BRATTON…Santa Cruz changes this week, Rent control, library Parking garage, Groppetti gives up and details, Pelagic shark research. John Sandidge and the Grand Ole Opry. GREENSITE…on the library/garage issue. KROHN…Rent Control, library parking garage STEINBRUNER…Soquel Water District’s false claims, Aptos Village’s illegal excavations plus their traffic problems, County Ballots M & G need examining, Cannabis Director changes. PATTON…Library/Parking garage and Democratic Socialists of America EAGAN… Subconscious Comics and Kavanaugh’s baggage. JENSEN…she’s back and reviewing Juliet, Naked. BRATTON…critiques The Wife, The Bookshop, and Skate Kitchen UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…about Bookshops.
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LIVE CAMERA IN VENICE. This is the first I’ve seen of live camera stuff on You tube. And Venice is/was one of my favorite visits. |
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UKUKELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN. There’s almost enough Ukukele players in Santa Cruz. This should provide new possibilities. |
DATELINE September 10, 2018
SANTA CRUZ IS CHANGING…THIS WEEK!!! Our city council handles two incredibly community-changing issues this Tuesday, Sept. 11. RENT CONTROL and MOVING THE LIBRARY. The Rent Control issue splits Santa Cruz into two groups…home owners vs. renters, rich vs. poor, and thinkers and community believers vs. the wealthy real estate corporation’s millions of dollars they are still spending to fool, lie and convince landlords to ignore the pleas and equal rights of renters. I hope everyone has seen the Sentinel column (9/9) by Rick Longinotti that points out — and proves in solid detail — the many City Staff errors that have been made in their push to move the library. Check it out…
Chris Krohn, Gillian Greensite and Gary Patton have all stated the issues clearly in their columns this week…check them out. AND attend the City Council meeting Tuesday night (9/11)at 7 p.m.
LIBRARY PARKING GARAGE & CITY COUNCIL MAYDAY. Tuesday (Sept. 11) is the deadline to get your emails to the City Council. The Don’t Bury The Library group has been strong, consistent, and unnerved in its opposition to this battle against the City Staff. It’s the City Staff that has been behind this wasteful plot all along. Here’s what Don’t Bury The Library sent out…
Keep the Downtown Library Branch in its current location — remodeled, renovated, revitalized, and renewed.
Please remind the Council in your own words why you are opposed to the abandonment and ultimate destruction of the historic, seismically sound downtown library building, be it environmentally destructive, civically destructive, culturally destructive, or financially destructive. It is a hugely wasteful example of city planning.
We’re down to the wire. Many of you responded to the plea for letters & emails to the City Council. Thanks to all who did! Although it may seem like a waste of time, and even if it does not change votes, the Council must be deluged with your individual emails. Otherwise it will be able to say that only a few residents were behind “Don’t Bury The Library” ( DBTL’s) goals.
Here’s their email: citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com . Send emails by 7 pm on Tuesday.
From the beginning, Don’t Bury The Library had a mission. It has not changed: Our purpose is to unhinge the library from the proposed parking garage for all the right reasons; thus our campaign name Don’t Bury The Library (DBTL).
The Mayor has granted DBTL a 4 minute comment period. We’ll see you at the Santa Cruz City Council Meeting this Tuesday at 7 p.m”.
That’s from Jean Brocklebank, Judi Grunstra and Michael Lewis.
GROPPETTI NISSAN GIVES UP. I asked Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan — two important leaders from Sustainable Soquel — to bring us up to date on Groppetti not opening a new Nissan dealership at 41st and Soquel, and also giving up his older and smaller Nissan place on Soquel. Trent Dilfer must be very disconsolate. Here’s what Lisa and Robert reported.
“The Battle is not over, lawsuit against county continues. It’s a shame Groppetti feels he has to blame a local group of community-minded folks for his troubles. He should be mad as hell at the county for ignoring the sustainable plan and not telling him about it before his project was designed planed and approved. The county should have been informing him about the sustainable plan from day one. The Santa Cruz County administrative office and planning department clearly don’t care about long-range planning. They only care how to justify their salaries. Soquilian contributed to 18 months of public hearings and $600,000 of taxpayer money for a forward-thinking plan. The sustainable plan should not be squandered by our politicians or by a flawed interpretation of an environmental impact report.
It’s too bad the CAO’s office didn’t consider something like senior housing on a bus line, where cars are minimized or office space with needed community commercial which is badly needed. The sustainable plan premise was based on creating a walkable community, placing goods and services nearby residential areas, not to support regional business that attracts more traffic from throughout the region.
Local business and local needs were ignored over a sales pitch of bogus and inflated county tax benefits which were spun like a web by our county officials.
It’s time to hold our officials accountable. Groppetti will have great sales in Gilroy, and Santa Cruz residents have fantastic local mechanics to fix their Nissans. Sustainable Soquel needs your financial help to fund their lawsuit. Go to their goFundMe page, and also their email at susuainablesoquel@gmail.com
Robert Morgan adds… Summing up: Groppetti made a decision to leave his older and smaller 1605 Soquel address in Santa Cruz City. Groppetti still owns the parcels on the corner and is challenging our lawsuit to keep them zoned C-4 so he can develop. We think he’ll lose and not be able to develop — in which case he’ll sell. Someone can come in now with an offer to Groppetti — any development would need to conform to C-2 or go through the legal (county) process for an “overriding consideration” like Groppetti did. Doubt anybody’s gonna do that.
He abandoned his clients because he feels his bottom line is too thin — -he maintains his lease is too high (euphemism for he’s not making enough money). So, Groppetti closes and anybody who owns a Nissan drives to Gilroy to get it serviced. Now, that’s keeping the community’s interests in the forefront when deciding how he will serve residents!
At the same time Groppetti leaves the community, he wants to fight the lawsuit by Sustainable Soquel because he wants the space at the corner of 41st and Soquel — even though residents asked him to respect the Sustainable Plan and not build there. Again, he fights community well-being.
County Supervisors, the Planning Commission and Groppetti ignored residents’ wishes. Those wishes were expressed through the resident-generated process creating the Santa Cruz County Sustainable Plan; namely, intelligent, community-orientated land use in alignment with low-impact community development, sustainable transportation strategies and climate change goals set by the state. So, residents sued. The court will decide if the County and Groppetti will be able to ignore the wishes of the people and build a dealership on an impacted traffic corner in lieu of housing and retail. Sustainable Soquel believes the court will side with our arguments.
PELAGIC SHARK RESEARCH FOUNDATION & FUNDING.
Sean Van Sommeran and his Pelagic Shark Research Foundation group have given incredible support to the Ocean community…often against both natural and organizational odds. They are asking for just a few dollars to continue their work. They stated… “We are in need of funds to repair vehicles and acquire more supplies, plus recoup and bolster fuel and transportation costs. It’ll go toward phone and Communications costs, replacing worn out VHF marine radios and Rescue and our Specimen Collecting Unit equipment and supplies. We’ll also add photography and videography upgrades plus Additions.
We need public support and are hopeful that this request works. We’ve never “fundraised” before, but after three long and busy seasons we are experiencing logistical and financial difficulties and hope this plea may be a practical solution.
If you are interested in supporting our efforts by making a donation or contribution, please do not hesitate to respond to this request and/or contact us directly. Check our Facebook Page or via Email psrf@pelagic.org – or call us at 831 459 9346″.
JOHN SANDIDGE & THE GRAND OLE OPRY. John “Sleepy” Sandidge has been honored to be a guest host at the world famed Grand Ole’ Opry in Nashville Tennessee!! It’s happening either October 18 or 19. They’re even flying him back there! Steve Palopoli is going with him. Looks like Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers will be the headliners. That’s gotta be a once in a lifetime experience.
September 10, 2018
THE LIBRARY/PARKING GARAGE VOTE: A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR SANTA CRUZ
Tuesday night’s council decision on the library/parking garage issue will be a watershed moment in the history of Santa Cruz. Much like the tearing down of the Cooper House forecast a change in the character of Pacific Avenue, the tearing down of the city’s main library will forecast a decisive shift into a more modern, high-rise, glass and steel, car-centric built landscape for downtown. Given the vocal, widespread opposition to building a 5-story parking garage on top of a new library, the vote will also test the council’s ability to grasp the sentiment of the people it represents, rather than its select committees and upper management.
It’s hard to determine how everyone feels about this issue since the Downtown Library Advisory Committee went out of its way to avoid letting the community know it was considering getting rid of the library. When people did show up to testify, the Committee voted on their own recommendations first, then opened the floor for public comment. Not good democratic process. I know how specific groups and individuals feel. I listened to the testimony at the last council meeting. I know my gut wrenches at the thought of losing the downtown library and the vision of a new 5-story parking garage, with the attendant loss of some of the most beautiful downtown heritage trees evokes a string of adjectives. I also hated to lose the Card Room and the Broken Egg to the current 3-story parking garage on Front St. The former was the spirit of the town for me: the latter, no soul, no spirit. I guess I prefer small-scale, familiar, bit worn down at the heel human-sized places to that which replaces them. And it’s not a question of giving time for the new to acquire the feel of the old. They never can. Such sentiments are dismissed as nostalgia by the glass and steel people. Not so. It’s a legitimate sentiment to want to preserve what little remains of the old, the familiar, and the places full of character, which are on the chopping block all over town. Whether it’s bucolic Golf Club Drive, the historic Municipal Wharf, the funky retail and restaurants on Front St, all are slated for urban renewal. And this is the thin end of the wedge. Given current zoning, there’s a whole lot of the eastside to destroy with high- rise, dense development. And let’s not forget the plans for high-rise and retail for Bay and West Cliff Drive.
There’s something corrupt about changing the character and feel of a town to serve the interests of investors and the needs of people who don’t yet live here. If you’ve ever travelled to small, centuries-old European towns and villages, have you wondered how they have survived for so long? I guess because people treasured what they had and still have and their elected representatives respected their wishes.
Tuesday night we will get to see whom our council represents.
| 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. |
RENT CONTROL, “21ST CENTURY” LIBRARIES, AND FIVE STORY GARAGES.
Oh My!?!
There are two significant issues coming to the Santa Cruz city council this week. In the afternoon, “city staff” is returning to council with “a draft city ordinance stipulating that a rent increase of more than 10% in one year or more than 15% in any two consecutive years will trigger relocation assistance” from landlords…and they are calling this “assistance to tenants.” Well, with friends like these, tenants should be hunkered down into their housing bunkers (if they have housing) and get ready for the long march (slog, really) home to the November 6th election, which actually begins October 8th when the first absentee ballots will be received by city voters. This latest staff initiative appears to be an end-around Measure M, the rent control ballot initiative now being discussed and debated in our community. But the irony here is that the kind of rent increases allowed by this proposed “ordinance” will continue seeing most residents using over 50% of their incomes to pay the rent. This city council agenda item appears to subvert the will of the electorate. Why now? Because real estate $$cha-ching$$ interests are running scared and trying to convince a few more liberal voters who may be on the fence that they, the real estate community, has our community’s best interests in mind. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even with this initiative in place, market-rate rents will prevail and rents will continue their upward spiral. I have faith in voters, both on the council and in the community, that they will not be fooled by these kinds of cheap tricks that bring no relief to tenants, but seek to obfuscate the pocket-picking that’s gone on unabated for so many years.
Oh, Oh My!!!
The city council will devote an entire evening to discuss (and vote?) the proposed five-story garage atop a relocated library on the site of the current downtown Farmer’s Market. Many questions remain and are highlighted by two opinions in Monday’s Santa Cruz Sentinel. I suggest you take a look. But the questions that I am concerned about… 1) the use of consultant Nelson/Nygaard data that on one hand, city staff are using to justify a 600-space garage, but on another hand portray a scenario that the city could avoid building this garage by implementing real “traffic demand management” strategies such as offering parking passes to all downtown city workers which would be paid for by parking funds as the current proposed $41 million garage is to be financed; 2) does this now $68 million project make economic sense? 3) who is actually a “friend” of the library? and 4) What is a 21st century library, given that so many of us would like to bring back the downtown Carnegie Library structure that was torn down so many years ago? (See op-eds here )
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
September 10, 2018
“LET’S JUST GET THIS DONE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE SHOWS UP TO PUBLICLY QUESTION IT”.
That is how it seemed to me at last Tuesday’s Soquel Creek Water District Board meeting when I discovered that Chairman Bruce Daniels had re-arranged the order of items covered on the agenda so that the PureWater Soquel Project’s Public Benefit Report was presented first, rather than nearly last, as was listed on the public agenda. Silly me to think that I could arrive at a time that would correspond with an item scheduled to be heard near the end of the meeting.
Chairman Daniels did allow me to address the Board regarding my concerns about what I consider false claims in the Report when I was granted the opportunity at the end of the meeting during public comment regarding correspondence. The entire analysis was predicated on the claim that there is NO ALTERNATIVE to the PureWater Soquel Project. That is simply not true, with the District even planning to begin accepting water from Santa Cruz City’s North Coast sources this November, if the water is available. The agreement will be re-negotiated (hopefully) before December, 2020.
The Report also fails to address the health risks of injecting treated sewage water into the groundwater drinking supply for the MidCounty region. Carollo Engineering admitted in a report given the last year that there are contaminants such as some pharmaceuticals and carcinogenic nitrosamines (NDMA) that cannot be completely removed by the energy-intensive purification process. There are no State Safe Drinking Water Standards established for these contaminants. The absence of this public health and safety risk in the Report is unacceptable.
Did the Board respond to my comment? No.
Contact the Board with your thoughts about this seemingly false Public Benefit Analysis Report for PureWater Soquel Project. Here is a link to the September 4 Agenda Packet with the Report documentation beginning on Page 107
COURT ORDER TO REDUCE INVALID WATER RATES
Many thanks to Mr. Jon Cole, a Soquel Creek Water District ratepayer who sued the District on nine counts of invalid and illegal rate structuring and won. He could not afford legal counsel, so represented himself in Santa Cruz Superior Court before Judge Paul Burdick. As a result, the District must adjust rates to Tier 2 customers and cease charging all fire service connections an extra monthly fee. Send a wave of gratitude to Mr. Jon Cole for his persistence and hard work after the Board dismissed his plea for their consideration and investigation into the matters.
CLARIFICATION OF EARLIER CLAIM RE: NUMBER OF CANNABIS LICENSING DIRECTORS
I would like to correct information I wrote a couple of weeks ago regarding the turn-over rate of the Santa Cruz County Cannabis Licensing Directors. There have been only two official Directors, not three, as I had earlier understood and reported here. The first Director, Mr. Dan Petersen, was hired in October, 2016 and resigned nine months later for ethical reasons. I had understood, in talking with him, that his assistant Ms. Loretta Moreno would assume the job. She did, but as was pointed out to me, she served only as the Interim Cannabis Director. Ms. Robin Bolster-Grant was appointed as the Director in September, 2017. She resigned last month.
Here is a link to a good discussion of the inherent (unethical?) matters involved in the County collecting massive fees from the industry, possibly encouraging a black market trade and danger in the rural areas of our County.
The CAO is definitely hoping the revenues from this industry will bail the County out in the next year of CalPERS debt coming due. Here is the Job Recruitment Announcement
THANK YOU TO THE PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SUPPORTING CLIFF SWALLOW NESTING AT PAJARO VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
Last weekend, volunteers from Pajaro Valley Unified School District , Watsonville Wetlands Watch, and the community at large cleaned selected areas at Pajaro Valley High School where Cliff Swallows were allowed to successfully raise their young in mud nests under the building eaves. The birds, protected by the International Migratory Bird Act, have now left the School grounds and are heading back to Patagonia. They will return next spring to raise another clutch or two of young.
Many thanks to District Business Operations Director Mr. Joe Dominguez for his fabulous support of staff and student health and safety issues at the School while creatively supporting the Cliff Swallow nesting activity. He participated in the workday, as did District Trustee Ms. Leslie DeRose. Thanks to all students and staff who volunteered! (picture right)
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
#246 / DSA
Kate Aronoff has written a good story about the DSA (the Democratic Socialists of America). You can find a copy in the September 2018 edition of In These Times. The title of Aronoff’s article is, “Why the Democratic Socialists of America Won’t Stop Growing.” It is well worth reading.
A recent article in The Washington Post is also worth reading. It is titled, “Democratic socialists are conquering the left. But do they believe in democracy?”
Aronoff traces the history of the DSA, and reports on its latest political successes, most notably the primary victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who soundly defeated a high-ranking Democratic Party Member of Congress in a recent Democratic Party Congressional primary. Arnoff’s article reveals, among other things, that In These Times has been, from the start, closely allied with the two groups that merged their organizations in 1982 to found the DSA: the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) and the New American Movement (NAM).
I have been a longtime subscriber to In These Times, and I have probably always been a little “soft on socialism,” but I never joined up with DSOC, NAM, or the DSA, and I never much thought about why. The reason struck me as I read Aronoff’s article. She said this about how she went about reporting on the DSA:
For this story, I spoke with around two dozen DSA members from chapters around the country. The primary source of their excitement was that DSA chapters seemed to be actively working on something, not just sitting around reading Marx.
“Sitting around reading Marx” has never much appealed to me. If that is a fair characterization of how the membership of the various explicitly socialist groups have tended to spend their time (at least until recently), I can see why these organizations have never been that appealing. My brand of left-wing political activism has had me “sitting around reading the Constitution.”
My commitment to “revolution,” and it’s sincere, has much more to do with 1776 than with 1914, or even with 1789 (see Hannah Arendt’s book, On Revolution). The American version of revolution is not likely to be of great interest to those who “sit around reading Marx,” and that’s their loss, in my view.
My advice for the DSA is pretty simple (and it definitely includes a commitment to democracy). I suggest that if the DSA would like to keep growing, its members should start reading the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. If lots of people start doing that, I think the DSA will have a bright future.
In other words, in thinking about the future, I think that the DSA should not forget to put some emphasis on the “A.”
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Look below for Eagan’s visit and probing into our once upon a time mysteries…Hero, Boss and Ava are our long beloved guides.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “KAVANAUGH’S BAGGAGE” 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.
ESPRESSIVO. Presents their first concert of the season Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 3pm at the Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High Street, Santa Cruz, California
they’ll play/perform; J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto Nr. 3, Igor Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks Concerto , Igor Stravinsky Concerto in D , J.S. Bach Suite Nr. 2 and with Lars Johannesson, playing flute.
PIVOT: The Art of Fashion presents “Hall of Fashion” – A Runway Show in collaboration with the R. Blitzer Gallery on Saturday, September 22, 2018. Hall of Fashion – A Runway Show begins at 7:30pm. Designer’s Market open to the public following the show. VIP Reception and Designer’s Market preview 6:00-7:30pm. The Blitzer Gallery is in the Old Wrigley Building.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “A obsessed music fan, his neglected girlfriend, and the has-been rocker he idolizes set the stage for wry comic turmoil in Juliet, Naked, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). And big thanks to everyone who turned out to honor my sweetie at the Celebrating James event a couple of weeks ago. The Rio was packed! Relive those moments of laughter and tears (but mostly laughter) with these new pics from the event. Thank you, Santa Cruz!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
THE WIFE. Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce and Christian Slater — along with a sensitive plot/script — make this another great 2018 film. Pryce wins the Nobel Prize; his wife Glen Close has a deeply involved and serious role as his lodestar. An excellent film, go see it. You’ll love it.
THE BOOKSHOP. (See this week’s “quotes” at the end of Bonline). If you like, love and use bookshops this film will make you appreciate your favorite bookshop all the more. Single woman Emily Mortimer (you’ll remember her once you see her) opens an independent, very independent bookshop in a small town in England. The acting by Bill Nighy and Patricia Clarkson is absolutely wonderful and this has to be one of my favorite 2018 films.
SKATE KITCHEN. A near-documentary focusing on a teenage skateboarders (who aren’t very good by Santa Cruz standards). The director gave a some New York City girls a bunch of lines to act out, and they tried, but it’s awful to listen to. It lacks plot, realism, and any reason to spend your ticket money. CLOSES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13.
BLACKKKLANSMAN. Spike Lee’s newest and most effective critique on what’s happening in America. It’s the progressive Democrats best statement since Michael Moore’s last film. Not subtle, even funny, bitter, and painfully true. It’s based on the true story of a black police officer who finagles a way to get a white guy into the KuKluxKlan. More than that he has meetings with David Duke, head of the KKK. Alec Baldwin has an opening scene Adam Driver is the “hero” and you have to see it. It earned 97% on RT
EIGHTH GRADE. A 99 on RT and the lead actor Elsie Fisher deserves at least an Oscar for her role as a conflicted and nearly typical eighth grader. The incredibly talented, funny, and profound Bo Burnham directed it. (See his Comedy special on Netflix!). You’ll relive the anxiety, insecurity, and fears we all had in eighth grade. It’s billed as a comedy and some of the audience laughed when I was watching it…but see it for the insights, the reality, and the remembrances of those times.
SEARCHING. An nearly-all Asian cast makes this “disappearing child” thriller almost as unusual as does the fact that almost 90% of the movie is on computer and iPhone screens. Facebook, Google, and every contraption we use today is part of this hunt for the guy’s daughter. The ending is a letdown in more than one way. Wait and rent it.
JULIET, NAKED. Nope, it’s not reference to Shakespeare, darn it — but the title of a song that has been/legend Ethan Hawke recorded years ago. It’s got some laughs, many impossible plot twists, and you’ll have to be a full-time Hawke fan to sit through some very slow development. He’s done better…and so have you!!!
CRAZY RICH ASIANS. A Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast. It’s about the same as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, except Asian Americans instead of Greeks. The plot, laughs, and acting are all typical Hollywood re-hash. It doesn’t need your ticket money…it’s breaking many, many box office records already. This means of course that there’ll be a dozen look a like sequels.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE :FALLOUT. Another Tom Cruise do it yourself stunt movie. Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin are back again too. It has some wild and inventive stunt scenes that we’ve never seen before. Plus a music score that keeps almost all of the movie at a very intense level. It’s thrilling, mindless, pointless, but full of kicks. It’s made for the big screens.
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending.
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
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 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. Then Julie James from The Jewel Theatre shares news of their new play season. Sept. 18 has Don Stump pres. and CEO of CCH housing returning to discuss affordable housing. Nora Hochman guests on September 25 to talk about rent control and Housing Justice. “Landscapes” the new book about historical & local land use battles will be talked about by Elizabeth Schilling and a friend on October 2nd. Then Julie Phillips and George Lewis discuss the proposed Dream Inn development at West Cliff and Bay. October 22 has Ken Koenig and friend talking about communicating you’re your friends and relatives who like Trump. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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
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Did you know…? 🙂 |
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 12 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. “BOOKSHOPS”
“What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin’ a soul.” Neil Gaiman, American Gods
“I love walking into a bookstore. It’s like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me.” Tahereh Mafi
“It is clear that the books owned the shop rather than the other way about. Everywhere they had run wild and taken possession of their habitat, breeding and multiplying, and clearly lacking any strong hand to keep them down.” Agatha Christie, The Clocks
“To walk into a modern-day bookstore is a little bit like studying a single photograph out of the infinite number of photographs that cold be taken of the world: It offers the reader a frame.” Nicole Krauss
COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. 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!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!
Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com
September 3 – 9, 2018
BRATTON…Santa Cruz Indivisible event & open house, Greg Larson loses Democrat support, Dream Inn development battle just beginning, Save Scotts Valley event, Salmon fishing in Santa Cruz. GREENSITE…on Learning to love Trees. KROHN…City council biz, killing the giant Sequoia, water bonds, developers and $$Density Bonus$$, UCSC and no growth issue, Homeless housing debacle, vote on Library/garage on Sept.11. STEINBRUNER…Soquel’s drinking sewage water to save money? Soquel water Board shutting up citizen input, Monning’s Water Bill loses again — hooray!, County Supes stop public input. PATTON…on Presidential lying and honesty. EAGAN…classic Subconscious Comics and new Deep Cover. JENSEN…still has visitors and will return next week. BRATTON…critiques Little Stranger, Searching, and Juliet, NakedUNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…about September.
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Lincoln Taiz found this Trump tribute!!! |
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LU WATTERS AND HIS YERBA BUENA JAZZ BAND. Not enough people know that Lu Watters was born in Santa Cruz. He is solely responsible for the 1940’s-1960’s San Francisco revival of New Orleans jazz. He was also instrumental in the fight against PG& E’s Nuclear Power plant in Bodega Bay, which we won!! |
Photo Caption
(photo courtesy of Covello & Covello Historical photos)
DATELINE September 3, 2018
SANTA CRUZ INDIVISIBLE. Trying to find a way to get involved and help the battle against the Trump forces? Want to meet friends and neighbors who share your interests? Go to the Santa Cruz Indivisible Blue Wave Show at the Civic this Saturday. Here’s what they sent out…
“Can’t get involved during the summer? Don’t worry, on September 8th at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, SCI will be having a general meeting from 10-11:30am, followed by a day of Blue Wave volunteer recruitment from 1-5pm, where you will be able to take short training sessions about canvassing, phone and text banking, GOTV, and writing postcards to voters. Before you leave you will be able to sign up for any Blue Wave actions that fit your schedule and interests.
Feel intimidated about participating, or don’t know how to get involved? Don’t! To help guide you we will have continuous, revolving, 20 min. intro sessions to learn how to effectively connect with voters using various electoral tools like: canvassing, writing postcards to voters, phone and text banking. Attend for 20 minutes or two hours, whatever fits your schedule!”
This is the time to find folks and neighbors who share your concerns. S.C.I will have Active issue teams at the Civic representing Local politics, Freedom of the press, LGBTIQ, gun violence, Black lives matter, California single payer, common ground, climate solutions, public lands, water issues, wildlife, children and education, economic policy, voter suppression, and of course Trump politics. It’s a perfect way to get involved. That’s 10am to 5p.m. at the Civic. Go here to get the info and go there to help our country get back on track.
GREG LARSON’S CITY COUNCIL CAMPAIGN. Is anyone else surprised that Greg Larson got NO endorsements from both the Democratic Women’s Club and the Democratic Central Committee? What is equally surprising is that he’s pushing his endorsements from so many of the the police groups — such as Santa Cruz POLICE OFFICERS Association, Santa Cruz POLICE MANAGEMENT Association, Scott Seaman, Past President of CA Police Chiefs Assoc. Kevin Vogel, Past Police Chief, City of Santa Cruz. That puts him way into the Terrazas-Cynthia Mathews camp, instead of where so many of us hoped otherwise. At the next forum be sure to ask him where he stands on Rent Control or West Cliff Dream development. Don’t let him cop out like so many are doing by saying … “oh yes I’m for rent control, just not this measure”.
DREAM INN DEVELOPMENT DISASTER. Tourists are already trying to avoid the enormous traffic problem at West Cliff Drive/Dream Inn/ West Cliff Villas corner. Soon tourists will start avoiding that entire area of our fair city. Dream Inn owners are pushing developer Ensemble Real Estate to get this project moving ASAP. It’s the 4 story, 47 foot tall town house building with two underground parking levels. As Save Santa Cruz Westside’s website says, that’s… “89 Luxury Condos, Minimal Local Housing, and 15,790 square feet of commercial retail space at a critical intersection”. So many of these units will be escape destinations for wealthy Silicon Valley escapees… and won’t help our housing crisis at all. Many, many of the immediate neighbors are fighting this. For sure the trailer park folks behind the site are worried about it, but neighbors in the West Cliff Villas right there at that Dream Inn corner are fighting just as hard to prevent this destruction of our threatened environment. Join in… It’s our community.
SAVE SCOTTS VALLEY TOWN GREEN EVENT. This is from an email in this week’s mail bag. “Our invitation to one of the most important discussions in the history of Scotts Valley was buried on page 15 of the latest Press Banner. The city has known about this for weeks, yet has made minimal effort to spread the word. If you live in Scotts Valley or the San Lorenzo Valley, and are concerned about this high density housing mega-project which will crush the Mt. Hermon corridor and impact the safety of our Middle School kids, spread the word and attend the meeting Saturday September 8th from 11-2 at the SCOTTS Valley Community Center. The meeting coincides with the Farmers Market “Apple a Day” Festival, so bring a few extra bucks and plan to stick around after we tell the developers our downtown is the WORST LOCATION for hundreds of high-density housing units”.
SALMON FISHING IN SANTA CRUZ. Last week I ran a video clip of some guys just sweeping salmon out of the water somewhere in Santa Cruz. I asked if anyone knew where this bizarre event took place. I got much more than that from Jean Brocklebank. She wrote… “The video was taken a couple of years ago at the upper end of the harbor, where the once lovely Arana Creek fed a natural wetland/lagoon system. Nowadays, salmon are artificially raised at a hatchery, then released into harbor waters to head for the ocean and return for sport fishing. Thankfully, the Port District has since stopped the absurd practice of fishing off the end of the upper harbor, where — once the word got out — dozens of people showed up and did what the video shows so well. It became a human feeding frenzy and ruined the upper harbor. Landscaping was trampled. Guys were peeing into the water. There was trash left behind, including fishing line (of course). No fishing there for the past two years and that’s fine by me!”
LEARNING TO LOVE TREES.
I grew up around trees. Very tall trees. When I was about 8 years old my family moved from the state of Victoria to the state of New South Wales on Australia’s east coast. I recall my father telling us why he chose to buy the modest weatherboard two-bedroom house, which cost $2,000 at that time, sold for $20,000 in 1970 when my father moved to New Zealand and today the same house is worth well over a million dollars. Housing speculation has similar impacts on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
The first house my father looked at was a well-made larger house that would have been ideal except for the fact that its spacious yard was full of mature trees. My father wanted a large vegetable garden, which required sun. He therefore chose instead the lesser house on the other side of the valley with only native brush, no trees and full sun. Cutting down the trees for more sun never entered his mind. That early lesson and countless others instilled in me a respect and love for trees that is deeply rooted. It has fuelled a passion to save trees from human selfishness and ignorance both of which abound in Santa Cruz, more so than in other places I’ve visited. When I revisit my hometown in Australia, the trees from my childhood are still there, only much bigger after 50 years. I joke with friends that after being away from Santa Cruz for a month, I expect to see any number of big trees gone on my return. Sadly that is often the case.
As properties change hands in Santa Cruz, as second units are approved on single-family lots, we are fast losing our mature trees, sometimes for frivolous reasons. Just two examples: one involves a house on my street where a heritage tree grew in the front yard of a house that recently sold. The tree, when just a six inch slip, was brought from Indiana in the back pocket of a man who loved trees and wanted to plant it as a reminder of his previous home. It was a mature tree when I moved to the lower Westside 40 years ago. The property has changed hands a few times and new owners cared for the tree until the present owner moved in. Within a few months, and conveniently when I was out of town, he cut down the tree without any permit, ripped out the landscaping to make room for another car, forever changing the look and feel of our street. The other example involves a large Sequoia tree growing in a private yard on King St. The new owners who purchased the house a year ago decided after buying that they wanted to get rid of the tree. The city’s urban forester denied them a tree removal permit since the tree is healthy, not a danger and not damaging a structure; all conditions that would warrant a tree removal permit. Contrary to popular belief, very few tree removal permits are ever denied by the city’s urban forester and there are hundreds of such requests each year. When one is denied, it’s a guarantee that the tree is worthy of saving. The property owners appealed the denial, won at the Parks and Recreation commission level and the issue headed to council on appeal for the August 28th meeting. The vote was split. With Mayor Terrazas absent, council members Krohn, Brown and Chase voted to save the tree while council members Mathews, Noroyan and Watkins voted to let the owners cut it down.
One expects property owners who wish to get rid of a heritage tree to use fear-based hyperbole and nasty personal attacks as their weapons and both were in no short supply in this particular presentation to council. One expects council members to understand that a Heritage Tree ordinance exists to protect trees, especially from those who hold no love of trees in their hearts; who find trees a nuisance, dirty, in the way, out of place. One expects that council would respect the expertise of their staff who had her decision peer reviewed and supported by one of the leading arborists in Santa Cruz. Not so for the council members who voted to take the tree down. Employing that trite expression, “it’s the wrong tree in the wrong place” council member Noroyan voted to end the life of this majestic tree as casually as if she were pulling a weed. Given a tie vote, the issue will return to council sometime in October.
Watching the council meeting online from Florida, I was reminded of my father’s example from long ago. If you are looking to buy a house and you don’t like trees or a particular tree is not what you want in your yard then don’t buy that house. Look for a different house. Trees are not objects to be disposed of as casually as a used tissue. They are living species. While worshiping trees was a hallmark of other cultures and times, the least we can do in our over-mechanized, increasingly warming world is to show them a bit of respect. Our future may depend on it.
| Gillian Greensite is a long time local activist, a member of Save Our Big Trees and the Santa Cruz chapter of IDA, International Dark Sky Association http://darksky.org Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild. |
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CITY COUNCIL BIZ-LAST WEEK’S VOTES
I told you I’d get back to you with news on various city council votes from our last meeting on August 28th. The Giant Sequoia tree appeal at 1420 King Street near the corner of Baldwin (Item #21) proved to be contentious and ended with at 3-3 vote. Mayor David Terrazas was absent, so it will be heard again on Oct. 23rd, according to city manager Martin Bernal. The three yes votes were cast by Sandy Brown, Cynthia Chase and me. There were moments during the discussion when I thought there would be four votes to maintain this grand tree. In fact, Councilmember Cynthia Mathews ambled on about how she too was a tree-lover and has shelled out a mountain of money to maintain her árboles. But, in the end she voted to cut it down. Now the fate of this beautiful and “healthy” specimen, according to city arborist Leslie Keedy, is up to the mayor, I guess, unless another councilmember changes her mind.
Proposition Political Posturing.
On item #21, no one had the stomach for taking on the staff recommendation of council-support for Proposition 3 water bonds, which both the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters are firmly opposed to. I did get the council to agree to place Proposition 10, the repeal of the Costa-Hawkins bill that currently limits all rent control in the state after 1994, onto the next city council agenda for a discussion.
Developers Developing Santa Cruz for Developers
The big agenda item outcome–read $$$–of course, was council approval of item #20, the developer-friendly “density bonus” plan. The key provision for developers is ” Increasing the number of units (density bonus) up to 35% more units…”The reason it proved complicated was perhaps the “modifications to the minimum square footage,” or completely throwing out the “tier system” of incentives, but likely it was “Changes to the definition of transit stop…” Are your eyes glazing over yet? Well, most council eyes were possibly bored to tears on this one. The give-away passed by a 5-2 vote with councilmember Brown and me, the only ones to have posed questions for staff, and then we came out firmly opposed to gifts for developer.
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT JUSTIFIES ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF INJECTING TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO LOCAL DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
Why is Soquel Creek Water District working so hard to shove treated sewage water into the MidCounty drinking water supply and now using an erroneous report (my opinion) to justify the economics of doing so? Why does the District insist on burdening ratepayers with perhaps $200 MILLION IN DEBT and threaten the entire region’s drinking water supply with pharmaceuticals and unknown contaminants, including carcinogenic nitrosamines (NDMA)??? (There are no drinking water standards established for these toxins).
The District’s Cost Benefit Report, done to support their PureWater Soquel Project, is flawed because it assumes erroneously that “no readily available feasible alternatives” exist. “Several decades of alaysis and regional efforts at implementing other options have not resulted in a substantial water supply coming online.” (pg. 1 of the Report).
How can the District Board accept such false information when this November, Santa Cruz City will begin sending hundreds of thousands of gallons from North Coast sources to Soquel Creek Water District customers, allowing the over-pumped aquifer to recover? Further, the agreements between the two jurisdictions will be re-negotiated in 2020 and could allow for more water to be sent to the District during high-flow storm events. Also, other “place of use” water rights for the San Lorenzo River are currently being amended to allow Santa Cruz to send excess water to Soquel Creek Water District, allowing the over-pumped areas to recover. The pipelines needed for this are already in place, and are used during emergencies between the two jurisdictions.
The District already submitted this bogus Cost Benefit Report to the feds last July for a $20 Million grant application, two-thirds of which relies upon this type of information. The Board is only now being given the opportunity to review the Report at this Tuesday’s meeting (see Item 6.5 beginning on page 107)
The Report was created by Dr. Brent Haddad, Professor of Environmental Studies (NOT Economics) and graduate student Mr. Bryan Pratt (in Economics Dept.), both at UCSC, operating under the comparison of Orange County studies. The Report was reviewed by Mr. Cameron Tana, Hydro geologist (not an economist) for Montgomery and Associates, the company developing the models to support the PureWater Soquel Project. Doesn’t that seem odd to you?
Why does the Report claim an annual Operating & Maintenance Cost of $1.9 Million from figures supposedly given by Project consultants Brown and Caldwell, but never provides the actual document reference information? Why does the Soquel Creek Water District document presented to the Board at the August 21, 2018 by District Financial Manager Ms. Leslie Strohm at the Special Board Meeting (NOT video recorded for the public) state “Supplemental Supply operating costs beginning FY 2023-2024 estimated at $2,440,000 per year” (page 6 of 25)???
NO COOPERATION FROM COUNTY SUPERVISORS TO INCREASE PUBLIC INPUT AT BOARD MEETINGS
Last Tuesday’s (8/28)County Board of Supervisor meeting Consent Agenda #62 approved an exclusive contract with Swenson Builders to move forward on a hotel at the 7th Avenue and Brommer Redevelopment parcel above the Santa Cruz Harbor. Because I can no longer pull Consent Agenda items for better public discussion at Board meetings, I followed the newly-approved Board rule and wrote Supervisors Ryan Coonerty and John Leopold to ask that they pull the item for me. I got no response from either until they both responded via e-mails sent moments before the Board meeting began that they would NOT honor my request and pull the item.
Well, that action will help support County Administrative Officer (CAO) Carlos Palacios’ criteria for the success of the new Board policies regarding public input. According to his staff, the changes will be successful if there are fewer Consent Agenda items pulled. Does that seem like better public participation in local government to you? That was one of the features of the “Vision Santa Cruz Strategic Plan” approved by the Board last June.
I think the Grand Jury needs to hear about this, don’t you? What will be the next method of further stifling public participation? Contact your County Supervisor and ask.
Cheers,
Becky Steinbruner
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
September 2, 2018
The Saturday-Sunday, September 1-2, 2018, edition of The Wall Street Journal carried an excerpt from Kenneth Starr’s new book, which Starr has titled Contempt: A Memoir of the Clinton Investigation. The Journal called its piece, “The Impeached President.”
I have recently written in this blog about impeachment, and initially minimized the significance of the “high crimes and misdemeanors” with which President Bill Clinton was charged.
Almost immediately after writing a blog post to that effect, I had second thoughts, based on a column in The New York Times. I then restated my position, as follows:
I really believe I stand corrected. I don’t want to be associated with any claim that when the President of the United States lies (particularly under oath), that such lying is in any way “ok.” We can’t allow any of our elected officials to operate under a “truth-optional” standard.
Naturally, I was interested to see the article in The Wall Street Journal, which is essentially a justification by Starr of his pursuit of President Clinton on the basis of the president’s lies about his sexual contacts with Monica Lewinsky. For any who lived through that part of our history, I imagine that the Starr justification will be worth reading.
What I thought most noteworthy in the excerpt published in The Journal was the way it concluded. Starr says that he did not like the independent counsel law under which Starr’s investigation operated; he thinks the “special counsel” regulations under which Robert Mueller is operating are better. Nonetheless, Starr says:
Even with the reformed structure for appointing and overseeing special prosecutors, the cries are once again heard throughout the land: “Witch hunt!” The struggle for assuring integrity and honesty in government is being played out all over again.
The way I read this, Starr is legitimating the investigation of our current president, Donald J. Trump, and is saying that when the president violates standards of integrity and honesty it is perfectly appropriate to impeach the president on that basis.
I agree!
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Check out Nemo and Boss and especially Ava as they traipse through land that is all too familiar to most of us!!! Scroll down.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Bearing with the G.O.P.” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog. Containing his new poem/saga “Them”.
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE RETURNS. We are really fortunate that the San Francisco Mime Troupe continues to make Santa Cruz one of their traveling stops. They’ll be performing their original time – traveling musical “SEEING RED” twice in San Lorenzo Park for free. That’s Saturday/Sunday September 8th & 9th. The great Mime troupe band starts at 2:30 the play is at 3 p.m.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa’s taking another week off and enjoying a visit from her relatives. She says she’ll be back online and in print next week. See her blog at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
LITTLE STRANGER. A carefully, slowly paced, haunted version of “Downton Abbey”. A spirit haunts an old mansion, never really shocking anyone, but keeping the movie audience in quiet suspense. Charlotte Rampling provides her usual perfect acting, and you’ll leave the film remembering this plot for a very long time.
SEARCHING. An nearly-all Asian cast makes this “disappearing child” thriller almost as unusual as does the fact that almost 90% of the movie is on computer and iPhone screens. Facebook, Google, and every contraption we use today is part of this hunt for the guy’s daughter. The ending is a letdown in more than one way. Wait and rent it.
JULIET, NAKED. Nope, it’s not reference to Shakespeare, darn it — but the title of a song that has been/legend Ethan Hawke recorded years ago. It’s got some laughs, many impossible plot twists, and you’ll have to be a full-time Hawke fan to sit through some very slow development. He’s done better…and so have you!!!
BLACKKKLANSMAN. Spike Lee’s newest and most effective critique on what’s happening in America. It’s the progressive Democrats best statement since Michael Moore’s last film. Not subtle, even funny, bitter, and painfully true. It’s based on the true story of a black police officer who finagles a way to get a white guy into the KuKluxKlan. More than that he has meetings with David Duke, head of the KKK. Alec Baldwin has an opening scene Adam Driver is the “hero” and you have to see it. It earned 97% on RT
EIGHTH GRADE. A 99 on RT and the lead actor Elsie Fisher deserves at least an Oscar for her role as a conflicted and nearly typical eighth grader. The incredibly talented, funny, and profound Bo Burnham directed it. (See his Comedy special on Netflix!). You’ll relive the anxiety, insecurity, and fears we all had in eighth grade. It’s billed as a comedy and some of the audience laughed when I was watching it…but see it for the insights, the reality, and the remembrances of those times.
BLINDSPOTTING. Has a 93 on RT…and deserves it. A “blindspot” as we learn in the film, is when something is right in front of you and you can’t see it. In this case it’s the racial scene in Oakland and the rest of the USA. Violent, conflicted, heartwarming, well acted, and painful. It’ll leave an impression on you long after you leave the theatre.
PUZZLE. A perfectly acted, extra sensitive story of a woman finding her way to empowerment . It’s also a view into the little known world of Jigsaw Puzzle addicts and experts. Go see this quickly, it probably won’t last long on Santa Cruz screens.
ALPHA. 88 on RT. A live action Ice Age cave man meets a dog for the first time. It does lack Raquel Welch or any cave babes in leather skimpies but it is fascinating….and you can take the kids. I’m serious about the man meets dog story. That’s the only plot it has.
PAPILLON. This isn’t just a remake of the 1973 original starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman — the two new actors look just like them too! The acting is terrible, the camera work jarring, and it’s a very boring movie. I dozed several times. It’s all about Devil’s Island, prison life, and how to escape. Rent the original, which is a much better film.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS. A Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast. It’s about the same as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, except Asian Americans instead of Greeks. The plot, laughs, and acting are all typical Hollywood re-hash. It doesn’t need your ticket money…it’s breaking many, many box office records already. This means of course that there’ll be a dozen look a like sequels.
EQUALIZER 2. Denzel Washington is back again as a vigilante. Unlike all the rest of the bloody, violent, killing, revenge movies, Denzel makes this one a little deeper, more thoughtful, and yet at the same time heavy-handed. There’s nothing new, imaginative or startling in it, but because it’s Denzel you’ll be able to sit through all of it.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE :FALLOUT. Another Tom Cruise do it yourself stunt movie. Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin are back again too. It has some wild and inventive stunt scenes that we’ve never seen before. Plus a music score that keeps almost all of the movie at a very intense level. It’s thrilling, mindless, pointless, but full of kicks. It’s made for the big screens.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending.
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon play buddies from LA who for some kinky reason become involved with an international killers. The two of them go toHolland, Hungary, Berlin, Austria, Denmark and Atlanta, Georgia. After more than two hours those locations plus the foolish, overused dialogue between the two women aren’t enough to make this flick worth paying to see.
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
A.X.L. This bizarre drivel didn’t deserve even the 22 it got on Rotten Tomatoes. The army developed a secret mechanical dog as a modernized K9 corps tracker and killer. In case you forgot, I was in the U.S. Army K9 corps as a dog trainer…seriously! So I’m an expert on K9 dogs! This movie wouldn’t be worth watching even if it was free. The plot is absolutely beyond understanding, the special effects are poorly carried out, and it’s a waste of your time and admission charges.
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 4 Rotimi Agbabiaka from The San Francisco Mime Troupe discuss their performances here on Sept. 8 & 9. Then Rose Sellery and Tina Brown share style scoops from their PIVOT: Art Of Fashion show happening 9/22. September 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. Then Julie James from The Jewel Theatre shares news of their new play season. Sept. 18 has Don Stump pres. and CEO of CCH housing returning to discuss affordable housing. Nora Hochman guests on September 25 to talk about rent control and Housing Justice. October 22 has Ken Koenig and friend talking about communicating you’re your friends and relatives who like Trump.OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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
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I love the stuff… 😀 |
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. ” SEPTEMBER”
“[T]hat old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air … Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year’s mistakes had been wiped clean by summer.” Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose
“The old summer’s-end melancholy nips at my heels. There’s no school to go back to; no detail of my life will change come the onset of September; yet still, I feel the old trepidation.” Sara Baume, A Line Made by Walking
“High up on Monte Salvatore the window of some shepherd’s hut opened a golden eye. The roses hung their heads and dreamed under the still September clouds, and the water plashed and murmured softly among the pebbles of the shore.” E.L. Voynich
“I used to love September, but now it just rhymes with remember.”Dominic Riccitello
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Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com
August 28 – September 3, 2018
BRATTON… report on City Council candidates forum at SEIU, Amazon, Landmark and subtitled movies, the next Amazon, Sustaining Soquel. GREENSITE…on the Wharf Master Plan. KROHN…City Council agendas, UCSC growth, conflicts of interest, developer favors, city manager issues. STEINBRUNER…a new hotel at 7th and Brommer?, Planning Commission favorites, Aptos Village project, Cannabis licensing manager quits, Soquel and smart Water Meters. PATTON…about impeachment. EAGAN…Subconscious Comics & Deep Cover. JENSEN…relaxes after James’ party and her birthday. BRATTON…critiques Papillon and A.X.L. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…about Earthquakes and Impeachment.
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WHAT DO YOU SEE? Be careful they get really, really difficult about half way through. |
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SALMON FISHING IN SANTA CRUZ? Can anyone tell where this was taken? |
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KIM NOVAK TALKS ABOUT MARILYN MONROE AND SEX. |
DATELINE August 27, 2018
THE VERY FIRST 2018 CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM.
Because the general public was not invited to this forum last Thursday night (8/23), I asked friends who did attend for a report, and their opinions of what went on. The following is that “report”…. “Out of a total of 10 registered candidates, 8 were present for the SEIU-Central Labor Council forum last Thursday night at their union hall on Mission Street. Candidates Paige Concannon and David Lane were absent. This was the first candidate face-off in what appears to be a grueling campaign schedule for candidates — likely 9 or 10 more of these will follow. It was clear that a real race for three council seats is officially on. All 8 candidates seemed ready and prepared to talk about city business, although there were of course varying perspectives. This is Santa Cruz.
Placing this group on spectrum…The far-right (for SC) definitely has a candidate. Perhaps it was the most newsworthy (in SC) story of the night, that is the Trumpian tendencies of one Ashley Scontriano—(“safety,” police, home-girl, police, terror on the streets, police) Rumor has it that she vied for a place on the Cynthia Mathews slate, but missed the cut as Greg Larson (who would not utter the words “Los Gatos,” but said he has the experience of being a city manager, at least five times, but just where was he the city manager? (answer: Los Gatos). (Do we want to be Los Gatos?) Also on the Mathews team is Donna “support-the-city-manager-council-institution-at-all-costs” Meyers, and incumbent Richelle “never met a market-rate unit I did not approve” (and TBSC stealth candidate) Noroyan. That appears to be the institutional-city staff slate as chosen by the Cynthia Mathews-Carol Fuller machine. I also heard that former SC school board member Cynthia Hawthorne was also bumped from the Mathew slate.
Candidates Justin Cummings and Drew Glover hit homeruns all over the place. They were both honest and had a firm grasp of the issues, clearly outpacing the rest of the pack at this first forum. Justin is basing his campaign on “community stability”, wanting to house the homeless, lower rents considerably, and make Santa Cruz a place where union families can afford to live and raise their children. Drew Glover, when asked if he would talk to unions during contract negotiations (every candidate responded “yes”) went beyond the usual programmatic yes, to outline a strategy of creating and fostering community—raising wages, lowering rents, taking care of the homeless, and meeting union members and their representatives anywhere and any time.
Perhaps what separated this group more than anything was when SEIU board member Matt Nathanson asked candidates to respond to the question: “Which city council candidate would they endorse?” Simple enough question. Justin and Drew were forthright: they endorsed each other and outlined what a council majority might look like if they are elected and how it would benefit Santa Cruz. The Cynthia Mathews slate—Greg Larson, Donna Meyers, and Richelle Noroyan—responded rather disingenuously, preferring not to endorse or support each other, much less even acknowledging that they perhaps even know each other. They just get along with everyone, they are ‘independent and will work with other councilmembers once they’re elected.
Of course, the path of what differentiates Justin Cummings and Drew Glover from the Mathews slate is clear: rent control. Glover and Cummings were clear, cogent and enthusiastic in supporting tenants and the most vulnerable in this community in standing up to landlords and addressing the dire housing crisis in this town. The Cynthia Mathews slate waffled from no support to ‘I support rent control just not this one,’ — to which Glover stated that over ten thousand had signed a petition to get it on the ballot, and it’s an issue people want addressed.
Grey pony-tailed candidate-lawyer, Phillip Crawford, besides being opposed to rent control, made a good case for being a friend of labor, but also it became clear as the night wore on that he is not tethered to anything Santa Cruz. All his good work took place on the other side of the hill, as did Greg Larson’s.
You can see information about all candidates on the city’s web page here
It is not clear once you arrive at this page, but just scroll down and click on each candidate’s name”.
End of report. Another attendee asked “when Santa Cruz is having so much trouble dealing with our city managers and their influence on the council, do we want Greg Larson with his long experience as a City Manager of Los Gatos actually on our Santa Cruz City Council?”
MORE ABOUT AMAZON, LANDMARK, DEL MAR AND OUR NICKELODEON. No more definite news about Amazon buying the Landmark 50 theatre chain (del Mar and Nickelodeon), but I sat with Bill Raney — who created/built/established The Nick back in 1969 at Jim Aschbacher’s tribute last Saturday night. I told him that cinema trade experts are predicting Amazon might be mainly interested in owning theatres where they can show their own Amazon-produced films. That just might bring a slightly better selection of movies. Bill Raney added the main concern …will they be bringing any more subtitled films? Landmark brings us very few…but at least only rarely do they show “dubbed” films.
MIND-BOGGLING AMAZON QUESTION. Amazon’s marketing techniques have shut down thousands of brick-and-mortar stores, such our Sears and Orchard Supply stores, Toys are Us, Circuit City, Sports Authority, Borders and plenty more. The challenge is to think who, what and how somebody will come up with the business that will ruin Amazon? This is America, so you know our great American tradition has it that somebody will invent, create some new cheaper product service (even beyond drone shipping) that will shutter Amazon…wait for it!!!
HELP OUR NEIGHBORS WITH THEIR LAWSUIT. “Sustainable Soquel” is a group of neighbors and residents of Soquel who care a lot about their community. Teachers, lawyers, clerks, birders, and students have joined together to protest the Countey’s not just allowing, but even pushing a new GROPETTI NISSAN DEALERSHIP to open on the corner of Soquel Drive and 41st. Avenue. There are many better uses for that almost 3 acre site, such as senior housing with a small locally-owned handy food store, or other retail and community business to fill in gaps that the neighborhood needs. Sustainable Soquel has hired an expert attorney from San Luis Obispo, and is taking Santa Cruz County to court for at least three pro-Auto Row actions they consider illegal. It costs lots of money to protect neighborhoods, and Sustainable Soquel needs your and my financial help. Being part of this Soquel community movement now will mean we all benefit from the legal changes it will bring…and your neighborhood could be next. Get in touch with Sustainable Soquel’s Go Fund account http://bit.ly/2MPIIm1stopautorow
DATELINE FLORIDA.
Two years ago almost to the day, the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf was saved from a morph-over by the timely birth of my only grandchild, Calliope. Had she been born on a Monday rather than a Tuesday, the historic wharf would now be unrecognizable. Forty foot tall buildings, three in all, one covering the sea lion viewing holes; landings on the east side for big boats, perhaps tenders for cruise ships; infill buildings for more retail shopping on the Westside; a lowered walk and bike way under the restaurants, facing the elements, blocking access for migratory birds that nest under the wharf; twelve automated pay machines spaced along the half mile wharf replacing the workers staffing the kiosks; reduced sized parking spaces. Just a sampling of the changes proposed by the SF urban design firm ROMA, who were paid a million dollars for the Plan alone, with most of the money coming from the federal government via the city’s dubious if not fraudulent claim of tsunami damage to the wharf, with the remainder of the money from city Parks and Recreation funds.
In Florida, August 22nd 2016, sitting, waiting for my grandchild’s birth, I decided to see what was on the Santa Cruz City Council agenda for the next day. I was shocked to see the Wharf Master Plan on the agenda. Shocked because it was unexpected; shocked because approval by council meant a green light for all of the above with only the funding to secure, a not insurmountable problem given the tourist industry and available grants. With limited time but with a 3 hour east coast advantage, I quickly read the agenda report and the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), spotted the lack of mention of the Puget Sound migratory birds annual spring nesting under the wharf, fired off emails to 7 of the most reliable environmentalists I could think of, all of whom wrote emails to council. At their meeting the next day and recognizing the MND’s omissions, council voted to continue the item for a month. In the meantime, a legal letter recommending the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and a petition drafted by a member of the Valley Women’s Club that garnered 2500 signatures under the title Don’t Morph The Wharf! was sent to council. Council member Richelle Noroyan dissed the petition for its inclusion of out of state signers, not reading in their comments that many were transplanted Santa Cruzans and out of state visitors who knew and loved the current wharf. Advised by the city attorney, council voted for the preparation of an EIR.
The EIR has apparently been long completed, reviewed by department heads but has not yet been released for public review. There is a temptation to hope that this widely unpopular project has been scrapped. Wish it were so. If wishes were horses then beggars would ride.
Writing from Florida, recalling that fateful day two years ago, I suggest if you care about saving the wharf from the changes proposed in the Wharf Master Plan that you ask the current city council candidates where they stand on this issue. And don’t accept weak, evasive responses. If they say they haven’t read it, ask them to do so and request a response within 3 days. If they say they are waiting for the EIR ask them to read the Plan and respond, irrespective of environmental impacts. If they say it may be good for the city’s economy, ask for proof (long time locals won’t support a morphed wharf) and take that as a yes. Then vote accordingly.
| 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 27, 2018
Making San Lorenzo Park Safe for Tequila (festival) Again! Pictures of the week—contrast the one from the homeless encampment last winter with this past Saturday’s Tequila festival
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LAST WEEK THIS WEEK ON THE CITY COUNCIL
Because of BrattonOnline deadlines, I often cannot relate to you, dear reader, what happened at the city council this week because the column sometimes comes out the same day as we have the council meeting. So, let me lay out what was on the meeting agenda this week. Every agenda has something of consequence. That is, the public’s money gets spent, decisions are made about various neighborhoods, downtown and the beach area, and an item, strange and interesting, often appears on the agenda, but shrouded in bureaucrat-ese.
The Hidden
Item #7 was a “Resolution amending the current “Conflict of Interest Code.” There are 10 pages of “disclosure categories,” 1 thru 4, but no real information or ways councilmembers might evaluate why a “Buyer” in the Finance department is now a “3” (“city/Department-Related Income”), and the “Sustainability and Climate Action Manager” will be in the “1” disclosure category (“Full Disclosure”).
The Staff Being Too Political?
Item #8, also on the “consent agenda,” (which usually indicates there will be no discussion and council likely all agree on passing the item) was a bunch of recommendations by the city manager that the council endorse certain state propositions, “1, 2 and 3,” and “oppose props 5 and 6 on the November 6, 2018 General Election Ballot.” Of course, I wanted to know why he wasn’t making a recommendation on Proposition 10, the repeal of the onerous Costa-Hawkins bill that prohibits any sort of rent control statewide on any units built after 1994? You can go to the League of Woman Voters recommendations: https://lwvc.org/news/our-voting-recommendations-november-ballot-measures And why did he recommend the council support Prop. 3 when the League of Women Voters is firmly opposed?
Developer-Friendly City Council?
Item #20 is the “Density Bonus Zoning Ordinance Amendments.” Folks, we have a Planning Director who receives his marching orders from a City Manager (who believes he has them from a council majority) to develop anywhere, anytime, and on almost any property in this city. Nothing seems to be sacred, or off-limits, whether they’re proposing to build 400 units on Golf Club Drive right up to the Pogonip, or Forty condos along Ocean Street Extension, which is currently more like a country road. Six-hundred units downtown, where many believe the bulk of any development should go, might be acceptable, but only if half of them were actually affordable. “Density Bonus” is a cha-ching, cha-chinging sell-out musical show for developers, but it’s likely to be “a hard rain that’s gonna fall” on the rest of us. There is much to be aware of with this developer-giveaway ordinance. Be warned, if voters wish to max out market-rate development in a once beautiful beach town, then vote for the incumbent and her slate running in the next election. But if you seek a council majority that will protect our environment, negotiate with developers for more affordable units, protect local business over corporate crap while standing up to city planning staff and soliciting neighborhood input, then check out council candidates, Justin Cummings and Drew Glover. If they win, they would help form a council majority come November to halt the current sell-off of Santa Cruz to out of town (and some local) developers.”Density bonuses” should ONLY be used to create more, not less affordable housing.
The OMG! Item
Another heritage tree (item # 21) will be felled if the city council takes the word of a 6-1 Parks and Recreation Commission vote over the advice of its own urban forester and allows this 50-foot Giant Sequoia with a 53-inch trunk to be cut down. It now stands tall, proud, and healthy in front of 1420 King Street near the corner of Baldwin. Here’s hoping for an 11th hour reprieve…
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
COUNTY WANTS TO LET SWENSON BUILD A HOTEL ABOVE THE HARBOR
The County Board of Supervisors are trying to sneak the contract with Barry Swenson Builders to build a HOTEL at 7th Avenue and Brommer, above the Harbor, even though the public was adamantly opposed to such a use when asked at the April 27, 2017 Public Meeting. Call Supervisor Ryan Coonerty and ask him who he is really representing here?
At the public meeting last year, people were clear they want the original open space and park agreements of the Redevelopment Land to be honored, to respect the neighborhood’s needs and complex issues of the property, and to accommodate the needs of the fishermen at the Harbor. THEY DID NOT WANT A HOTEL TO BE BUILT THERE! But that is exactly what the Board of Supervisors is shoving through under the cloak of this Consent Agenda item, which is supposed to be reserved for “non-controversial matters” and of insignificant dollar amounts.
Under the new rules imposed by Supervisors, citizens are no longer able to pull Consent Agenda items to be placed on the Regular Agenda for BETTER PUBLIC DISCUSSION. Now, people must rely on a Supervisor to accommodate their requests for such, which must be made in writing by 5pm the day before the meeting. As you read this, it may be too late to take that action (I have already done so within the required time limit) but our County Supervisors need to hear from you regarding this proposed Swenson Hotel at the Harbor.
Here is the link to the Consent Agenda Item #62
Here is a link to an excellent Letter to the Editor by Jean Brocklebank and Michael Lewis on the public’s input regarding the 7th & Brommer
Here is the information on the County website regarding the history of this Swenson-hugging deal
Call Ryan Coonerty at 831-454-2200 or write him at ryan.coonerty@santacruzcounty.us
Hold this elected official accountable!
Cheers,
Becky Steinbruner
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
# 238 / A Quick Reprise On Impeachment
In suggesting, yesterday, that we should not be clamoring for the impeachment of President Trump just quite yet, I made a passing comment about the impeachment of President Clinton, which I characterized as “nothing more than political gamesmanship.”
When I read yesterday’s edition of The New York Times (which I read after having posted to this blog), I felt like I received an instant, and condign, rebuke*. Bret Stephens, writing on “Sex, Lies and Presidents,” said this about the Clinton impeachment hearings (emphasis added):
Liberals now calling for Trump’s impeachment ought to rethink the excuses so many of them made for Clinton 20 years ago. That it was “just sex.” Or that “lying about sex” doesn’t rise to the level of an impeachable offense (even if it’s lying about sex under oath). Or that “character doesn’t matter” so long as the administration produces peace and prosperity. Or that the motivating animus of the president’s critics is reason enough to dismiss the criticism.
These excuses were toxic not because they had no merit, but because they sidestepped the core of the issue: that the survival and ennoblement of democracy depend on holding people in high office to higher, not lower, standards.
Clinton’s supposedly “small” lie about sex (like Trump’s “small” violation of campaign finance laws) was not so small coming from the one person uniquely entrusted to uphold and enforce the law. It sent a signal that lying would be politically acceptable and legally tolerated. Clinton’s lawyerly prevarications helped create the truth-optional standard by which the Trump presidency operates. The claim by Clinton’s defenders that his job performance immunized him from impeachment sowed the seed for Trump’s remark, in an interview with Fox News this week, that “I don’t know how you can impeach somebody who has done a great job.”
Then, too, the Clinton machine’s relentless efforts to delegitimize the independent counsel by claiming Starr had gone far beyond his original remit to investigate the Whitewater case mirror the Trump machine’s attacks on Robert Mueller today.
Yet what Starr did then is what Mueller and other prosecutors are doing now: uncovering wrongdoing where they find it. That Trump’s hush money to two women has nothing to do with Russia makes the wrongdoing no less contemptible, illegal — and, because it’s about the president, impeachable.
Because the Clinton impeachment saga is still relatively recent, it’s been depressing — and instructive — to watch the two sides in that drama conveniently adopt the other’s former rationale for their own partisan convenience. (Lindsey Graham, this means you.)
But anyone who now calls for Trump to be judged severely should acknowledge that we would have been in a better place today if Clinton hadn’t been so fervently defended back then. Among other things, it might have dissuaded other sexual predators and congenital liars from running for high office.
We can still get it right. Some intellectual consistency would go a long way.
I really believe I stand corrected. I don’t want to be associated with any claim that when the President of the United States lies (particularly under oath), that such lying is in any way “ok.” We can’t allow any of our elected officials to operate under a “truth-optional” standard.
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Carefully check out the latest re-issue of Tim’s Subconscious Comics…just below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Deep Cover”down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE. We are really fortunate that the San Francisco Mime Troupe continues to make Santa Cruz one of their traveling stops. They’ll be performing their original time – traveling musical “SEEING RED” twice in San Lorenzo Park for free. That’s Saturday/Sunday September 8th & 9th. The great Mime troupe band starts at 2:30 the play is at 3 p.m.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa’s taking a week off to just enjoy the experience of James Aschbacher’s tribute last Saturday and her own Birthday last Sunday!!! See her blog at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
PAPILLON. This isn’t just a remake of the 1973 original starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman — the two new actors look just like them too! The acting is terrible, the camera work jarring, and it’s a very boring movie. I dozed several times. It’s all about Devil’s Island, prison life, and how to escape. Rent the original, which is a much better film.
A.X.L. This bizarre drivel didn’t deserve even the 22 it got on Rotten Tomatoes. The army developed a secret mechanical dog as a modernized K9 corps tracker and killer. In case you forgot, I was in the U.S. Army K9 corps as a dog trainer…seriously! So I’m an expert on K9 dogs! This movie wouldn’t be worth watching even if it was free. The plot is absolutely beyond understanding, the special effects are poorly carried out, and it’s a waste of your time and admission charges.
BLACKKKLANSMAN. Spike Lee’s newest and most effective critique on what’s happening in America. It’s the progressive Democrats best statement since Michael Moore’s last film. Not subtle, even funny, bitter, and painfully true. It’s based on the true story of a black police officer who finagles a way to get a white guy into the KuKluxKlan. More than that he has meetings with David Duke, head of the KKK. Alec Baldwin has an opening scene Adam Driver is the “hero” and you have to see it. It earned 97% on RT
EIGHTH GRADE. A 99 on RT and the lead actor Elsie Fisher deserves at least an Oscar for her role as a conflicted and nearly typical eighth grader. The incredibly talented, funny, and profound Bo Burnham directed it. (See his Comedy special on Netflix!). You’ll relive the anxiety, insecurity, and fears we all had in eighth grade. It’s billed as a comedy and some of the audience laughed when I was watching it…but see it for the insights, the reality, and the remembrances of those times.
BLINDSPOTTING. Has a 93 on RT…and deserves it. A “blindspot” as we learn in the film, is when something is right in front of you and you can’t see it. In this case it’s the racial scene in Oakland and the rest of the USA. Violent, conflicted, heartwarming, well acted, and painful. It’ll leave an impression on you long after you leave the theatre.
PUZZLE. A perfectly acted, extra sensitive story of a woman finding her way to empowerment . It’s also a view into the little known world of Jigsaw Puzzle addicts and experts. Go see this quickly, it probably won’t last long on Santa Cruz screens.
ALPHA. 88 on RT. A live action Ice Age cave man meets a dog for the first time. It does lack Raquel Welch or any cave babes in leather skimpys but it is fascinating….and you can take the kids. I’m serious about the man meets dog story. That’s the only plot it has.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS. A Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast. It’s about the same as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, except Asian Americans instead of Greeks. The plot, laughs, and acting are all typical Hollywood re-hash. It doesn’t need your ticket money…it’s breaking many, many box office records already. Which means of course that there’ll be a dozen look a like sequels.
EQUALIZER 2. Denzel Washington is back again as a vigilante. Unlike all the rest of the bloody, violent, killing, revenge movies, Denzel makes this one a little deeper, more thoughtful, and yet at the same time heavy-handed. There’s nothing new, imaginative or startling in it, but because it’s Denzel you’ll be able to sit through all of it.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE :FALLOUT. Another Tom Cruise do it yourself stunt movie. Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin are back again too. It has some wild and inventive stunt scenes that we’ve never seen before. Plus a music score that keeps almost all of the movie at a very intense level. It’s thrilling, mindless, pointless, but full of kicks. It’s made for the big screens.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending.
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon play buddies from LA who for some kinky reason become involved with an international killers. The two of them go toHolland, Hungary, Berlin, Austria, Denmark and Atlanta, Georgia. After more than two hours those locations plus the foolish, overused dialogue between the two women aren’t enough to make this flick worth paying to see.
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. Ewan McGregor does the best possible job he can with a boring, depressing, and very commercial attempt to make more money from A.A. Milne’s Winnie The Pooh books. It isn’t even Disney cute or Pixar creative it’s simply not interesting. And old Christopher Robin is forced by animated versions of Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and other stuffed toys to remember how much fun he had as a boy. Don’t even send the kids. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 30
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
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. . Aug. 28 has Lisa Rose and Ken Koenig from Santa Cruz Indivisible talking about their latest plans and events. Then Phyllis Rosenblum president of the Santa Cruz Chamber Players talks about their new season (2018-2019) concerts. On September 4 Rotimi Agbabiaka from The San Francisco Mime Troupe discuss their performances here on Sept. 8 & 9. Then Rose Sellery and Tina Brown share style scoops from their PIVOT: Art Of Fashion show happening 9/22. September 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. Then Julie James from The Jewel Theatre shares news of their new play season. Sept. 18 has Don Stump pres. and CEO of CCH housing returning to discuss affordable housing. Nora Hochman guests on September 25 to talk about rent control and Housing Justice. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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
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Cutest photo-bomber ever! 😀 |
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. Earthquakes & Impeachment.
“Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes”. Voltaire
“How terribly downright must be the utterances of storms and earthquakes to those accustomed to the soft hypocrisies of society”. John Muir
“I think it absolutely necessary that the President should have the power of removing his subordinates from office; it will make him, in a peculiar manner, responsible for their conduct, and subject him to impeachment himself, if he suffers them to perpetrate with impunity high crimes or misdemeanors against the United States, or neglects to superintend their conduct, so as to check their excesses”. James Madison
COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. 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!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!
Snail Mail: Bratton Online
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Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com
August 21 – 27, 2018
BRATTON…Amazon buying Del Mar and The Nick?, Greg Larson supporters, West Cliff Drive & Bay street development, Monterey and De-Sal, Good Times apology, KSQD update. GREENSITE…Gillian is traveling. No piece this week. KROHN… is also “off this week, but he will be back with news and views from the Santa Cruz city council, next week”. STEINBRUNER…Planning dept. to increase dense developments, Public Works Director and disconnect, Soquel Water District and public comment time and being forced to reduce rates and to install Smart Meters. Gary Lindstrum a great candidate for Soquel Water Dist. PATTON…and Delegative Democracy. EAGAN…Subconscious Comics and Deep Cover.JENSEN…her secret and James Aschbacher’s event. BRATTON…critiques Puzzle, Alpha, Crazy Rich Asians and Never Goin’ Back. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…about BORDERS.
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MAJOR EARTHQUAKE FOOTAGE. |
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CURRENT VOLCANO NEWS |
DATELINE August 20, 2018
AMAZON BUYING OUR LANDMARK THEATRES? At first I was very worried to hear from Joe Blackman that Amazon was “thinking and not responding” to rumors that they might buy the Landmark theatre chain. We should remember that Jim Schwenterley and Bill and Nancy Raney lived here and had a wonderful and genuine ability to judge which films would “go over” in Santa Cruz. They ran our three independent movie theatres (Aptos included) with insight and concern. Landmark, with 52 theatres and 200 screens, books by numbers as we’ve experienced.. Read the Chronicle or any film online page and see just how many great independent, art and foreign films we have been missing since Landmark took over. So maybe Amazon would be different? Maybe even better? We really don’t get to say much…or even vote on it, but just maybe?
GREG LARSON AND SUPPORTERS. With high profiled Greg Larson entering the City Council race, naturally everyone wants to know where he stands on issues. Next time you see him, ask him how he’d vote on the West Cliff-Bay Street Development or how he’s going to vote on the Rent Control measure. I’d be very surprised if you get a straight answer on either one of those. Take a look at who we know supports him already: Hillary Bryant, David Terrazas, Fred Keeley, Richelle Naroyan.and Geoff Dunn. Most bets are saying he’ll be right in the middle of the Council and will support all the proposed development and growth, just like his friends and supporters.
WEST CLIFF DRIVE & BAY STREET DREAM INN DEVELOPMENT. Neighbors, environmentalists, hundreds of concerned citizens are gearing up for a genuine battle against the proposed development by Ensemble Real Estate Investments. They are going full steam on their huge commercial/residential development across the street from the Dream Inn. Traffic at that corner has always been a serious problem and with this four storied distraction it’ll be nearly permanently grid locked. They also plan on a two story underground parking lot. How tourists and residents will be able to drive into that underground space has yet to be determined. Stay tuned…and involved!!
MONTEREY, MARINA AND DE-SAL. If you want to bring back some de-sal memories read this article from the Monterey County Weekly… think about Bill Kocher and those days.
GOOD TIMES & APOLOGY. Dan Pulcrano the CEO and executive editor of Metro Newspapers emailed to tell me that I erred in stating that “Ownership” of Good Times had changed. I knew better, I was careless in using that word. Dan is now listed as publisher of Good Times. Metro Newspaper Group acquired Good Times in 2014. Dan tried to get a job with Jay Shore’s Good Times back in 1977 but was turned down. That was about the time that Jay Shore and Neil Coonerty co-owned Lulu Carpenter’s Café now a coffee house up there on Pacific avenue, next to Barry Swenson’s development.
KSQD UPDATE. I mentioned last week that KSQD fm would go on-air Sept. 1st. Nope, according to a press release they immediately sent out they’ll go on air and live “this October”. They also sent out a on air schedule listing some very familiar names of the new programmers. That includes Wallace Baine, Jim Emdy,Charlie Lange, Leigh Hill, Rachel Goodman and quite an impressive longer list. They are apparently still dealing with tower leasing problems with UCSC. Then they’ll purchase their license and start the building of their studios on Encinal Street.
BERKELEY’S BRENNAN’S TO CLOSE. Larry Peterson sent this one…Berkeley standby Brennan’s Irish Coffee & Restaurant is closing on September 15 after 60 years of business. I lived there and was going to U.C. Berkeley when Brennan’s first opened in 1958. Along with Larry Blake’s Rathskeller and Spenger’s those drinking establishments were an integral part of our lives. Read this …if Brennan’s rings your bells.
More of the story here…”Brennan’s, the decades-old family-owned Berkeley hangout, will close on Sept. 15. Brennan’s is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The hofbrau-style joint joins a growing list of East Bay landmarks that have shuttered over the last few months — Hs Lordship closed after 50 years in July, and Oakland’s Mexicali Rose lasted 91 years before bidding farewell in June. According to Margaret Wade, the granddaughter of John Brennan who built the Berkeley hangout in 1958, the closure is a sign of the times. “We have a 25 percent rent increase coming in October,” Wade said. “Everything when it comes to the expenses associated with running a business just goes up and up”.
SANTA CRUZ POTTERY TO CLOSE. Joel Magen opened the Santa Cruz Pottery in 1974. It’s that fine looking brick building at Mission and Olive streets (on the corner next to CVS). Rumors have it, and I’m still working on it, that Kevin and Nina Wahl the present owners are having problems with the lease. Stop by, buy some pottery and find out the real story.
Gillian is traveling. No piece this 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 20
Chris Krohn is off this week, but he will be back with news and views from the Santa Cruz city council, next week.
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY RESIDENTS IS BEFORE THE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION THIS WEDNESDAY 8/22.
The County Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing and consider the Planning Department’s proposed changes to County General Plan and Zoning Codes that will allow very dense developments throughout the County and change the way it may be processed. Please attend the Hearing Wednesday, August 22, 9am, in the 5th Floor Supervisor Chambers at 701 Ocean Street. The quality of life as we know it in Santa Cruz County will drastically change with what the developers have cooked up here with the Planning Department without regard to the necessary infrastructure to support such dense growth.
These significant changes, if approved by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, WOULD ALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) PROCESS OF PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
Note the reasons for CEQA exemption on pages 100-101: “There would be no potential to create a physical effect on the environment” with the proposed changes. What?!
The Planning Department is recommending the issues below be considered now by the Planning Commission in Public Hearing, but that other affordable housing issues (farm worker housing, permanent room housing in hotels & motels, and affordable housing projects on publicly-owned sites, i.e, the Consolidated Redevelopment Agency) require full environmental review and will be presented this winter.
Here is the essence of what is being proposed now:
- Allow up to 75% more units/acre if the development is 100% affordable. This exceeds the current State-required “Density Bonus” levels of a 35% density increase for affordable projects. The current County cap on density is 17.4 units/acre. The proposed 75% density increase would allow 31 units/acre. Wow.
- Change the process to initiate re-zoning for R-Combined Districts that can be even denser development with reduced setback requirements from neighboring property boundaries and possible parking reduction requirements. This would allow disgusting ghetto developments such as the Aptos Village Project to go up all over Santa Cruz County, with the ability of the developers to identify the locations for these new R-Combined Zones. This could be done, like the Aptos Village Project that Swenson has created, with a Planned Unit Development (PUD) agreement, which basically allows the developer to disregard most of the County Codes that specify setback, density, building footprint/lot size ratio (floor area ratio or FAR), parking requirements, and curb turning radius for emergency vehicles. According to the staff report, under these proposed developer-initiated actions, “it is anticipated that the areas will probably be smaller infill sites”, and not the larger subdivision sites the County apparently identified in 2007/2008 work. Hmmm…was that the pre-cursor of the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan that is still undergoing environmental review in the Planning Department?
- Change the inclusionary affordable housing requirements to require any development of seven or more units to get Board of Supervisor approval to pay the in lieu affordable housing fee instead of actually building it in the development (right now, as of 2015, the developers can arbitrarily decide what to do) but if the Board approves the in-lieu payment option, the developer would not have to actually pay the fees until the final building inspection is signed off. That could be a really long delay in actual payment to the County for affordable housing to get built, and the cost of building that housing would most likely have increased substantially.
I have attended the County Housing Advisory Commission meetings when developers and real estate agents showed up to lobby the group to recommend these developer-friendly proposals to the Board of Supervisors. There were many questions and some hesitation on the part of some of the Commissioners, but eventually, everyone approved it. Here is a link to the audio file for that meeting.
THESE CRITICAL CHANGES WERE INITIALLY PRESENTED FOR BOARD APPROVAL ON THE CONSENT AGENDA (Item 57) THAT WOULD HAVE HAD MINIMAL PUBLIC SCRUTINY had Supervisor John Leopold and members of the public not requested it be pulled and discussed more thoroughly as Regular Agenda Item 75.1. (Note: the Consent Agenda is for non-controversial and small financial matters???)
The Board hailed this “unanimously-approved” set of recommendations during their consideration of the matter. Here is the documentation from that Board consideration before the public on June 12, 2018
Please take note that only the written comments are included in the documentation. The minutes for that meeting, to my understanding, did not include note of any public testimonies (that policy has recently changed to at least include speaker name and summary of testimony). To watch the Community Television recording, click here
Contact the Planning Commission and your County Supervisor and let the know your thoughts. Attend the Planning Commission Public Hearing if you can. Hmmm….I wonder how the public was notified of this Public Hearing? I was sent a notice by the Planner Suzanne Ise (suzanne.ise@santacruzcounty.us). I suggest you get on her notification list, too.
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
#226 / Delegative Democracy
We are running into a problem, Houston! The New York Times publishes “The Interpreter Newsletter,” written by columnists Amanda Taub and Max Fisher. The Newsletter is distributed by email. Click this link to sign up. In a recent edition, the Newsletter made some important observations about American democracy:
American democracy is built, in large part, on an assumption … that the three branches of government would jealously guard their power and co-equal status. It’s a reasonable thing to assume. People — particularly politicians and judges — like having power and status and generally aren’t keen to give them up. Human nature, the founders reasoned, would naturally lead the branches to check and balance one another, as much out of self-interested competition as constitutional duty.
As the Newsletter notes, “that assumption is looking a bit shaky these days.” It asks, “What happens if that foundational democratic assumption in the separation of powers collapses? What would American democracy become?” The answer, according to the Newsletter, is delegative democracy:”Delegative democracy is an old concept in political science,” Amy Erica Smith, an Iowa State political scientist, told us. It emerged after a series of Latin American dictatorships transitioned to democracies in the 1980s — but to a sort that seemed less than fully democratic.
“There was this collective head-scratching over what sort of democracy we have in Latin America,” said Dr. Smith, who studies the region. “We had free and fair elections that met the minimum criteria for democracy. But they didn’t look exactly like what we think democracies are supposed to be.” The key difference, the experts decided, was separation of powers. It existed on paper in Latin America democracies, most of whose constitutions were modeled on that of the United States. But, in practice, the courts and the Congresses did what they were told. They delegated their power to the president — hence, delegative democracies.
These countries, for the most part, were still democracies. But they didn’t function all that well. They had what’s called “vertical accountability” — leaders had to answer to voters, who could kick them out of office — but not “horizontal accountability” from other branches of government. That tends to degrade governance. There’s little to keep the president from putting her interests first. Corruption and abuses of power become more common. Apolitical agencies get politicized, hurting their ability to function. The president’s support base tends to get preferential treatment; those not in her support base can face discrimination or worse.
The Newsletter also denominates this phenomenon as the “presidentialization” of political power. We are definitely running into a possible problem here, and the essence of the problem is that a system that was supposed to keep our government responsive to voters organized on a local basis, through the 435 different Congressional districts spread throughout the fifty states, has become ever more “national,” and the “national” elected official who is most prominent is, of course, the president. The way to make sure we don’t end up with some kind of “delegative democracy” is by making sure that our elected representatives in Congress actually represent their local constituents, i.e., the people who live in their districts.
Our system of representative democracy is intended to make representatives respond to their local constituents, but it has become ever more “nationalized,” and that kind of “nationalized” Congress is ever less willing to check presidential power, which also operates at the national level. More and more, our Congressional elections are presented as “national” contests. We read in our local newspapers about Congressional elections taking place in far-flung states we know very little about, and we get funding appeals from those running for Congress in those states, in places we may never have even visited.
Not to deny that every Member of Congress will vote on issues that will affect everyone in the country; that is certainly true. But our system is built on the idea that local people will be able to “terrorize” their local elected representatives, and make those representatives accountable to their local constituents (and not to some national political party).
We have a problem, and it’s not just in Houston. It’s everywhere.
Delegative democracy? I think that’s an oxymoron. If we want the kind of democracy that our Constitution contemplates, we can’t delegate our control over our own elected Congressional representatives to anyone – not to a national political party, and certainly not to the president!
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Check out the new classic Subconscious Comic just a scroll downwards.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Deep Psychosis Trump” as part of his national Health Alert series #20 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.
CELEBRATING JAMES ASCHBACHER. Many, many of Jim Aschbacher’s friends are putting together a memorable celebration of his life. Free champagne, free event, lots of music, talks by some good friends, collections of photos and a great sense of community will all happen August 25 at the Rio Theater from 6-9 p.m.
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE’S “SEEING RED”.
We are really fortunate that the San Francisco Mime Troupe continues to make Santa Cruz one of their traveling stops. They’ll be performing their original time – traveling musical “SEEING RED” twice in San Lorenzo Park for free. That’s Saturday/Sunday September 8th & 9th. The great Mime troupe band starts at 2:30 the play is at 3 p.m.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Everybody keeps telling me how brave I am, after the unimaginable loss of my Art Boy. It’s not true, but I do have a secret weapon against too much sadness! Find out what it is this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). And don’t forget to join me at the Rio this Saturday, August 25, to celebrate James Aschbacher’s inspiring life!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
PUZZLE. A perfectly acted extra sensitive story of a woman finding her way to emporment. Also a view into the little known world of Jigsaw Puzzle addicts and experts. Go see this quickly, it probably won’t last long on Santa Cruz screens.
ALPHA. 88 on RT. A live action Ice Age cave man meets a dog for the first time. It does lack Raquel Welch or any cave babes in leather skimpys but it is fascinating….and you can take the kids. I’m serious about the man meets dog story. That’s the only plot it has.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS. A Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast. It’s about the same as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, except Asian Americans instead of Greeks. The plot, laughs, and acting are all typical Hollywood re-hash. It doesn’t need your ticket money…it’s breaking many, many box office records already. Which means of course that there’ll be a dozen look a like sequels.
NEVER GOIN BACK. Two Texas teen age girls try to make sense of their lives. It’s one of the worst movies I’ve seen. Pointless, not funny, not serious, no plot. And the ending is meaningless too. (CLOSES THURSDAY, AUGUST 23)
BLACKKKLANSMAN. Spike Lee’s newest and most effective critique on what’s happening in America. It’s the progressive Democrats best statement since Michael Moore’s last film. Not subtle, even funny, bitter, and painfully true. It’s based on the true story of a black police officer who finagles a way to get a white guy into the KuKluxKlan. More than that he has meetings with David Duke, head of the KKK. Alec Baldwin has an opening scene Adam Driver is the “hero” and you have to see it. It earned 97% on RT
EIGHTH GRADE. A 99 on RT and the lead actor Elsie Fisher deserves at least an Oscar for her role as a conflicted and nearly typical eighth grader. The incredibly talented, funny, and profound Bo Burnham directed it. (See his Comedy special on Netflix!). You’ll relive the anxiety, insecurity, and fears we all had in eighth grade. It’s billed as a comedy and some of the audience laughed when I was watching it…but see it for the insights, the reality, and the remembrances of those times.
BLINDSPOTTING. Has a 93 on RT…and deserves it. A “blindspot” as we learn in the film, is when something is right in front of you and you can’t see it. In this case it’s the racial scene in Oakland and the rest of the USA. Violent, conflicted, heartwarming, well acted, and painful. It’ll leave an impression on you long after you leave the theatre.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. A 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a crude take-off on telemarketers and their lowly status in life. It takes place in Oakland and is nearly all African-American themed. That means that to be a successful telemarketer you have to use your “white voice”. Danny Glover has a small part, and we can only hope he gets some decent roles again. This wasn’t one of them. There is too much racism, role-playing. and politic switching played as humor for me to really like this movie. You are on your own. (CLOSES THURSDAY, AUGUST 23)
EQUALIZER 2. Denzel Washington is back again as a vigilante. Unlike all the rest of the bloody, violent, killing, revenge movies, Denzel makes this one a little deeper, more thoughtful, and yet at the same time heavy-handed. There’s nothing new, imaginative or startling in it, but because it’s Denzel you’ll be able to sit through all of it.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE :FALLOUT. Another Tom Cruise do it yourself stunt movie. Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin are back again too. It has some wild and inventive stunt scenes that we’ve never seen before. Plus a music score that keeps almost all of the movie at a very intense level. It’s thrilling, mindless, pointless, but full of kicks. It’s made for the big screens.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending.
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon play buddies from LA who for some kinky reason become involved with an international killers. The two of them go to
Holland, Hungary, Berlin, Austria, Denmark and Atlanta, Georgia. After more than two hours those locations plus the foolish, overused dialogue between the two women aren’t enough to make this flick worth paying to see.
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. Ewan McGregor does the best possible job he can with a boring, depressing, and very commercial attempt to make more money from A.A. Milne’s Winnie The Pooh books. It isn’t even Disney cute or Pixar creative it’s simply not interesting. And old Christopher Robin is forced by animated versions of Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and other stuffed toys to remember how much fun he had as a boy. Don’t even send the kids.
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
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 Aug.21 cardiologist and Doctor Neil Sawhney talks about heart problems. Then Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan from Sustainable Soquel talk about car dealerships and Soquel traffic. Aug. 28 has Lisa Rose and Ken Koenig from Santa Cruz Indivisible talking about their latest plans and events. Then Phyllis Rosenblum president of the Santa Cruz Chamber Players talks about their new season (2018-2019) concerts. On September 4 Rotimi Agbabiaka from The San Francisco Mime Troupe discuss their performances here on Sept. 8 & 9. Then Rose Sellery and Tina Brown share style scoops from their PIVOT: Art Of Fashion show happening 9/22. September 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. Then Julie James from The Jewel Theatre shares news of their new play season. Sept. 18 has Don Stump pres. and CEO of CCH housing returning to discuss affordable housing. Nora Hochman guests on September 25 to talk about rent control and Housing Justice. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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
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This is sooooo cute!! 🙂
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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. “BORDERS”
“Cinema is universal, beyond flags and borders and passports”. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
“Security is a double-edged sword: While a fence sure protects the fenced; it also imprisons the protected.” Mokokoma Mokhonoana
“Let borders become sunlight so we traverse this Earth as one nation and drive the darkness out.” Kamand Kojouri
“The moment you cross the border of your country to another, nature will blow you the breeze of revolution, no matter how long you may spend abroad, you will never return back home the same again, it is either greater or worse.” Elijah Onyenmeriogu
“Climate change knows no borders. It will not stop before the Pacific islands and the whole of the international community here has to shoulder a responsibility to bring about a sustainable development”. Angela Merkel
COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. 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!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!
Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com
August 14 – 20, 2018
BRATTON…Tom Noddy film exxed by Santa Cruz Film Festival, KSQD fm about to air, shutting down Aptos Coffee Roasting Company, Cabrillo Music Fest & big ending, more on UBER JUMP BIKE profits. GREENSITE…on Golf Club Drive. KROHN…Justin Cummings City Council Campaign kickoff, pro Rent Control kickoff party, Library / Garage and Downtown Association meeting. STEINBRUNER…John Laird’s talk about natural resources, Soquel Creek Water District and the draft EIR, Support Gary Lindstrum, County Board of Supes stifles public input, raise our taxes and increase their salaries. PATTON…about College politics. EAGAN…and Subconscious Comics plus Deep Cover. JENSEN…re Venus In Fur. BRATTON…critiques BlacKKKlansman, Generation Wealth, Miseducation of Cameron Post. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…from Robert Mueller.
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FROM MY COUSIN, here’s a funny. |
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Tom Noddy about a month ago, at the Live Oak library |
DATELINE August 13, 2018
TOM NODDY DOCUMENTARY REFUSED BY SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL!!!
Tom emails to tell us… “I just heard from the filmmaker, Charles Poekel, about his application to the Santa Cruz Film Festival. Charlie had made a documentary short, 13 minutes long, called “tomnoddy”. It was invited to many festivals this year, including Boston and Dallas (where it won the “Audience Award”) but SCFF rejected it. He tells me he sent a cover letter to be sure that they understood the connection… It won the Dallas Texas International Film Festival Audience Award. Go here to see the great films and awards from this year’s Boston Independent Film Festival. Scroll down and there’s the Tom Noddy minute documentary! You’ll see the same tribute at the Sarasota Film Festival presentation. What possible reason could The Santa Cruz Film Festival have for turning down a tribute to Tom Noddy — who has given our community so much pleasure and fun?
KSQD RADIO STATION NEWS. If all goes well KSQD is set to go on-air September 1st. They’ll be at 90.7 on your FM dial. Howard Feldstein has taken the lead on getting it all together. They’ve got over 150 program proposals. Many from former KUSP folks.
CLOSING APTOS COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY. Since developers gave notice to the Aptos Coffee Roasting Company in Rancho Del Mar to shut down, many locals are incensed and hurt that their favorite community gathering place will cease to exist. It’s been there for over 20 years. Liz Minvielle wrote to say… “you know that they were forced to close due to those Fat/Rich Developers. They booted the Everlasting Aptos Coffeehouse with less than 30 days’ notice because they erased them from their last-minute blueprint plans, very similar to our president! There’s a heck of a lot of Community Camaraderie and putting All those Wonderfully Hard-Working People out of their employment livelihood!”. Liz continued to say that she “honestly knows a lot of the Rancho Del Mar Complex in Aptos regulars will be going elsewhere. Therefore, your expected profits will decline! Your last minute plans to eliminate the Aptos Coffee Roasting Company with its great Community Camaraderie, where people get IDEAS from each other about items they need, which can be found in the Rancho Del Mar complex is like a 47.5 magnitude Richter scale earthquake!” Go here to see the history and tradition of the Aptos Coffee Roasting Company.
CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Another season of wildly interesting concerts concluded the festival’s 55 year history last Sunday night. Attendance was down a bit from last year. Looking back at the conductor changes in the past, attendance has always dropped a bit for a season or two. Then new fans of the new conductor/director bring in their friends, and seats fill up again. I was curious and asked one of this year’s composers about royalties and publishing their works. He said that yes, they do receive royalties from performances like Cabrillo — but very little. He said also that many composers are now self-publishing. Those royalties depend on the size and importance of which orchestra plays them, and yes, Cabrillo is considered one of the important and bigger ones. Scott McClelland told me Open Rehearsals are very popular and many, many festivals have them — such as Carmel’s Bach Festival.
JUMP BIKE PROFIT. Phil Boutelle writes to say poor UBER isn’t making much money from their JUMP BIKE monopoly. He states… “I read your comment about how Jump/Uber must be making so much profit by renting the bikes at $1/15 minutes. I don’t think this is true. I got a tour of the local Jump office, and they said that of the 250 bikes deployed in SC now, peak usage means about 100 bikes being used at once. At $4/hour, that’s a revenue rate of $400/hour, only during peak times on weekends. They have an office staff, plus mechanics and drivers in two shifts, so I’d say a dozen local employees at least. There is no way that they are making profits at such low revenue rates.” Do you agree with this math? Let’s all chip in $100 to help save poor UBER!!!
PARADISE FOUND…FOR HOW LONG?
If you’ve never walked up Golf Club Drive it’s worth taking the time to do so. Others besides me have made similar observations: it is like stepping back in time; a “Shangri-La” as a long-time resident of the area was quoted as saying in the article by Sentinel reporter Jondi Gumz in last Sunday’s (8/12) paper. The article well captured the feel of this bucolic piece of Santa Cruz’s past and present as well as the forces at work that will in time lead to its loss. With no sidewalks, no bike path, no streetlights, it’s a planner’s blank slate and a developer’s dream. You can still pick blackberries from the side of the road and only the sounds of birds break the silence. “Smart” growth advocates have their vision of dense high rise housing with smart people walking to work or to the corner coffee shop with low income workers whisked away to somewhere else hopefully on public transit. While change is never inevitable, depending on decisions made by people, usually those with money and political influence, the changes ahead for Golf Club Drive unless rejected or tempered, threaten to erase its current beauty and rural character. In its place will come the generic, dense, mostly market- rate housing development that is becoming the norm in Santa Cruz. While some of us who prefer rural to urban were sleeping, others, namely developers and progressives who favor “smart” growth were not. They were busy updating the 2030 General Plan to include a template for Golf Club Drive’s future, which includes 200 to 400 housing units. The two developers behind this future plan, Swift and Cury, I’m sure see themselves as providing a service for all the people who want to live in Santa Cruz, a seemingly bottomless pit of desire. People want to live in Santa Cruz for a variety of reasons; one of them being its quiet, semi-rural environment such as is found at Golf Club Drive, which is then transformed to urban to make room for their arrival.
I support the Costanoa Commons project for Golf Club Drive. It will provide a unique safe haven for many youth with developmental disabilities and their families while preserving an organic farm, a historic building and truly improving the habitat of Pogonip Creek. Talking with the owners and listening to their testimony at the Zoning Administrator’s meeting one gets the sense that if development is going to come to this Shangri-la, then let it be of this nature. The rest… not so much. The old tension between urban and rural is on full display when city planners and developers use the word, “improvements.” For them, “improvements” mean widening the trestle, installing curbs, gutters, sidewalks, streetlights, bike paths and changing the Golf Club Drive/Highway 9 intersection. A more honest word would be “urbanization.” I get nervous when well-meaning transportation and housing activists use big cities such as Seattle, Paris or Copenhagen as models for Santa Cruz to “improve” its public transport and housing. There seems an absence of gut level love for nature, an indifference to the need for us to tread lightly on the soil. Such sentiments are dismissed as “sentimental”; stuck in the past; nostalgia; “get over it.” Don’t fall for that urban arrogance. And next time you hear a planner or a developer use the word “improvements” know what they really are saying.
| 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. |
SMÖRGÅSBORD
Justin Cummings Hits the Right, er…Left Notes!
 In my trip to Washington, I could not help but be favorably impressed by the exterior of Rep. Barbara Lee’s office in the Cannon Office Building on Capitol Hill. She gives life to the staid officious atmosphere present in most of the rest of the building, the location of many US congressional offices.
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Well over 100 supporters and interested voters showed up last Saturday (8/11) at Santa Cruz city council candidate Justin Cummings’ campaign kickoff. Cummings spoke eloquently and passionately about housing (“…more than twenty friends have had to leave town”), and homelessness (“…I know personally six friends who work and live in their cars.”) He also mentioned that growing up on the Southside of Chicago included an early political baptism with his mom dragging him to meetings including ones to support super-progressive, Harold Washington, who took on an entrenched white-Mayor Daley political machine and won. Washington was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1983 and again in 1987. Although he died of a heart attack weeks after his second victory, Washington left an amazing political legacy including increasing voter turnout and community participation. Cummings is also a strong progressive and says he will hit the ground running on other issues too, including incentives to keep local businesses from leaving, alternative transportation–he uses the Jump-Uber bike program–and advocating for greater transparency in how affordable housing money is spent by city hall. Check him out on Facebook
Rent Control Kick-Off: Yes on Measure M!
Wow, the backyard of Ron Pomerantz and former SC Mayor Jane Weed could barely fit the 150-plus walkers, talkers, researchers, tenants, renters and homeowners who showed up last Sunday afternoon to tout Measure M, “The Santa Cruz Rent Control and Tenant Protection Act.” Enthusiasm ran high as everyone experienced a relative calm moment and the joy of community before the hard work of hitting the streets and making the case for rent control begins. Best arguments I heard were that rent control 1) will protect renters who live in Santa Cruz NOW; 2) it will offer time for local wages to catch up with the 40% rent increase that’s taken place over the past six years; 3) it will provide a respite so that the recently passed state money for homeless programs, housing and mental health programming reaches our city and we begin to see results; and 4) because stable rents help lead to stable communities…too many people at this large gathering talked about changing their housing 3 and 4 times over the past two years, going from one neighborhood to another. Everyone seemed to agree that rent is too damn high and sky high rents do not support thriving and healthy communities.
Will the”Library-Garage” Project Go Away? Only if the community gets involved.
Be ever-watchful, ever-vigilant my friends if you want our $23 million bond money to be spent on the library. I attended a “members only” Downtown Association (DTA) meeting last week. (DTA director “Chip” reminded Campaign for Sensible Transportation’s Rick Longinotti that he would not be allowed in. Longinotti was passing out flyers in front of the Food Lounge on Cedar Street to all those attending the meeting. I thought it was bad form not to allow Rick’s voice into the meeting. If Rick is anything, he is a calm and cool mediator. He listens and presents his points well.) So, I took copious notes.
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
JOHN LAIRD AND AN OVERVIEW OF CHALLENGES TO NATURAL RESOURCES
John Laird, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember, is the appointed Secretary of Natural Resources for California. He gave a great overview presentation last week to the Watsonville Wetlands Watch group about the state of natural resource challenges. Here is the YouTube link for the video of that presentation
Many thanks to Mr. Bruce Tanner for video recording the presentation, much of which was public questions and answers. I found that refreshing.
Of special interest is the lead that California is taking, along with Oregon and Washington, to form a coalition with international representatives to address ocean acidification and marine debris issues. There will be a meeting of that coalition next month in San Francisco. Mr. Laird also had interesting information regarding water, fire protection and forest health and anticipated climate change impacts.
To review John Laird’s background (he is getting ready to retire and return to Santa Cruz) take a look here. Many thanks to the Watsonville Wetland Watch group for making possible the opportunity to meet with John Laird. Here is their website link, for future events.
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT GENERAL MANAGER, RON DUNCAN, REFUSES TO EXTEND PUBLIC COMMENT ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Sadly, the public will not be given more time beyond the minimally-required 45 days to read and review the massive Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the PureWater Soquel Project. This is the District’s plan to inject treated sewage water into the drinking water for the MidCounty region and incur tremendous financial debt burden for ratepayers. Many people have requested more time because of the complex issues and the volume of material involved, but Mr. Duncan refused to extend the Public Comment deadline from August 13, 5pm.
Some people tried to take their letters to the address given in the Community Handbook and EIR, but could not find the address (it is the UPS Store at 41st Ave. and Soquel Drive), and upon subsequently taking their letter to the District Offices, were told they should send their comment there. District staff knew nothing about the 4041 Soquel Drive address). The Community Handbook, which the District distributed widely, is incomplete and misleading (no summarization of all topics or reference to critical information available in the EIR Appendices.)
Despite all this and multiple requests from the public for an extension in the Public Review Process (which IS allowable under California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA guidelines), Mr. Duncan refused. Normally, such decisions would be made by the Board of Directors, but the Board cancelled their August 7 meeting and will not meet again until August 21.
Is this transparent government? Is this respectful of the public? I don’t think so at all.
Write the Board with your thoughts. Make sure that you specify that your letter needs to be included in the Board Agenda packet communication.
SUPPORT GARY LINDSTRUM, CANDIDATE FOR SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT BOARD
I was delighted to see that Mr. Gary Lindstrum, long-time resident of Aptos and active Water for Santa Cruz County participant, filed as a candidate for the November 6 ballot election of Soquel Creek Water District Board members. Three incumbents filed also: Carla Christensen, Bruce Jaffee and Rachel Lather). This Board really needs someone like Gary who will bring a true voice of the ratepayers to the decision-making policy. Stay tuned for future updates, but in the meantime, pay attention to the September Board meeting where yet another rate increase will be considered, along with postponing critical capital improvement projects, in order to pay for PureWater Soquel.
FILING DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR SOME LOCAL DISTRICT CANDIDATE OFFICES
Some local District candidate filing deadlines were extended last Friday, August 10, in cases where no incumbent filed for re-election. I had been given incorrect information by Election Department staff that led me to report last week that both incumbents for the Aptos / La Selva Fire District had filed for re-election. That is not true: neither Mr. Abendschan nor Mr. Hurley filed for re-election, so the filing deadline for this and other similar select Boards has been extended to August 15, 5pm.
Here is the list of those offices where the filing deadline has been extended. Please consider running for an office in your area, and encourage others whom you feel would be honest and accountable to the public to file.
TRC RETAIL SILENT REGARDING FORCED CLOSURE OF APTOS COFFEE ROASTING IN RANCHO DEL MAR CENTER
Despite many customers contacting TRC Retail to protest their sudden eviction notice to the Aptos Coffee Roasting Company next door to the Safeway, no one has received any response. This long-time Community hub will close August 19. TRC Retail is disgusting. Contact Scott Grady , the Vice President of development for TRC Retail of Orange County sgrady@trcretail.com and let him know YOUR thoughts!
Cheers, Becky Steinbruner
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
August 8, 2018; #220/Rethinking College
The Wall Street Journal is suggesting that we should be “rethinking college.” A book review in The Journal, on July 18, 2018, advanced the following criticism:
Higher education is in a lot of trouble, barely kept on track by massive price increases, grade inflation that keeps the mostly inattentive customers sedated, and a class of academic serfs, called adjuncts, who work for meager wages. The adjunct system is telltale: a classic bait-and-switch operation, wherein customers—that is, students and their parents—imagine that, for the money they are paying, they are accessing professors though they are mostly renting local substitutes.
Speaking as one of those “local substitutes” and “academic serfs,” since I do work as an adjunct professor at UCSC, I believe there is some merit in this critique. Continual price increases, foisted on students who don’t have many personal or family resources, require those students to incur significant debt in order to get access to higher education. These ever-higher prices are undermining our educational system, and are crippling the future of those debt-ridden students.
The academic product being delivered, at the ever-escalating prices being charged, is also not up to past standards. The “adjunct” system does have some real problems, though I don’t agree that things are quite as bad as The Journal suggests (at least not from what I have seen at UCSC). I am the holder of a J.D., not a Ph.D, but I do think I know quite a bit about government and politics, and that I am delivering at least some significant value to the students who take the classes I teach in the University’s Legal Studies Program.
Still, I actually do think that students would benefit from having more contact with professors who have a deep, academic familiarity with the subjects being taught, and I do think that they come to college expecting that (and sometimes don’t find it).
The main critique mounted in The Journal’s book review, however (and in the book being reviewed, The University We Need, by Warren Treadgold) is not the complaint outlined above. Here seems to be the actual concern:
The campus left has tightened its grip on college and universities. The tighter the grip … the simpler the message—that Western civilization, including the history of the American republic, is a long narrative of oppression. The essence of the humanities has thus been transformed into the study of victim groups and their supposed oppressors—capitalism, colonialism, religious belief, “privilege”—at the expense of other subjects. Relatedly, the demand for “diversity” now drives the curriculum, not to mention the admissions process.
One result of this approach has been, Mr. Treadgold says, a growing intolerance toward traditional points of view—including incidents of confrontation and virtual censorship. Another is a growing anti-white sentiment. Arguably, the sentiment was latent in the early stages of identity-politics protests, but it has become overt in recent years, with attacks on “white privilege” and courses deriding “white culture.”
Too much focus on “diversity!” That is basically the problem that The Journal and professor Treadgold identify. In my view, this critique is almost totally wrongheaded.
“White culture” is not an endangered species. “White privilege” is an historical and still-extant reality. History, including American history, has treated people of color badly, here at home and elsewhere. A genuine education requires that we all confront these realities, and discuss them, and understand both our history and our current situation, taking these real facts into account. The faculty at UCSC, by the way, are definitely trying to do just that in the classes I know about – and are succeeding, too. I don’t read this educational effort as “the left” tightening its grip on colleges and universities. But let me go on.
My real concern about The University We Need is its prescription for change. After providing what I think is a flawed analysis, Treadgold provides the following suggested solution to the hypothesized problem: Treadgold wants “the billionaire class” to establish new, private universities that would try to teach courses that don’t let the students know that there has been a long history of oppression of people of color by white people.
Candidly, this is not going to equip anyone who gets this kind of education to function well in our contemporary world. Trying to erase the facts, in the name of an ideology, is exactly the opposite of what genuine education is all about. The Journal accuses “the left” of trying to do that, and to the extent that this happens, it is wrong. But what is being proposed by professor Treadway is to mobilize exactly this kind of education as ideology. His proposal is even more horrible in that he explictly calls for the creation of private institutions, built on the enormous wealth of the 1%, which will never have to have any public accountability.
Should we want to “rethink college?” That’s not a bad idea! But instead of asking new high-tech billionaires to set up quadrangles of privilege, in which young, rich white people will be shielded from the real world, how about trying the prescription advanced in a recent study by the Century Foundation. The idea is summarized in an article in a July 19, 2018, article in Pacific Standard.
What is this solution? Making college free!!
That approach, not the exclusive educational preserves promoted by The Wall Street Journal, is what this nation needs.
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Huge thanks for the responses and welcomes for adding Tim Eagan’s Subconscious Comics. Scroll downward for the next excursion into our inner thoughts. Lee Quarnstrom long-time reporter and county observer sent the following…Re. Tim Eagan’s run for district attorney: Not only did he wear rabbit ears at some public appearances, he also gave eventual winner Phil Harry a hard time at one of the debates. As the third candidate in the race was at the microphone, Tim, sitting behind the speaker, next to Phil, suddenly looked at Phil Harry with shock, then started to fan the air, as if to waft away the stench of a gaseous eruption from the eventual winner of the race. I can’t recall whether Phil knew that Tm was making fun of him, but we in the audience had a fine laugh as the befuddled third candidate, at the mic, was wondering why the hell we were in stitches! Tim just kept fanning the air with a look that said he wanted to be pinching his nose closed. I asked Tim about Lee’s note he replied…” Phil Harry, by the way, was not the eventual winner of the race. That was Art Danner, who dispatched us both in June, obviating the need for a November run-off”. Scroll below a bit for this week’s addition/edition.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “FREE SPEECH” 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. Read his “Waiting for the Fat Lady” re-creating our news as Opera!!!
MUNCHING WITH MOZART CONCERT…FREE. One per month on the third Thursday there’s a free concert in the upstairs meeting room in the main Library. This month it’s
Kumaran Arul doing a piano solo. The concert title is..”Chopin for Piano”. Kumaran will play Chopin Favorites, including: Impromptu on A-Flat…Etude in E, Op.10 #3…Scherzo No.1 in B Mino…Selected Mazurkas and Selections from Piano Sonata #3, op.58 in B minor. That’s Thursday, August 16, 2018…12:10 – 12:50 p.m…in the threatened Santa Cruz Public Library…Downtown Branch.
CELEBRATING JAMES ASCHBACHER. Many, many of Jim Aschbacher’s friends are putting together a memorable celebration of his life. Free champagne, free event, lots of music, talks by some good friends, collections of photos and a great sense of community will all happen August 25 at the Rio Theater from 6-9 p.m.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Santa Cruz Shakespeare” goes devilishly modern with its seductive production of Venus In Fur, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Meanwhile, still missing my Art Boy, I reflect on the best present I ever gave him, and encourage everyone to join me at the Rio next week, August 25, to celebrate James Aschbacher’s inspiring life!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
BLACKKKLANSMAN. Spike Lee’s newest and most effective critique on what’s happening in America. It’s the progressive Democrats’ best statement since Michael Moore’s last film. Not subtle, but funny, bitter, and painfully true. It’s based on the true story of a black police officer who finagles a way to get a white guy into the KuKluxKlan. More than that, he has meetings with David Duke, head of the KKK. Alec Baldwin has an opening scene, Adam Driver is the “hero” and you have to see it. It earned 97% on RT
GENERATION WEALTH. It’s an odd documentary that is supposed to be about the negative aspects of wealth in the USA. The first third centers on Los Angeles teenagers and is more than revealing…it’s tragic and true. Then it goes into fortunes spent on “plastic surgery” and insane devotion to real estate and Mumbai and nutsy statements. If you watch and listen closely, about 2/3 of the way through a woman talks about “going to Santa Cruz“. Right after that there’s a posed photo of a family with a guy on the left that looks amazingly like Randall Grahm from the Bonny Doon Winery Days. Let me know if you see the resemblance. CLOSES THURS. 8/16
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST. Chloë Grace Moretz stars as the high school girl caught kissing another girl student and gets sent to a Christian “gay correction” camp. Plenty of messages here, the acting is fine but somehow the pace and the purpose of the film gets sidetracked by not so great direction. It could have been tighter, more focused and much more meaningful. Go anyways if you care about the terrible “gay conversion” movement. CLOSES THURS. 8/16
EIGHTH GRADE. A 99 on RT and the lead actor Elsie Fisher deserves at least an Oscar for her role as a conflicted and nearly typical eighth grader. The incredibly talented, funny, and profound Bo Burnham directed it. (See his Comedy special on Netflix!). You’ll relive the anxiety, insecurity, and fears we all had in eighth grade. It’s billed as a comedy and some of the audience laughed when I was watching it…but see it for the insights, the reality, and the remembrances of those times.
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS. (94 RT) A very serious documentary about Jewish twin and triplet babies that were secretly separated and placed around carefully-chosen Jewish families in New York City in the 50s, as part of an experiment that has still never been made public. The previews make you think it’s about triplets and the fun they have finding each other. It’s much more than that, and will have you questioning your own behavior and your DNA inheritance. SEE THIS FILM!!! CLOSES THURS. 8/16
BLINDSPOTTING. Has a 93 on RT…and deserves it. A “blindspot” as we learn in the film, is when something is right in front of you and you can’t see it. In this case it’s the racial scene in Oakland and the rest of the USA. Violent, conflicted, heartwarming, well acted, and painful. It’ll leave an impression on you long after you leave the theatre.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. A 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a crude take-off on telemarketers and their lowly status in life. It takes place in Oakland and is nearly all African-American themed. That means that to be a successful telemarketer you have to use your “white voice”. Danny Glover has a small part, and we can only hope he gets some decent roles again. This wasn’t one of them. There is too much racism, role-playing. and politic switching played as humor for me to really like this movie. You are on your own.
EQUALIZER 2. Denzel Washington is back again as a vigilante. Unlike all the rest of the bloody, violent, killing, revenge movies, Denzel makes this one a little deeper, more thoughtful, and yet at the same time heavy-handed. There’s nothing new, imaginative or startling in it, but because it’s Denzel you’ll be able to sit through all of it.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE :FALLOUT. Another Tom Cruise do it yourself stunt movie. Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin are back again too. It has some wild and inventive stunt scenes that we’ve never seen before. Plus a music score that keeps almost all of the movie at a very intense level. It’s thrilling, mindless, pointless, but full of kicks. It’s made for the big screens.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending.
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon play buddies from LA who for some kinky reason become involved with an international killers. The two of them go to Holland, Hungary, Berlin, Austria, Denmark and Atlanta, Georgia. After more than two hours those locations plus the foolish, overused dialogue between the two women aren’t enough to make this flick worth paying to see.
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. Ewan McGregor does the best possible job he can with a boring, depressing, and very commercial attempt to make more money from A.A. Milne’s Winnie The Pooh books. It isn’t even Disney cute or Pixar creative it’s simply not interesting. And old Christopher Robin is forced by animated versions of Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and other stuffed toys to remember how much fun he had as a boy. Don’t even send the kids.
MAMMA MIA ! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
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 August 12 Barry Scott from Friends of Rail and Trail is the guest. He’s followed by Attorney Bob Taren discussing politics and problems on August 14th. On Aug.21 cardiologist and Doctor Neil Sawhney talks about heart problems. Then Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan from Sustainable Soquel talk about car dealerships and Soquel traffic. Aug. 28 has Lisa Rose and Ken Koenig from Santa Cruz Indivisible talking about their latest plans and events. Then Phyllis Rosenblum president of the Santa Cruz Chamber Players talks about their new season (2018-2019) concerts. On September 4 Rotimi Agbabiaka from The San Francisco Mime Troupe discusses their performances here on Sept. 8 & 9. September 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. Then Julie James from The Jewel Theatre shares news of their new play season. Sept. 18 has Don Stump pres. and CEO of CCH housing returning to discuss affordable housing. Nora Hochman guests on September 25 to talk about rent control and Housing Justice.
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This is for my husband, Thomas. He’d live here, chained to the books, if he could… 🙂 |
OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… 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. ROBERT MUELLER
“Perimeter defense may not matter if the enemy is inside the gates“. Robert Mueller
“You don’t eat before your troops eat, and you don’t ask your troops to do anything you won’t do, too”. Robert Mueller
“We need to take lessons learned from fighting terrorism and apply them to cyber crime”. Robert Mueller
“We cannot turn back the clock. We cannot undo the impact of technology. Nor would we want to”. Robert Mueller
COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. 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!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!
Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
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August 8-13, 2018
BRATTON…more about UBER/JUMP bikes, Civic Auditorium rebuilding and our City Library money, Scotts Valley Growth pressure. GREENSITE…on trees and climate deniers. KROHN…visits Washington D.C, Panetta’s Office, and talks about Primila Jayapal. STEINBRUNER…Farewell Aptos Coffee Roasting Company, TRC Retail issues, Soquel Creek Water District elections, censorship and more, UCSC Professor Gary Griggs again talks and writes about expensive solutions to water issues, consolidating Aptos and Central Fire Districts. PATTON…about Proxy Activism plus more involvement. EAGAN…re introducing SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS plus DEEP COVER. JENSEN…reviews Blindspotting and remembers James Aschbacher. BRATTON…critiques Christopher Robin and The Spy Who Dumped Me. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…all about “SEX”.
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SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK. I don’t remember ever seeing this 43 minute tour of our Boardwalk!! |
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SELF POWERED ROLLER COASTER IN JAPAN. |
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BETTE MIDLER SINGS UKELELE LADY. Just because it’s one of my favorite songs. |
DATELINE August 6th, 2018
CIVIC AUDITORIUM TOTAL REBUILDING for 20 MILLION but THE LIBRARY REFURBISHING WOULD COST 23 MILLION PLUS???
If you check this link you’ll see the enormous improvements and additions proposed for our 75 year old Civic Auditorium. Over 85,000 folks attend events there annually now, including the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and regular appearances of The Santa Cruz Symphony. They plan to completely gut out to the walls all the cement seating structure we sit in now, and are planning a new lounge — and much more. Do check their drawings. All of these improvements are going to be done for a estimated $20 million dollars, to be raised by various donations and funding sources. The BIGGEST QUESTION here is what kind of skullduggery and plotting by our City Staff tells us that our present library can’t possibly be refurbished for even $23 (TWENTY THREE) MILLION Dollars? Let’s use our heads here, folks…there’s some very fancy conniving going on. The Friends of The Civic did their homework and know $20 million will do it. Call your favorite City Council person and demand some thinking and honesty on their part…before it’s too late.
SHAKE UP AT “GOOD TIMES”. There’s a big change in power/management happening at good old Good Times. It’s all in the ownership department so we won’t be hearing much in print about it. You/we can bet that there will be visible changes soon to follow.
TIM EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. A brand new weekly addition to BrattonOnline. Scroll down to read about Tim ,and the history behind both Deep Cover and Subconscious Comics. (p.s Tim Eagan ran for District Attorney in 1978. But his website doesn’t tell you that he actually wore rabbit ears during any press conferences. He’d always say… “this isn’t about the rabbit ears, let’s get to the issues.” Yes, he has a creditable legal background).
SCOTTS VALLEY CFOG AND GROWTH AND WATER. Angela Franklin and Dave Weaver from Citizens for Orderly Growth were guests on my Universal Grapevine last Tuesday (7/31). They talked about the fact that over 900 housing units are being proposed right now for Scotts Valley. That means at least 2000 people, nearly 1500 cars, and obviously a crying need for more water…which they don’t have. Like Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley has two openings on their City Council and are in serious need of finding at least two Orderly Growth candidates to fill them. The Scotts Valley Banner of course says there’s no water problem. But there is, because the Valley depends only on aquifers for water and they are seriously vanishing. We talked about lack of school facilities and police and fire department problems. For example, some of those housing projects call for taller buildings than their fire department has ladders for. If you have good ideas or just want to contact them go to contact@cfog2.org or check out their Facebook Page
UBER BIKES VILIFY? NO EDIFY! Karen Kefauver wrote to say that I was /am trying to “vilify” the UBER/JUMP bike monopoly in Santa Cruz. Nope I’m trying to Edify not Vilify. Too many folks had no idea — and it was not made a big deal — that UBER bought out the bike business shortly before they took over little Santa Cruz, along with the other giant cities they now call home. $1 per 15 minutes of UBER/JUMP rental seems like a hefty source of profit. Too bad some of our local bike manufacturers didn’t get offered a chance to do what the city asked the UBER/JUMP conglomerate to do. It’s that old idea of keeping profits/money/competition local. Karen also said I had incorrect info on the number of stations in Santa Cruz …so check out the map from UBER/JUMP. Some are apparently stations, and I’m not sure what the rest are… but there’s about 60 of them.
GOOD BYE DeCINZO!!! After eight years of featuring many of Steven DeCinzo’s cartoons, our disagreements led him to tell me to stop running them. So I am.
August 6th 2018
CLIMATE DENIERS.
Believe it or not Santa Cruz has its own set of climate deniers. Many of the same people who applaud even one person choosing to bike rather than drive stare blankly when asked to take action to protect a mature tree from the ax. A recent Sentinel article by a past climate action coordinator on the topic of how Santa Cruz is doing on achieving the goals of the city’s climate action plan made no mention of trees. Maybe it indicates the triumph of technology over nature. If we can build it, sell it, erect it then who cares if nature does it all on her own. Trees store carbon and emit oxygen. No wonder many cultures worshiped trees even if they did not know the scientific basis for such respect. Depending on size and species, mature trees store on average, 1-2metric tons of carbon. The bigger the tree the more carbon stored. If cut down, the fate of most of these trees is to be disposed of by chipping, which means the vast majority of this carbon is released into the atmosphere within 5 years. And if you’ve noticed, chipping felled large trees is the new norm. I wonder how much power those tree eating, chip-spewing machines require? In order for newly planted saplings to become equivalent carbon sinks, several decades of growth are required. Yet planting saplings is accepted as mitigation for the removal of large trees in environmental documents at all levels of civic review: sometimes even with the label “improvements” attached. And the climate deniers nod in approval that saplings will be planted.
Which brings me to the topic of the tree appeal for the pictured Corymbia at 200 Washington Street, which will be decided on by city council at its afternoon meeting on Tuesday August 14th. Your emails in support will help. My heartfelt appreciation to the ten people who responded generously with checks to help cover the $617 cost to appeal the fate of this tree to city council. Four of you are regular readers of this column. Others are active community environmentalists including members of the Environmental Committee of the Valley Women’s Club, that dynamic, effective group from the San Lorenzo Valley. Tree lovers all!
I have attached the text of the appeal below the break. It’s really a simple issue. Will the city council direct PG&E to follow through on its written commitment for this particular tree, which is called out in their letter? Or will city council rely on assumptions and generalities about what this tree might be doing underground rather than actually looking, which PG&E promised to do. Meanwhile the tree does its daily routine of taking in carbon, storing it and emitting oxygen with a halo of bees taking sustenance from its red flowers. Climate deniers ignore the tree and rave about the new red Jump bikes.
| 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. |
ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL, ESPECIALLY WASHINGTON ONES!
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital has been called many things. Saran-wrapped, self-absorbed, and indulgent are on the prettier side. The tourists often wonder ‘ why all the museums are free,’ and visiting Californians say, ‘The rain feels refreshing’ as the humidity is 100% and the temperature hovers around ninety. I will spare you any new adjectives in describing life on the Potomac. So, standing outside the capital last week and Googling my way across Pennsylvania Avenue all I can write is that everything you’ve heard is true. The bubble is real, the humidity barely tolerable, the summer tourists innumerable, the partisan divide deeper than Death Valley, and a President, unfailingly combative, bigoted, and some here even say, evil. And just maybe, will his latest tweet taking on All-World-Everything, Lebron James, prove to be his greatest communication misstep? We can only hope. (Hey, NFL players, are you listening?) (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/04/sports/donald-trump-lebron-james-twitter.html ) The politics here have been DC-dreadful, even with Donald Drumpf away in Bedminster (N.J) or Mar-a-Lago or whatever place he retreats to where reporters and regular people aren’t allowed; and the weather, some here are sick of, but the days-long storms that have hit the east coast and put parts of Baltimore and Washington under water would delight the drought-stricken of Santa Cruzan. The wet summer–climate change?–is most telling along rail tracks where water pools up forcing portions of various trolley lines to close. Passengers are then bused to and from the water-logged stops. As I approached, storm clouds hovered over the Cannon office building at 27 Independence Avenue, a short walk from the capitol building. Luck was not on my side, our US Rep. Jimmy Panetta was not in, but visiting “the district.” I was delighted to see in the SC Sentinel later that he was on a boat looking into the health of our Monterey Bay the same day I was visiting Washington, D.C. It’s much more important being out on our bay. The knee-jerk political offal that has become common food fighting fare in this district– of Columbia–will definitely be here when he returns.
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My Itinerary on the Hill
Upon entering the Cannon office building, I decided to check in first on one of my heroes, Primila Jayapal. She’s on the third floor, one floor over Jimmy, and she represents a part of Seattle, Jim McDermott’s old 7th district seat. Primila may best be known for helping achieve a $15 an hour minimum wage, gay marriage, and she also supports rent control in the city of Seattle. She was recently arrested while protesting Trump’s immigration policies, and she was reportedly the first member of congress to visit a federal prison where children were separated from their parents. In D.C., she supports universal healthcare, a higher minimum wage, universal free college tuition, and immigration, and setting aside Supreme Court nominees, mid-term elections, and war, these are arguably the top issues on the American progressive agenda. Turns out, Rep. Jayapal is back in her district too. August is like that in DC, many reps are on vacation or attending to business back home. I spoke with Jayapal’s political liaison instead, in preparation for meeting Rep. Panetta’s chief of staff, Joel Baily who I would be seeing later in the day. I wanted to know what was the current discussion among progressive Democrats, of which Primila, Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Barbara Lee of Oakland, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, and Minnesota’s Keith Ellison, all lead the way in crafting a formal progressive voice at the federal level. They may also have a new group member soon, Bronx-born Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who recently won a key New York primary and is likely headed to capitol hill in January. Jayapal’s legislative aid advised me to take perhaps “the 30,000-feet approach,” meaning offer help to your representative in navigating issues in the district. A recent bill, House Resolution 676, a universal healthcare initiative, is a bill Panetta’s signed onto as a co-author, but he has yet to join the 74 members of the “Medicare for All” caucus. That might be something to ask about too.
Main Event
I was warmly received by Rep. Panetta’s staff on the second floor of Cannon. Chief of Staff Bailey asked if I wanted to step into the boss’ office and there we proceeded to chat for almost two hours. We touched on a pantheon of issues confronted by federal reps in Washington and I apprised him of what was happening locally, which he seemed very interested in. Without quoting Bailey, I will mention the general topics we discussed. The top five on the congressional office radar screen appear to be immigration (Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients), gun control, student debt, middle class tax relief, and infrastructure improvements. Rep. Panetta sits on two congressional committees, the Armed Services Committee (funds military) and the Agricultural Committee, which oversees the every 5-year farm bill that is of great importance to Santa Cruz County’s commercial and organic ag interests. Panetta also sits on two subcommittees: Oversight and Investigations (of house members) and Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research. From the conversation with Bailey, I came away with a similar feeling many of us feel these days, that all is not well in Washington and our President daily turns over more apple carts (the “Q-Anon” being most recent) than the Dems can put upright and therefore it becomes ever more difficult to get to the issues congress members are interested in. I emphasized that affordable housing and homelessness were likely the two most vexing issues for the city council these days. It also seemed evident that our congressional office has followed the sanctuary city issue, the nascent cannabis industry ups and downs, and shares our frustration with sky-high housing costs. This meeting was informative and stimulating, as one would hope for when visiting their congress member.
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
AND YET ANOTHER RANCHO DEL MAR CENTER TENANT GETS THE BOOT FROM TRC RETAIL
Aptos Coffee Roasting, a locally-owned small and successful business that has been a gathering hub for the Aptos Community for decades, got a 30-day eviction notice from TRC Retail landlord on June 26. The shop will close to the public August 19, house their equipment in storage, and lay off their employees. TRC Retail never responded to multiple attempts by Aptos Coffee Roasting owner Bronson Baker to negotiate a renovation consistent with the shopping center remodel efforts. Read the letter that Bronson posted for patrons (attached file) Here is a link to the Register-Pajaronian report
Please contact these TRC Retail LLC people and their leasing agent and let them know what you think. I have asked for them to rescind their eviction notice and work with Bronson Baker. What confidence can they have in the Community supporting the future businesses they bring in with such a disgusting track record of mistreatment to locally-supported small business tenants? This is not consistent with the picture that TRC Retail representatives. Scott Grady and Bruce Walton, assured those who attended the standing-room-only public meetings they held to discuss the Rancho del Mar Center remodel project. The Community was clear in our message that we support the existing small business tenants.
Scott Grady, TRC Retail Vice President of Development sgrady@trcretail.com 949-662-2142 and/or Shannon Naraghi, TRC Retail Property Manager snaraghi@trcretail.com 925-241-4023 and/or Tom Nelson, Colliers International Leasing Agent tom.nelson@colliers.com 408-282-3960
RUN FOR OFFICE ON SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT AND APTOS/LA SELVA FIRE DISTRICT
The filing deadline for declaring candidacy is this Friday, August 10, 5pm. I hope that you or someone you know who lives within these two District boundaries will run for a Board position. Soquel Creek Water District has three positions (Christensen, Jaffee and Lather) up for re-election and the Aptos/ La Selva Fire Protection District has two (Abendschan and Hurley have filed for re-election). Take a look at current filing status
I believe that it is never a good thing to have incumbents run unopposed. When others are on the ballot, it presents the critical opportunity for better public participation in the issues via candidate forums and news media interviews. Please run, even if you feel you could not win.
WHAT A SHAM OF PUBLIC MEETING….CAN YOU SAY “MOOO”?
We all need to contact Soquel Creek Water District and the ESA consultants to demand more time to review and submit critical comment on the PureWater Soquel Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) or ratepayers (and maybe beyond) will be saddled with millions in debt and face possible groundwater contamination with pharmaceuticals and carcinogens not able to be removed.
Contact:
Pure Water Soquel Project CEQA
4041 Soquel Drive, Ste. A-501
Soquel, CA 95073-3105
Email comments to purewatersoquelceqa@esassoc.com
Soquel Creek Water District held its “Public Meeting” to allow members of the public to enter comment on their PureWater Soquel Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). It was very poorly-attended. The ESA Consultant REFUSED TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL ORAL COMMENT TO BE REGISTERED WITH THE STENOGRAPHER PRESENT beyond the appointed 3-minute, even after the meeting had closed and there was no time constraint to maintain a schedule of events.
Cheers,
Becky Steinbruner
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
As the very last word in his novel, Existence, in a section called “Follow-Up Resources,” Author David Brin recommends “proxy activism.” Brin refers readers to his website discussion of the topic, and here is the link.
If you click the link, you will find that Brin describes the essence of “proxy activism” as follows:
Proxy Power is the uniquely convenient — but seldom discussed — ability of a modern person to participate in activism… helping to change or improve the world… by the simple expedience of joining some group that is vigorously pursuing that part of your personal agenda. In other words, you add both your membership dues and the political impact of your membership, in order to get behind people who are striving to save the world for you.
I am endorsing Brin’s call for “proxy activism,” and particularly want to point out the importance of making financial contributions to the causes you support. Jesus, speaking not so much as a religious leader, but more as a sociologist would, tells us that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” In other words, it just happens to be true that when you make a financial contribution to a group working for a cause, the very fact that you have put your money on the line makes you much more committed to the cause than you would be if you had merely signed a petition, or otherwise stated your support.
I am happy that Brin is touting “proxy activism.” There is nothing wrong with this “uniquely convenient” way to get involved with the critical issues facing the world.
However…..
While I think proxy activism is beneficial, and even “necessary,” it is not “sufficient.” If we want a genuine system of self-government, a government that will respond to human needs, and that will seek to realize our greatest aspirations, we are not going to be able simply to hire nonprofits to make the necessary changes for us. If we want self-government, a large number of us will need to get involved ourselves.
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS & DEEP COVER. See both of Time Eagan’s “Subconscious Comics” and 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.
CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. NOW -Aug.12. From their website (www.cabrillomusic.org)… Each summer Cabrillo Festival brings together music lovers, community members, professional orchestra players and extraordinary composers for an inspired gathering that offers a musical experience like no other. For the 2018 season, Music Director Cristi Macelaru has summoned voices from around the globe and across diverse cultural backgrounds to present 18 contemporary works that reflect the human spirit and the stories we tell, the grandeur of the planet, and the vastness of the cosmos. You’re invited to journey deep into the creative process through our open rehearsals, talks and the intoxicating experience of live performance. Cabrillo Festival delivers spectacular musicianship, coupled with a warm and welcoming environment for listeners at all levels, plus that famously special Santa Cruz vibe. It’s a rare thrill, and you’re invited! So much is new in 2018!
New pay-what-you-can Community Night Concert This new event welcomes the wider community to experience just how fun new music can be. Earlier concert times All our evening concerts now begin at 7pm! New $20 Youth tickets Invite your favorite young person (age 6-25), and inspire a future Festival fan! New Prix Fixe Dinner on our Grand Finale night.
41st ANNUAL MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. The 41st annual Musical Saw Contest is the longest running saw contest in the world. This happens AUGUST 11 & 12. On Saturday August 11, 2018 at 2:00 pm there’ll be an Open jam at the Tom Scribner Statue, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA, in front of Bookshop Santa Cruz. That night at 6:30 pm there’ll be a potluck and jam up at Roaring Camp‘s outer parking lot in Felton, CA. On Sunday August 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm will be the genuine 41st Annual Saw Festival up at Roaring Camp in Felton, CA. From 11am to 4 p.m. there’ll be Featured performers, awards, chorus of the saws and lots of spontaneous fun. At the festival you can jam, meet other saw players, take part in the contest, take a workshop, and hear some great saw players literally from all over the world.
CELEBRATING JAMES ASCHBACHER. Many, many of Jim Aschbacher’s friends are putting together a memorable celebration of his life. Free champagne, free event, lots of music, talks by some good friends, collections of photos and a great sense of community will all happen August 25 at the Rio Theater from 6-9 p.m.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Not a gangsta movie, Blindspotting takes a sharp, bold, incisive look at culture and community in Oakland, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). And budding artists get a boost from the new James Aschbacher SPECTRA Fund to support art education in the schools. Find out how you can join the support group!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. Ewan McGregor does the best he can with a boring, depressing, and very commercial attempt to make more money from A.A. Milne’s Winnie The Pooh books. It isn’t even Disney cute or Pixar creative — it’s simply not interesting to watch Christopher Robin be forced by animated versions of Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and other stuffed toys to remember how much fun he had as a boy. Don’t even send the kids.
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon play buddies from LA who for some kinky reason become involved with an international killers. The two of them go to Holland, Hungary, Berlin, Austria, Denmark and Atlanta, Georgia. More than two hours those locations — plus the foolish, overused dialogue between the two women — aren’t enough to make this flick worth paying to see.
EIGHTH GRADE. A 99 on RT and the lead actor Elsie Fisher deserves at least an Oscar for her role as a conflicted and nearly typical eighth grader. The incredibly talented, funny, and profound Bo Burnham directed it. (See his Comedy special on Netflix!). You’ll relive the anxiety, insecurity, and fears we all had in eighth grade. It’s billed as a comedy and some of the audience laughed when I was watching it…but see it for the insights, the reality, and the remembrances of those times.
DON’T WORRY HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT. It seems that Joaquin Phoenix can’t make a bad movie, and this one is deep and brilliant. Jack Black, Rooney Mara and Jonah Hill play very serious parts in this nearly true biographical film about a wheelchair bound cartoonist. I looked up the word “sardonic” just to make sure it fit Phoenix’s role…it definitely does. I wish they’d make more films like this one. Better hurry before Landmark takes it away. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 9.
LEAVE NO TRACE. It’s difficult to critique a film with a 100% RT rating. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie play a father and daughter who live in the woods around Portland, Oregon. Why they live outdoors, and how they face the real world, makes a near perfect film. Sensitive, thoughtful — and it forces us to think again about our definition of what a home is and what will happen after the movie ends. See this excellent film quickly. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 9.
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS. (94 RT) A very serious documentary about Jewish twin and triplet babies that were secretly separated and placed around carefully-chosen Jewish families in New York City in the 50s, as part of an experiment that has still never been made public. The previews make you think it’s about triplets and the fun they have finding each other. It’s much more than that, and will have you questioning your own behavior and your DNA inheritance. SEE THIS FILM!!!
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? A well deserved 99 on RT and Mr. Rogers turns out to be all that we’d hope to see in this bio. That he was a lifelong Republican is about the only surprise, but it’s not important. It’s no surprise to learn about his faith-based upbringing and he practiced love and kindness in his entire television career. Go see this film. You’ll agree with him about the glut of violence in other children’s tv shows. We can only guess how he’d deal with Trump’s presidency. He handled Robert Kennedy’s assassination and 9/11 with amazing taste and skill. His neighborhood tv show started in 1968 and lasted until 2001. He died in 2003. As I mentioned go see this film, it’s one of the few uplifting things available nowadays. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 9.
BLINDSPOTTING. Has a 93 on RT…and deserves it. A “blindspot” as we learn in the film, is when something is right in front of you and you can’t see it. In this case it’s the racial scene in Oakland and the rest of the USA. Violent, conflicted, heartwarming, well acted, and painful. It’ll leave an impression on you long after you leave the theatre.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. A 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a crude take-off on telemarketers and their lowly status in life. It takes place in Oakland and is nearly all African-American themed. That means that to be a successful telemarketer you have to use your “white voice”. Danny Glover has a small part, and we can only hope he gets some decent roles again. This wasn’t one of them. There is too much racism, role-playing. and politic switching played as humor for me to really like this movie. You are on your own.
EQUALIZER 2. Denzel Washington is back again as a vigilante. Unlike all the rest of the bloody, violent, killing, revenge movies, Denzel makes this one a little deeper, more thoughtful, and yet at the same time heavy-handed. There’s nothing new, imaginative or startling in it, but because it’s Denzel you’ll be able to sit through all of it.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE :FALLOUT. Another Tom Cruise do it yourself stunt movie. Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin are back again too. It has some wild and inventive stunt scenes that we’ve never seen before. Plus a music score that keeps almost all of the movie at a very intense level. It’s thrilling, mindless, pointless, but full of kicks. It’s made for the big screens.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending. INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
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 August 7 Dr. Shawna Riddle of PAMF talks about staying healthy. She’s followed by Hina Pendle from US Partners. On August 12 Barry Scott from Friends of Rail and Trail is the guest. He’s followed by Attorney Bob Taren discussing politics and problems on August 14th. On Aug.21 cardiologist and Doctor Neil Sawhney talks about heart problems. Then Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan from Sustainable Soquel talk about car dealerships and Soquel traffic. Aug. 28 has Lisa Rose and Ken Koenig from Santa Cruz Indivisible talking about their latest plans and events. September 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. Sept. 18 has Don Stump pres. and CEO of CCH housing returning to discuss affordable housing. Nora Hochman guests on September 25 to talk about rent control and Housing Justice. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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
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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. “SEX”
“I have no objection to anyone’s sex life as long as they don’t practice it in the street and frighten the horses.” Oscar Wilde
“Homosexuality isn’t contagious” tv interview I saw last week, didn’t get his name.
“I don’t know the question, but sex is definitely the answer.” Woody Allen
“Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together; sophistication demands that they submit to sex immediately without proper preliminary talk. Not courting talk — real straight talk about souls, for life is holy and every moment is precious.” Jack Kerouac, On the Road
“Someone told me the delightful story of the crusader who put a chastity belt on his wife and gave the key to his best friend for safekeeping, in case of his death. He had ridden only a few miles away when his friend, riding hard, caught up with him, saying ‘You gave me the wrong key!” Anaïs Nin
“Sex without love is as hollow and ridiculous as love without sex.” Hunter S. Thompson
“Good sex is like good bridge. If you don’t have a good partner, you’d better have a good hand.” Mae West
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All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com
August 1 – 7, 2018
BRATTON…about our UBER’s Jump Bike monopoly, Santa Cruzans and vaccinations, the Octagon’s new Sushi Bar, Dan Haifley’s replacement, farewell Angelo Grova’s FashionArt show Art Pearl’s rememberances. GREENSITE…on rail/trail follies. KROHN…about Costanoa Commons encroachment rent freeze, the garage library debate, Sugar beverage tax. STEINBRUNER…Gary Griggs expensive water project? Soquel Creeks Water Board expenses, Bayview Hotel’s permit, Rancho Del Mar’s progress.PATTON…going door to door as a real force. EAGAN…Truth or Dare according to guess who? DeCINZO…and the red tide. JENSEN…Reviews “Eighth Grade” and “Romeo and Juliet”. BRATTON…critiques Eighth Grade, Blindspotting, Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far, and Mission Impossible:Fallout. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…about AUGUST.
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ANOTHER CUTE DOG AND BICYCLE PIC. |
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3 DIMENSIONAL VISUAL TRICKS |
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AMUSEMENT PARK FAILURES!!! |
DATELINE July 30, 2018
BIKESLAND UBER ALLES. Many friends and readers didn’t know that our spanking new “JUMP BIKES” are owned and operated by UBER. As it says on the UBER website “Uber Bike is currently available in San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Washington DC, Chicago, and Austin’. According to their map I counted about 65 JUMP Bike stations in Santa Cruz. The Mercury News stated “The ride-hailing giant agreed to pay more than $100 million in cash and stock to buy the electric-bicycle provider, a person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified because the figure isn’t public. Technology news site TechCrunch first reported acquisition talks. Uber declined to disclose the terms of the deal, which the companies unveiled in a joint statement Monday”. I asked Chris Krohn how and why Santa Cruz ended up with JUMP Bikes along with metropolises such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago etc. He replied… “They responded to the Request for Proposals put out by our Public Works staff, headed by Claire Fliesler. There is a local guy who owns Epicenter on Mission St. who applied and had a solid plan, but they went with the outside New York group, Jump, which as you may know was bought by Uber a few months back…and what is that about? Would love to know Uber’s plans”. Reactions to the bikes have been really and severely mixed to say the least. They range from out and out hatred to folks believing JUMPS are the greatest environmental gift god ever gave us.
ROBERT SINGLETON NEAR WRAP-UP? It was a week of collecting emails, phone calls, and in person opinions and suggestions from many folks. The woman who wrote the 2016 letter re-stated that it was all true and gave addresses, possible other victims, and more. She does not want to carry this on any further and has “moved on”. I called Robert Singleton and left a message. He called me back Monday afternoon (7/30) and said that he had decided about three weeks ago not to run for City Council. He said it is a huge task and that he is feeling good about not doing it. There was a pause then he said that “he did not physically or sexually abuse this person”. So I guess that’s that for the 2016 letter to the “Brand New City Council”. By the way I haven’t talked to any members of the “Brand New City Council” about this letter or the follow-up, just many concerned citizens. That’ll end that issue… unless folks know of any more information.
SANTA CRUZ AND VACCINATIONS. Dr. Larry DeGhetaldi CEO of Sutter Health and President of Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) talked about Santa Cruzans and vaccinations on last Tuesday’s Universal Grapevine. (7/24) He said that there are a lot of Santa Cruz folks still opposing vaccinations. I asked him which diseases had been eliminated or controlled by vaccinations. He replied “All of them. I would rank their importance as Smallpox. No longer needed because it was eradicated. Polio. Measles (combined with mumps and German measles). Pertussis. Several meningitis vaccines. Hepatitis a and b. Chicken pox.
Now HPV (Human papillomavirus) for young teens. Might eradicate cervical cancer“. It always surprises me to hear issues like that, when we usually seem so inclined to think of Santa Cruz as being an enlightened community . No I didn’t ask him about Fluoride.
OCTAGON UPDATE. Great weather, and more sitting outside the Octagon last week provided me with the information that the workers are creating another Sushi Bar inside the historic Octagon!! It’ll take maybe three more months according to one of them. That’ll make three Sushi Bars with one downtown block. There’s Mobo Sushi across Front Street,s a Poke Bowl inside that so called Abbott Square place and now this new one. What’s weird is that the management threw out Lulu’s Coffee because they didn’t want to competition. Yes the workers have been gutting the inside of the Octagon and even adding a small balcony to allow the Sushi Bar to open. Back in the more reverent and historically careful day, the former manager of the MAH Store that was there told me they weren’t allowed to hardly touch or even hang anything on the walls or change anything inside the Octagon structure.
DAN HAIFLEY’S REPLACEMENT. O’Neill Sea Odyssey News. By now most folks have heard that their executive director Dan Haifley is retiring. The new news is that Cyndi Dawson will be replacing him in November. Cyndi is currently the lead policy advisor to the Ocean Protection Council up in Sacramento. She’s a Marine ecologist and got the O’Neill appointment over some absolutely enormous competition.
FAREWELL FASHION ART. After 11 years Angelo Grova and his extra hard working crew decided not have any more FashionArt Shows. They were great fun…I attended them all at the Civic Auditorium and even the very first one at the Michelangelo Gallery in their parking lot. Another Santa Cruz tradition bit the dust.
ART PEARL DIED. There are good people; important people and then there are a very few folks like Art Pearl who are institutions. He was an inspiration and a joy to be with. Here’s what his daughter wrote…“ I am writing this to all of you to ensure that everyone knows that my dad, Art Pearl, passed away on July 5th at our home in Oregon City, Oregon. My dad knew so many people that it is difficult to know if everyone has been informed. I wanted to also let you all know that there have been two celebrations of life planned to honor my dad’s life and legacy.
The first memorial will be held at Stevenson College Event Center on the University of Santa Cruz on August 25th at 11am. Here is the evite link
The other memorial will be held at McArthur Court on the University of Oregon campus on October 20th at 1:30pm. Here is the evite link
Please help me to inform those who need to know. Thank you for all of your support. This is a very difficult time for my family. My dad was my very best friend and my hero. The loss of him will be forever mourned.
Best, Rachel Pearl
WASTE NOT WANT NOT
If you care about saving trees and saving lots of public money read on. The city Public Works Department has released its environmental review of the second phase of Segment 7 of the controversial rail/trail project. This segment starts at Bay and California Streets, dips down past Neary Lagoon, past the Wastewater Treatment Plant, under the West Cliff trestle bridge and ends near the wharf roundabout. It is a distance of .79ths of a mile.
Personally I’m a supporter of keeping the rail line if possible and a bike/pedestrian trail seems a great idea but this small section of the full 32-mile project strikes me as insane. To create a 12 -foot trail next to the existing rail line in this less than a mile segment, according to the environmental review, the following will be necessary:
- 3,500 cubic yards of soil removed for fence posts and retaining walls.
- 47 trees removed. (unless at the time of construction it is determined that they can be root pruned and retained)
- 21 of the trees to be felled qualify as heritage.
- 15 willows from Neary Lagoon habitat removed.
- A retaining wall of 3,140 feet built.
- The height of the wall to range from 3.5 feet to 19.5 feet.
- A fence 54″ high required to separate the trail from the rail
- The city responsible for maintenance including signs, striping, fencing, security cameras, lighting, repairs, replacements and fencing.
- A biologist on contract for an extended period of time to ensure the replacement willows and saplings actually live, as well as to check for nesting birds whose habitat can be destroyed after they have nested.
The city finds that “although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environment, there will not be a significant effect in this case because revisions in the project have been made by or agreed to by the project proponent.” Say what? If the above constitute revisions one can only wonder what the project looked like beforehand. Based on this claim, a MND (Mitigated Negative Declaration) was prepared rather than an EIR (Environmental Impact Report), which is required when a project may have an impact on the environment. Given the list above I’d say there’s no question about significant environmental impacts but that’s just me.
| 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. |
What’s Been Coming into the Email Inbox this Month?
Imagine street furniture on Cooper Street, downtown?!? Year ’round. We have a new “downtown host” model beginning soon and they could also be responsible for teh moveable street furniture…locking and unlocking it each day. Movaeble furniture is important in order to make a space active, a place to meet friends and family downtown, and a place where pedstrians feel safe to walk, hang out, and enjoy the downtown. The picture below is alongside the sidewalk in Union Square, NYC. New York has become a model in the past decade on how to activate space by using moveable furniture.
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So much for a sleepy, ‘lights out” city council month. There have been no council meetings, but others in the city have been busy, and as a result my inbox constituents have been lighting it up on several significant issues: landlords raising rents in the face of a rent freeze ordinance prohibiting it; development at 335 Golf Club Drive pitting developers vs. families with learning disabled members who planned an intentional community; will the now infamous “library-garage” atop the current Farmer’s Market site be agendized; and the city council’s “special meeting” with two agenda items that perhaps should not happen. Let’s get into it.
Rent Control, Rent Freeze and a Missed Deadline
Somehow, some way the over-the-top moneyed interest group fighting with a holy war zealotry has now stepped in two mounds of doo-doo. First, it was a mailer with a picture of another community’s lighthouse that lambasted the Santa Cruz rent control ballot measure. Then the group that can’t seem to put a campaign together missed their opportunity to place their argument before voters in November. You heard that right. The Movement for Housing Justice dotted their “i’s” and crossed their “t’s” and submitted a strong statement in favor of rent control. “The other side,” represented by Santa Cruz Together and financed in part by some formidable big buck$ outsider interests,appear to be cowering because not only is there a local voter initiative to lower rents, there’s also a statewide measure to repeal the Costa-Hawkins that is to be on the same ballot. This latter initiative currently severely limits rent control in the entire state of California. Okay, game on!
Three Thirty-Five Golf Club Drive…What is Going on?
Here’s likely the most mind-numbing issue to hit my inbox this month and I try to offer at least two sides here, one from our Planning Department and one from the lawyer representing the Costanoa Commons community.
Peter Ziblat of the law firm Pelosi Law Group wrote: We represent the sponsors of the proposed development of ten residential units for the developmentally disabled and the restoration of a historic single-family structure at 335 Golf Club Drive (“Project”) that is on the July 18, 2018 Zoning Administrator agenda…Our clients, who formed a partnership of families of the disabled to develop this Project, have navigated the complex planning process and are close to the finish line to provide affordable housing for approximately 22 residents and their invaluable and underpaid support staff. The Project’s very-low income residents have a range of physical and developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and Global Developmental Delay.
The Special City Council Meeting That Should Not Be…
The powers that be, overseeing (?) the city council, apparently are going ahead and scheduling a “special meeting” for August 7th in order to 1) allow anti-rent control advocates a second bite at the apple to get their November ballot argument approved, since they missed a July deadline. The city council evidently can do this by over-riding its own rules and allowing the group opposing rent control to submit their written argument to be included in the voter manual. This meeting could be interesting and fun. I urge all to attend and participate in this discussion. Number 2) the council is being asked by (staff? sugar industry reps?) to pull its 1.5 cents per ounce sweetened beverage tax initiative because BIG SUGAR made a deal with Sacramento legislators not to allow cities to tax soda until 2031. I don’t believe the health of this community can wait that long. As diabetes and obesity increase our state reps are telling us to wait on doing something about it. Even if the teeth have been removed from the current soda tax initiative, why not leave it on the ballot and allow Santa Cruzans to weigh in. It would be a vote for health and I believe the public deserves to weigh in. The question is, why pull this initiative from the November ballot?
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
July 30, 2018
WHY IS GARY GRIGGS SUPPORTING EXPENSIVE WATER SOLUTIONS FOR SANTA CRUZ THAT CAN BE RESOLVED WITH LESS-EXPENSIVE AND READILY-AVAILABLE REGIONAL COOPERATION?
Local well-known UCSC Professor Gary Griggs published an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel July 21, 2018 that whole-heartedly supports expensive water projects for Santa Cruz, and compares our area to San Diego. Many in the community were puzzled and in fact, alarmed, that he would make such public statements and cost comparisons. He insinuated that the massive San Diego water project cost to ratepayers of $5-$7/month is an acceptable amount to expect local ratepayers to also shoulder for a long-term water supply solution. One has to wonder if he is supporting the Soquel Creek Water District’s PureWater Soquel Project through the back door?
First of all, San Diego has a much larger customer base than does any municipal water agency in Santa Cruz County. Soquel Creek Water District has 15,800 service connections, according to their website. Santa Cruz City has a population (Chamber of Commerce website) of 64,220. San Diego had a 2010 Census population of 1,307,402. Is it fair to compare Santa Cruz City or Soquel Creek Water District with San Diego for per capita cost burden? I don’t think so.
Second of all, San Diego relies mostly on surface water. While Santa Cruz City does also, there also are groundwater sources used when the City activates the Beltz Wells in the Live Oak area. Soquel Creek Water District relies 100% on groundwater, unless emergency inter-tie connections that already exist with Santa Cruz City are activated. Would the PureWater Soquel Project construction and operational costs pan out to a level similar to what Professor Grigs stated in his article ” a price of a latte”? Soquel Creek Water District already has the second-highest rate for a system their size in the entire state of California (according to the District’s 2017 rate analysis presented at the 2017 Budget Hearing).
Really, what is Professor Gary Griggs thinking?
I recommend investigating the Water for Santa Cruz County website to learn more about the possible REGIONAL solutions to the water storage problems our communities need to consider
Cheers,Becky Steinbruner
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
That is Rose Strauss in the picture on the right. She is an eighteen-year-old climate activist who is an environmental science major at the University of California, Santa Barbara. On July 18, 2018, Strauss confronted Scott Wagner, a Republican candidate for Governor in Pennsylvania. Here is a link to a YouTube recording of the encounter. The actual video is available below.
The video of Strauss confronting Wagner (very politely, let me say) quickly “went viral,” nationally. If you watch, you will see Wagner calling Strauss “young and naive” for asking whether the $200,000 in campaign contributions that Wagner has received from fossil fuel companies has influenced his views on climate change. Wagner has said that he actually does believe that the Earth is warming, but that “body heat” is a major reason. Wagner lets the oil companies off the hook!
In the July 26, 2018, edition of The New York Times, Dan Levin interviewed Strauss. Levin is a foreign correspondent for The Times who reports on climate change issues. Levin was particularly interested in how Strauss might use her recently-acquired fame to advance the issue she cares about so deeply. Strauss’ answer was that she (and lots of other motivated young people) would go “door to door” this summer, opening a dialogue.
I was particularly happy about Strauss’ answer to Levin’s question, since “door to door” is where real people who care about a political issue will meet real people who may well never have thought about it. Viral video is great, but “real people” are the people who can make “real change.”
Going door to door is also a good way to discover the truth of what I said in my blog posting yesterday: “good people do exist.”
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Our Ranger’s Tourist Guide wisdom…scroll below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Truth or Dare” 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.
CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. NOW -Aug.12. From their website (www.cabrillomusic.org)… Each summer Cabrillo Festival brings together music lovers, community members, professional orchestra players and extraordinary composers for an inspired gathering that offers a musical experience like no other. For the 2018 season, Music Director Cristi Macelaru has summoned voices from around the globe and across diverse cultural backgrounds to present 18 contemporary works that reflect the human spirit and the stories we tell, the grandeur of the planet, and the vastness of the cosmos. You’re invited to journey deep into the creative process through our open rehearsals, talks and the intoxicating experience of live performance. Cabrillo Festival delivers spectacular musicianship, coupled with a warm and welcoming environment for listeners at all levels, plus that famously special Santa Cruz vibe. It’s a rare thrill, and you’re invited! So much is new in 2018!
New pay-what-you-can Community Night Concert This new event welcomes the wider community to experience just how fun new music can be. Earlier concert times All our evening concerts now begin at 7pm! New $20 Youth tickets Invite your favorite young person (age 6-25), and inspire a future Festival fan! New Prix Fixe Dinner on our Grand Finale night.
41st ANNUAL MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. This happens AUGUST 11 & 12. On
Saturday August 11, 2018 at 2:00 pm there’ll be an Open jam at the Tom Scribner Statue, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA, in front of Bookshop Santa Cruz. That night at 6:30 pm there’ll be a potluck and jam up at Roaring Camp‘s outer parking lot in Felton, CA.On Sunday August 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm will be the genuine 41st Annual Saw Festival up at Roaring Camp in Felton, CA. Highlights of the festival.11:00 am Musical Saw Contest The 41st annual Saw Contest is the longest running saw contest in the world and they will crown their 2018 champion.
12:00-4:00 Featured performers, awards, chorus of the saws. At the festival you can jam, meet other saw players, take part in the contest, take a workshop, and hear some great saw players literally from all over the world.
CELEBRATING JAMES ASCHBACHER. Many, many of Jim Aschbacher’s friends are putting together a memorable celebration of his life. Free champagne, free event, lots of music, talks by some good friends, collections of photos and a great sense of community will all happen
August 25 at the Rio Theater from 6-9 p.m.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “The excruciating angst of being 13 is captured to poignant comic perfection in Eighth Grade, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet inspires me to ponder how a viewer’s ever-altering perspective can reshape even the most familiar plays.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
EIGHTH GRADE. A 99 on RT and the lead actor Elsie Fisher deserves at least an Oscar for her role as a conflicted and nearly typical eighth grader. The incredibly talented, funny, and profound Bo Burnham directed it. (See his Comedy special on Netflix!). You’ll relive the anxiety, insecurity, and fears we all had in eighth grade. It’s billed as a comedy and some of the audience laughed when I was watching it…but see it for the insights, the reality, and the remembrances of those times.
BLINDSPOTTING. Has a 93 on RT…and deserves it. A “blindspot” as we learn in the film, is when something is right in front of you and you can’t see it. In this case it’s the racial scene in Oakland and the rest of the USA. Violent, conflicted, heartwarming, well acted, and painful. It’ll leave an impression on you long after you leave the theatre.
DON’T WORRY HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT. It seems that Joaquin Phoenix can’t make a bad movie, and this one is deep and brilliant. Jack Black, Rooney Mara and Jonah Hill play very serious parts in this nearly true biographical film about a wheelchair bound cartoonist. I looked up the word “sardonic” just to make sure it fit Phoenix’s role…it definitely does. I wish they’d make more films like this one. Better hurry before Landmark takes it away.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE :FALLOUT. Another Tom Cruise do it yourself stunt movie. Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin are back again too. It has some wild and inventive stunt scenes that we’ve never seen before. Plus a music score that keeps almost all of the movie at a very intense level. It’s thrilling, mindless, pointless, but full of kicks. It’s made for the big screens.
LEAVE NO TRACE. It’s difficult to critique a film with a 100% RT rating. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie play a father and daughter who live in the woods around Portland, Oregon. Why they live outdoors, and how they face the real world, makes a near perfect film. Sensitive, thoughtful — and it forces us to think again about our definition of what a home is and what will happen after the movie ends. See this excellent film quickly.
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS. (94 RT) A very serious documentary about Jewish twin and triplet babies that were secretly separated and placed around carefully-chosen Jewish families in New York City in the 50s, as part of an experiment that has still never been made public. The previews make you think it’s about triplets and the fun they have finding each other. It’s much more than that, and will have you questioning your own behavior and your DNA inheritance. SEE THIS FILM!!!
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? A well deserved 99 on RT and Mr. Rogers turns out to be all that we’d hope to see in this bio. That he was a lifelong Republican is about the only surprise, but it’s not important. It’s no surprise to learn about his faith-based upbringing and he practiced love and kindness in his entire television career. Go see this film. You’ll agree with him about the glut of violence in other children’s tv shows. We can only guess how he’d deal with Trump’s presidency. He handled Robert Kennedy’s assassination and 9/11 with amazing taste and skill. His neighborhood tv show started in 1968 and lasted until 2001. He died in 2003. As I mentioned go see this film, it’s one of the few uplifting things available nowadays.
RBG. This nicely-done documentary tells us a lot more than has ever been made public before. Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) is a surprisingly quiet, shy woman. It reminds us that Bill Clinton got her the job as Supreme Court Justice: oddly enough it does not remind us that Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O’Conner as the first woman to serve on the court. See this film. It’ll give you hope that you can fight against the odds. It’s been packing ’em in for weeks at the Nick, and it deserves it. CLOSES THURSDAY AUGUST 2.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. A 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a crude take-off on telemarketers and their lowly status in life. It takes place in Oakland and is nearly all African-American themed. That means that to be a successful telemarketer you have to use your “white voice”. Danny Glover has a small part, and we can only hope he gets some decent roles again. This wasn’t one of them. There is too much racism, role-playing. and politic switching played as humor for me to really like this movie. You are on your own.
EQUALIZER 2. Denzel Washington is back again as a vigilante. Unlike all the rest of the bloody, violent, killing, revenge movies, Denzel makes this one a little deeper, more thoughtful, and yet at the same time heavy-handed. There’s nothing new, imaginative or startling in it, but because it’s Denzel you’ll be able to sit through all of it.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. A big 50 on RT and it didn’t deserve that much. Chris Pratt, James Cameron, Geraldine Chaplin and Jeff Goldblum are the only names you might remember from other movies but they can’t help this weak, predictable, rip off. Dinosaurs escape…like duh!!! Gee and they eat humans or stomp them to death. It is very far removed from the realistic, character driven original Jurassic Park of 1993 starring Richard Attenborough, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and B.D. Wong. Send the kids, don’t accompany them!!
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
SKYSCRAPER. What is it with bald-headed movie stars like The Rock/Dwayne Johnson? There’s Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis, Samuel Jackson, Yul Brynner, Jason Statham, Patrick Stewart, and of course Ben Kingsley. As Shakespeare or somebody once wrote…, “Be not afraid of baldness: some are born bald, some achieve baldness and some have baldness thrust upon them”. This is a flop of a movie. Maybe a few moments of scary views down the 200 floors above Hong Kong. I almost forgot: in addition to his baldness, Dwayne’s hero role is a guy with just one leg!!!
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
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 July 31 Angela Franklin and Dave Weaver from C.F.O.G. Citizens For Orderly Growth in Scotts Valley will talk about their area issues. Then Heidi Cartan from Costanoa Commons Farm will detail some issues they are facing. On August 7 Dr. Shawna Riddle of PAMF talks about staying healthy. She’s followed by Hina Pendle from US Partners. On August 12 Barry Scott from Friends of Rail and Trail is the guest. He’s followed by Attorney Bob Taren discussing politics and problems on August 14th. On Aug.21 cardiologist and Doctor Neil Sawhney talks about heart problems. Then Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan from Sustainable Soquel talk about car dealerships and Soquel traffic. Aug. 28 has Lisa Rose and Ken Koenig from Santa Cruz Indivisible talking about their latest plans and events. September 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. Sept. 18 has Don Stump pres. and CEO of CCH housing returning to discuss affordable housing. Nora Hochman guests on September 25 to talk about rent control and Housing Justice. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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
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I love this guy. |
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”
“We can’t possibly have a summer love. So many people have tried that the name’s become proverbial. Summer is only the unfulfilled promise of spring, a charlatan in place of the warm balmy nights I dream of in April. It’s a sad season of life without growth…It has no day.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise
“The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.” Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
“August was nearly over – the month of apples and falling stars, the last care-free month for the school children. The days were not hot, but sunny and limpidly clear – the first sign of advancing autumn.” Viktor Nekrasov
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
July 23 – 29, 2018
BRATTON…more about the Robert Singleton #MeToo issue, illegal Mierda re DeCinzo and City Council candidates, E Clampus Vitus and a new Octagon plaque. GREENSITE…on ADU sea-changes coming soon. KROHN…Election issues for council candidates, UCSC, traffic, homelessness. STEINBRUNER…on sewage water into Soquel faucets, more about Pure Water Soquel, Soquel to accept Santa Cruz water in December, Betty’s Burgers and Bayshore hotel parking hassle. PATTON…about Trump, Big Tim Sullivan and the media. EAGAN…and Putin’s lifetime chauffeur. DeCINZO…and shopping news. JENSEN…more about her Beast Book successes. BRATTON…critiques Equalizer 2 and Mama Mia: Here we go again UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…from Vladimir Putin!.
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BACH ON PIANO FOR BLIND ELEPHANT. |
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ELEPHANTS DANCE TO FLUTE MUSIC!!! |
DATELINE July 23, 2018
ROBERT SINGLETON AND THE #MeToo ISSUE (continued) After briefly mentioning in last week’s column that Robert Singleton was probably considering another run for a City Council seat — and that there have been many rumors and unsolved statements about a possible #MeToo incident in Sacramento — I received many phone calls and emails with lots more information about what happened. First of all, if there was “a #MeToo incident”, it wasn’t in Sacramento…it was right here in Santa Cruz. A woman emailed a letter to the four Santa Cruz “Brand New Council” candidates Sandy Brown, Drew Glover, Chris Krohn and Steve Schnarr during the 2016 campaign, stating she was in a terrible two-year relationship with Singleton while she was a UCSC student. The email states that the relationship was “emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive”. I have a copy of that 2016 email, and I emailed her this morning (7/23) to see if she has more to add…or subtract.. In that 2016 email she said that her “emotional mind was not strong enough to present the proof” that she has. I’ll wait a while to see if she responds, and then I’ll connect with Robert Singleton to see what his reaction is…or was. If anyone has more information please send it to me, and we’ll sort it out.
MORE ILLEGAL MIERDA. Steve Schlict, theeditor — and main mover behind the Santa Mierda weekly blog — has been running Steven DeCinzo cartoons without DeCinzo’s permission. That’s not just illegal, but unkind and unfair. He’s done it before. I’ve emailed DeCinzo about this. More than that, Schlict’s online info says he’s a principal at BioMarcommunications, which “focuses on life science business investment”. But for two years he’s been the main force behind that Santa Mierda blog. Schlict claims to be a moderate, but anyone reading Mierda will note just how far-right and pro-law and order the blog and especially the reader “commenters” are. He’s started a City Council candidates section. He says that Paige Concannon is a regular reader of Meirda and that he’s “thankful that she’s running”. So that’ll tell you how right-wing pro-growth she is. Needless to say he’s against Drew Glover and Justin Cummings. Of course he likes Richelle Noroyan and believes that Ashley Scontriano is very impressive. Those endorsements alone should give us the info we need to vote in November.
E CLAMPUS VITUS PLAQUE CEREMONY. One of the ECV websites says, “The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western Heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode, gold mining and silver regions of the area. There are chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and we now have Outposts in Montana and Wyoming. There are now 45 recognized chapters and 7 Outposts in April 2017. John Tuck and I were sworn in (with much swearing) at the installation of the bronze plaque on the Branciforte Adobe back in 1980. Since then the ECV created a Viceroy Marqués De Branciforte Chapter #1797. Their “official” notice says, “There will be a Plaquing at the historic Octagon Building in Downtown Santa Cruz so this will be an event you will not want to miss! It’ll happen July the 29th of 6023 (Clampers call our year 2018 ” 6023″). It’s be at the Octagon Building Location at
118 Cooper Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060. I have no idea what the plaque is about, since all but the upper portion of the exterior brick walls of the Octagon have been totally and officially destroyed, with county approval… and I get no response from my Clamper brothers for details.
WHO’S IN CHARGE?
The July 17th Community Meeting organized by the city Planning staff was an eye-opener. It’s no secret that city staff have increasingly taken on the role of setting policy with council increasingly rubber stamping such policy, reversing the traditional roles of council setting policy with staff charged with implementation.
At the Community Meeting, such role reversal was on full display and I found it disturbing. Usually at such public meetings the staff assumes a low- key stance and confine their presentations to communicating what projects are in the works. Particularly with controversial projects, they avoid promoting one side or the other with a nod to the fact that it’s up to council to make the final decision. This meeting was a radical departure from the past. Most of the topics covered were relatively minor. One stood out: potential changes related to Accessory Dwelling Units. (ADU’s)
At the state level there have been sweeping changes passed and others proposed for ADU construction policy in order to encourage more to be built and to by-pass local ADU Ordinances. Although there is no evidence that building market-rate second homes on single family lots will make a dent in the cost of housing given unlimited demand and a hot economy at the upper income levels, “more housing” is the rallying cry of developers, architects and some housing activists. Until now, city staff have recognized the tension in allowing second houses in areas zoned for single homes with the resulting impact on traffic, parking, noise and privacy to name a few. With considerable care and many public meetings, which I have attended over the years, planners have tried to balance this tension by allowing the building of second houses (ADU’s) on single- family lots with restrictions on size, setbacks and the major one: that one of the two houses be occupied by the owner of the property. These reasonable restrictions have allowed stable neighborhoods to absorb ADU’s without the full- scale disruption that unlimited building of ADU’s would bring. All that is about to change and the main drivers are city- planning staff.
If you want to have input before this is a done deal and rubber-stamped, the staff to contact on ADU policy is Katherine Donovan: kdonovan@cityofsantacruz.com. I’d also contact sneuse@cityofsantacruz.com, the harbinger of these exciting “improvements.” Perhaps an enquiry of council members is also in order: just to check who is running the show.
| 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. |
NOVEMBER ELECTION ISSUES, CONTINUED
Voter Issues Redux
 Let Santa Cruz be an example of building bridges and not walls.
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If you remember last week I started a list of issues that progressive candidates might run on, or pay close attention to during the upcoming November, “off-year” election. The issues discussed last week, (which can be found by scrolling down to last week’s https://brattononline.com column), were neighborhood integrity or livability; creating truly affordable housing; and protecting and enhancing our precious Santa Cruz natural environment. This week it’s about city-university issues; traffic and transportation; enhancing the pedestrian-bicycle experience; and what I like to call, Santa Cruz foreign and domestic policy stands.
So, how many issues can a candidate actually run on?
In the old days it was perhaps simpler, but no less daunting for anyone running a serious city council campaign. The issues were usually water, traffic, and housing, in that order. Now, there’s less emphasis on water, although H2O is always a significant piece of most local political discussions. But it is HOUSING and homelessness that have just sucked all the air out of Santa Cruz politics. It is, without a doubt, THE campaign issue and it began in earnest in 2016 and will likely continue through 2024. Of course, traffic, quality of life–livability–and the environment are close behind. So how to choose? Each candidate must try to get up to speed on the myriad of issues Santa Cruz faces by setting up loads of meetings…with homeless advocates (McHenry, Kramer, Adams, and Conable) city department heads (at least the city manager, police chief, and planning and finance directors); reaching out to past winning, and losing, candidates…there are enough ex-mayors out there to field possibly an entire 12-person basketball team (Lane, Bryant, Beiers, Scott, Fitzmaurice, and soon, current Mayor Terrazas come to mind); seek out UCSC honchos, if you can get ahold of them (Blumenthal, Tromp, and Latham among others); visit our Sacramento reps (Sen. Monning and Assembly member Stone), and try to shadow US Rep. Panetta for a day if he will let you; and check in with SEIU reps Urrutia, Nathanson, and Colby, and Monterey central labor council political rep, Glen Schaller as well). And if housing is the issue, meeting with for-profit (Swenson’s Nickell and Devcon’s Lawlor), and non-profit (Mercy Housing and Mid-Peninsula) housing developers, as well as rent control advocates (Jagadeesan, Cavooris, Hochman, and Smedberg) and anti-rent control SC Together (Renshaw) too. So many meetings, I know. But if you’re a candidate, this is what you do. I suggest choosing 2-4 issues, developing a 1-2-minute stump speech on each, and bringing all future forum conversations, presentations, and neighborhood meetings back to your 2-4 issues that you’re running on.
P.S.
There’s much to say and do concerning housing the homeless and providing more mental health, drug, and alcohol abuse programming. The state of California has passed some major bills that will allow cities to apply for funding. The next council must hit the ground running in directing staff to secure this funding. In the area of social services there is much more progressives can do. The fact is, progressives came to power in Santa Cruz advocating for more social services funding. I say, how about a Department of Social Services? Berkeley does it, maybe it’s time we do too.
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
INJECT TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO MIDCOUNTY DRINKING WATER SUPPLY PUBLIC STUDY SESSIONS FOR DRAFT EIR PUBLIC COMMENT ON $183+ MILLION PROJECT.
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is now in the Public Comment Phase, which will close August 13 unless extended. There will be three Public Study Sessions sponsored by Water for Santa Cruz County and Communities United for Better Government to encourage public response to the EIR:
- Wednesday, July 25 Aptos Library 6pm-8pm
- Wednesday, August 1 Porter Memorial Library 7pm-9pm (Sup. Leopold often has constituent meetings here 5:30-6:30)
- Wednesday, August 8 Aptos Library 6pm-8pm
Find good information on the Alternative Project #2 that is not addressed in the EIR by visiting the Water for Santa Cruz County website waterforsantacruz.com/
Soquel Creek Water District will host a Public Meeting on July 31 at Twin Lakes Church (adjacent to lower Cabrillo College Campus) from 6pm-8pm. Do not expect any public question & answer opportunity, but there will be a court reporter present to accept oral comment, as well as staff willing to take your written comments.
The EIR is a large document, available online here.
It is also available in print (minus the Appendices) at various public libraries. Ms. Mow-Schumacher, District staff handling public comments, responded to my query about not having public access by saying that the District is not required to provide a hard copy of the Draft EIR to the public, but did, and that the Appendices are on a CD included in the back of the document. She did not respond to my request for an extension of Public Comment time.
The District’s Project Overview is here but does not deliver accurate cost assessment. Last year, consultants stated the project would cost $60-$70 Million, and the Feasibility Study at the time reported that the total cost, including financing would burden ratepayers with over $183 Million Project debt. Now the District reports the Project is estimated to cost $90 Million, but has not updated the debt burden to include the cost of financing the Project.
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
July 21, 2018
#202 / Just Spell My Name Right
Pictured is “Big Tim” Sullivan, a New York City, Tammany Hall politician. Here is a brief biography from Wikipedia:
Timothy Daniel Sullivan (July 23, 1862 – August 31, 1913) was a New York politician who controlled Manhattan’s Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent leader within Tammany Hall. He was euphemistically known as “Dry Dollar,” as the “Big Feller,” and, later, as “Big Tim” (because of his physical stature). He amassed a large fortune as a businessman running vaudeville and legitimate theaters, as well as nickelodeons, race tracks and athletic clubs. Sullivan in 1911 pushed through the legislature the Sullivan Act, an early gun control measure. He was a strong supporter of organized labor and women’s suffrage. The newspapers depicted Big Tim as the spider in the center of the web, overstating his criminal activities and his control over gambling in the city. Welch says that, “assigning the role of vice lord to Sullivan gave Tammany’s enemies a weapon to be wielded in every municipal election between 1886 and 1912.
Sullivan may also have been the person who first proclaimed, “I don’t care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right.” However, this attribution to Sullivan is not really clear. The honor might go, instead, to P.T. Barnum. Click on this link to see a discussion about who said it first.
If you are interested enough in “Big Tim,” you can click right here to find out more about the “gun control” legislation that Sullivan authored. According to the account that accompanied the picture featured at the top of this blog posting, the famous “Sullivan Act” was designed to take guns away from law-abiding citizens, while preserving the ability of gangs and mobsters to maintain their guns, all the better to terrorize the citizenry.
I haven’t done any real research on that topic, and am not at all sure that the claim just referred to is accurate. Wikipedia down rates claims that Sullivan was mobbed up, and pretty much identifies Sullivan as a progressive hero, advocate for the “little guy,” backing women’s suffrage and organized labor.
I ran across Sullivan’s name because of my interest in that well-known quote. These words about politics and publicity are the real subject of today’s blog post:
“I don’t care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right”.
Having been an elected official myself, and one who was never supported by my hometown newspaper, and who thus received a lot of “negative publicity,” I can verify that there is some truth in this observation. Which brings me to our current president, Donald J. Trump.
I agree with Patrik Müller, a Swiss journalist. Müller points out, in a column in the June 19, 2018, Wall Street Journal, that Trump is glorying in, and profiting by, all the negative publicity he is receiving. Müller’s article is titled, “The Press’s Cult of Trump,” and it is his observation that the press’s obsession with our president’s every utterance or action is helping to elevate the president’s power and significance, and thus the president’s ability to assert a political dominance that is in no way justified by any reality of his person or his politics.
Maybe Barnum, not Sullivan, really was the first person who first pointed out that even “bad” publicity is “good” publicity. Barnum has always been associated with the saying, “there’s a sucker born every minute,” and while the attribution of that saying is also contested, our president doesn’t have to know where these observations came from to seize upon them as helpful guides to his political conduct.
President Trump’s ferocious obsession with the media and his willingness to do anything to get his name before the public indicate that he has learned these lessons well, no matter who first pointed out these political truths.
Without trying to discover the origins of this advice, maybe we can finally realize the profound significance of the observation that for a politician and public figure even “bad” publicity is often “good.”
Feed a cold, but starve a fever. That’s another well-known advisory. Isn’t that a pretty good prescription about how we should treat “Big Don” Trump, as he appeals for our attention?
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Se another classic DeCinzo…”Shopping news and views” by scrolling downwards just a bit.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Car- tuning with Putin” 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. Read his take on the kissing of trophies titled . “Kiss This”!!!
EVENTS
CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. July 28-Aug.12. From their website (www.cabrillomusic.org)… Each summer Cabrillo Festival brings together music lovers, community members, professional orchestra players and extraordinary composers for an inspired gathering that offers a musical experience like no other. For the 2018 season, Music Director Cristi Macelaru has summoned voices from around the globe and across diverse cultural backgrounds to present 18 contemporary works that reflect the human spirit and the stories we tell, the grandeur of the planet, and the vastness of the cosmos. You’re invited to journey deep into the creative process through our open rehearsals, talks and the intoxicating experience of live performance. Cabrillo Festival delivers spectacular musicianship, coupled with a warm and welcoming environment for listeners at all levels, plus that famously special Santa Cruz vibe. It’s a rare thrill, and you’re invited! So much is new in 2018!
New pay-what-you-can Community Night Concert This new event welcomes the wider community to experience just how fun new music can be. Earlier concert times All our evening concerts now begin at 7pm! New $20 Youth tickets Invite your favorite young person (age 6-25), and inspire a future Festival fan! New Prix Fixe Dinner on our Grand Finale night.
41st ANNUAL MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. This happens AUGUST 11 & 12. On
Saturday August 11, 2018 at 2:00 pm there’ll be an Open jam at the Tom Scribner Statue, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA, in front of Bookshop Santa Cruz. That night at 6:30 pm there’ll be a potluck and jam up at Roaring Camp‘s outer parking lot in Felton, CA.
On Sunday August 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm will be the genuine 41st Annual Saw Festival up at Roaring Camp in Felton, CA. Highlights of the festival.11:00 am Musical Saw Contest The 41st annual Saw Contest is the longest running saw contest in the world and they will crown their 2018 champion.
12:00-4:00 Featured performers, awards, chorus of the saws. At the festival you can jam, meet other saw players, take part in the contest, take a workshop, and hear some great saw players literally from all over the world.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “In case you missed it, big fun was had at Bookshop Santa Cruz last week as we launched Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge out into the world. Thanks to everyone who showed up to make the evening such a success! And read all about it this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.
EQUALIZER 2. Denzel Washington is back again as a vigilante. Unlike all the rest of the bloody, violent, killing, revenge movies, Denzel makes this one a little deeper, more thoughtful, and yet at the same time heavy-handed. There’s nothing new, imaginative or startling in it, but because it’s Denzel you’ll be able to sit through all of it.
MAMA MIA ! HERE WE GO AGAIN. It’s all of the original cast (even Meryl Streep for two songs) and ABBA music. It’s mindless, pointless, meaningless, and lacks almost all of the charm or naiveté of the first one. If you wait until almost the end you can watch a 72 year old Cher in tights singing to her daughter Meryl Streep — who is 69 years old!!! You could also watch Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters embarrass themselves in this strictly for-the-money prequel. Or I could say, “here we go again… BUT you shouldn’t”.
LEAVE NO TRACE. It’s difficult to critique a film with a 100% RT rating. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie play a father and daughter who live in the woods around Portland, Oregon. Why they live outdoors, and how they face the real world, makes a near perfect film. Sensitive, thoughtful — and it forces us to think again about our definition of what a home is and what will happen after the movie ends. See this excellent film quickly.
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS. (94 RT) A very serious documentary about Jewish twin and triplet babies that were secretly separated and placed around carefully-chosen Jewish families in New York City in the 50s, as part of an experiment that has still never been made public. The previews make you think it’s about triplets and the fun they have finding each other. It’s much more than that, and will have you questioning your own behavior and your DNA inheritance. SEE THIS FILM!!!
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? A well deserved 99 on RT and Mr. Rogers turns out to be all that we’d hope to see in this bio. That he was a lifelong Republican is about the only surprise, but it’s not important. It’s no surprise to learn about his faith-based upbringing and he practiced love and kindness in his entire television career. Go see this film. You’ll agree with him about the glut of violence in other children’s tv shows. We can only guess how he’d deal with Trump’s presidency. He handled Robert Kennedy’s assassination and 9/11 with amazing taste and skill. His neighborhood tv show started in 1968 and lasted until 2001. He died in 2003. As I mentioned go see this film, it’s one of the few uplifting things available nowadays.
RBG. This nicely-done documentary tells us a lot more than has ever been made public before. Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) is a surprisingly quiet, shy woman. It reminds us that Bill Clinton got her the job as Supreme Court Justice: oddly enough it does not remind us that Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O’Conner as the first woman to serve on the court. See this film. It’ll give you hope that you can fight against the odds. It’s been packing ’em in for weeks at the Nick, and it deserves it.
HERIDITARY. It genuinely earned 91 on RT!!! Toni Colette and Gabriel Byrne control the screen, the plot and all your attention is this shockingly scary horror film. It features séances, ghosts, and grave scenes and no cheap power saws or trite Hollywood tricks. This film is genuinely scary and you’ll remember it long after you leave the theatre. ENDS THURS. 7/26
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. A 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a crude take-off on telemarketers and their lowly status in life. It takes place in Oakland and is nearly all African-American themed. That means that to be a successful telemarketer you have to use your “white voice”. Danny Glover has a small part, and we can only hope he gets some decent roles again. This wasn’t one of them. There is too much racism, role-playing. and politic switching played as humor for me to really like this movie. You are on your own.
SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO. Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin are back again in sequel #2. ‘Sicario’ means “Hitman”, especially with regard to Mexican drug cartels, in case you’ve ever wondered. “Soldado” means “to pay” as in hired hit man. It’s a nasty, tough, complex, killing movie. There’s the kidnapping of a 12 year old daughter of a drug lord, and a merciless look at the very current plight of Mexican immigrants…especially now with Trump making headlines with his sick view of humanity. The plot is fast and hard to follow, but it’s got some well-produced moments.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. A big 50 on RT and it didn’t deserve that much. Chris Pratt, James Cameron, Geraldine Chaplin and Jeff Goldblum are the only names you might remember from other movies but they can’t help this weak, predictable, rip off. Dinosaurs escape…like duh!!! Gee and they eat humans or stomp them to death. It is very far removed from the realistic, character driven original Jurassic Park of 1993 starring Richard Attenborough, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and B.D. Wong. Send the kids, don’t accompany them!!
BOUNDARIES. Syrupy, corny, trite, not funny and boring! Even with Christopher Plummer and Vera Farmiga leading, this would-be comedy is an insult. Plummer as a Grandpa pot dealer wearing adult diapers on a cross country jaunt with his not-funny daughter makes for a very amateurish and miserably directed movie…avoid at all costs. ENDS THURS. 7/26
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
SKYSCRAPER. What is it with bald-headed movie stars like The Rock/Dwayne Johnson? There’s Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis, Samuel Jackson, Yul Brynner, Jason Statham, Patrick Stewart, and of course Ben Kingsley. As Shakespeare or somebody once wrote…, “Be not afraid of baldness: some are born bald, some achieve baldness and some have baldness thrust upon them”. This is a flop of a movie. Maybe a few moments of scary views down the 200 floors above Hong Kong. I almost forgot: in addition to his baldness, Dwayne’s hero role is a guy with just one leg!!!
THE FIRST PURGE. It was July of 2016 when the first of the first purges splashed on our screens. It was set in Washington. Marisa Tomei must be very desperate to show her face in this bloody sequel. It’s set on Staten Island and it could almost be seen as a comment on Trump’s presidency! For 12 hours it’s legal for Staten Islanders to kill any neighbors. It’s supposed to reduce the anger and tension we deal with the rest of the year. It goes beyond being a very bad movie, it’s a cruel and savage plot set almost entirely within the Black community. Don’t go.
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. July 24 has Dr. Larry DeGhetaldi CEO of Sutter Health Santa Cruz and Pres. of Palo Alto Medical Foundation of Santa Cruz talking about medical issues and developments. He’s followed by UMI Santillan and Astrid Medrano from QEUC ( Quality Eduction in UC’S ). On July 31 Angela Franklin and Dave Weaver from C.F.O.G. Citizens For Orderly Growth in Scotts Valley will talk about their area issues. On August 7 Dr. Shawna Riddle of PAMF talks about staying healthy. Attorney Bob Taren discusses politics and problems on August 14th. Aug. 28 has Lisa Rose and Ken Koenig from Santa Cruz Indivisible talking about their latest plans and events. September 11 Michel Singher from the Espressivo Orchestra will describe their upcoming concerts. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.
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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. VLADIMIR PUTIN…. (born October 7, 1952)
“Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves”. Vladimir Putin
“Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan, ‘You’re either with us or against us”. Vladimir Putin
“I am the wealthiest man, not just in Europe, but in the whole world. I collect emotions. I am wealthy in that the people of Russia have twice entrusted me with the leadership of a great nation such as Russia – I believe that is my greatest wealth”. Vladimir Putin
COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. 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!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!
Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com
BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
July 19 – 25, 2018
BRATTON…City council candidates coming out, Octagon News, Ocean Street Extension fights development, follow upon Regal Riverfront closing. GREENSITE…on outcome for The Tide Cliff cottage. KROHN…City Council’s voting record, neighborhood hotel’s integrity, what’s affordable housing, the garage library. STEINBRUNER…Soquel Sewage into their water, Soquel not accepting Santa Cruz water, new housing tax coming soon, Redman-Hirahara house threatened, Rancho Del Mar loses another business. PATTON…another view and opinion of Bernie Sanders! EAGAN…and another dreaded Trump disease. DeCINZO…looking at a rear view of our local bicyclists. JENSEN…about her Beast Book and reviews Leave No Trace BRATTON…critiques The King, Leave No Trace, Sorry To Bother You, Skyscraper, First Purge. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…about Russia.
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ROBIN WILLIAMS, JOHNNY CARSON AND SHAKESPEARE 1991. No comedian ever came close to entering the humor world that Robin Williams did. |
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SANTA CRUZ BOARDWALK AND THE SCAMS. $20,000 per day on just their games!!! Remember too that even years ago more than 3 million visitors per year lined the Seaside palms. |
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NIAGARA FALLS COLLAPSE! Growing up in Buffalo, New York meant the falls were the first place we took our tourist friends. We visited the falls not long before and shortly after this newsreel. |
DATELINE July 16, 2018
COUNCIL CANDIDATE CROWDING. Word just came in that the Santa Cruz for Bernie team endorsed Justin Cummings and Drew Glover for Santa Cruz City Council. They also endorsed – Jenny Sarmiento, Watsonville District 4, Lowell Hurst, Watsonville District 3, and the Santa Cruz Rent Control and Tenant Protection Act, as well as State Proposition 10: Costa-Hawkins Repeal. July 16 was the first day for candidates to file to run. Richelle Noroyan is the only incumbent in the race. She’s good friends with the Take Back Santa Cruz right-wing law and order group. Then there’s Donna Meyers and Paige Concannon, and Cynthia Hawthorne is running again. Robert Singleton, the executive director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council, hasn’t declared his candidacy yet. He ran before, and is probably trying to figure how to get rid of or solve the rumors of a #metoo incident back in Sacramento.
OCTAGON PLATZ. The noon-time weather was great, so returning to sit at the Octagon was good fun last week…and I get lots of secret plots and ideas from friendly passersby. For example, 2 or 3 carpenters are working hard to rebuild the inside of our historic Octagon. The Octagon was built in 1882 and served as our County Hall of Records. It’s a very rare structure and served as a display space for the Art & History museum. Later on it became a popular meeting spot ,as Lulu’s Coffee House. Now — under San Jose developer John McEnery — it’s going to be a SUSHI BAR. So much for respecting our historic heritage.
OCEAN STREET EXTENSION re. GRAPEVINE REPORT. Last Tuesday (7/10) Ellen Aldridge, head of the steering committee of the Ocean Street Extension Neighborhood Associatio (OSENA), gave an excellent report of what’s happening to their neighborhood. The Ocean Street Extension has about 40 neighbors, and is located just downhill from Graham Hill road and across from the Santa Cruz Memorial Cemetery. “Quail Terrace Apartments” owned by Rick Moe and Craig Roswell are the would-be developers. Check out a “fly-by” of their proposed 10 three story, buildings or 40 condominiums at 1930 Ocean street http://1930ose.com/overview. Note too that there’s no space for children to play, and that it’ll bring in at least 80 new resident cars or 180 trips per day. There are problems with the EIR that came back in June, and there are further issues with a groundwater basin and drainage from uphill on Graham Hill. Ellen stated that the rents will be around $2400 and up per month. That’s nowhere near what is truly affordable. Let’s see what our City Council does with this developer scheme. So far the only Council feedback has been from Sandy Brown and Chris Krohn.
REGAL’S RIVERFRONT THEATER CLOSED FOREVER! Movies mean a lot to Santa Cruzans and when I learned early Friday morning (7/13) that Regal had closed up the Riverfront I thought maybe I have a scoop! Ishmael, the current manager of the Regal 9 on Pacific, told me that “western management came in last week looked our situation over, and said they are closing the Riverfront”. He added that the Regal 9 is taking as many employees from the Riverfront as possible. The Riverfront was opened July 10, 1970 as a United Artists, and Lisa Jensen was one of their concession counter people. People just aren’t going to the movies as much anymore. Many, many other theaters have folded long ago. Netflix now has more views than Cable itself. Regal has already sold many of their other theaters, like in Malibu and Hudson Valley. Regal had 7,315 screens in 561 theaters in the USA. Cineworld bought the Regal chain last February. As mentioned back in April, Mark Cuban put his Landmark theater chain up for sale…no more news on that one, or the fate of our Nickelodeon or Del Mar. I wrote this in Facebook last Friday because I never know when BrattonOnline will get online, and like I said, I like a scoop once in a while. If the Regal/ Cineworld chain really wants to stay in business, especially on Pacific Avenue, we gotta wonder why they keep pushing Coca Cola and Join the US Army commercials at every screening!!! ( If you want more of the Riverfront Theater history look at this…
COASTAL COMMISSION DISAPPOINTS.
Last week I praised the California Coastal Commission (CCC). This week…not so much. In a unanimous vote, commissioners approved the tearing down of the Tide Cliff cottage on the ocean side of West Cliff Drive that I wrote about in last week’s column. Disappointing but not surprising. I went to the hearing not expecting a different outcome since I had read the staff report and its recommendations. I went to request two small conditions be added: that the color of the new house be retained as a soft blue/gray in harmony with its natural surroundings of sea, sky and fog and that the new large plate glass windows be designed to prevent bird strikes since the structure is in the Pacific Migratory Flyway. The current windows are modest in comparison with what is proposed for the new house. I opted to avoid an impassioned plea to save an iconic piece of Santa Cruz history. While tempting, that would be a spit upwind on a blustery day.
Commission staff, Dan Carl presented the report and recommendations. Listening to him, you would have no clue that this house held any history or meaning for Santa Cruz: just a piece of expensive real estate that held interest because it is on the ocean side of West Cliff Drive and is a non-conforming structure. Never mind that non-conforming allows for repair and maintenance only, not new construction, according to city rules, which apparently can be bent. Take a look at the interior of the current house in the photograph from the real estate’s brochure when the house went up for sale and eventually sold for $3.9 million. Does it look as though the only option is to tear it down?
My 3-minute presentation was low key and made the case for the two small conditions to be added. I cited the staff report under the Design section, which states, “all development shall be sited and designed to protect public views as much as possible, including through the use of colors and natural materials to be sensitive to the bluff edge location.” Commissioners had received public correspondence advocating for retaining the current colors and noting that a dark brown finish will be like a hole in the sky. The new owner’s property manager was allowed to respond. She claimed that the dark brown treatment planned for the new house was not simply a paint job so no, keeping the present colors was not going to happen. The plate glass windows will be non-glare, which doesn’t help the birds. She did allow that they would adhere to whatever is required for bird safety so that will be up to the city’s building codes which are presently not bird friendly although some changes are in the works.
I did expect some lively discussion from the commissioners. Especially since the city planner who spoke still maintains this is a re-model not a new construction. No such discussion ensued. After a few comments from commissioner Aaron Peskin who seemed to catch on that the city is playing games and advised the city to clarify its standards; after a commissioner thought that dark brown is in harmony with the 3 trees on the property; after shout outs to the property owner for being asked to make fairly expensive changes (such as removing illegal riprap) and shout outs to the staff for being creative, a commissioner opined that this is “a big improvement,” and the motion to approve the staff recommendations was made, followed by a unanimous vote. What? No shout out to the Santa Cruz community for having to accept yet another piece of its history torn down by those with big money?
I found the commission’s lack of concern for our local history and efforts to preserve it, more than disappointing. The city rarely disappoints since I have no expectations beyond whatever developers want, developers get. However I brightened up a bit when I realized that each day the commission meets, they start with public comment and there was one day left. So, bright and early Friday I attended the meeting, signed up to speak and spoke my mind. Not low key this time. When I sat down, two strangers leaned over and said “well-done.” If only I could somehow have included, “go ahead, make my day.”
| 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. |
 Looking for Justin to be on the other side of the podium after November. Justin Cummings for Santa Cruz City Council 2018! He’s is an exciting candidate, but don’t necessarily take my word for it, come and here him speak at his campaign kick-off, August 11th at 357 Parkway in Santa Cruz, 3p-5p.
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WHAT’S AT STAKE IN THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL ELECTION?
This is just one of a series of columns I will write leading up to the November elections in which I will describe the votes made by the current city council majority these past two years. I urge voters to go out and do the research and elect candidates that will more reflect the deeply held values of affordable housing, environmental protection, standing up to the UC Regents, and pursuing sane transportation solutions for our community.
Neighborhood Integrity
From the Eastside to the Westside, from 7th Avenue to Western Drive the present Santa Cruz City Council majority when given the opportunity, has chosen corporate interests over neighborhood voices almost every time. For example, the neighbors of Ocean Street Extension looked to the city council for relief when PG&E carried out a series of tree massacres in their neighborhood. Their pleas however fell on five pairs of deaf ears and it was not until they hired a lawyer that the tree-cutting ceased, although perhaps only temporarily, but again, the council could step in at any time and stop PG&E’s ongoing baseless practice of cutting all trees near their gas lines. Neighbors on the Westside, situated behind where a bulkier, taller, and glitzier Hampton Inn that will be built at Mission and Swift, approached the city council earlier this year with some relatively minor suggestions–grow some trees to shield nearby houses and move a driveway among others–and they were also rebuffed. On the upper Westside it was a cell tower that was disputed by neighbors. The current council majority wouldn’t even consider asking the corporate, near-monopoly cable-vulture, Comcast to move the tower out of the neighborhood. I really could not wrap my head around that one. The council had the discretion, and once more decided against the twenty-plus neighbors who came out for a Tuesday night public hearing to pleading for relief. Many perhaps, wished they’d stayed home to watch the Warriors. The group’s spokesperson even teared up when discussing the cell tower’s proposed location: outside of his daughter’s bedroom window. The city council gave the go-ahead to Comcast, a big thumbs-up for more private cable service.
Next week’s campaign topics will include the City-University relationship; transportation: the pedestrian-bicycle-bus-car experience; and why this community is special when it stands up for immigrants in the face of an out of control federal ICE machine, and our support for the native peoples at Standing Rock, both being issues that reflect our community values and are rooted in the unique political history of Santa Cruz.
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ON INJECTING TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO YOUR DRINKING WATER…LOCAL WORKSHOPS WILL EXAMINE THE DRAFT EIR
Two public workshops will assist you in wading through the plan to inject treated sewage water into your drinking water and, if you are a Soquel Creek Water District customer, charge you million of dollars to do it:
- Wednesday, July 25, 6pm-8pm, Aptos Library Meeting Room
- Wednesday, August 8, 6pm-8pm, Aptos Library Meeting Room
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Soquel Creek Water District’s proposed PureWater Soquel Projectis available at local libraries and online. It is about two-inches thick in hard copy and daunting, but it is critical that that people read sections of this document that most concern them, as well as the Project Alternatives considered and Appendices. Oddly, the printed copy of the document at the Aptos Library does NOT include the Appendices. Here is what the public is NOT able to review because those Appendices documents are missing:
- Notice of Project and Scoping Report (that would be the comments that people submitted initially regarding their concerns)
- Health Risks Assessments
C-1. Special Status Species Considered
C-2. Terrestrial and Fresh Water Species Considered
C-3. Local Plans & Policies Relevant to Biological Resources
- PureWater Soquel Model Simulation Results
- Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Measures from the City of Capitola and County of Santa Cruz General Plan EIR’s
Don’t you think the public needs to see this information? Contact Soquel Creek Water District and insist the Appendices be made available in print to the public and that the Public Comment Period be extended beyond the current August 13, 2018 deadline.
Just to give you a hint about the nature of this EIR assessment, I read the section 4.6.8 about Energy Conservation Impacts of the Project. It mostly discussed the amount of fuel the construction vehicles will require but in the Operations of the Project facility the gasoline required for service vehicles will be a 2,257 gallons/year increase to the current District fleet requirements. What about the electricity to run those energy-hog reverse osmosis pumps and injection well pumps??? Here is the one sentence relative: The Project will “increase District electricity demand by 3,600 Megawatt hours/year. This would be less than 0.01% of the total electricity used in the County in 2016.” and is therefore less than significant in impact. Does that worry you????
Cheers, Becky
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
July 15, 2018 #196 / I Am Going With Dylan And Debs
Chris Hedges, pictured right, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator who warns us on a frequent basis that we are living in “an inverted totalitarian state.” Hedges faithfully reminds us that our nation is pursuing a modern variety of imperialism and that we have convinced ourselves that our imperialistic actions are motivated by, and justified by, our self-proclaimed “good guy” status. Hedges routinely, and properly, decries our massive investment in, and our devotion to, war and the military, which are hugely damaging to our democracy. As a contrarian, Hedges is often quite irritable and dyspeptic as he dispenses this invaluable advice.
One of Hedges’ recent commentaries in TruthDig was titled, “Et Tu, Bernie?” This opinion piece provides a good example of Hedges’ irritability and dyspepsia. In the article, Hedges “goes off” against Bernie Sanders, calling him “a loyal party apparatchik,” who has squandered “his legacy and his integrity.”
The article is worth reading, painful as it is to someone like me, who strongly supported Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016. Some might think it a bit overwrought, but there is a point well made, or so I believe.
What is most worth thinking about in Hedges’ article is not the status of Bernie Sanders’ integrity. Rather, the article ought to suggest to us that we can never rely on someone else to do our democracy for us, no matter how principled and imbued with integrity she or he might be. Democracy, in other words, is a definite “do it yourself” project. If anyone thought that Bernie Sanders would do it for us, that person will be disappointed. I think Hedges is right about that.
In the article, Hedges quotes Eugene V. Debs, a democratic socialist political activist and trade unionist:
“I never had much faith in leaders,” Debs said. “I am willing to be charged with almost anything, rather than to be charged with being a leader. I am suspicious of leaders, and especially of the intellectual variety. Give me the rank and file every day in the week. If you go to the city of Washington, and you examine the pages of the Congressional Directory, you will find that almost all of those corporation lawyers and cowardly politicians, members of Congress, and misrepresentatives of the masses—you will find that almost all of them claim, in glowing terms, that they have risen from the ranks to places of eminence and distinction. I am very glad I cannot make that claim for myself. I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks, and not from the ranks.”
Bob Dylan puts it this way: “Don’t follow leaders; watch the parkin’ meters.”
I value Hedges’ social and political analyses, but I am not buying into Hedges’ dyspepsia in this case. I am not going to question Bernie Sanders’ integrity.
There is a problem, in politics, with relying on leaders who will end up disappointing us, in various ways. To insulate ourselves against this experience, I am going with Dylan and Debs!
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. A repeated view of our local bicyclists..see below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Health Alert #19” down a few pages. It’s part of his dreaded Trump disease series…be very cautious. 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.
CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. July 28-Aug.12. From their website (www.cabrillomusic.org)… Each summer Cabrillo Festival brings together music lovers, community members, professional orchestra players and extraordinary composers for an inspired gathering that offers a musical experience like no other. For the 2018 season, Music Director Cristi Macelaru has summoned voices from around the globe and across diverse cultural backgrounds to present 18 contemporary works that reflect the human spirit and the stories we tell, the grandeur of the planet, and the vastness of the cosmos. You’re invited to journey deep into the creative process through our open rehearsals, talks and the intoxicating experience of live performance. Cabrillo Festival delivers spectacular musicianship, coupled with a warm and welcoming environment for listeners at all levels, plus that famously special Santa Cruz vibe. It’s a rare thrill, and you’re invited! So much is new in 2018!
New pay-what-you-can Community Night Concert This new event welcomes the wider community to experience just how fun new music can be. Earlier concert times All our evening concerts now begin at 7pm! New $20 Youth tickets Invite your favorite young person (age 6-25), and inspire a future Festival fan! New Prix Fixe Dinner on our Grand Finale night.
41st ANNUAL MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. This happens AUGUST 11 & 12. On
Saturday August 11, 2018 at 2:00 pm there’ll be an Open jam at the Tom Scribner Statue, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA, in front of Bookshop Santa Cruz. That night at 6:30 pm there’ll be a potluck and jam up at Roaring Camp‘s outer parking lot in Felton, CA.
On Sunday
August 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm will be the genuine 41st Annual Saw Festival up at Roaring Camp in Felton, CA.
Highlights of the festival.
11:00 am Musical Saw Contest The 41st annual Saw Contest is the longest running saw contest in the world and they will crown their 2018 champion.
12:00-4:00 Featured performers, awards, chorus of the saws. At the festival you can jam, meet other saw players, take part in the contest, take a workshop, and hear some great saw players literally from all over the world.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.
THE KING. This film is promoted as a documentary about a tour in Elvis Presley’s 1963 Rolls Royce, but it’s way more than that! It’s a brilliant political, cultural, musical, view of today’s America and how we got this way. It’s anti-Trump, Bernie Sanders is in it, so are Alec Baldwin, Ethan Hawke — and many more stars and normal people related to yesterday’s and today’s cross section of the USA. Go see this film; it probably won’t be here long. Yep, I was right, no one is attending and it ends Thursday July 19.
LEAVE NO TRACE. It’s difficult to critique a film with a 100% RT rating. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie play a father and daughter who live in the woods around Portland, Oregon. Why they live outdoors, and how they face the real world, makes a near perfect film. Sensitive, thoughtful — and it forces us to think again about our definition of what a home is and what will happen after the movie ends. See this excellent film quickly.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. A 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a crude take-off on telemarketers and their lowly status in life. It takes place in Oakland and is nearly all African-American themed. That means that to be a successful telemarketer you have to use your “white voice”. Danny Glover has a small part, and we can only hope he gets some decent roles again. This wasn’t one of them. There is too much racism, role-playing. and politic switching played as humor for me to really like this movie. You are on your own.
SKYSCRAPER. What is it with bald-headed movie stars like The Rock/Dwayne Johnson? There’s Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis, Samuel Jackson, Yul Brynner, Jason Statham, Patrick Stewart, and of course Ben Kingsley. As Shakespeare or somebody once wrote…, “Be not afraid of baldness: some are born bald, some achieve baldness and some have baldness thrust upon them”. This is a flop of a movie. Maybe a few moments of scary views down the 200 floors above Hong Kong. I almost forgot: in addition to his baldness, Dwayne’s hero role is a guy with just one leg!!!
THE FIRST PURGE. It was July of 2016 when the first of the first purges splashed on our screens. It was set in Washington. Marisa Tomei must be very desperate to show her face in this bloody sequel. It’s set on Staten Island and it could almost be seen as a comment on Trump’s presidency! For 12 hours it’s legal for Staten Islanders to kill any neighbors. It’s supposed to reduce the anger and tension we deal with the rest of the year. It goes beyond being a very bad movie, it’s a cruel and savage plot set almost entirely within the Black community. Don’t go.
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS. (94 RT) A very serious documentary about Jewish twin and triplet babies that were secretly separated and placed around carefully-chosen Jewish families in New York City in the 50s, as part of an experiment that has still never been made public. The previews make you think it’s about triplets and the fun they have finding each other. It’s much more than that, and will have you questioning your own behavior and your DNA inheritance. SEE THIS FILM!!!
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? A well deserved 99 on RT and Mr. Rogers turns out to be all that we’d hope to see in this bio. That he was a lifelong Republican is about the only surprise, but it’s not important. It’s no surprise to learn about his faith-based upbringing and he practiced love and kindness in his entire television career. Go see this film. You’ll agree with him about the glut of violence in other children’s tv shows. We can only guess how he’d deal with Trump’s presidency. He handled Robert Kennedy’s assassination and 9/11 with amazing taste and skill. His neighborhood tv show started in 1968 and lasted until 2001. He died in 2003. As I mentioned go see this film, it’s one of the few uplifting things available nowadays.
RBG. This nicely-done documentary tells us a lot more than has ever been made public before. Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) is a surprisingly quiet, shy woman. It reminds us that Bill Clinton got her the job as Supreme Court Justice: oddly enough it does not remind us that Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O’Conner as the first woman to serve on the court. See this film. It’ll give you hope that you can fight against the odds. It’s been packing ’em in for weeks at the Nick, and it deserves it.
HERIDITARY. It genuinely earned 91 on RT!!! Toni Colette and Gabriel Byrne control the screen, the plot and all your attention is this shockingly scary horror film. It features séances, ghosts, and grave scenes and no cheap power saws or trite Hollywood tricks. This film is genuinely scary and you’ll remember it long after you leave the theatre.
SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO. Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin are back again in sequel #2. ‘Sicario’ means “Hitman”, especially with regard to Mexican drug cartels, in case you’ve ever wondered. “Soldado” means “to pay” as in hired hit man. It’s a nasty, tough, complex, killing movie. There’s the kidnapping of a 12 year old daughter of a drug lord, and a merciless look at the very current plight of Mexican immigrants…especially now with Trump making headlines with his sick view of humanity. The plot is fast and hard to follow, but it’s got some well-produced moments.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especiallyMichelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. A big 50 on RT and it didn’t deserve that much. Chris Pratt, James Cameron, Geraldine Chaplin and Jeff Goldblum are the only names you might remember from other movies but they can’t help this weak, predictable, rip off. Dinosaurs escape…like duh!!! Gee and they eat humans or stomp them to death. It is very far removed from the realistic, character driven original Jurassic Park of 1993 starring Richard Attenborough, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and B.D. Wong. Send the kids, don’t accompany them!!
BOUNDARIES. Syrupy, corny, trite, not funny and boring! Even with Christopher Plummer and Vera Farmiga leading, this would-be comedy is an insult. Plummer as a Grandpa pot dealer wearing adult diapers on a cross country jaunt with his not-funny daughter makes for a very amateurish and miserably directed movie…avoid at all costs.
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
KZSC 88.1 FM or live online at
www.KZSC.ORG TUESDAYS 7-8 P.M.
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. Ellen Primack exec. dir. of The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music discusses it on July 17. Also on the 17 Jean Brocklebank and Michael Lewis share the latest news on our public library issue. July 24 has Dr. Larry DeGhetaldi CEO of Sutter Health Santa Cruz and Pres. of Palo Alto Medical Foundation of Santa Cruz talks about medical issues and developments. He’s followed by UMI Santillan from QEUC , Quality Eduction in UC’S . On July 31 Angela Franklin and Dave Weaver from C.F.O.G. Citizens For Orderly Growth in Scotts Valley will talk about their area issues. On August 7 Dr. Shawna Riddle of PAMF talks about staying healthy. Attorney Bob Taren discusses politics and problems on August 14th. Aug. 28 has Lisa Rose and Ken Koenig from Santa Cruz Indivisible talking about their latest plans and events. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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
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This might be Randy Rainbow’s best yet. Brilliant man! 🙂
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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 Whitworthon 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. “RUSSIA”
“Russian Communism is the illegitimate child of Karl Marx and Catherine the Great”. Clement Attlee, as quoted in The Observer (1956).
“Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. Winston Churchill
“Nobody and nothing will stop Russia on the road to strengthening democracy and ensuring human rights and freedoms”. Vladimir Putin
“In Russia I felt for the first time like a full human being. No color prejudice like in Mississippi, no color prejudice like in Washington. It was the first time I felt like a human being”. Paul Robeson
“I do not hesitate one second to state clearly and unmistakably: I belong to the American resistance movement which fights against American imperialism, just as the resistance movement fought against Hitler”. Paul Robeson
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
July 12 – 18, 2018
BRATTON…about the downhill direction our community is heading, and why? Public library update, still more about Peter McGettigan, GREENSITE…on the fate of the Tide Cliff Studio, 1307 West Cliff Drive. KROHN…took a week off. STEINBRUNER…Soquel’s Auto Row and Sustainable Soquel, Huge County Zoning changes, why?, drinking of Soquel’s Sewage water EIR now available. PATTON…on privacy, the constitution, and Due Process. EAGAN…Court of the Supremes & what changes? DeCINZO…Visits Lupin Lodge (nudist Camp). JENSEN…Talks about her Beast Book and reviews Three Identical Strangers. BRATTON…critiques Ant-Man and The Wasp, Three Identical Strangers and Boundaries. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…about Immigrants.
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STUNTS GONE VERY WRONG. Don’t watch this, it’s terribly tragic. |
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THAI CAVE LOGISTICS DIAGRAMMED. I couldn’t imagine why the rescue was so difficult…now I know. Check this out. |
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SANTA CRUZ’S JACKIE NUNEZ AND THE HISTORY OF STRAWS. |
DATELINE July 9, 2018
SANTA CRUZ NOT CARING ANYMORE? Santa Cruzans — including our UCSC students — aren’t bothering to vote. There’s little or no opposition to real estate and developer thefts, little to no progress in helping the homeless, few demands toward trying to change transportation issues. Why have we become uncaring about our community? There was a huge and wonderful turnout at the Immigration Protest two weeks ago, but where is the follow-through? There’s been some talk about direct electing of our Mayor, which I think would sure change the picture. And Gary Patton said in a recent blog…. “Frankly, I am worried about citizen-based democracy in my own hometown, since elected officials here are more and more turning over key policy decisions to the unelected staff.” Go here . What part is President Trump’s evil and possibly infectious influence having on us?
SANTA CRUZ PUBLIC LIBRARY ISSUE. Jean Brocklebank has been one of the most active opponents of the plot/plan to build a 5 story parking garage, and put a new version of our public library under it. As part of her Don’t Bury The Library opposition community, she sent out a mailer last week…here it is:
“June 19 Study Session and Next Steps”
It has been almost three weeks since the City Council held its Study Session on the Library/Parking Garage that was proposed a year and a half ago by City Public Works Director Mark Dettle and the Countywide Library System’s Director and championed by City Manager Martin Bernal ever since. Thanks to all of you who were able to be there, as well as to those of you who sent emails to the Council. The place was packed (standing room only). The Library Director and members of the The Downtown Library Advisory Committee (DLAC) were given premier seating in the first two rows.
If you followed the news accounts then you know that nothing was decided at the June 19 meeting. The meeting was close to two hours of listening first to accolades for the ad hoc Downtown Library Advisory Committee, followed by a tedious presentation about parking and potential parking rate structure fee schedules. The public spoke at hour three, for over an hour. Then City Council was next, asking questions and stating their personal opinions.
If one wants to watch the entire 4 hour meeting, go here.
At this Study Session, there wasn’t any studying of what could actually be provided by revitalization and renovation of the downtown library, as compared to a newly built library. Council simply accepted the DLAC Report, which contained their last minute straw dog, Option A (Partial Renovation), which was soundly criticized as soon as the public caught sight of it late last year. The DLAC called Option A “irresponsible.” We agree, but for very different reasons. None of which the Council studied.
At the end of that marathon of a meeting, which seemed to be more about the parking garage (euphemistically called a Mixed-Use structure to deflect the issue of building a new library in a parking garage) was a slide of Next Steps, including:
- Direct staff to conduct additional outreach on the proposed Downtown Library Mixed-Use project.
- Direct staff to conduct additional outreach on proposed parking rates with Downtown Businesses and workers.
- Return to Council in August.
Of that first step (additional outreach), it should be noted that at the end of the meeting, City Council member Martine Watkins’ made a point to value the importance of the outreach in “educating the community and hearing from them as well.”
Several days after the June 19 meeting City Council member Chris Krohn had this to say about both the June 19 Study Session and the likelihood of Council meeting again on this issue in August: “Only Councilmember Richelle Noroyan, despite the 30-plus voices pleading with the council to ‘decouple’ the projects, or just simply use the $23 million bond money to fix the current library and leave the Farmer’s Market where it is, she alone was looking to make a motion to say yes on the library-garage atop the Farmer’s Market/garage site. She was quickly dissuaded from making the motion, mainly because staff had said the ‘parking rate strategy,’ as they called it, had not yet been worked out. So, will it come back in August? Unlikely. I emailed around the day after the meeting to find out, but no definitive answers were offered. Maybe September, one staff member emailed, but not sure.” We’re not sure why Council would think that there is enough time in the middle of summer vacations for anything other than perfunctory outreach anyway, so “sometime in September” sure makes more sense. But as with this entire process (or lack thereof), nothing surprises us and we all must be prepared to act quickly.
Has Outreach Begun?
It most certainly has and we all need to be there to make sure that the misinformation that has plagued the library in a parking garage since it was first proposed is not spread farther and farther. Below is an email from Friends of the SC Public Libraries Executive Director, Vivian Rodgers, apparently sent to all library volunteers on June 21st and again on July 5th. Note the promise of providing food as an enticement! What’s up with that? Also note that this is not outreach to the community, as envisioned by City Council member Martine Watkins. If it was truly outreach to the community, then FSCPL would have posted the meeting notice on its public Facebook page or its public web site. Did Vivian misunderstand the purpose of the “outreach?” Here is her email:
Hi,
The Santa Cruz City Council delayed their vote on the mixed use library option till August. They’re delaying, in part, so that we can provide clarity on some of the conflicting information floating in our community. Susan Nemitz and I would like to invite you to join us for a discussion. We’ll provide updated information for the Downtown Branch and its future, and would like to hear your concerns and thoughts about the process.AND we’ll provide food and drinks! Please let me know which date works for you, or if you are unable to attend any of these hour-long conversations.
Tuesday, July 10, at 11:30 a.m. in the Upstairs Meeting Room of the Downtown Library
Thursday, July 12 at 9:30 a.m. in the Upstairs Meeting Room of the Downtown Library
Thursday, July 26 at 5 p.m. in the Upstairs Meeting Room of the Downtown Library
Thank you!
Vivian Rogers
Executive Director
Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Wait a minute! “… provide clarity on some of the conflicting information floating in our community?!!” This comment seems to be linked to Council member Richelle Noroyan’s comment on June 19, that those of us who have had legitimate concerns about the DLAC process and decision-making had created a “conspiracy” theory, thus attempting to dismiss the Don’t Bury The Library campaign, its key spokespeople and other residents opposed to the library/garage plan.
Call to Action!
Please plan to attend any or all of the meetings listed in Vivian’s email. It is the only way we can know what is being said to library volunteers. We’re convinced that Vivian and Susan set up these “discussions” with FSCPL volunteers because they heard DBTL spokeswoman, Judi Grunstra, state to the Council on June 19 that it should not accept that all Friends of SC Public Libraries or even all librarians supported the proposed project.
Hoping to see many of you who share our goal to keep the Downtown branch in its current location – revitalized and renewed…. on either July 10, July 12 or July 26. Let’s keep the pressure on for transparency and honesty. Jean Brocklebank, on behalf of DBTL
The DON’T BURY THE LIBRARY website… Listen to Jean Brocklebank and Michael Lewis talk more about the library on my Universal Grapevine (KZSC 88.1 fm) next Tuesday July 17 at 7:30 p.m.
HISTORICAL PHOTO DATA. Last week I ran a photo of the Seabright Castle Beach. Historian Stan Stevens replied… “The event taking place outside the Castle, August 19, 1959, — the photo you ran July 3 – 10, —was the 10th Annual beach party, sponsored by the merchants for Seabright children. They fed nearly 500 children. “Hotdogs were cooked by the Castle restaurant and doled out to the ravenous horde by the busy committee of merchants, employees and a few parents….” See the story, and other photos, Santa Cruz Sentinel Aug. 20, 1959, p. 17.
PETER McGETTIGAN — STILL MORE DETAILS. Historian Stan Stevens (quoted above) was a long time and good friend to Peter Mc Gettigan. Stan wrote… “Peter had recently been hospitalized, at his own choosing, after trying to shake the flu. He was in the hospital three weeks, with some rehab afterwards. Peter was part of a helicopter medical evacuation team in Vietnam, and was exposed to Agent Orange as a result. This affected his lungs, and I am certain this contributed to his heart condition. We know these things from discussions we had with Peter, during several dinners at our home over the years”.
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.
Depending on the Coastal Commission’s vote at its meeting on Thursday July 12th, this 1937 Cotswald-style cottage pictured here on the coastal bluff at 1307 West Cliff Drive, the only house on the ocean side of West Cliff, most likely will be gone forever. Another iconic structure torn down. Little value placed on that which reflects our past, on the familiar, on what gives a sense of community and place. The likelihood was slim that someone with the $4 million it cost to buy the property would have opted to save the Doll’s House (one of its names), and be happy looking out at the ocean from within its walls. The Real Estate online photos of the interior show beautiful hardwood floors, pristine white walls and stunning ocean views from all the windows, enough one would think to keep anyone happy. Apparently not. All over Santa Cruz, with the possible exception of Beach Flats, newcomers with money are bulldozing the small cottages and erecting new structures, stretching height restrictions to the max. Many are second or third homes. Nothing illegal about all of this but for me sad to lose the modest built landscape that has defined Santa Cruz for so long. I wonder how they manage to keep the old structures in most European countries? Why do they treasure them more than we do? There’s nothing inevitable about human driven change. It reflects what we value and what we don’t.
Most remember this house, also called Tide Cliff Studio, as Jennifer’s house in Clint Eastwood’s 1983 film, Sudden Impact. Local historian Ross Gibson, who has researched its history, was quoted in a 1/20/16 Sentinel article on the sale of the house. “It’s rather iconic,” Gibson said. “It’s a very modest cottage and it probably wasn’t built like a castle or anything, but still, that wonderful charm that it has and its wonderful relationship with the natural setting, I’d hate to see it lost. Since it is Cotswold, the most that I could hope for was that the roof line remains the same.”
| 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. |
University Baiting and Bashing? Not so Fast
It was quite a meeting. Mayor David Terrazas and Planning Director Lee Butler forcefully presented the city’s side of the https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/06/us/army-immigrants-discharge.html on June 27. There it was in a basic PowerPoint: 78% of Santa Cruz just voted to severely limit the size of UC Santa Cruz; the growth of university has far outpaced the growth of the community since 2000 (58% student body (not including additional staff and faculty) vs. the 21% total growth of the city of Santa Cruz; and perhaps the real elephant in this room, the extravagant dorm rents that one student can pay per month, as high as $1,670 for a single room (no meals) and $1,400 per room if you want to live along Pacific Ave at the UCSC-owned “University Town Center.” What did any of this mean? Plenty. First, it is clear that too much of a good thing can be quite damaging to this community. While the discussion was amicable, the main message being shared by the Mayor with the assemblage of UCSC staff headed by Chancellor George Blumenthal was that the city simply cannot take any more university growth. Blumenthal is a keen listener, an apt debater and obviously, he’s also a man caught between the rock of the UC Regents, and the hard place of a must-grow Sacramento legislature. He trotted out his usual pallet of bureaucratic ballast: we are great at conserving water (true, on campus, but not off), traffic growth to the campus has not increased since 2005 (I challenged him, and he tacitly agreed to a city study), and UCSC must strive to find a place on the American Association of Universities elite big schools list (now 62 on list).
The chancellor and Mayor, at least at this gathering of the Community Advisory Group (CAG), conversed cordially and it appeared there was ample room for negotiation and mediation. The CAG is made up of elected officials including Supervisor’s Bruce McPherson and Ryan Coonerty, City Councilmember’s Cynthia Mathews and myself. The group also includes community notables and once-notables, Gary Patton, John Aird, Ceil Cirillo, Charlie Eadie, Bill Tyseling, and Don Lane. So far, the group has been united in pushing back hard on the suggested 10,000 student sticker-shock growth number the Chancellor trotted out last January. The meeting ended well past the allotted two hours with suggestions for city staff and university staff to work together on coming up with numbers and information in which to present to the UC Regents and the legislature concerning how much the city, and university, are struggling with the great numbers of students already in town without the resources to support them. The Chancellor indicated the state legislature might be a harder nut to crack than the Regents if Santa Cruz city and county officials are to form a one-two punch in limiting university growth. This group will meet again in the fall. A follow-up email sent the day after our meeting by the Vice Chancellor of Business and Administrative Affairs, Sarah Latham stated the following:
“One area that emerged with a high level of interest from CAG members was how you might partner with the campus in advocacy efforts to the State Legislature to ensure the quality of the UC remains high and supports the needs of our state, while also recognizing the needs of the local communities in which we are located.” (June 29)
Amen. Maybe we are on to something.
Berlin, Germany
Trump and Hitler Comparisons
Truth be told, many people here in Berlin made my own recent discovery long ago. In fact, way back in the summer of 2016 during the Republican presidential debates some Berliners perceived dark storm clouds hovering over the American political landscape. The language, style, and bravado of one Donald J. Trump was something Germans were eerily well-acquainted with before. I visited an exhibit here, the Topography of Terror. It is situated astride the former Gestapo headquarters. The exhibit is as grotesque as it is frank in its depiction of how Hitler and the Nazis came to power, but primarily it is focused on the year 1933. It is a riveting, revealing, and honest 2018 assessment of the horrible atrocities committed under a legally elected German government. The exhibit only covers one year in a city block-long depiction of the Nazi rise to power. Being here in Germany and looking through some of their history, mostly by perusing the German Historical Museum and the Topography of Terror site, which led up to a very dark period in German history and world history, I am struck by some parallels between this era and Trump.
The parallels seem chilling:
- Adolf Hitler received 37% of the delegate votes and was subsequently chosen by rightwing German icon, Paul Van Hindenburg. The choice of Hitler did not necessarily have to happen. (popular 2016 vote: Clinton 48.2%, Trump 46.1%, electoral votes: Trump 304, Clinton 227—The Democrats had established a precedent earlier by not fighting the election results during the 2000 general election.
- Hitler went after immigrants, Jews, Blacks and Gypsies Trump goes after immigrants, and uses terms like “rapists.” Hitler used vulgar terms as well.
- Der Führer extolled the army every chance he had and built up national resources to support the military. Trump supports a dying coal industry, negates climate change, and is trying to prop up steel production for “national security” reasons.
- Hitler looked backwards and wanted to return to a former way of life when Germany was a great (super) power in the 19th century. The Trump era mantra is Make America (Germany?) Great Again)
- Hitler picked fights with his neighboring countries, which happened to be easier military targets too, Poland and France, as he wanted “German” territory restored, it was “taken” after WWI. Trump picks fights with Mexico and Canada every chance he gets.
Scenes from Berlin, 29 years after The Wall fell.
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HELP SUSTAINABLE SOQUEL HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE
Soquel area residents are fed up with empty Supervisor promises and meaningless public hearings. They have formed SUSTAINABLE SOQUEL and have filed legal action against the County to hold them accountable. You can help! Click here to support Stop the Soquel Auto Row! organized by Lisa Sheridan
Our elected representatives held many public meetings in 2014 to develop a Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan that would reflect the public input and develop a general plan to efficiently address the County’s housing, transportation and economic needs. The area at the 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive intersection was to have been much-needed housing located on the main public transportation hub, with some shops included. But suddenly, the Planning Department and Board of Supervisors decided to change that Plan and instead approve a Nissan Auto Dealership that will provide NO housing, and will pave over a vast area of soil that has been part of the groundwater recharge basin.
Residents of Soquel have been active in demanding the County adhere to the original Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan ideas that they all worked hard to help develop with County Supervisor John Leopold. The Board of Supervisors turned a deaf ear to their outcry, and instead have followed the promised tax monies trail and approved the Nissan Auto Dealership.
That Plan has yet to be approved by the Board of Supervisors because of the massive changes inherent that require a full environmental review process. The Planning Department has not, it seems, has put little effort toward that process. Maybe Planning Director Kathy Molloy-Previsich has a different idea? Read on…
MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER AGENCY WILL MEET JULY 19 AT SIMPKINS SWIM CENTER (7 PM.) TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF YOUR WATER
Plan to attend this joint meeting of the MGA Board and the Advisory Committee where discussion will occur about the Plan for the future of the County’s water. 7pm..be there!
Cheers, Becky Steinbruner
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
July 7, 2018
#188 / Privacy? Maybe!
That friendly Amazon superstore you are probably doing business with is now doing business with police agencies, too, selling them software that will allow such law enforcement agencies to track your every movement on a real-time basis. You don’t have to log in to your Amazon account to get the benefit of this service. As long as you are using your real face, the monitoring cameras that are showing up just about everywhere will take care of it. Along with that software, of course! The software is kind of like the “secret sauce.” If you would like to learn more about this topic, just click this link to be directed to a story that appeared in the Saturday-Sunday, June 23-24, 2018, edition of The Wall Street Journal.
Technology is one thing. Legality is another. Actually, there is probably no provision in the Bill of Rights, or in current law, that prohibits governmental agencies from using facial recognition software to spy on you. If you are walking or driving around in public, then where you are, at any particular time, is actually “public” information. I am not aware of any law or Constitutional provision that would prevent a governmental agency from collecting such public information, and as The Wall Street Journal indicates, some agencies are doing just that, or are preparing to do so.
Here is the more pertinent question. Presuming that it is legal and constitutional for the government to put you under what might be seen as a kind of perpetual surveillance, what may a governmental agency do with the information it gathers? Can a governmental agency, for instance, pull data out of its databanks months or years after the event, to prove that you were in a particular place, at a particular time, and thus quite likely robbed a bank? A United States Supreme Court decision, Carpenter v. United States, was handed down on June 21, 2018. It was an extremely important decision. Click the link if you’d like to read it. Fair warning: it is 119 pages long.
In Carpenter, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court seems to say that governmental agencies cannot use their high-tech surveillance capabilities to produce evidence that can be used against a criminal suspect. Not unless they collected that data under the authority of a search warrant!
Facial recognition wasn’t the technology in question in Carpenter; the technology involved in that case was cell phone site location data. The principle established by Carpenter, though, seems pretty clear. Police were trying to solve a series of bank robberies. Months after the crimes had occurred, they got a tip that Carpenter was probably involved. Figuring that Carpenter might have been carrying around his cell phone during the time these bank robberies took place, law enforcement officials decided to find out what those records might tell them, and so they asked Carpenter’s wireless provider to provide them with the cell site location data it had on Carpenter’s wireless use, during the time in question. The police found a pattern of phone use that seemed to tie Carpenter to the robberies (which, in fact, he almost certainly committed), and this evidence was introduced at Carpenter’s trial and helped convict him.
Was this alright, constitutionally speaking? No search warrant was obtained; the police just asked the company for the data in its records (data that the company had on all of its customers), and the company provided what was asked for.
According to the Supreme Court, it was not ok to use that data! People have an expectation of privacy and do not expect to have their every movement monitored. If police agencies think that someone might be a criminal, the proper thing to do is to get a judge to issue a warrant, so that the government can collect the data it wants under judicial supervision. Treating everyone as a potential criminal, all the time and everywhere, which is what the Amazon software would do, and what happened to Carpenter, will not produce results consistent with the Fourth Amendment:
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”.
There are different ways to look at the Carpenter decision. My criminal law professor at Stanford, Herbert Packer, used to contrast the “crime control model” with the “due process model.”
I, personally, think the Court did the right thing, but I’m a “due process” kind of a guy.
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Lupin Lodge the Nudist Camp gets some visitors secc below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “The Supreme Change” 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.
41st ANNUAL MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. This happens AUGUST 11 & 12.
On Saturday August 11, 2018 at 2:00 pm there’ll be an Open jam at the Tom Scribner Statue, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA, in front of Bookshop Santa Cruz. That night at 6:30 pm Potluck and jam up at Roaring Camp‘s outer parking lot in Felton, CA.
On Sunday August 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm will be the genuine 41st Annual Saw Festival at Roaring Camp in Felton, CA.
Highlights of the festival.
11:00 am Musical Saw Contest The 41st annual Saw Contest is the longest running saw contest in the world and they will crown their 2018 champion.
12:00-4:00 Featured performers, awards, chorus of the saws
At the festival you can jam, meet other saw players, take part in the contest, take a workshop, and hear some great saw players literally from all over the world.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Its publication day for Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge (at last!), this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Sneak a peek at a sample chapter, listen to me on the radio, and don’t forget to come see me at Bookshop Santa Cruz, next Tuesday (7 p.m. July 17)! Also, read my review of the incredible true-story documentary Three Identical Strangers, in this week’s Good Times. Meanwhile, still missing my Art Boy, I turn to the movies for answers about what happens next after life as we know it.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. It’s embarrassing to watch Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne and especially Michelle Pfeiffer having to take roles in yet another factory-produced Marvel Comic mass-produced monster hit. (85 RT) Paul Rudd is back in this sequel, and does the best possible job as the Ant-Man. He shrinks; he grows, flies around on the Wasp’s back and does what little he can with this comic book movie. I’m guessing that these Marvel movies are best enjoyed by eight-year-olds. If you’re older than that, think at least twice before attending.
BOUNDARIES. Syrupy, corny, trite, not funny and boring! Even with Christopher Plummer and Vera Farmiga leading, this would-be comedy is an insult. Plummer as a Grandpa pot dealer wearing adult diapers on a cross country jaunt with his not-funny daughter makes for a very amateurish and miserably directed movie…avoid at all costs.
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? A well deserved 99 on RT and Mr. Rogers turns out to be all that we’d hope to see in this bio. That he was a lifelong Republican is about the only surprise, but it’s not important. It’s no surprise to learn about his faith-based upbringing and he practiced love and kindness in his entire television career. Go see this film. You’ll agree with him about the glut of violence in other children’s tv shows. We can only guess how he’d deal with Trump’s presidency. He handled Robert Kennedy’s assassination and 9/11 with amazing taste and skill. His neighborhood tv show started in 1968 and lasted until 2001. He died in 2003. As I mentioned go see this film, it’s one of the few uplifting things available nowadays.
FIRST REFORMED. With Ethan Hawke as a minister Amanda Seyfried as the pregnant wife of a protester and a 97 on Rotten Tomatoes you know the film is going to gnaw at your brain, nerves, heart, and especially your memory for days…or longer. You might say it’s religion versus the environment, the power structure versus god, and a very real test of your loyalty. No laughs, again it’s more like a Greek Tragedy…well worth your time, don’t miss it. It takes place in Snowbridge, New York which must be someplace near Buffalo. ENDS THURSDAY JULY 12.
RBG. This nicely-done documentary tells us a lot more than has ever been made public before. Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) is a surprisingly quiet, shy woman. It reminds us that Bill Clinton got her the job as Supreme Court Justice: oddly enough it does not remind us that Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O’Conner as the first woman to serve on the court. See this film. It’ll give you hope that you can fight against the odds. It’s been packing ’em in for weeks at the Nick, and it deserves it.
HERIDITARY. It genuinely earned 91 on RT!!! Toni Colette and Gabriel Byrne control the screen, the plot and all your attention is this shockingly scary horror film. It features séances, ghosts, and grave scenes and no cheap power saws or trite Hollywood tricks. This film is genuinely scary and you’ll remember it long after you leave the theatre.
AMERICAN ANIMALS. This true story of how four guys robbed a library of very precious books in 2004 is exciting and tense and odd. The books were probably worth 12 million dollars. The editing bothered me…close-ups, switchbacks, some laughs, some pain, and a hip music soundtrack didn’t help the plot move as it should. It does contain live interviews with the actual four “robbers’. That’s an unusual touch, and this is a very unusual film go for it. . ENDS THURSDAY JULY 12.
SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO. Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin are back again in sequel #2. ‘Sicario’ means “Hitman”, especially with regard to Mexican drug cartels, in case you’ve ever wondered. “Soldado’ means “to pay” as in hired hit man. It’s a nasty, tough, complex, killing movie. There’s the kidnapping of a 12 year old daughter of a drug lord, and a merciless look at the very current plight of Mexican immigrants…especially now with Trump making headlines with his sick view of humanity. The plot is fast and hard to follow, but it’s got some well-produced moments.
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. A big 50 on RT and it didn’t deserve that much. Chris Pratt, James Cameron, Geraldine Chaplin and Jeff Goldblum are the only names you might remember from other movies but they can’t help this weak, predictable, rip off. Dinosaurs escape…like duh!!! Gee and they eat humans or stomp them to death. It is very far removed from the realistic, character driven original Jurassic Park of 1993 starring Richard Attenborough, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and B.D. Wong. Send the kids, don’t accompany them!!
INCREDIBLES 2. I liked Incredibles 1. Now Pixar/Disney has shifted to centering on Mrs. Incredible as a Wonder Woman who goes through numerous violent bloody battles against the one concept I thought was funny…the evil Screenslaver. Very little of the original charm, family stuff, human frailties, it’s another cutesy version of the Marvel Comics blockbusters
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY. 71 on RT. Sure Han Solo and Chewbacca get their histories told in this 2 ½ hour long pointless and nearly plotless cornball saga. So are Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton and Emilia Clarke (without her silver hair). It saved tons of production money but it is also the darkest movie I’ve ever tried to see. I mean everyone is in the dark all the time. I swear that most of the time you can NOT see their faces, expressions or planetary make-up. The plot is meaningless. It has absolutely none of the charm, humor, or depth that the early Star Wars films had. It’s not worth going to any trouble to see unless you are THAT much of a fan.
DEADPOOL 2. Ryan Reynolds again plays Deadpool and any movie goer knows that this is another Marvel Comics CGI fantasy. Marvel Comic movies are as difficult to understand and accept as watching a Butoh or Kabuki play. The first Deadpool movie was violent, full of in-jokes, and Deadpool 2 is in the same mold. Ryan Reynolds adds a little humanity to his character which sets these films apart from the other Marvel Comic sagas. But only attend IF you understand how these super hero flicks work.
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 July 10, Lisa Jensen will be talking about her book “Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge” and her Bookshop book signing. Then Ellen Aldridge from the Ocean Street Extension community talks about their concerns. Ellen Primack of The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music discusses it on July 17. Also on the 17 Jean Brocklebank and Michael Lewis share the latest news on our public library issue. July 24 has Dr. Larry DeGhetaldi CEO of Sutter Health Santa Cruz and Pres. of Palo Alto Medical Foundation of Santa Cruz talks about medical issues and developments. He’s followed by UMI Santillan from QEUC , Quality Eduction in UC’S . On August 7 Dr. Shawna Riddle of PAMF talks about staying healthy. Following her will be Marla Novo, history curator at MAH. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… 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
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My people often tease me about my Netflix queue being “Hitler, Nazis, Death”… well, this is a wonderful documentary about 5 Hollywood filmmakers, who went to war – and came back. It’s told with lots of newsreel and historical footage, and the story is told by 5 contemporary Hollywood filmmakers (and narrated by Meryl Streep). There was a lot in here I did not know, and I’m a bit of a WWII buff. I think I’ve had a more European angle, for obvious reasons. Either way, watch Five Came Back, and then go in and watch the movies they made. It is more important than ever to remember… |
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. “IMMIGRANTS”
“My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too”. Barack Obama
“Nearly all Americans have ancestors who braved the oceans – liberty-loving risk takers in search of an ideal – the largest voluntary migrations in recorded history… Immigration is not just a link to America’s past; it’s also a bridge to America’s future.” George W. Bush
“The greatest nations are defined by how they treat their weakest inhabitants.” Jorge Ramos
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Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
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