human is to be earthly. We are born. We die. We make our way in a world that is mysterious. While we humans can also make and remake our human condition, our earthliness remains as the simple fact that our lives on earth are ultimately subject to fate and fortune beyond our control. The earth is Arendt’s name for that one condition of man’s world—his being a free gift from nowhere—that has been part of the human condition since the beginning of human history.
I have advanced what I call the “Two Worlds Hypothesis,” which suggests that we cannot really understand our existence without understanding that we live in “two worlds,” simultaneously. We usually don’t make this distinction, and many of our most difficult problems come from the fact that we don’t. We conflate our two-fold existence to the idea that we live in one world only. This is the human world that we create, that “political world” that I reference in the title to this daily blog.
While we do, most immediately, live in a world that we create together, we ultimately live in and must depend upon the “World of Nature,” too. This is the “World that God Created,” to use a religious language that seems fine to me, but that many people might not like. That World of Nature is “mysterious,” as Arendt mentions in the quotation provided by Berkowitz. We didn’t create it, and yet here we are! We are totally dependent upon that World of Nature. In any ultimate sense, we are creatures, not creators.
To be honest – as Arendt always sought to be ruthlessly honest – we try to avoid recognizing that our human world is, in fact, wholly dependent upon a world that we did not create, and a world into which we have been most mysteriously born. Our world takes second place to the “World of Nature,” or the “World that God Created.” You can pick some other way to describe it, if you like, but by whatever name we call it, this is the world that ultimately sustains all life, and upon which we are totally dependent.
Since human beings have gone to space, we can now see that the World of Nature that sustains us is nothing other than Earth itself. Remember, if we are honest, we need to confess that human beings have always resented being dependent upon a Creator, or upon anything or anyone else. This is one of the points that Arendt is making. Call it arrogance, or call it pride, human beings arrogate to themselves their supposed right to determine what will and should exist. The picture at the top of today’s blog posting illustrates one of the things that Berkowitz is saying about Arendt’s view of how human beings regard the Earth. Human beings have always wanted to escape the Earth, and to escape our dependency upon it, and this is a dangerous very wish. The picture suggests that it is we who “take care of the Earth,” when the exact opposite is the case. The Earth takes care of us!
Alienation from the Earth is leading us to the end of our “human world,” the world that we usually call human “civilization.” Our efforts to escape from the constraints that Earth imposes, and to disregard its laws, are not a route (as we suppose) to liberation. They are the efforts that mark our doom.
If you would like to take your theology (and political theory) by way of the music of Bob Dylan, you can watch this video of Dylan singing “License to Kill” on the Dave Letterman show. Dylan’s lyrics start out with this observation: Man thinks ’cause he rules the earth He can do with it as he please And if things don’t change soon, he will Oh, man has invented his doom First step was touching the moon …
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. More looking into our sub con depths and finding stuff you’ve only dreamed about. Scroll down.
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: “Remember when bald-faced lying and corruption in high office could still provoke public outrage and moral courage? Those bygone days are recreated in Gavin Hood’s taut Official Secrets, about a lowly young translator standing up to political skullduggery in the run-up to the Iraqi war. (Opens Friday 9/13 at the Nick.) Read all about it 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.
NIGHTINGALE. Set in Australia in 1825, this is a tale of revenge, blood, race relations, and some early “down under” history. Very bloody, cruel, women’s power no, it’s more like a WOMAN’S power. A good but not great film. CLOSES THURSDAY Sept. 12.
HONEYLAND. A documentary set in today’s Balkans. Though on the surface it’s concerned with how to raise and care for honeybees, it’s actually about humans, community, money, family, love, health — and just about every human characteristic you can think of. Brilliant, touching, well-filmed, important, sensitive. Please see this film.
WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE. It’s listed as a comedy because it’s an adapted from a book regarded as funny. Cate Blanchett makes the story of a woman looking for her place on earth and a settling of her life into a deep depressed saga. Billy Crudup is her over the top understanding partner who has to live with her searching. Kristen Wiig acts as her troubled neighbor who becomes one of a few good friends. By luck I also watched Ingmar Bergman’s Persona the next day and found a very sensitive revealing similar story of a woman in search. Both are fine films and well worth seeing.
AFTER THE WEDDING. Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams and Billy Crudup do excellent acting work in this re-make of a twisted marriage saga. Part soapy, part tragedy, it’s a sad tale of money, family, death, and child raising. Partly filmed in Calcutta it’ll keep your attention but won’t earn your praise.
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.
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing….and remembering.
READY OR NOT. A very worn out plot of a murder chase through a wealthy house is a sad way to waste your time and admission fee. No noticeable actors or acting, a futile poke at people with money being extra cruel, and on and on for 96 minutes. The plot holes are large enough to drive garbage trucks through and they should have. CLOSES THURSDAY Sept. 12.
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 Sheridan and Robert Morgan return on September 12 to update the Nissan-Soquel dealership issue. They are followed by Brooke Newman discussing the work and purpose of the Downtown Streets Team. Faisal Fazilat Appears on Sept. 17 to talk about the co-operative group CO-OPSC. After Faisal Vanilla Queen Patricia Rain talks about the Chocolate Vanilla Festival that happens Sept. 26. September 24 has John Hall updating us on The Downtown Commons Advocates and their plans. 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
Fascinating stuff about the Victorians!
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.
“ALABAMA”
“You know what the lowest rated episode we ever had was? Where Captain Kirk kissed Uhura – a white man kissing an African-American woman. All the stations in the American South – in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana – refused to air it. And so our ratings plummeted”. George Takei “When states like Alabama and Arizona passed some of the harshest immigration laws in history, my Attorney General took them on in court and we won”. Barack Obama “I started using sunglasses in Alabama. I was going to do a show with Patsy Cline and Bobby Vee, and I left my clear glasses on the plane. I only had the sunshades, and I was quite embarrassed to go onstage with them, but I did it”. Roy Orbison
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!!
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82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
BRATTON…The Bully Pulpit, great streaming apps, Lost Boys and Halloween. GREENSITE…on sounding the Corridors death knell. KROHN…Goodbye Corridors plan, progressives and past and future battles. STEINBRUNER…Nissan traffic light, Mid-peninsula Housing plot, Merriman House threatened, Soquel Water and rising bills. PATTON…Global Warming crisis and citizen action. EAGAN…More classics and comics. JENSEN…about The Aeronauts. BRATTON…I critique After The Wedding. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “HOMELESS”.
RIVER STREET & HIGHWAY 9, 1956. Be sure to note the new bridge, and that there’s not any new housing yet. See the Tannery on the lower right. The Sash Mill complex is on the left. That’s the Pogonip Country Club up in the top right-hand side.
Bollywood Flashmob in Costco – Santa Cruz, CA – February 2, 2019 2,385,654 views
This can’t really be “our” COSTCO can it???
SANTA CRUZ 2019 MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL
DATELINE SEPTEMBER 2
THE BULLY PULPIT. Even though Teddy Roosevelt was here in 1903, he probably didn’t foresee how our City Council would be so focused on bullying. One woman/reader/subscriber wrote… “I am sick of Drew and Chris being called bullies, when we know the women of the council minority are true bullies, just by watching them in action and reading that all but 1 of their of accusations against each man were unsubstantiated. Bully is the word a tax attorney used for Donna Meyers, among others, and we now have more evidence of it being true for all 3 of them. The letter to the editor in the Sentinel today 9/1/19 made the poor women sound like damsels in distress and innocent victims of bullying. I want to be able to counter it with: that just because they are women, doesn’t mean that they are totally innocent of bullying or obfuscating or even lying, as almost, everyone in politics is very capable of all 3 bad habits, not just the men..Was it bullying or what is the definition of Drew Glover not getting appointed to any committees by the Mayor?”
STREAMING, SCREAMING, STEALING, SCHEMING. As movie theatre movies get dumber and less appealing I have added viewing hours per week to Netflix, Apple, HBO and the rest of the “TV” sources. Por Ejemplo here’s some excellent online entertainment:
AMERICAN FACTORY. From The Today Show “Barack and Michelle Obama shared a look at their post-White House venture, Higher Ground Productions. In a social media video, the former president and first lady spoke about “American Factory,” their first film under their company that’s streaming now’. From The Atlantic magazine… “The Netflix documentary charts the economic and social issues that converge when the Chinese company Fuyao moves into a former General Motors plant in Ohio”. This documentary is a very painful look at what happened when the Chinese mega company took over the plant and hired thousands of the American workers that were out of work after their old plant died. It’s humanity at its least, when the Chinese and American workers and management have to face and live with their cultural differences.
THE FAMILY. This Netflix documentary exposes the secret international power Christian group called The Fellowship. Through such events as the annual prayer breakfast in Washington, Doug Coe manages and controls governments all over the world. The Fellowship squirmed through Obama, Reagan, Nixon and now of course Trump. A white and male-dominated group takes control, and runs more power slots than you’ve ever imagined. One important question it answered for me is.. how can Christians — especially Evangelicals — support and vote for Trump, when he’s one of the worst sinners ever to crawl on the earth. His sex, theft, lies, cruelty are unequalled. Well, The Fellowship teaches that Jesus himself chose sinners to work with and to spread his word…so he chose Trump too. That’s why and how they support him. Check out THE FAMILY on Netflix especially episode 5 “The Wolf King”. That’s the Trump episode. Go here and check it out. It’s the least you can do.
LOST BOYS and GOOD TIMES. I’d forgotten that Kiefer Sutherland, Dianne Wiest, and the Pogonip Country Club played such big parts in Lost Boys. Lost Boys got lousy ratings…I liked it. It also reminded me that in October 1975 the then brand new Good Times newspaper joined with the Cabrillo Music Festival (original title) and had a great and quite boisterous joint party. It was so boisterous and wild that the Pogonip stated that neither organization would be allowed to rent the Club again!!! Halloween used to be much bigger in Santa Cruz. Good Times would rent out the Cocoanut Grove and award big costume prizes. The Catalyst had enormous Halloween bashes…a very different time, and a different community.
September 3
BLOCKING THE CORRIDORS.
On June 6, 2016, I wrote the following on the Corridors Plan for BrattonOnline.
“So far, the city, the consultants and the commissioners are saying it’s this Plan or nothing which suggests they feel very much in control and sense little opposition. Whether they are correct remains to be seen. The General Plan calls for development along the corridors. How much, what scale, what configuration, how to protect local business and established neighborhoods can all be shaped by the community if enough people get involved.”
On August 27th, 2019 the Corridors Plan was officially terminated by a 4-3 council vote. Included in the motion was a requirement to make neighborhood protection and protection for existing small businesses the top priority when future development is proposed along the so-called corridors.
Sometimes you’ve just got to cheer! This huge victory was a result of hard work by eastside neighbors and a new council majority willing to listen and respond to their concerns. It belies the old adage that “you can’t fight city hall.” You can but it doesn’t come easily. Eastside neighbors, particularly members of Branciforte Action Committee, walked their neighborhoods, talked to neighbors about the Plan’s details and potential impacts, organized meetings in local churches, did their homework, passed out informational flyers, alerted folks to the many meetings before the city Planning Commission, held city council candidates’ forums, gathered petitions and eventually, with the support of Save Santa Cruz, a community group opposed to plans for overbuilding the town, and with the election of Justin Cummings and Drew Glover to join Sandy Brown and Chris Krohn on city council, there was sufficient support to terminate the Plan. If you think the recall campaign doesn’t matter just contemplate this close vote.
Of course there were howls of protest from those who supported the Corridors Plan. Rather than trying to find common ground with neighbors as in the acceptance of some development but not out of scale, overly dense, expensive mixed use development, those who supported the Corridors Plan predictably labeled the neighbors as NIMBY’s, responsible for turning Santa Cruz into a Carmel facsimile.
What they fail to grasp, or fail to care about, is that this overbuilding is not solving the housing cost crisis in Santa Cruz. In fact it is making it worse. Building more market rate housing creates a demand for more low -income workers to service the needs of the more affluent newcomers. Even with inclusionary units, the equation is stacked against the lower income scale. It is not providing housing for workers who live in Santa Cruz. It is providing housing for those who don’t yet live here or for those who want a second home by the beach. Or for parents of UCSC students who buy a house for their offspring while attending college. New dense developments raise nearby property values and displace lower income renters to the margins. New developments raise business rents that drive out long-time older businesses. These impacts can be verified. The considerable research on the topic is readily available but you never hear it articulated by city planners or other supporters of the Corridors Plan. The argument is always couched in simplistic terms: all housing developments are good: opposing them is bad.
Well not this time. Score one for neighborhood persistence and the protection of what’s left of the unique, human-scale, long-time neighborhoods and local small businesses that give Santa Cruz its character and livability.
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.
Sept. 3
GOOD THINGS HAPPEN
Corridors Plan Done, You Can Stick a Fork in It
The now infamous, Corridors Plan, has been laid to rest after some pretty fearsome four-year hand-to-hand combat. The “war” included pitch battles of correcting the record, defining quality of life, and traffic impacts at the Planning Commission, City Council, and numerous other public meetings. It involved two city election cycles and only after placing a solid neighborhood-friendly majority on the city council would the battles be over. Much was at stake: over-development by market-rate developers, loss of parking by local businesses along Soquel and Water, and the great potential for a loss of a sense of community by neighbors. The city council heard these community voices and responded, the Corridors Plan is no more.
The Branciforte Action Committee (BAC) deployed tactical units early-on, video-taping Planning Commission meetings and alerting eastside neighbors of the tremendous growth the city’s planning department was putting on the table in their neighborhoods. That effort led to demands that Commission meetings ought to be televised on Community TV, and now they are. Reinforcements were then called up in the form of Save Santa Cruz. Hundreds of locals became involved in the challenge, which just might stand as perhaps one of the greatest organizing efforts in Santa Cruz history. It is certainly right up there with the rejection of the Beach and South of Laurel boondoggle, the desalination plant fiasco, the Dream Inn on steroids (remember that one?!) plan, the proposed non-starter of 10,000 homes on Wilder Ranch, and of course, the community dudgeon unleashed on the grandparent of all bad projects that perhaps kicked off the progressive era, the loopy Lighthouse Field Convention Center and Hotel. The four-year corridors struggle to defend neighborhoods from profit-driven over development culminated in five-part motion at the August 27th city council meeting put forward by Councilmember Sandy Brown and seconded by Vice-Mayor Justin Cummings. One big problem from the start of the now defunct Corridor Plan was the absence of community input from eastsiders. As one eastside resident wrote to remind me:
It began legislatively in 2015, but likely long before that. We want to remain a community, but up-zoning contributes to make us more of a commodity for greater profits. Community vs commodity. When a new version of the Corridor plan is proposed, the Eastside will get proper representation on any committee that is formed. We had “0” representation by any resident of the Eastside on the 14-member Corridor Advisory Committee, yet the members of that committee felt fine that 80% of the building would be on the Eastside, but representation was not given to the residents of the Eastside. Look at the plans for the new, very tall downtown buildings and decide if that’s what you want on the 4 corridors streets…Everything on those streets would be torn down, everything including the Rio Theatre, Ebert’s, and Charlie Hong Kong, they would all eventually go. But it’s over for now and we can either begin anew with the community leading any development process, or we can move onto other issues.
Do the Progressives Only Kill Projects?
There seems to be a rap articulated by certain “build-baby-build” interests that progressives are not in favor of anything, defeating projects is their MO (modus operandi). To that statement, I would refer the critics to the Senior apartments on Gault Street, the Tannery Arts Center on River Street, 83 affordable units at 1010 Pacific Avenue, the renovation of the Del Mar Theater on Pacific…not to mention preserving Lighthouse Field, Wilder Ranch, the Pogonip, and the Moore Creek Uplands for future Santa Cruzanos. I would like to think real progressive values are about affordability, livability, quality of life, environmental protection, equity, justice, and fairness. Throw in a large dose of activism and love of community and you have the Santa Cruz progressive era. Beginning in the 1980’s, Santa Cruz was a sanctuary city, declared a ban on off-shore oil drilling, and was a world famous “nuclear-free zone.” You can’t make this stuff up. People, actual voters, activists, and battle-hardened leftists were either homegrown or moved here because this place was different. The new potential building boom (or bust) is not new. Developer interest in Santa Cruz is driven by dreams of big profits and has been an ever-present threat to Surf City during the entire progressive era. As Peter Douglas, the long-time Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission was fond of saying, the coast is never saved, the coast is always being saved. That about sums up the Santa Cruz progressive era. (Also check out this developer-heavy (given those interviewed) view of all the plans for downtown as laid out in a pod-cast from Kara Meyberg Guzman here (https://santacruzlocal.org/2019/08/31/the-future-of-downtown-santa-cruz/) a local journalist for Santa Cruz Local.
Battles Lost?
Let’s pause for a moment to take stock in the work of past councils and activists, of opportunities that presented themselves, but ultimately went against the Santa Cruz progressive tide of history, and there are several. These historical activist vs. developer, or bureaucrat, conflagrations that were either lost or put on hold include: the Living Wage Campaign, widening Highway 1, saving the La Bahia, losing the Unity Temple site that was zoned for multi-family housing only to result in the Broadway Hyatt, securing the Beach Flats Community Garden, and of course, the acquisition of a BearCat tank, a present from the folks at Homeland Security.
On the Horizon
What’s at stake after we get past this euphoria of “terminating” the Corridors Plan? Deciding if the library will be renovated without a five-story garage? What will be the future of the downtown Farmer’s Market location? Will a downtown commons idea gain traction? Whether much affordable housing will be included in the more than 1000 units of unaffordable housing being planned for downtown is another looming question. Will UCSC come to its senses and limit its growth to the now agreed upon number of students, 19,500, in order to preserve and protect quality education? And of course, a perhaps more seemingly esoteric, but palpable question right below daily Santa Cruz politics: what will be the future of at-large elections (vs. district elections) and will the people of Santa Cruz want to move beyond the technocratic-bureaucratic ankle weights of the current City Manager-run form of local governance? (Too much for now I know, let’s go for a swim.)
Endnote
There is so much hanging in the balance and so much to discuss as we move towards the 2020 election. Some would prefer these discussions happen behind closed doors because they honestly believe voters are either not interested, or not ready to discuss the big issues of the day. Real progressives long for these discussions. They want to be a part of shaping their own history and the future history of this town. Transparency, open government, and sunshine in all building development, financial practices, and every other act of municipal decision-making must continue to be what we progressives strive for as we continue to build upon past success and learn from past adversity.
“Tell them, Greta (Thunberg). When people try to mock you personally instead of engaging the substance of your advocacy, it’s because they know how powerful you are, and that the truth is on your side. Keep inspiring and organizing. We’re going to save the planet. All of us, together.” (Aug. 31)
(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.
THE COUNTY MAGICALLY HAS AN EXTRA $500,000 FOR A NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT IN SOQUEL VILLAGE?
The Nissan Auto Dealership Project’s traffic problems, which were earlier categorized as “significant and unavoidable” because the County could not pay for the $500,000 traffic light at Soquel Drive and Robertson, will be magically funded now. However, the negative traffic impacts to Highway One will continue to be “significant and unavoidable” because CalTrans does not have the money to widen the freeway to address the Nissan Dealership’s impacts, so will remain “significant and unavoidable”??
The Sustainable Soquel neighbors successfully won a legal battle against the County for a Petition for Writ of Mandate (just asking the County to follow its own rules, please) regarding this large Nissan Auto Dealership at 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive, one of the busiest intersections in the County. The neighbors asked the County to please follow the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan, which was developed with lots of public input and hundreds of thousands of public dollars, to designate the area for mixed-use residential and commercial use.
How can the County Public Works Dept., struggling to fill potholes in our roads, magically come up with half a million dollars to pay for this auto dealership’s traffic mitigation? Why is Supervisor John Leopold, who represents this area of the County, supporting the auto dealership, and spending $500,000 of tax payer money on a traffic light at Robertson WHICH HE PROMISED CONSTITUENTS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN WHEN THEY LOUDLY OPPOSED THE IDEA AT A SOQUEL VILLAGE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT MEETING?
The Nissan Dealership issue now will go before the Board of Supervisors, probably next month. The Sustainable Soquel neighbors ask that you write all Supervisors with your comment.
Submit written comment to the Planning Dept. by September 11 regarding the recirculated EIR for the Project that allows the new mitigation that you and I will all pay for in order to allow this developer to get off the hook for financial responsibility of impacts caused by his auto dealership.
I think taxpayers have the right to demand verification of the funding the County Public Works Dept. would use for this traffic light at Robertson. Maybe that means re-allocation of some of the $6,496,912 the County authorized for two new traffic lights in the Aptos Village Project area on May 22, 2018? (Items on Consent #42 and #46, on same date as the Nissan Dealership public hearing Item #57 and at which the County now claims is the basis for their installation of the Robertson traffic light)
By the way, Dudek Consultants are also working away at doing the EIR for the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan that will be necessary for the County to update the 1994 General Plan. Keep your eyes open for this document’s availability to see how infrastructure problems will be addressed.
COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS WILL WIDEN CAPITOLA ROAD TO MITIGATE SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS
Here we go again…taxpayers picking up the bill for developers who win favor with the powers that be running the show in County government. Last Wednesday, Mid-Peninsula Housing Authority somehow managed to get Planning Commissioners to NOT EVEN CONSIDER asking for further environmental review for the 57 new residential units in a massive three-story structure and a huge two-story medical clinic, dental clinic and pharmacy, all on less than five acres.
Many local property owners took time off work to attend the hearing, showing pictures of hawks and herons in the trees, testifying to the existence of vernal pools on the property, testifying to known historic use that caused soil contamination later mitigated by the County when purchased for redevelopment by covering with a soil cap, testifying to the rich significance of the Robert Merriman house, which would be bulldozed, but which used to be on the County Historic Registry but was removed without approval of the County Historic Resources Commission.
The only testimony that caused Commissioners to ask for clarification was one pointing out that the parking numbers were vastly different in the staff report than what were used in the parking study. The parking study engineer, Jeff Waller, did not answer the Commissioners’ questions, but they seemed to accept that it was okay to approve a massive project that has parking allocations admittedly below the County Planning Dept. requirements.
Commissioners seemed mostly concerned that the postage-stamp community garden was not fenced and seemed to have a tree that would shade it too much.
Never mind consideration of the 150 trees on the property, some of which were recommended for preservation in the arborist report and may be home to hawks and herons WILL ALMOST ALL BE CUT DOWN.
So, tell me, why does Mid-Peninsula Housing Authority get off free of environmental responsibility to the public, and why do the Commissioners feel so sure that County Public Works will be widening Capitola Road anytime soon on the backs of the taxpayers?
Here is the link to the Planning Commission agenda, where you can click on Item #7 and read the materials. COMMISSIONERS COMPLAINED TO PLANNER LEZANNE JEFFS THAT THEY HAD ONLY RECEIVED THE MATERIAL A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE HEARING, AND SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE SENT OUT JUST THAT MORNING.
This Project will likewise be going before the County Board of Supervisors soon…write them and ask why this Project is EXEMPT from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review which would afford the public an opportunity to comment on the project and analyze habitat, traffic, parking, historic preservation, and soil contamination problems. The reason given at the Commission hearing was that the parcel is less than 5 acres, so it is not required.
However, as was pointed out by many members of the community, that does not PREVENT the County from conducting the environmental review and mitigating negative impacts when warranted.
Write your County Supervisor, and make sure to copy Supervisor John Leopold, whose district includes this Project. John Leopold john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us
The Commissioners did not respond to my request for an answer to why these two massive clinics on Capitola and 17th would be necessary if the even-larger 5-story Kaiser Medical Clinic is planned for the Soquel Avenue and Chanticleer area nearby? Also, no one from the Planning Dept. answered my question if re-zoning the Mid-Pen project to R-Combining was connected with removing that zoning designation for the Kaiser Medical Complex, which is an R-Combining Zone allocated for over 100 units of affordable housing. The Mid-Pen’s 57 units will all be affordable housing units.
BUT THERE IS SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS!
Many thanks to Santa Cruz City Council members who listened to the people and voted to vacate the Corridor Plan that would build massive 5-7 story high buildings all along Water, Mission and Ocean Streets and Soquel Avenue and eliminate on-street parking for businesses in those areas. Many thanks to the hard work by residents of the SAVE SANTA CRUZ group, led in part by Gary Patton.
Please write Council members Sandy Brown, Justin Cummings, Drew Glover and Chris Krohn for their responsible leadership and supporting neighborhood integrity and quality of life.
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT CUSTOMERS ARE MAD ABOUT CRAZY-HIGH BILLS
Customers of Soquel Creek Water District want to know why their bills are so high under the new rate structuring when the material they received informing them of the rate increase proposal said most people would only see a $5/month increase? The problem is that the new tier structure penalizes households with more than 2-3 people by charging nearly $30/unit for any water over the standard 6-unit /month allotment. Even if you are careful, you will have a big bill.
And this is JUST THE BEGINNING. The Board approved increasing rates 9% every year for the next four years! Wow. It is all to pay for the plan to inject treated sewage water into the MidCounty area’s drinking water supply, and no one even gets to vote on that.
Write the Board and let them know what you think: Soquel Creek Water District and show up at the Board meetings, held at the Capitola City Council Chambers at 6pm on the first and third Tuesdays.
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.
August 24 #236 / When The Ship Is Going Down I am angry. I am angry that those who we elected to and expected to protect and defend us — the US population, the global population and our priceless natural resources, our ecosystems, our homes — have failed us, spectacularly.
The picture and the above quote come from a recent online article. The main point of the article is relayed in its title:
I certainly agree with that sentiment, and I recommend the article by Ami Chen Mills-Naim. You might also check her personal website, which provides this advisory:
WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED LIFE FOR A BROADCAST OF THE GLOBAL EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT A TEST.
She is right on point. Our ship is going down. This is not a test!
I do have a quibble with the quote featured at top of this blog post. It is, of course, understandable why United States citizens should be “angry” with “those who[m] we elected … to protect and defend us….” Our elected officials have not done a good job with respect to the global warming crisis that confronts us, but if elected officials have not served us well (and they haven’t) that is ultimately our own fault.
In a government of, by, and for the people, we can’t expect the government to be “for” us, if we are not directly and personally involved with government ourselves. Most of us aren’t. “Of,” and “by” are the two most important words in Abraham Lincoln’s formulation of what self-government is all about.
Righteous anger? Let’s look in the mirror! Voting is obviously not enough, and when we examine our past behavior, we must admit that we have turned our government over to the corporations. Do we still think that the government should be representing us? It hasn’t been, and unless you believe the newest and latest corporate propaganda, the Business Roundtable statement that now claims that the “purpose” of the corporation is to achieve our social and environmental goals, you will realize that it’s time for a change.
A radicalchange!
The changes we need are not going to be delivered by the people we have elected in the past, and who are serving in office today. We need to “interrupt our regularly scheduled lives” to assert, once more, our own dominion over politics and the future. If the government isn’t doing what it needs to do, the blame (and shame) is ultimately on us!
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Another look back at a classic“SUB CON” with all the formerly hidden and forbidden data!
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Political Probings ” 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.
EVENTS. SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE. By now I assume that everyone in the world knows that the Mime Troupe not only speaks but shouts out annual messages to the world that need to be heard. The Troupe started in 1959 and has been going strong ever since. They always close their long season with their two performances here in Santa Cruz. This year’s play is “TREASURE ISLAND”-is it the mythical isle where untold wealth awaits marauding pirates, or the freezing cold, artificial island in the middle of San Francisco Bay awaiting cut-throat developers? Or is it both? That’s the question for Jill Hawkins when an old sea-dog of a developer drops anchor in her office at City Hall, and drops a mystery in her lap. “Developers…they scour the map looking for cities with fat purses, ready to be plundered, damn the regulations!” But if Treasure Island is such a wonderful opportunity why has no one developed it yet…? What about the people who live there now? And who is the one-legged developer Hawkins was warned about?
It’s in San Lorenzo Park near the county building. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and whatever.
Sat, Sep 7th @ 3:00 PM (Music 2:30) Sun, Sep 8th @ 3:00 PM (Music 2:30) Ticket Info: FREE (Suggested donation $20) No dogs, alcohol, or smoking allowed in park.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “The Dog Days of summer continue at the movie house (no offense to our canine companions). But things are looking up, up, up for the future with the upcoming The Aeronauts, with Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones as mid-Victorian balloonists. Looks like Steampunk to me! Check out the trailer this week atLisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
AFTER THE WEDDING. Julianne Moore, Michael Williams and Billy Crudup do excellent acting work in this re-make of a twisted marriage saga. Part soap, part tragedy, it’s a sad tale of money, family, death, and child raising. Partly filmed in Calcutta, it’ll keep your attention but won’t earn your praise.
LUCE.Octavia Spencer, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Naomi Watts do very professional and believable acting jobs in “Luce.” Octavia Spencer achieves the absolute peak of her talent here. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is 25 years old and yet plays a high schooler but you do end up believing him anyways because the plot/ script is so involving. The story (from a play) centers on racial issues, the wealthy classes and weaves around gender problems. As I mentioned it’s a tricky story and you’ll stay with it all the way. It wouldn’t surprise me if Octavia gets many Oscar nods for this one.
WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE. It’s listed as a comedy because it’s an adapted from a book regarded as funny. Cate Blanchett makes the story of a woman looking for her place on earth and a settling of her life into a deep depressed saga. Billy Crudup is her over the top understanding partner who has to live with her searching. Kristen Wiig acts as her troubled neighbor who becomes one of a few good friends. By luck I also watched Ingmar Bergman’s Persona the next day and found a very sensitive revealing similar story of a woman in search. Both are fine films and well worth seeing.
MAIDEN. A very significient tribute to women’s empowerment. With a well deserved 97 audience score and a 98 Rotten Tomato meter score you can be sure this documentary is very well worth watching. It’s the very detailed story and back story of how one woman gathered the all woman crew and won the Whitbread Round the World sailboat race in 1989. It’s also an example of a very well made documentary. With great camera work, and a super amount of tension it should be seen by anyone who cares about the aforementioned women’s sense of equality/superiority.
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.
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing….and remembering.
READY OR NOT. A very worn out plot of a murder chase through a wealthy house is a sad way to waste your time and admission fee. No noticeable actors or acting, a futile poke at people with money being extra cruel, and on and on for 96 minutes. The plot holes are large enough to drive garbage trucks through and they should have.
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 September 3 John Orlando talks about his Distinguished Artists 2019-2020 season. Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan return on September 12 to update the Nissan-Soquel dealership issue. They are followed by Brooke Newman discussing the work and purpose of the Downtown Streets Team. Faisal Fazilat
Appears on Sept. 17 to talk about the co-operative group CO-OPSC. September 24 has John Hall updating us on The Downtown Commons Advocates and their plans. 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 impressive skills!
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.
“Homeless”
“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?” Mahatma Gandhi “If my fans want to do something for me when that time comes, I say, don’t waste your money on me. Help the homeless. Help the needy… people who don’t have no food… Instead of some big funeral, where they come from here and there and all over. Save it”. B. B. King “You can spend the money on new housing for poor people and the homeless, or you can spend it on a football stadium or a golf course”. Jello Biafra
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
BRATTON…More, much more on MAH’s hidden problems. Placido Domingo’s Salzburg success. GREENSITE…Will be back next Week. KROHN…The Joe Rose Report, allegations, apologies, laughs, unsubstantiated charges. STEINBRUNER…Lompico and evacuating issues, Cal Fire fees and taxes, measure G and prop 172, Soquel Creek and public correspondence, Nissan dealership in Soquel. PATTON…looks at Joe Biden. EAGAN…more classic Sub Cons JENSEN…and Robin Hobb. BRATTON…I critique Luce, Ready or Not. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “Détente”
SANTA CRUZ’S NEW POST OFFICE. July 1, 1911. You can easily see that this is looking Southwest. It also shows the Plaza Land Office where Jamba Juice stands now. On the far left the sign says it’s the Roseland Hotel. I can’t find mentions of any Roseland Hotel in Santa Cruz!
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA CANCELS PLACIDO DOMINGO CONCERT.
DONALD TRUMP’S PRIVATE AIRPLANE.
DATELINE August 26
MOPPING UP MAH…part II. Check out the August 12 issue of BrattonOnline column. I passed on information, ideas, concerns and fears that the county’s MAH Museum of Art & History was in serious trouble. It turned out to be worse than any of us knew. Deep sources inside MAH sent me a letter from a highly-regarded and highly-placed MAH person, written August 22. The letter went to the Friends of The Museum of Art & History.
It says … “Finally I decided to put together a letter to the board of trustees expressing that concern particularly with the lack of quality and frequency of art and history exhibitions. Perhaps I should say the lack of any art and history exhibitions of the kind that an art and history museum should be mounting. If you have not been to the Museum in some time you would be shocked. There is an art exhibition in the small third floor Forum Gallery and there is the large standing history exhibition on the second floor though it has been altered beyond recognition from what it was before. The current exhibition in the Solari Gallery is intended to be up for nine months. (9 months! As far as I can tell it is not related to art or history. Items you see on the hallway walls are intended to hang for a year before they will get changed”.
The Friends letter continued… “Additionally, at some point the past Executive Director had all names removed that honored people who donated at a level to be remembered outside the door of a specific room. To my knowledge this was not a board discussion or decision. For inexplicable reasons only the Solari Gallery has a name but not the original Richard and Mary Corrigan Solari Gallery, just Solari Gallery “.
“The original executive director search yielded two very qualified people who both turned the job down after they became aware of the disarray throughout the museum. Furthermore the staff seems to want the power of approval of the decision of the next ED hire”.
There are even more concerns expressed in the follow-up letter from the same author… this time to the MAH Board of Trustees.
“We are sending this letter out of our deep concern for the future of the Museum of Art & History. Our concerns reflect those of others as well: former supporters, participants, board members and donors, many dating back to MAH’s inception. Months and years were devoted to gathering the resources to secure a place where our community could experience and learn about art and local history. MAH fulfilled the vision of a museum for the whole of Santa Cruz County. Over the past several years we have greatly appreciated the community events, workshops, classes, and certainly the crowds these have drawn”.
“But we have been extremely distressed to see that the very essence of the museum itself, as a place that informs and inspires through art and history, was dissipating. We witnessed the continual de-emphasis of art exhibitions and the near-total abandonment of historical exhibitions. Sadly, we’ve now seen the eradication from the museum the names of those whose generous acts of faith as founding donors were to be acknowledged in perpetuity. The MAH appears to be at a critical juncture, a fact which has not escaped the notice of the media nor of the community at large. The status of museum operations appears unknown. Even those of us who have worked, volunteered and donate resources to the MAH have no idea as to its financial health. Contrary to customary and appropriate nonprofit practice, the public has ceased to be provided visibility into the finances of its own publicly-funded institution. In addition to popular and meaningful community events, we believe a museum requires art and history exhibitions in their rightful places in the galleries where they can once again inform, inspire, and make our community proud. Clearly this is not an either/or proposition. Both can and should be done at MAH. We also believe that the board must reinstate appropriate acknowledgment of the donors who were promised a small but important legacy in this building that-without them-was only a hope. Donor names that were removed from rooms should be replaced.A history museum that chooses to deny its own history has abandoned its community. It is our request that the board recognize this moment as an important time in which to carefully re-evaluate the mission, the meaning, and the community-serving purposes for which the Museum of Art and History was established. Cultural resources and community engagement are far from mutually exclusive; they are a natural convergence in most public institutions, and MAH should be no exception”.
That is one hell of a letter. I wish I could give credit to the author, but at least we are beginning to hear some of the issues with our public museum.
Questions arise, such as: Did Nina Simon know all this financial chaos was coming to a peak? Is that why she left? Who on the County Board is responsible for watching the finances of MAH? Why weren’t more questions asked while Nina drove up attendance numbers, killed art and history, and disregarded the money situation? It’s the County Administrative office that’s responsible for managing the lease with the Museum, which includes money matters. There is an analyst that works on it but, if anybody calls 454-2100 and asks to speak to the Museum analyst, we’ll get started or pointed in the right direction. Plenty more questions and answers are due.
PLACIDO DOMINGO GETS STANDING OVATION IN SALZBURG. Just to pass on the news…78 year old Placido Domingo and his wife got a great reception outside and inside while he was there to perform Verdi’s “Luisa Miller” opera in Salzburg, Austria. He got a huge standing ovation at his on stage entry, and a 10 minute standing ovation at the end. Read the full report…. One reader asks “where are all the feminists?” Another asks “where are all the women who have used stars to further their careers?”
FRED GEIGER…
August 19
WHY SO LITTLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SANTA CRUZ AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
Why?
Santa Cruz, as well as many other local jurisdictions in California, is required by the State to increase its housing stock at a rate similar to the population increase in CA. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of new units in SC approved and built, have been at market rate prices and very few at affordable rates.
Even worse, previous City Council majorities have allowed a large development of over 300 units to be used as rentals, thus eliminating affordable unit’s sales. In addition, a proposed 200+ unit, 6 story development south of the bus terminal was approved without any specific designation for affordable units.
Many people believe this is in violation of the City’s Measure O initiative that specifically requires 15% affordable units. This apparent violation by the previous Council has resulted in a lawsuit against the City for dereliction in this duty which will no doubt cost the taxpayers sizable legal fees. (Somehow, San Francisco has managed to require 50% of units in some projects to be affordable units.)
Currently, there is a recall attempt against council members Glover and Krohn (2 of the 4 council majority) that have tried to stand up for affordable housing. This recall effort is supported by the Real Estate industry and statewide Apartment Owners assoc., as well as 2 failed City Council candidates and other conservatives associated with the Republican Party. The bogus harassment investigation, instigated by current Council conservatives, which has finally been released, only found Krohn guilty of laughing at a staff member’s opinion, and Glover and accuser council member Myers, equally guilty of being unpleasant.
It is obvious if Conservatives regain power, they will continue to push a council members’ (whose re-election failed) stated belief that ” all housing is good housing”. The beneficiaries of this mindset would not be the local community, which cannot afford rents such as $2500/ mo for a studio, which is the going rate. At these prices, our community would be flooded with hundreds (there are over a thousand units pending at the moment) of high-paid tech workers from over the hill and the beneficiaries would be the developers and local businesses who lust after these new residents’ fat paychecks.
What can we do?
Obviously, we need to defeat the attempted recall and continue to elect Council Members who are not beholding to developers and the business community who fund $40,000 election campaigns.
Additionally, according to the City’s figures as far back as 1987, there are over 2000 unpermitted ADU’s (Accessory Dwelling Units) such as former garages and sub-divided houses in the City. Recent changes to State law have minimized parking and set-back requirements and made it easier to build new ADU’s. Since the majority of legal houses and ADU units in Santa Cruz, while meeting health and safety codes, are not compliant with every minute detail of current building codes, why not allow approval of currently unpermitted units who meet health and safety codes?
Is it in the community’s interest to require unpermitted ADU owners to spend tens of thousands of dollars to change details like shower sizes, door heights, pipe sizes, etc. And accordingly increase rents?
Wouldn’t it be better to move beyond requiring this bureaucrat pettiness in exchange for these thousands of units to be legitimatized but only if they are restricted to be rented at a very affordable rate in perpetuity?
This would be a win-win-win situation.
Affordability and Health and Safety would be guaranteed for the tenants.
Owners would gain legitimization of their units, increasing property values without encountering major expense. Property tax revenue would be increased to the City.
Residents (who currently contribute to the character of our town) would be able to continue living in our city, maintaining friendships and keeping family connections intact.
August 26
“Gillian back next week”.
Gillian Greensite is a long time local activist, a member of Save Our Big Trees and the Santa Cruz chapter of IDA, International Dark Sky Association http://darksky.org Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild.
August 26, 2019
A “ROSE” BY ANY OTHER NAME…
The Rose Report is Finally In
I sent out the following in response to an investigation initiated by Santa Cruz Human Resources Director, Lisa Murphy after she heard public allegations of “bullying” put forward by Mayor Martine Watkins at the February 12, 2019 Santa Cruz City Council meeting. I received a lot of advice and positive feedback from friends, family, and colleagues concerning the following remarks, which were originally part of a press statement I sent out. I have edited the original and incorporated some of the suggested changes. It is essentially my critique of the overall Rose Report. I sincerely hope the city can move to a place of healing while acknowledging the communication breakdowns as we plan and carry out the work of governing our city.
Allegations Not Substantiated
The accusation that I “bullied” Mayor Watkins because of her gender is not substantiated.
Investigator Joe Rose, describes Mayor Watkins’ basis for her allegation:
“In support of her complaint that Councilmember Krohn intentionally bullied her based upon her female gender, Mayor Watkins cited Councilmember Krohn’s frequent interruptions during City Council meetings, speaking or asking questions of staff without first being recognized by her as the presiding officer of those meetings, and the subjective perceptions of her father, members of the County Board of Supervisors, and other unnamed persons in the community who watch City Council meeting and conjecture that Councilmember Krohn would not interrupt or ask questions to the same degree or in the same manner without first being recognized if the Mayor were a man.”The investigator’s conclusion after watching many hours of Council meeting video’s, including during the tenure of Mayor Terrazas, is:
What I observed in Councilmember Krohn’s conduct on the dais toward Mayor Watkins was a passionate public servant who asks sometimes pointed questions of staff, challenges and vigorously debates with his colleagues on the City Council regarding policy, can be highly opinionated on some issues, and zealously advocates for his policy positions. Although I observed instances where Councilmember Krohn did not strictly observe Robert’s Rules of Order during City Council meetings, that was also true of my observations of other members of the City Council too such as, for example Councilmember Mathews.
Serious Councilmember
The investigator, Joe Rose, acknowledges my attempt to heal the rift between myself and the Mayor:
When interviewing Councilmember Krohn, and in reading his February 24 and March 10, 2019 to Mayor Watkins…I found him to express a serious, non-cavalier attitude about the allegations, a genuine concern about his contribution to her negative experience, a sincere desire for rectification and reconciliation, and an unequivocal acknowledgment of his respect for Mayor Watkins as a person and a woman in a leadership role.
The accusation that I uttered a “sarcastic laugh” during a staff presentation is substantiated.
Although I don’t recall the incident, I need to trust that the staff person and my colleague on the Council are not making this up. So, I am assuming that I did utter a sound that sounded to the staff person as disrespectful. I apologize.
The accusation that the “sarcastic laugh” was motivated by the gender of the staff person is not substantiated.
The accusation by another staff person that I was disrespectful because I went to the City Manager to inquire about the employee’s performance is not substantiated.
Investigator’s recommendations
The very first recommendation by Joe Rose is: 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. I would concur with this recommendation.
Response to the report
I am grateful for the care and time that the investigator spent on this report. I am glad that he read my intentions correctly. I never intended to “bully” the Mayor. I feel hopeful that the Mayor will understand me better by the way the investigator characterized me, which I think is pretty accurate: “a passionate public servant who…zealously advocates for his policy positions”. This experience has taught me that my style of vigorous debate can be received in a way that might strain relationships. I will continue to work on delivery-style as well as the tone of my comments. The accusation against me by the Mayor is “unsubstantiated,” but it has nevertheless taken its toll on my reputation, my family, and my work life. There is currently a recall attempt against me, which is using this unsubstantiated accusation as a justification for recalling me from office. The results of this investigation make that argument unjustified. I am hopeful that the media coverage of this report will set the record straight. Beyond the fate of my tenure on the City Council, what good does it do our community to have a recall effort based on falsehoods? The media has an opportunity to fact check all of the recall group’s allegations so that a politics of dishonesty does not take root in our community.
Looking Forward
As a human being and a father of two daughters I am heartened by the #MeToo movement that has brought credibility to the huge number of women who have suffered harassment. I believe that false accusations of harassment detract from that movement. I want for myself and others the ability to take seriously someone’s accusation, and still accord the accused the practice of waiting for proof before judgment. That practice has come to us the hard way, through the painful experience of many generations. I harbor no ill will toward Mayor Watkins. I look forward to fulfilling the recommendations of the investigator, which include: All members of the City Council and selected staff members should immediately participate in professional mediation and conflict resolution.
One Final Thought
We on the Council have the people’s work to do. I am committed to healing our relationships and finding common ground as we move forward. You should be able to find the entire report (redacted by city attorney) here.
“This election isn’t about “red states” or “blue states.” In every state, there are working people who are desperate for change and an economy that works for more than just the billionaires. We stand with them and together we are going to win.” (August 26)
(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.
WHAT IF EVERYONE HAD TO GET OUT ALL AT ONCE?
Imagine what your neighborhood roadways would be like if all of you had to evacuate at once…maybe in the middle of the night. If you live in Lompico, a nationwide data analysis puts your neighborhood at very high risk in this scenario. In fact, it is listed as the #1 toughest evacuation community of the 23 Bay area communities evaluated. Here is the link to the Mercury News article.
NO PUBLIC HEARING FOR RURAL FIRE PROTECTION FEE INCREASE
According to an article about County Service Area (CSA) 48 in this month’s Aptos Life newspaper, there ought to be a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, August 27 to consider beneficial assessment fee increases to all rural property owners in the CalFire jurisdiction.
However, there appears to be nothing listed on the Board agenda for such action? Hmmm…..
Here is Supervisor Friend’s article in the Aptos Life: Life, August, 2019
Staff replied to my question about the matter, saying that more time is needed to work through some logistical items. I hope the staff will work at convincing the County Administrative Officer, Carlos Palacios, to start funding CSA 48 County Fire Dept. with some Prop. 172 Statewide Public Safety sales tax money…it brought about $18 million to Santa Cruz County last year, yet the CAO Palacios gave ZERO $ from that lodestone to fund fire protection in the County’s rural areas.
Why not do this instead of gouging rural property owners for a larger tax hike?
I learned last week, in reviewing some Public Information Act request documents that when Prop. 172 was passed overwhelmingly by voters in 1992 on the heels of a devastating wildland fire in southern California and when the Governor took money from Counties and Cities to fund school budgets, it was left up to each County how the money would be distributed. After about five years of getting no money at all, the County Fire Chiefs Association complained to then CAO Susan Mauriello. The CAO threw a meager amount to the Fire Chiefs Association, but stopped after a couple of years.
Then, CAO Mauriello decided the Fire agencies should pay for the County’s radio communication system, which would amount to more money than the Prop 172 crumbs would cover. There were more meetings. It was agreed that fire agencies would get 12% of the increase in Prop. 172 revenues received over the previous year.
Finally, somehow a set funding formula got adopted in 2013 that seemed like a real smoke-and-mirrors show, resulting in 0.5% of the base fund got set aside for the County Fire Chiefs Association, which is not a governmental agency and is not open to the public, after first passing the money through the County Fire Dept. account on the books. Hmmm….
What does the County Fire Chiefs Association do with this money? Who knows…staff is having a difficult time finding documentation about that. I am sure the Chiefs are putting the money to good use, but the question is….where is the public safety money going so as to benefit the public? Shouldn’t that be transparent???
Here is one of the Frequently Asked Questions that is Answered on the County Fire website:
Don’t we receive Measure G and Prop 172 funds?
No. Unfortunately, Santa Cruz County Fire – CSA 48 does not receive any funds from Measure G or Prop 172. All funding generated by the Prop 218 benefit assessment under consideration would go directly to Santa Cruz County Fire – CSA 48. No funds from this assessment can go to the County’s General Fund. The State cannot take this funding away.
THE QUESTION ALL RURAL PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO BE DEMANDING AN ANSWER TO IS THIS: WHYISN’TCOUNTY FIRE RECEIVING ANY MONEY AT ALL FROM THE MEASURE G COUNTYWIDE SALES TAX OR THE PROP. 172 STATEWIDE SALES TAX, BOTH OF WHICH ARE INTENDED FOR SOME FIRE PROTECTION??
Maybe YOUR County Supervisor will have some answers.
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE OR SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION?
At last week’s Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency workshop about surface water and groundwater interaction, I made a point that septic systems in the rural areas help recharge the groundwater levels and should be recognized and quantified as the Agency shapes the Sustainability Plan for that Basin.
I wonder why artificial sweeteners are so prevalent in storm water runoff, along with pharmaceuticals, and fungicides used on cosmetics? Why are contaminant levels higher in River water sampled at Felton than they are (generally) at Tait Street, near Costco in Santa Cruz?
What levels of these contaminants and others in secondary and tertiary treated sewage water that includes sewage from hospitals that Soquel Creek Water District wants to pump into the MidCounty Groundwater Basin???
Just say NO! to the PureWater Soquel Project and let the District Board of Directors know you oppose the risk, the $90 Million expense, the huge energy demand increase, and unnecessary environmental damage (18 stream crossings will be decimated and endangered wildlife allowed to be “taken” in the process).
WHY IS SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT ISOLATING PUBLIC CORRESPONDENCE?
I noted that the District’s Board Agenda packets no longer include any written correspondence from the public. Now, due to new policy changes made by General Manager Ron Duncan, any written comment you submit to the Board, even when relative to agenda items, will NOT be included in the packet. Instead, all communication is now isolated in a separate block on the website.
Hmmmm… do you think this supports transparent government? I do not, and urge you to write the Board and copy Mr. Steven Nascimento at the California Special Districts Association, the organization that for some reason keeps awarding the District with “Transparency Awards”!
Here is a copy of the letter that I recently sent. Feel free to use what parts of it you wish:
Dear Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors,
I really appreciate receiving a hard copy of your Board agendas so that I can arrive at your meetings well-informed, as you have asked the public to do. Ms. Olin is always very helpful, and has a copy of the Board agenda packet ready for me to pick up. Again, I really appreciate that.
I am writing because I noticed there is no correspondence included in the August 20, 2019 Board Agenda packet. I checked for this, because of the correspondence I have submitted to your Board since your last meeting. Mr. Duncan responded to one of my letters, regarding my documentation of disrespect by staff at the last meeting, but no one has responded to my second letter, asking about the FINAL Anti-Degradation Evaluation for PureWater Soquel Project.
I asked Ms. Olin today why written correspondence is not included in the Board packet, and whether I could please obtain a copy of any correspondence. She stated that the Board had decided a couple of months ago to omit printing public correspondence in the Board packets to reduce the size of the agenda packets. I do not recall hearing this policy being publicly discussed at your meeting, but note that your website on June 4, 2019. I looked at the Minutes for the previous meeting; held May 21, 2019, but there is no item that matches a discussion of changing Public Communication policies.
I am concerned that this new policy to separate all written correspondence from the public will isolate the public opinions and concerns on issues from the items on the agenda to which the correspondence pertains. Ms. Olin explained to me today that even if the public submits written correspondence regarding an agenda item, that piece of communication would not be included in the minutes for that meeting, but rather would be isolated in the “Correspondence” block now on the District website, along with another new block titled “Presentations”.
Had this practice been in place at your December 18, 2018 Board meeting, the 65+ e-mails your Board received from people who urged you NOT to approve the PureWater Soquel Project would not have been included in the minutes of that meeting’s proceedings. They were not made available to the public until your following Board meeting as part of the minutes.
If a member of the public hands the Board a paper copy of information during public comment of an agenda item, will that correspondence submitted by the public also be isolated in the “Correspondence” block and not included in the minutes of the meeting?
I feel this does not lend transparency to your meetings or support producing an administrative record of proceedings when you are legally challenged.
Because your minutes merely state “one comment was heard”, there is no element of providing members of the public not in attendance any information about what the public comment was regarding, thereby no piquing the public’s curiosity to investigate the Video of the proceeding, as is required by the Brown Act.
Further, Ms. Olin informed me today that while she provided me a paper copy of the public correspondence associated with your website’s August 20, 2019 Board meeting, she may in the future have to consider such requests as a Public Records Information request and charge me accordingly. This also does not lend a genuine sense to the public that the District is acting with full transparency because it places a barrier to the public who may not have access to the website but want to see what correspondence the public has submitted to your Board.
Please return to your former policy of including written correspondence in the Board agenda packet. I also would like to ask that your Board direct Ms. Olin to include slightly more information regarding the general topic of the comment. Your minutes of Board meetings only two years ago were much more complete and informative to the public, and truly imparted a sense that your Board wanted to share the contents of its discussions and interactions with the public.
Please respond.
Sincerely,
Becky Steinbruner
MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER AGENCY DRAFT SUSTAINABILITY PLAN OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
Don’t forget to attend the Public Q & A Session this Wednesday, August 28, 7pm at the Simpkins Family Swim Center on 17th Avenue. Hard copies of the document just arrived in the local libraries last week…you must ask the reference librarian for the document.
Why is the Plan so biased toward the implementation of the PureWater Soquel Project when there are other viable and feasible projects available that would cause significantly less environmental damage?
How would the Agency gather the future funding to keep itself afloat? If the money is deposited into the Community Foundation’s Integrated Regional Water Management Foundation (IRWM), nothing would be subject to Public Records Act requests because it is a private agency whose meetings are NOT open to the public.
This private organization is somehow in charge of managing the State Prop 1 Dept. of Water Resources bond money and expects to award $1.9 million locally with an additional $220,000 for disadvantaged community projects.
How much do you think Soquel Creek Water District will get? Hmmmmm……..
TAKE A LOOK AT THE RECIRCULATED PARTIAL DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE NISSAN PROJECT…COMMENT DUE SEPTEMBER 11
Make sure you take a look at the County’s re-worked EIR for the Nissan Dealership at 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive. If you look on the Santa Cruz County Planning Dept. website, on the left, is Special Projects and EIR’s . That takes you to a list of projects that are undergoing environmental review, and there you will find Recirculated EIR’s for this project.
Somehow, the County thinks it will all work, having magically found money for the traffic light at Robertson and Soquel. Doesn’t Supervisor John Leopold remember assuring his constituents at a meeting at Main Street School that “we have heard you loud and clear”? There will be no light at Robertson.” in response to loud public objection to the idea presented by then-Public Works Director John Presleigh?
Why put a car dealership in a spot where citizens said they wanted affordable housing and mixed-use amenities?
WRITE ONE LETTER. MAKE ONE CALL. ATTEND ONE 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.
On August 5, 2019, The Wall Street Journal ran a column by David French, who is a senior writer for National Review and a columnist for Time. French’s column was titled, “When Biden Was Tough on Crime.”
The basic point made in French’s column is that it is wrong to blame Biden, today, for the very unwelcome results of the so-called criminal justice “reform” legislation that Biden sponsored in 1994. That legislation, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, has jammed America’s prisons with more prisoners than are incarcerated in any other nation in the world, including nations, like China, that are vastly larger in terms of their population. Oh, and those persons incarcerated in the United States are very disproportionately people of color.
As French noted, Cory Booker, in particular, went after Biden for his support of this legislation, and Biden didn’t have any truly effective comeback, at least not in my opinion:
Sen. Cory Booker told Joe Biden at last week’s debate, “because you stood up and used that ‘tough on crime’ phony rhetoric that got a lot of people elected but destroyed communities like mine. This isn’t about the past, sir. This is about the present right now.” Mr. Biden replied: “The fact is that we’re talking about things that occurred a long, long time ago. And now, all of a sudden . . . everybody is talking about how terrible I am on these issues.”
French’s column attempts to say that there were some “good things,” too, that came out of that so-called “crime reform” legislation that Biden sponsored. Maybe French is right. However, Biden didn’t try to point to any of these potentially positive results, if any exist, during the Democratic Party Presidential Primary Debate. When Biden was challenged by Booker, Biden didn’t, in any real way, engage on the substance. Instead, Biden’s response was that Booker was complaining about things that “occurred a long, long time ago.” That came across, as I saw it, as a very weak defense, but maybe we should think a little bit more about Biden’s response.
After all, Biden has had to defend himself on a number of issues involving his past political actions, and he has had to use the same defense – the defense that his alleged errors in judgment were made a “long, long time ago.” Kamala Harris, for instance, made an attack not unlike Booker’s attack, but focused on Biden’s past opposition to school busing. Biden appeared to be almost dumbstruck by Harris’ attack, and by the fact that someone would try to judge his past actions by today’s standards.
Is it fair to judge a candidate’s current suitability for office by reviewing what that candidate has done in the past? It is obvious, to me, that the answer is “yes.” That is certainly appropriate. Did the candidate vote to authorize the Iraq War, for instance? Biden did. I, personally, think that his “yes” vote on the Iraq War is absolutely pertinent to our decision about whether we should select him, now, to act as our Commander in Chief.
That said, I do think we need to give some weight to a political defense – made by any candidate – that the candidate’s past actions “occurred a long, long time ago,” and thus aren’t very probative of what the candidate would do now.
It is important to recognize that our political choices are inevitably made and are effective on a “looking forward” basis. Whatever we did “yesterday” (or whatever we did a “long, long time ago”) does not limit or determine the future actions we can take “today.” What a candidate has done or said in the past does not limit or determine what that candidate can or will do if elected now. We are wrong if we decide that just because a candidate did something in the past that we now judge or know to have been a mistake, that candidate should be disqualified from election now.
In his plea that the complaints made against him were for actions that “occurred a long, long time ago,” Biden is appealing to this truth. We need to determine what every candidate (including Biden) would or will do now.
Past actions and decisions can help us evaluate that fundamental question, but they don’t determine our future actions. That is true for us all, and that is the essence of our human freedom. We can always do something “new,” something different, something never known or thought of before.
As we search, in these desperate times, for who will best represent us as president, we need to know everything we can about the character of the candidates from whom we will choose. However, going for the “gotcha” is not the right way to evaluate a candidate. Who will do the right thing for us in the future has to be our focus.
I am not much of a fan of “old Joe” Biden. But what he did in the past (and whatever the other candidates have done in the past) is not my primary concern. I am looking to the future. The past can give us some clues, but the future is the realm of freedom. Who can best take us to a future that will be worth having? That question, not what “occurred long, long time ago,” is the pertinent question, and that is the question we will answer next year.
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Scroll below for another time bending revelation of the ” Sub Con’s”.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Classic Peeks Deep Inside ” 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.
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE. By now I assume that everyone in the world knows that the Mime Troupe not only speaks but shouts out annual messages to the world that need to be heard. The Troupe started in 1959 and has been going strong ever since. They always close their long season with their two performances here in Santa Cruz. This year’s play is “TREASURE ISLAND”-is it the mythical isle where untold wealth awaits marauding pirates, or the freezing cold, artificial island in the middle of San Francisco Bay awaiting cut-throat developers? Or is it both? That’s the question for Jill Hawkins when an old sea-dog of a developer drops anchor in her office at City Hall, and drops a mystery in her lap. “Developers…they scour the map looking for cities with fat purses, ready to be plundered, damn the regulations!” But if Treasure Island is such a wonderful opportunity why has no one developed it yet…? What about the people who live there now? And who is the one-legged developer Hawkins was warned about?
It’s in San Lorenzo Park near the county building. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and whatever.
Sat, Sep 7th @ 3:00 PM (Music 2:30)
Sun, Sep 8th @ 3:00 PM (Music 2:30) Ticket Info: FREE (Suggested donation $20) No dogs, alcohol, or smoking allowed in park.
LISA JENSEN LINKS.Lisa writes…”All right, folks, move along, nothing to see at the movies right now, so I took the week off. (Let me know if I missed anything!) Join me instead as I plunge deeper into to the oeuvre of my new favorite fantasy author, Robin Hobb, 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.
LUCE.Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Naomi Watts do very professional and believable acting jobs in “Luce”, and Octavia Spencer achieves the absolute peak of her talent here. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is 25 years old and yet plays a high schooler, but you do end up believing him anyways because the plot/script is so involving. The story (adapted from a play) centers on racial issues and the wealthy classes, and also weaves in gender problems. It’s a tricky story but you’ll stay with it all the way. It wouldn’t surprise me if Octavia gets many Oscar nods for this one.
READY OR NOT. A very worn out plot of a murder chase through a wealthy house is a sad way to waste your time and admission fee. No noticeable actors or acting, a futile poke at people with money being extra cruel, it goes on and on for 96 minutes. The plot holes are large enough to drive garbage trucks through, and they should have.
WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE. It’s listed as a comedy because it’s an adapted from a book regarded as funny. Cate Blanchett makes the story of a woman looking for her place on earth and a settling of her life into a deep depressed saga. Billy Crudup is her over the top understanding partner who has to live with her searching. Kristen Wiig acts as her troubled neighbor who becomes one of a few good friends. By luck I also watched Ingmar Bergman’s Persona the next day and found a very sensitive revealing story of a woman in search. Both are fine films and well worth seeing.
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.
MAIDEN. A very significient tribute to women’s empowerment. With a well deserved 97 audience score and a 98 Rotten Tomato meter score you can be sure this documentary is very well worth watching. It’s the very detailed story and back story of how one woman gathered the all woman crew and won the Whitbread Round the World sailboat race in 1989. It’s also an example of a very well made documentary. With great camera work, and a super amount of tension it should be seen by anyone who cares about the arorementioned women’s
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing….and remembering.
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. The small intense Espressivo Orchestra’s new season is Michel Singher’s subject on August 26. After that Bill Henry and Jeb Bishop from Groundswell Coastal Ecology talk about their organization and future goals. On September 3 John Orlando talks about his Distinguished Artists 2019-2020 season. Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan return on September 12 to update the Nissan-Soquel dealership issue. They are followed by Brooke Newman discussing the work and purpose of the Downtown Streets Team. September 24 has John Hall updating us on The Downtown Commons Advocates and their plans. 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 can’t imagine bouncing around like this while playing an instrument…
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.
“DÉTENTE”
“I don’t know why you use a fancy French word like detente when there’s a good English phrase for it – cold war”. Golda Meir “Detente is a readiness to resolve differences and conflicts not by force, not by threats and sabre-rattling, but by peaceful means, at the conference table”. Leonid Brezhnev “Detente – isn’t that what a farmer has with his turkey – until Thanksgiving? Ronald Reagan
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
Highlights this week: BRATTON…City Hall havoc, Dream Inn expansion, Money and UCSC. GREENSITE…on the Dream Inn Development. KROHN…Green New Deal, Small cell 5G, Rental Housing data collecting, Dream Inn expansion, Elizabeth Warren and housing. STEINBRUNER…Soquel Creek water rates and elections, Capitola’s 5 story hotel, medical center on Capitola Road, Dream Inn expansion. PATTON…about Revolution. EAGAN…classic Sub Cons. JENSEN…had tech flare-ups. BRATTON…I critiqued Where’d you go Bernadette and Tel Aviv on Fire. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”RENT”.
THE FAMED SEA BEACH HOTEL. This developer’s dream hotel was planned to get the tourists from staying in Carmel and Monterey. It was built in the 1870’s and was luxury and class all the way. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Benjamin Harrison stayed there. It had 170 rooms and burned down (and up) on June 12, 1912.
CITY HALL HAVOC. It can’t really be true that the re-call Glover and Krohn people are paying clip boarders to collect signatures is it? Money, money, money. It’s also becoming more clear and predictable that our Vice Mayor Justin Cummings is the 3.5 vote on any and all Council votes. Remember how he got the vice mayor spot?? So Mathews, Krohn, Brown and Watkins terms are up in 2020. You know this will be a huge campaign season.
DREAM INN EXPANSION PROJECT AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION. Several neighbors and involved residents combined thoughts, reactions and ideas and sent this email “Here are some comments re: 190 West Cliff Drive Project (Dream Inn expansion) from the Thursday, August 15 Planning Commission Meeting”.:
It is clear that the Commission had many many concerns and questions about this project. The meeting was just under 6 hours – and went from 7:00 until adjourned just before 1:00 am. The Commission vote was 3-2 (to move the project forward to the City Council) so there are concerns about this project by commission members. So the decision was not unanimous. The meeting was packed with people and, we believe, a majority of them were opposed to the project as is. We believe a majority of those speaking before the commission were opposed to the project as well.
In regards to CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), Commissioner Schiffrin, said he believes there are legitimate issues that demand more information, and issues peculiar to the property that haven’t been studied, such as noise and vibration effects on Clearview Court, and traffic impacts to California Ave.
Many people at the meeting demanded a FULL EIR (Environmental Impact Review) and there were numerous people standing and sitting with ‘DEMAND AN EIR” signs in the audience. Several stated that it is irresponsible to allow a project of this magnitude in this very busy lifeline corridor/intersection as well as a 2 story underground excavation into sandstone right across from the cliffs. Those concerns should automatically trigger an EIR. A local community group put forth this quote from CEQA – “the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) requires that a full environmental review be prepared for any proposed project that MIGHT have a significant adverse impact on the environment.” We all believe there is no doubt this project will have an impact and an EIR should be prepared prior to approval of the project.
The traffic study, again, has many many flaws and they did not seem able to answer the many questions about the impacts on that key intersection and surrounding roads/neighborhoods including California Avenue.
Even commissioners who voted for the project seemed to have concerns; Commissioner Peter Spellman stated “This project will have a significant impact on the area”. Also, Commissioner Greg Pepping, stated “So confusing the zoning for this site”. There is some confusion about the interpretation of the zoning for this site!
Commissioner Schiffrin also requested that before removal of the heritage trees a qualified tree remover assess the trees, to see if relocation is feasible. He noted, looking at a photo, that the 2 tall trees (the Canary Island pines slated for removal) have real scenic value. He also thought the developer should increase the setbacks on the third and fourth floors on the Clearview Court side, but that amendment was voted down. And he also asked many questions on traffic flow in and around the project as well as many other questions (see Santa Cruz Sentinel article, Jessica York, August 17).
Both Commissioners Schiffrin and Greenberg felt that there should be 10 inclusionary units in addition to 8 density bonus units, and that in this market it would be economically feasible for the developer. Commissioner Miriam Greenberg noted that we are far, far behind in the supply of low end housing, and adding so much at the high end will only make the disparity worse. She also pointed out that affordable housing that allows a worker to walk to work every day improves traffic, as a opposed to a tech commuter who buys a market rate condo and drives over Highway 17 every weekday.
It seemed that the developers were often confused by some of the Commissioners questions about certain aspects of the project – the height of 56′ was questioned by one of the Commissioners – why is it going higher? Planning Dept spokesman said “it was a very hard to interpret – but it was a matter of interpretation and we (the Planning Dept) interpret it this way.” So the developer gets an extra floor from 47′ to 56′ enabling 26 stair towers and roof decks with trellises over them for the “private” condos.
The planning guidelines says the building needs to be terraced from its setbacks from each floor – the Planning Dept interpreted this as only along Bay and West Cliff and not the driveway on the other 2 sides that are adjacent to residences – there the building goes straight up.
The developers continuously commented that they have had many community meetings with the public and nearby neighbors who will be impacted by this project – they forgot to mention that they did not incorporate most (if any) of the many many concerns expressed at those meeting into the proposed project. We know this, because we attended almost every meeting except those with the Clear View Court community’.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY AND COLLEGE. Money.com is now a website devoted to money stories; it used to be a magazine that started back in 1972. They just did a survey and a story titled…” The Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value”. It stated, “Going to college shouldn’t mean a lifetime of debt. To find the schools that successfully combine quality and affordability, MONEY weighed more than 19,000 data points, including tuition fees, family borrowing, and career earnings. Explore our list, then build your own”.
MURDERSVILLE, USA. The casting call is out, they need nearly anybody to fill in for this new film Murdersville, USA. It’ll be filmed here. It says …Director:Travis Clinton Lipski Writer:Travis Clinton Lipski Stars:Gregory Sporleder, Russell Sams, Taylor Stammen . I hadn’t heard of any of them. We did have a couple of extra murders back in the early 70’s, but how has Santa Cruz earned such a reputation as a death city? It says re the plot in the IMDB link synopsis, “When people start disappearing in Surf City a rabid media floats the idea of a serial killer and everyone tries to cash in.” Check out this title shot of Murdersville with the Boardwalk as the biggest feature. Don’t we have a City paid person who is responsible for the cities promotions? And why is this film allowed to use us this way? Check it out…
August 19
HOUSING FOR WHOM AND AT WHAT COST?
What’s the connection between the application for the development of 79 luxury apartments at the Dream Inn parking lot on the corner of Bay and West Cliff and the application by Venus Spirits for a restaurant with alcohol service and tasting room/distillery at the Delaware Addition? The former generates the need for the latter and both serve to worsen the affordable housing crisis in Santa Cruz.
Not directly, of course. The future owners of the luxury apartments may never go to this particular new restaurant if it is approved at Wednesday’s Zoning Administrator meeting and the restaurant owners may never buy one of the luxury apartments if that project is approved by city council in September. But the equation holds. If it’s not this new restaurant it will be another. Above market rate housing attracts newcomers with high-end consumption tastes (in food, clothing, entertainment, household appliances, interior decorating, cleaning services, cars, bikes, dogs etc.) and those consumption tastes create the need for workers, low-income workers. (Our consumption patterns explain why the USA, with a fraction of the world’s population generates a high percentage of its carbon emissions.)
Those who work in the food and other service industries who serve the needs of the well-to-do earn low wages and unless they are already living in local subsidized housing or are long-time residents, are either searching for non-existent low rental housing or are commuting long distances, very long distances in many cases. The more high-end residents we attract with all the new high-end housing, the more low-income service workers are needed and in a full employment economy, that means new, not existing workers, travelling into Santa Cruz from far away. Climate activists are curiously absent at the hearings where such large-scale high-end projects are routinely approved. No amount of rail trail posturing will offset the impact of this trend since a rail line will spur more development and the low to high- income ratio imbalance will continue.
The mantra “we need housing” is simplistic, basically wrong and is getting in the way of a careful analysis of proposed new developments to determine which may help solve the housing cost crisis and which will make it worse. As it stands now, The Dream Inn development will serve to make it worse. On that score alone it is worth turning down. Despite its inclusion of below market rate housing for a total of 89 units (79 luxury, 10 low income) that still falls short of what researchers determine are needed. According to the Nexus study, for every 100 units of above-market rate housing there is a concurrent need for between 20 and 43 low-income units just to keep the status quo, which is already untenable. You can read more in the links. The city was supposed to do its own Nexus Study, which for some reason has never been released. Maybe the results didn’t fit the agenda.
The Planning Commission approved the Dream Inn project by a vote of 3 to 2 (one absent and Singleton recused for passing out pro- Dream Inn development literature at one of the community meetings.) Commissioners Schiffren and Greenberg stood out as the only ones informed of the ramifications of the Nexus study and the only ones by their actions, concerned about low -income housing. And if you want to draw connections…they would not have been appointed to the Planning Commission without the votes of Krohn, Glover, Brown and Cummings.
There is a way to increase the numbers of low-income units in the proposed Dream Inn development from 10 to 18 but only Schiffren and Greenberg supported that option. The developer is making use of what is called a “density bonus.” This state-mandated provision allows developers to increase the height of the project if they add more low-income units. That sounds all good except if they don’t add more low-income units they still get the density bonus! The rationale is that it’s still housing. Here we go again! Ignoring the Nexus study and ignoring the impact of all that extra height, mass and traffic on the neighborhoods. Schiffren and Greenberg tried to get the votes to insist that the developer provide the numbers of low- income units (18) that the density bonus should require but the majority (Spellman, Pepping and Conway) opposed that move. The developer may sue but that’s a lawsuit that has justice on its side and could create a precedent with far-reaching positive impacts for truly helping low-income workers and the housing cost crisis. It separates those who give lip service to the need for more low-income housing but who really just favor development and those who truly care about the low- income workers who service the rich.
An even better solution would be to deny the development altogether. Even with the maximum of low-income units, the housing cost crisis is worsened by this development. Its impact on thousands of lower Westside residents is undeniable and particularly hard hit are the low-income residents of adjacent Clearview Court. It makes mockery of the requirement for the city to protect neighborhood integrity and exposes the true motive: bring in more wealthy residents to fill the coffers and who cares if others have to commute from far away to fill their cappuccinos.
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.
August 19, 2019
LAST WEEK THIS WEEK ON THE CITY COUNCIL
Green New Deal
A real Green New Deal (GND) for Santa Cruz would really change everything we do if we tailor it after House Resolution 109 put forward by US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The city council endorsed the House version of the GND and now we need to envision what that would look like for city of Santa Cruz. What elements of the GND can be replicated here? Buy-in must be gotten from department heads down to line staff if we really want to implement the goals of good green job creation, significantly reducing our collective carbon footprint while zeroing out our large carbon diet by 2045 (we really need it by 2025!) We’ve got to begin now. The Sunrise Movement and the Extinction Rebellion group are hot on the trail and hope to push, prod, and thrust this city council and the community into a fossil fuel, coal-free, and carbon-free future. We must ask ourselves; do we currently have policies in place that make a peaceful energy revolution possible? If the answer is no, then we need to begin, at the city council, staff, and commission levels of collectively working our way toward, as Barack Obama once said, the change we want to be. While the lunar surface was reached long ago, and displayed incredible visionary achievement, we’ve barely scratched the GND surface and it may take even more ingenuity to get to that carbon-free future many are talking a lot about.
Small Cell Wireless
It has become increasingly difficult for cities to regulate the placement of electromagnetic fields (EMF radiation) cell phone boxes, towers, and antennas. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken away land-use power from cities, and also limits the amount a city can charge for installation and right-of-way permit fees. Of course, to top it off, even though many residents experience several health-related illnesses from EMF radiation, there is a law that says health-related effects cannot be taken into consideration in any local rule-making concerning cell phone towers. The council was able to limit the placement of towers and antennas to every 1500 feet; in addition we are considering allowing locals to appeal small cell wireless “facilities” by invoking ADA–Americans with Disabilities Act–regulations. This latter policy concern is a novel one and will likely be tested in court as we proceed into the brave new world of the coming ominous 5-G technology. A subcommittee was formed to look into relieving potential appellants of the $645 appeals fee as well. Here’s an article from the New Yorker raising health, privacy and security concerns as they all emanate from this 5G technology.
Six-month City Council Work Plan
The city council’s 6-month work plan will include: Rental Housing Data Collection; taking up the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (15% or 25%? In-lieu fees? How much?); “options” to the Rental Inspection Ordinance (we’ve been waiting awhile for that one); Accessory Dwelling Unit parking and ordinance implementation; and finally, to kill or not to kill the “Corridors Plan.” We were informed by the city manager that this 6-month plan will briefly precede the next big plan, a three-year one. Stay tuned on this front as well, the work plan will be coming back to council at its August 27th meeting.
Data Collection Related to Rental Housing
This agenda item was deemed by councilmembers as not yet ready for primetime. If you are scoring at home, 14 pro-tenant can’t-we-get-something-done-now voices came to the city council podium disappointed that the resolution being discussed came nowhere near what tenants need. Interestingly, there were 8 “supporters” in favor of collecting data–including the rep. from the California Apartment Association. This tells you why what was in front of council was really dead on arrival. The council voted to let Councilmember Sandy Brown and Vice-Mayor Justin Cummingsto work with staff to hopefully achieve a more balanced and relevant approach to gathering the kind of data about the SC housing market that would ultimately assist renters, aka, bring rents down, keep tenants in their units, address large rent increases, open an office where tenants and landlords could more easily address differences, and maybe bring a bit of sanity to an out of control market. The issue of rental data collection will be back at the first council meeting in October.
Planning Commish Meeting: 190 W. Cliff Drive
Wow, well over 100 community members came out to hear debate and discussion over a very significant building project that was before the Planning Commission last Thursday night. City staff explained the particulars on the “four story mixed use building: 16,188 square feet of commercial and 89 residential condominium units” at 190 West Cliff Drive. It’s the parking lot across the street from the Dream Inn. I am happy I attended the first part of the meeting. It opened my eyes to some surprising possibilities on a currently not very attractive asphalt surface. To my mind, the parking lot is not much of an eye-catching coastal amenity. Seems to me something great could happen on this property. Developing the parcel in a tasteful way could very well yield some positive results for our community. Included in the project are 10 units of affordable housing, 8 are targeted at “very low” income levels. Tyson Sayles, one of the project applicants, is the first developer I’ve ever encountered who actually stated precisely what he figured one of the low-income units would sell for: $192,000. To his credit, Sayles is apparently not trying to segregate income levels in this project by asking for in-lieu fee relief rather than building some affordable units, and he is to be commended for that. My councilmember mind is currently wide open, as it should be, on the viability and success of this project. Office holders are elected precisely because they have particular views about important community issues–like growth and development–and the voters want those views represented. That said, those coming before the Council do have the right to a fair hearing. I’m concerned about axing several heritage trees and the impacts on neighbors at Clearview Court that also may result from development at this site, but there is time to hear arguments on the many sides of the issue. After all, it is important to take into consideration the questions and needs of all parties before making any decision.
Elizabeth Warren on Affordable Housing for All
“The cost of housing is squeezing American families in communities all across the country — rural, suburban, urban — whether they’re struggling to pay rent or trying to buy a home. The legacy of government discrimination and negligence means that communities of color have been hit the hardest. It’s time to stop nibbling around the edges and, instead, pass this big, bold proposal to solve our housing crisis and take the first steps to address the legacy of housing discrimination head on.” (March 13, 2019) [press release]
(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.
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT’S CUSTOMERS ARE ANGRY, AND MOST DON’T EVEN KNOW THEIR RATES WILL INCREASE 9% AGAIN EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!
Because Soquel Creek Water District shoved through a Prop 218 protest vote in February, 2019, stating that the average cost increase per household would be only $5/month and requiring 51% of their 15,800 customers to mail in protest letters, the real truths have hit the fan and wallets of their customers…..it is not a pretty picture for anyone.
Read the correspondence linked to this Tuesday’s August 20 Board meeting packet, and then take a look (if you are able) at NextDoor comments. There is a tsunami of angry customer discussion there about exorbitant water bills and poor customer service in trying to get things settled with the new sloppy system, causing late fees for many who have never missed a payment in their decades of being customers.
Most District customers do not know that this is only the beginning of the FIVE YEARS OF ANNUAL 9% RATE INCREASES APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THE PLAN TO INJECT TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO THE AQUIFER (aka “Pure” Water Soquel Project).
One of the letters in the Correspondence asks why not build a reservoir? The District response admits to purchasing the 160 acres on Glenwood Drive for the purpose of doing this, but shoves it aside as infeasible and problematic. Yet this very expensive plan to inject treated sewage water into the aquifer is supposedly feasible and NOT problematic??? Hmmmm…..
The District rebuts that they have no water rights for Soquel Creek, for which all rights have been adjudicated. But have they applied for a reconsideration or amendment? NO. They could then store some water in a reservoir and do natural recharge into the aquifer they claim is in critical overdraft.
Instead the District is making customers pay through the nose for this expensive plan to inject treated sewage water into the aquifer, which would demand massive amounts of electricity. It would cause potential environmental degradation at 18 stream crossings for the pipes that would carry this contaminated water to the Live Oak area treatment plant, then another pipe carrying the contaminants removed there back to Santa Cruz to get dumped into the Bay. The only reduction in contamination this Project would bring is by the injection into the aquifer of the pharmaceuticals and other unregulated pollutants in the sewage water that CANNOT BE 100% REMOVED BY THE TREATMENT PROCESS.
Let me repeat that: the PureWater Soquel Project will NOT reduce the contamination going into the Monterey Bay, it will concentrate it by removing 1.3 million gallons of water extracted by processing per day. All Contaminants, including some of those created in the heavy disinfection treatment process that are carcinogenic, would be put back into the Bay.
The District could find another supplemental supply, and use existing infrastructure to make use of it, according to a thorough legal analysis by Best, Best & Krieger attorneys. According to this document, the District could apply for water rights for the San Lorenzo River during the wet months of November 1 through May 31, and do so independent of the City of Santa Cruz. (see the attachment at the end of this blog) They could provide that water to the City to treat and sell, perhaps at a discounted rate, to the District and let the wells in the MidCounty area rest by not pumping. The aquifer has shown itself to be very resilient, and would respond with rising groundwater levels that would naturally prevent seawater intrusion. That is the stated purpose of the expensive Project to inject treated sewage water into the aquifer.
The District could also take that “new” water from the San Lorenzo River (or Soquel Creek, if there were an amendment sought) during storm events, and pump the water to that reservoir on Glenwood, store it for recharge, and reduce flood danger to downstream communities. There probably are some good state and federal grants for that…..
Has the District pursued this at all? NO.
Soquel Creek Water District still hangs on to the ownership of that 160 acre parcel on Glenwood Drive. If they do not intend to use it for a reservoir, why do they never declare it “excess property” and sell it as they do every year with other assets?
For some unknown reason, Soquel Creek Water District staff and Board is intent on raising customer rates 9% every year for the next four years to pay for an expensive project that is, in my opinion, unnecessary and could pose long-term health risks due to chronic low levels of unregulated and unknown contaminants injected into the drinking water supply for the entire MidCounty area.
Write the Board and let them know what you think. Email the Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors: bod@soquelcreekwater.org. Copy the Clerk of the Board, Emma Olin: emmao@soquelcreekwater.org, to make sure your letter is publicly available.
Attend the next Board meeting on August 20, or the first and third Tuesdays in September, 6pm at the Capitola City Council Chambers. Public Comment is right at the very beginning of the meeting. Chairman Tom LaHue usually does his best to rush past this inconvenient public comment opportunity, so speak up quickly when “Oral and Written Communications” comes up, usually right after the Board sails through a quick approval of the Consent Agenda.
Make sure to visit the Water for Santa Cruz County website for dependable and clear information, and contact Scott McGilvray to really answer your questions about what is really possible for a regional water supply solution.
PLEASE CONSIDER RUNNING FOR ONE OF THE TWO SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTOR POSITIONS Chairman Tom LaHue and Vice-Chairman Bruce Daniels are both up for re-election to the Board of Directors for the Soquel Creek Water District in March, 2020. If you are a District ratepayer and are fed up with how this District is handling things, you need to run for a place on the Board.
Start now in talking with your neighbors…the District really needs you! Contact the Election Dept. about getting support signatures to offset campaign filing costs beginning Sept. 12 through November 6.
Too many people who attend Board meetings never return, having been treated in a dismissive or disrespectful manner, and never receiving any answers to their questions. The Chairman, which historically is either Tom LaHue or Bruce Daniels (despite the request of two other Board members to have a chance at being Chair), always makes the excuse that there can be no dialogue between the public and the Board, due to the Brown Act, but that is inaccurate and not at all consistent with District meetings in the past.
Under the Brown Act, to encourage public participation, the Board can do three things:
Allow brief discussion to clarify points the public has raised (The Directors usually claim “misinformation” and expound upon how wrong the member of the public was, but not allow any rebuttal);
Direct staff to contact the member of the public to assist them in finding the answer or solving the problem brought forth; or (very rarely done)
Place the item on a future Board agenda that would allow better public discussion and possible action. (very rarely done)
There really needs to be new blood on the Soquel Creek Water District Board that will be honest with the public. Why did the Board approve an environmental assessment of their Twin Lakes Church Recharge Well Project that claimed no water would be pressure-injected for evaluating the groundwater recharge capability of the well, then later used massive diesel-powered generators that caused the air near four schools within 1/4 mile of the project to reek of unhealthy diesel exhaust?
Why did then-Chairman Bruce Daniels assure the public at length when some questioned this issue that “it will all be via gravity-feed, and the City is making us do this!”
Why did Chairman Daniels tell one ratepayer who testified, “You can ask all the questions you want but you can’t demand any answers!” Wow.
Why did Director LaHue tell one member of the public “You’re a liar!” in the company of other public audience members?
Hmmm…..Directors LaHue and Daniels need to go and let someone else step up who will be respectful of the public and truthful about the intentions of Board decision-making processes.
The deadline to declare your candidacy is December 6. PLEASE JUST DO IT!
CAPITOLA CITY COUNCIL TO HEAR PRESENTATION ABOUT FIVE STORY LUXURY HOTEL IN THE VILLAGE
The Capitola City Planning Commission got a real ear-full recently when the Swenson Builder group presented their conceptual ideas for the five-story luxury hotel in the Capitola Village, where the old Capitola Theater used to be, and is now a parking lot.
The City Council will hear this presentation at this Thursday’s August 22 meeting, 7pm at the Council Chambers. I applaud the developers for approaching the public first, asking questions, answering questions, and maybe making some changes to the project that would make the project a win-win for everyone.
Keep your fingers crossed, attend the meeting, and ask the City Council and Swenson Builder people to please listen to what you have to say. Who knows? Maybe they will.
The Capitola City Planning Dept. has assured the public that Swenson Builders will most certainly have to do a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Since that will be very expensive, Swenson wants to get a clear picture of what Capitola leaders and the public would support before spending the money to do the environmental analysis.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PLANNING DEPT. DECLARES MASSIVE MID-PENINSULA HOUSING PROJECT ON CAPITOLA ROAD EXEMPT FROM EIR REQUIREMENT?
The County Planning Commission will review the plans by Mid-Peninsula Housing Authority for a massive housing and medical clinic project on August 28, 9am, in County Board of Supervisor Chambers. How could the County planning Dept. declare this project to be EXEMPT FROM CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) LAW AND ANALYSIS?????
Why is there zero effort to preserve the history Robert Hale Merriman house on the site? He was the subject of Hemmingway’s main character Robert Jordan in “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. This house and farmstead were also what initiated the small family farm lots for which Live Oak is known. (See Bratton Online review of the significance of this house)
Shouldn’t this be saved and incorporated into the design, rather than bulldozed with a promise of making an egg-shaped plaque to memorialize the importance of these features as is proposed by Mid-Pen??? How in the world can the County Planning Department claim this Project could be categorically EXEMPT FROM FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW UNDER CEQA???????
The Project will have to be approved by the County Board of Supervisors. Contact Supervisor John Leopold john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us
Will this massive project really fit the character of the neighborhood? I suppose that depends on whose vision of Sustainable Santa Cruz County you look at.
This is Agenda Item #7 on the August 28 Planning Commission agenda. To be heard right after the Commission considers yet another big project at the site of the former Pleasure Point Lumber yard on Portola Drive. How will THAT Project work if the County reduces the number of lanes of traffic on Portola Drive, as is proposed??? Hmmmm….
Attend the August 28 Planning Commission meeting at 9am and ask questions. Make sure to submit those questions in writing, or they will become invisible.
JUST KEEP THINKING BIG AND BIGGER
The Santa Cruz City Planning Commission approved a huge four-story hotel across from the Dream Inn on East Cliff Drive at nearly 1am, due to the public filling the room and wanting to be heard. Here is a good report by Jessica York on the meeting.
When the Board of Supervisors heard the Public Works Budget, it was evident that the priority for funding repairs using Measure D revenues was focused on urban areas. However, as I pointed out to the Board, the rural neighborhoods can be just as populated but with more limited access routes to choose from. In some rural areas, such as Spanish Ranch Road, the local fire agency has warned residents that the road is in such disrepair that it is unsafe to send a water tender to the neighborhood in the event of a wildland or structure fire. These rural residents pay the Measure D taxes , too, but their rural neighborhoods are getting little attention by Public Works. How does that affect public safety and fire risk for the County?
Write Public Works Director Matt Machado matt.machado@santacruzcounty.us and ask who sets the priorities for road repairs, and how do they determine the criteria for projects?
COUNTY FIRE FEE INCREASES WOULD BE SWAYED BY LARGE RICH LAND OWNERS
The rural Bonny Doon folks were interested to know more about the proposed County fire CSA 48 fee increases discussed last week at the final Town Hall meeting. People were not happy to learn that the proposed weighted vote would give large and wealthy property owners more power at the ballot issue set for discussion August 27 at the Board of Supervisors meeting. The benefit assessment fee is very vague, and people were told they would not know how much their fee would be until they receive their special election mail-out ballot this fall.
Why do a special election mail-out ballot process that is very expensive? Well, it would be easier to pass, because this type of fee assessment structure only requires 50% of the votes plus one vote to get the issue approved. A more simple parcel tax, wherein everyone would be charged the same rate and whose vote would carry equal weight, requires a 2/3 majority for approval.
WHY WON’T THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE just give some of the State Proposition 172 statewide half-cent sales tax money….about $18 million every year for this county…to County Fire instead of giving 99.5% to law enforcement???
WHY WON’T THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE use some of the Measure G Countywide half-cent sales tax that voters approved last November with the understanding that it would fund fire and emergency responders. ZERO DOLLARS of this new tax that voters were tricked into approving will actually go to fund County Fire.
Do you think the Board of Supervisors is being negligent about protecting public health and safety by actively CHOOSING NOT TO FUND COUNTY FIRE WITH MONEY READILY AVAILABLE AND INSTEAD ASKING VOTERS TO PAY MORE TAXES????? Measure G was fraudulently presented to the voters, all with the knowledge and complicity of the Board of Supervisors and CAO Carlos Palacios.
Xavier Becerra, please step forward! Write and ask for an investigation into why none of the Measure G money is being spent on County Fire when voters were promised it would be with the language printed on the ballot: Xavier Becerra, xavier.becerra@doj.ca.gov or call 916-210-6062 or file an online complaint
It is critical to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions. If a wildland fire takes off and ravages the County because the equipment was inadequate to quickly fight the blaze, will the Board of Supervisors and CAO Palacios accept responsibility for that tragedy?
Supervisors Zach Friend, John Leopold and Bruce McPherson are up for re-election in 2020. I’m just sayin’……
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.
Americans like bold, aspirational ideas, such as sending a man to the moon. It’s less clear that they like revolutions and forced upheavals in their own lives …Karl Rove (pictured)
What Rove said made me wonder. Why would anyone think that Americans are unwilling to think about politics as a kind of “revolution?” A political “revolution,” of course, is exactly what Bernie Sanders has been calling for as part of his campaign for president. For those unclear about what Sanders is advocating, here is a link to his book, Our Revolution, and here (for those with shorter attention spans, or with bedside tables already overflowing with reading material) is a Wikipedia article that provides a very brief outline of Sanders’ program.
This nation began with a revolution, and people like Bernie Sanders, who couch their call for political change in terms of “revolution,” are not, very clearly, calling for armed combat or violence. They are using the word “revolution” to mean substantive, real political change.
What do you think about “revolution,” if that’s what we are talking about? I am for it!
My favorite book in the world, as I have revealed in other postings to this blog, is Hannah Arendt’s On Revolution. Her most poignant chapter, in my view, is titled, “The Revolutionary Tradition And Its Lost Treasure.” That “lost treasure” is the “revolutionary spirit” that infused those who brought our nation into existence, and I am hoping that no one will really be afraid of trying to find, and make manifest, that revolutionary spirit once again.
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. The darkest and funniest “inner views” from not that long ago…see below.
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 that she is technically mucked and will have it fixed by next week. Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE. It’s listed as a comedy because it’s an adapted from a book regarded as funny. Cate Blanchett makes the story of a woman looking for her place on earth and a settling of her life into a deep depressed saga. Billy Crudup is her over the top understanding partner who has to live with her searching. Kristen Wiig acts as her troubled neighbor who becomes one of a few good friends. By luck I also watched Ingmar Bergman’s Persona the next day and found a very sensitive revealing story of a woman in search. Both are fine films and well worth seeing.
TEL AVIV ON FIRE. This is an unusual feel- good and low key film about Israelis and Palestinians trying to work together on a television program. The history and culture of both groups plus the senses of humor do not work together and the movie gets boring, light weight, and not worth your time…or admission. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 22.
MIKE WALLACE IS HERE. A very insightful documentary about this major player in our USA news reporting history. A showman, actor, gadfly turned into a brilliant interviewer who changed the way we can become informed. Wallace fights depression, alcohol, drugs and the media bosses to unearth truth and the nonsense behind many of our most famous faces. See it ASAP. You’ll appreciate what source of news you’ll be watching a lot more. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 22.
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.
MAIDEN. A very significient tribute to women’s empowerment. With a well deserved 97 audience score and a 98 Rotten Tomato meter score you can be sure this documentary is very well worth watching. It’s the very detailed story and back story of how one woman gathered the all woman crew and won the Whitbread Round the World sailboat race in 1989. It’s also an example of a very well made documentary. With great camera work, and a super amount of tension it should be seen by anyone who cares about the arorementioned women’s empowerment.
YESTERDAY. Imagine if the entire world forgot who the Beatles were except for one pretty good guitarist and singer of Indian heritage. An excellent feel good movie that has a fun plot, the greatest Beatle songs and good acting. Go see it especially if you have forgotten how much those songs affected you when their albums were first released. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 22.
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing….and remembering.
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. Former Santa Cruz Mayor Bruce Van Allen will cover many area developments on August 20. Then Julie James alerts us to The Jewel Theatre’s exciting new 2019-2020 season. The small intense Espressivo Orchestra’s new season is Michel Singher’s subject on August 26. After that Bill Henry and Jeb Bishop from Groundswell Coastal Ecology talk about their organization and future goals. On September 3 John Orlando talks about his Distinguished Artists 2019-2020 season. Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan return on September 12 to update the Nissan-Soquel dealership issue. They are followed by Brooke Newman discussing the work and purpose of the Downtown Streets Team. 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’m keeping up this standup thing for a bit…
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.
RENT
“12% of people marry because they are completely in love. 88% of people marry just so they are then liable for only half of their rent.” Mokokoma Mokhonoana “Environmental radiation research is the rent I pay for living on this planet.” Steven Magee, Solar Radiation, Global Warming and Human Disease “[I] shall never use profanity except in discussing house rent and taxes. Indeed, upon second thought, I will not use it then, for it is unchristian, inelegant, and degrading–though to speak truly I do not see how house rent and taxes are going to be discussed worth a cent without it.” Mark Twain “ATTENTIONANTI-RENTERS! AWAKE! AROUSE! . . . Strike till the last armed foe expires, Strike for your altars and your fires-Strike for the green graves of your sires, God and your happy homes!” Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States
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
Highlights this week: BRATTON…MAH and mopping up money, district elections, Downtown Forward – a front? 15 women artists. GREENSITE…on the Coastal Commission rail/trail hearing. KROHN…Green New Deal, rental housing, Water Street bridge lynching, district elections, cell towers, new council work plan. STEINBRUNER…pleads for a fair trial, Soquel sewage water, Dream Inn Development. PATTON…5G Wireless technology. EAGAN…classic treasures. JENSEN…Reviews Mike Wallace is Here. BRATTON…I critique Mike Wallace is Here, Them That Follow. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “Beaches”
RORY CALHOUN VISITS SANTA CRUZ IN 50’S. Rory was born in Los Angeles, and lived and worked here (Boulder Creek) for a few years. He was the only actor to have made four films with Marilyn Monroe! With George Ow’s, the Nickelodeon’s and Rita Bottoms’ help we brought Rory back here in 1991. That’s when he signed the cement sidewalk at the Nickelodeon. The photo shows his then wife and movie star Lita Baron on the right, with Eunice and Leonard Sancher, plus Mary and H. Ersie on his left. Rory died in 1999. My daughter Jennifer and I went to his funeral. Lita Baron was there.
photo credit: Fredda C. Carr of Boulder Creek
OH BROTHER WHEREFORE ART THOU?
THE WASHBOARD SERENADERS.
DATELINE August 12
MORE PHOTO FACTS. Scroll down to see last week’s historic photo of Julian Camacho and John Tunney at the Cooper House rally. Eric Fingal took that photo for Covello & Covello, and still works for them. He emailed saying: “The photo of Tunney and Camacho in front of the Cooper House is mine, not Covello and Covello’s. I believe that was from a series (there were also some of Cranston and Camacho too) shot on my last day of being a teenager — October 20, 1972. I turned 20 years old the next day! I couldn’t remember which series was shot in October. This one could very easily been shot on August 20, and the photos with Cranston shot on October 20.
MOPPING UP MAH… We haven’t heard or read anything about it yet, but the MAH is in serious financial trouble. A major part of the problem is MAH financial data is no longer shared with the board or their largest donors. The MAH Finance Committee has been ordered by the former executive director not to disclose financial data on the Museum’s current fiscal status, despite repeated requests. The staff has kept these “internal affairs” quiet, but the problem is real and they’re working on a fundraiser to alleviate that imbalance. Somebody should demand “transparency”. More than that, there’s trouble afoot over finding a new director since Nina Simon left. It appears the present staff doesn’t want anybody new telling them what to do, and they want a voice in the selection of that new director. Many of the staff are challenging the board’s authority. A big part of the problem seems to be that the food court which destroyed Abbott Square isn’t bringing in the bucks. It’s usually inhabited by computer and cell phone users, not food court customers. Of course, as any Mindfulness follower will tell you, all of above are just words, opinions, and thoughts. But then again, what would happen if the folks involved with Nina Simon’s current job take a look at what’s been happening to the MAH project she rammed so long and hard to deliver to us?
DISTRICT ELECTIONS APPROACHING…AGAIN!!! So I received a document from The National Demographics Corporation. It says in part… “you are sitting at your office on a Thursday afternoon, and the city manager sends you an email letting you know that the city received a demand letter about a voting rights issue. You review the demand letter and realize that it is a letter from a prospective plaintiff’s attorney, alleging that the city’s election system is in violation of the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA“) and threatening litigation if the city does not voluntarily change its elections system. What do you do? At least 88 cities have made the change to by-district elections and two more, the City of Goleta and the City of Carpinteria, agreed to make the change for 2022. Other cities, such as the City of San Clemente have decided to put the matter on the 2018 ballot for voters’ approval. Approximately eighteen other cities are in some form of legal dispute but have not yet decided to make the change to by-district elections. For context, only 28 cities employed by-district elections prior to passage of the CVRA. Cities are not the only public entities susceptible to a CVRA challenge. Thirty two community college districts, over 165 school districts, and at least 12 other special districts have made the change to by-district elections”.
District Elections are all about voting rights, protected classes, racially polarized voting, equal protection and the basic right to vote.
Vallejo has — and has had — what looks like a wide spread of groups elected to their City Council. But no matter, they are going through deep, studies and plots and plans to determine IF district elections will change anything. At first and second glances, Santa Cruz also appears to have fair and just representative voices from all concerned. This is just a head’s up to start studying the pros and cons when IT comes our way…again.
Go HERE if you want more info re Vallejo’s problems.
DOWNTOWN FORWARD or BACKWARD?
While Queen Mother Cynthia Mathews can’t vote on her plot to develop the library garage structure — because she owns the house next to the Nickelodeon — she’s been super busy teaching her FairyPrincess Martine Watkins how to sneak, plot and plan their library garage goal through the Downtown Forward group. Go to their home page and check out how many developers and money people are on their membership list.
LINK TO 15 WOMEN ARTISTS. I can’t remember how I came across this, but it’s an excellent document that shows us some wonderful and deserving art. It’s all from turn of the century Paris. Take a look.
August 12
TIMING IS EVERYTHING.
I’m willing to go the extra mile to protect nature. Even so, 345 miles seemed a long drive for a 3 -minute presentation before the CA Coastal Commission. All sorts of rationalizations to avoid a 7-hour each way road trip presented themselves but in the end, with a colleague willing to drive and participate, not going was not an option.
At issue was an appeal to the Coastal Commission of the city of Santa Cruz’s approval of Segment 7 Phase 2 of the Rail Trail project: that less than a mile segment of proposed rail/ trail from Bay and California Streets to the wharf roundabout. The proposed route follows the current rail, which dips into a ravine below the linear La Barranca Park on Bay St., enters Neary Lagoon and skirts the Wastewater Treatment Plant before spilling out bike riders, pedestrians and wheel chair users into the roundabout at the foot of the wharf. It has a price tag of $10 million, which seems high for a less than a mile multi-use trail. For comparison, that is the same amount of money the state allocated to the whole county to tackle homeless issues.
The high cost reflects the need for thousands of cubic yards of soil to be removed, the removal of all vegetation, including 44 trees on the western side, the building of an up to 19 foot high retaining wall on one side (to shore up the now denuded embankment) and a 54 inch high fence on the other, to separate the trail from the rail, plus the installation of lights and security cameras, which suggests that security issues are anticipated. Users will basically be walking or biking in a 12 foot wide chute next to tourist trains running between the Boardwalk and Davenport. None of this (except the cost) bothers me except for one thing: the project area includes a wetland, protected under the Coastal Act. It also is home to a wide variety of bird species, other vertebrates and invertebrates including bats and embraces a monarch butterfly site, designated as such by a city plaque within the grove.
The city twisted itself into knots trying to downplay or negate any environmental impacts. First they omitted any reference to the monarch grove. Then they used a non Coastal Act definition of “wetland” to claim it wasn’t one; they then claimed the monarch grove wasn’t really a habitat; that displaced birds would simply go elsewhere and so on. The mitigations for such habitat loss are inadequate (you have to recreate lost wetlands, not just plant replacement trees elsewhere) and alternative alignments of the trail (such as up on Bay St.) were overly quickly dismissed. No doubt eying the council chambers filled with rail trail advocates the council quickly approved the project.
Since the Coastal Commission staff had expressed some concerns about the project and since wetlands are protected under the Coastal Act, Save Our Big Trees decided to appeal the city’s approval to the Coastal Commission. Buoyed by a detailed biological assessment of the project area from a biologist with 30 years’ experience, including photographs of onsite wetland vegetation, standing water, bird species and monarchs, plus a legal interpretation from an environmental attorney of the Coastal Act vis a vis wetland protection, and mapping an ADA compliant alternative, we were fairly confident that commission staff would find the appeal raised a substantial issue, which is the first step in the appeal process. But they didn’t. I admit to a certain naiveté when it comes to civic institutions. I trust they are following their mandate rather than eying the potential political repercussions of their decisions. And so the Coastal Commission staff accepted and parroted the city’s position. If there was any hope at all, it was in Eureka for the Friday the 9th meeting of the CA Coastal Commission.
We had submitted extensive documentation to be shared with commissioners within the stated deadlines. Unbeknown to us, as we drove north towards Eureka, the commission staff had shared our documentation with city staff, which wrote a 17- page rebuttal as an addendum for commission review at the 11th hour. The rebuttal refuted the wetland designation, calling it a drainage ditch with the standing water being from rainfall and run off, despite the fact the standing water was photographed in July, the dry season. This type of fluvial deception by the city has a long history but I’ll save that for a future column.
Arriving late Thursday night in Eureka, we decided to wake early, read the city’s addendum and craft a timed response to fit within the allotted 3 minutes. It’s a brutal time limit; not 3 minutes each person but 3 minutes total. Prune every extraneous word and highlight the main points. Since Friday’s agenda contained 22 items and our appeal was the last item we took the time to finish our prep and headed to the meeting in the Eureka Marine building expecting a wait for our item to be up. The meeting had started at 9am. We arrived to an empty room save the sound crew packing up their equipment. “Where’s the Commission meeting?” I asked, with a foreboding of the answer. ” Oh, they finished the meeting at ten minutes past ten”, was the response. “They re-positioned most of the items under the consent agenda.”
Such moments test one’s fortitude. And humility. Only a swim in the Eel River on the return journey cleansed our spirits. One part of nature replenishing as another part awaits destruction.
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.
August 12
THIS WEEK ON THE CITY COUNCIL
The Good
Green New Deal
Okay city council, it’s been six weeks since your last meeting. You’ve had time to think it over and as in former House Speaker Tip O’Neill’s used to say, “All politics are local.” So, this week, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey’s “Green New Deal,” is on the Santa Cruz city council agenda, item #6. Three councilmembers (not me) have signed on to supporting it for Surf City. Take a look at House Resolution 109, “The Green New Deal” here As it stands on the agenda, it’s a feel-good aspirational nod towards doing the right thing concerning the environment. It lays out several reasons for how the initiative came about and why it is needed now, but also discusses healthcare, job creation and links climate change as a threat to national security. If the initiative receives support here, the mayor will notify our Congress member, Jimmy Panetta who is already signed on as a co-sponsor, but it will not provide any real teeth to mandate or legislate anything in the city of Santa Cruz. If we were serious, what might a Green New Deal look like for Santa Cruz? Ban single-use plastic bottles? Refrain from building the proposed last century 5-story parking garage downtown? We could mandate that the city initiate a process to only purchasing or leasing non-fossil fuel vehicles. We could also hire 100 people to form a Climate Corps. They could be trained to teach homeowners, businesses and renters how to transition to a non-carbon, fossil-free economy. And perhaps most easily and essentially, we could begin planting trees. How about planting 2,020 trees in 2020?
Data Collection Related to Rental Housing
Just the facts Ma’am. We need data to figure out what can be done to ease the pain and suffering of renters who include the low-income, students, and families. This data would be public as it is in other cities and include tracking actual rent increases–amount, where, and previous rent–(not just average ones) and actual evictions. In addition, to get an overall and useful picture of renters and landlords in the city we need to include rented accessory dwelling units, bedrooms rented out in owner-occupied single family homes, new buildings for multiple dwellers including townhouses and condos, and mobile homes. All this would be useful data. This item will be before the city council on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 7:30pm, right after Oral Communication.
Plaque on Water Street Bridge Remembering the May 2, 1877 Lynching
I am excited about Santa Cruzans getting behind historical remembrances. Forgetting history is a theme that looms large in our country (slavery, Hay Market Square, Women’s participation in US science achievement, and national immigrant history). George Ow is behind a project to name the bridge going over the San Lorenzo River that spans from River Street to San Lorenzo Park, Chinatown Bridge. In addition, Councilmember Drew Glover has been working with locals to place a plaque on the Water Street Bridge “memorializing the May 2, 1877 lynching” of two men from this same place while also acknowledging the history of racial discrimination that’s taken place right here in the city of Santa Cruz. Whew! These are exciting times for teaching, learning, acknowledging, and understanding our own history.
The Bad
A Solution in Search of a Problem
On July 11th, I received by certified mail a copy of threatened litigation against the city if it does not “transition from at-large to district elections…” The letter states, “If the City Council does not adopt a resolution to this effect within 45 days from receipt of this letter, then a legal action will be commenced in California State Court (Santa Cruz County) to require the City of Santa Cruz to institute district elections pursuant to the CVRA” (California Voting Rights Act). This is real news folks! The letter does not indicate what exactly the problem is in Santa Cruz, nor if the system we now have in place is unjust and unfair, just that the author of the letter, Attorney Micah D. Fargey of Santa Barbara, believes “the City of Santa Cruz will be an even better and more representative city with district elections…” The council will take up the matter in closed session under the “threatened litigation” section of the Brown Act.
Small Cell Wireless Telecommunications Facilities in the Public Right of Way
Verizon and other cell companies, after steamrollering cell phone regulations through the Federal Communications Commission, is now putting the screws to local jurisdictions by forcing them to accept their cell towers and not be able to raise legitimate community health concerns. It’s all about the money, and communities across California are scrambling to figure out ways to thwart these invidious companies. Lowering appeals fees, lengthening the number of feet between the “small cell” facilities, and now, possibly making these companies adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).This may be a novel way for locals to get some control over the cell phone companies, at least until the federal government acts to reign them in and restores the rights of cities to make decisions over these companies and protect the community.
The Ugly
Six-month Work Plan
First, we might want to start off and ask why is the current city council work plan only for six months? Previous ones were two-years long. This only falls into “the ugly” category (apologies to Sergio Leone) because of the 35-page document in the city council’s agenda packet detailing what the city might do, could do, will do in the next six months. The workload is potentially enormous, grueling, and possibly contentious. Does this plan have at least Four Votes to carry on with the work outlined in the report? Perhaps the more contentious issues contained in the “City of Santa Cruz Six-Month Work Plan: July-December 2019” concern the notion of planning to plan, that is to further commercialize the municipal wharf; build a library-in-a-garage; carry on with the Metro mixed-use Affordable Housing Project; initiate Tax Measures in the Revenue subcommittee; hire a full-time person whose job would be to confront, publicize, and organize against further UCSC growth; send Golf Club Drive Plan to the Planning Commission for comments and action; and pass a housing “inclusionary” ordinance…remember that one! My recommendations for the highest and best use of staff time these next six months would be to carry out:
Collecting Rental Housing Data
Having planning Commission Review of General Plan’s policies related to Golf Club Drive
Developing a transitional encampment project charter, using Wise Democracy model
A City Council Study Session on housing
Hire the UCSC LRDP liaison person and let them hit the ground running!
Investigate cannabis on-site consumption practices as well as ownership transfers
Acquire a 24/7 homeless shelter and day center building or site
Consider strategic planning document submitted by Brown, Cummings, and Krohn
Send inclusionary Housing Ordinances to city council
Offering the city council “rental inspection options”
de-coupling the library from the garage
Beginning discussions on making the current farmer’s market location permanent
“$70,000 a minute. $4 million per hour. $100 million per day. That’s how much the Walton family, the richest family in the world, made last year. I say to the Walton family: No more excuses. Pay your workers a living wage—at least $15 an hour.” (Aug. 12)
(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.
I WANT A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL TRIAL, PLEASE.
How can it be fair that a judge would rule multiple times on a case, then disqualify himself after the last judgment that imposes hardship on the plaintiff? That is what I feel occurred last Friday in Judge John Gallagher’s court regarding my legal action against Soquel Creek Water District. He had done legal work for the District for 23 years before becoming a judge in this County. He voluntarily signed a Statement of Recusal in 2017 for a similar case, admitting “It would give the appearance of impropriety if I were to handle this case.” I discovered this Statement of Recusal only after he issued an Order that imposes a very compressed schedule upon me for submitting a Record of the evidence that is now 70,000 pages and will require printing and binding in nearly 90 binders. Judge Gallagher refused earlier to allow me to provide this voluminous Record in electronic form, and therefore i must submit it in hard copy. The attorney for the District has stipulated that all documents with color MUST be printed in color for the Record. This needlessly imposes form over function, and adds great expense.
I filed two motions on July 12: to disqualify Judge John Gallagher, and to vacate and set aside the Order he imposed, requesting a new Case Management Conference.
On August 8, 2019, Judge Gallagher issued the following tentative ruling:
LAW AND MOTION TENTATIVE RULINGS DATE: AUGUST 9, 2019 TIME: 8:30 A.M. Case No. 19CV00181 STEINBRUNER v SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT et al.
MOTION TO VACATE AND SET ASIDE ORDER, AND TO SET NE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
The motion is denied. Petitioner’s motion states that it is brought under CCP §§170.3(a). 170.4(c)(1), and 170.4(d). None of these code sections support Petitioner’s request that the court’s June 27, 2019 Order Following Case Management Conferences Setting Administrative Record Deadlines, Briefing Deadlines and Hearing Schedule be vacated or set aside. While CCP §170.4(c) provides for vacating orders made by a judge after a statement of disqualification has been filed, no statement of disqualification was filed prior to the court’s June 27, 2019 order.
As is required, I notified the Court and all parties by 4pm that I requested to present oral argument in Court on August 9.
On August 9, in Dept. 10 before Judge John Gallagher, I did so, outlining these issues:
I could not have filed a statement of disqualification prior to Judge Gallagher’s approval of the Proposed Order on June 26 because it was only on June 26 that I learned he had submitted a Statement of Recusal in 2017 regarding a similar case against Soquel Creek Water District (case 17CV00689). I did file an objection July 1 and asked for his disqualification. The time lapse was due to the necessity of my having to do legal research to support my action and create, serve and file the document.
The Proposed Order was filed by Respondents one day after Judge Gallagher issued the Minute Order, and Judge Gallagher signed it the very next day. This violated California Rule of Court 3.1312, which requires that I have five days to review the language of the Proposed Order before it is filed. Both Respondents and Judge Gallagher violated this Rule, and it now contains provisions that I cannot accommodate (electronic service as well as by mail, and a very compressed briefing schedule combined with undue hardship to meet the Court’s August 23 deadline to print and compile over 90 binders for an Administrative Record in hard copy).
Although Judge Gallagher was not required to issue a statement until August 9 regarding my motion to disqualify him (CCP 170.3) due to an error of the Court Clerk in my filing the motion initially, and my own misunderstanding of how to serve the moving papers to the Judge Gallagher, I asked that he vacate the Order that he issued because he should have, in fact, recused himself early on in the case, knowing that he had recused himself in 2017 from a case involving the same Respondents, Soquel Creek Water District.
I asked Judge Gallagher to vacate the Order to uphold my constitutional right to civil procedural due process, under the California State Constitution Article 6, Section 13, which I had brought my motion under, as well as CCP 170.3 and 170.4. I pointed out that his statement reqarding my motion for his disqualification was due August 9 (that same day), and for him to deny my motion to vacate the Order, then recuse himself afterward, either by statement or non-action, would constitute a miscarriage of justice and I would have been denied my due procedural process.
The entire time I was speaking, Judge Gallagher was looking down and never once met my gaze. At the conclusion of my argument, he looked up and simply said, “I am still inclined to deny your motion.” He offered no explanation, but asked Respondent’s Counsels, Michelle Ouellette of Best, Best & Krieger, and Robert Bosso, if they had any comment on my argument. Ms. Ouellette simply said “No, your Honor.”
Judge Gallagher then issued the judgment that the Order stayed. I twice objected, but Judge Gallagher kept speaking and ended with “Have a nice day.”
I then made one final statement that I was filing a Reply to Respondent’s Notice of Failure to File Reply and that the issues of the day’s argument were included in the document for entry into the Record. I stated that the fact that the Court is requiring the Administrative Record to be lodged in hard copy and would not accept an electronic copy is a hardship, that there will be over 15 large boxes containing 90 binders of material delivered to the Court. I asked that he do what he can to change this environmentally-degrading policy of the Santa Cruz County Court.
Judge Gallagher made no comment, other than “Have a nice day.”
Afterwards, I went with my daughter (she serves my documents) to serve the Reply to Respondent’s Notice of Failure to File Reply document on the two Real Parties of Interest who have not yet filed Statements of Non-Interest (City of Santa Cruz and Twin Lakes Baptist Church). I returned to the Court Clerk to file the document with the required Proof of Service.
The Clerk let me know that Judge Gallagher had filed a Statement of Recusal that morning, approximately 30 minutes after he denied my Motion to Vacate the Order. She also informed me that Judge Timothy Volkmann had assigned my case to Judge Schmal. I had earlier confirmed with the Court Clerk that because Judge Paul Burdick is the Presiding Judge for Santa Cruz County Court, but he is disqualified from involvement in my case, the Judicial Council would make the assignment for my case upon Judge Gallagher’s disqualification. The Clerk Supervisor said Judge Volkmann is the Assistant Presiding Judge and therefore made the assignment of my case.
Judge Timothy Schmal, in Dept. 2, is an arbiter of misdemeanors, and is not a CEQA judge. According to Trellis law, his expertise is in government tort liabilities, and landslide litigation, civil rights litigation, and construction-related litigation. In my motion to disqualify Judge John Gallagher, I asked the Court to assign my case to a judge qualified to hear CEQA cases, and a temporary judge from outside of Santa Cruz County.
I feel there has been, and may continue to be, a true miscarriage of justice regarding my case in Santa Cruz County Courts.
If you would like to help contribute to the cost of my legal action, which I am taking in Pro Per, and for public benefit, please send donations to
Becky Steinbruner 3441 Redwood Drive Aptos, CA 95003
or deposit in an account “Petition for Writ of Mandate” at Bay Federal Credit Union Account #33799357.
KA-CHING, KA-CHING, KA-CHING, KA-CHING!
If you are a Soquel Creek Water District ratepayer, you ought to know that your recent and very significant 9% rate increase WILL BE INCREASING 9% EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS TO PAY FOR THIS OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE AND UNNECESSARY “not-so-PUREWATER” SOQUEL PROJECT!
Soquel Creek Water District has an expensive plan to pressure-inject 1.3 million gallons / day of treated sewage water into the Purisima Aquifer that all people in the MidCounty area depend upon for clean drinking water. Many people like myself are opposed to the idea of possibly contaminating the aquifer, and would much rather see the District use the recycled water for surface irrigation of athletic fields at Cabrillo College, local schools, parks and greenways, and at the Seascape Golf Course. This would not only reduce groundwater pumping to supply those irrigation demands, but also reduce the exorbitant energy this PureWater Soquel Project would demand for wastewater treatment and three injection well sites, all remote from the treatment plant.
Write the Soquel Creek Water District Board and let them know your thoughts about these rate increases to pay for this Project.
Board of Directors bod@soquelcreekwater.org or
Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors
5180 Soquel Drive
Soquel, CA 95073
Letters must be submitted by 4 pm on the Wednesday before the scheduled Board meeting the following Tuesday in order to be included in the Board agenda packet, but you may submit late correspondence or simply had the letter to the Clerk at the meeting as you testify; your letter will be included in the minutes of the meeting for the record. However, it is always good to verify that your letter in fact does get included in the minutes because I am discovering that sometimes critical documents that people submit are excluded from the minutes of that meeting. Not only that, but sometimes an internal staff member alters the videos of the Board meetings so that there is no record of certain testimonies. Community Television, which does the video work, is aware that this happens but they state they have no control over what internal District staff does. Hmmmmmm…….
Attend the August 20 Board meeting at 6 pm in the Capitola City Council Chambers…get there early because the Chairman Tom LaHue tends to race through any opportunity for the public to speak, which often leaves those ratepayers who have never attended a Board meeting before sitting in the audience, wondering when it will be the appropriate time for them to speak. That happens often, and was blatant at the last meeting on July 16.
STOP OVER-BUILDING SANTA CRUZ!
This crazy frenzy is happening all over the County, but the City of Santa Cruz is about to change so substantially that the quality of life as we know it will vanish forever. Where is the infrastructure to support this madness???
Here is one opportunity to speak out:
Time To Get Active! A major new development is proposed, right across from the Dream Inn. The Planning Commission is going to consider the development at a meeting this coming Thursday, August 15, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. at the Santa Cruz City Hall. The artist’s fantasy is below. A picture of actual traffic follows that. Traffic is not the only problem! If you’d like to be involved, you can click this link to access information from the City Planning Commission. The complete agenda is available at the bottom of that page.
You can send a message to the Planning Commission by clicking this link!
I always think it is interesting that so few vehicles are ever shown in these artist renderings, don’t you???
WRITE ONE LETTER (AND MAKE A COPY TO KEEP!). 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.
If you would like to read an article titled, “Everything iPhone Users Need to Know About 5G Wireless,” please click that link. Just be aware that the article does NOT tell you “everything you need to know.”
This article, and many like it, emphasize the “Gee Whiz” aspects of this proposed new 5G technology. How about complete movies downloaded in seconds? How about autonomous cars?
Gee Whiz, Mr. Science, that 5G wireless sounds really keen!
What people have NOT been told about 5G wireless is that there are potential health impacts that have not been fully evaluated. Here is a link to an informative video, for those who want to learn more. Remember, you won’t find out about any of the potential problems from Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T!
Here is another thing. What people have NOT been told is that the federal government is attempting to prevent any local or state government from interfering with the upcoming rollout of this new 5G wireless technology.
On this coming Tuesday, August 13, 2019, the Santa Cruz City Council is slated to adopt an ordinance governing the installation of 5G wireless hot spots throughout the City of Santa Cruz, massively increasing the number of these radiation-emitting antennas in the local community, and allowing them to be placed not high above the ground, but at street level, where human exposure will be greatest (this is what the federal government requires, not necessarily what our local elected officials want).
Local activists, and particularly a group called called EMF-Aware-Santa Cruz, are trying to persuade the Council to impose the maximum controls possible, and to make it easy to appeal any grant of a permit for a 5G wireless installation. If you think that would be a good idea, and would like to communicate with the Council on this matter (and that’s encouraged), you can send an email to the City Council by clicking this link.
I continue to believe that the “precautionary principle” is the proper approach to proposed new technologies. That is not what is happening with the proposed rollout of 5G wireless. To the degree that our local government can stand up for the local community, as the federal government seeks to sweep possible objections under the rug, I’m in favor of local control! Those concerned can attend the City Council meeting Tuesday, or send the Council a message in advance!
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Check it out just below…another classic Subconscious Comic.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Extra superb taste” 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.
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 theme is Bach • Brahms • Massenet and it happens Thursday, August 15 from 12:10 – 12:50. It’s in the upstairs meeting room of the threatened Santa Cruz Public Library, Downtown Branch.
Emma Arulanantham on violin and Kumaran Arulanantham at the piano. They’ll play Partita No.2 in d minor BWV 1004 by Johann Sebastian Bach and Violin Sonata No.1 in G Major, Op.78 by Johannes Brahms and close with Meditation (from Thais) by Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet.Remember… it’s free and at the Santa Cruz Library
Central Branch Meeting Room upstairs.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Santa Cruz Shakespeare tackles one of the Bard’s lesser-known plays, The Winter’s Tale, with typical vitality, this week atLisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, return to an era when journalism mattered and a free press was cherished in the doc Mike Wallace Is Here, reviewed in this week’s Good Times.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
MIKE WALLACE IS HERE. A very insightful documentary about this major player in our USA news reporting history. A showman, actor and gadfly turned into a brilliant interviewer who changed the way we can become informed. Wallace fights depression, alcohol, drugs and media bosses to unearth truth and the nonsense behind many of our most famous faces. See it ASAP. You’ll appreciate whatever source of news you watch a lot more.
THEM THAT FOLLOW. This is an extra dramatic voyeuristic peek into the snake-handling Pentecostal hillbillies in Appalachia. It sheds no light on why these folks are like they are, or why we should care about their way of life. Olivia Colman does her best (and it’s good) to add depth to this drama. A big secret carries the movie three quarters of the way, but it’s not enough to make it worth your time or admission. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 15
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.
MAIDEN. A very significient tribute to women’s empowerment. With a well deserved 97 audience score and a 98 Rotten Tomato meter score you can be sure this documentary is very well worth watching. It’s the very detailed story and back story of how one woman gathered the all woman crew and won the Whitbread Round the World sailboat race in 1989. It’s also an example of a very well made documentary. With great camera work, and a super amount of tension it should be seen by anyone who cares about the arorementioned women’s empowerment.
YESTERDAY. Imagine if the entire world forgot who the Beatles were except for one pretty good guitarist and singer of Indian heritage. An excellent feel good movie that has a fun plot, the greatest Beatle songs and good acting. Go see it especially if you have forgotten how much those songs affected you when their albums were first released.
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing….and remembering.
LOST AND FOUND. This is a very unusual blend and criss cross of seven (7) different stories that take place in a small Irish town. Some of these stories work perfectly others will leave you cold. Many of the characters merge and blend into the next story. It is Irish humor, subtle, vague, slap happy and it works slowly on you…until you catch on. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 15
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. August 13 has Jane Mio talking about the San Lorenzo River, the issues, the birds, the events. She’s followed by activist Gillian Greensite discussing trees, UCSC Growth, and more community concerns. Bruce Van Allen will cover many area developments on August 20. Then Julie James alerts us to The Jewel Theatre’s exciting new season. The small intense Espressivo Orchestra’s new season is Michel Singher’s subject on August 26. On September 3 John Orlando talks about his Distinguished Artists 2019-2020 season. 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
Gotta love some standup…
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.
beaches
“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea”. Anne Morrow Lindbergh “I pass my time in the open air on the beach when it is really heavy weather or when the boats go out fishing”. Claude Monet “Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war”. Loren Eiseley
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BRATTON…Only In Santa Cruz, Goodbye Harry Woodward. GREENSITE…on proposed development at 190 West Cliff Drive. KROHN…Rent Control, NYC, developers boom time, sites specific stories. STEINBRUNER…Our high fire risk area, Mid-county groundwater issue, 5 story hotel for Capitola, Nisene Marks parking. PATTON…Are Democrats stupid? EAGAN…classic Sub Cons and Deep Covers. JENSEN…Into The Woods, Lost and Found. BRATTON…I critique Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Maiden, Lost and Found, The Farewell. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “August”
PACIFIC AVENUE & COOPER STREET. 1892. Once again we can see our iconic Town Clock in it’s original position, high atop the O.D.D. Fellows building. The classic building on the left is our Santa CruzCounty Court House. Also note the trolley tracks that a long-ago City Council allowed to be sacrificed to the automobile.
ONLY IN SANTA CRUZ. The longer you live in Santa Cruz, the more local events strike you as meaningful. We’ve got the world famous Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music opening. We’ve got events going every which way. We now have the Gilroy Garlic Festival disaster to bring fear even closer. Chris Krohn adds a shortened list just below, of developers’ projects designed to exclude so many of our friends from staying here. UCSC is adding so many new students, and they will need so much by way of space and attention that we’ll all pay for it. The City Council recall goes on, dividing our progressives vs. home owners who fear for their investments. Bittersweet moments — and only in Santa Cruz.
FAREWELL HARRY WOODWARD. Such a kind heart, so sharing with his music, HarryWoodward left all of us with memories of some really great times. His playing with Warmth, his singing, plus the way he had with a nutty sense of humor. He’ll be missed even more as time goes by.
July 29
FACTA NON VERBA
All public schools in Australia have a Latin motto: a different one for each school. My high school’s motto is Facta Non Verba, which translates to Deeds Not Words. It’s not what you say it’s what you do that counts.
This motto can be well applied to the planning and approval process for development projects in the city of Santa Cruz. The city’s General Plan states the need for proposed developments to be compatible with surrounding established neighborhoods. When plans are drawn up and projects approved, the results show the opposite: a lack of attention for the impacts of projects that are out of scale, out of harmony, out of balance with the modest single family neighborhoods that they then dominate. A few crumbs are scattered around, maybe a color change here, or a higher wall there, so the decision-makers don’t look completely indifferent or in violation of the General Plan but overall, it’s a big developers’ banquet table at city hall.
Open space view from West Cliff Bay St. intersection: to be lost.
Developers rendition from Bay St.: using figures in foreground to minimize scale of the project
The new proposed development at West Cliff and Bay Streets (190 West Cliff) has finally reached the two- step process for approval: first the Planning Commission and then City Council. The Planning Commission meeting is set for 7pm on Thursday August 15th. I’m saddened at the prospect of losing yet another vista of the mountains to the sea (see photo) and the boxing in of West Cliff Drive with a 4-story structure, let alone the increase in traffic and the transformation of our once small town into a playground for the rich. If you want a comparison for scale, Walnut Commons, a 3-story structure across from the downtown fire station has 19 condominiums; 555 Pacific, near the first roundabout and recently built, has 94 luxury units ranging in price from $2,500 to $3,000 a month depending on square footage with the lower price being for a 440 square foot unit. This new West Cliff development is planned for 89 units so you know it won’t be small.
To be fair, the white 3 story condos on the other side of Bay St. are also out of scale, foisted on the surrounding neighborhood a few decades ago. I argued against the scale and impact of that project at that time but a progressive city council approved it. They justified it as providing a “buffer” from West Cliff Drive for the adjacent neighborhood. I guess one person’s buffer is another person’s loss of view and privacy.
The major losers, should the 190 West Cliff Development be approved will be the residents of the low-income trailer court directly behind the proposed 4 story development. Ironically named “Clearview Court” the only clear view remaining for the trailer park neighbors will be that of the backside of 89 high- rise condos. One of the aspects of Santa Cruz that I have always appreciated is the existence of modest, low impact, low- income trailer parks that house lower income workers or retirees. How long before the Clearview Court trailer park property owner decides the lure of big development money is too hot to resist? Developing the Dream Inn parking lot into luxury condos is a step in that direction.
Some planning commissioners and city council members may have a problem turning the project down, since the developer is asking for no variances, is meeting inclusionary requirements (15% below market rate) and the Zoning for that section supports development. However, similar to the General Plan, the actual language of the Zoning Code under Purpose 24.10.617.1 states: The purpose of the Zoning is “toestablish and control uses to ensure development that protects neighborhood integrity while supporting appropriate uses.” Is this just verba? Where’s the facta to match the verba? For the past year, neighbors, including but not limited to those living at Clearview Court, have said loudly and clearly that the project is too massive and given the size, the impacts too negative. This has become a rallying cry for neighbors on the eastside as well as the westside and downtown. We are not against all development: we are against high-priced, big scale developments that overwhelm the character, human-scale and the uniqueness of the various Santa Cruz long-time neighborhoods.
If the city followed my high-school motto: Facta Non Verba, this development would be sent back to the drawing board to respond to the neighborhood’s calls for protection which is codified in the Zoning but so far has been given only lip service.
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.
July 29
WHO’S SANTA CRUZ and WHOSE SANTA CRUZ IS IT?
It Really Has Become All About Housing and Who Gets to Live Here
Visiting my daughter in New York City recently really hit home about what we are up against in Santa Cruz. In NYC, there are two kinds of rent control, and then there are “free market” rents. Most of what is getting built in “The City” is market-rate development similar to here, “show me the money.” What I’ve been finding anecdotally, is that many New Yorkers who reside in rent-controlled units often don’t know it and end up paying market-rate rents until they discover the discrepancy. While I was visiting, my daughter received a rent increase notice. She lives with two roommates and they pay $4400 per month–$1467 each–for a 3-bedroom apartment in what’s known as Alphabet City, a part of Manhattan. The rent increase was for $800, an 18% increase and came a month before their lease was to end. They have no idea who the owner is, just a nameless faceless corporation. When their heat went off for a month last year in the middle of winter they had to fight hard to receive any back rent. With this new rent demand, they knew they would not stay. For $5100, 3-bedroom apartment in NYC there are three important criteria needed (all new to me): close to the subway, an elevator, and a laundry room. Their apartment has none of these. As a creeping panic set in the three professional women with very good salaries scrambled. After looking at five places they found one in still uber-trendy Williamsburg. OnceTHE place for young people looking to make their way in NYC, it is fast being played out and many are now looking for that edgy art and culture thing elsewhere (ring a bell?)perhaps deeper into the borough of Brooklyn. All three work in Manhattan and Williamsburg is only one-stop on the L Train across the East River. They sort of lucked out since they were three professional women looking, and their application was one of twelve submitted.The big difference besides being near the subway and cheaper, the owner lives next door. No corporate management firm to interface for those owners who are only looking to maximize profit. I bring this story up only because the notion of community is big part of what tenants are looking for too. Now, let’s go visit Santa Cruz.
Cha-Ching!
The 12 years preceding the 2016 city council election were years of real estate good times,which presaged a developer bonanza-BOOM. It was a timethat witnessed a distinct shift in Santa Cruz political culture, one that turned away from no-growth and slow-growth pro-environment policies towards an embrace of market-rate development for wealthier folks who do not yet live here. Mantras were born: all housing is equal, and any housing is good housing. And so, a sign was slowly coming into view on Highway 1 just north of Schaffer Road and on Ocean Street too, just south of Highway 17. That sign now reads: Santa Cruz for Sale, Market-Rate Developers Come on in! First came the Broadway Hyatt hotel, then 555 and 1547 PacificAve.condo projects (no affordable rental units), and the 151-room Marriot took shape during these years and is now almost completed.This is not to mention the once affordable apartments that are now gone at the La Bahia site on Beach Street. They have found a hotel developer that will build soon. In fact, the Boardwalk’s nemesis to that project for so many years, a veteran Santa Cruz activist, is now moving to New Mexico (go figure!) having lost this battle for a community-oriented, saner project that would’ve placed historic preservation and lower rents front and center.
The New Normal (unless the community organizes for real affordable housing…)
So now, let’s turn to chapter 2 in the once politically unlikely, Surf City Development Boom.I write “political” because so often these same developers need variances, parking spaces, and city infrastructure improvements. The city council, acting as an agent for residents given the representative government we have, can get a better deal, simply say, no deal!, if the developers are not willing give up significant concessions in order to build here. So, what’s on the table as we look out on the next 3-5 years? Thanks for asking. It ain’t pretty if you are a teacher, barista, electrician, or student looking for something affordable in this town.
190 West Cliff Drive
This project is being pitched by Tyson Sales. He’s quite a pitchman too. After an earlier and well-attended public meeting kind of got messy, too many questions and not enough answers, he is pressing ahead with this 89-condo shopping center project across West Cliff from the Dream Inn on West Cliff at Bay Street. As you might imagine, neighbors ain’t too happy. It appears the project will adhere to the 15% affordable housing city policy, but that will leave 85% unaffordable units likely destined for the second home crowd, or sucking from the over-the-hill tech bubble. Lots of Google, Amazon, and Apple buses are already traversing Pacific Avenue. Look for their routes to incorporate West Cliff if this project goes in. The proposed traffic light at Bay, large buildings overshadowing the folks at Clearview Court mobile home park next door, and bringing retail above Pacific Avenue all appear to be flies in the development ointment. Stay real tuned: it should be going to the Planning Commission for approval sometime in August.
908 Ocean Street
Wow! This will be the mother (father?) of all development projects being proposed for Santa Cruz. It’s a 333-unit project planned for Ocean Street between Water Street and Marianne’s ice cream. (The developer did promise to relocate the venerable Marianne’s.) The project’s development group has quietly assembled 19 parcels and plan to construct a 281,854 sq. ft. of “mixed use development with approximately 5,944 sq. ft. of commercial space…” The rub with this development is that it is called an SOU project, meaning “Small Ownership Units.” It’s never been done here before and it sounds like a project catering to tech workers. Of course, some might argue that the Santa Cruz tech sector is growing and perhaps this might satisfy that growth. Again, stay tuned, try to stay woke, and don’t mourn, organize.
Front Street and Soquel Avenue
This is a Barry Swenson project at the corner of Soquel and Front Street. It was originally talked about as being a boutique hotel, but has since morphed into a 6-story 170 apartment units rental project. Fifty-eight percent of the units from what I understand are planned to be studios (600sq. ft.) and “micro-studios” (400 sq. ft.). As yet, not a family-oriented 3-bedroom among any of the units. If state density bonuses are applied for and approved, this project could get higher and add 40-50 more units. They also need a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to fill in the ditch that separates property from the San Lorenzo River bike path.
“Front and Riverfront Apartments”
This project will bring another 175 units, 20 affordable and 155 unaffordable, to the downtown across from the Metro station. This project also appears to require permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to fill in the ditch area that separates the river side of the property and might result in another modern-esque, 7-story behemoth shadowing the river and the bike path. (Whatever happened to Spanish colonial revival?)
205-unit project at Laurel and Pacific Ave
This Owen Lawlor-Devcon project was approved by the last council on a 5-2 vote. Councilmember Sandy Brown and I voted no because it lacks any affordable units within the project and therefore, yields to the community 205 unaffordable rentals. It is currently mired in litigation because it is out of compliance with the city’s 15% inclusionary ordinance according to those suing. The developers argue that they are “giving” the city the old Tampico’s site in order to comply with the 15% rule, but it may be insufficient given the cost and length of time it would take the city to move a project forward.
1900 Ocean St. Extension
This project, not well-received by neighbors, appears to be on hold because of neighborhood objections. It will contain mostly unaffordable “residential” condos. Originally proposed at 40 units, it was brought down to 32 by the previous council on another 5-2 vote (Brown and Krohn objecting, mostly because of the unaffordability of units to locals and also the proximity to the venerable Santa Cruz Memorial Cemetery’s chapel.) What we know for now according to the Planning Dept. web site is that public comment period ended on July 7th…and now “the Community Development Director (Lee Butler) will take the public’s input into consideration in rendering a decision…”
Addendum Please, do not take my word as the last one on any of these projects. Go to the Planning Dept.’s web page to see them for yourself. There is one affordable project taking shape on Jessie Street and anther at 350 Ocean Street. Both projects are needed and could offer some relief to renters. To paraphrase the French philosopher Albert Camus, I would like to support well-designed affordable housing and still love my government. As currently planned not very attractive. Low income housing does not have to be ugly. I’m confident we can get a better design for Mid-Peninsula’s project at 314 Jessie. It will be entirely affordable and that is wonderful. I have yet to see the 350 Ocean project. There’s much more on that city web site that I will take up in a future column, but at the end of the day, if the developers are to have their way and spend down our collective Santa Cruz seed corn, those of us who can afford to stay are witnessing an unprecedented era of market-rate apartment growth. If on the other hand, the voters of Santa Cruz push and prod their elected representatives into building only affordable housing until we’ve caught up with all the market-rate crapola that’s gone up; if residents stand up and demand a couple of hundred affordable units at the two major sites the city owns; if we stand up and say no parking garage, leave the Farmer’s Market where it is, and remodel the library at its current site on Church Street, then we will have a town of, by, and for the folks who reside here. Of course, we cannot take our eyes off the university growth machine for a single moment. The U is bringing in students much faster than we can build housing. In addition to scrutinizing all of the above projects, we must demand that UCSC sticks to the 2020 Long Range Development Plan. In other words, 19,500 students y no mas!
“Yes. People think of leadership as this glamorous, powerful thing. To be a leader is to come first, to set the agenda. But what people don’t realize is that leadership is also enormously difficult. Leadership is a responsibility. Leadership is not fun. Leadership is about doing things before anybody else does them. Leadership is about taking risks. Leadership is about taking decisions when you don’t know 100% of what the outcome is going to be.” (Guardian newspaper,)
(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.
NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF RURAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IS IN HIGH-RISK FIRE ZONE
That information is quite amazing, but coincides with the significant number of people who raised their hands when asked during the State Insurance Compliance Officer, Peter Meza’s, presentations last week if their homeowner insurance policies were cancelled or whose rates had increased. Many reported that they had been dropped and that the new carrier charged four or five times more than what they had been paying. Some real estate agents in the audience reported they were having difficulty selling rural properties, because the new buyers could not afford the cost of the newly-written policies.
This is a big problem in many areas of California. The State Insurance Commission investigated the issue and released a report in 2017, updating the Appendix D data showing an increase of 573% increase between 2010 and 2018 in policy drops for properties statewide, with 73% of those occurring in high-risk fire areas. The number of complaints regarding unreasonable premium increases rose 224% statewide with 63% of those complaints occurring in counties designated high-risk for fire. Here is the State Insurance Commission website; the excellent Report and updated Appendix D are under “Fire-Related Reports”.
Mr. Meza recommended that anyone receiving notice of non-renewal or significant policy premium increases should file a complaint with the State Insurance Commissioner so that better data can be collected to support legislation to help solve this critical problem.
He also recommended contacting the Ombudsman:
Office of the Ombudsman
The Ombudsman’s primary function is to ensure the Department provides the highest level of customer service to our consumers, insurers, agents, brokers, and public officials. The Ombudsman is responsible for ensuring that complaints about Department staff or actions receive full and impartial review.
California Department of Insurance
Office of the Ombudsman
300 Capitol Mall, Suite 1600
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-492-3545
Fax Number: 916-492-3649
E-mail: Office of the Ombudsman
You can soon view Mr. Meza’s presentation to the audience attending the July 23 evening session at the County Government Building when it is posted on the Fire Safe Santa Cruz website.
SANTA CRUZ MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN NOW OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
The Plan for how much water you might be limited to using and how much you might be required to pay for it is now open for public comment. I urge anyone who gets water from the Santa Cruz Water Dept., Soquel Creek Water District , Central Water District, a small water company or a private well to read as much of this document as possible and submit your comments and/questions. You must do so in writing and here is the link to that information as well as the Plan
As I reported last week here, there is a well-crafted plan to assess ALL BASIN USERS by 2025, and the MidCounty Groundwater Agency administration budget could be $1million/year…for what? Administration and reporting regarding all the criteria to prove that the Plan that is heavily-biased toward support of Soquel Creek Water District’s plan to injected millions of gallons of treated sewage water into the aquifer will actually fit the hypothetical model that the District has pretty much bought and paid for. Hmmm… It smells like a lot of money and resume-building prestige, doesn’t it?
Here is a letter to the Santa Cruz Sentinel editor on the matter:
“Well, Barry Swenson Builders is at it again. But this time it’s even bigger. Nine years ago Swenson approached the City of Capitola with plans for a 72-unit hotel. They were told in no uncertain terms that was too big. Forward to 2019. We are now looking at plans for an 89 unit hotel. Never mind that the city just finished the new general plan a couple of years ago. That was after many public hearings and considerable discussion at the Planning Commission and City Council about size and scale. It was codified that any development on the property owned by Swenson be of size and scale appropriate with the village’s quaint size and scale. I’m not sure what the powers that be at Swenson don’t appreciate about how passionate the citizens of Capitola are about the village, but obviously they don’t seem to care”— Bruce Arthur, Capitola
What about traffic? What about water? What about conforming with the scale and character of the neighborhood? What about the parking lot deal that would gobble up 25-50 parking spaces in the nearby municipal lot that serves the public needs for meetings at the City Council Chambers or events at the beach?
How ironic that Capitola was just voted high on the list of quaint small-town-feel places to visit in the U.S.
NO PARKING IN NISENE MARKS STATE PARK…YET AGAIN
Once again, the sign went up on Aptos Creek Road last Saturday to warn park visitors “Parking Full”. That has happened numerous times since the Aptos Village Project developers fenced off the dirt parking lot that people have been using for decades to park and run or bike into the Park. It was also where the large Great American Music event used to stage their equipment trailers for the popular event in Aptos Village Park, but closed the event when the parking lot went away. Traffic was gridlocked in the Aptos Village most of the weekend. Contact the elected leader for the area and let him know your thoughts:
“PUT ON YOUR TINFOIL HAT”
That is what the lady at the new Aptos Village Safety Center told me to do when I stopped in to report a suspicious person and vehicle in my rural community that had just experienced multiple vehicle break-ins and theft. The vehicle and its license number had been reported to the emergency dispatch, but no sheriff deputy responded. I asked if she could find out from dispatch if a deputy were en route? NO, she said. I asked if I could borrow a phone to call 911 to give updated critical information about the suspicious person? NO, she said. That’s when she told me “You should put on your tinfoil hat when you do this.”
Wow. Stunned, i explained that it really was just a Neighborhood Watch Program at work, and left. So much for the new 3220 SF Aptos Village Public Safety Center, paid for by our Measure G sales tax money. Supervisor Zach Friend must really enjoy his quiet new office space there.
MAKE ONE CALL. WRITE ONE LETTER. 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.
The picture on the right, from the first Democratic Party 2020 Primary Debate, was used to illustrate a recent article. The headline on the article asked this question: “Are Democrats too stupid to beat Donald Trump?”
You can probably figure out the thesis of the article, without having to read it, but I will provide you with an excerpt, below, to make clear why the author thinks, as Thomas Friedman so poignantly put it: “Trump’s Going to Get Re-elected, Isn’t He?”
Trump is not looking at potentially winning 49 states. He’s looking at trying to win twice while losing the popular vote.
But he does have a strategy and the strategy is correctly calibrated for the task at hand. He must racialize the electorate to maximize his vote in heavily-white communities and tap a wedge in between the urban and suburban Democrats so that the latter will defect in sufficient numbers for him to recover his losses. His problem is that efforts to maximize his white vote actually have the effect of pushing urban and suburban Democrats into a closer alliance. For this reason, he will fail unless the Democrats help ramp up his base numbers and depress their own.
This is where policies like free health care for undocumented people or abolishing all private health insurance are going to do damage. These things are not popular in general and are especially unpopular with the Democrats’ suburban base. A lot of the Democrats’ rhetoric on border issues is toxic not just in the sticks but also in the communities ringing our cities.
So, yes, the Democrats really could blow this election by running a non-strategic campaign based on abstract values against a campaign that is laser-focused on just the voters it needs to win.
An article in The Nation, “Pelosi Proves Triangulation Is Really Self-Strangulation,” advances an argument not unlike Longman’s argument, though reflecting a different priority. Both articles suggest that “the Democrats” must be united in how the party presents itself. All the bad feelings among Democrats in the Congress (and among their various supporters, in mutually warring camps throughout the country) have been generated by angst about whether the party can in fact unify its approach, and can forge a common understanding about what the Democratic Party should stand for, and about what position(s) will help the Democrats win the presidency.
Both Longman and The Nation are suggesting that “the Democrats” will be divided, going into the 2020 presidential election, and that the result will be the reelection of Donald Trump, even though it is pretty clear that a majority of the voters in the country would rather have someone else. The way the campaign is shaping up, it’s a “person,” Donald Trump, against a party, “the Democrats.”
I would like to point out that this is actually quite weird, when you consider that the United States of America does not have a parlimentary system, in which voters vote for the party, and the party leadership decides who the candidates will be in the various constituencies. That is not the way it is supposed to be on this side of the Atlantic.
Supposedly, voters in the various Congressional Districts (as to the House of Representatives) and in the various states (as to the Senate) vote for individual candidates, not the party with which a particular candidate may decide to identify. Our nation is very diverse. The voters in the Ocasio-Cortez District, in the Bronx, are quite different from the voters in San Mateo County, to take an example close to my home in Santa Cruz. The voters in San Mateo County have elected Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier to Congress. Query whether they would elect AOC. However, all these women are “Democrats.” So is Nancy Pelosi, by the way, and she and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are having a hard time getting along, as the article in The Nation explictly notes.
I would like to suggest that “the Democrats” have a whole lot of different ideas about the way things ought to be, and that this is just fine. Let’s celebrate the different views, but get them attributed correctly. Members of Congress should represent and speak for their constituents and themselves, not some sort of unified party position. The legislative branch of government needs to be policy-focused, not party-focused.
Make the president win re-election, if he can, running against an individual candidate, not “the Democrats.”
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Love and other hidden desires grace the seasoned Subconscious Comics and Tim’s focus. See below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Deep Cover”down a few pages. Now you’ll find a classic Deep Cover,from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.
THE CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Now in its 57th year the festival is beyond any doubt Santa Cruz’s finest and most famous contribution to the world’s culture. With free and open orchestra rehearsals that started Saturday July 28, a community night when you can pay what you wish, orchestra players from all over the earth…it’s huge, and still friendly and casual. There’s also more woman centered music this year. There are six main concerts Aug.2-4, and Aug. 8-11. Look them up at CABRILLOMUSIC.ORG
“Find out why Cabrillo Stage’s splendid new production of Into The Woods is everything an audience could wish for, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, catch up with the wry little Irish sleeper comedy Lost & Found, and read my review in this week’s Good Times!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. The more movies you’ve seen during your lifetime, the more you’ll like Quentin Tarantino’s latest. With Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio as the leads — and it all happening in L.A. in 1969 — it almost can’t miss. Slightly undercutting the cuteness of the relationship between Pitt and DiCaprio is the fact that the film ends with the Manson Family killings of Sharon Tate, and four others at the house that she shared with her husband, Roman Polanski. Add Al Pacino for about two minutes, and you’ll be forced to like it.
MAIDEN. A very significient tribute to women’s empowerment. With a well-deserved 97 audience score, and a 98 Rotten Tomato meter score, you can be sure this documentary is worth watching. It’s the very detailed story and back story of how one woman gathered an all-woman crew and won the Whitbread Round the World sailboat race in 1989. It’s also simply an example of a very well-made documentary. With great camera work, and a super amount of tension, it should be seen by anyone who cares about women’s empowerment.
LOST AND FOUND. This is a very unusual blend and criss cross of seven (7) different stories that take place in a small Irish town. Some work perfectly, others will leave you cold. Many of the characters merge and blend into the next story. It is Irish humor, subtle, vague, slap-happy and it works slowly on you…until you catch on.
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian, and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, features superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing…and remembering.
THE ART OF SELF DEFENSE. Jesse Eisenberg has always been good in the roles he’s featured in. This time the movie and he seem to be terribly confused. It’s been labeled a comedy yet the amount of pain, suffering, terror, fright, plus daily fear and a lack of laughs could make you wince as you watch Jesse get thrashed over and over again. Some critics have seen it as a parody on masculinity but I had few if any laughs while I watched it. It earned an audience score of 66 on Rotten Tomatoes.
YESTERDAY. Imagine if the entire world forgot who the Beatles were except for one pretty good guitarist and singer of Indian heritage. An excellent feel good movie that has a fun plot, the greatest Beatle songs and good acting. Go see it especially if you have forgotten how much those songs affected you when their albums were first released.
ECHO IN THE CANYON. Grand memories of the 1960’s popular music scene. Jakob Dylan (Bob’s son) and singer with the Wallflowers produced this documentary but is a full dud on screen. It’s also a huge tribute to the Beachboys and what they added to our culture. See it quickly. CLOSES THURSDAY JULY 31.
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO. An excellent, touching film about two close buddies who face the changing city…and the world. Great footage of THE CITY and a story that will have you thinking about it for days or longer. It’s the story of love of an old San Francisco house, and everything that surrounds it. Don’t miss it. ps. Lisa Jensen tells me that the director Joe Talbot is 1940’s-50’s movie star, bad guy Lyle Talbot’s grandson. . CLOSES THURSDAY JULY 31.
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. . Dr. Rachel Abrams guests on July 30 to talk about her books and new workshops. She’ll be followed by Susanna Waddell from the Pajaro Valley Arts organization who will discuss their exhibits and current events. 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
Check out all the different ways you can lace your shoes! 🙂
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. “AUGUST” “Woodstock happened in August 1969, long before the Internet and mobile phones made it possible to communicate instantly with anyone, anywhere. It was a time when we weren’t able to witness world events or the horrors of war live on 24-hour news channels”. Richie Havens “The pleasure of jogging and running is rather like that of wearing a fur coat in Texas in August: the true joy comes in being able to take the damn thing off”. Joseph Epstein “One day you discover you are alive. Explosion! Concussion! Illumination! Delight! You laugh, you dance around, you shout. But, not long after, the sun goes out. Snow falls, but no one sees it, on an August noon.”
? Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine
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!!
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BRATTON…IndyBay’s take on Stop the Recall, Protests on Mauna Kea and UCSC’s role, Democracy and our Recall, goodbye Anglo Grova. GREENSITE…on What Price Tourism? KROHN…is off this week — he will return next week. STEINBRUNER…PATTON…and Public Opinion. EAGAN…classic SubCons and Deep Cover. JENSEN…Reviews The Art Of Self Defense. BRATTON…I critique The Art Of Self Defense. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES… “Statues”
CAPITOLA BY THE SEA. The best photo date I can figure from Carolyn Swift’s book is 1928. The Capitola Hotel as shown above opened in 1895. Back then an electric railway ran from Capitola to Santa Cruz.
STOP THE RECALL NEWS re. INDY BAY. It was Santa Cruz Indy Bay’s July 11th issue that reported this revealing and somewhat surprising story. Thanks are due from all of us…read on…they list “multiple businesses are publicly supporting Santa Cruz United and the recall effort, including: Surf City Barber Shop, Union Foodie Truck, Stockwell Cellars, KSCO and Brooks Properties”. There are many more names and businesses and politicians listed here.
MAUNA KEA, Part 1. Thousands of Hawaiians are currently protesting the continuing development of enormous telescopes on the big island of Hawaii. Our media has done almost nothing to tell us of the inhumane and unrespecting treatment the governing management is responsible for. To make some sense of what the protests are fighting for, consider for a minute your reaction if, say, Google had plans to erect the world’s largest cell tower in the heart of our Arlington National Cemetery or the Golden Gate national Cemetery. I talked with Ruben Carrillo — the son of Eduardo Carrillo, the famed painter who taught at UCSC and painted that three dimensional Jesus painting in the hallway in our downtown. Ruben lives and works in Honolulu as a photographer, and follows the Mauna Kea protest closely.
MAUNA KEA PART 2. UCSC is heavily involved in the growing groups of telescopes. From a UCSC publication: “A leading astronomer at UC Santa Cruz hailed the selection of Mauna Kea in Hawaii as the site for construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT), which will be the largest and most advanced telescope ever built.
“This is exciting, because it means we can move into the next phase of the project,” said Michael Bolte, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC and director of University of California Observatories. UCSC is a managing partner of the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, which houses the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes, the twin 10-meter Keck I and Keck II Telescopes.
“The TMT will be a great discovery machine,” added Bolte, who has been active in the planning and design of the TMT and is on the TMT Board of Directors. “I’m sure we’ll find things nobody ever thought existed in the universe.”
With the TMT, astronomers will be able to analyze the light from the first stars born after the Big Bang, directly observe the formation and evolution of galaxies, see planets around nearby stars, and make observations that test fundamental laws of physics. Jerry Nelson, professor of astronomy at UCSC, is the TMT project scientist.
Building the telescope on Mauna Kea–which is home to many of the world’s leading observatories and more than a dozen telescopes–will foster scientific collaboration, said Bolte. “Because the TMT partners operate existing observatories at Mauna Kea, it will be possible to integrate our planning much better in terms of scientific programs, the instruments we build, and possibly even sharing key technical staff,” he said.
MAUNA KEA. PART 3. The size and plans of the telescope’s footprint.
From Wikipedia…As of 2012, the Mauna Kea Science Reserve has 13 observation facilities, each funded by as many as 11 countries. It is one of the world’s premier observatories for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy, and in 2009 was the largest measured by light gathering power.[14] There are nine telescopes working in the visible and infrared spectrum, three in the submillimeter spectrum, and one in the radio spectrum, with mirrors or dishes ranging from 0.9 to 25 m (3 to 82 ft).[15] In comparison, the Hubble Space Telescope has a 2.4 m (7.9 ft) mirror, similar in size to the UH88, now the second smallest telescope on the mountain.[15] Planned new telescopes, including the Thirty Meter Telescope, have attracted controversy due to their potential cultural and ecological impact.[16][17] The multi-telescope “outrigger” extension to the Keck telescopes, which required new sites, was eventually canceled.[18] Three or four of the mountain’s 13 existing telescopes must be dismantled over the next decade with the TMT proposal to be the last area on Mauna Kea on which any telescope would ever be built.[19] A leading astronomer at UC Santa Cruz hailed the selection of Mauna Kea in Hawaii as the site for construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT), which will be the largest and most advanced telescope ever built.
Building the telescope on Mauna Kea–which is home to many of the world’s leading observatories and more than a dozen telescopes–will foster scientific collaboration, said Bolte. “Because the TMT partners operate existing observatories at Mauna Kea, it will be possible to integrate our planning much better in terms of scientific programs, the instruments we build, and possibly even sharing key technical staff,” he said.
What can we do about this? Keep informed; go to the Facebook page “Manaikaleo”. We can also wonder about UC’s so-called financial problem. Check the links above, and learn about another site in Chile.
DEMOCRACY AND CITY COUNCIL RECALL. A seriously-involved friend and Santa Cruzan asked to have the following published from an anonymous “voice of reason”. Very happy to oblige.
Is it “democratic” to attempt to recall two City Council members in one fell swoop?
A Santa Cruz Sentinel letter-to-the-editor writer, name of Sean Livingston, says the recall definitely is democratic, unselfconsciously citing a general reference in an on-line dictionary. This is typical of the lowbrow reactionary element pushing recall petitions in Santa Cruz. Anybody who has ever published a university thesis, or even a passing high school research paper, would know better than to cite a single unauthoritative source when opining on a complex socio-political issue.
Livingston does touch one of his group’s talking points though, reciting the formula, “the recall is designed to ensure that an elected official will act in the interests of his constituency rather than in the interests of his political party or according to his own conscience.”
The recall backers say they are a constituency who ought to be able to remove City Council members Glover and Krohn from office because they disagree with them. They say every City Council member has to act in the interests of all residents, especially including them. Meanwhile, they feel there is a “war” being waged against them by another faction in the body politic, which elected Krohn and Glover. Ergo, a large number of us do not agree with them, either about the “war” or the recall.
I’m pretty sure that not one of the recall backers voted for Krohn or Glover. Most likely, they voted for other candidates, who lost. But the recall crowd’s present scapegoats were nonetheless duly elected by winning pluralities in recent elections. They were elected by constituents whose interests are aligned with theirs, and whom the recall backers consider enemies. The factions that opposed Krohn and Glover in their election campaigns are not their constituents in a political sense. They are instead, perhaps, constituents of three other City Council members, and they are a minority group in the electorate. The electorate is in fact sharply divided by conflicting socio-economic interests, and so is the City Council.
So, to claim a constitutional warrant for attempting to cause a recall election now is really pretty disingenuous. Just because a political power grab is possible doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.
In fact, it is the wrong thing to do. It would seek to overturn two recent legitimate elections and overthrow a duly elected local government. It is anti-democratic in that sense. Don’t do it.
Don’t sign the recall petitions.
MISSING ANGELO GROVA. Angelo Grova gave so much to our community, and we’ve started to appreciate just how much during forced pulling back lately to handle his illness. He created the once annual FashionArt Show at the Civic, he taught hundreds of UCSC students sculpture and painting… and he maintained one of the happiest, outgoing personalities I’ve ever known.
July 22
WHAT PRICE TOURISM?
On a cool Sunday afternoon I crawl along Center St. with beach bound traffic backed up from Laurel to the first roundabout. I am going home. Most are visitors from far away, coming to the beach, Boardwalk and other attractions of the brand, Santa Cruz. The half-mile takes 20 minutes. I could have walked while they could not. To pass the time I think about the insanity of directing beach tourist traffic onto the route used by locals to get to the westside, past two roundabouts, which are gridlocked, past the wharf entrance, creeping onto Beach Street and then to the Boardwalk parking entrance when a back entrance to the Boardwalk parking lot makes commonsense. I know the reasoning since I’ve heard it articulated by city staff and tourist- focused council members: “this will connect tourists to downtown!” No it won’t. It never has and it never will. The beach-going tourists are a different demographic from the downtown seeking ones. Maybe the latter don’t like sand in their toes or maybe they are from higher income levels. Downtown is ever changing to attract tourists with money, perhaps a reflection of the ever-increasing rents charged to businesses by property owners.
Many don’t realize, as I didn’t, that the people who own business property in Santa Cruz are on the whole not the same people as those who own local businesses. If you pay attention, you will notice how many of our long-time, small local businesses are going out of business. Why is that? If you ask, the most common reason is that the property owner, often located in a different county, is raising the rent to a level unaffordable for long-time, local businesses. In their place, chains or businesses catering to a wealthier clientele are solicited. The catalyst is the re-zoning approved by recently past city councils allowing for a higher, denser, more affluent town. Their various Development Plans (Corridors; Downtown) outline plans for outreach to business property owners to facilitate the selling of individual properties to permit increased size, consolidation and up scaling. This spells the end for small local businesses on Pacific and Front Streets, Soquel and Mission, Ocean and Water. Can the Municipal Wharf be far behind?
It was in this context that the article in the Sentinel (7/22/19) titled ” Capitola named one of the nation’s least spoiled vacation spots” caught my eye. According to the article, “an unspoiled vacation spot is defined as a place that doesn’t cater only to tourists but maintains its reputation and spirit.” Capitola ranked 4th in the country. Highlighted was that Capitola Village has “maintained its spirit the last 50 to 100 years; primarily occupied by locally-owned businesses…and no chain stores.”
Maybe there’s a lesson here for the city of Santa Cruz. A survey of locals with the question: “Do you think the city of Santa Cruz caters more to tourists than locals?” would, in my estimation receive an overwhelming “yes!” There are some standouts for locals such as programs from Parks and Recreation but the sway and direction is catering to higher-income tourists in order to make more money. For whom? Some will argue it trickles down to the city to pay for essential services but tourists put a strain on essential services from water to garbage to police to roads. And if the politics is to attract more affluent tourists, their consumption patterns demand even more underpaid service workers, further impacting truly affordable housing needs or long commutes.
I reflect on Caernarfon and Capitola, both able to better balance tourism with local spirit: something our city leaders need to consider before approving policies that will erase yet another local landmark business.
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.
July 22
Chris Krohn is off this week he will return next week.
(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.
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT WANTS A LOAN FROM THE EPA TO INJECT TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO MIDCOUNTY DRINKING WATER SUPPLY?
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just released an announcement that there were 51 applications submitted requesting WIFIA loans for projects totaling $6.6 billion to improve the nation’s infrastructure supporting public health and environmental protection. Soquel Creek Water District is among them. Do you think their project to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water with unregulated contaminants including low doses of pharmaceuticals will support public health and protect the environment? I don’t.
CLARIFICATION ON LAST WEEK’S MEASURE S AND THE LIBRARY / PARKING GARAGE
Thank you to Jean Brocklebank for sending clarification about the use of Measure S and the proposed parking garage in downtown Santa Cruz. She kindly pointed out:
“The multi-story parking garage (mixed-use) will be built using whatever general fund, parking fee, and /or grant funding the city can lay its hands on. The library will be a tenant in that structure. In other words, the shell will be provided, like any commercial building, with tenant improvements of the tenant paid for by the tenant. The foundation, walls and ceiling, plus other basic infrastructure of the shell (e.g., windows and probably some plumbing, etc.). The rest of the interior of the portion allocated to the library will be financed with Measure S money (the $27+ million). That will include all the soft costs also (public art, computers, furnishings, etc.). The garage is not dependent on the library or on Measure S money. It would be illegal and the city knows it to use Measure S money for building that structure. If, for some reason, there is a decision to renovate the existing library instead, then someone else (commercial? retail? even parking!) will use the 44,000 sf that a library would have used.”
Thanks, Jean. While I did not intend to claim that Measure S taxpayer money, meant to support libraries, would fund the entire parking garage, I think it would lend a stable funding source for the whole project to look more feasible and inviting to construction project lenders.
What I want to know is how quickly would the parking garage project progress without the solid financing of the Measure S-funded library as a reliable long-term tenant, rather than some retail enterprise that may struggle to pay the rent? Who would determine the parking requirement for the library patrons that supposedly would use the parking garage when visiting the library (they would not all arrive on bikes or on the bus), which would also necessitate using Measure S funds?
I would appreciate response from readers. Becky Steinbruner ki6tkb@yahoo.com
DRAFT SANTA CRUZ-MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN INCLUDES A PLAN TO TAX ALL BASIN USERS
Buried at the very end of the Plan to sustain the groundwater levels for the MidCounty area is the Raftelis consultant’s report outlining how to make it legal to tax all private water pumpers in the Basin. Private well owners using two acre-feet/year are de minimus users, and could be taxed under the Water Code 10730(a) but ONLY IF THEY ARE REGULATED. Here is what Raftelis recommends to “Regulate” these water users in what I think is a very sneaky way: The act of noticing can equal “regulating.” “At least one GSA that Raftelis consults for is considering this. By corresponding with a de minimus user and requesting basic information, the agency HAS REGULATED the de minimus user and can legally impose a fee.” WOW!
The Santa Cruz-MidCounty Groundwater Agency (MGA) Board met last week and got the first look at the 400+ page draft document that spells out how the area’s water agencies will work together to ensure the groundwater levels in the area are sustainable by 2040. The Plan is available for public comment until September 19, 2019, when the Board will reconvene and submit their comments as a whole. The final Plan must be submitted to the State by January, 2020.
It is difficult to read this document online, due to the small text of the graphics, but thankfully, the MGA Board agreed to a request by a member of the public to place hard copies of the Plan in seven Santa Cruz County Public Libraries.
There is no Table of Contents at the beginning of the Plan, so it is difficult to understand what is included in the document or how it is organized. Also, I have noted that there are no official informational sources cited under many critical tables, graphs or maps included in the Plan. In fact, the Executive Summary Section 6.0 (page ES-18) states:
“The Final version of the GSP will include a complete list of references and technical studies.” How are the public and members of the MGA Board supposed to submit any meaningful comment on a Plan that is void of technical references to verify data and information critical to the integrity of this Plan???
That is what led me to look at the very end of the document, because sometimes things like that get printed there. That is how I found the EVALUATION OF PRIVATE PUMPER FUNDING MECHANISMS AND FEE CRITERIA by none other than Raftelis Consultants. These are the crafty folks who skillfully avoided letting the Soquel Creek Water District ratepayers know that the real reason their rates are increasing 9% each year for the next five years is to pay for the Pure Water Soquel Project, because the grants the District hopes to get are for re-imbursement and may take 8-10 years for reimbursement payments.
It is difficult to find the Raftelis Report in the MGA Plan because the document pages are not consecutive, but you will find this 47-page Report, issued May 3, 2019 to John Ricker, Water Resources Division Director for the County, at the very end of the Plan as a “White Paper” and not signed by anyone. The definition of a White Paper is this:
“The Purpose of a White Paper. Typically, the purpose of a white paper is to advocate that a certain position is the best way to go or that a certain solution is best for a particular problem. When it is used for commercial purposes, it could influence the decision-making processes of current and prospective customers.” (Google definitions, matching that stated on Investopedia.com)
Here is what worries me:
There are no sources cited for critical data used to create the proposed Fee Structure. This is crucial.
Raftelis advises (pages 7 & 8): Under Prop. 26, everything is a tax, citing California Constitution Article XIIIC Section 1(e), but there are exceptions under Article XIIID (7) from requirements of Prop. 26 and “Additionally every extraction must bear a fair or reasonable relationship to the payer’s burden on, or benefits received from, the governmental activity.” This could mean that Soquel Creek Water District could make a claim that their Pure Water Soquel Project would benefit the entire Basin, so all users of the Basin should help pay for their disgusting Project. District General Manager Ron Duncan is already making these types of claims by telling the Live Oak residents, who are customers of Santa Cruz City water, that the District’s plan to locate the sewage water advanced treatment plant in their neighborhood will help improve the groundwater levels for them as well as the customers in the District’s territory. Never mind that the Live Oak people were not included in the CEQA process to comment on the environmental impacts the treatment plant would have on their neighborhood.
The Board would rank the 17 pricing objectives at some point in the future.
The Report uses data from other Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, all in the Central Valley, to support the need for the MGA Board to adopt a fee structure to support an on-going administration annual budget of $326,000 to $1.1 Million. (page 29)
Private well owners using two acre-feet/year are de minimus users, and could be taxed under the Water Code 10730(a) but ONLY IF THEY ARE REGULATED. Here is what Raftelis recommends to “Regulate” these water users in what I think is a very sneaky way:
The act of noticing can equal “regulating.” “At least one GSA that Raftelis consults for is considering this. By corresponding with a de minimus user and requesting basic information, the agency HAS REGULATED the de minimus user and can legally impose a fee.” (page 28)
There is no criteria given for what would trigger the MGA to begin taxing de minimus users, but potential costs of litigation is mentioned. (page 28).
The report states: ” Aerial survey for land cover data is an accurate method for estimating the irrigatgion demands of a parcel.” (page 24, section 3.5 Mandatory Metering) This was disputed by many private well owners at community meetings, with the explanation that many of them also have rainwater catchment and/or gray water systems to irrigate their landscapes, vegetable gardens and orchards.
Consider this statement: “The MGA should consider pumping reductions for those individuals by identifying costs & benefits of curtailment. They would be effectively treated as s sub-class of private pumpers, unique from the de minimus users and small non-de minimus users.” (page 24)
The MGA could charge PENALTIES of up to $500 under Water Code Sction 10730.6 (a) to pay for administrative and management fees, ” OR EVEN CESSATION OF PUMPING” but would have to give the well owner 15-days advance notice. (page 23).
The MGA could charge a $1,000 non-compliance fee and charge $100/day/well FOR FAILURE TO INSTALL A METER. (page 23, section 3.4.2)
The MGA can charge extraction fees for all private well owners, charging a $300 base filing fee, and requiring all extractors to report. On page 21 of the Raftelis report, it provides suggested over-extraction penalty fees, modeled on Fox Canyon GSA: Tier 1 $1,461/AcreFoot, Tier 2: $1,711/AcreFoot, and Tier 3 $1,961/AcreFoot of over extraction as alloted to the private well owners.
Raftelis recommends a parcel fee for well owners and small water companies who use more than 2AcreFeet and are considered non de-minimus users, and will be taxed. Tables 7 and 8 on page 20 of the report have no informational citations, but it is recommended that each well be charged $75-$102/AcreFoot pumped. Alternatively, each parcel could be taxed at $446.67/parcel/year, with the County Assessor collecting the money with property tax payments. (page 19)
Raftelis recommends a Prop. 218 vote, which requires 51% of the total affected voters to send in written PROTEST, rather than using a special tax vote because it woud require a 2/3 majority of voters to VOTE IN FAVOR of the special tax.
On page 10, Raftelis advises this: ” The MGA could consider a special assessment for all users basin-wide to reduce the chance of protest, however, the lawfulness of assessing fees to the de minimus users who are not “regulated” at the time of adoption is unclear. Further, an assessment may be challenged post-formation by any property owner under the premise that the special benefit is invalid.” (Please remember that Raftelis earlier advised the MGA that just asking private de minimus well owners for basic information would qualify as “regulating” them!)
On page 9, Raftelis craftily advises the MGA Board further that in order to help insure a successful Rate/Fee for Service to be enacted it would be wise to include de minimus users in the notice “TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SIGNIFICANT PROTEST.” If only non de-minimus users are noticed, the likelihood of successful protest would increase significantly because “they are larger and well-organized.”
I encourage all who depend on water in the area from La Selva Beach to and including Santa Cruz City to read this critical document and attend the August 28 public Question & Answer Session, 7pm at Simpkins Swim Center, and send in written comment by September 18.
I also have a concern that the Plan is very biased to support Soquel Creek Water District’s project to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water into the aquifer (aka “Pure” Water Soquel Project). It is listed first in the “Projects and Management Actions to Reach Sustainabilty” Group 2, showing it operational by 2023 or so, yet Water Transfers not operational until after 2025. Santa Cruz City’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR), where potable water is injected into the aquifer during the wet season, is shown as partially operational now, coming online as fully operational in 2027 or so. See the Executive Summary (ES-18).
GOOD NEWS FOR PAJARO VALLEY WATER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Congratulations to the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency for their good work spanning over 15 years to address the seawater intrusion problem in the area. Their pro-active Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternatives was approved by the State Department of Water Resources, convincing the State that the current activities demonstrate the Pajaro Valley Sub-Basin will attain sustainable levels by 2040 by following current management policies and implementing projects that are in progress.
Interestingly, the hydrologic model for the Pajaro Valley Sub-Basin includes the La Selva Beach area, which is hydrologically correct, but politically, that area is served by Soquel Creek Water District. It is that area that enabled the District staff to convince the State Department of Water Resources to designate the MidCounty Groundwater Basin to be in critical overdraft, and therefore allows the District to make the claims that the MGA “Skies are Falling” attitude if their Pure Water Soquel Project is not shoved along quickly, despite the question for it’s real necessity.
HUGE PROJECT PROPOSED FOR CAPITOLA ROAD…BULLDOZE THE ROBERT MERRIMAN HOUSE?
There are signs in front of the Live Oak farm and house where local legendary Robert Merriman spent his critical teen years. (See July 10-16, 2019 Bratton Online comment by Bruce Bratton about the significance of Robert Merriman.) The signs declare Project Application #181579 is PENDING process for Assessor’s Parcels (APN) 026-741-12,13,14,and 15 to build a 19,297SF two-story medical center, an 11,000 SF two-story dental office, and 61,275 SF in four three-story 56-residential units and on and on and on.
This would be a Level 7 Project, requiring Board of Supervisor approval, with a Planned Unit Development (PUD) approach, allowing the developer many concessions.
Write Supervisor John Leopold now with your thoughts on this project John Leopold <john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us> or call 454-2200.
Why build such a huge health clinic on Capitola Road when Kaiser is planning the five-story medical clinic just a few blocks away on Soquel Avenue near Chanticleer Avenue? Will there be an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) done for this large project? Traffic? Water? Historic Preservation of the Robert Merriman house?
Is anyone asking these questions?? You had better start right now.
RANCHO DEL MAR CENTER NEARLY COMPLETE
The Rancho del Mar Center, in addition to the return of Erik’s Deli, now hosts Peet’s Coffee, Sutter Walk-in Clinic, Bay Federal Credit Union, and Anytime Fitness Center. Long-time tenants Ace Hardware and Rite Aide (formerly Vessey Drugs) have endured a prolonged construction period, but now Rite Aide is also getting a remodel as well (still open, with construction working at night).
It is a real relief to have Bay Federal Credit Union move out of Aptos Village location….the traffic there is becoming increasingly congested and it is a headache to access the center where Bay Fed has been for many years.
HAVE YOU BEEN WONDERING ABOUT TRAFFIC COUNTS IN APTOS VILLAGE?
County Public Works Dept. staff recently was kind enough to forward to me the results of the traffic counts performed in the Aptos Village area last May. The reports are attached.
I think it is interesting that the numbers are already higher than what the Aptos Village Project traffic projections were supposed to be once the development is completely built and occupied. Only Phase One has been built, with few occupants aside from New Leaf Market. Phase Two would be even more dense and mostly three-story buildings……
Please contact me if you would like to see something different go in there…something for the youth would be nice, wouldn’t it?
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.
Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, for instance, who is a Democrat, seems to think that this is a key concern for the voters. Hickenlooper was apparently booed, recently, when he made a point of saying, at a California Democratic Party event, that “Socialism is not the answer.” In this, Hickenlooper agrees with President Trump, which is probably why Hickenlooper got booed. Maybe he even wanted to be! Meanwhile, another Democrat in the race, Elizabeth Warren, who is generally acknowledged to be one of the more “progessive” candidates, and certainly has very little in common with Trump, has gone out of her way to profess a commitment to capitalism.
Maybe this “capitalism versus socialism” debate will turn out to be an important, in terms of “electability.” You can color me skeptical, however. Personally, I am not much of an “-ism” kind of a guy. I don’t care what the label is, I want to examine what sort of politics is being proposed, and I tend to think that I am not that different from most voters.
State ownership of the means of production, the classical definition of “socialism,” is definitely not something I’d like to adopt as my bottom line requirement for a good society. By the way, I don’t think Bernie Sanders would go there, either!
Similarly, the idea that those who have “money” (i.e., “capital”) need to be free to make change by letting market competition between those capitalists lift all boats, which I believe is the basic argument for “capitalism,” is pretty much what we have got now, and what we have now is not working. I am definitely not on the side of “capitalism” if that means more of the same.
Because of my skepticism about the debate of the “-isms,” I found that recent Times’ opinion piece to be quite refreshing. Law professors Ganesh Sitaraman and Anne L. Alstott suggest that our economy should always countenance, and perhaps even explicitly provide for, a “public option.” In other words, if “competition” is what makes capitalism great, and if concern for social and economic justice is what makes us want to be socialists, then we should let our public institutions (the government, representing the entire society) get into the economic ring with private business. That is essentially the idea rejected by the Congress when the Affordable Care Act was being debated, and while I, personally, think Medicare can outperform private health insurance, I’m willing to let it compete, and to “prove itself in the market,” as those capitalists always say is the best argument for “capitalism.”
In fact, the “capitalists” generally use their money to make sure that there is never any fair competition in “the market,” because what they really prefer is “socialism for the rich and capitalism for the rest of us.”
Think about that “public option.” Not a bad idea!
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Love and other hidden desires Grace the seasoned Subconscious Comics and Tim’s focus. See below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Classic Deep Cover with Obama” 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.
THE CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Now in its 57th year the festival is beyond any doubt Santa Cruz’s finest and most famous contribution to the world’s culture. With free and open orchestra rehearsals starting Saturday July 28, a community night when you can pay what you wish, orchestra players from all over the earth…it’s huge, and still friendly and casual. There’s also more woman centered music this year. There are six main concerts Aug.2-4, and Aug. 8-11. Look them up at CABRILLOMUSIC.ORG
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Try to imagine the movie Fight Club as interpreted by Woody Allen, and you might get an idea what to expect from The Art Of Self-Defense. Read my review in this week’s Good Times, and keep checking back at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ) for more movie and summer theatre reviews!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975
THE ART OF SELF DEFENSE. Jesse Eisenberg has always been good in the roles he’s featured in, but on this occasion both the movie and Eisenberg seem terribly confused. It’s labeled a comedy yet the amount of pain, suffering, terror, fright, plus daily fear and a lack of laughs could make you wince, as you watch Jesse get thrashed over and over again. Some critics have seen it as a parody on masculinity, but I had few if any laughs. It earned an audience score of 66 on Rotten Tomatoes.
WILD ROSE. Jessie Buckley is perfect in the role of a 20 + girl in Scotland who has two children, just did prison time, and wants to sing country music in Nashville and become a worldwide success. The Scot dialect makes it hard to understand at times and the ending makes it a feel good drama. Julie Walters and Sophie Okonedo are equally perfect in their supporting parts.
CLOSES THURSDAY JULY 25
MIDSOMMAR. Maybe devout Scientologists would like this horror movie, or folks who think sex and death dealing cults are really cool but forget you’ve ever even heard of this carefully directed evil attempt to sicken and redefine horror. Beautifully filmed in Sweden featuring almost all Swedes, it is beyond creepy. American tourists visit a cult and get very involved…but you need be warned that you’ll remember more of it than you plan on. CLOSES THURSDAY JULY 25
YESTERDAY. Imagine if the entire world forgot who the Beatles were except for one pretty good guitarist and singer of Indian heritage. An excellent feel good movie that has a fun plot, the greatest Beatle songs and good acting. Go see it especially if you have forgotten how much those songs affected you when their albums were first released.
ECHO IN THE CANYON. Grand memories of the 1960’s popular music scene. Jakob Dylan (Bob’s son) and singer with the Wallflowers produced this documentary but is a full dud on screen. It’s also a huge tribute to the Beachboys and what they added to our culture. See it quickly.
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO. An excellent, touching film about two close buddies who face the changing city…and the world. Great footage of THE CITY and a story that will have you thinking about it for days or longer. It’s the story of love of an old San Francisco house, and everything that surrounds it. Don’t miss it. ps. Lisa Jensen tells me that the director Joe Talbot is 1940’s-50’s movie star, bad guy Lyle Talbot’s grandson.
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. Rick Longinotti and Bruce Van Allen members of Campaign for Sustainable Transportation give details on their current lawsuit against t Caltrans on July 23. Dr. Rachel Abrams guests on July 30 to talk about her books and new workshops. She’s followed by Susanna Waddell from the Pajaro Valley Arts organization who will discuss their exhibits and current events. 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
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. “STATUES” “The great poet is a great artist. He is painter and sculptor. The greatest pictures and statues have been painted and chiseled with words. They outlast all others”. Robert Green Ingersoll “I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees”. Gilbert K. Chesterton “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it”. Michelangelo
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
BRATTON…Library lies and denials, Coastal Haven progress Good Times owners. GREENSITE…on Waving the Corporate Flag. KROHN…The real Trump from other views. STEINBRUNER…Election systems reliability, vegetation treatment questions, P.G.&E and new rules, Midecounty Water Issues and survey, Downtown developments and Downtown Forward questions and the main library battle. PATTON…about fights and battlefields. EAGAN…reveals our Subconscious. JENSEN…and Shakespeare and Wild rose. BRATTON…I critique Wild Rose.UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”WHALES”
WAX FIGURE OF JAMES DEAN. Taken February 25, 1957. James Dean died September 30, 1955. That’s Brad Macdonald on the far right. He was the big time developer in and around Capitola. He started The Shadowbrook Restaurant and died in 1999. The Del Mar theatre opened August 14 1936.
HERE’S HOW THE ROVER GOT TO MARS. Ralph Davila found this gem of outer space exploration. 6:30 minutes of genius and beauty!
LOS ANGELES BACK IN 1953. What a place, what a time.
DATELINE July 15
DON’T BURY THE LIBRARY’S RESPONSE TO FALSE ACCUSATIONS. Friends and members of DBTL (Don’t Bury The Library) were rightfully angered when John Mills the habitual Pacific Avenue Profit (sic) labeled a disturbed and vocal demonstrator as being a member of DBTL. They wrote…”Anyone who knows the respectful intent of Don’t Bury the Library organizers knows enough to dismiss a recent letter in the Sentinel which implied that a chronic disruptor of public meetings was in any way associated with their group when she started ranting at last week’s kick off of the group Downtown Forward. DBTL would never sanction such unproductive hysteria“.
Jean Brocklebank of DBTL also wrote…”It’s unfortunate that John Mills did not fact check his 7/13 LTE before making false accusations about Don’t Bury the Library (DBTL). The screaming woman who disrupted the Downtown Forward event is in no way associated with DBTL. She is neither a member nor a supporter of DBTL. Furthermore, Mills accuses “other Don’t Bury the Library folks” of screaming and “deplorable and undemocratic behavior” during the meeting. In fact, DBTL members repeatedly tried to reason with the screaming woman, and then spent considerable time reassuring others that she has no connection with DBTL whatsoever. A member of the DLAC, who knew the woman was not with us, acknowledged that DBTL has acted respectfully throughout the entire Downtown Library planning process”. Jean Brocklebank
COASTAL HAVEN FAMILIES PROGRESS. This pocket neighborhood up on the approach to Pogonip is being created by twelve families who have come together to create a place for their adult children with disabilities to live with one another, and others, in an intentional neighborhood. As previously reported they were fighting some very unreasonable property demands by developers John Swift and David Curry.
In what we might call a near bulletin they announced on Monday (7/15)…’After more meetings, more attorney time, and more community support, they finally reached an agreement on terms they feel they can live with.
The main part of the letter that they agreed to, reserves their right to fully participate in the future Golf Club Drive Area Plan and to protest any portion of it by any means, including legal if it comes to that. Once a plan is agreed to and put into place, Coastal Haven Families pledge to abide by it. They made other small changes to what the city presented them with initially, but the main thing here is they have a no protest letter that explicitly protects their right to protest by any legal means. This was the main roadblock to their getting permits and they are hoping to be able to break ground soon.
GOOD TIMES CELEBRATION. ‘Twas surprising news that our little old weekly Good Times bought out Watsonville’s Register Pajaronian and the Aptos Times. They bought them from News Media Corporation. Nobody talks about it much anymore but Good Times was once owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch and his empire. Go HERE for a well done report by John Yewell of Santa Cruz Metro (July 16, 1998) on Good Times’ real history.
MARY KELLY’S KONTRIBUTION. Mary manages to find great and needed laughs online. She sent this…“Lexophile” describes those that have a love for words, such as “you can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish”, “To write with a broken pencil is pointless.” An annual competition is held by the New York Times to see who can create the best original lexophile.
This year’s submissions:
I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I’d swear I’ve never met herbivore.
I know a guy who’s addicted to drinking brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.
I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.
A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
A will is a dead giveaway.
July 15, 2019
WAVING THE CORPORATE FLAG
With council on July break and most commissions not meeting this month, local political issues are in relative short supply. Behind the scenes, deals are probably being hatched and a public meeting (which, I was unable to attend) was held for the Bay and West Cliff (Dream Inn) development. Those of us on the lower westside know that the intersection of Bay with West Cliff can be gnarly. In more formal terms it is classified as E, just shy of a failing F grade. The project traffic engineer admits that the development will worsen the conditions while the city’s Assistant Public Works Director says a roundabout or signal will improve it to an A or B level. Really? There’s a contradiction worth exploring. The project will soon be at the Planning Commission. A four story, high-priced building for 89 apartments on the site of the old Sisters’ Hospital, blocking the last view of the distant hills from West Cliff and blocking the light for the lower income trailer court behind, is in my mind worth opposing. I’m sure the YIMBY’s (Yes In My Back Yard) love it even though it is NOT in their back yard. A more apt name for that group, although harder to say would be YIYBY (Yes In Your Back Yard).
A national issue caught my eye, more for what was not said than what was. I’m referring to the decision by Nike to pull its new shoe with the 13 five pointed-star Betsy Ross flag on and under the heel. Responding to concerns expressed by Colin Kaepernick, that the Betsy Ross flag is offensive since it is a symbol used by some white supremacist groups, and came from an era of slavery, Nike decided to take it off the market before the Fourth of July, which was the selling point in its release. Outrage ensued. Those defending the flag as representing the era of the War of Independence and therefore as patriotic as it gets, blasted Nike for buckling under to “political correctness.” Supporters of Nike pointed out that this country was founded on white supremacy. Opponents were apoplectic. Those were our founding fathers! (Misogyny is usually the last to be recognized). Sure we made mistakes (like slavery) but we have corrected such things, they argued. And the debates raged on until the next news cycle.
What struck me as missing was any concern about using the flag, on the heel of a shoe no less, to sell and make money. Not one comment offered from the flag supporters that found commercial exploitation of their sacred symbol offensive. Not even a comment from the flag detractors who might have found such commercialization indicative of something else disturbing. Maybe there was a late night comedian who made fun of such shoe with its flag face down in dog poop or chewing gum, but I saw only acceptance of such commercialization as given. Worse, it was invisible. That means commercial appropriation of our national symbols (good or bad) is now as reflexive as the air we breathe. Just as we cannot feel the spin of the earth since we go along with it, we apparently cannot see or feel the commercialization of our everyday existence.
Commercialization and its handmaiden, advertising, affect how we live, how we relate and how our children are raised. Consider the recent research that children, as young as 3 in some cases, can readily identify most corporate brands (Nike being #1) but cannot identify images of our large animal species, which not coincidentally are fast disappearing due to commercialization, poaching and loss of habitat. One study found that children under the age of 8 could accurately identify Pokeman characters 80% of the time with a less than 50% rate for real species.
On the bright side, there are educators and public officials who are trying to counter this trend but they are heavily outweighed by the wealth of the commercial sector. One can detect who has drunk the commercial Kool Aid when there’s a push for zip lines, pump tracks and steep downhill trails for mountain bikes with the explanation that young people, especially young people of color need enticing into nature: as though nature itself does not contain all the magic, mystery and beauty of the universe. Yes, the commercial fast-track stuff may be fun for a while but it’s that slow moving banana slug or singing meadow-lark that is lasting, that is, if we allow it to penetrate our over-commercialized world and don’t kill it off in the rush to buy more “things.”
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.
July 15
TRUMP SAID WHAT?
Has It Come to this?
Donald Trump has done it, again, and with the zeal of someone leading a lynch mob like an Archie Bunker on steroids. No, I’m not talking about his risky rhetorical rants about Rocket-man, Little Marco,Half-Awake Jeb, or Lyin’ Ted, names which he used for his sometimes so-called, “friends.” Nor am I writing about his deranged policy of separating children and locking them up in US border detention facilities, although that pretty well should have ignited a Martin Neimoller-esqe, “First they came for the Jews” firestorm. It hasn’t yet. I’m not even referring to Trump’s daily hate-spews, or his dubious legal tax dodging dereliction, or even the now infamous Charlottesville comments on American White Nationalists vs. anti-hate protesters. “You had very fine people on both sides,” he said that day. And that coming with the death of Heather Heyer who died from injuries she suffered when a Neo-Nazi at the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally took his car ran her over. Trump’s presidential bar has been set pathetically low. He entered his 905th day as President of the United States this past week when he lashed out at the newly minted congressional women of color class of 2018. Trump told congress members Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar who represents parts of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts to, “go back” to the countries they came from. Not that it even remotely matters, but only Rep. Omar was born outside of the United States. Trump’s people are from Germany and his family’s last name was originally, Drumpf, less we permit collective amnesia to perform its Orwellian digital erasure miracle and continue to allow history to be rewritten. According to the New York Times, there are 52 members of the House, and 16 members of the Senate who were either were born outside of the US, or whose parents came here from another country.
What Was Said
In the age of Twitter everyone can have access to creating a press release. You don’t have to hire a press secretary. Hell, if the President’s vile and villainous tweets have no vet-venality insurance, then why would anyone hire writing help? Or is he the model of why everyone needs PR help? I’m convinced though that a good bit of vetting does happen to his tweets and some nuance is built into his keyboard habits. There has to be someone present, a couple people maybe, when he sends out his early morning blurt-outs? As the conventional media is by-passed, Trump has developed his own news agency, much better for him even than a state agency like a Tass or Agence France-Presse, or Associated Press. Way too many eyes pass over that copy, but Trump must surely have a couple of wary-eyed assistants helping with strategy and messaging, right?
Here is some of what the “Real Donald” tweeted out after his “go back” message and responses from Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Nancy Pelosi? @SpeakerPelosi I reject @realDonaldTrump‘s xenophobic comments meant to divide our nation. Rather than attack Members of Congress, he should work with us for humane immigration policy that reflects American values. Stop the raids – #FamiliesBelongTogether!
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump So sad to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion. Whenever confronted, they call their adversaries, including Nancy Pelosi, “RACIST.” Their disgusting language….. 17,531 replies19,923 retweets102,385 likes
Nancy Pelosi @SpeakerPelosi
When @realDonaldTrump?? tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to “Make America Great Again” has always been about making America white again. Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC
Mr. President, the country I “come from,” & the country we all swear to, is the United States. But given how you’ve destroyed our border with inhumane camps, all at a benefit to you & the corps who profit off them, you are absolutely right about the corruption laid at your feet.
Earlier Dem Party Machinations
Trump’s comments came on the heels of a couple of weeks of Democratic party hand-wringing, and Twitter back-and-forths within the party over some comments House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said to New York Times Reporter, Maureen Dowd. Pelosi said something about the fabulous foursome’s votes–Pressley, Omar, Tlaib, Ocasio-Cortez–being just that, “four votes” in the house. The comment sounded more like a rebuke than stated fact. Bernie Sanders weighed in over MSNBC about Pelosi’s remark. “You cannot ignore the young people of this country who are passionate about economic and racial and social and environmental justice,” the Vermont Senator told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press.“You got to bring them in, not alienate them.” Ocasio-Cortez did some analysis of the old Dem party and the mainstream’s reliance on 24/7 fundraising throughout a member’s two years in office. She tweeted, “I find it strange when members act as though social media isn’t important. They set millions of $ on to run TV ads so people can see their message. I haven’t dialed for dollars *once* this year, & have more time to do my actual job. Yet we’d rather campaign like it’s 2008.”
AOC’s Chief of Staff
Looks like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti is the most courageous person in Washington, D.C. this week. He’s the usual Harvard-educated house staffer, but most comparisons with other hill people end there. He is former digital director of Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign and one of the founders of the startup, Stripe. He also helped found, Justice Democrats, a group that takes on centrist Dems and helped elect the current target of Trump, the Fearsome Foursome. In addition, seems like Chakrabarti is one of those unusual staffers that has the trust and the okay from his boss to speak out about injustice whether domestic or international, and that includes criticizing the Democrats for caving to Trump on funding the border wall. Chakrabarti has taken on Pelosi various times, once writing, “Pelosi claims we can’t focus on impeachment because it’s a distraction from kitchen table issues. But I’d challenge you to find voters that can name a single thing House Democrats have done for their kitchen table this year.”
Be on the look-out for more conservative and centrist Dems calling for Chakrabarti’s head. But you know what? If Ocasio-Cortez is worth her progressive soul, and I believe she is not the usual politico, she will not throw staff under the bus of the mainstream Dems. These folks are here to change the culture and mission of Washington, D.C. They don’t f**k around. Will history absolve the “Squad,” as Dowd calls them? Well, for now they will hang together…or be hung together. Stay tuned, it is an exciting time to be involved in electoral politics.
Our Work
This attack on elected members of Congress is a new Trumpian low and it should be called out for what it is: the deplorable declarations of a racist. He must be rejected at every level of our government. It used to be “the buck stops” with a President, every President. Now, the “buck” must stop with the American electorate. The followers must now lead, it’s time. We must spurn the vile hate speech and actions that emanate from this, the whitest of White Houses. The only mechanism to confront and defeat speech that you do not like is more speech. Speak up and speak out early and often and use your voice, and your vote, for change.
“It’s important to note that the President’s words Sunday, telling four American Congresswomen of color “go back to your own country,” is hallmark language of white supremacists. Trump feels comfortable leading the GOP into outright racism, and that should concern all Americans.” (July 15)
(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.
NEW ELECTION SYSTEMS VULNERABLE TO HACKING?
The Santa Cruz Sentinel featured an extensive report last Sunday, July 14, on page A2, titled “New election systems use vulnerable software” that should give us all cause for concern regarding the integrity of our 2020 elections for what Senator Ron Wyden termed a “looming election cybersecurity crisis.”
The AP report by Tami Abdollah states that the three largest vendors that control 92% of the new election systems that states are using for required system upgrades in response to the 2016 election hacking problems are also vulnerable because of old Windows 7 technology that will “reah the end of life on January 14, meaning Microsoft stop providing technical support and producing ‘patches’ to fix software vulnerabilities, which hackers can exploit.”
I contacted the Santa Cruz County Election Department and learned that the new system this County chose is from Dominion Voting Systems, Inc., based in Denver, Colorado. Here is the text of the reply:
“We are upgrading our Dominion Voting System, so therefore we are staying with Dominion Voting Systems. Their current version that is approved and certified by the California Secretary of State and the upgrade that is currently going through certification at the Secretary of State both use Windows 10.”
While I think that is good news, the AP report states; “Of the three large vendors, Dominion’s newer systems aren’t touched by upcoming Windows software issues–though it has election systems acquired from no-longer-existing companies that may run on even older operating systems.”
The report further states that “Certification, which is voluntary at the federal level but sometimes required by state laws, ensures vendor software runs properly on operating systems they’re tested on. But there is no cybersecurity check and the process often fails to keep up with rapidly changing technology. Kevin Skoglund, chief technologist for Citizens for Better Elections, said county election officials point to EAC (the Election Assistance Commission) and state certifications as ‘rock-solid proof” their systems are secure, but don’t realize vendors are certifying systems under 2005 standards.” The EAC has no regulatory ability, and can only make recommendations.
While we can take comfort in the good choice Santa Cruz County Elections Department made to contract with Dominion Vending Systems, rather that Hart InterCivic Inc. or Election Systems and Software LLC, which seem much more prone to hacking due to the antiquated Windows 7 software expiration problem, I think we all need to contact our representatives to demand legislation be passed to give the federal government authority to mandate basic cybersecurity election infrastructure to be tested now and put in place before the primary elections begin, and most certainly before November, 2020 elections.
The Sunday, July 14, 2019 article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel (page A2) is not yet online, but take a look at this article that states the basics but with less analysis of the problem and includes a quote from concerned Oregon Senator Ron Wyden at the end: (Interestingly, the version of this report published in Sunday’s San Jose Mercury News was a mere one-third of the good report provided by the Santa Cruz Sentinel
VEGETATION TREATMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN WOULD ENHANCE PACE AND SCOPE OF TREATMENTS STATEWIDE
The State wants to expand the pace and scale of treating vegetation in rural areas statewide to 250,000 acres.year and streamline the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process to accomplish that goal. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is now open for public comment until August 9, 2019.
What will this mean for rural Santa Cruz County? Here is the link to the 69-page document. I have not had time to read it, but hope to by next week, and hope that you will also take a look at it and contact me with your thoughts
STATE BAILOUT FOR UTILITIES…WILL PG&E CUT GROUND-TO-SKY IN YOUR RURAL NEIGHBORHOOD?
I saw some interesting information about the Governor’s new $21 million Wildfire Plan and plans to help utilities. Read more about that plan here. Who will set the criteria for that certification, and who will decide whether a utility indeed meets the criteria for a Safety Certificate? Will there be annual reviews that are public?
Also, what government agency will oversee administration of the new fund, and verify that the utilities have indeed performed the equipment hardening work claimed and that the expenditure projects are the most effective method of reducing fire hazards for fire-prone areas? I suggest you write to your elected state representatives and ask those questions.
HOW WILL THE MIDCOUNTY WATER BE USED, AND WHO WILL PAY FOR PROJECTS PROPOSED?
Those will be some of the considerations addressed in the Santa Cruz MidCounty Groundwater Agency’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) that will be unveiled this Thursday, July 18 when the Board meets at 7pm in Simpkins Swim Center. Make sure to attend this important meeting which will officially open the 45-day Public Comment period for the CEQA-exempt document.
I am glad there will be three public workshops to allow the public opportunities to ask questions about the GSP and to submit meaningful comment. I am not sure how the Board will address or incorporate those comments…that is a good question to ask at the following meetings:
July 20 (10am), July 22 (7pm), and August 28 (7pm).
What I think we all need to ask is: Why is the supportive groundwater model work biased toward supporting the Soquel Creek Water District’s plan to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water into the aquifer? Does Soquel Creek Water District plan to ask other MidCounty Groundwater Agency partners (Central Water District, Santa Cruz City Water Dept., and the County of Santa Cruz and private well owners) to help pay the expensive $95 million construction cost for the Pure Water Soquel Project, if it survives the current legal challenges, with claims that it would improve the aquifer that those other agencies rely upon for potable water?
Hmmmm…. Attend as many of these meetings as possible, ask lots of questions, and demand clear answers.
While you are at it, take the NEW ONLINE SURVEY ABOUT THE MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER BASIN on the agency website.
LOOMING PROBLEMS WITH BIG DEVELOPMENTS
Many thanks to Bruce Bratton in former issues of this BrattonOnline.com blog for listing all the large, dense developments in downtown Santa Cruz that have been approved at dizzying rates, and while providing the City with more revenue, will most certainly degrade the quality of life for all. On July 10, Mr. McGuire echoed this list, lamenting that it is an odd way to address climate change.
The problem with these dense multi-story mammoth developments is that there is not the infrastructure in place to support their future inhabitants. This was pointed out to Senator Scott Wiener by many local elected representatives at the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership State of the Region last November. Senator Wiener’s response was something to the effect of “when things get bad enough, people will agree to new funding mechanisms to fix the problems.”
In San Mateo County, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News (July 15, page B1), things have gotten so congested in the unincorporated areas due to dense in-fill housing projects with insufficient parking requirements, that they can no longer find a parking spot in front of their own home. “This is a situation that’s going to continue to grow because there’s a lot of additional housing being constructed on the Peninsula but there’s not a lot of additional parking.” said their Public Works Director.
The answer? Their County Board of Supervisors proposed a $75/year residential parking fee for the people who live in the problematic areas.
What will charging people more money do to alleviate congested parking problems? Here is the article.
Again I ask: What does charging people more money to park in front of their own homes do to alleviate congested parking problems?
Will Santa Cruz County and City of Santa Cruz look at the high fees San Mateo County wants to charge for residential parking, and institute that policy more widely? Hmmm… Keep your eyes open because the large development at Laurel and Front Streets, approved the project with greatly reduced parking requirements.
Maybe that is why the Downtown Forward group has pushed the parking garage library disaster? Using Measure S taxpayer money that is supposed to support the libraries, but instead here would help build a new parking garage for the developers who are being allowed to cram in multi-story projects with significantly reduced parking requirements? Hmmm…
JUST WHO IS IT THAT IS MOVING DOWNTOWN FORWARD AND WHY?
That is a good question, but is made clearer with the announcement of the group’s formation, led by Robert Singleton, pro-development-at- any-cost leader of the Santa Cruz County Business Council and who failed to get elected to the Santa Cruz City Council. This is the seemingly all-powerful group launching the initiative to build the multi-story parking garage that would help developers’ projects pencil out better, and bury a library beneath it all, using Measure S Library tax money to help pay the bill. Here is the text from their roll-out introduction:
Santa Cruz County Business Council
“Good Morning! And welcome to a special edition of our normal Business Council Newsletter. Our subject today is the future vision for Downtown Santa Cruz, which we believe should be focused on more housing, a brand new library mixed use project, a permanent home for our farmers market, and a vibrant local economy that supports our businesses and resident alike.
Enter Downtown Forward, a coalition of educators, library supporters, farmers, service providers, businesses and more, who have come together at this pivotal time to advocate in favor of a new vision for downtown Santa Cruz. Why now? Well we’re at a tipping point in terms of how we achieve this vision. In the past 2 years we’ve seen close to 400 new units of housing get built or get approved in Downtown. We expect to lose multiple surface lots and more than 150 parking spaces, right across from the location of our current farmers market, which depends on access to parking. And let’s not even start on the 1200 person waiting list for new downtown parking permits…”
Here is what DON’T BURY THE LIBRARY organizer Jean Brocklebank writes:
Hello friends of the downtown library ~
Yesterday (7/11) saw the formal launch of a new group to sell a library in a parking garage to Santa Cruz residents. A flyer billed the event as a Press Conference & Launch. Check out their new web site HERE.
Almost 60 individuals were on hand at Abbott Square’s Secret Garden area, including a dozen of us, who support an upgraded, reconfigured, revitalized, “green” library branch right where it’s 44,000 sf of useable space currently sits.
Attending were Cynthia Mathews, Robert Singleton, Vivian Rogers of the FSCPL, Library Director Susan Nemitz, at least four former DLAC members, two of whom spoke at the event, lots of business folks, including many young employees or student interns (hard to distinguish). There were three press individuals that I recognized.
Also attending but careful to say they were not advocating, only there to learn, were former County Supervisor (and former chief-of-staff to Sam Farr) Fred Keeley (who now lectures at San Jose State University, among other activities) and Jimmy Panetta’s Congressional Aid Emmanuel Garcia.
Russell Brutsche unveiled his latest painting and it is a pip, showing a downtown of parking structures with one wee green tree left on one street. We’ll be installing this picture on our DBTL web soon. For now, here is a sneak preview:
A special thanks to Michael Lewis, who got lots of pictures of the event, some of which we’ll be posting later on our website.
Most Important Take Away of the Event
The Downtown Forward message delivered by all speakers was this: The current library is a shabby mess, unsafe for children to use, riddled with asbestos, containing antiquated … well, everything. According to DLAC member Martin Gomez (now the FSCPL new president!) the only way to have a “first class” library is to build an “architecturally stunning” new library in the proposed 5 – 6 story Mixed Use Project that will miraculously also provide parking, affordable housing, street level business opportunities and a permanent downtown home for the Farmers’ Market.
There you have it. Two Choices — either live with the shabby, miserable library … or build a new one in a multi-story mixed use behemoth. No mention whatsoever of a restoration option. In one fell swoop they tossed that idea into the trash bin, made it disappear altogether and cut to the chase. Add to that the FSCPL flyer that the blatantly bends the truth by stating: Measure S pays for the construction of 10 buildings. How many of those almost 60 attending even noticed that revisionist history?
Update on Library Subcommittee News
Through the city’s Economic Development Office, which is providing staff for the recently formed Library Subcommittee (now on vacation until its next meeting on August 6) a Request For Proposals (RFP) was issued to find an architect that would look anew at a renovation option within the Measure S $27+ million budget.
I wrote to EDD and asked to whom the RFP was issued. A quick reply from staff listed 1) Noll & Tam, 2) Group 4 (the city’s existing consultant on all things architectural) and 3) Jayson Architecture. Probably the only reason Jayson was included is because on June 24 we provided a slide show to the Subcommittee to view Jayson’s creative renderings for the Branciforte and Garfield branches as examples of exactly what has been needed for the downtown branch for almost two years!
I immediately replied to EDD that limiting the RFP to two of the usual suspects would only serve to strengthen the ongoing controversy of what the city has been doing to undermine any serious consideration of a restoration option! I included the names of five local architectural firms. Lo and behold … an immediate reply thanked me and informed me that all five had been forward the RFP.
Unfortunately the RFP was issued on June 26 to the first three, then on July 9 for my list of five, with a deadline of July 18 to submit any proposals. I pointed out how lame that was and asked that the deadline be extended to July 30. Not sure if that will happen. The other unfortunate thing about the RFP is it is very confusing and doesn’t really want to know any more than what the firm will charge per hour to think about doing a real proposal if they are chosen. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but take a look at the RFP and see if you can come to any other conclusion. Also, look at the Q&A that had to be issued because of questions from the firms contacted.
Action
The best thing any of you can do, during this fluid situation, is to continue to watch the print (or online) media and be prepared to write LTEs with your request to give renovation and revitalization of the downtown a real chance to be considered. We need lots of different names in the paper, so it is obvious that DBTL is not just a few of us, that there really are 130 on this e-distribution list and that there are probably at least twice as many who feel as we do who are not subscribed.
Also, use our website as the library of information it is! Check it frequently. We will be adding a refutation to the myth of asbestos soon, so anyone can shoot down that tired excuse for abandoning our downtown library.
Laugh of the Day
Over heard at the Downtown Forward Launch event apparently Vivian Rogers made a point that they (Downtown Forward) have supporters and … how much money can we raise?? As though money is the master of a successful campaign. Had I been in on that exchange I would have probably replied we have passion and we are right, things that money can’t buy.
Jean
DON’T FORGET TO LOOK UP AND ENJOY THE WONDERFUL NIGHT SKIES!
I have really been enjoying the clear summer night skies and the views of stars and planets lately. While a good pair of binoculars is often plenty of magnification for viewing dimmer stars, a good telescope adds a whole new dimension to night sky viewing.
I just learned that the Santa Cruz Public Libraries have Orion StarBlast 4.5 reflector telescopes and astronomy kits to loan for up to three weeks to those 18 years of age and older. Take a look at http://www.santacruzpl.org or call 831-427-7713. Sometimes, it really helps to just enjoy the beauty of all that is around and above….and replenish our spirits to enable us to do the sometimes- difficult work of just being a good citizen.
MAKE ONE CALL. WRITE ONE LETTER. ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING. MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. BUT JUST DO SOMETHING! 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.
“War” may be our favorite metaphor. We have the “War on Drugs.” We have the “War on Poverty.” We have the “War on Crime.” We have the “War on Terror.” Recently, I found my son reading a book called “The 33 Strategies of War,” by Robert Greene. My son had picked it up, he told me, at the Santa Cruz Public Library. Greene is noted as an expert on “strategy, power, and seduction.” He tells us that LIFE ITSELF is basically a “War.” I was only partly pleased to discover that General George S. Patton got a rather favorable mention in Greene’s book. Despite my name, I have resisted the idea that there might be a familial connection.
Last Friday, I read a column by Paul Krugman, the retired Princeton economist who writes for The New York Times. “Trade War” was the topic, and Krugman contends that “Trump Is Losing His Trade Wars.”
Might I suggest (think about it) that “War,” itself, is a losing proposition in virtually every circumstance. The United States is engaged in many foreign wars. We are losing them all. We are also not winning any of those economic and political “Wars” listed above. I guess some might take Trump’s word over Krugman’s, and think we are winning the “Trade Wars,” but I think I’m going to go with the economist on this one. We are losing our “Trade Wars,” too.
“Conflict” is inevitable. “War” is not. In the arenas of politics, economics, social policy and international relations, I suggest we drop the “War” metaphor.
Let’s give ourselves a break and get off what Greene postulates as the “battlefield of life.”
Whenever we have differences, let’s work it out! I am really tired of the idea that to achieve what we want to achieve we need to kill someone else.
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
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. A genuine classic from the Eagan Archive. Scroll just a bit downward.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Throwback Thursday with a Deep Cover from 2014. 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.
MUNCHING WITH MOZART. Every third Thursday of almost every month there is a free concert held in the upstairs meeting room of the threatened downtown Santa Cruz Public Library. This month the theme is “Poulenc’s Last Sonatas”and it happens Thursday, July 18, 2019…12:10 – 12:50. Musicians will be Kathleen Purcell, flute Carol Panofsky, oboe & Marina Thomas on piano. The program contains…Sonata (1962) a la memoire de Serge Prokofieff Francis Poulenc (1899-1962) from Sept Gnossiennes Erik Satie (1866-1925) and Sonata (1957) a la memoire de Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Francis Poulenc (1899-1962).
Remember…it’s free and at the Santa Cruz Library, Thursday July 18, 12:10-1:00Central Branch Meeting Room upstairs
LISA JENSEN LINKS. “Will Shakespeare meets Jane Austen as Santa Cruz Shakespeare launches its summer season with a crowd-pleasing production of Pride And Prejudice, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, let me count the ways I’m still missing my Art Boy, and read my review in this week’s Good Times to find out why the country music melodrama Wild Rose doesn’t quite sing.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
WILD ROSE. Jessie Buckley is perfect in the role of a 20 + girl in Scotland who has two children, just did prison time, and wants to sing country music in Nashville and become a worldwide success. The Scot dialect makes it hard to understand at times and the ending makes it a feel good drama. Julie Walters and Sophie Okonedo are equally perfect in their supporting parts.
MIDSOMMAR. Maybe devout Scientologists would like this horror movie, or folks who think sex and death dealing cults are really cool but forget you’ve ever even heard of this carefully directed evil attempt to sicken and redefine horror. Beautifully filmed in Sweden featuring almost all Swedes, it is beyond creepy. American tourists visit a cult and get very involved…but you need be warned that you’ll remember more of it than you plan on.
YESTERDAY. Imagine if the entire world forgot who the Beatles were except for one pretty good guitarist and singer of Indian heritage. An excellent feel good movie that has a fun plot, the greatest Beatle songs and good acting. Go see it especially if you have forgotten how much those songs affected you when their albums were first released.
ECHO IN THE CANYON. Grand memories of the 1960’s popular music scene. Jakob Dylan (Bob’s son) and singer with the Wallflowers produced this documentary but is a full dud on screen. It’s also a huge tribute to the Beachboys and what they added to our culture. See it quickly.
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO. An excellent, touching film about two close buddies who face the changing city…and the world. Great footage of THE CITY and a story that will have you thinking about it for days or longer. It’s the story of love of an old San Francisco house, and everything that surrounds it. Don’t miss it. ps. Lisa Jensen tells me that the director Joe Talbot is 1940’s-50’s movie star, bad guy Lyle Talbot’s grandson.
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. . John Sears and Sue Powell return on July 16 to update us on the devastating proposed development of the Garfield Park Errett Church Circle and the threat to the community. Then Ellen Primack exec. dir of the Cabrillo Festival of Music will discuss this year’s program which runs July 28-Aug.11. Rick Longinotti and Bruce Van Allen members of Campaign for Sustainable Transportation give details on their current lawsuit on July 23. 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
A BBC documentary about Harvey Weinstein and his (well deserved) fall from grace.
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. “WHALES”
“Whales are killed today to supply the limited demand for whale meat or to be used in pet foods or as fodder for fur-bearing animals used in the fur trade”. Paul Watson “Size isn’t everything. The whale is endangered, while the ant continues to do just fine”. William E Bill Vaughan “Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the loveliest tints of azure.” Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, or, the Whale
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
“OCTOBER”
