May 14 – 20, 2018 - Bratton Online - A Weekly Column By Bruce Bratton - Page 40Bratton Online – A Weekly Column By Bruce Bratton | The latest incarnation of Bruce Bratton's weekly opinion columns, 34 years and running

May 14 – 20, 2018

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…The Sentinel & Sandy Brown, Our attitudes on Homeless, Rent Control, Crossing picket lines, KZSC and PSA’s, Circle Church Property and development, KSCO and Trump Support, UCSC’s Alumni Letter. GREENSITE…on Who’s Behind UCSC’s Mega-Housing West Project. KROHN…Rent Control Debate, Class Warfare, Attack on Sandy Brown. STEINBRUNER…Ryan Coonerty and Zach Friend’s conflicts of interest, Aptos Village and soil questions, Nissan Dealership on May 22. PATTON…Social Media Issues. EAGAN…and Scabies Trump. DeCINZO…Droids and UCSC. JENSEN reviews RBG. BRATTON…critiques Racer and The Jailbird, RBG, and The Rider. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES about “Volcanoes”.

NATURAL BRIDGES STATE PARK 1954. Yes that’s West Cliff Drive, that’s also Swanton Blvd. — and yes, it would have been a wise investment to have bought an acre or two back then.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

FIVE VOLCANOES. Dreary ” voice over” on this but great filming.

JESSE FULLER AND HIS FOOTDELLA. I used to talk with and listen to Jesse in
his shoe shine shop on College Avenue in Oakland back around the early
’60’s. He was brilliant, shy, and talented beyond belief.

DATELINE May 14, 2015

SANDY BROWN, THE SENTINEL & ERIC GRODBERG. Sandy Brown sent BrattonOnline a couple of questions re the Sentinel & Grodberg’s attack. “(1) why would the Sentinel put a picture of a council member’s home on the front page because she voted in support of a measure that does not cover her? (2) Why would a guy who receives income from 26 renters in the city file a frivolous complaint that will do nothing but waste taxpayer (city and state) money? Answer: the Pacific Legal Foundation and the California Apartment Association”. A never ending stream of support for Sandy is flashing through the internet. We’re learning that Eric Grodberg is a landlord with 26 tenants. He’s already evicted some who support Rent Control. We learn too that Santa Cruz Sentinel reporter Jessica York has written really negative reports on Drew Glover, Rachel O’Malley, Chris Krohn and Sandy Brown before. Others asked why doesn’t The Sentinel print a photo of Grodberg’s house at 208 Trescony Street? Jeffrey Smedberg asked, “Let’s see: 10,791 city residents sign a petition to put rent control on the ballot; 1 landlord files a spurious conflict-of-interest complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission on a case they had previously cleared. Which does the Sentinel find newsworthy? Personally I’m also saddened by what I thought was a shift from the Sentinel’s historic prejudiced and one sided editorial position. When you want to get a sense of the Sentinel’s “other” — or is it their main readers’ opinions — read the “comments” to York’s biased attack. Shameful.

HOMELESS ATTITUDE AT HOME AND ELSEWHERE. We need to consider this! Santa Cruz is no different from most USA communities…they don’t like the homeless. They/we want them to disappear, vanish, just stay away and stop. At the very same time, and with the exact same breath, we send money, goods, food, anything possible to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela to aid and assist folks living there who need help. Why the difference in attitude: why are we so opposed to helping our struggling neighbors and locals…what’s that about? There are resident Hawaiians with so many of the same struggles — housing, drugs, employment, education, health — yet we manage to totally ignore them while we float, swim, and cavort on their land. How little we hear if anything about the financial scandal in The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, or what the latest news is about the huge development of the 13 telescope sites on their sacred land of Mauna Kea (read Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Meter_Telescope_protests ).

RENT CONTROL, THE NITPICKING AND FINAL SOLUTION. Regardless of The Sentinel’s obvious opposition to rent control, other folks seemed to have worked hard to find kinks and sections that may need examination. These can, and will be, dealt with as time goes on. This is the time and certainly the place for rent control. We’ve seen it work in 15 California cities that have rent control policies. Wikipedia says, “Fifteen cities are currently listed as rent controlled by the State of California:[119][120] Yet three of these cities are not listed here, but further below: Campbell (does not have rent control per se, but offers a mediation service), Fremont (rejected rent control in 2017), and Thousand Oaks (has limited rent control: mostly just for mobile home parks).[121] The remaining twelve: Berkeley,[122] Beverly Hills,[123] East Palo Alto,[124] Hayward,[125] Los Angeles,[126] Los Gatos,[127] Oakland,[128] Palm Springs,[129] San Francisco,[130] San Jose,[131] Santa Monica,[132][133] West Hollywood.[134] Alameda,[135] Mountain View,[136] Richmond.[137][138] The present grand total is fifteen.[139][140]

PICKET LINES. ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS. The recent UCSC picket lines brought up an interesting discussion point. A point that has in the past, and will in the foreseeable future, split otherwise “liberal-progressive” friends. “Will you cross a picket line, any picket line, for any reason…and have you done so in the past?” Ask your friends, see what happens.

KZSC AND PUBLIC SERVICE SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS. At the last KZSC staff meeting many of us spoke to the fact that KZSC isn’t getting enough dated Public Service Announcements — otherwise known as PSAs. Tell every well-intentioned nonprofit group you know of to go to the KZSC website, read the easy PSA rules, and send them in. They are free, and are read many, many times.

CIRCLE CHURCH AND DEVELOPMENT. Latest rumors have it that the former church property is only “in a holding pattern” for about a year. Lighthouse Realty, with its present connections to “the circle”, will then start with the long-intended development…probably high rise and high cost apartments/condos.

KSCO AND TRUMP SUPPORT QUESTION. In answer to many questions over the last few years…NO, I do not know why well-intentioned progressive locals would purposely produce programs that bring profits to a TRUMP-supported radio station. It wasn’t so long ago that folks like Mardi Wormhoudt and other notables refused to be involved with KSCO. What’s changed and why?

UCSC’S LETTER TO ALUMNI AND “SLANTED”? As if UCSC hasn’t done enough to bring distrust and outright anger against itself, they’ve now sent out a letter to select alumni asking for support and opinions over their proposed East Meadow and West Side housing developments. We’ll watch closely to see how the response is shared with the public. Watch too to see if they sent those letters to mostly or only new alumni who couldn’t possibly share the historical or traditional respect the campus environment means to all of us…just watch and wait.

TOM SCRIBNER REVISITED AGAIN. From out of nowhere Will Combs sent me a copy of the original poster which he drew for the concert to raise money to re-pay Marghe McMann for the bronze statue she made of Tom. Note the guest artists who were very happy to appear on Tom’s behalf. Will even got Tom’s lost knuckle on his left hand. The Concert was in 1978.

May 14th 2018

LESS IS MORE
Since a picture is worth a thousand words I’ll keep this brief as you ponder the before and after visuals of what is proposed for the west side of the UCSC campus. This, in addition to building on the pristine East Meadow.

If you have any place in your heart for the physical beauty of the campus lands, these images may leave you speechless. There is, however a lot to say about the developer, Capstone Management Partners.

UCSC is venturing for the first time into what is called a Public Private Partnership or P3 with the above developer. A February 15th City on A Hill article titled The Many Faces of Capstone gives an overview of some of the company’s alleged construction and labor violations. Capstone’s website already shows Student Housing West and the East Meadow family student housing/child care projects in its Portfolio so they must be optimistic that approval is a given. The many comments submitted on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the project, including legal opinions citing CEQA violations and a strongly worded letter from 27 graduate student parents, protesting the privatizing of the child care facility under an entity named Bright Horizons, citing increased expense, lower quality teacher certification standards, and unsafe location on the East Meadow suggest that such optimism may be premature.

Capstone Development Partners LLC describes itself as a student housing real estate development Company. Their draw is that they take on the housing debt with tax-exempt financing, cover maintenance and management costs with an on-site management team, set the rents and reap profits from those rents and after 20 or so years, hand the housing back to the universities who take over the functions previously managed by Capstone. I’m no expert in such matters but numerous red flags went up the pole on this arrangement.

UC is a public educational institution and partnering with a private entity seems a violation of that tradition and mission. UC would argue that they are forced to look to the private sector as public funding has shrunk. Critics would argue that UC should spend its money on professors and students instead of ever-increasing upper management. (Student housing is not state supported. It has to be self-supporting.) Apart from that issue, many concerns remain. Capstone eventually hands the housing back to the university. Such an arrangement seems a disincentive for Capstone to properly maintain the housing. Not that UCSC is a model of care. That the once lovely two story Family Student Housing apartments built in the mid-sixties have been allowed to decay to the point of needing to be torn down (or so they say) is an indictment on UCSC, which boasts a Sustainability Office.

Then there is the issue of an on-site management team brought in from the outside by Capstone. According to their website, ” Campus Management Partners will work closely with residential life staff, campus safety, police, Environmental Health & Safety and others to provide for the safety and security of students.” This is a formula for disaster: a new layer of management to get lost in the maze of campus departments, rules, regulations, protocols or lack thereof. The Student Housing West complex (pictured) will contain 2,800 students. Nothing at UCSC comes close to that number of students living cheek by jowl. The ten colleges each house around 700 students max. To help make such living arrangements more human they each include dedicated student and professional staff with clear lines of communication and reporting responsibilities. Each has its own identity and physical space. And even with all that, mistakes are made and social conflicts arise. The college model, touted as a crown jewel of UCSC is here abandoned. One wonders if that choice was made by Capstone, which specializes in mega-student housing complexes or whether UCSC has forever lost its values or both.

As you contemplate the scale and visual impact of the proposed new student housing from the West entrance to campus, evaluate the words of the Chairman Emeritus of Capstone, Mike Mouron who says of their projects, “We cut the pattern to fit the cloth.”

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.

May 14, 2018

“People with advantages are loathe to believe that they just happen to be people with advantages. They come readily to define themselves as inherently worthy of what they possess; they come to believe themselves ‘naturally’ elite; and, in fact, to imagine their possessions and their privileges as natural extensions of their own elite selves.”
? C. Wright Mills, The Power Elite

Movement For Housing Justice moments before presenting the Santa Cruz City Clerk with 10,791 signatures of registered voters. Pictured Left to Right: Cynthia Berger, Josh Brahinski, Viveka Jagadeesna, Steve Schnaar, Drew Glover, Nita Hertel, Steve Pleich, and Jeffrey Smedberg.

THE RENT CONTROL DEBATE; CLASS WARFARE UNBOUND IN SANTA CRUZ
I’m convinced the city of Santa Cruz has to become a much bigger player in the housing market because the market is not serving the people. That “magic hand of capitalism,” as we know too well when left unattended, has allowed for fabulous profits in rentals and sales for a very few in this town. As the sociologist C. Wright Mills, and later G. William Domhoff, both describe in their work the notion of a ruling class elite, and the insular nature of such a class often leaves them with little empathy for the have-nots. (Yes, realtors, multiple parcel property owners, and developers are all directly and indirectly part of a Santa Cruz ruling class.) The rent control debate has shined some light on class difference in Surf City. As elucidated in Mills’, The Power Elite (1956: Oxford University Press). and Domhoff’s Who Rules America (1967: Prentice-Hall), not to mention the flotsam and jetsam lives of service provider jobs chronicled in Barbara Ehrenreich’s clear-eyed depiction of the working poor in Nickel and Dimed (2001: Metropolitan Books), the poor are often left unattended by the rich until it is too late. Of course, you might say those books are dated until a certain Thomas Picketty, the French economist comes along and puts it all together and says yes indeed, the rich are in fact getting richer and the poor, well, they’re getting poorer (Capital in the Twenty-first Century, Harvard University Press, 2014 (English version)). Picketty also comes down on the side of government stepping in to make things more equal. (Imagine that!) The Rev. William Barber of North Carolina is one of the bright lights of our generation and he focuses on what Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 sojourn to Memphis was all about: protesting low wages, high housing costs, and poor living conditions (The Third Reconstruction, Penguin-Random House, 2016). Reflecting back on Dr. King’s Memphis moments, it turns out much of our community is also siloed and in need of a wake-up call. The wealthy in Santa Cruz are having a difficult time getting in touch with the “rent burden” and pocketbook pain of everyday tenants. The wealthy and moderately wealthy in our town reside within particular bubbles. They tend to travel in the same social circles–Rotary breakfasts, Chamber of Commerce lunches, Downtown Association social outings– often attend similar religious institutions, and daily mingle at similar bars (not the Jury Room, Poet and Patriot, or Rush Inn) and restaurants (probably not Jack’s, Zachary’s, or the Bagelry). They by and large tend to stay mostly within their narrow class bounds. And with both rich and poor participating in this class segregation, along comes government to act as some sort of arbiter, a referee with a whistle, and impose a rent freeze, which not only acknowledges the fact we are in a housing crisis but also affects the profits of the ownership class.

Will Santa Cruz Residents Seize this Moment?
American history is littered with the wealthy’s tales of woe, brought to the attention of the government by the institutions they own: newspapers, TV stations, magazines, and now most significantly, large swaths of the internet. Most of that history sees “government authorities” facilitating the flow of capital for capitalists through government legislation. The economic crème de la crème come along and define “blight,” for example, (quaint cafes like Pergolesi? iconic venues such as the Rio Theatre (‘but we will save the marquee’ they exclaim)? and historic structures including the La Bahia?), and then they go about alleviating their defined pain of blight with an “urban renewal” plan through endless government PLANS: Beach and South of Laurel Plan, The Corridors Plan, and most recently, the Downtown Recovery Plan. So, the class on top keeps planning (Thatcher and Thompson, Jonathan Swift), and the developers keep developing (Swenson and Devcon). They get money not from the likes of Bay Federal or the Santa Cruz Credit Union, but through those same large banks (B of A, Wells Fargo, Citi Bank) that have been discredited by many of the national heroes that Santa Cruzans frequently turn to: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Noam Chomsky; and also, the likes of Amy Goodman, Dan Ellsberg, and Bill McKibben who all three by the way will be in Santa Cruz this week. It does seem the rich in Santa Cruz are thinking big…500 hotel rooms (Hyatt, Marriot, La Bahia) here and 800 units of market-rate housing (current downtown plan) over there. And they are, from their perspective doing good (aka getting richer). We have a hot, hot housing market and “the market” says we have to raise the rents. Their same mindset seems to believe that corporations will save us too–Marriot, Hyatt, Five Guys, Habit Burger, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts (Dunkin Donuts?!?) have all been shepherded into SC under the auspices of the city’s own Economic Development Department. Oh, government facilitating the needs of capital…cha ching! Fast disappearing are the Logos, Tampicos, and Pergolesi’s, too funky the elite says. In with the new and out with the old has always been part of the Horatio Alger American mythology story, and it is generally the way of the wealthy in Santa Cruz too. But/And, then along comes a petition: Rent Control, and the government is asked to ‘hold it a darn second,’ stop for a moment facilitating the wants of the wealthy, and for a short time entertain the needs of tenants. A rent freeze is born.

“Nobody talks more of free enterprise and competition and of the best man winning than the man who inherited his father’s store or farm.” (C. Wright Mills)

‘Backlash,’ Not Just a Susan Faludi Best-seller
Uh oh, suddenly all is not well in the land of skateboards and espresso, ever-climbing median home prices and sky-rocketing rents. The local mighty are now cowering in their clubs and restaurants, or while climbing atop their $3,000 mountain bike, latte in hand, for part of the ride and ever-ready to conquer West Cliff Drive or the Pogonip or Upper Campus, all the while plotting and planning on how to defeat, no… annihilate, any spark of support for rent control and finally extinguish all memory of conviction for a notion that now exists and is a long time in coming: fair rents, housing justice, and inclusion of tenants needs in the community planning decisions. All is not right within business lives of this town’s wealthy right now, and it may not be for some time to come. Is the flotsam poor squealing too loudly with this rent control ballot petition that they hope will help “redress their grievances?” Beware of the struggle that now ensues in the City of the Cross because real $money$ is on the table. The rent freeze pushback is just the beginning. It will be short-lived, but rent control, if passed this November, will likely have some staying power and the petition itself is driving realtors nuts. They’ve even come up with terms like “housing providers,” and “mom and pop” landlords in order to shield their remaking of the community through profit and plunder. It’s an old story. There are perhaps several Moms and Pops out there who the real estate industry is now using as fodder on the frontlines. The big landlords, including Cypress Point Apartments on Felix Street, Pacific Shores on Shaffer Road, the Seaside Company units that are everywhere, and the Outlook Apartments on Western Drive, they’re the ones who fear rent control the most, especially if the repeal of the anti-rent control legislation passed in 1995 known as Costa-Hawkins, makes it to the ballot. If Costa-Hawkins qualifies for the ballot, the Secretary of State’s office is still counting signatures, then the big financial guns–banks, real estate interests, and the California Apartment Association–will set their collective efforts on defeating what these interests fear most. If passed, Costa-Hawkins would finally lift state restrictions on rent control. If Costa-Hawkins passes all bets will be off as Californians everywhere would be saying that housing for profit does not work for most people in the Golden State. If universal healthcare and education are rights to be enjoyed by all, surely housing is too. The current rent control movement led by the Movement for Housing Justice and begun by a rag-tag band of housing activists–the Organizing Circle–canvassing in poor neighborhoods and asking residents what they think about high rents and low wages just happens to be fortuitously supported by the scholarly research of Steve McKay and Miriam Greenburg’s work locally concerning the vast housing and wage gap now experienced in Santa Cruz county. Everybody’s response: The rents are too damn high! Are we truly witnessing an historic pendulum-swinging time, or just another rent control skirmish in a long war of attrition that’s already experienced multiple casualties including artists, musicians, teachers, and service workers leaving this community? Perhaps C. Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination” can come into play in Santa Cruz today. Was Mills referring to our community when he said way back in the 1950’s, “You can never really understand an individual unless you also understand the society, historical time period in which they live, personal troubles, and social issues.”

THE SPURIOUS ATTACK ON COUNCILMEMBER SANDY BROWN
Sandy Brown, was attacked and ridiculously vilified by a Santa Cruz Sentinel reporter last week. (What was it she did? She rents from a landlord who supports rent control? Does the hedge fund have an agenda?) The article is full of innuendo and yet again sees the Santa Cruz Sentinel missing so many good stories. There was no story after the near 11,000 signatures were turned to the city clerk last Thursday, just a photo; no story about the many homeowners and landlords who actually support rent control; and of course, no story of the courageous UCSC students who worked tirelessly to gather signatures for the petition. You have to go to the exemplary student newspaper, City on a Hill, for this information. The attack on Sandy Brown cannot go on without the newspaper hearing from the public. Some may say; oh if we contact the paper doesn’t this just make the story keep going? To them I would say, 1) Sandy Brown is the perfect model for why we are struggling for rent control. She is someone who is fighting to stay in Santa Cruz, even as a member of the city council, and to demean and dismiss her own story is at the Sentinel’s peril, and we must point this out; and 2) this issue is not going to let up until November 6th, so we must push back every time any media outlet over steps the bounds of truth and ethics and attacks struggling activists for working to make their lives and this community better. This attack is not just about Ms. Brown, it is an attack on every one who was involved in the struggle to keep this town from being divided up by wealthy interests who do not have the whole of the community in mind. Please respond to these outrageous ploys by either writingor calling (831-423-4242) the Sentinel.

“If you are concerned about education, infrastructure and health care, then you should be concerned about foreign policy.” May 14

(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

CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR COUNTY SUPERVISORS ZACH FRIEND AND RYAN COONERTY?
When County Supervisors Zach Friend and Ryan Coonerty make decisions about wireless technology expansion in the County with related law enforcement and County expenditures, they should really recuse themselves because both have potential conflicts of interest. Supervisor Zach Friend is listed as an Advisor for Yardarm Technology (a local company specializing in wireless gun technology) and accepts $10,000-$100,000 annually, he also accepts $10,000-$100,000 from an associated company named Gunnegate LLC, and also makes $10,000-$100,000 annually from stock in PredPol, a predictive policing software company. Supervisor Ryan Coonerty also accepts $2,000-$10,000 revenue annually from PredPol.

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

Both Supervisors regularly have approved County expenditures on additional wireless technology for law enforcement use, and have listened to citizen-financed appeals regarding wireless technology installations in their neighborhoods. This is a conflict of interest, but neither Supervisor has ever recused themselves from decision-making on these issues. Contact the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) with your complaint and hold these two elected officials accountable.

Back in October, 2015, the Santa Cruz Sentinel ran a front page article about possible conflict of interest regarding Phil Wowak, the newly-retired Santa Cruz County Sheriff, and Yardarm Technology, a local gun technology company. The article, written by Mr. Matt Drange of the Center for Investigative Reporting, focused on Phil Wowak, but mentioned that County Supervisor Zach Friend helped negotiate meetings with Warner and Pank lobbyists in Sacramento. That meeting, held April 21, 2014 in Sacramento, was all done on time paid for by taxpayers. Supervisor Zach Friend was and still still is being paid to ADVISE Yardarm Technology.

The Public Records Act request materials verified that Supervisor Zach Friend traveled on taxpayer time to Sacramento to conduct this business on behalf of Yardarm Technology. I will gladly supply you with a hard copy of his calendar and associated e-mail correspondence that I received.

Here is a link to that Sentinel article

Here is link to the better article by Matt Drange in his report, listing Zach Friend as a key negotiator

Look here to see that Supervisor Zach Friend is listed as an Advisor to Yardarm Technology

You can learn more about Gunnegate LLC here (but the company’s other address is 1500 41st Avenue, Suite 224, Capitola; and note that the company owners are the same as Yardarm Technology)

You can learn more about PredPol here

Here is the link to Zach Friend’s Form 700 Economic Interest Declaration

Here is a link to the PDF of Zach Friend’s economic interests in Gunnegate LLC in 2014, when he was negotiating the deal for Santa Cruz County Sheriff department to test the wireless Yardarm Technology/Gunnegate LLC technology for free, and traveled to Sacramento on taxpayer time to lobby for other contracts in the State

Here is the link for Supervisor Ryan Coonerty’s Form 700 Economic Interest Declaration

I hope you will file a complaint with the FPPC and help bring this muck to light. Supervisor Ryan Coonerty is running for re-election next month…ask him about this conflict of interest, and maybe also about his roughly $50,000 annual payment from UCSC as a guest lecturer.

Do you think he would be able to make impartial decisions as a Supervisor regarding County housing issues related to students and Campus expansion?

Take a look at his public revenue sources here

APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT MOUNTAIN OF QUESTIONABLE SOIL IS ACCEPTED AT COUNTY LANDFILL…FREE OF CHARGE
The soils in front of the two new buildings flanking Soquel Drive in Aptos Village are contaminated with high levels of lead. Pete Testorff, one of the Aptos Village LLC developers, had McRae Trucking take that contaminated soil to the Buena Vista Landfill when he had to excavate for a parking lot. The Landfill manager had no idea there was a lead problem with the soils.

Last week, another trucking company began hauling out the MASSIVE mountain of questionable soil that has been stored on the construction site (uncovered and causing erosion sediment to go into nearby Aptos Creek). Mr. Kasey Kolassa, County Public Works Recycling and Solid Waste Manager, told me the Landfill needs soil to cover over the garbage, and accepts it free of charge if the soil is clean of debris and asphalt. “What about high levels of lead?” I asked. He said the landfill accepts soils with elevated lead because the storm water runoff from the Landfill is contained. Hmmmm…..

He assured me that County Public Works received soil analysis from Barry Swenson Builder to verify the soils being trucked in (un-tarped loads, by the way) meet acceptable contamination levels. I have to wait for a Public Records Act request in order to review that information. Stay tuned, but in the meantime, you can call Kasey Kolassa at 831-454-2160 or e-mail and ask about the acceptable contaminated soils from the Aptos Village Project.

WHY DOES THE APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT SITE STILL SMELL OF DIESEL, WITH RECENT EXCAVATION?
The recent excavation for utility vaults in the area where the buried fuel tank was illegally removed but the soils have never been remediated has caused the evening air to smell of diesel yet again. You can smell it strongly on Granite Way, in front of the 3-story monolithic townhomes, where there is a vault being installed. There is also excavation work going on at the true tank location.

Take a look at the documentation about this and other contamination issues at the Aptos Village Project by reviewing the Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data files for Barry Swenson

You can file a complaint on-line (recommended rather than a phone call) here
I also recommend contacting the State Department of Toxic Substances Control

I think it speaks volumes of Barry Swenson Builder that Project Manager, Ms. Mary Gourlay, is unwilling to grant permission for an independent third party soil sample and analysis of the actual site where the tank was illegally removed and leaked contaminants. The residential units that are slated for the Measure J affordable housing is directly adjacent to this contaminated soil. Do you think it is right to knowingly allow kids to play in soil contaminated with toluene, naphthalene, gasoline-related organics, benzene, etc,? Barry Swenson Builder just does not care about the health of the Community or the Aptos Creek riparian environment or the new Soquel Creek Water District Granite Way Well users.

NISSAN DEALERSHIP DEAL GOES BEFORE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MAY 22
The County Board of Supervisors will decide whether to accept the weak recommendations of the Planning Commission regarding the proposed Nissan Dealership deal for Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue at the Tuesday, May 22 meeting. True to form, the meeting will be held at 9am on a work day in the 5th floor Supervisor Chambers….just to make it harder for the working population to attend.

Why has the Planning Department changed the course of the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan that was developed with many public meetings and would have provided housing at this busy public transportation corridor? Why would the County not require this developer to pay for the project’s impacts on the traffic flow, just because it is deemed financially unfeasible?

Why would Supervisor John Leopold now support a new traffic light at Soquel Drive and Robertson to mitigate the Nissan Dealership’s traffic increase when he promised constituents recently there would be no traffic light installed there? Constituents had overwhelmingly voiced “NO!” when he and Public Works Director John Presleigh proposed it at a public meeting about Soquel Village Traffic Solutions.

~
I hope to see you at the meeting to hold our elected officials accountable. Contact your Supervisor 454-2200 or e-mail him at:

John Leopold john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us (this project is in his district, so he will be the one calling the shots)
Greg Caput greg.caput@santacruzcounty.us
Ryan Coonerty ryan.coonerty@santacruzcounty.us
Zach Friend zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us
Bruce McPherson bruce.mcpherson@santacruzcounty.us

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

May 11, 2018 #131 / The Twitter Mob

The picture illustrates an article in The Wall Street Journal entitled, “When the Twitter Mob Came for Me.” The article was written by a conservative political commentator, Kevin D. Williamson, and bemoans the fact that Williamson was, as he sees it, hounded from his new job at The Atlantic by swarms of unfair and largely unjustified comments relating to one of his long ago statements that was taken out of context. He suggested (not seriously, he claims) that anyone involved in an abortion should be hanged until dead.

Another example of how an online “mob” might cause real grief, to real people, in the real world, is the story related by Jesselyn Cook, a Canadian-American journalist, who writes for HuffPost, and who seems to be of a more or less “progressive” persuasion, politically. Cook relates her experience with Facebook, not Twitter, and tells us about an online reaction to a picture, which made her look rather attractive, and an accompanying invitation to comment on whether she should be “smashed” or “passed.” Cook identifies the comments made in response to this invitation (completely unprovoked by anything she said or did) as “sexual harassment.” Her story is truly distressing.

If you click the links, you can get the details of both Cook’s and Williamson’s experiences. It appears to be pretty clear that neither Williamson nor Cook were treated fairly by the online commenters who attacked and demeaned them. Is there something we can, or should, be doing about that?

Basic tort law might well allow both Cook and Williamson successfully to sue those who harassed and demeaned them. Suing Facebook and Twitter directly, however, would not be a successful legal strategy, since such online platforms are legally shielded from liability for what persons who use these platforms say.

The situation is analogous to the problem that you or I would have if we attempted to sue the telephone company because someone harassed us over the telephone lines. You can’t successfully sue the telephone company for what someone says on the phone, and you can’t sue an online service provider for what people say as they use their online service. Click right here for an outline of defamation law and social media.

While the kind of attacks that Williamson and Cook suffered are genuinely distressing, and the power of social media to amplify such personal attacks is obvious, there isn’t any easy way to provide additional help for those who have been attacked online, though we do need to be working on the problem.

An article in The New York Times on April 22, 2018, indicates the horrors that can follow when untrue and inflammatory stories are disseminated on social media. Reporters Amanda Taub and Max Fisher document how inflammatory postings on Facebook led to arson and murder in Sri Lanka, stoking fires of ethnic cleansing. As The Times headline writer put it: “Where Countries Are Tinderboxes and Facebook Is a Match.” A presidential adviser in Sri Lanka, commenting on the story told by Taub and Fisher, said it this way: “We don’t completely blame Facebook. The germs are ours, but Facebook is the wind, you know?”

Considering how quickly the winds of contagion and outrage can disseminate hatred online, in a way that causes real world consequences, from personal attacks to murder, this might be another good reason to live more of our lives offline.

In the real world, I mean!

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. Check out DeCinzo’s classic and foresighted “DROID COMPETITION” just a scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “National Health Alert #17 Scabies Trump” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

MUNCHING WITH MOZART. This free (FREE) concert series on May 17th (every third Thursday) Is titled “Music for Two Cellos“. Louella Hasbun and Roger Emanuels are the cellists.

They’ll play ;

Adagio cantabile by François Francoeur (1698-1787)
Suite for Two Cellos by David Popper (1843-1913)
Estampas y Estampillas by Jaime Mendoza-Nava (1925-2005)
Tangos by Carlos Gardel (1890-1935), arr. Diego Collatti
El cant dels ocells (Song of the Birds), traditional Catalan song, arr. Pablo Casals (1876-1973).

It happens this Thursday, May 17 th 12:10 – 12:50 at the threatened and endangered Santa Cruz Public Library’s Downtown Branch – in the upstairs Meeting Room.

UCSC’S MIRIAM ELLIS AND HER 18th INTERNATIONAL PLAYHOUSE. The Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics, and Cowell and Stevenson Colleges at UCSC will present the 18th season of the Miriam Ellis International Playhouse. In this unique multilingual program, students will be featured in fully-staged excerpts of short works in Punjabi, French, German, and Spanish, with English super-titles. There are exciting innovations in our program this year, with our first presentation of works in Punjabi, including a short play and poetry, directed by Arshinder Kaur, and excerpts from Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, sung in German, directed by Sheila Willey, and performed by students of the University Opera Theater as a preview of their upcoming production of the opera, which will take place from May 31 to June 3 at the UCSC Music Center Recital Hall. Students of French will portray scenes from Marcel Pagnol’s Fanny, one of the plays in his trilogy about a group of serio-comic characters in Marseille, directed by Miriam Ellis and Renée Cailloux. Spanish will offer a contemporary comedy, Black and White, by Ignacio Dominis, directed by Carolina Castillo-Trelles. Which explores characters that live in two different worlds, separated by a line never to be crossed. Over the years, our multilingual theater presentations have attracted loyal audiences who look forward to hearing their native or acquired languages in this unusual format, and we cordially invite the community to attend. It’s at the Stevenson Event Center on the UCSC campus, it’s free…go here for details https://language.ucsc.edu. Everyone is invited. The four performances are; 05/17/2018 – 8:00pm , 05/18/2018 – 8:00pm 05/19/2018 – 8:00pm and 05/20/2018 – 8:00pm

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Celebrate a real American superhero, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in RBG, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Celebrate my Beast novel finally heading into the home stretch (only 2 more months to go!) with a cool new Beast of the Month illustration. And celebrate the life and legacy of James Aschbacher as more tributes roll in. Art Boy lives!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

RACER AND THE JAILBIRD. The French title is “Le Fidele”, which means “faithful”…a far more fitting description of this critically-maligned story of racing cars and bank robberies. I think it is an absolutely excellent film. Thrilling scenes, genuine love sagas, and it leaves this Thursday (5/17)

THE RIDER. This is an almost-true life story about a rodeo cowboy who got thrown, and thereafter has to live with a steel plate in his head. It’s heartfelt, homey and you probably have to like horses to truly enjoy it. It doesn’t bring out the intelligence, feeling, and knowledge of the hero, but it does contain his real-life father, and friends, acting at their best….which get in the way. It’s a feel good film, however, and worth seeing.

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.

TULLY. This isn’t a bad movie and the biggest problem with it is that we’ve all heard about how Charlize Theron gained 50 pounds to star in it. So all the way through the movie we keep thinking gee, she really gained 50 pounds instead of being concerned with the plot. The plot is motherhood and she’s the mother of three kids. Then the hired nanny “Tully” comes in and a whole new world opens up. It could have been a much better film but the plot dwindles off someplace…and you won’t be satisfied with the ending.

A QUIET PLACE. Whew!!! This earned 97 % on Rotten Tomatoes — and is a genuinely scary movie. It’s well-paced, with fine acting, and Emily Blunt does a perfect believable mother, guardian and victim role. It’s upstate New York sometime in the future, and aliens (much like the Shape of Water Thing with longer legs) have taken over. The monsters attack and kill anything they hear, so everybody has be deathly silent…which makes for great suspense and tension. The kid who plays the deaf child Regan is Millicent Simmonds: she’s genuinely deaf, and she’s fabulous. Go see this IF you love scary movies.

ISLE OF DOGS. This is Wes Anderson’s latest, and I didn’t like it any more than any of his other sideways attempts at new cinema statements. The Royal Tannenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel all not just bored me but left me mystified. Rushmore was a notch up. Isle of Dogs uses cute Japanese-themed names like Kobayashi, Atari, Watanabe, Yoko-ono, and the clever Major Domo. The very famous and excellent Hollywood persons who do the voices are near legendary, but Anderson’s attempt at cleverness, brilliance and just plain story telling once again leaves me very cold and bored.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are based on comics – DC and Marvel respectively – and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther? Got beat by …..

A WRINKLE IN TIME. WARNING …Looks like they’re bringing this one back !!! The much hyped adapting of this hugely popular children’s book by black woman director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out so otherworldly so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

AVENGERS: AN INFINITY WAR. I am trying with enormous difficulty to like, enjoy understand Marvel Comics blockbusters. It is an entirely separate category of movies centering on comic books and graphic novels. I came of age reading Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel’s first issues in the early 40’s and still these movies go beyond my comprehension. They are the world’s number one money makers, The special effects, the blood, killings, raccoons piloting spaceships just fly beyond my senses. One critic stated that there are 73 main characters in this latest chapter. This is apparently a near perfect Marvel Comic blockbuster. You’re on your own here and it’s two and a half hours long.

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. May 15 has environmentalist Grey Hayes guesting the entire hour bringing us up to date on nature’s needs. On May 22 Wilma Marcus, George Lober and Rosie King will be reading and discussing poetry and discussing The Hummingbird Press Collective. C.L.U.E. (Coalition for Limiting University Expansion) co-chief John Aird will follow them and talk about UCSC growth, measure U and the June elections. The top winners from the annual Bookshop Santa Cruz Short Story Contest read their works on May 29. On June 12 Students from Maria Pirata’s UCSC class will report on the UC Strike. Then Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan talk about Soquel issues. June 19 has Lisa Robinson from the San Lorenzo Valley Museum describing their current exhibits and future plans. Jane Mio discusses our river system and what’s needed to protect it on June 26

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

Don’t say I never did anything to help you… 😀

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. “VOLCANOES“

“Love, my territory of kisses and volcanoes.” Pablo Neruda
“It is spectacular to watch an erupting volcano; but it is even much more spectacular to watch the rise of a newly exploding revolutionary idea!” Mehmet Murat ildan
“I noticed that volcanoes, earthquakes and floods, though are not good events, they are better than the silence of good people when bad people take the podium. The latter are to an extent uncontrollable, but the former can be stopped.” Israelmore Ayivor
“All civilization has from time to time become a thin crust over a volcano of revolution”, Havelock Ellis

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.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

May 9 – 15, 2018

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…Kathy Bisbee and Donald Trump and Google, WILPF and Nancy Abbey tribute, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and housing, Nickelodeon and Del Mar status, The Oakland Song and NPR, PG&E tree removal exposed and protested. GREENSITE…on Student Housing West. KROHN…Rent control petition reaches goal, UCSC growth, housing problem, UCSC Strike. STEINBRUNER…County Housing Advisory Commission’s many issues, County zoning questions.PATTON…Inside the Democratic Party. EAGAN…The Tunnel of Peace”. DeCINZO…shocked by PG&E again! JENSEN…and her thoughts about James Aschbacher. BRATTON…critiques Tully, Godard Mon Amour, Itzhak…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES…about The White House.

CARL’S FLYING A GRAND OPENING…June 7, 1957 (King and Mission Streets) . Too bad we can’t see the per gallon gas prices on the pumps…but maybe it’s better this way. The station didn’t last too long. Now it’s The Five Gables Dentistry offices.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

CEDAR GEIGER SENDS VOLCANO VIEWS FROM HOME.

RAQUEL WELCH MEETS JANIS JOPLIN.

GEORGE HARRISON TALKS ABOUT PAUL AND YOKO.

DATELINE May 7, 2018

NICKELODEON AND DEL MAR NOT SOLD…YET! Many folks have been asking me about the future of the Nickelodeon and the Del Mar theatres. I’ve checked everywhere including the local management staff and Landmark reports in the financial websites and no action of any interest in buying Mark Cuban’s Landmark chain has been reported. I’ll sure keep you as up to date as possible.

KATHY BISBEE & DONALD TRUMP. Kathy Bisbee formerly of Calpirg at UCSC, Santa Cruz Action Network, Cruzio, and Santa Cruz Community Television was visiting last week. Shes’ now the executive director of The Brookline Interactive Group and co-founder of the Public VR lab. She’s all about Virtual Reality headsets and showing the world reality reasons why the environment needs protecting. She’s also getting married in September. Oner of the most interesting and surprising (to me) items she told me was that if loyal left wing progressives look up say “Donald Trump” on Google they get sent immediately to sites and sources completely different from what Trump supporters get from Google. When you think about it that sort of “fact or news searching” definitely keeps both sides in opposition. It’s like if we only had Fox News as a source.

MORE FROM KATHY BISBEE. Kathy Bisbee and I also got talking about generations…and about differences between those generations. She gave me some interesting data on the labeling and statistics of generations.

For example;

Generation Z	current 1995-2012
Generation Y Millennials	1977-1994
Zennials	1966-1976
Baby Boomers 2nd	1955-1965
Baby Boomers 1st	1946-1954
Split Generation Post War cohort	1928-1945

For much more and the source for all of above go here

WILPF SALUTES NANCY ABBEY. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is creating a much deserved celebration of Nancy Abbey’s activist work on Sunday, May 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Resource Center for Non Violence, 612 Ocean Avenue, Santa Cruz. You can hear Nancy talk with Bruce Van Allen and other activists about their goals and the progress so far. Then there will be light snacks and shmoozing”.

HOUSING FOR THE CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. They’ve announced the 2018 season and we know it will be an incredible array of talent and music. All the concerts will be at the Civic Auditorium starting Saturday, July 28 through Sunday August 12. Go here to get all the details cabrillomusic.org

Hundreds of locals faithfully and freely attend the orchestra rehearsals. Those too are on the website. There are many free music events, children’s events, and public attractions. Aside from volunteering as ushers and food facilitators another one of the most sincere, touching community minded aspects of the Festival is that the musicians and composers who come here from all over the world get housed in local residents homes that are near the Civic. Families share the camaraderie the music and the friendship with these Festival people. If you live near the Civic and have space just before and during the Festival go here or call 831 326-6966.

THE OAKLAND SONG AND NPR. By accident I came across a link to the NPR interview I did a few years ago (2014) about the song our “Goodtime Washboard 3″ trio wrote. We had great fun and tremendous results from it. An album on Fantasy Records, national tv on Bing Crosby‘s tv show, “Hungry i” , “Purple Onion” gigs and lots more. Here’s a link to it…

CITY OF SANTA CRUZ ALLOWING PG&E DEADLY TREE REMOVAL…WHY?

May 07, 2018

Julie Thayer is as she says, “a concerned citizen, living along the pipeline…” I asked her to tell us what she’s learned about PG&E’s tree removal plot and plan that is affecting so many of us. She wrote…

“In Santa Cruz, do you live or spend time near Ocean View Park in Seabright, or Frederick St. Park near the harbor? Do you like to walk the dog through the Jessie St. Marsh? What about biking along the upper San Lorenzo River trail? Or any number of streets throughout Santa Cruz (7th Ave, Berkeley Way, Clinton St, Melrose Ave, Seaside St, to name a few…).

Well, the view in Santa Cruz is changing, and not for the better. PG&E has a Pipeline Pathways project to clear-cut trees and vegetation along their main gas pipeline, and that includes hundreds of trees throughout the city of Santa Cruz. They have already started – removing 50 trees along Ocean St. near Graham Hill Rd (along the Memorial Park Cemetery and beyond). There is also a huge bare patch further up Graham Hill Rd. across from Henry Cowell State Park.

Unfortunately, cutting trees does not increase gas pipeline safety, based on federal code, what PG&E itself has stated in correspondence with various residents and groups recently, or even according to PG&E’s own studies! Our pipelines have actually been performing fine according to PG&E’s own current reports, with numerous trees growing above or near them.

The County of Santa Cruz, as well as 16 other municipalities in California, have recognized this and challenged PG&E’s authority both directly and in court. Indeed, it turns out that federal and state ordinances do NOT require tree removal along pipelines; they defer to local ordinances such as the city’s Heritage Tree Ordinance, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a statute that requires avoidance or satisfactory mitigation of significant environmental impacts. Removing hundreds of trees in a city, in addition to thousands to tens of thousands of trees statewide, qualifies as a “significant impact”.

The measly $10,000 that PG&E paid to the tree fund in Santa Cruz is not even close to a “satisfactory mitigation of environmental impacts,” as measured by carbon offsets, shade, fruit, aesthetics, quality of life, wildlife and bird habitat, etc., provided by the trees slated to be axed. This amount is especially meager given that the city of Lafayette received $272,000 for a smaller number of trees… Why the discrepancy? Think of what the city of Santa Cruz could do with such funds!

PG&E’s reasoning for removing trees seems to pivot on several points related to improving public perception, but not necessarily increasing safety! After PG&E’s massive illegal and deadly lack of response to the tragic San Bruno pipeline rupture in 2010, PG&E was fined $1.6 billion in 2015. More than half of that penalty — $850 million — was ordered to go to gas transmission pipeline safety infrastructure improvements.

So PGE is creating a public illusion that they are “doing something” to increase public safety by removing trees, when in fact the opposite is likely true. There is no evidence that trees are damaging pipelines, but lots of evidence that trees provide soil stability and decrease erosion, which especially important for underground pipelines in sloping regions during heavy rains or in areas prone to earthquakes, as ours is. Removing trees therefore is actually likely to decrease safety!

So why remove trees? Well, this may keep public focus away from what PG&E is NOT doing. And it can also work to save PG&E money. What better way than to use actions from the $850 million penalty towards saving PG&E money in the future, to recoup their loss from the fine. In other words, PG&E is not fully implementing true improvements with new, safer technology, but instead sticking with old unreliable methods. Internal inspecting, pressure testing, replacing lines, installing new safety shutoff valves, etc., are all required but would be very expensive to implement over PG&E’s entire pipeline. PG&E is still using what is called direct assessment, an outdated faulty method that led to the San Bruno disaster in the first place.

PG&E will also save money with this initiative by never incurring any more costs for tree maintenance. Ever notice how often electrical lines run above underground gas lines? Tree removal will also allow for continuing PG&E’s aerial surveys which are obscured by trees; a type of direct assessment – easy but unreliable.

Furthermore, cutting trees will help with PG&E not having to shut off gas and relight pilots. PG&E has stated that trees inhibit emergency access to pipelines when they try to fix leaks without shutting off the gas. What?! Any fire captain will tell you that this is prohibited – PG&E must shut off gas lines before fire crews will allow any activity in an area with a breached gas line. Indeed, this is dangerous and illegal under federal regulations, but it saves PG&E the large expense of deploying a gas shut-off and then relighting all the pilot lights in a community afterwards.

Finally, clear-cut access across their whole pipeline makes access more convenient in the future. Not safer without all those trees, mind you, but definitely more convenient for PG&E.

PG&E, DON’T PUT YOUR PROFIT OVER OUR SAFETY!

The County has invoked relevant federal and state code and is not allowing PG&E to remove any more trees. Why is the City allowing it? The Mayor and City Council need to hear from you (citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com). This is not necessary! Trees are vital to our beautiful city. And in fact, tree removal will serve to make pipeline conditions more dangerous.

May 7th 2018

HELL ON HELLER DRIVE.

An audible collective gasp greeted the artist’s rendition of the ten story buildings proposed for the UCSC campus as part of their Student Housing West Project, which includes a last minute tacked on plan to also build on the sacred East Meadow. The conference room at the Hotel Paradox was full for this last public meeting before the May 11th deadline for comments on the draft EIR ((Environmental Impact Report.) UCSC ran a tight meeting with ample time for Q&A from the floor and public comment at the mic. The line to speak was long. Faculty, students, community members all except two, vehemently opposed the Plan, especially the plan to build on the pristine East Meadow.

The Dream Inn is 10 stories tall. Imagine multiple Dream Inns, fronted by multiple 8-story buildings with multiple 5-story buildings in front of those crammed into a small site that currently is occupied by Family Student Housing (FSH) a 199 two-story apartment complex nestled in the trees and housing approximately 400 students and their children. The new high-rise buildings are expected to house 2,852 upper division and graduate students with FSH torn down and rebuilt with child care on the East Meadow (site pictured in photo), albeit with 50 fewer apartments (go figure).

Most speakers weren’t against student housing per se. They spoke against the East Meadow site specifically and cited acceptable alternatives in the dEIR. I took a different approach. The numbers don’t add up. The impetus for this building frenzy was UC President Janet Napolitano’s edict for a UC System-wide Initiative for 14000 new beds to be built. Easy math. With ten campuses, our share should be 1400 new beds, less than half the 3000 in the Plan. That’s with all things being equal which they are not. Merced with 7000 students could absorb more growth. Other campuses don’t have the constraints we have with geology, geography, water, traffic and housing costs. Our share should be lower, in fact just sufficient to alleviate current overcrowding, spare the meadow and keep a renovated FSH plus child-care in its current location. That figure is around 900 new beds, according to UCSC.

Other contradictions jumped out. According to the UCSC presenter, growth under the 2005 LRDP (Long Range Development Plan) has led to a “substantial demand for new housing”. Yet according to the court required annual meetings since that time, UCSC says it has met its housing obligations under the CSA (Comprehensive Settlement Agreement). Except for some lounge and dorm conversions, which could be relieved with 900 additional beds, UCSC says it is on target with its housing supply…unless it continues to grow. And that is what this is about. Ruining the beauty, the nature, the capacity, the sustainability of the campus and the town for further growth.

Words to mislead us into accepting their premises abound. They claim that with 3000 new beds on campus, more students will live on campus, freeing up the town’s short housing supply. If UCSC grows towards its new target of 28000, yes more students will live on campus and more students will live in town but the percentages won’t change. They can’t force upper division and graduate students to live on campus. And if too many decide to outbid local families for off-campus housing, or decide those spiffy new apartments at 555 Pacific or the 80 foot tall buildings proposed for downtown are just the ideal place to live, then their absence on campus will lead to lower total on campus occupancy rates, which will cause per student rents to rise to cover the debt and off campus rents will rise accordingly. Under current conditions, UCSC growth is itself a formula for increased rents and housing costs off and on campus.

When the presenter used the word “affordable housing” in the context of Student Housing West I asked her what she meant by that term. Under this new public/private partnership, the developer is given a fixed sum of money and has to build within that limit. Plus economies of scale with such density and they predict that future rents will stay at today’s on campus rates. Forgetting for a moment that today’s on campus rates are not affordable (except for FSH due to a long ago rent strike that I helped organize) there seems to be amnesia around the complexities of building on campus with its maze of underground caves, difficult soils and unexpected habitat issues. And if the pot of money is too small, what corners will be cut in this new megaplex of housing?

If we are worth our salt, we will expose this growth wolf in sheep’s clothing; push back and demand that UC go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan for higher education that avoids making students and Santa Cruz residents its sacrificial lamb. Measure U is a start.

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.

May 7, 2018

‘ACTIVIST BUZZ”

Rent Control on Fire

There it was in this past Monday’s (5/7) Santa Cruz Sentinel, the headline read, “Santa Cruz rent control campaign hits signature goal.” Over 9,000 signatures were collected locally, and according to someone who logs and checks all those petitions, an additional 1000-2000 were also collected, but couldn’t be included because they were from voters in Watsonville, Live Oak, Aptos, and even Scotts Valley. So, rent control fever appears to be alive in the entire county! Or is it? We all know that signing a petition to get something on the ballot before the voters is perhaps more about supporting the concept of “direct democracy” than necessarily what’s written on the petition. We can still support democracy by petition and be opposed to the issue when we’re in the voting booth, can’t we? This rent control petition has grabbed the real estate community by the lapels, and that group is somewhat shaken now. If the petition is approved, we then have the opportunity for a real community-wide dialogue about our housing crisis. I believe most people in this community want such a discussion…and most I’ve talked to also want some immediate ACTION too.

Movement for Housing Justice proponents gathered last Sunday evening to celebrate the monumental accomplishment of gathering 9,500 Santa Cruz city voter signatures. Now, how many will be valid? They need just over 5700 to qualify for the November ballot.

Talk of Substitute Initiative

But wait?!? Several emergency meetings and late night discussions were held recently among members of the Movement for Housing Justice (MHJ) over possible changes in the initiative. Petition circulators were being sensitive to problems brought forward by tenants, landlords, and homeowners about how the current rent control ballot initiative might be tweaked to satisfy more people. MHJ was seeking more community-wide agreement. Of course, the original petition authors cannot change the petition language itself, which likely 10,000 city residents will have signed when, and if, they turn them in. But, the Santa Cruz City Council could put forward a substitute initiative, one crafted by members of the Movement for Housing Justice and incorporating certain changes in language, ones that came up again and again in front door and shopping center discussions between signers and gatherers. My experience with the MHJ group is that they want as many Santa Cruzans to come out of this process as content as possible, while still staying true to their actual goal of bringing some justice for renters that certain landlords can live with in this crazy Santa Cruz housing market. So, the changes that are being looked at have to do with relocation assistance, eviction policies, and rent board salaries as I understand. A deal may be in the works, but I’m not sure anyone should hold their breath. I would indeed guess that some form of rent control will be before the voters this November.

How Did We Get Here?
This Santa Cruz housing crisis was not born overnight. While there have always been tensions between UCSC’s student population and off-the-hill community members competing for available housing, it became much more acute as the 2005 Long Range Development Plan played itself out over the last decade. Housing 50% of the students back then was a helluva a lot more bearable than it is today…and while adding 10,000 more is problematic, the big elephant in the room is the exorbitant rates UCSC charges students to live on campus. Along with passing some form of rent control, those dorm charges have to come down 30-50% if students and non-students are going to find any relief on the housing front. In addition, as I sat in Zachary’s the other day in less than an hour I counted FOUR Google and Apple buses traveling down Pacific Avenue picking up tech workers. Folks, we gotta crisis!

Two More Parts of the Housing Problem
Short-term Vacation Rentals (STRs) make up a significant portion of the lack of housing for students and workers in Santa Cruz. The city council passed an STR ordinance limiting the number of these permitted rentals to 550 overall, but there is a sense that more people might be renting their places out under STR, but without a city permit. The other matter that impacts housing here is the gap between wages and the cost of rent. If we really want people to have a chance of living in the community they work in then we must seriously address the paltry $10.50 an hour minimum wage now in place. Isn’t it time to bring the “Fight for $15” to Surf City?

Addendum Notes

The city’s establishment is collectively holding its breath until the June 5th ballot vote, i.e. sales tax increase worth approximately $3 million to city general fund…so, no library-garage issue meeting; no city council budget sessions until June 6th; rather small council agendas, filled with “ministerial” items; smiles on all faces until vote is in. By the way, voting started Monday, May 7th when mail-in ballots went out to voters!
By the time you read this, AFSCME will have likely completed their 3-day walk-out at UCSC. City on a Hill Press wrote: “These American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local (AFSCME 3299), the largest labor union in the University of California, will hold a system-wide strike on May 7-9. Across the UC, 24,000 service and patient care workers will be participating in the strike. This includes custodians, loop bus drivers and dining hall workers among other employees essential to the functioning of the university system.” The point is that these hardworking men and women are some of the lowest paid, not only in the UC system but in the Santa Cruz community. They need a raise and they need it now!
City council agenda this week was the thinnest ever, as noted above, a lot is riding on June 5th vote to raise the sales tax. The few items of note were a 20-year lease agreement with Santa Cruz Shakespeare (Yay!), with seemingly no rent increase over that time (boo!), not even the 2% allowed by the current rent freeze. (I wonder why?) There’s a sewer extension to 335 Golf Club Drive; a second reading to bring a “dynamic pricing” structure to downtown parking meters, partly because we do not want to attract “the wrong kind of element” and partly to soak the tourists more and keep cars moving around; and finally, a discussion of “residential short-term rental permit” fees was slated…seems that planning staff is saying it takes two hours at $131 per hour to do the paperwork for one of these permits. Total fee for STR permit suggested by staff: $262 samolians, rental inspection fee per unit, $68, hotel tax: 11%. And because of Item # 6 on the same agenda, Airbnb hoteliers can put all those fees that on their visa. Keep smiling, June 5th isn’t far off.

This Just In

Here is a case the city council was to discuss in closed session on the May 8th council agenda:

“Homeaway.com, Inc. v. City of Santa Monica; Airbnb, Inc. v. City of Santa Monica – UCDC Case Nos. 2:16-cv-06641-06641-ODW (AFM), 2:16-cv-06645-ODW (AFM) – (request for amicus support)”

“If we are going to turn this country around politically, we need to do well in states like Pennsylvania.” (May 6, Bernie on endorsing a slate of candidates in PA)

(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

May 7, 2018

A PLACE TO LIVE BUT NO QUALITY OF LIFE

The County Housing Advisory Commission met last Wednesday evening (5/02) to hear recommendations from local developers and real estate brokers about how they want to see the County become densely-developed and resemble San Jose. The Commission approved the recommendations to create density bonuses to developers that will allow perhaps double the density per acreage, allow developers to pay impact fees after the subdivisions are occupied, reduce public input and notification (because that just slows things down, according to Housing Planner Julie Conway), and to build mixed-use subdivisions with less commercial and landscaped space. The Board of Supervisors will consider the matter on June 12.

I arrived at the hearing late due to work commitments, but observed a camera operator there. It was KION television. Reporter Zach Fuentes turned the camera off and went to the back of the room as I got to the podium to testify. Neither he nor Christopher Salas from KSBW was interested in speaking with me afterward, either.

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

I spoke about these changes drastically altering the quality of life for the area residents, the disconnect between intensifying land use policy without having the infrastructure to support it (Transporation? Water? Hello?) and the fact that the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan, which was developed with significant public input, has been shelved for lack of the proper and required environmental review. I spoke about the recent Board of Supervisor approval of revised Housing Element ordinance that REMOVED ALL REFERENCE TO “MEASURE J“, which required at least 15% of new development to be affordable housing, limited the Urban Services Line for dense development, and preserved prime agricultural land. I spoke about how the measures before the Commission were in fact a cherry-picked version of the county Planning Department’s Code Modernization efforts that were unveiled May 19, 2015 to the Board of Supervisors, but again, have been shelved because the Planning Department just cannot get the necessary and required environmental review done. “What will become of the quality of life for Santa Cruz residents, and for those who come here to enjoy the beauty?” I asked.

An Aptos resident and Soquel Village business owner spoke about how the large dense developments are never fully disclosed to the public who will be affected, because there are never any models of the projects shown to people at community meetings. “Now you’re talking about reducing the level of community notice and involvement even further, and that really worries me. Look at what has happened with the Aptos Village Project. Nobody ever dreamed it would be as massive as it is. The same happened in my backyard with a development that I was assured was going to not impact me but now I have a really tall subdivision looking into my home. I have no privacy.”

Comments from the Commissioners was interesting. I was grateful that some of them addressed the issues I had brought up. They quizzed Planning Director Kathy Molloy about the loss of Measure J. She gave her usual rambling answer that did not really make sense or answer their question, but Housing Planner Julie Conway chimed in “I assure you, Measure J is alive and well.” That remains to be seen after the Board of Supervisors waves their not-so-magic wands of approval over this matter on June 12.

Commissioner Lee Geisreiter wanted to know if the Commission could recommend something more modest to the Board of Supervisors, but to get action now. The issue of possible litigation came up in discussion. Planner Julie Conway said it is important to change the rules regarding development impact fees because it causes “hardship” on the developers.

Commissioner Bryan Chambers wanted to verify that San Diego experienced a 900% increase in building when developers were able to postpone paying the development impact fees (money for parks, schools, child care, roads and traffic improvements associated with the impacts of their development) until the units were occupied. Commissioner Nancy Abbey wanted to know why that helps “balance things out” and is it worth the risk to the County to maybe not ever collect those impact fees? Planning Director Kathy Molloy said the impacts of a development really do not occur until the subdivision is occupied, so it makes sense to not pay until that happens. Really? How about putting the infrastructure in place before the fiasco occurs?

I very much appreciated Commissioner Bud Carney, a long-time planner. He discussed how important the quality of life issue is, and referred to the “living nightmare of San Jose.” “What ARE our priorities here?” he asked. He supported action to control the cost of housing while supporting developer incentives to build affordable housing. He wanted to know how the public noticing would be affected. Assistant Planning Director Paia Levine assured him that there would be public involvement but the level of noticing could be reduced by changing the levels of discretionary planning decision-making. (Keep in mind that the Aptos Village Project was placed at a Level 4 that does not require public notice in local media.) In the end, the Commission approved the recommendations that were created by developers and real estate agents to send to the Board of Supervisors for (almost assured) approval on June 12. I wonder if that will be a 9am Tuesday meeting when all working people can attend?

Here is the link to what KION reported about the Housing Advisory Commission meeting:

http://www.kion546.com/news/santa-cruz-county-housing-advisory-commission-hears-from-public/737674859

Here is a link to information about Sibley Simon, the person who seems to the the architect of the County Planning Department’s zoning and developer-friendly recommendations: He’s also the husband of Nina Simon the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County’s Museum of Art & History (MAH) in Santa Cruz. https://www.newwayhomes.org/team/

You can bet that Barry Swenson Builder reps were at that back room meeting, too.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL APPROVE NECESSARY PLANNING STAFF TO HANDLE CHANGES NOT YET APPROVED?

Just to follow up, the Board of Supervisors has Consent Agenda Item #29 on the May 8 agenda that will approve a new Planning Department staff position to handle all of the changes to County Planning and Zoning that are coming along in the future. The duties essentially describe what the Housing Advisory Commission (and the developers and real estate agents) have recommended.

Does this speak well for government transparency and public involvement? I just don’t think so. Do you?

~
Cheers,

Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

May 2, 2018

#123 / Ready, Fire, Aim

I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.

The quotation above is attributed to Will Rogers, and since I do want to talk about the Democratic Party today, it seems appropriate.

I don’t know who first came up with the rephrasing of the traditional firing squad command that I have used as a title for today’s blog posting, but that rephrased command seemed appropriate for today’s discussion, and very much consistent with Will Rogers’ evaluation of the Democratic Party.

I am also not sure who first used the expression “a circular firing squad” to describe a rather common phenomenon. Again, the illustration above seemed appropriate for today’s discussion. The online word site, Wiktionary, provides no guidance on the question of who first used the expression, but it does define the expression as follows: “Circular Firing Squad – A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.”

Wiktionary, please let me introduce you to my friend, Will Rogers, and to the leadership of the Democratic National Committee!

What prompts today’s posting on the current state of the Democratic Party? Several things.

First, I have been outraged at recent news reports about the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DNCC), which phones my home just about every evening to see how I am doing, and to demand more money. In case you missed it, the DNCC has been attacking a progressive Democratic candidate for Congress, in Texas, because the DNCC has decided that she is too “progressive” to win a November runoff. Having formulated this judgment, which may or may not be correct, the DNCC has now essentially started campaigning against her, and has released information that is designed to discourage democratic voters from selecting her in the primary, and that will be used against her by her Republican Party opponent in the general election, if she wins the nomination. As a former delegate for Bernie Sanders, at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, I have been through that movie before!

Second, a Democratic member of the State Legislature recently told me how distressed he is, and how upset the Democratic Party leadership in California is, at the disarray evident in various Congressional elections now underway. A number of Republican Congress Members from California have “retired,” and there is a real opportunity to convert “Red” seats to “Blue” seats this November. However, the Democrats have so many different candidates in some of these races, who defy efforts to coordinate and work together, that it seems possible that the Republican Party will be able to replace the retiring Republicans with a new set.

Finally, and this is what really prompts this posting, a New York Times’ Op-Ed, published on April 18, 2018, asks the question, “Where’s the Tea Party of the Left?”

That, actually, is my question, too. As a Sanders’ delegate, I saw firsthand how Democratic Party officials used what is supposed to be a “neutral” Party apparatus during the primaries to make it impossible for Bernie Sanders to win the nomination. I wrote a number of times about that experience in this blog. My experience convinced me that the Democratic Party has been captured by the same corporate interests that control the Republican Party, and that major changes were in order, so that our democratic political system could begin functioning again.

Matt Grossman and David A. Hopkins, who authored The Times’ Op-Ed, have a distinctly different perspective. They believe that the Democrats are doing great! The Democrats, they believe, have managed to damp down the kind of ideological warfare that the Tea Party Republicans have engaged in, and that’s all to the good. This is not my analysis.

A “pull quote” in the hard copy edition of the Op-Ed in The Times, says, “Democrats tend to avoid ideological battles.” If that is true, and I question that, the end result may be success for the Democratic Party in November 2018 (and taking back Congress would be really good), but what is ultimately necessary is that we begin making fundamental changes in virtually every aspect of our social, political, and economic life.

Until there is a “program” to do that, and a “party” that makes such fundamental change its platform and mission, we are only rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic (to use another great expression, as least as good as that one about the circular firing squad).

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. De Cinzo’s classic proves that PG&E hasn’t changed much in all these decades. Scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Tunnel Of Peace” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog with his “President Idiot” screed.

SIN SISTERS BURLESQUE’S 7TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY. BrattonOnline webwoman Gunilla Leavitt sent the following.. We (Gunilla, Thomas, Brian and Jeff) religiously attend Sin Sisters Burlesque at Kuumbwa Jazz Center every month. They are a woman-owned, woman-produced, all-inclusive organization, and this next show is their 7 year anniversary. 84 shows, and thousands of dollars given back to the community (they donate 100% of their tips to various local charities – backpacks for kids, Planned Parenthood, you name it). This month, we’re going to celebrate my birthday, which is on Wednesday, May 9. The big show is on Saturday May 12 at Kuumbwa! We’d love to see you, please coma and say hi! If we don’t support local artists and entertainment, we won’t have any :/ Here’s the facebook event page, you can get your tickets online from there.

ASSASSINS. (From the March 21st and April 30 Issues of BrattonOnline)… ASSASSINS, THE MUSICAL…this week!!! I love musicals, but only the really good ones. Most of my “good ones” have been written by Stephen Sondheim. Those certainly include Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum, Into The Woods, and Sunday In The Park With George. I’ve only seen one production of Assassins, a UCSC student production at Porter College many years ago. It’s so rarely produced that I wanted to urge musical fans and friends to get tickets as soon as they are available. Davis Banta is directing this production at The Mountain Community Theater (MCT) in Ben Lomond at the Park Hall May 4-June 2. The cast comprises both MCT favorites and newcomers to MCT, including Robert Gerbode as John Wilkes Booth, David Jackson as Giuseppe Zangara, Alexander Garrett as Charles Guiteau, Benjamin Canant as Samuel Byck, Brittney Mignano as Sara Jane Moore, Brennan Perry as Leon Czolgosz, John Wasielewski as John Hinckley Jr., April Bennett as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Sarah Kauffman as The Balladeer, and Mike Stark as The Proprietor.

If you’re wondering about timeliness, here are some excerpts from a recent review (2017) of assassins. “Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman examine the motivations of the men and women who have killed — or attempted to kill — United States Presidents throughout history. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley and others meet and interact in this revue-style musical. It has mad scenes, melodrama, minstrelsy and vaudeville. Wednesday night, when a character called the Balladeer sang the lyric “Every now and then, the country goes a little wrong,” applause stopped the show for perhaps 20 seconds”.

Still, when Giuseppe Zangara, who tried to kill Franklin D. Roosevelt, calls himself an “American nothing,” or when the nine assassins sing together about “another national anthem” that applies to the likes of them, you may feel, as I did, the rumblings of our unsettled country in your bones. “Assassins” is the report of that unsettlement, and the bang”. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets. A very rare opportunity.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes this week: “Friends, it’d hard to believe that Death could sneak up on someone as full of life and fun as joy as James Aschbacher. But please join me this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ) in celebrating the huge spirit, gregarious sense of fun, and inspiring artistic legacy of my own Art Boy.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

ITZHAK. This is a documentary about Itzhak Perlman the world’s most famous living concert violinist. It’s about his birth and upbringing in Israel and about a lot of his Jewish culture and religion. You’ll hear plenty of frustrating short excerpts of his mastery of the classics. It proves too that he’s a very nice guy who has lived with polio and crutches and a wheelchair ever since he was a kid. Go quickly…ENDS THURSDAY MAY 10.

GODARD MON AMOUR. You need to be a genuine foreign film enthusiast to get even half of the very French jokes about Jean Luc-Godard. French humor is now and always has been very different from America’s. They love Jerry Lewis for example. Godard directed some cinema classics such as Breathless, Contempt, and La Chinose. (but NOT Hiroshima Mon Amour!). He had many quirky shifts in his head and his career and this film makes them booth funny and sad. ENDS THURSDAY MAY 10

FOXTROT. Is simply a wonderful film. It was Israel’s entry into the Oscar best foreign language race. Actually it is an Israeli War drama and it is almost a Greek Tragedy. It deals with death, pain, war, and about what holds a family together. You will not forget this film…it’s that great. Too many surprises and twists to talk about…just go see it. That’s if you like great films. ENDS THURSDAY MAY 10.

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE. Joaquin Phoenix gives one of his best-ever performances is this very tight film. Scottish female director Lynne Ramsey has only made four films, and all are very uncompromising achievements. Phoenix is a veteran tortured by both war memories and childhood nightmares. The film is tight, violent, and breaks many, many film rules…go see it quickly…if you like innovative and new films. ENDS THURSDAY MAY 10.

LEAN ON PETE. Charlie Plummer plays a teen ager who works very hard just to make it through some terribly hard times and I predict he’s going to be a major talent very soon. Set in Portland and continuing Eastward Charlie faces the law, family deaths, Chloe Sevigny and Steve Zahn are in it too but they don’t get a chance to do their grand and usual acting skills. It’s slow at times but it also develops an achingly tough look at a kid facing the toughest decisions we ever face. Go see it. ENDS THURSDAY MAY 10.

READY PLAYER ONE. The last video game I remember playing was Atari’s “Pong” back in 1972 or 73 with Manny Santana and John Tuck in “The Med” (Mediterranean Restaurant), next door to Manuel’s Restaurant on Center Street in Aptos. Video games have evolved since, and this Spielberg FX extravaganza is all about avatars, time travel, old timey movies, TV shows and memorabilia…and features so much space jumping and time warping that I lost interest after about 15 minutes. It was too much trouble, and besides that it’s set in Columbus, Ohio in 2045. A very large and long and dull film from a director who usually can focus more sharply.

TRUTH OR DARE. The full title is Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, but why Blumhouse would want his name on it is beyond me. Blumhouse also directed “Get Out” so it would seem to matter somehow.. This earned a 15 on RT…so I’m not alone in warning you about this lame excuse for a horror-murder-teen thriller. Teens get offed by some quasi-religious demon while on a spring break — and the acting is just as bad as the plot.

BLOCKERS. It’s billed as a teenage sex comedy, and while it does have the raunchy, crotch, rectal, sex stuff… it’s got ZERO comedy. Lots of the audience howled at it, I was bored and disgusted at what passes for humor nowadays. It’s about parents trying to stop their three daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. 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.Due to the UC Strike May 8 has a re-play of the April 24 broadcast with Candace Brown discussing the Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Dept position and Gayle Yamaguchi-Gleason and Mary Lou Holleman from Santa Cruz Indivisible. May 15 has environmentalist Grey Hayes guesting the entire hour bringing us up to date on nature’s needs. On May 22 Wilma Marcus, George Lober and Rosie King will be reading and discussing poetry and discussing The Hummingbird Press Collective. C.L.U.E. (Coalition for Limiting University Expansion) co-chief John Aird will follow them and talk about UCSC growth, measure U and the June elections. The top winners from the annual Bookshop Santa Cruz Short Story Contest read their works on May 29. On June 12 Students from Maria Pirata’s UCSC class will report on the UC Strike. Then Lisa Sheridan and Robert Morgan talk about Soquel issues. June 19 has Lisa Robinson from the San Lorenzo Valley Museum describing their current exhibits and future plans. Jane Mio discusses our river system and what’s needed to protect it on June 26. 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

I think this is my favorite Randy Rainbow so far. He’s brilliant 🙂

QUOTES. ” The White House”

“There’s nothing like white trash at the White House”. Dolly Parton
“The White House is the finest prison in the world”. Harry S Truman
“A white boy that makes C’s in college can make it to the White House”. Chris Rock
“Kennedy invited us into the White House-the first time in the history of the White House picketers had been invited inside. This made front page headlines”.Peter Coyote
“A funny thing happened to me on the way to the White House”.Adlai Stevenson

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

May 2 – 8, 2018

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…Soquel and Nissan Development news, UCSC’s East Meadow update, Soquel’s beer and booze alley, Barbara Bush’s bad side, Goodbye and farewell to Jim Aschbacher GREENSITE… on PG&E tree massacre: the clock is running out. KROHN…takes a week off SANDY BROWN…love letter and call to action. STEINBRUNER…more on Soquel and Nissan plans and plot?, housing crisis, raising property taxes, Measure U and UCSC growth, Midcounty water levels, Aptos Village and contaminated soils plus their water problems, Rancho Del Mar to gut Comerica Bank building and the 40 year old Aptos Cinema building, Santa Cruz and fire dangers…PATTON with Local newspaper and Local control…EAGAN and White House hiring …DeCINZO all about parenting…JENSEN rests awhile…BRATTON critiques Foxtrot, Lean on Pete, Avengers: An Infinity War…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES about The Pacific Ocean

PACIFIC AVENUE AND SOQUEL CORNER. Circa 1920. That would be New Leaf Market right there in the middle and Forever 21 on the immediate left. You can see that the trolley rails are still in place. I wonder what the political pressure was like back then to rip out those rails?

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

MICHELLE WOLF’S COMPLETE JOKES AT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AND ELLEN DeGENERES.

KIM JONG UN’S BODYGUARDS RUN WITH THE BOSS.

DATELINE April 30, 2018
SOQUEL’S NISSAN DEALERSHIP NEWS. Nora Hochman called in to bring us all up to date regarding Don Groppetti’s maneuvering to open a Nissan Car Dealership in Soquel at the corner of 41st and Soquel. As Nora says it has 10 billion cars every day from 3pm to 5pm trying to avoid the even heavier traffic on Highway One. Groppetti has bought up all the properties at that corner…that includes the car wash, Kings Wallpaper and Paint, everything except one lot with a house that’s been vacant for 20 years. All of a sudden in a move that Soquel Neighbors say was too swift and too secret the Bored of Supervisors Red Tagged that property and now Groppetti is moving ahead with the Nissan Car lot swiftly. Nora also learned that Don Groppetti personally donated $25,000 to Congressman Devin Nunes. The Daily Beast online newspaper said of Nunes, “Devin Nunes Is the Emblematic Republican Hack of the Trump Era”. More than that five (5) members of Groppetti’s family in 2016 each donated $2700 to Carly Fiorina the former Hewlett-Packard CEO and former GOP presidential contender. What’s with our bored of supes giving this rightwinger guy such property when it could very well support all kinds of beneficial affordable housing ?? More on this issue..stay tuned, and read Becky Steinbruners column this week just a few turns below.

SAVING UCSC’S EAST MEADOW. Just before deadline (April 30) Jim Clifford sent this …

Dear Friends of the Meadow,
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Alumni Weekend, that is. Lots of supportive honks from cars driving by our banners at Hagar and Coolidge (see picture below). Then a walk, up Hagar along the East Meadow, where the red-wing blackbirds gamboled and sang. Heartening and inspiring conversations with scores of concerned alumni, many of whom had not known about the plans to build on the meadow, showing how deep the care runs among those with long histories with UCSC and who identify with its core values. And then there were the staff and administration. They ranged from those who shared our passion and conviction, telling us that they wholly agreed with our position on the East Meadow and would do whatever they could sub rosa to help us, but also letting us know that they had been pressured by the higher ups to fall into line and voice no dissent (!), to those very higher-ups, who stonewalled us with the administration’s grim and inaccurate fall-back line: development of the East Meadow or no housing. With some administrators it got even worse. One higher administrator in University Relations (development) told us, in a tone dripping with condescension, that the anger and outrage among dissenting alumni and among those donors who have pledged to withhold donations would soon pass, and that things would quickly return to the status quo ante. We got a strong impression that the administration was circling its wagons, tighter and tighter. No dissent, no discussion. Not exactly UCSC values.

These are some of the reasons we’d like to encourage as big a turn-out as we can for the public meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Report this week (see below for times). Big numbers, strong and reasoned objections, and a focused message could give the administration a clear sense of the community’s position. Your comments will need to be brief, and focused on the East Meadow. We just don’t want the administration to be able to say “we consulted widely and found that the plan was generally welcomed”. So please attend, and make your voices heard.

“Once gone, the meadow is gone forever”.

Sincerely yours,

Organizing Committee, East Meadow Action Committee, eastmeadowaction.org

Details:

Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 6:30-8:30 PM
Louden Nelson Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz

Thursday, May 3, 5-7 PM
Hotel Paradox, 611 Ocean St. Santa Cruz.

If you’d like to read or skim the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), PDF downloads are available on this page.

There is now an on-line method for CONTRIBUTIONS TO EMAC (East Meadow Action Committee) in support of ongoing legal fees, which are considerable. We are working with an expert environmental lawyer to provide comment on the DEIR, in preparation for possible litigation, See contribution details on our website eastmeadowaction.org . End of EMAC news bulletin.

SOQUEL’S BEER ALLEY. Starting at Carpos Main Street in Soquel has become a lush lane for booze. Neighbors are up in arms over the amount of cars, noise and degradation that it’s become. One irate neighbor sent this…Item 1. 161091
This is ostensibly for Beer Thirty to operate a restaurant and nursery on the Soquel Farmhouse property at 2590 South Main Street, behind Sunnyside Produce. But their actual broader plan is for an outdoor beer garden and gaming area that triples the size of their current beer garden at 2540 South Main and will have a total outdoor operation of 5700 square feet! Previously, alcohol has never been permitted on this property. If approved with their intended hours of operation from 7am to midnight, imagine: a major onslaught of increased traffic in and out of Soquel, intense noise levels from outdoor music and gaming until midnight, and inebriated behavior including likely driving under the influence. The challenges for the well established Main Street businesses such as Carpo’s, Sunnyside, Fishlady, Michael’s, etc. and their customers will be horrendous in addition to the adverse impacts on the entire surrounding neighborhood with its homes, schools and churches. There has been plenty of complaint from customers and owners of other businesses on Main Street about the inadequacy and unavailability of parking for these other businesses during the hours when Beer 30 is packed, and in evenings, the complaints have included public urination. The new adjacent location will multiply the problems while further violating the Soquel master plan and adding substantially to the worst traffic in the county!

Another Soquel neighbor sent this…

This is the website to read the Planning Department Staff Report in advance of the May 4th meeting.

The Soquel Farmhouse people have told the Planning Department they held a community meeting to discuss their plans. In fact, what they held was a closed meeting of their friends and investors. When adjacent business owners attempted to attend, they were told they were “not on the list” and could not enter! But then they represented to Planning Department that it was an open meeting! The Beer 30/Soquel Farmhouse people have behaved like criminals in various negotiations to alleviate the parking problem. I doubt they will adhere to anything they are told to do or not do, since all agreements Beer 30 has made have been broken”. Another email stated

“This new proposed beer-garden location is adjacent to residences and small businesses, and quite close to schools and churches. Like Beer 30, it will be without adequate parking. It violates not only the County Code, but destroys the entire character of the neighborhood. Alcohol has never been served at this new location previously. If this proposed business — to be called ‘Soquel Farmhouse’ — is allowed to open, it will be a very poor planning decision. Lots of folks are worried. The worst traffic anywhere in the county is 3-6 pm any day M-F is in Soquel, caused by all the hundreds of people who try to bypass the Hwy 1 gridlock by driving surface streets through town, continuing onto Soquel Drive through Capitola and Soquel town. Imagine how Friday night bashes at the Soquel Farmhouse will immeasurably add to the congestion!” Those are our neighbors talking …no matter where you live. What we can do is attend the Zoning Administrator Hearing on Friday May 4th at 9am in The Bored of Supervisors Chambers Room 525, at the County Government Center at 701 Ocean Street.

Mention was made of this issue as SOQUEL UNDER SIEGE. Obviously, it’s best to attend the meeting to get your opinion on record. Much more is at stake in Soquel Sustainability than 41st Avenue congestion! You can also write to Kathleen Molloy, Planning Director, and to First District Supervisor John Leopold, representing Soquel, and the entire Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Leopold, Friend, Caput, McPherson, Coonerty. County of Santa Cruz Planning Department 701 Ocean Street, 4th Floor, Santa Cruz, Ca. 95060

BARBARA BUSH REVISITED AGAIN. Reader Jeff Hay sent a link to Cindy Sheehans Soap Box. You remember Cindy Sheehan right? USA Today tells us…” Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan had a high profile during the George W. Bush years when her son, a 24-year-old Army specialist, died in a firefight in Iraq. Since then she has largely faded from view even as she has continued to oppose U.S. wars abroad under President Obama”. She titles her missile “Sorry, Not Sorry: Open Letter to Babs Bush” (Ca 2005) by Cindy Sheehan. Go to her “Soapbox” link http://cindysheehanssoapbox.blogspot.com/2018/04/sorry-not-sorry-open-letter-to-babs.html to read it and lots more of her opinions…

So the wife of one war criminal and mother of others has died at the very ripe old age of 92–according to the establishment media and political oligarchy, we are supposed to be remembering a “plainspoken political icon” (LA Slimes, April 17, 2018) instead of the Wicked Witch of War Criminals. I think its incumbent upon us in the 99% to recall the devastating remarks she made on Good Morning America on the eve of the war that killed my son: “Why should we hear about body bags and death? It’s not relevant. Why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?”

Or her callous disregard for Katrina refugees:

Death does not confer respectability on such a privileged and cold-hearted life. She and her killer spouse reportedly played golf the day after their young daughter died from leukemia. This kind of behavior cannot be made up: It’s deplorable and reprehensible. Maybe the death of such a one should not be celebrated, but neither should we weep. The Bush’s wealth and the wealth of the other oligarchs can be proven to be ill-gotten by the exploitation of the rest of us and they should be resented, not worshiped.
The only reason I bring her death up now, is not for the one solitary death of one of the political oligarchy, but because of what she represents: the pinnacle of diseased capitalism and imperialism. Like the indigenous people of the USA said, “We kill one soldier, and 100 others arise.” The ideology of death and destruction that the life of Barbara Bush represented must be vigorously and militantly opposed, but first we have to be real and not pretend to be sad about something we are not, or should not waste our beautiful minds on”.

JAMES ASCHBACHER’S FINAL PORTRAIT. James Aschbacher, Lisa Jensen and I shared dozens, maybe hundred’s of movie screenings together over the last 40 years. The last time was at the Nickelodeon the Friday before he died (April 20) watching Final Portrait. Jim and I also shared equal opinions that day on Kubrick’s “2001” as one of the best ever films. He’s gone now; the community has been deeply and equally kind and saddened by his loss. What he gave to all of us in terms of art was only surpassed by his wit, positive look at life and his love of Lisa. We’ll owe him forever.

LAST WEEK’S HISTORICAL PHOTO ADDITION. Rick Hyman wrote to let us know more about that photo taken from our wharf seashore area…The photo of the so called “Douglas House” was taken between and 1877 and 1882, not circa 1888. During this time the building in question was the Ocean View House owned by Thomas Varley Johnson. The photo shows a connection between the pictured Power Mill wharf at the foot of Main Street, which passed by the Ocean View House, and the Railroad Wharf. The connection was constructed in 1877 and taken down in 1882. The Powder Mill wharf was also taken down in late 1882 – thus, dating the photo. This building was remodeled in the mid-1880’s and then in 1890 integrated into the Sea Beach Hotel, as a new addition was constructed in front of it”. It’s always great to get “updates” on the photos. Thanks Rick.

April 30th 2018

DAVID & GOLIATH
There are two David and Goliath dramas playing right now in Santa Cruz: UCSC’s plans to cram ten thousand more students into an already overcrowded town and PG&E’s project to cut down thousands of heritage trees near its underground gas transmission lines under the dubious claim for public safety with nary a real-life problem child to present. David is valiantly eying the stone in both. In one, the city is standing with David in the front lines against Goliath while in the other; the city is handing David’s stone to Goliath.

Understandably the city has to weigh its battles. PG&E is a formidable opponent but so is the UC system. There is little to lose in Measure U, the city’s ballot measure to gauge public sentiment regarding further UCSC growth. A few cranky bigwigs and some tut-tuts at social functions but no potential lawsuits on the horizon. By contrast, to oppose PG&E and fight its bogus claim that it has the right to trample over CEQA and the local Heritage Tree Ordinance is to court costly legal challenges. So the city has chosen to play along with PG&E, accept its claim to be above environmental law and with cap in hand, has accepted the $10,000 as compensation for the impending heritage tree massacre, some of which has already transpired with much more to come.

Other cities were not so easily bought off. They fought back. The cities of Concord, Dublin, El Cerrito, Pleasanton, Livermore, Walnut Creek and Town of Danville challenged the claim of PG&E that it could ignore local ordinances and CEQA as summarized in the following quote: “PG&E would have the cities completely disregard their long-standing policies and practices aimed at tree protection and maintenance. The citizens of the cities will not allow their public officials to blatantly shirk their duties as PG&E is asking them to do.” John Bakker, City Attorney, City of Dublin.

By contrast, the city of Santa Cruz with a reputation for environmental leadership not only did not formally challenge PG&E but also allowed the giant company to remove its item from the council agenda where this issue should have received public input and council deliberation. I was there. No one on council questioned that action or moved to have it re-appear at a future council meeting, which it didn’t. Rather, PG&E submitted a later letter to the city manager, ‘memoralizing” its plans for the project. That letter contains some sops to tree concerns most of which have not been honored. Last year, April 26th, the city arborist wrote to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) asking if it agreed with PG&E’s position on vegetation removal. CPUC did not respond until July 12th. Not surprisingly, it concurred with PG&E.

The largest number of the city’s heritage trees grows on private property. They are protected under the Heritage Tree Ordinance to the delight of some and the outrage of others. Chances are good that the trees are in the delighted camp. PG&E won’t disclose how many heritage trees on private property will face the axe. It may be hundreds or thousands. The young Araucaria or Monkey Puzzle tree pictured is one of them.

When 34 trees were suddenly cut down by PG&E without warning to the neighbors on Ocean Street Extension, neighbors took matters into their own hands since the city had tied its hands by accepting the $10,000 PG&E trade-off. Neighbors passed around the hat and hired local environmental firm, Wittwer and Parkin to write a legal opinion to the city. Their legal opinion mirrored that of other city’s attorneys: that PG&E is not above local HTO ordinances or CEQA and pending compliance with both, this unpopular and destructive project should immediately cease.

The letter was sent to the Mayor on April 5th. Curiously it was not immediately delivered to the city attorney but languished for a few days.The city attorney replied on April 12th with a request for more time to carefully review such an important letter. Tick tock…running out the clock. The statute of limitations to file a law suit is fast approaching.

With the city bedding down with Goliath, David needs a bigger stone. Money would buy a lawsuit. Public outrage has brought down bigger giants. It’s humbling that cities that don’t enjoy our reputation for environmental action have so easily outranked us. Tick tock. No time to waste.

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.

We have a guest columnist, Santa Cruz City council member Sandy Brown. Chris Krohn is off this week.

April 30, 2018

A LOVE LETTER TO SANTA CRUZ, AND A CALL TO ACTION.

Dear BrattonOnline readers: First, thank you for staying tuned in to local politics! I imagine many of you are (like me) feeling as if we are living in the upside-down world so eloquently elucidated by Eduardo Galeano – a world full of injustices, crises, and contradictions. We think about the implications globally, nationally, regionally. And we work for social, economic, racial, and environmental justice wherever we see the need. At the same time we maintain these commitments at the local level. As a city council member, I rely on all of you to be engaged, to keep us honest when we are making critical policy decisions, to remind us of what matters. More on this to follow, after a brief bio.

I first came to Santa Cruz for a college visit, not long after after the Loma Prieta earthquake. The post-quake rains left downtown streets and buildings challenging to navigate. University guides did their best to convince us prospectives that this was the place to be. I did not need much convincing. Sitting, in a muddy median on Pacific Avenue in front of Zachary’s, I decided this was my home. I’ve become a community-labor activist, educator, researcher, agricultural practitioner, and now a policy maker. I credit the progressive community — union leaders, social service providers, environmental activists, and legislators — for allowing me the possibility to pursue all of these roads. At the same time, living here has been challenging. As a social justice activist, I’ve never earned much. I’ve been, and will always be, a renter. I’ve lived in garages (one a two car garage, with one bed and one car, seriously), attics, barns, living rooms, and tiny rooms. I want others who are committed to justice to be able to make the choices I’ve made, and still be able to live here.

These days it seems almost impossible. Almost every day, I talk to renters who don’t know how many months more they can make it. Recently I have helped too many friends pack their belongings into trucks to move elsewhere. On the city council, I have tried my level best to move an agenda that encourages but also requires the preservation and production of affordable housing. With all due respect to city staff, I do not believe that we must accept an “affordable by design” approach to new development or to legalizing units that have been removed from the market (largely as a result of the rental inspection ordinance). Developers should be required to provide twenty-five percent affordable units, either on-site or with an in-lieu fee formula that provides a meaningful investment for affordable projects; we must close the loophole that allows developers to collect ten years of rent before selling, without the affordable requirements required under the city law enacted by city voters almost four decades ago; we must find a way to protect renters from exorbitant rent increases and profit-motivated evictions; and we must pursue revenue measures based on progressive taxation.

Okay, thanks for reading. It seems that my first attempt at journalism has resulted in a biopic-editorial. It’s because we have serious work to do. There’s so much to say about the library/parking garage, downtown development, ocean street extension, corridors, homeless services and right, and the list goes on. I hope you all will stay in touch about the issues that matter to you. We have to work for democracy in order for democracy to work

April 30,2018

IS THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP ON 41st AVENUE AND SOQUEL A DONE DEAL WITH THE COUNTY?
The County Planning Commission unanimously approved the Nissan Dealership even though they recognized that the traffic will become even worse at the already-busy 41st Avenue & Soquel Drive intersection, and the Interim Director of Public Works, Mr. Steve Wiesner, admitted the County has no money to install improvements to address the problem in the foreseeable future. The Commission approved the “Statement of Over-Riding Conditions to allow the owner, Mr. Don Groppetti, to just do whatever he wants to do, but made a recommendation that the Board of Supervisors do their best to find money to fix this intersection within the next three years. Wow.

Because of another commitment that morning, I arrived too late to be able to testify. Had I been able, I would have asked why, in the Findings and Statement of Over-Riding Consideration’s first paragraph of the Introduction, the language uses past-tense but includes dates in the future?

Specifically, the last sentence of the first paragraph states:

“The Planning Commission held a public hearing on April 25, 2018 and prepared a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding certification of the final EIR and action on the project, and the Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on May 22, 2018 and determined to certify the Final EIR and to approve the requested Project entitlements.”

A Commissioner that I asked about this issue said that is just how those reports are done, but can be changed later to reflect any diversions. That just does not seem right to me because it makes the documentation seem skewed with intention of shoving the project through. I suspect that is the intent.

Sadly, the Commission chose to focus on traffic rather than fulfilling public benefit of housing. How can this happen after so much public input? The Soquel residents were very clear in their statements to Supervisor John Leopold and then-Director of Public Works John Presleigh at a Soquel Village Traffic Discussion public meeting a couple of years ago that they did NOT want a traffic light at Soquel Drive and Robertson. Supervisor Leopold stated: “Okay, we have heard you loud and clear this evening. There will be NO traffic light installed at Robertson.” Yet now, adding a traffic light at the Robertson intersection is exactly what Public Works is recommending to mitigate the anticipated traffic problem exacerbated by the Nissan Dealership. Will Supervisor Leopold support that?

I want to commend Commissioners Lazenby and Shepherd for really questioning the wisdom of adding an auto dealership that will exacerbate problems that are already near-gridlock. I thought it was amazing that the project was approved, even though the interim-Director of County Public Works, Steve Wiesner, clarified that the mitigations will be paid for by the County taxpayers (it is not feasible for the developer to pay for them all), that the County currently has NO MONEY to do any such project, and that if the County had the money today, it would take three years to get a traffic light installed. This all reminds me of the ramrod efforts the County used for the Aptos Village Project.

Is the Nissan Dealership a “Done Deal”? The Board of Supervisors will consider the matter at their May 22 meeting…and of course, at 9am on a Tuesday morning, the working residents of Soquel will all be able to take time off their jobs to attend????

Contact Supervisor John Leopold and/or your District Supervisor: 454-2200 or email them at:

John Leopold john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us

Greg Caput greg.caput@santacruzcounty.us

Ryan Coonerty ryan.coonerty@santacruzcounty.us

Zach Friend zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us

Bruce McPhersonbruce.mcpherson@santacruzcounty.us

COUNTY HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION WILL HOLD EVENING MEETING TO DISCUSS HOUSING CRISIS AND POSSIBLE NEAR-TERM REGULATORY ACTIONS.
You need to be at this meeting if you care about the quality of life in Santa Cruz County, while weighing in on developer concessions for housing projects. The County Housing Advisory Commission, which usually meets every other month in mid-afternoons, will meet Wednesday, May 2 at 6pm in the 5th Floor Supervisor Chambers at 701 Ocean Street County Government Building. The group will hear a staff report by Housing Director Julie Conway and Planning Director Kathy Molloy and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for action.

The meeting documentation, available for viewing at the Planning Department, and here reads:

“Planning staff recommends that the Housing Advisory Commission send approval of and support for Board of Supervisor approval to initiate the following Near-Term Regulatory Amendments to Support Creation of Affordable Housing:

a) Enhanced Density Bonus program (rather than up to 35%, allow for up to 50% bonus)

b) Amendments related to farmworker/agricultural employee housing

c) Modify fee structures to charge by square foot rather than by unit or by bedroom

d) Modify mixed use regulations to allow greater percentage of project square footage to be residential for affordable housing (currently 67% only for 100% affordable projects; 50% for all other mixed use projects)

e) Modified Process for Initiation of new R-Combining District Property Rezoning

f) Permanent Supportive Housing Overlay District, e.g., Permanent Room Housing (PRH) Combining District”

What does that all mean? I think the Planning Department is piece-mealing from their Code Modernization changes that were rolled out on May 19, 2015 and for which an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) has to be done, along with the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan, but that the Department just can’t get done, much to the chagrin of County Supervisors.

This violates California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) law.

The Density Bonus issue means that if a developer includes affordable housing in a project, they are allowed to pack in even more units within the building footprint, maybe even allowed smaller setbacks (such as the 18″ setback from the sidewalk that the Aptos Village Project’s townhomes along Cathedral Drive have). This recommendation would allow a 50% increase in units over normally-accepted County Codes to be crammed into the project footprint, and would probably get a parking requirement waiver as well.

The new R-Combining District rezoning would allow increasing the County’s current allowance for five residential units/acre to 20 units/acre. Here is what Planning Staff is recommending to the Housing Advisory Commission about that big change:

“For sites to be designated under the Regional Housing Need R Combining District, the site must be approved by the Board of Supervisors based on the County’s housing needs.” “It would be helpful to adopt a code amendment to clarify and streamline the process through which new or substitute R-Combining sites could be proposed and studied.”

Amendments to the zoning plan or map must undergo a proposed study, processing and action after environmental review and public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, with action taken by the Supervisors. “due to the high profile and high-risk nature of these types of rezoning applications, it would greatly assist property owners/applicants to be able to have either the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors either initiate or “concur with initiation” of a new or substitute R-Combining site. This would allow for some level of public awareness of a possible application, and some acknowledgment by the County that a site is appropriate for study and processing.”

Then, depending on the Level of Discretionary Review the project gets assigned, there may or may not be any requirement for widespread public notice or public hearings. (This is what happened with the Aptos Village Project, which was given a Level 4 Discretionary Review rating, so the planner in charge makes all decisions without any requirement for public hearings and only people living within a 300′ radius receive any notification of major project changes.)

The Permanent Supportive Housing issue is also straight from the Code Modernization proposals that would allow permanent housing in hotels/motels when not used for visitor accommodations “due to their outdated and small configurations, and have essentially turned into Single Room Occupancy (SRO) properties with non-transient tenants.” This could also be applied to nursing homes/convalescent centers that could be changed to affordable housing (but where will the elderly who need assistance go?). Staff admits this would also help skirt the mixed-use requirement for such density.

The Agricultural Employee Housing is straight from the proposed Code Modernization plans which would allow housing subdivisions of up to 12 units or 36 beds on agricultural land for workers. There was no definition of “agricultural workers” or requirement that the tenants of the housing subdivision be employed on the farm where the subdivision would be located. There was also some question about whether a “Farm Experience Resort” might also qualify for this agricultural worker housing.

The Planning Department projects 75 new ag employee housing units need to be built by 2023 (I am not sure that aligns with the Associated Monterey Bay Area Government, aka AMBAG projections). Apparently, the Planning Department is forming a “Working Group to include City (all four cities in the County???) and County staff and farmers and landowners interested in developing housing for agricultural workers.”

“Rather than wait for the comprehensive Code Modernization effort, staff believes that since the farmworker/ag employee housing code amendments would relate to the specific stated objective of supporting affordable housing, that the amendments could be processed as part of a “near term” package of code changes.” WHAT ABOUT MEASURE J’S REQUIREMENT TO PRESERVE AGRICULTURAL LAND??? Maybe that is what Ms. Molloy meant when I asked her why the recent County Housing Element’s annual report and subsequent Board of Supervisor action to adopt regulation changes that ELIMINATED “MEASURE J” from all housing ordinance, she answered: ” We feel there are other ordinances coming that will accomplish this better.”

So, Supervisor Zach Friend seems to have gotten his way after all when he lobbied two years ago to abolish Measure J completely from the County Ordinances because “Measure J is old and no longer applies to current needs.” he said. That’s right, who needs to preserve valuable farm land when we can ship in our food from other places in the world instead and just grow Cannabis on what is left? I just do not understand why Gary Patton, the former County Supervisor who wrote and helped pass Measure J does not seem concerned about this action, or even has an interest in discussing the matter with the Planning Director, Kathy Molloy. Yes, I have asked him. Contact County Housing Director Julie Conway julie.conway@santacruzcounty.us or her aid, Carlos Landaverry carlos.landaverry@santacruzcounty.us 454-2523. Interestingly, Ms. Conway serves on the Santa Cruz City Planning Commission, too.   Hmmmmm…….

WILL RAISING PROPERTY TAXES MAKE IT EASIER TO AFFORD TO LIVE HERE?
A group called “Affordable Housing Santa Cruz County”, led by Fred Keeley and Don Lane, kicked off their public meetings to discuss their intent to convince the County Board of Supervisors to vote placing a measure on the November ballot to increase property taxes by $29 per $100.000 appraised property value in order to raise an estimated $250,000 (that seems low to me) for affordable housing projects in the County.

It seems like yet another “done deal” on the horizon in terms of the County Board of Supervisors putting this on the November, 2018 ballot. I attended the April 26 session at the Santa Cruz City Police Station Community Room and video recorded it (see YouTube link that follows this topic’s discussion.) The audience questioned the wisdom of increasing property taxes that will further drive out local homeowners who are struggling and will require landlords to increase rent for tenants. Why not a sales tax? Because there is a cap on how high the total sales tax can be in the County and we are nearly there. Sheesh.

As the questions were beginning to get too demanding of factual information, a consultant from Monterey jumped in and diffused the talk with alot of meaningless verbage to take up time, then announced that the meeting would now break up into small groups so that everyone felt comfortable to speak. Tricky, huh? But before adjourning the carefully-controlled public meeting, presenter Ms. Nancy Barr stated that “after the Board approves this, there will be more public opportunities for information.” That sounded like it has already been decided that this WILL be on the ballot, but when I asked Ms. Barr about it, she assured me there are no guarantees the Board will take such action. I am sure it is already approved behind closed doors, especially since the main organizer, Fred Keeley, still has an office in the County Administrative Officer’s (CAO) domain, which sits one-door-separation from the Board of Supervisor dias.

How come citizens who want to get a measure on the ballot have to collect thousands of signatures, and are very expensive to get done?

What are your thoughts? Contact your Supervisor and let him know. I also would welcome your thoughts: Becky Steinbruner ki6tkb@yahoo.com

Here is a link to the Register-Pajaronian article describing the Affordable Housing Bond Measure

YouTube video link to Affordable Housing Bond Ballot Issue public meeting last week:

Affordable Housing Bond Meeting, Thu. April 26, 2018 (, uploaded 4/29/18)

‘MEASURE “U”.. ON THE JUNE BALLOT FOR SANTA CRUZ CITY VOTERS TO LIMIT UCSC EXPANSION
I attended the public meeting recently at the Santa Cruz City Police Community Room where a number of area government officials (Cynthia Matthews, Chris Krohn, and Ryan Coonerty), area activists (Gary Patton) and UCSC representatives spoke about the need to limit UCSC expansion because of the extreme housing pressure on the Community. It was organized by a group called C.L.U.E. (Coalition for Limiting University Expansion) and was very interesting. They are opposed to the UC Regents funneling 28,000 students to the Santa Cruz campus, with the smallest host city in the system. The group recommends contacting the UC Regents and tell them to cap UCSC enrollment at 19,500 students. Email or send post to Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff to the Regents, 1111 Franklin Street, 12th Floor, Oakland, CA   94607.

I video recorded the talk, and will include the YouTube link next week.   Stay tuned for a very interesting June Election Day

Here is a link to information about the group and its efforts

MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER AGENCY PLAN WOULD LOWER THE BAR FOR PROTECTING THE GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN ORDER TO BE A SUCCESS?
I was disappointed to hear the Advisory Committee say exactly those words during their April 26 monthly meeting at the Santa Cruz County Sheriff Department Community Room. The reasoning was that if the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) that the group submits and is approved by the State Water Board is too “protective”, and requires measures that may not be able to get accomplished; the State could jump in and take over managing the area’s water systems. The Committee agreed they did not want that, but seriously discussed making the GSP very easy to accomplish but not really pay much attention to solving the real problem of critical groundwater overdraft.   The Plan, a “living document” could be adjusted by others later to make sure it is really addressing overdraft problems in a feasible way. Wow.

Some Committee members, such as Mr. Doug Ley (Business Representative) and Mr. Marco Romanini (Central Water District Representative) really questioned the wisdom of not trying too hard to protect the groundwater levels, and also noted the lack of historic monitoring and groundwater level trends.   The talk became somewhat of a finger-pointing session aimed at the “bad actors” in the neighboring Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency and the State Water Board

The public was not allowed to speak on the issue until most of the discussion was complete. In the audience was Mr. Dane Mathis, representing the State Department of Water Resources. The Committee and staff did not include him in their discussion and only asked him one simple question for clarification (that is how I learned who he was).

After the break, the public was allowed to sign up to speak for 3 minutes on the topic germane. Several members of “Water for Santa Cruz County” did speak about the importance of more public input, the ability to get water from Santa Cruz City’s North Coast streams to the MidCounty area and allow over drafted wells there to rest and recover groundwater levels without harming fish in the streams, and urging the Committee to include the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency people in future discussions as well as include the specialist from the State who was sitting quietly in the audience.

The facilitator, Mr. Poncelet, thanked the public for comment and announced that the remaining opportunity for public comment that had been scheduled on the agenda would now be ERASED. I was too stunned to stay any longer…and the smell of the food on the counter behind me, available for the Committee, was just too much for my growling stomach and brain to tolerate any longer. I left the meeting in disgust.

Maybe the May 23 meeting will be better. Maybe the May 17 Board meeting will be better. Maybe we all need to attend and write letters in advance. Here is the website link: http://www.midcountygroundwater.org/

If you want to see the March 15, 2018 presentation of the Danish company report about where the salt water/ fresh water interface was last August when the helicopter flew over, you can find it under the “Sustainability Process ” link, under “science & technology” and “Helicopter Surveys”.

Interestingly enough, Mr. Romanini had compiled data from Central Water District files dating back to the 1980’s, and showed that the salt water / fresh water interface (not the same connotation as ‘seawater intrusion’ is it?) had not changed significantly in 30 years. Granted, the soils in that area are well-suited to groundwater re-charge by winter rains, according to UCSC scientist Dr. Andy Fisher, but perhaps Soquel Creek Water District is beating an un-necessarily expensive (at least $70 Million) and complicated drum with their PureWater Soquel Project?

Do you want to drink expensive sewage water if there is an alternative, such as buying more water from Central Water District than they already do via an existing inter-tie connection and/or water from the North Coast streams via an already-existing intertie connection with Santa Cruz City Water?

Maybe those regional intertie systems, along with more stormwater capture ponds in key recharge areas, such as what Dr. Fisher describes, could be the cheaper, less energy-demanding solution? I found this excellent information on the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency website

Take a look at www.WaterForSantaCruz.com for some sensible solutions to our area’s water storage problems.

IS THE COUNTY REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THE APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT DEVELOPERS ARE DOING?
Last week, after watching the 50+ high water geyser in the Aptos Village Project gush through and pond in the disturbed soils known to have high lead content, I visited the Planning Department Records Room to look at the plans for Buildings #14 and #15 where the problem is located. This is Pete Testorff and Joe Appenrodt’s separate building project that is blank on the Phase I Final Map approved by the Board of Supervisors December 8, 2015. Swenson’s Project Manager, Mary Gourlay, insisted recently that those buildings are NOT part of the Aptos Village Project. Really?

Well, the plans for those buildings had interesting notes and the added “special requirements: soils and welding” Hmmm….the soils issue, I understood because of all the contamination, but wondered what the welding issue might be. I read more carefully and saw that there had been “change orders” approved for welding issues, perhaps not completely inspected at proper times by a qualified engineer?   I also had to wonder why the County-approved plans included welding notes that stated the plans had to be approved by the City of San Jose Building Department???   The planner who is responsible for checking this issue, Ms. Laura Mellish, assured me San Jose is not involved, but I have to wonder….Aptos Village is looking more like San Jose’s Santana Row every day.

Meanwhile, who from the County is overseeing the lack of storm water control over contaminated soils in the Aptos Village Project, and other violations of the Conditions of Approval, such as construction work on weekends?

WILL THE NEW GRANITE WAY WELL IN THE APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT PROVIDE WATER FOR THE APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT?
At a recent public Rio del Mar Improvement Association meeting, Supervisor Zach Friend said the new Soquel Creek Water District’s Granite Way well, in the Aptos Village Project, is a MONITORING well. That means it’s just an observation point for the District to monitor salt water/fresh water interface, and not actually pump anything from it. That was news to me, but would explain why the District drilled the well in December, 2016 and has done nothing more to develop it as a water supply source. Maybe the fact that the soils are mostly clay and would yield very little water has something to do with it, too.

Getting a parcel of land for a new well was one of the conditions of approval of the new service connections for the Aptos Village Project. Barry Swenson Builder supposedly requested the parcel be re-located from the center of the development to the current location at the corner of Trout Gulch Road and Cathedral Drive. That change was approved for the Project in April, 2015. Having a new well this close to the sea violates the District’s Master Well Plan Goals to move all pumping further inland and connect the four service areas so that various wells near critically over drafted areas could rest.

So why did Soquel Creek Water District drill this new well 1/2 mile from the sea when they also own land further inland in that area (Quail Run) and are planning to build a new storage tank there?   Curiouser and curiouser…..

RANCHO DEL MAR SHOPPING CENTER REMODEL WILL SOON GUT THE COMERICA BANK BUILDING
At the recent Rio del Mar Improvement Association meeting, Terra Mar Retail Center (TRC) representative Scott Grady described the future improvements for the Rancho del Mar Center work. By this July, the tenants in the center island building, currently housing Comerica Bank and Fleet Feet, will be gutted and made into eight small shops.   The bank will move to the newly-remodeled area that used to be the Windjammer (near State Park Drive) and “we’re not sure where Fleet Feet will go” he said.

The current area under remodel looks like a bomb went off, but the plan is to have that area completed (with the exception of the old theater building) by this July. The new tenants will include a fitness gym and Pilates yoga center. Maybe a juice bar? Maybe a fast food place?

“I will refer to the Theater Building this once, but for the rest of the discussion, it will be called “Building A,” said Mr. Grady. Well, it was nice to have Aptos Cinema there for all those 40 years.

Someone asked if the sidewalks would be widened along Soquel Drive to accommodate people walking more? “TRC will do no improvements at the street.” Well, I wonder who will????   I smell another taxpayer-funded grant application to the Regional Transportation Commission, but of course, County Public Works will have to finish the gifts of public funds to the Aptos Village Project developers first before getting back in line for more gravy.

COULD IT HAPPEN IN SANTA CRUZ?
The ‘Good Times’ featured an interesting article in the recent April 10 edition about the possibility of wildfire ravaging our area. I sit in on the Santa Cruz County Fire Safe Council meetings, and attended a recent work session to update the San Mateo-Santa Cruz County Community Wildland Protection Plan (CWPP). It was interesting to help map the critical resources that need to be protected in the face of unknown weather changes and budgetary whims. Here is a link to that good article.

That made me wonder about yet another proposed property tax initiative that Supervisor Bruce McPherson recently announced to the audience of “Lessons Learned From the Bear Fire” event, organized by the Santa Cruz County Fire Safe Council. He wants to put that initiative on the November, 2018 ballot.

What neither the Good Times article nor Supervisor Bruce McPherson talked about is that Santa Cruz County already receives over $17 MILLION annually from a statewide Proposition 172 ‘Public Safety” half-cent sales tax, intended to be split between fire protection and law enforcement. The problem with Santa Cruz County government is that the Board of Supervisors repeatedly refuses to give any money to the County’s fire protection budget!!! Only a paltry one-half of one percent goes to the Fire Chiefs Association, passing that money through the County Fire budget to satisfy State requirements. ALL THE REST OF THE MONEY GOES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROBATION AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.

So, maybe we all need to contact Supervisor Bruce McPherson and ask why he won’t support giving more Prop. 172 taxpayer money to fund better fire protection, instead of slamming yet another property tax on the already-burdened public.

Supervisor Bruce McPherson   454-2200   bruce.mcpherson@santacruzcounty.us

Cheers,

Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

FROM GARY A. PATTON From Gary’s “We Live In A Political World” website…
April 26, 2018
#116 / A Local Newspaper Against Local Control

The picture shows what might happen in Santa Cruz, California if a bill like SB 827 ever became law. This is the bill that would have stripped local communities of their ability to control building heights on any residential property within one-half mile of a transit center, or within one-quarter mile of a transit line that has peak hour service every fifteen minutes. As originally introduced, the bill would have granted developers the right to build to no less than eight-five (85) feet. One might think that a local community newspaper would be on the side of the local community, and in favor of preserving local control over important land use decisions. One might think that efforts by the state government to take that local control away would be denounced and opposed by the local press, since such land use decisions can profoundly affect our residential neighborhoods.

Not in Santa Cruz!

On Sunday, April 22, 2018, the Santa Cruz Sentinel published an editorial bemoaning the fact that SB 827 had been defeated. Click the link to read what the Sentinel said. One might also think that a locally elected City Council would have been zealous to protect its ability to make land use decisions on behalf of the local community, and would have resisted an effort at the state level to take such land use authority away.

Not in Santa Cruz!

When SB 827 was brought before the City Council at the request of Mayor David Terrazas, with a request from the Mayor that the Council oppose SB 827, the Council decided to “study” the bill before taking a position.

My view?

One of the most important reasons to have local government at all is to empower local officials to make the land use decisions that will shape the character and quality of the local community. Local officials can listen to local residents, and then act to make local land use decisions that reflect what the local community wants. If local officials don’t want to protect local control over the land use decisions that will shape the future of the community, if that isn’t one of their very highest priorities, then I suggest that they are in the wrong job!

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. DeCinzo does a timely take on our youngsters. Scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Signs of our Times” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog with the epic/near epic poem “To Summit Up”

ASSASSINS. From the March 21st Issue of BrattonOnline… ASSASSINS, THE MUSICAL…this week!!! I love musicals, but only the really good ones. Most of my “good ones” have been written by Stephen Sondheim. Those certainly include Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum, Into The Woods, and Sunday In The Park With George. I’ve only seen one production of Assassins, a UCSC student production at Porter College many years ago. It’s so rarely produced that I wanted to urge musical fans and friends to get tickets as soon as they are available. Davis Banta is directing this production at The Mountain Community Theater (MCT) in Ben Lomond at the Park Hall May 4-June 2. The cast comprises both MCT favorites and newcomers to MCT, including Robert Gerbode as John Wilkes Booth, David Jackson as Giuseppe Zangara, Alexander Garrett as Charles Guiteau, Benjamin Canant as Samuel Byck, Brittney Mignano as Sara Jane Moore, Brennan Perry as Leon Czolgosz, John Wasielewski as John Hinckley Jr., April Bennett as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Sarah Kauffman as The Balladeer, and Mike Stark as The Proprietor.

If you’re wondering about timeliness, here are some excerpts from a recent review (2017) of assassins. “Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman examine the motivations of the men and women who have killed — or attempted to kill — United States Presidents throughout history. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley and others meet and interact in this revue-style musical. It has mad scenes, melodrama, minstrelsy and vaudeville. Wednesday night, when a character called the Balladeer sang the lyric “Every now and then, the country goes a little wrong,” applause stopped the show for perhaps 20 seconds”.

Still, when Giuseppe Zangara, who tried to kill Franklin D. Roosevelt, calls himself an “American nothing,” or when the nine assassins sing together about “another national anthem” that applies to the likes of them, you may feel, as I did, the rumblings of our unsettled country in your bones. “Assassins” is the report of that unsettlement, and the bang”. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets. A very rare opportunity.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. With the death of her husband James Aschbacher Lisa is taking it easy these days. Send her good wishes and check out her website at Lisa Jensen Online Express ( http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

FOXTROT. Is simply a wonderful film. It was Israel’s entry into the Oscar best foreign language race. Actually it is an Israeli War drama and it is almost a Greek Tragedy. It deals with death, pain, war, and about what holds a family together. You will not forget this film…it’s that great. Too many surprises and twists to talk about…just go see it. That’s if you like great films.

LEAN ON PETE. Charlie Plummer plays a teen ager who works very hard just to make it through some terribly hard times and I predict he’s going to be a major talent very soon. Set in Portland and continuing Eastward Charlie faces the law, family deaths, Chloe Sevigny and Steve Zahn are in it too but they don’t get a chance to do their grand and usual acting skills. It’s slow at times but it also develops an achingly tough look at a kid facing the toughest decisions we ever face. Go see it.

AVENGERS: AN INFINITY WAR. I am trying with enormous difficulty to like, enjoy understand Marvel Comics blockbusters. It is an entirely separate category of movies centering on comic books and graphic novels. I came of age reading Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel’s first issues in the early 40’s and still these movies go beyond my comprehension. They are the world’s number one money makers, The special effects, the blood, killings, raccoons piloting spaceships just fly beyond my senses. One critic stated that there are 73 main characters in this latest chapter. This is apparently a near perfect Marvel Comic blockbuster. You’re on your own here and it’s two and a half hours long.

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE. Joaquin Phoenix gives one of his best-ever performances is this very tight film. Scottish female director Lynne Ramsey has only made four films, and all are very uncompromising achievements. Phoenix is a veteran tortured by both war memories and childhood nightmares. The film is tight, violent, and breaks many, many film rules…go see it quickly…if you like innovative and new films.

A QUIET PLACE. Whew!!! This earned 97 % on Rotten Tomatoes — and is a genuinely scary movie. It’s well-paced, with fine acting, and Emily Blunt does a perfect believable mother, guardian and victim role. It’s upstate New York sometime in the future, and aliens (much like the Shape of Water Thing with longer legs) have taken over. The monsters attack and kill anything they hear, so everybody has be deathly silent…which makes for great suspense and tension. The kid who plays the deaf child Regan is Millicent Simmonds: she’s genuinely deaf, and she’s fabulous. Go see this IF you love scary movies.

ISLE OF DOGS. This is Wes Anderson’s latest, and I didn’t like it any more than any of his other sideways attempts at new cinema statements. The Royal Tannenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel all not just bored me but left me mystified. Rushmore was a notch up. Isle of Dogs uses cute Japanese-themed names like Kobayashi, Atari, Watanabe, Yoko-ono, and the clever Major Domo. The very famous and excellent Hollywood persons who do the voices are near legendary, but Anderson’s attempt at cleverness, brilliance and just plain story telling once again leaves me very cold and bored.

READY PLAYER ONE. The last video game I remember playing was Atari’s “Pong” back in 1972 or 73 with Manny Santana and John Tuck in “The Med” (Mediterranean Restaurant), next door to Manuels Restaurant on Center Street in Aptos. Video games have evolved since, and this Spielberg FX extravaganza is all about avatars, time travel, old timey movies, TV shows and memorabilia…and features so much space jumping and time warping that I lost interest after about 15 minutes. It was too much trouble, and besides that it’s set in Columbus, Ohio in 2045. A very large and long and dull film from a director who usually can focus more sharply.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are based on comics – DC and Marvel respectively – and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther? Got beat by …..

TRUTH OR DARE. The full title is Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, but why Blumhouse would want his name on it is beyond me. Blumhouse also directed “Get Out” so it would seem to matter somehow.. This earned a 15 on RT…so I’m not alone in warning you about this lame excuse for a horror-murder-teen thriller. Teens get offed by some quasi-religious demon while on a spring break — and the acting is just as bad as the plot.

BLOCKERS. It’s billed as a teenage sex comedy, and while it does have the raunchy, crotch, rectal, sex stuff… it’s got ZERO comedy. Lots of the audience howled at it, I was bored and disgusted at what passes for humor nowadays. It’s about parents trying to stop their three daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. 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. May 1st has Kathy Bisbee talking about Virtual Reality and its future. After which Valeria Esqueda and Sara Durghalli from UCSC’s Common Ground discuss some of their upcoming events. May 8 has Julie Thayer relating issues and concerns about PG&E’s latest move against our trees. She’s followed by Jane Mio discussing our river system and what’s needed to protect it. May 12 is KZSC’s Pledge Drive and environmentalist Grey Hayes will guest the entire hour bringing us up to date on nature’s needs. Wilma Marcus, George Lober and Rosie King will be reading and discussing poetry on May 23. C.L.U.E. co-chief John Aird will follow them and talk about UCSC growth and the June elections. The top winners from the annual Bookshop Santa Cruz Short Story Contest read their works on May 29. 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

Who knew?!

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 “PACIFIC OCEAN”

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” Mahatma Gandhi
“The Pacific is my home ocean; I knew it first, grew up on its shore, collected marine animals along the coast. I know its moods, its color, its nature.” John Steinbeck,
“It rolls the mid-most waters of the world, the Indian Ocean and Atlantic being just its arms.” Herman Melville,
“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” John F. Kennedy
“Why is it that scuba divers and surfers are some of the strongest advocates of ocean conservation? Because they’ve spent time in and around the ocean, and they’ve personally seen the beauty, the fragility, and even the degradation of our planet’s blue heart.” Sylvia Earle

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
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

April 25 – May 1, 2018

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…about CLUE’s meeting to stop UCSC growth, UCSC’s cruel and vindictative 420 weed citations, KSQD meeting and progress, Netflix and the Del Mar and Nickelodeon. GREENSITE on UCSC future growth…KROHN and non-transparency and the City Council, council agenda questions, 6 foot height limit on Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz city budget questions, many meetings, Bernie Tweet…STEINBRUNER about SB623 and Bill Monning problem, toilet water and re-use for drinking it, Soquel and costly water consultants and why?, Seawater intrusion in Soquel, Aptos/Soquel’s new fire chief, County supes and expensive contractors…PATTON and racist views on Barbara Bush…EAGAN sees links between Cohen and Hannity…DeCINZO and coffee nerves …JENSEN and Santa Cruz Shakespeare, and Final Portrait…BRATTON critiques You Were Never Really Here, Final Portrait and almost everything else playing locally…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE FUTURE GUESTS…QUOTES about “MAY”

THE DOUGLAS HOUSE NEAR THE BOARDWALK. Circa 1888. Near where the Sea Beach hotel was built later.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

ASHWIN BATISH and INDIAN FUSION AT THE KUUMBWA.

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER.
Ralph Davila’s sense of togetherness is obvious. Take a look.

GEORGE CARLIN ABOUT RELIGION.

DATELINE April 23, 2018

STOP UNIVERSITY GROWTH. I asked John Aird — chairman of C.L.U.E. — to give a report of last week’s meeting. He sent…

TIME TO STAND UP AND OPPOSE FURTHER UCSC GROWTH.
Last Thursday (4/19) in the face of UCSC planning underway in the context of an approximate target increase of 50% in student enrollment growth, the Coalition for Limiting University Expansion (CLUE) held a packed meeting of community members to brief them on the status of current university growth planning, and its implications for the Santa Cruz community. CLUE’s current leadership is Ted Benhari, Gary Patton, Reed Searle and me. As our campaign picks up, I expect that other key leaders will be added. There were probably 100 people in attendance. Speakers included City Council Members Cynthia Mathews and Chis Krohn, County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, community leaders Ted Benhari, Gillian Greensite, Andy Shiffrin, and Gary Patton, and UCSC students Chayla Fisher and Maxine Jimenez and retired UCSC faculty member Jim Clifford. City Council member Cynthia Mathews said the Council opposed any more growth as “our housing is already a crisis now and adding any more students would make it a complete disaster”……….” For that reason, The Council put Measure U on the June Ballot to send a clear message to University leaders that Santa Cruz cannot support more growth”.

With traffic backed up and streets clogged, water security uncertain, and available affordable housing non-existent, Santa Cruz cannot absorb further university growth without suffering fundamental and permanent damage. The University has viable alternatives that should be pursued. Among those cited included concentrating more growth at its new Merced campus, opening one or more new campuses elsewhere, or regional exploration of potential development sites in Watsonville and/or on its university-owned land in Marina. This was the unanimous conclusion of all speakers. Those providing student and faculty perspectives also importantly added the fact that, with current inadequate class facilities and faculty to even support its current enrollment level, consideration of any further growth made even less sense.

Measure U has been placed on the June 5 election ballot to send an unequivocal message to UCSC locally and the President and Regents of the University system as a whole that enough is enough! Santa Cruz cannot absorb and will not accept any further growth. Vote YES for Measure U to make sure that message is heard loud and clear. What else can people do? Write letters to the editor to support Measure U and get friends and neighbors committed to voting “YES” on MEASURE U.

UCSC 420 CELEBRATION AND POLICE CITATIONS. Does anyone else wonder why — with all the negative community reactions to the ever-growing UCSC plots and plans —this year police issued so many citations to the 420 celebrants? I mean, this was the first year of legalized weed, and you’d think UCSC would relax a little, or even support students having harmless fun.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel report (4/21) stated. “This year’s crowd was about 30 percent the size of last year’s, when there were no citations issued for marijuana-related offenses, UC Santa Cruz police reported. UCSC Police Chief Nader Oweis said “dozens of citations” were issued Friday by a team of 100 officers from UC campuses statewide, local law enforcement agencies and California Highway Patrol. “We wrote citations for everything, from distracted driving and vehicle and pedestrian violations, to people smoking marijuana in public, smoking marijuana in a no-smoking zone, smoking marijuana within 1,000 feet of a day-care center, being under 21 and smoking marijuana,” Oweis said. Hundreds of vehicles went through a checkpoint at Empire Grade and Heller Drive on campus. Highway Patrol made four DUI arrests”.

UNBELIEVABLE!! They actually brought in officers from UC campuses statewide…it makes one (or thousands) wonder just what the UC system is trying to do? Can they treat students any more cruelly? They already charge too high tuition, they have terrible living and study conditions… and still they support increasing marijuana citations. WHY?

KSQD UPDATE. I didn’t count the attendees last Thursday (4/19) at the KSQD meeting, but just about every chair was taken. They’ve had almost 90 program proposals so far and many more ideas were floated that day. That sounds great, but there’s at least 126 hours to fill in a broadcast week. They’ve also just about cemented in their new station location and are near completing the station antenna details. Some other big news is that they’ve acquired Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now broadcasts and also Thom Hartmann’s progressive radio program. It looks like it’ll be a few months yet before “Air-time” but it’s happening.

NETFLIX, LANDMARK, NICKLEDEON & THE DEL MAR. Last week someone wrote to the Sentinel asking Reed Hastings- Netflix CEO and Santa Cruz resident to please buy our Nickelodeon and Del Mar theatres, since Landmark is/was trying to sell their entire string of theatres. Lo and behold today’s (4/23) San Francisco Chronicle had an article titled … “And the theater goes to…Netflix? Maybe”. It stated… “Netflix, the global streaming giant that has dramatically changed the TV industry and clashed with movie theater owners, may be ready to move onto the big screen in a new and surprising way — by owning cinemas. The Los Gatos company has explored the idea of buying movie theaters in Los Angeles and New York that would allow it to screen its growing pipeline of feature films and documentaries, according to people familiar with the situation. Netflix executives considered acquiring Landmark Theatres, the circuit co-owned by Mark Cuban, but recently backed off the idea, said two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans are private. One of the knowledgeable people said Netflix decided not to pursue a deal because executives believed the sale price was too high. Although no cinema deal has materialized, the idea of Netflix buying a theater chain would mark a new phase in the company’s rapid ascent to become one of the most powerful players in the entertainment industry”.

So that’s that…maybe. But Reed Hastings could just buy our two nicely successful theatres and continue what Bill and Nancy Raney and Jim Schwenterley started so many decades ago.

April 23, 2018

GROWING PAINS
A number of people who attended the public meeting organized by CLUE (Coalition for Limiting University Expansion) asked that I share more widely the presentation I gave. Here it is:

I am an admirer of the UC system of higher education. I worked at UCSC for 30 years and have a deep love for its natural lands, its students and its mission. My criticisms are directed at the Office of the President’s lack of planning for UC student growth, which has caused this crisis, and the Office of the President’s indifference to our town’s pleas for relief from the impacts of such growth, which is destroying the livability of our neighborhoods, impacting workers, families and students. My criticisms are also directed to the top administrators who lecture us about our lack of empathy for future students’ needs, as if their enticing low-income students to a town with the third highest rents in the country is not heartless, by definition.

I started working at UCSC in 1979 as head of Rape Prevention Education. The population of Santa Cruz city was around 41,000 and the student population was around 6000 meaning 15% of the total population of the town was UCSC students. Similar to today, about half of the student body lived on campus and about half lived in town. That is, about 3 thousand students lived in town.

Today, 29% of the total population of the city is UCSC students. That is double the percentage from 40 years ago. And similarly, just over half of the students live in town. But today that number is 9 thousand or 3 times as many as 40 years ago.

This massive student growth has had significant and negative impacts on our neighborhoods: traffic, crowding, scarcity of housing, no parking; noise; dislocation of lower income residents who cannot compete for rents with students, many of whom come from higher income families… we know these impacts only too well. Some we may not know as well: during my 30 years at UCSC, I learned that students who are disciplined for alcohol abuse, racist or sexist behavior or other violations of student conduct invariably lose their on-campus housing privileges. In other words, they are sent to live…with us! I always thought that a pretty bad arrangement and said so. Nonetheless it was and probably still is the practice, demonstrating a lack of regard for the city off the hill.

The most significant impact of UCSC growth is its role as the main driver of ever increasing rents and skyrocketing housing values, both of which are designated as local crises. To understand how this works, we need to heed the observations of a UCSC financial officer from long ago.

In the late 1980’s, Don Van Den Berg, the bursar (financial officer) of Crown College cautioned that every additional complex of student housing built on campus raised the rents for all on-campus students by about $100 a month. Across the board, since all students living on campus, shoulder the cost of on-campus housing. It is VERY expensive to build on campus for a variety of reasons, including soils and geology. Since rents on campus are always higher than rents in town, downtown landlords adjust their rents accordingly. So more students on campus, more housing built, leading to higher rents on campus leading to higher rents off-campus. Student growth is a formula for ever- increasing rents on and off-campus, and if the number of students grows to the anticipated 28 thousand, today’s rents will seem low by comparison. Some call for all additional students to be housed on campus. Even if that were possible, that will not solve the impact on our neighborhoods in terms of ever-increasing rents and housing costs that such growth will generate.

The ONLY solution is a cap on UCSC enrollment. I’d suggest 10 thousand, which would bring the ratio of town/gown back to 15% but that is a pipe dream. At the very least, we need a rousing support for Measure U to send a message to the Office of the President that its lack of planning for student growth is not our town’s burden to bear!

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.

April 23, 2018

THE POLITICS OF NON-TRANSPARENCY
Obscurantism

The Oxford Dictionary says that obscurantism is “the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or full details of something from becoming known.”It goes on to offer an example from the political realm on how to use the word, for example, “allegations in the Press about government obscurantism.” Well, my friends, if anyone has had the opportunity to peruse a copy of the twice-monthly (sometimes more) Santa Cruz city council agenda, then you understand a bit about how government can obscure the political matters at hand. My favorite of course, is when this phrase appears on the agenda: “Conference With Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation.” Some will argue this is done to be super-cautious and protect the public, but often it acts as a smokescreen. It might mean certain elements within local government may not be willing to show their hand just yet. Political obscurantism smacks of certain government officials thinking they know better than the public. In the extreme, Machiavelli and Mussolini have participated in political obscurantism, but perhaps it is most reflected in the work of conservative philosopher, Leo Strauss, when he talks about “exoteric” (or public) and “esoteric” (or secret) writing. Perhaps, to paraphrase a Strauss concept, city council agendas have in mind the right kind of audience and wish to put offthe wrong kind of audience. When government enters the realm of the esoteric, it can have negative consequences within the demos (Greek, for “the public” who make up a democracy).When we need government to present and interpret our own public realityinjust the right way, we’ve given up the opportunity for meaningful civic discourse(s). Seems to me city council agendas are structured to do just that.

This Past Week’s Council Agenda
Something is going on. Lots of money is being spent. Many unelected and high-salaried people are making tons of findings and judgements. But the city council agenda often contains only obscure references to the several local decisions that have either already been made (then even more obscure language is employed), or are about to be made. This past week was no different. There were the usual land giveaways in closed session, this time PG&E was to be the recipient of “easements” on Darwin Street, at 168 Frederick Street, and at 224 Market Street. Then there was the ever moving-target of Oral Communication, the time when the public gets to speak to the council and community on any item not on that week’s agenda (examples could be garbage truck is too loud, needles found in park, or people are sleeping next to my house, stuff like that.) It was item # 3. Seems like when city council voted to move “oral communication” to a new moving-target time slot of 5:30 pm from its former moving target time of 5pm on November 28, 2017, somebody forgot to make it official, so here it is back in its squishy form, with the actual start-time determined by the Mayor. It could be 5:30 pm or 5:45 pm or, 5:50 pm like it was two weeks ago, just never know. This comes after years and years of placing (celebrating!) it first on the 7pm agenda.In addition, there was another issue concerning the spending of $336,000 for a new traffic signal system at Bay and King Streets in order to add a left turn arrow. (Another Public Works project.) I don’t know about you, but there are far too many left turn arrows in this town that have motorists waiting and waiting for oncoming traffic that often does not come. I use the Bay and King intersection 5-6 times a week and have never had a problem turning left. Please let me know if you have. This seems like an enormous waste of money. It also included five street lights between King and Escalona, which could be a good thing, but no signal, please. But the winner this week for “obscurantism:” Item #16 “Construction Management Services – Request for Qualifications.” You have to get into the weeds to realize we are talking about $3.1 million is to be spent on “Segment 7, Phase 1” of the Rail-Trail project, and $4.3 million is to underground utilities on Riverside Avenue and add some “streetscape.”

Strangest Thing on City Council Agenda last Tuesday
It was item 18: “Proposed Changes in Parking Restrictions and Meter Rates on Pacific Avenue and Side Streets” This seems to be yet another law to “fix” Pacific Avenue and keep it more in the hands of business owners than the community at-large. I guess the “Downtown stakeholders” had a meeting and made some decisions, the main one being to restrict vehicles over “six (6) feet” tall from parking along the Avenue. Are you listening Santa Cruz local hero, Curtis Reliford? Curtis quite often parks on Pacific and holds spontaneous music events or speaker’s corner events in which I’ve seen students speak out about deportations, women talk about living with a harasser as President, or just plain bring joy to downtown walkers, shoppers, and those hanging out. The Get-Rid-of-Curtis Ordinance is a bad idea. Also, a figure of $5000 was thrown out as the amount it would cost to purchase “100 signs to communicate this new restriction,” i.e. that they got rid of people like Curtis. Can you imagine even more signs downtown?!? I can’t. These kinds of decisions will also make it harder for the community to support Measure S, quarter-cent sales tax, in the June 5th election if the city really needs money. This murky “stakeholder” group, no names given in staff report to council, also wants to bring “a method for encouraging short-term parking with performance pricing…” Mmmnnn…let me guess…is that like a Giants ticket that cost $20 last week now costs $40 this week? (dynamic pricing?) All this seems to be driving poorer people out, possibly in favor of more well-heeled shoppers. I support local downtown businesses and I want them to thrive, but the community should have a say in these decisions. I wonder if bikers, walkers, street performers, and artists were part of the “stakeholders” group? How much you want to bet they might not have been?

Win-Win On The Avenue
Here you go! I wonder if any of the “stakeholders” mentioned this as a compromise: close Pacific Avenue to vehicle traffic and parking? Many people over many years at community meetings and while I was walking precincts during election season have mentioned to me how they would love to see the Avenue closed to vehicular traffic, a pedestrian mall-town plaza concept. Now that might be a real win-win! Why not remove parking altogether and make the Avenue car-free? We could use a system of mechanical bollards that are raised and lowered to allow for deliveries during certain hours, say 6-11am. Maybe we can turn this poor planning decision around and make it a win for everyone.

Downtown Development
With the mayor lauding of all the construction going on in town at his State of the City address on April 19th at the Hotel Paradox (where else?!), and then seeing land-use consultant, Owen Lawlor and his projects featured above the fold in last week’s Santa Cruz Sentinel, I was looking forward to the May 1st city council study session. You know, the one that was to be about downtown–the library and the garage project, moving the Farmer’s Market, hundreds and hundreds of housing units, and maybe more. But it turns out that the city manager (Cm) cancelled it. He said staff was not ready yet to present to the council. Lots of work going into finding a homeless shelter (that’s good!) and preparing for June budget meetings Cm said.

SC City Budget
BTW, budget meetings are usually in May, but with the June 5th ballot asking voters to raise the sales tax by a quarter percent (AND to vote up or down on UCSC growth) the Cm decided to wait until election results are in before coming up with a new budget. I am not holding my breath as to when the downtown study session will be, but it is already known that Developer go-between Owen Lawlor submitted building plans for parcels he controls between Front Street and Pacific Avenue. Keep your antenna up on this one, something’s happening!

A Few Meetings this Week

Wed., April 25th, 9a, 701 Ocean Street, Board of Supervisors will discuss cannabis rules again.

Thurs., April 26th, 1p–meeting of the Long-Range Development Plan Community group

Friday, April 27th, 10:30a-2:30p, Earth Summit at UCSC, Colleges 9&10 Multipurpose Room

Friday, 2p, unveiling of Rachel Carson statue at Rachel Carson College, UCSC

Sunday, April 29th, 830a, FREE Yoga at Patagonia on River Street (stay strong for the long march home!)

Curtis Reliford (left) kneeling on Pacific Avenue during the MLK march in February. It is time for us to not only pray now for Curtis, but to also act and save the Avenue for everyone in this community. The sign behind Curtis says what he’s about: “…to come together community.” You can find out more about his work and donate, and see his TEDx talk at: www.followyourheartactionnetwork.com

“Our political revolution means getting real progressives to run for office at every level, in every state, and in every county. When we stand together and fight, we can accomplish anything.” (Hey PEOPLE, this means for Santa Cruz city council too!) (April 19)

(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

April 23, 2018

SB 623… DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PASS THIS TAX
Why is Senator Bill Monning attaching his proposed water tax and “pay to pollute” SB 623 to the State Budget as a hidden add-on trailer bill, rather than placing it before publicly-transparent legislative committee review process, as is normally required for new taxation measures?

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) and the League of California Cities both oppose Senator Monning’s proposed SB 623 Water Tax, questioning the lack of public transparency and good government process. Read the ACWA’s excellent summary of last month’s Budget Committee hearings in the Senate and Assembly.

The ACWA and others who testified before the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees recommended an alternative solution of using General Funds for this health and safety issue that affects citizens statewide. That makes sense to me.

I think it is worth noting that the City of Watsonville, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and the Special Districts Association all testified in opposition to taxing all residents for their drinking water.   Watsonville and several other cities in these districts are disadvantaged communities.

It seems to me that the intention of this bill really is to fund consolidation of small mutually-owned water companies and possibly private well owners with nearby larger municipal water departments. The law to do this was enacted two years ago, and now Senator Monning is helping to fund it with this tax on all residents, along with the dairy and fertilizer industries. It allows those industries to pass along to the consumers (again the residents) the costs associated with the tax.It places further burden on the water municipalities and special districts (eg, Soquel Creek Water District and Central Water District) to collect tax, account for the collection and any applications for exemption, and submit payments to the State. Who will verify that those who apply for exemption actually qualify? I would require County water administration to compile detailed lists of private well owners and small water companies to send to the State. It would allow the groundwater polluting to continue by prohibiting the enforcement agencies from taking action until 2035, as long as the polluters are paying the tax but seal all records of these transactions and agreements from public review.

Does this seem like good governance to you? Contact Senator Monning and let him know your thoughts. His aide, Mr. Trevor Taylor, is the contact for this issue: Trevor Taylor trevor.taylor@sen.ca.gov

COMMENT ON DRINKING TREATED TOILET WATER PLEASE
Many thanks to reader D.W. for passing along the information about public comment period available for the State Water Board’s “Proposed Framework for Regulating Potable ReUse” (aka drinking treated toilet water)

The comment period closes May 20, 2018 but as with all such documents (including CEQA) you may submit comments after the close of comment as well, but the issues may not be considered in the final outcome (so I have been told).

You can find information about how to submit comments and contact staff here.

It is a shame that the document only became available April 19, and the two public workshops offering you the opportunity for explanations and discussion of the issues regarding drinking treated toilet water directly from your tap will be gone by the time you read this: April 23 in Oakland and April 26 in Los Angeles. No webcasts were available.

I phoned the contact staff, Mr. Randy Barnard (619-525-4022) at State Water boards to ask about adding further workshops and whether the ones held this week will be video recorded for public review. I left a message and hope to hear from him soon. Give him a call with your concerns and questions.

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT BOARD APPROVES MORE EXPENSIVE CONSULTANTS AND TRIPS TO WASHINGTON, D.C
At last week’s Soquel Creek Water District Board meeting, the Board thankfully scrutinized the wisdom of paying Black and Veatch consultants $119,000 for two months of work to meet with District staff and develop specialized computer software to help manage projects. The work would have to be further funded into the next fiscal year…ker-ching!   The Board just did not seem to be able to say “NO!” however, and agreed to fund $30,000 for the consultant to talk with District staff and find out what they need to do their jobs.    Wow.

I have seen this play out before and you can bet that the Black and Veatch consultant will returen after June 30 with a differently-worded staff proposal that the Board will then accept…thousands and thousands of dollars for rate payers to swallow. I really wonder what is so complex that the highly-qualified District staff cannot accomplish? Could it be the PureWater Soquel treated sewage water project, which the Board insists has not been selected until they consider the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) due out this spring? Could it be managing the $2 million state grant for PureWater Soquel the District recently received? Could it be managing the property aquisition process necessary for PureWater Soquel?? ( and possibly for which the District recently paid former County Planning Director Tom Burns over $2000 as consultation)?

When will the District just be honest and admit what is going on…shoving through a complex, high-technology, high-energy-demanding project with unknown health and safety risks for the public but NOT BEING TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC. Contact the California Special Districts Association if you have thoughts about Soquel Creek Water District and their transparency with the public: 877-924-2732 or Beth Hummel BethH@csda.net and Neil McCormick NeilM@csda.net

WHERE IS THE SALTWATER/FRESHWATER INTERFACE (aka SEAWATER INTRUSION)?
The MidCounty Groundwater Agency (MGA), a consortium of Soquel Creek Water District, Santa Cruz City Water Dept., Central Water District and the County of Santa Cruz representing private well owners, mutuals and small water companies, paid for a Danish company named Ramboll to fly equipment over the area and determine the status of the groundwater quality. The report was presented to the MGA Board and video recorded by Community Television. Here is the link to that video

It is an interesting report that gives a snapshot of where the saltwater/freshwater interface is…it appears much closer to the land than had been hoped. Soquel Creek Water District has been told that when that occurs, they have two years before the seawater reaches their production wells. But the Board keeps approving more new hook-ups, claiming their Water Demand Offset (customers replace a toilet and pay $55,000/AcreFoot new water demand) is actually reducing water use(?).

It would be nice if the MGA could have seen the results of this criticaland expensive Ramboll study in a 3-D format, such as what the Marina folks got with their similar study conducted by Stanford University’s Dr. Rosemary Knight: (shared here with her permission)

“You might be interested in our recent SkyTEM work in Marina – a video displaying the results is here”

According to MGA Senior Water Planner, Ms. Darcy Pruitt, the Ramboll folks offered to put the study’s results into a similar 3-D video format but MGA staff decided it was of no use.   I think it would have helped the citizen-based Advisory Committee really grasp the pages and pages of colorful data. In the meantime, a recent Santa Cruz Sentinel article seems to present a different story, and one really wonders what to believe?

MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER AGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 25, 6PM
If you can, attend this meeting. They are informative and important because these folks are working on making a Plan to send to the State that will outline who gets water and what events could trigger “undesirable outcomes”.    The meetings are audio recorded, and difficult to listen to, so try to be there and hear what is discussed. I hope to video record the meeting and put it up on YouTube.

Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Advisory Committee MeetingWednesday, April 25, 6pm at the County Sheriff Center on Soquel Ave. Frontage Road.

WELCOME APTOS / LA SELVA’S NEW CHIEF AARON LOWE
Plan to attend the public reception on May 3 at 6:30pm following the badge-pinning ceremony for the new Chief, two veteran Captains and five firefighters. The event will be at Station #1, near Cabrillo College. Read more about Chief Lowe who has served as Chief for the city of Chico, also overseeing their Office of Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness. So far, reports from within are encouraging.

Read more about Chief Lowe here

Let’s hope this is a big step forward in healing the incredibly unfortunate damage dealt by former Chief Jon Jones.

What remains to be seen is whether the current Board of Directors will cooperate with any positive actions Chief Lowe might recommend to support Local 3535. The litigation fallout from Chief Jones is still favored by the current Board. Two Directors, Vincent Hurley and Jim Abendschan, are up for re-election and are considering running. That election will be in November.

SUPPORT APTOS / LA SELVA FIREFIGHTER LOCAL 3535 AT ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST MAY 6 IN LA SELVA BEACH
Plan to attend the Annual Pancake Breakfast on May 6, 7:30am-11:30am at the Station #3 (314 Estrella) in La SelvBeach. Proceeds will benefit Jacob’s Heart, the Burn Foundation, and Fallen Officers Foundation. Tickets are only $10 for adults.

MORE EXPENSIVE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS TO HELP COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will approve yet more expensive outside engineering contractors at Tuesday’s (April 24) meeting in the Consent Agenda with Item #47. MSN Engineering will be given $70,000 for engineering a Trout Gulch Road repair. Pacific Crest Engineering will be given an additional $1,148.75 for their inspection work at the taxpayer-funded Aptos Village Traffic Improvement Phase I Project to help Swenson Builder’s mess.

WHEN WILL THIS EVER STOP?

Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

Friday, April 20, 2018 #110 / An “Amazing,” Outlandish College President

Barbara Bush died. Many positive things were immediately said about her. In Fresno, California, however, an English professor at Fresno State University was much less positive.

Randa Jarrar wrote on Twitter that Barbara Bush was a “generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal.”

This comment was, of course, not very nice. On the other hand, Barbara Bush’s son, President George W. Bush, did employ false information to justify and carry out a war in Iraq in which thousands of Americans and over 100,000 Iraqis were killed.

Bush also employed torture against Islamic men whom he asserted were “terrorists.” The infamous Abu Ghraib torture facility was one of the facilities utilized by the Bush Administration, with torture both carried out and justified. Many alleged terrorists were never brought to trial, and no evidence was ever made public demonstrating that the allegations against them were true. Some of these alleged terrorists are still incarcerated in a United States prison in Guantanamo, Cuba.

There is, in other words, what I think is a “fair argument” that George W. Bush could properly be called a “war criminal.”

I am not sure exactly what Barbara Bush might have done to justify the “racist” label. However, it does seem to me that it is not outlandish that someone might claim that the former First Lady was racist. In fact, racism is pervasive, and appears almost everywhere in our society, and in almost all white people, to some degree, even in people who want to, and strive to, extirpate its traces.

So, Jarrar’s reference to Barbara Bush as a “racist” is not what I would call outlandish.What I would call outlandish is what the President of Fresno State University had to say about Jarrar.

According to news accounts, University President Joseph Castro … called Jarrar’s comments disrespectful, claiming “they went beyond free speech.”

“Disrespectful” I will grant. But “beyond free speech?” What is that “amazing” College President talking about?

In my opinion, Dr. Castro needs to take a brush up course in Constitutional Law. I happen to know that there is an excellent course available at UCSC. Maybe Dr. Castro should take a leave of absence from Fresno State, and enroll in the course that is offered here.

Maybe, if he paid attention in class, Dr. Castro might even be able to pass the course. He sure couldn’t pass it now!

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. Check out DeCinzo’s very “expressive espresso concern” just a scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Hannity & Cohen’s teamwork” 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 “WWUD” and other extraterrestial thoughts.

KZSC 50TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY. April 28. I don’t have many details but long time DJ’s, lots of entertainment and there’s an event in the quarry. A station email stated… 1. 50th anniversary/ Alumni Weekend- April 27th- 29th We are a little over a week away from our 50th anniversary celebration kicking off on Friday April 27th with alumni air checks, our 50th anniversary variety show on Saturday April 28th from 7-9pm at the Quarry Amphitheater, and Breakfast with Breakfast in Bed on Sunday April 29th at the College 9/10 dining hall.

Here is the plan for the variety show on Saturday the 28th:

Zach Friend will be the Emcee

Segment 1- the event will kick off with an acknowledgement of the native land we are on
Segment 2- The founders of KRUZ will come on stage and share stories of the origins of KZSC
Segment 3- “Celebrating our Mission” – members of Closet Free Radio, Turtle Island, Breakfast in Bed, and Wiki Wiki Wednesday will share stories of their time at KZSC
Segment 4- Open Mic- any members of current and past KZSC will be welcome to sign up to tell stories and share memories of their time at KZSC.
Segment 5- KZSC Mini Doc screening
Segment 6-Station manager Morgan Corona will give a speech about the progress of KZSC and their plans for the future

DEL SOL STRING QUARTET. April 28.
San Francisco’s Del Sol Quartet performs the West Coast premiere of Frederic Rzewski’s String Quartet No. 2 and new music by local and international composers. The concert also features the premiere of professor Ben Leeds Carson’s “Modes (of Resistance)” plus music of Bernadette Speach (including “les ondes pour quatre”), the North American premiere of Michal Rataj’s piano quintet “Souveti-I” (“Long Sentence”). Saturday, April 28, 2018 – 7:30 pm in the Music Center Recital Hall (UCSC campus).The concert is free and open to the public.

SANTA CRUZ BAROQUE FESTIVAL. April 29. Their fourth concert this season is titled, “Trading Gifts –Iberia & the Arab World”. That means Spanish and Moorish music, from Martinetes to Sevillanas and Fandangos. Featuring classical preludes by the Tunisian master Jassar Haj Youssef (viola d’amore) and Algerian master Mustafa Skandrani (fortepiano) and a Rococo sonata by Domenico Scarlatti played on viola d’amore with harpsichord. The musicians are Leslie Hirsch, 7-string viola d’amore …Linda Burman-Hall, harpsichord and fortepiano…
Carlitos de Santa Cruz, cante flamenco…and El Duquete, guitar. Better get tickets in advance, it takes forever to stand in line at the door. Sunday April 29, 2018 3:00 P.M. UCSC Music Recital Hall.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Time to get your Bard on! Pre-sale tickets to the upcoming 2018 season of Santa Cruz Shakespeare go on sale next week! Find out what SCS has in store for us this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express ( http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). (Hint: it’s all about love!) Also, enjoy Geoffrey Rush rampaging around Paris as eccentric artist Alberto Giacometti in Final Portrait, reviewed in this week’s Good Times. Speaking of which, discover a rip-roaring historical novel that imagines the origin story of several Shakespearean plays (including this year’s featured SCS production of Romeo and Juliet), and take a look at my vintage Beast of the Month — from the Pre-Raphaelite school of design!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE. Joaquin Phoenix gives one of his best-ever performances is this very tight film. Scottish female director Lynne Ramsey has only made four films, and all are very uncompromising achievements. Phoenix is a veteran tortured by both war memories and childhood nightmares. The film is tight, violent, and breaks many, many film rules…go see it quickly…if you like innovative and new films.

FINAL PORTRAIT. Geoffrey Rush plays artist/sculptor Alberto Giacometti, and Armie Hammer is the guy who sits while his portrait is painted in 1964. Watching Giacometti struggle and sweat in an effort to live up to his fame is tiring. It’s like waiting for an egg to hatch, or better yet, waiting for a volcano to erupt. Armie Hammer does next to nothing in a movie that seems like it’s 90 hours long. It’s really only 90 minutes. Go warned, but go quickly. Closes Thursday April 26

BEIRUT.Jon Hamm, star of the near-legendary tv series Mad Men, is an incredibly powerful screen presence. In Beirut he gets a chance to act a role with gravity. Coupled with Rosamund Pike, they make this extremely complex political spy plot very worthwhile watching. If you understand the tensions and history behind what was happening in Lebanon in 1982, you’ll be way ahead. Muslims, The PLO, Israelis, secret agents, Arabs, kidnappings and snipers are the ingredients of this fast-paced thriller… Go prepared. Closes Thursday April 26

TRUTH OR DARE. The full title is Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, but why Blumhouse would want his name on it is beyond me. Blumhouse also directed “Get Out” so it would seem to matter somehow.. This earned a 15 on RT…so I’m not alone in warning you about this lame excuse for a horror-murder-teen thriller. Teens get offed by some quasi-religious demon while on a spring break — and the acting is just as bad as the plot.

A QUIET PLACE. Whew!!! This earned 97 % on Rotten Tomatoes — and is a genuinely scary movie. It’s well-paced, with fine acting, and Emily Blunt does a perfect believable mother, guardian and victim role. It’s upstate New York sometime in the future, and aliens (much like the Shape of Water Thing with longer legs) have taken over. The monsters attack and kill anything they hear, so everybody has be deathly silent…which makes for great suspense and tension. The kid who plays the deaf child Regan is Millicent Simmonds: she’s genuinely deaf, and she’s fabulous. Go see this IF you love scary movies.

CHAPPAQUIDDICK. I didn’t remember that Chappaquiddick was in Martha’s Vineyard. This docu-drama (half true and half BS) is only worth seeing if you remember who Mary Jo Kopechne was, or Robert McNamara or Ted Sorensen. Many of us old-timers look at the Ted Kennedy involvement in Mary Jo’s drowning as another unsolved murder mystery. This film does NOT provide a single new fact or angle to that infamous near-presidential saga — it’s also a very slow, with no notable actors or acting, except Bruce Dern as Joe Kennedy senior. Closes Thursday April 26

THE DEATH OF STALIN. This would-be comedy is much like “Veep” — the TV series based on inside White House “secret” humor. They are similar because both are directed by the same guy. The problem is that we (or I especially) don’t know anything about the Russian government under Stalin. In addition it’s based on a graphic novel. If you know the roles Khrushchev or Malenkov played, or just who Beria supported, you’ll be way ahead and might even laugh. It’s a bitter, biting, mean type of humor and not my style. Closes Thursday April 26

ISLE OF DOGS. This is Wes Anderson’s latest, and I didn’t like it any more than any of his other sideways attempts at new cinema statements. The Royal Tannenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel all not just bored me but left me mystified. Rushmore was a notch up. Isle of Dogs uses cute Japanese-themed names like Kobayashi, Atari, Watanabe, Yoko-ono, and the clever Major Domo. The very famous and excellent Hollywood persons who do the voices are near legendary, but Anderson’s attempt at cleverness, brilliance and just plain story telling once again leaves me very cold and bored.

READY PLAYER ONE. The last video game I remember playing was Atari’s “Pong” back in 1972 or 73 with Manny Santana and John Tuck in “The Med” (Mediterranean Restaurant), next door to Manuels Restaurant on Center Street in Aptos. Video games have evolved since, and this Spielberg FX extravaganza is all about avatars, time travel, old timey movies, TV shows and memorabilia…and features so much space jumping and time warping that I lost interest after about 15 minutes. It was too much trouble, and besides that it’s set in Columbus, Ohio in 2045. A very large and long and dull film from a director who usually can focus more sharply.

LOVE, SIMON. This is a very light, music background, story of a teen age boy coming out as gay. It contains drama, real pain, peer and penis envy and it’s still “lighter than heir”.(Pun intended). No stars involved, but it’s a nice movie.

ANNIHILATION. This is the Natalie Portman science fiction thriller that got an 87 on RT. If you pay close attention there is quite a moral, philosophic base to the plot. Like one line I can’t forget…”all humans self destruct either by suicide, drinking or smoking”. The same director did “Ex Machina” so you can tell he’s got something to say. But it’s way too hard to follow. There’s a sort of foggy, swirly, shimmer wall and people go through the wall. The dead come back to life, time goes back on itself, and on and on. Maybe if you really concentrate and stay awake you’ll get some kind of profound meaning from Annihilation…I’m not sure.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are based on comics – DC and Marvel respectively – and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther? Got beat by …..

A WRINKLE IN TIME. The much hyped adapting of this hugely popular children’s book by black woman director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out so otherworldly so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

RAMPAGE.Dwayne Johnson— known as “the Rock” in his wrestling days —definitely has screen presence, and he’s perfect for these numbskull King Kong rip-off movies. The low point is when the giant ape gives Dwayne the middle finger a few times, and near the ending even sinks so low as to laugh and give him the finger-fuck sign. It’s that kind of mentality throughout the entire flick. Don’t even rent it.

BLOCKERS. It’s billed as a teenage sex comedy, and while it does have the raunchy, crotch, rectal, sex stuff… it’s got ZERO comedy. Lots of the audience howled at it, I was bored and disgusted at what passes for humor nowadays. It’s about parents trying to stop their three daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. 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. Candace Brown discusses the choosing of a new Parks and Recreation Director on April 24. Then Ken Koenig and Judy Allen from Santa Cruz Indivisible talk about canvassing to get out the vote. May 1st has Kathy Bisbee talking about Virtual Reality and Air Pollution. After which Valeria Esqueda and Sara Durghalli from UCSC’s Common Ground discuss some of their upcoming events. May 8 is KZSC’s bi-annual Pledge Drive time. Julie Thayer relates issues and concerns about PG&E’s latest moves on May 12. Wilma Marcus, George Lober and Rosie King will be reading and discussing poetry on May 23. The top winners from the annual Bookshop Santa Cruz Short Story Contest read their works on May 29. 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

Dances from all over Africa

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. “MAY”

“Make hay in May for you may never know what June is coming with and you may never know what July will present! When you see May, make hay!” Ernest Agyemang Yeboah
“Another May new buds and flowers shall bring: Ah! why has happiness no second Spring?” Charlotte Smith
“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” William Shakespeare

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.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

April 16 – 22, 2018

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON about stopping UCSC Growth meeting, stopping the Nissan Dealership in Soquel, moving city offices to the present library site, what “420” celebration?, Frankenstein’s 200th Celebration…GREENSITE on council decision for West Cliff path e-bike project…KROHN Google buses, UCSC growth issues, Density Bonuses, some original poetry, jump bikes, fiber optic cables, BearCat tank usage, more meetings…STEINBRUNER drinking recycled toilet water, Rancho Del Mar update and important meeting, Aptos Village insults, available water for Santa Cruz?…PATTON and UCSC Student Housing West…EAGAN and Brain Aneurism Trump…DeCINZO and classic Coonerty…Munching with Mozart…Santa Cruz Chamber players…JENSEN keeps writing and editing…Bratton critiques Beirut, Finding Your Feet, Truth or Dare, Rampage…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES about BOOKS.

THE BOARDWALK’S PLEASURE PIER. Circa September 1953. The pier was built in 1904 and named the “Electric Pier”. It was taken down in 1964, at the same time they filled in the plunge baths inside the Boardwalk’s Casino.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

RAISING THOSE BABIES. These are not the best of moments, but they’re funny.

ROBOTS, AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS

GEORGE BURNS TELLS HIS FUNNIEST JOKE

DATELINE April 16, 2018

STOPPING UCSC GROWTH MEETING. The Coalition for Limiting University Expansion (C.L.U.E.) has planned an important meeting for this Thursday, April 19. It’s all about stopping UCSC from adding 12,500 new students. If you care about the future of Santa Cruz — and maintaining any sense of the unique community we still have — it’s a meeting you shouldn’t miss. Gary Patton, in his article printed below in BrattonOnline, talks about UCSC growth and says, “If the University President is proposing to build 14,000 beds in the entire UC system, and UCSC is going to furnish 3,000 of those beds, then the President of the University is suggesting that the UCSC campus provide 21% of the new beds. Well, is there something wrong with that? I think maybe there is!” The CLUE press release states:

“The University of California, Santa Cruz is proposing to increase enrollment to 28,000 students by 2040, an increase of 8,500 students from the 19,500 limit allowed by 2020 under a lawsuit settlement in 2008. Including the additional faculty and staff needed to serve these students, and their families, the total of new residents will come to about 12,500, roughly equal to the population of Scotts Valley”.

Can our area handle an increase of that many people? We already have a serious shortage of housing, let alone affordable housing; our roads and streets are regularly jammed with traffic; and our water supply is challenged.

On June 5, Santa Cruz voters will be asked to decide whether they think the present enrollment cap of 19,500 students should remain in effect. While the ballot measure, known as Measure U, is not legally binding on UCSC, it is hoped the voters will send a strong message to the university that its impact on the town is already at — or beyond — the city’s ability to handle without critical problems.

In support of Measure U, and to organize ongoing opposition to more UCSC growth, CLUE, the Coalition for Limiting University Expansion (which successfully fought to limit UCSC growth 10 years ago) is holding a meeting at the Santa Cruz Police Station Community Room, 155 Center Street, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Speakers will include County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, City Councilmembers Cynthia Mathews and Chris Krohn, Save Santa Cruz leader and former County Supervisor Gary Patton, Ted Benhari and John Aird of CLUE, Sierra Club Chair Gillian Greensite, UCSC Professor Emeritus Jim Clifford of the East Meadow Action Committee, and Supervisor Coonerty aide and UCSC Environmental Studies lecturer Andy Schiffrin.

Measure U was placed on the ballot by the Santa Cruz City Council. Both the Council and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors have approved a resolution urging the university to limit enrollment to the current 19,500 limit, which UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal has flatly rejected.

UCSC’s past growth has already had an impact on the quality of education at the college. Students are jammed into every available space, seats in classes and at the libraries are scarce, and transportation delays often prevent students from getting to classes on time. To house new students, UCSC has embarked on a construction plan that includes a highly controversial development on the East Meadow, which many consider a violation of the vision of UCSC’s founding fathers, who sought to minimize the impact of buildings.

If UCSC does indeed grow to 28,000 students, a nearly 50% increase, it will very likely require construction of some 4.5 million square feet of new buildings (dormitories, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, etc.), equal to about 37 Costco Warehouses stores! This would be, by far, the largest construction project in the history of Santa Cruz.

It’s time to say: while we appreciate all that UCSC has brought to Santa Cruz, enough is enough!

STOP THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP/AUTO ROW ON UPPER 41ST IN SOQUEL.
The eager and very active Sustainable Soquel group sent an urgent announcement. It states… “Everything about this Auto Dealership Project is Wrong! It has been proposed for the worst-rated intersection for traffic in the county, and rushed and promoted by the CAO’s office and Planning Department. Unlike most cities, our county has no prepared transport truck route requirements, no “on” or “off” street loading requirements, and no delivery time requirement or test drive route requirements.

Trucks in this center lane location exacerbate the unsafe and unbearable traffic jams EVERY DAY!!!!! This project ignores the “guiding principles and Strategies” of the County Sustainable Plan recommendations, which supports local business and mixed use designs to improve and benefit our local community’s way of life. Say NO to changing the zoning from C-2 mixed use Commercial to C-4 Service Commercial industrial.

Your voice and presence is critically needed. Please attend the Planning Commission Hearing on

April 25th meeting at 9:00 A.M. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at 701 Ocean Street, Room 525. It’s urgent that you come in person, or send your comments to:

Planning Commissioners: Dann, Shaffer Freitas, Guth, Lazenby, Shepherd

Through staff: Michael.lam@santacruzcounty.us

And to: Todd Sexauer, Environmental Coordinator, todd.sexauer@santacruzcounty.us

and send those comments to Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Leopold, Friend, Caput, McPherson, Coonerty

County of Santa Cruz Planning Department
701 Ocean Street, 4th Floor
Santa Cruz, Ca. 95060

Here’s a Link to the Final Environmental Impact Report

Sustainable Plan: Santa Cruz County Planning Department

CITY OFFICES IN THE LIBRARY? An important factor in the Santa Cruz City Staff’s urgent plot to spend that money to build a new library with the five story parking lot above it is that City Manager Martin Bernal has said many times — but not too publicly — that the city wants to move some old and some new offices into the present library space. We need to remember that.

420 CELEBRATION…OUTDATED? Has it dawned on everybody now that weed is legal that the annual huge smoke-in held at UCSC’s west meadow will be sorta anti-climactic? We should take bets on the total number of attendees, compared to other years.

FRANKENSTEIN AT THE MAH!!! This is the 200th anniversary celebration of Mary Shelley’s writing of Frankenstein. There are celebrations up at Stanford and around the world this week, pointing out the importance of the book. Cabrilho College’s Honor Transfer program is presenting a free celebration this Wednesday, at the Museum Of Art and History. There will be “lighting” talks by five Cabrilho faculty members. Topics include; What does it mean to be human, How does technology define us? How do women resist marginalization? and lots more. The Celebration goes from 5-6:30 p.m. and then folks can walk over to the Nickelodeon where they’ve set up a special screening of National Theatre Live’s production of Frankenstein starring Benedict Cumberbatch at 7 p.m.

April 16 2018

THE ORANGE INTRUSION.

Despite considerable public opposition and concerns, the city council voted unanimously to approve the installation of the final group of 27 electric bike stations, including those proposed for West Cliff Drive path. Those who spoke and wrote to council were not opposed to the bike-share program per se. They were opposed to locating several hubs along the heavily travelled West Cliff Drive path. The majority of speakers cited safety concerns on this already crowded path with walkers, dogs, Segways, bikes, strollers, skate-boarders et al. Also raised was the visual impact of 14 bright orange bikes plus 6- foot signage between the path and the ocean, a violation of the city ordinance, which prohibits the erection of such signage. An idea of what to expect is contained in the simulated photo.

Despite my 35 years attending city council meetings, it still takes me by surprise when council regards the public as second cousin to city staff. It’s not an equal playing field by any means. Staff is well paid for developing projects. They work full-time, collect data that support the project, ignore data that doesn’t and spend months creating attractive presentations to showcase for the policy makers. Meanwhile the public gets to hear about the project a few days ahead of its presentation, if they are paying attention. Increasingly council looks to staff for answers rather than engaging with their fellow council members in robust debate. A council meeting in my mind, should be a place where the public’s input is primary and the policy-makers’ decisions reflect that input. True, sometimes the public is misinformed or the deck is stacked with well-organized interest groups and council has the authority to ignore both. But it is clear to anyone who follows city council that the role of staff has become far more influential. Absent a huge turnout, the public is routinely ignored or at best, thrown a few crumbs. For this issue, even the crumbs were swept off the table for the final vote of approval.

Council members Krohn, Brown and Noroyan tried to get support for sending the West Cliff path stations back to the Public Works/ Transportation Commission to explore alternative sites such as along Delaware, or near the proposed Rail/Trail making it a less impactful choice. They found no support from Terrazas, Watkins, Mathews and Chase. Mathews waffled but eventually supported the West Cliff path stations as, ” making the visitor experience more intimate.” She supported her position by noting that it’s a long way from Lighthouse Point to Natural Bridges and visitors may not want to walk that far, so riding a bike might just make it more pleasing. How can that hypothetical scenario be given more weight than the lived experience of local elderly regular walkers on West cliff path who shared they no longer feel comfortable or safe on such walks?

It remains to be seen how locals will regard this orange intrusion into their territory. No doubt we are a tourist destination and there is no longer a tourist season: it’s a year-round onslaught. Staff’s branding of West Cliff Drive as a “facility” reveals how far they have shifted from simple appreciation for this natural treasure to a commercial model. Still, it’s hard to predict what gets under the skin of locals. When a minor relocation further inland of West Cliff Drive near Lighthouse Point was proposed by an early city council, surfers who had never ever been to a meeting flooded council with massive protests and the idea was eventually dropped. Even a solitary Queen Palm planted at Lighthouse Point a few years ago angered some local sufficiently that it was ripped out and flung over the cliff.

Since commonsense, available alternatives and expressed concerns failed to sway staff or council, one can assume there’s another agenda in the wings. It is conceivable that this project is intended to congest West Cliff path sufficiently to create the conditions for staff to propose closing one lane of West Cliff Drive and making it one way. Such a proposal would ensure that the lower Westside neighborhoods would become throughways for massive amounts of coastal traffic, ending the relative calm and safety of these neighborhoods. This has been tried before. Opposition was swift and effective. Council can ignore the few of us who attend meetings; they can let staff run the show but they should be prepared for the massive opposition such a scheme would incite. Better to let sleeping dogs lie.

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.

April 16, 2018

GROWTH FAIRY

Google Buses, UCSC Growth, and Density Bonuses, Oh My!
I’ve been trying to piece together this crazy time we are living in. Because of the dizzying pace of Trumpville—Comey book, Syria bombing, the constant Whitehouse staff turnover, environmental deregulation on every front, and the debilitating effect Trump Tweeting has on the nation—I begin to shut down and go into a kind of hyper local mode. Affordable housing, rent control, UCSC growth, putting libraries in garages, homeless camps, Google-Apple buses on Pacific Avenue, building on the East Meadow of campus, and real estate vultures using rent control to scare people into selling…all that somehow seems tamer, and immensely more interesting than the D.C. scene. I also keep wondering about the Federal government’s overreach and the coming battles over cannabis, sanctuary cities, climate disturbance and off-shore oil drilling. Is Trump pushing California towards even more progressive stances? Santa Cruz too.

Density Bonuses and a Map
The Density Bonus issue, along with the potential passage of SB827, will likely impact Santa Cruz in ways that create more expensive housing, tax our water infrastructure even more, and make it ever harder to pick up kids at 3 o’clock and take them to their baseball games, dance rehearsals, or piano lessons…Go to transitrichhousing.org and follow one of my constituents suggestions: “Zoom in on Santa Cruz and you will see the area..both sides of the River…past Ocean and most of Downtown and Ocean…and this density…does not guarantee affordable housing…the equation for 35% density, so if 20 units – 2 low-income…and they add 7 units of bonus so [the yield is] 27 market-rate and 2 low-income. That is far less than half of our previous 15% inclusionary model.”  Beware of the state wrapping shiny housing mandates using colorful developer paper and ribbons.

Linkages?

Are all these issues related? Are we living out a kind of “House That Jack Built” reality in Surf City? You remember the poem:

This is the House that Jack built.
This is the Malt,
That lay in the House that Jack built.
This is the Rat,
That ate the Malt,
That lay in the House that Jack built.
This is the Cat,
That killed the Rat,
That ate the Malt,
That lay in the House that Jack built.
This is the Dog,
That worried the Cat,
That killed the Rat,
That ate the Malt,
That lay in the House that Jack built.

A Santa Cruz 2018 Version (apologies to above poet):

This is the town the developers did not build.
This is the Farmer’s Market
That lay on the site, without the garage,
That Swenson, Lawlor, and Ross did not kill.
This is the affordable housing cat
That ate the real estate rat
That lay on the site of our Farmer’s Market
This is the rent control petition
That worried the developer and
That killed the real estate rat
That worried the Google Bus driver
That lay on the site without the garage
That Swenson, Lawler, and Ross did not build!

Santa Cruz Politics, Drifting…
You get my drift? We can do this people! We cannot only “Save Santa Cruz,” achieve “housing justice,” and slay the UCSC Growth beast, but why not launch a progressive offensive? I believe we can create a housing land trust, build a 24/7 homeless shelter, create a car-free Pacific Avenue, negotiate a UCSC cap of 19,500 students TOTAL, and reform both our city budget and local commission structures! Of course, it will take some fairy dust, along with a whole lot more civic involvement, new and old organizing strategies, and sweat equity if we are to keep Santa Cruz weird and democratic. What about this radical notion: Let the people decide. That’s a pretty cool concept…we decide and then take responsibility for our decisions. If the rent control-just cause eviction part of the petition, for example, does not work then let’s vote to change it. If we want councilmembers whose priorities are affordable housing, addressing homelessness and transportation and water resources, and shifting the conversation off the have-nots and onto the haves, then let’s vote to put them in office. A form of Trumpism is here in Surf City too, and we need to stay active and participate.

Okay, I’ll Stop
Enough with the Bully Pulpit already, how about some news? Well, I told you last week I would report on city council biz that happened after the BrattonOnline deadline. The first-come-first-served “encroachment permit for Astound/Wave Broadband” digging and laying of fiber optic cable was passed over the objections of Councilmember Sandy Brown and myself. Then, about a dozen neighbors came out to protest the city’s coming Jump Bike program’s (the company was recently acquired by Uber) deployment of racks along West Cliff Drive. In an amendment to the main motion to send the West Cliff Jump stations back to the Public Works and Transportation Commission and look into possible Delaware Street locations, there emanated a 4-3 vote to NOT pay attention to neighborhood concerns, but instead to plow full-steam ahead with the installation (view shed obstacles?) of these gleaming orange-red bikes along iconic West Cliff Drive. In the evening the joint city council-water commission meeting yielded little in the way of news headlines. Since we are at 18 total inches of rain this season, off our “normal” 31 inches, the joint body voted to institute a Phase I Water Emergency, which only means no watering gardens and lawns between 8am-5pm. A couple of temporary “water monitors will also be hired to go around to warn, and if need be, fine customers. The group put off until 2019 a decision to identify an alternative water source. Recycled water and desalination (seems all but dead) are still in the mix of alternatives.

A Sit-down with PD Chief Mills
Sandy Brown and I met with Police Chief Andy Mills recently to discuss the contents of an $80,000 consultant’s report, “Police Department Operations Analysis/Parks and Recreation Department Park Ranger Division Review.” The funding for this study was approved by a previous city council and presumably supported by the outgoing former police chief, Kevin Vogel. Funny thing was, Brown and I came with a set of questions about other stuff too like the use of the BearCat tank and a revamped police review board for Santa Cruz, so we had to schedule another meeting to get more deeply into the report. Mills said that he is committed to a high level of transparency on the deployment of the BearCat tank and will provide monthly reports. Mills sees the behemoth military-style vehicle as necessary, but not necessarily the open door that many fear to further militarization of SCPD. He says he understands the issue, and if I understand him correctly, further militarization will not happen under his watch. The chief also said, somewhat surprisingly, that there might be some room, from where he sits, to work with a future community police review board. Right now, he said there’s a “Chief’s Panel” that he meets with and receives feedback from neighbors. Recently the park ranger program was placed under the chief. We discussed the future of this program and he says he understands the tension between rangers who want to patrol the parks and provide information to residents about flora and fauna and cool the natural environment vs. some rangers who have been hired who want to become future police officers and who might not be that interested in open spaces and recreation. This issue will need future attention and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. I would like to see the blue-shirted CSOs (Community Service Officers) take on more of the activities that rangers have been tasked with now. In addition, Chief Mills is in favor of setting up an alternative to 911 call service for less emergency matters; he’s open to more social workers patrolling alongside cops and dealing with the myriad mental health issues that come up; and he is closely monitoring the police substation currently located across the street from the city-supported homeless camp at 1220 River Street. While there have been relatively few instances in which the substation has actually been active, he believes it has helped neighbors perhaps stay calmer knowing there is a police presence in the area.

Important Dates on How to Stay Woke
April 19–If you are OPPOSED to any more UCSC growth you want to be in the house on Thursday, 7pm, Police Community Room. It will be a forum to make the case why 19,500 students are our city limit and no more! Ryan Coonerty, Gary Patton, Gillian Greensite, and Cynthia Mathews will all be presenting their views on UCSC growth. Don’t miss this one.

April 18—People’s Democratic Club (PDC) endorsement forum for the June 5th election will take place starting at 6:30pm this Thurs. at the Democratic HQ in the Galleria Building on Front Street, downtown.

April 21—NAACP hosts Amos Brown at their annual Gala event at the Dream Inn, Sat., 5-8pm. You do not want to miss this one either. Former San Francisco supervisor and civil rights activist icon Amos Brown is the real deal!

May 1–This is one of those meetings that slips through the cracks because the Warriors are on, or the school play is happening, or the book you’re writing needs attention…At 7pm on Tuesday, May 1st, the Santa Cruz City Council will be discussing the downtown growth plan. Just so we are clear, many things are on the table: the library-garage project; proposals for 800 units of housing development in and around the Metro center; the future of the old library building (if it in fact moves into the bottom of a gleaming 5-story parking structure!?!); the proposed new site of the downtown Farmer’s Market; and development of the parking lot next to the red church between Center and Cedar streets. That’s a lot!

“I want to thank the teachers across the country who are saying loudly and clearly that taking care of our kids and schools is more important than giving tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations.” (April 3, 2018)

(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

April 16, 2018

DO WE REALLY HAVE TO DRINK $70 MILLION RECYCLED TOILET WATER?
Soquel Creek Water District insists on moving forward on the “preferred project” to spend $70 Million on the PureWater Soquel Project to inject treated sewage water into the aquifer that supplies drinking water for the MidCounty area (La Selva Beach to Live Oak). But the Santa Cruz Sentinel featured an interesting article about the area’s diminished threat of sea water intrusion due to over pumping because the groundwater levels have actually risen.

Here is the link to that good article

Yet, a recent study done by the Danish company Ramboll for the MidCounty Groundwater Agency indicated that the seawater threat to destroy the drinking water supply is imminent, with salt water detected at the shoreline in most of the MidCounty area. Soquel Creek Water District staff has stated that when that condition occurs, the salt water will be into the production wells that supply drinking water within two years. The Ramboll study gave a snapshot of what the situation was last August, but did not incorporate the results of similar studies in the area conducted in 2014 by Stanford University’s Dr. Rosemary Knight. Instead, the report used a theoretical computer model produced by Oakland-based HydroMetrics, funded mainly by Soquel Creek Water District but with recent financial support from the MidCounty Groundwater Agency.

Visit the MidCounty Groundwater Agency representatives this Thursday, April 19 at the Community Foundation (across from the Rancho del Mar/Safeway center in Aptos) from 10am-noon and ask your questions. Unlike the Board meetings, citizens can engage in meaningful discussion and get some answers.

Here is the link to the Soquel Creek Water District Board Agenda for Tuesday, April 17, where the Board will consider (Item 6.3) approval of an amended contract with the engineering firm working on the $70 Million treated sewage water injection project, PureWater Soquel

COMMUNITY UPDATE MEETING FOR RANCHO DEL MAR CENTER PROJECT
The Aptos Times reported that Supervisor Zach Friend, along with Mr. Scott Grady, Rancho del Mar Center Project Manager from TRC Retail, will be at the Rio Sands in Aptos this Wednesday, April 18, to update the public on the Project.   It is actually the quarterly meeting for the Rio del Mar Improvement Association, but is advertised as open to the public. The meeting begins at 6:30pm, but I suggest you arrive by 6pm to get a seat (and parking place) at what is sure to be standing-room only attendance.

I applaud this public meeting happening, but I really have to wonder why it is at the Rio Sands, with a relatively small room capacity, when last year’s public meeting on the issue drew about 300 interested people?

Here is the link to the Aptos Times article

ONE INSULT AFTER ANOTHER AT APTOS VILLAGE MEETING.
That’s how the meeting went last week with the Swenson representatives when the Bayview Hotel owner and her honest surveyor met to discuss the disputed property boundaries at the Aptos Village Project. It was difficult to hear the insults Keith Henderson, Project foreman, hurled and angrily threatened not to go forward with the meeting if I were present. “We thought we were going to have a professional meeting,” he said “She is not invited on our property.” He said this while standing on the Bayview Hotel property.

“We just want to settle this in a neighborly way,” said Mary Gourlay, Swenson’s Project Leader.   That really would be nice, wouldn’t it?

Stay tuned.

NISSAN DEALERSHIP APPROVALS AND GENERAL PLAN CHANGES TO BE CONSIDERED BY COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
If you are able to attend the 9am meeting April 25 (Wednesday) of the County Planning Commission at the County Building, I suggest you do so. The Nissan Car Dealership deal has been quietly pushed through the process, but thankfully, a group of attentive Soquel area citizens caught wind of the deal in time to raise public protest and shed some light on how un-transparent this process has been, as well as the incongruity it poses with the outcome of many community meetings held to map out land use for the area.

Here is what is on the agenda for April 25:

Application #171179     2851 41st Ave, Soquel 95073

Combine 8 parcels for a total of 2.6 acres

Construct 12,500 SF auto dealership and 10,000SF service area

Requires amending the General Plan and rezoning for change in use

Requires approval of a Commercial Development Permit

Requires a sign exception

Requires a roadway and roadside exception

Adopt Environmental Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Statement of

Over-riding Consideration

Certify Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) as per Calfornia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements

Here is the link to the Planning Commission’s Agenda

You can read the 109-page staff report here

The planner in charge of this Project is Nathan MacBeth nathan.macbeth@santacruzcounty.us   831-454-3118

I have not yet read the staff report, but was interested in the “Statement of Over Riding Consideration” requirement. It really means that the County is going to defend the damages this Nissan Dealership will cause to the Community and the environment, claiming the benefits of having a car dealership outweigh the damages. You can read about this issue here

I am very grateful for the astute Soquel citizens who are examining the issues on this. What happened to the County’s commitment from all those Community meetings to build much-needed housing at this site that is so accessible to using public transportation? What happened to local government accountability and transparency to the people? It appears it has all gone out the window with the prospect of the Nissan dealership’s potential tax revenue for the County machine. Contact Supervisor John Leopold with your thoughts. John Leopold    831-454-2200 (M-F)

WE JUST HAVE A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION OF THE MEANING
I was happy to have an opportunity to speak with Senator Bill Monning’s assistant, Mr. Trevor Taylor, about why SB 623 (Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Act) allowing polluters to pay a fee and continue to pollute groundwater. He did almost all of the talking, but I learned that Senator Monning has been working hard to get expert rebuttals to the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic’s opposition to the proposed legislation. The UC Davis Law School will be posting a rebuttal in a couple of weeks that supports Senator Monning’s plan to tax all residents in the state, all fertilizer industry manufacturers, distributors and sellers, and all aspects of the dairy industry in order to get money to consolidate water providers in areas with groundwater pollution by nitrate. It would allow the polluters to continue polluting, as long as they pay the tax, while allowing them to pass on the cost of the tax to consumers.

After I listened to Mr. Taylor at length defend the legislation, I asked if he thought the poorest citizens, who would be exempt from the tax but only if they apply for exemption, would in actuality apply? “Well, it will never be more than just 95 cents a month,” he replied. NEVER?? When I quizzed him on this, he admitted the tax could be raised in the future but only by a 2/3 vote of the legislature “and that would be pretty hard to get” he said. Really? All you have to do is declare a state of emergency and lawmakers quickly support drastic measures.

“Well, we just have a different interpretation of the meaning of this legislative language” he said, then announced that he was out of time to talk any further with me.

Contact Mr. Taylor with your questions: Trevor Taylor trevor.taylor@sen.ca.gov

‘WATER FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY’ SEES A READILY-AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE SOLUTION FOR REGIONAL WATER

The astute, thoughtful and hard-working group of citizens, “Water for Santa Cruz County” keeps asking local water districts why water from the North Coast streams is not being considered more as an additional source of water for the MidCounty area, when inter-tie connections already exist between the agencies.

Take a look at their brilliant and sensible ideas: https://waterforsantacruz.com

APPLICATIONS FOR MEASURE D TAXPAYER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE BEING ACCEPTED
Sign up to watch over the County’s newest transportation tax. The deadline for applications is Jun 1. For information and applications, visit the website

~

Cheers,

Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

April 14, 2018 #104 / Student Housing West

I live in Santa Cruz, California, which boasts, among other things, a University of California campus. The Santa Cruz campus is popularly known as UCSC, and is pictured above. It is quite beautiful.

The University has announced plans to add 10,000 students to the local campus. Given the fact that the community is already facing extremely congested traffic conditions, a massive affordable housing crisis, and very significant water security issues, this announcement has not met with a favorable response from almost anyone. Nonetheless, the announcement has been issued by the University, following the D.A.D. principle explained in yesterday’s blog posting. The first two steps have already been taken: “D” (decide), and “A” (announce). The University is now in “D” (defend) mode. Official University spokespeople say there is simply no choice!

Of course, in all human affairs, there is always a choice. But choosing something different from what the University has announced would require the University to change its plans. What a horror even to contemplate that!

In related news, the University has made another announcement, too, once again employing that tried and true D.A.D. formula:

UC Santa Cruz is undertaking a major housing initiative. The Student Housing West project is part of President Napolitano’s system-wide initiative to build 14,000 beds across the UC by 2020. The UCSC initiative was announced in December 2016.

The new housing development builds upon prior studies and demand analyses conducted in 2014 and 2015. Units will be built for upper division undergraduates, graduate students, and students with families. The project will deliver 3,000 beds to campus by 2022.

Not mentioned in this announcement is the fact that the proposal would require the current campus Long Range Development Plan to be amended, since the current plan puts a premium on the preservation of the beauty of the campus’ natural lands. The beautiful meadows shown in the photo above are considered sacred by present and past students. Those 10,000 proposed future students, presumably, wouldn’t realize that something had been lost if the meadows were filled in with a rather undistinguished, condominium-type housing development.

People interested in commenting on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the “Student Housing West” proposal, as it is officially denominated, have until May 11, 2018 to get their comments in. The two-volume, 1,100-page Draft EIR can be located by clicking this link.

I am thinking that I might comment, and here is one comment that immediately comes to mind, reading the announcement issued by the University, which is partially quoted above.

If the University President is proposing to build 14,000 beds in the entire UC system, and UCSC is going to furnish 3,000 of those beds, then the President of the University is suggesting that the UCSC campus provide 21% of the new beds.

Well, is there something wrong with that? I think maybe there is!

The UCSC campus has an approximate enrollment of 19,000 students at the current time. The entire UC system has approximately 273,000 students. In other words, UCSC accounts for approximately 7% of total student enrollment, but the President of the University is proposing to put 21% of the new housing at UCSC.

It sounds to me like the University needs to start considering alternatives that will relocate that proposed new housing proportionate to the actual student census, which would mean that it should be spread around ALL of the various UC campuses, proportionately, instead of trying to force UCSC to pick up a disproportionately large share of new housing and student growth.

Oh, but that would mean the University would have to change its plans!

Exactly!

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. From the classic DeCinzo files… “an historic Coonerty” Don’t miss it!!! Scroll below for it.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Tim Eagan’s ” National Health Alert #16 Brain Aneurism Trump”down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

MUNCHING WITH MOZART. This is a series of free monthly concerts at the Central Branch of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. This concert presents music for two pianists with guest soprano, Sheila Wiley. Hear art songs by Schubert, Brahms, R. Straus, as well as music from Oklahoma. Also piano duets by Kurtág, Inghelbrecht, and Leó Weiner. The pianists are Irene Herrmann and Mickey McGushin. This FREE concert is April 19, from 12:10 to 1:00 at the Central Branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.(in the meeting room upstairs) For more information, email Carol Panofsky at panofsky@cruzio.com.

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS. “The Variety Of Three” is the title of their last concert of the season. There’ll be musics by Beethoven, Piazolla, Gliere and Arensky. Ivan Rosenblum, Shannon Delaney, and Kristin Garbeff will perform. The concerts are Saturday April 21 at 7:30 and Sunday April 22 at 3 p.m. As usual the venue is Christ Lutheran Church 10707 Soquel Drive, Aptos (near the CHP Headquarters).

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa is writing , editing, musing , proofing and reading and will have new stuff next week. Go to her site at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/).” Lisa has been writing film, theatre reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

BEIRUT. Jon Hamm, star of the near-legendary tv series Mad Men, is an incredibly powerful screen presence. In Beirut he gets a chance to act a role with gravity. Coupled with Rosamund Pike, they make this extremely complex political spy plot very worthwhile watching. If you understand the tensions and history behind what was happening in Lebanon in 1982, you’ll be way ahead. Muslims, The PLO, Israelis, secret agents, Arabs, kidnappings and snipers are the ingredients of this fast-paced thriller… Go prepared.

FINDING YOUR FEET. A GENUINE British comedy, which means a different bunch of reasons to laugh. It’s fast, it’s touching, and it has Imelda Staunton and Timothy Spall in the lead roles. The plot is old and overused and the actors are going through old-age issues, including divorce, fidelity, and facing the future. Corny but fun, go for it. CLOSES Thursday, April 19

TRUTH OR DARE. The full title is Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, but why Blumhouse would want his name on it is beyond me. Blumhouse also directed “Get Out” so it would seem to matter. This earned a 15 on RT…so I’m not alone in warning you about this lame excuse for a horror-murder-teen thriller. Teens get offed by some quasi-religious demon while on a spring break — and the acting is just as bad as the plot.

RAMPAGE. Dwayne Johnson — known as “the Rock” in his wrestling days —definitely has screen presence, and he’s perfect for these numbskull King Kong rip-off movies. The low point is when the giant ape gives Dwayne the middle finger a few times, and near the ending even sinks so low as to laugh and give him the finger-fuck sign. It’s that kind of mentality throughout the entire flick. Don’t even rent it.

A QUIET PLACE. Whew!!! This earned 97 % on Rotten Tomatoes — and is a genuinely scary movie. It’s well-paced, with fine acting, and Emily Blunt does a perfect believable mother, guardian and victim role. It’s upstate New York sometime in the future, and aliens (much like the Shape of Water Thing with longer legs) have taken over. The monsters attack and kill anything they hear, so everybody has be deathly silent…which makes for great suspense and tension. The kid who plays the deaf child Regan is Millicent Simmonds: she’s genuinely deaf, and she’s fabulous. Go see this IF you love scary movies.

CHAPPAQUIDDICK. I didn’t remember that Chappaquiddick was in Martha’s Vineyard. This docu-drama (half true and half BS) is only worth seeing if you remember who Mary Jo Kopechne was, or Robert McNamara or Ted Sorensen. Many of us old-timers look at the Ted Kennedy involvement in Mary Jo’s drowning as another unsolved murder mystery. This film does NOT provide a single new fact or angle to that infamous near-presidential saga — it’s also a very slow, with no notable actors or acting, except Bruce Dern as Joe Kennedy senior.

BLOCKERS.It’s billed as a teenage sex comedy, and while it does have the raunchy, crotch, rectal, sex stuff… it’s got ZERO comedy. Lots of the audience howled at it, I was bored and disgusted at what passes for humor nowadays. It’s about parents trying to stop their three daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. Don’t go!!!

LEAN INTO THE WIND. Andy Goldsworthy’s saga. I had forgotten just how influential Andy Goldsworthy’s message to humanity was, and will continue to be long after we’ve all left. Much like Christo and Jean Claude (“Running Fence”, “The Gates” in NYC) these artists/sculptors force us to appreciate the earth we live on…and in. Like his “Rivers and Tides” documentary from 2003, this movie was filmed in San Francisco and a dozen otherplaces where Goldsworthy has and continues to build and sculpt beautiful and thoughtful designs from the very ground we appear to be destroying more and more rapidly. See this film…I guarantee you’ll love our earth even more than you do now.HURRY!!! It closes Thursday April 10.

THE DEATH OF STALIN. This would-be comedy is much like “Veep” — the TV series based on inside White House “secret” humor. They are similar because both are directed by the same guy. The problem is that we (or I especially) don’t know anything about the Russian government under Stalin. In addition it’s based on a graphic novel. If you know the roles Khrushchev or Malenkov played, or just who Beria supported, you’ll be way ahead and might even laugh. It’s a bitter, biting, mean type of humor and not my style.

ISLE OF DOGS. This is Wes Anderson’s latest, and I didn’t like it any more than any of his other sideways attempts at new cinema statements. The Royal Tannenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel all not just bored me but left me mystified. Rushmore was a notch up. Isle of Dogs uses cute Japanese-themed names like Kobayashi, Atari, Watanabe, Yoko-ono, and the clever Major Domo. The very famous and excellent Hollywood persons who do the voices are near legendary, but Anderson’s attempt at cleverness, brilliance and just plain story telling once again leaves me very cold and bored.

READY PLAYERONE. The last video game I remember playing was Atari’s “Pong” back in 1972 or 73 with Manny Santana and John Tuck in “The Med” (Mediterranean Restaurant), next door to Manuels Restaurant on Center Street in Aptos. Video games have evolved since, and this Spielberg FX extravaganza is all about avatars, time travel, old timey movies, TV shows and memorabilia…and features so much space jumping and time warping that I lost interest after about 15 minutes. It was too much trouble, and besides that it’s set in Columbus, Ohio in 2045. A very large and long and dull film from a director who usually can focus more sharply.

UNSANE.Real film followers know what to expect when it’s a Steven Soderbergh film, and Unsane is one of his best works. Claire Foy (star of The Queen) is the tortured lead and Joshua Leonard (Blair Witch Project and Higher Ground) is her stalker/torturer. It’s the scary, numbing story of a woman who is troubled psychologically to begin with,and then makes the scary mistake of signing documents that she didn’t read. That possibility alone should scare and wake all of us. Soderbergh shot the entire film on an iPhone, edited it at night and in 10-12 days had it finished. That he has the courage and talent to go against the billion dollar corporate films being produced today is extraordinary. A unique film, as are most of Soderbergh’s creations…it’s not easy to watch, and the acting is near-perfect. Full& happy disclosure, I sat with Joshua Leonard’s parents, who are old friends, who left their Watsonville home for Santa Cruz’s Del Mar theatre to see his newest. Go for it!!!

LOVE, SIMON. This is a very light, music background, story of a teen age boy coming out as gay. It contains drama, real pain, peer and penis envy and it’s still “lighter than heir”.(Pun intended). No stars involved, but it’s a nice movie.

ANNIHILATION. This is the Natalie Portman science fiction thriller that got an 87 on RT. If you pay close attention there is quite a moral, philosophic base to the plot. Like one line I can’t forget…”all humans self destruct either by suicide, drinking or smoking”. The same director did “Ex Machina” so you can tell he’s got something to say. But it’s way too hard to follow. There’s a sort of foggy, swirly, shimmer wall and people go through the wall. The dead come back to life, time goes back on itself, and on and on. Maybe if you really concentrate and stay awake you’ll get some kind of profound meaning from Annihilation…I’m not sure.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are based on comics – DC and Marvel respectively – and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther? Got beat by …..

TOMB RAIDER 2018. Angelina Jolie (Oscar winner and ultra conservative actor Jon Voight’s daughter) starred in the first two Tomb Raider films, in 2001 and 2003. Now, with a 50 RT score Alicia Vikander, Dominic West and Kristin ScottThomas (in a very small role) have tried to bring back that comic book-type spectacle. It’s 98% special effects, and centers on a search for some mythical spirit power…I think. Sleep overtook me, at about 11:30 am on a Saturday morning. Tomb Raider was once a video game, if that gives you any more clues whether or not you’d like it.

A WRINKLE IN TIME. The much hyped adapting of this hugely popular children’s book by black woman director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out so otherworldly so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

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 April 17 Davis Banta director of Assassins at Mountain Community Theatre talks about the Sondheim musical. Then Jeffrey Smedberg and Amanda Altice from The Reel Work Film Festival reveal this year’s festival films. Candace Brown discusses the choosing of a new Parks and Recreation Director on April 24. May 1st has Kathy Bisbee talking about Virtual Reality and Air Pollution. May 8 is KZSC’s bi-annual Pledge Drive time. 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

Get ready for some laughs…

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.   “BOOKS”
“So many books, so little time.” Frank Zappa
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”   Groucho Marx,
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” Jorge Luis Borges
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” Groucho Marx

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.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

April 11 – 17, 2018

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…The Del Mar and Nickelodeon are up for sale, A new Parks and Rec. director for Santa Cruz, Thomas Pynchon news, Tom Lehrer news at the age of 90, Lou Harrison Civic Auditorium…GREENSITE on the Affordable Housing bond measure.…KROHN and Rent Control maneuvering, Affordable rent fraud, Scotts Valley Skypark deals…STEINBRUNER with prop. 68 and clean water, Capitola trestle safety, Saving Silva barn, Soquel and new water connections, Aptos Village and Barry Swenson Builders…PATTON with dangers from Robot Cars!…EAGAN and The Trump Dream…DeCINZO looks at our deputies again…JENSEN misses a week of movies, but…Bratton critiques A Quiet Place, Chappaquiddick and Blockers…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES about The White House.

HEART OF SOQUEL 1951. This is (or was) the corner of Soquel Drive and Center Street. The Congregational Church was built in 1868. For more church history http://ccsoquel.org/history

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

LENNY BRUCE AND FAKE NEWS. 1957.

COMIC JUGGLER WITH THE REAGANS AND TIP O’NEIL.

TOM LEHRER AND NATIONAL BROTHER HOOD WEEK.

This is from an old friend. It shows that you’re never too old to learn new things!

DATELINE April 9, 2018

NICK AND DEL MAR UP FOR SALE? Ever-alert Joe Blackman sent the news that billionaire Mark Cuban — star of the Shark Tank tv show, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and as we know from the last few years… owner of the Landmark Theatre chain — is looking for buyers of the theaters. Landmark bought our Del Mar, Nickelodeon and Aptos Theaters from Jim Schwenterly, who bought them from Bill and Nancy Raney, who started Santa Cruz’s love affair with art, independent and foreign films. I just learned the the Regal Theater chain is now owned by Britain’s Cineworld. Cineworld paid $3.6 billion for the 561 theaters. AMC is the biggest chain in the USA, with 626 theaters and 8,123 screens. What’s happening from the sources I can reach is that attendance in the USA movie theaters has been dropping. Local managers will agree on that. Now international fund sources are eager to take over. More later on this.

NEW PARKS AND REC. DIRECTOR — WHO CARES? (and why?) We’ll be getting a new Parks & Recreation Director pretty soon. Current director Mauro Garcia is retiring and Martin Bernal is planning on doing a national search. Carol Scurich will be the interim director. It’s vital that we pay attention to this appointment, because the position holds more influence than is generally realized. As council member Chris Krohn stated… “Remember, the director of Parks and Rec. has enormous latitude in making decisions about the natural and built environment. He currently oversees the greenbelt lands, oversees policy and purchases of harmful pesticides, hires consultants (with reputable enviro credentials, or not…), purchases vehicles and equipment, and oversees the golf course, community gardens, and beaches (even covering who gets a permit to operate a surf school). This position has great responsibility and a budget that runs into the millions”. Candace Brown will be talking about this on the April 24 broadcast of Universal Grapevine KZSC 88.1 fm.

PUBLIC LIBRARY. The forces behind the concept of building a five story building and putting a new Santa Cruz Public Library on the ground floor — and problems with the entire concept — got a deep introspection on my Universal Grapevine show last Tuesday (April 2). Jean Brocklebank, Chris krohn, Judi Grunstra and Rick Longinotti all spoke every excitedly and knowingly in opposition to the idea. You can hear it for two weeks at   http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton go to April 2. They talked about Downtown Merchants that don’t want it. They talked about renovating the present library, they spoke of the problem of more car traffic in our downtown, the relocating of the weekly Farmers Market, ugliness of the structure, misuse of the bond money we voted for…and lots more. Listen to the program and get involved… it seems like if the folks opposed to building student housing on the East Meadow at UCSC can get 45,000 signatures against such waste, we should aim to beat that and stay in charge of our Downtown environment.

PYNCHON WINS GREAT AWARD!! Years later and I’m still impressed by Pynchon’s desire to remain so secretive. Meeting him in Aptos as I did years ago when he was living here and working on his book, “Vineland”, he sure didn’t seem like such a non-social guy. He liked listening to Charlie Lang’s Two Steps from the Blues on KUSP and Upper Crust Pizza. This just in from The Mercury News…NEW YORK (AP) — Thomas Pynchon is receiving a $100,000 prize this spring from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. But that doesn’t mean he’ll turn up to accept it. The academy told the Associated Press that the 80-year-old Pynchon has been named the first winner of the Christopher Lightfoot Walker Award, a lifetime achievement honor. Academy executive director Cody Upton said the media-shy author was aware of the prize, but he isn’t expected to attend the May 23 ceremony in New York. Pynchon’s eight novels include “Gravity’s Rainbow,” “Mason & Dixon” and “Inherent Vice.” He is known as being extremely protective of his privacy and has not consented to be photographed in decades. He did, however, provide his voice for an animated version of himself — a character wearing a bag over his head — for two episodes of “The Simpsons.”

TOM LEHRER AT 90!!! According to the article in “nature-international journal of science”… famous personality Tom Lehrer lived and taught here at UCSC from 1972 through 2001, when he retired. He still lives here part time. Many, many of us were lucky enough to attend his class sessions in UCSC’s Stevenson’s Fireside Lounge to hear him play and summarize the plot of the musicals that his students would sing. Them were the days… and he added a lot to those days.

LOU HARRISON CIVIC AUDITORIUM. Phyllis Cardoza once a Santa Cruzan, still reads Bonline and sent this… Having read your piece in your latest Bratton Online, I agree that there should be something with Lou’s name on it. Remembering the many times I saw him sitting in the Civic Auditorium for the Cabrillo Festival concerts, perhaps the auditorium or indeed the entire building can be named for him with a sign outside and inside bearing his name. I’ll be glad to sign a petition to that effect. What a great idea. Let’s get a petition going and if they get around to modernizing the Civic we could re-name it.

April 9th 2018

BOND OR BONDAGE?
A proposed $250 million bond measure for affordable housing was introduced to the public with a press conference on the county courthouse steps, spearheaded by Don Lane and Fred Keeley of Affordable Housing Santa Cruz County. It was well covered by Sentinel reporter Jondi Gumz. The same reporter the next day covered a different story with the headline ” Santa Cruz County Sees Building Boom” announcing that “Santa Cruz County is in the middle of a $320 million construction boom, the biggest since the 2008 crash” with $250 million of that sum going to new housing, the rest to hotel renovation and construction.

Why the disconnect? asks a visitor from Mars unaware that housing construction is based on profit not need.

The vast majority of the new housing will be sold at market-rate, which as we know has inflated beyond imagination. Only 46 affordable units are in the mix. Much of the new housing is being built in Watsonville with little regard for the environmental impact on the delicate bird habitat hot spot known as the Sloughs. To see the massive houses under construction on Harkins Slough Road, looming over the slough like medieval castles; to imagine the fertilizer, pesticide run-off and human with canine impacts on this environment is a jaw-dropping experience. That is if you give a hoot about the sloughs. These bloated houses are brought to us by the architect firm of Thacher and Thompson who in the 1990’s, tore down the bucolic farmlets on Western Drive and built expensive tract mansions, forever changing the class and character of the city’s western edge. And here they go again, this time in Watsonville. Assuming some of the higher income new home -buyers commute to their jobs, what the impact on the roads? If they spawn new high tech and professional jobs in Watsonville, what the impact on the lower income workers? On home prices? On agriculture? Such questions are buried and the answers unknown when we simplistically regard any and all housing construction as a good thing.

The drivers of the Affordable Housing Santa Cruz County ballot measure can be applauded for tackling a very difficult problem. And I take Don Lane at his word that ” we want to get it right.” If so, there are already aspects of this campaign waving red flags that hopefully will be lowered.

The folks who have been involved so far in the Affordable Housing coalition include restaurateurs, real estate agents, business owners, employers and building trades, according to the Sentinel. Hmm. Not an environmentalist nor neighborhood activist in sight. Not a good start. I’ve heard Ted Burke of the Shadowbrook restaurant address housing issues at city council meetings and he sounds like a gung-ho developer with nary a nod to neighborhood concerns.

Then there’s the assessment that homeowners would be paying for the bond, based on assessed value of their home. This is a regressive choice if there ever was one. While $29 per $100,000 is chump change for a recent home-buyer, it’s food on the table or not for older homeowners on fixed incomes who bought their homes prior to the 1980’s and who worked all their lives in Santa Cruz at low or moderate paying jobs with many existing today on Social Security. The assessment should be calculated on property taxes paid, not assessed value and raised if necessary to meet the funding goal.

A further red flag that caught my eye is that decisions on how to spend the money would be up to the local jurisdictions. “They can work out the politics,” Fred Keeley was quoted as saying. What a disaster that would be in the city of Santa Cruz!

Those of us who have attended countless Planning Commission meetings on housing issues over the past few years and for some, many years can attest that neighborhood livability and the over-used but under-valued term, neighborhood integrity is routinely ignored. At council meetings it is sometimes better but overall it’s a low priority. And the other impacts of any new housing on top of the 500 market rate units under construction in the city, such as traffic, schools, water, parks, police and fire services are rarely given their due. To be palatable, the bond measure must include wording that protects the environment, provides housing for current low-income residents and protects existing low and moderate -income neighborhoods. If it just fuels the Corridors Plan, it has Buckley’s chance of achieving its goal.

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.

April 9, 2018

Let My People Go

Santa Cruz Renters sing:

Well, I looked over Jordan and what did I see

Coming for to carry me home

A band of Angels coming after me

Coming for to carry me home

Santa Cruz Landlords respond:

We’ve seen this movie before.

Rent Control Fear in River City: Anti-Rent Control People Win One Battle, 17-14
The evening council meeting on March 27th was all about housing, and it appeared to pit a large group of renters against an even larger number of landlords, developers, and real estate interests. It was a night when the California Apartment Association perhaps out-organized the Movement for Housing Justice and Students United with Renters. Maybe the two latter groups didn’t show in even greater numbers because they were out gathering signatures on the rent control petition. As 31 people addressed the council on the agenda item, the Housing Blueprint Committee Report, the landlord-developer group won. By my

“I want to thank the teachers across the country who are saying loudly and clearly that taking care of our kids and schools is more important than giving tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations.” (April 3, 2018)

unofficial tally, there were 17 speakers opposed to rent control and 14 were in favor. This housing committee is made up of councilmembers Martine Watkins, Cynthia Chase, and Sandy Brown, and even though rent control is not really part of the committee’s charge, the public clearly showed up to either support or denounce rent control.

After hearing from city staff and the public, the final results on the council side of the podium were minimal. No actual housing or city resources would be expended, just more time to study the housing issue. The final motion included language that requested the Housing Blueprint Committee and staff “to prioritize specific projects that may yield more immediate results, specifically highlighting ADUs and legalization of unpermitted units and inclusionary rates…” All good stuff if enacted, but council direction seemed to be to simply study the issue more and return to council at a future unknown date. Councilmember Sandy Brown and I were able to get a slight opening on the 20-25% housing inclusionary that Brand-New Council candidates campaigned on in 2016. In the end, Councilmember Cynthia Mathews tossed a bone by including this language in the motion: “Explore an increase in the inclusionary rates.” Oh yeah, one BIG concession too: staff was directed to send letters to all landlords and let them know, ‘er, umm…by the way, the city is in a state of emergency with respect to housing and you are hereby directed by the rent freeze ordinance NOT to raise the rent on your tenants.’ This last part of the motion is significant. But, isn’t telling landlords they can’t raise their rent prices a little bit like telling Donald Trump he can’t Tweet? Folks, the fight is on.

Council Side Note
In the afternoon city council session, the developer dream of “Density Bonus Provisions for Affordable Residential Units” (sounds pretty good, but there would be very little affordable anything in actual practice), which means adding more floors if the developer provides a unit or two of affordable housing–was unexpectedly sent packing, at least for the moment. The city council, on a 4-3 vote (Watkins, Chase, Brown and Krohn in the majority) requested the density bonus issue go back to the Housing Blueprint Committee. Seems like that committee was snubbed by the Planning Department, which bypassed them and went straight to council with this ever-so urgent (NOT) request.

Blood on the Tracks: Santa Cruz Together Turns Out a Crowd Ready to Fight Rent Control
I went to several public meetings this week, but one I attended is rather memorable. You’ve likely heard that the making of public policy is often compared with sausage-making? Well, what happened in the Police Community Room on Center Street last Wednesday (April 4) night was a window into the process of making fire and brimstone. A new pro-property group, Santa Cruz Together, called for a meeting to discuss some tactics and strategy on how to defeat the as yet qualified rent control ballot initiative. Speakers that night seemed to firmly believe it will be on this November’s ballot. Dan Coughlin, self-identified as having a “business degree,” and Lynn Renshaw, an “MBA from UCLA,” presided over a packed house of 100-plus. While Coughlin emphasized the group was comprised of “property providers,” and “mom and pop landlords,” Renshaw laid out an analysis of where the Santa Cruz bubble might go if rent control passed at the ballot box. “It imposes burdensome relocation fees… [with a rent board] there’s no sufficient oversight and it sets its own salaries…impartiality is not required…someone who is not credit-worthy still gets a sub-lease.” In addition, she offered some overhead slides for the crowd to chew on: 37,672 register voters in the city, 13,205 single family home owners, 14,643 renters in houses, and 9,824 tenants renting apartments. I think she was trying to get across the point that a great effort by this group would have to be undertaken if rent control was to be defeated. Then it was back to Coughlin for some basic strategy points: 1) “speak from the heart,” 2) “acknowledge the plight of the tenant,” and 3) “don’t pick fights with students.” Pretty good advice! Coughlin also added, “This campaign was born out of the NextDoor site, if you are not on it, get on it.”

City Council is ‘Meeting-Light’ this Week
The often obscurely written Santa Cruz City Council agenda, while still obscure this past week, was on the lighter work side. Of course, there are the usual BIG-sounding topics: Climate Action Plan Update; city give-away of “encroachment permit for Astound/Wave Broadband” network for more lousy cable deals; and lots of money being spent by the H20 department for an “inflatable dam rubber bladder replacement project” at $200k, and a “professional services contract” ($173k) to plan for a “capital improvement project” for the Laguna Creek and Major Creek diversion facilities. The council was also asked to approve “right of way” permits at seven locations, the most controversial being Swanton and W. Cliff, for the coming Jump bike stations program. Perhaps the most significant issues were two items referred to the “closed session” agenda: “Arlt v. City of Santa Cruz,” concerning the death of a local Dad, Sean Arlt, at the hands of SCPD and the “negotiations” concerning the “Skypark” property the city owns in the middle of Scotts Valley, site of an old airport. The real fireworks may occur later in the evening when there will be a joint city council-water commission 7pm meeting. Since the BrattonOnLine deadline comes before the council meeting, I will let you know next week if we take up the chorus that I am continually hearing from Santa Cruzans: My water bill is too damn high! Will our sky-high water bills be the elephant in the room, or take center stage?

There’s an old adage to politicos, “If you want a friend in this town, get a dog.” I would expand it to include a cat and baby goat too. Virgina Wolf, a baby goat, is our newest edition…and I would recommend one to every councilmember who is ever feeling sad, depressed, or lonely.

See you next week.

(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

April 9, 2018

WILL PROP. 68 MONEY REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR LOCAL PARKS AND WATER? AREN’T WE ALREADY BEING TAXED FOR THIS?

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors just endorsed State Proposition 68. This is the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Access for All Act of 2018 that will ask for $4 Billion in bond sales and lots more public debt. It is what Kevin DeLeon sponsored as SB 5 and is now going to be on our June, 2018 ballot as Proposition 68. Mr. DeLeon is also backing Senator Monning’s SB 623 tax action (Safe and Affordable Drinking Water for All Act that allows polluters to continue contaminating groundwater as long as they pay the tax).

It would re-allocate hundreds of millions of dollars not yet issued from previous bonds regarding clean water (Prop 1, 40 and 84) approved by the voters to do the many of the same things, but throws in the parks issues as well as workforce investment and boosting tourist economies. It provides more money to prevent groundwater pollution and implement the CALIFORNIA WATER ACTION PLAN. Never heard of that? Me neither, but here’s a link to those “Actions” that include mandatory consolidation of water systems.

Here is a good article explaining the history of State Park funding, and past funding abuses. It is important to understand because it asks voters to go further into debt that will extend for two generations.

I think it is interesting that in Santa Cruz County, the Alba Recreation and Park District was awarded $220,000 in Prop 40 funding in 2005 but, according to the County Parks Budget report presented to the Parks Commission last week, “the District was not able to capitalize on this opportunity.” No Commissioners asked “Why not?”

Here is another good examination of the issue, pointing out the history of four similar State ballot measures passed since 2000 to accomplish exactly what Prop. 68 is supposed to do:

Here is the link to the actual SB 5 language. Drink some coffee before you try to wade into this one… but it is worth your time.

Aptos Village Project, Stormwater Pumping & Runoff March 2018 – Illegal?

APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT CREWS PUMPED MUDDY STORM WATER INTO LOCAL CREEKS
Granite Way was a pond after last week’s lovely rain. Aptos Village Project developers responded with a sump pump and fire hose to pump all the muddy water directly into storm water drains leading to Valencia Creek and Aptos Creek. I took water samples (again) and video recorded this illegal activity (again) and will report it (again) to the County and State officials responsible for overseeing storm water requirements at construction sites. Water samples from last time showed extremely high turbidity (lots of muddy sediment) and in some cases, elevated levels of lead. That video is on the right.

Stay tuned for the results of last week’s mess at the Aptos Village Project.

You can contact Ms. Julia Dyer at the Regional Water Quality Control Board with your concerns and questions about this: Julia Dyer Julia.Dyer@waterboards.ca.gov or try John Ricker, Santa Cruz County Water Resources Director John.Ricker@santacruzcounty.us California Fish and Wildlife might also be interested

ANOTHER GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT…COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPT. ROAD STRIPING WITH FEDERAL GRANT MONEY
I noticed the Board of Supervisor Consent Agenda for April 10 includes approving areas in South County for striping, including Trout Gulch Road. I looked into the specifications and found that the work will include the areas in Aptos Village that Barry Swenson Builder tore up last year to connect storm water sewer lines from the Project to existing drain pipes to Valencia Creek. Why are the taxpayers YET AGAIN paying to repair damage to Aptos Village caused by Aptos Village LLC developers? That is a GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS and is illegal.

Here is what I wrote to the Board…I wonder if they will pay attention?

FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD

Dear Board of Supervisors,

I respectfully request that there be a minor modification to the proposed South County Road Safety Striping Project on Trout Gulch Road, Item #54 on the 4/10/18 Consent Agenda. I feel that the public money must be spent striping Trout Gulch Road from Cathedral Drive to Valencia School Road, rather than beginning at Valencia Street. This work is being funded by a Federal Highway Hazard Safety Improvement Grant.

The Aptos Village Project LLC developers have created significant road damage on Trout Gulch Road and Cathedral Drive in the course of the trenching for drainage system connection to the development and existing public storm water sewers (all without an encroachment permit from County Public Works). It is the developer’s responsibility to restore the roadway to its previous condition. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Aptos Village Project developers to stripe the road surface areas of Trout Gulch Road between Valencia Street and Cathedral Drive that their construction work has damaged.

Any County work to restore the roadway damage in this area would thus constitute a GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS and is illegal. Please modify the specifications of the proposed Striping Project on Trout Gulch Road.

Please respond. Thank you.

Sincerely, Becky Steinbruner

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT GRANTED FAVORS FOR BARRY SWENSON BUILDER AT RATEPAYER EXPENSE WHILE RAISING WATER RATES 17% AND MORE COMING
Read the March 20, 2018 (page 4) minutes approved by the District Board regarding the Rancho del Mar Center Variance approval for sub-meters: “The District would only be responsible for maintaining the master meters and reading and billing the sub-meters. This is like the meter variance granted the Aptos Village, except this proposal (for the Rancho del Mar Center) includes a monthly service charge on master meters to account for staff time reconciling differences between the master meters and the total of the sub-meters.” (bold type added for emphasis on the favor granted).

Here is the link to the April 3 Board agenda packet.

What does this mean for ratepayers? Swenson got a big favor from Soquel Creek Water District...and who will reconcile future water bills for discrepancies between master meters and sub-meters for the 69 new residential units, 15 new stores, 4 new restaurants and the huge New Leaf Market? Probably no one.

Write Soquel Creek Water District Board if you have thoughts or questions about this:

Board of Directors c/o Karen Reese karenr@soquelcreekwater.org

THANKS TO APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT MESS, YET ANOTHER TREASURE GONE FROM APTOS..RIP GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Good Times article here

” —each act bringing more energy to the stage than the last, before the day culminated with Santa Cruz favorites Devil Makes Three, who finished the afternoon with a bang. Looking back, it was a fitting finale to a two-day festival that Lewis says may never happen again. “Not at that park. If I could find a better venue, then yeah, sure,” he says, looking out the window of his Capitola mortgage lending office.

The event is on indefinite hiatus, and there will certainly be no Santa Cruz American Music Festival in 2018, now that the Aptos Village project—currently under construction—has taken away the plot of land on Aptos Creek Road where the festival organizers used to park tour buses and semi-trucks hauling heavy equipment.”

This is the area of the Phase 2 Aptos Village Project destined to be crammed with dense, three-story mixed use and a monster elevator tower to accommodate Barry Swenson Builder’s bottom line and make Aptos Village look more like San Jose. This is the same area that I have been asking for public support of a public/private partnership to instead re-create the world-famous Post Office Bike Jumps (which Swenson illegally bulldozed in 2015 without permits) and previous parking areas for Nisene Marks State Parks visitors…and efforts for such events as the Great American Music Festival. I have also been negotiating with the Swenson team about this. They are only interested in their bottom line and could care less about the long-term impacts of the Aptos Village Project on the Community and its environment.

So, one more time…if you are interested in helping support a different vision for the Aptos Village, please contact me: 831-685-2915 or ki6tkb@yahoo.com. Time is running out.

HOW SOON WILL SEAWATER INTRUSION IN THE PURISIMA AQUIFER CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO MIDCOUNTY AREA DRINKING WATER SUPPLY?
According to the latest helicopter SkyTEM study, the salt water is already at the beach. Soquel Creek Water District has been warned that when that situation occurs, the salt contamination could cause irreversible damage to their wells within two years. I have two questions: 1)   How accurate is the SkyTEM helicopter study?   2) If the warning is true, why does the District continue to approve more new connections that will increase demand for water?

The MidCounty Groundwater Agency (MGA) met on March 15 to hear the results of the $110,000 study conducted last fall by Danish scientists at Ramboll. It was an interesting presentation and was recorded by Community Television staff (it will be available on the MGA website soon, according to Ron Duncan). The report was summarized by Soquel Creek Water District Manager Ron Duncan at the April 3 Board meeting (available on the CTV “Government on Demand” website).

I read the report and had questions about the SkyTEM survey design method and how it might affect the results as reported. It states “When scope of work is to detect fresh water beneath seawater as well as sediments with saline water, the depth to water is a limiting factor. It is found that a depth ot water can be a maximum of 15-20 meters in order to be able to detect fresh water beneath the bottom.” The helicopter flew several hundred feet out over the sea water last fall: how deep was the water? Was the survey done at high tide or low tide? The report also states the results depend on type of sediment beneath the water; did the report consider any benthic soil samples to correlate the work? Why were the results of a similar 2014 beach study by Stanford University’s Dr. Rosemary Knight and grad. student Elizabeth Goebel that showed a different result not included, but instead used a hypothetical model created by HydroMetrics (a consultant hired primarily by Soquel Creek Water District)?

I asked all these questions at the April 3 District Board meeting, but got no answers.

I wrote to Dr. Knight to ask why her excellent study was ignored and for her opinion on my concerns. She replied that her graduate student is in the process of further work on the 2014 study and could not provide the exact numbers to Ramboll, but that she also has questions about the ability to use the electro-resistivity technology over certain depths of salt water. She has recently conducted similar helicopter Electro-Resistivity Tomagraphy (ERT) studies in the Marina area along the beach and inland. She gave permission for me to share the informational result that is in a fascinating five minute 3-D video on the right.

My second question regarding the bigger picture is why Soquel Creek Water District continually approves new connections that will increase the need to pump more water? The Board claims the Water Demand Offset (WDO) negates the impact of new demand…and actually reduces overall pumping? The District collects $55,000/acre foot anticipated new demand, to use for water conservation projects that would not otherwise be done in the District. Currently, the only project is storm water capture and recharge studies that cannot necessarily be measured for effectiveness against groundwater overdraft.

You can read the Ramboll SkyTEM report yourself here, beginning on page 39

You can read the Soquel Creek Water District’s Board report as Item #6.7 (and compare them) here

And there remains my big question regarding the Aptos Village Project’s supposed WDO work done at Cabrillo College that could never be verified by either Cabrillo College or Soquel Creek Water District (you can see the documents supporting that on the November 1, 2016 District Board meeting packet when I asked the Board to investigate the matter.

They refused. Chairman Tom LaHue called me a liar after a subsequent meeting.

JOINT STUDY SESSION TO DECIDE WATER RESTRICTIONS
I was encouraged to read the Santa Cruz Sentinel article about local cooperation to solve the area’s water storage problem. I wonder where Jessica York got the information that the Purisima Aquifer is at the highest groundwater levels in recorded history? I’ll ask her, and maybe you can, too. Here is the link to the article.    I hope you were able to attend this study session!

COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION APPROVES HISTORIC RECOGNITION FOR PRESERVING SILVA BARN IN CORRALITOS
It was marvelous to hear the presentation to the Santa Cruz County Historic Resources Commission last Monday by the owners of the historic Silva Barn in Corralitos. Ms. Karrell Reader owns the property and wants it preserved, honoring the importance of the everyday life of local farmers and their significant role in shaping this County. The Commission approved an NR-5 rating of historic significance, meaning it has great local historic significance. The Commission also discussed changing the language about demolition and partial demolition of historic structures. The usual approvals of this Commission lately have been to bulldoze important historic resources.

Stay tuned for the YouTube video recording of this meeting and important discussion on the issues. Many thanks to Bruce Tanner for video recording the meeting, which otherwise would only provide “Action Minutes” as required by the Board of Supervisors, and provide absolutely NO RECORD of critical facts and discussions for the public unable to attend the Monday 9:30am meetings.

RTC APPROVES $500,000 CONTRACT FOR RAILROAD BRIDGE AND CULVERT INSPECTIONS
Last Thursday’s Regional Transportation Commission meeting included a presentation (recorded by Community Television and available on their website under ‘Government on Demand’) by Ms. Sarah Christensen, the RTC rail transportation engineer, asking for $500,000 to hire outside consultants to test all bridges and culverts in the rail right-of-way. This is probably a good idea with regard to the Capitola Trestle, wherein it was pointed out to the Commission by a member of the public that previous inspections did not include the areas of the Trestle that are under water. Commissioner Bertrand from Capitola was very supportive of that being done. The Commission approved the $500,000.

Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

Thursday, April 5, 2018 #95 / Progress?

Abigail Shrier is a writer and a graduate of Yale Law school. She lives in Los Angeles, and she also “raise[s] little monkeys.” That description is pretty much all she tells us about herself. There is no Wikipedia entry. Shrier does not monkey around in her discussion of robot cars, published in the Tuesday, March 7, 2018, edition of The Wall Street Journal. She is not really a fan.

If you are thinking that self-driving cars are probably a good thing, check out her article before you put yourself on the waiting list. Here is just a sample of what Shrier suggests may be coming: Perhaps we shouldn’t worry about hacking — the possibility that a malevolent programmer could send 100 cars vaulting over the rails of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge or colliding at high speeds on the Schuylkill Expressway. Or to realize that stickers on stop signs can confuse robotic vehicles, which mistake them for speed-limit signs and race on. Or that routine car washes can ruin their cameras. Or that two armed robbers—or even troublemakers—might one day step in front of your driverless car, which will stop politely and effectively trap you on the road.

I particularly like that last one. It seems so true to life!

In essence, Shrier’s article is about “progress.” Or, “so-called” progress. The last line of her article in The Wall Street Journal, commenting on the death of Elaine Herzberg, 49, who was struck down by a self-driving car under the corporate control of Uber, summarizes her thinking:

Auto makers have decided to “use the public as guinea pigs,” with the cheering support of our elected representatives. Elaine Herzberg was never given the chance to opt out. And why should she have been? In this brave new world, our lives exist to improve technology. Our deaths are simply the price of progress. There is quite a bit of truth in Shrier’s observation that our lives, these days, seem to exist “to improve technology.” But the technology we are “improving” is, as Shrier notes, creating a less caring and friendly world: “The less we need one another, the less we interact, the less reason we will have to care or forgive or cut one another a break.”

I got the picture at the top of this posting from one of the many stories on the #NeverAgain marches. I think I saw it on Facebook! The picture sums my thought, when taken together with the headline on my posting: “Progress? We call BS”

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. Checking in with our favorite Sheriff’s Deputies …twirl below just a little ways.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Hanging Around with Trump “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.

SECRET FILM FESTIVAL. The 13th Annual Secret Film Festival takes place at the Del Mar Theatre from Saturday, April 14 at 11:55pm until Sunday, April 15 at noon. The festival runs all night with the titles revealed as each screening begins. All of the films are Santa Cruz premieres. Last year’s festival included the premieres of The Little Hours, Free Fire and Train to Busan. Concessions is open all night. Wear your PJs, bring a pillow and spend the night watching movies!

ESPRESSIVO ORCHESTRA. April 15. This concert is titled, “Eight, Nine, Ten—Go! ” It happens Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 3:00 pm at the Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center located at 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz, California. They will play Ludwig van Beethoven Rondino (Octet), WoO 25 (1795) – Franz Lachner Nonet (1875) – and Jean Francaix Dixtuor (1987. For tickets and information go to http://www.espressorch.org

MUNCHING WITH MOZART, a series of monthly concerts at the Central Branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library presents a concert of music for two pianists with guest soprano, Sheila Wiley. Hear art songs by Schubert, Brahms, R. Straus, as well as music from Oklahoma. Also piano duets by Kurtág, Inghelbrecht, and Leó Weiner. The pianists are Irene Herrmann and Mickey McGushin. This FREE concert is April 19, from 12:10 to 1:00 at the Central Branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. For more information, email Carol Panofsky at panofsky@cruzio.com.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Friends, I’m taking a brief hiatus off the blog before the summer (movie) madness begins next month! And while I buckle down to the REAL work of editing my next novel (the one coming after Beast) — after having finally completed a (very) rough first draft. But do keep checking back for more news, reviews, and updates at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

A QUIET PLACE. Whew!!! This earned 97 % on Rotten Tomatoes — and is a genuinely scary movie. It’s well-paced, with fine acting, and Emily Blunt does a perfect believable mother, guardian and victim role. It’s upstate New York sometime in the future, and aliens (much like the Shape of Water Thing with longer legs) have taken over. The monsters attack and kill anything they hear, so everybody has be deathly silent…which makes for great suspense and tension. The kid who plays the deaf child Regan is Millicent Simmonds: she’s genuinely deaf, and she’s fabulous. Go see this IF you love scary movies.

CHAPPAQUIDDICK. I didn’t remember that Chappaquiddick was in Martha’s Vineyard. This docu-drama (half true and half BS) is only worth seeing if you remember who Mary Jo Kopechne was, or Robert McNamara or Ted Sorensen. Many of us old-timers look at the Ted Kennedy involvement in Mary Jo’s drowning as another unsolved murder mystery. This film does NOT provide a single new fact or angle to that infamous near-presidential saga — it’s also a very slow, with no notable actors or acting, except Bruce Dern as Joe Kennedy senior.

BLOCKERS. It’s billed as a teenage sex comedy, and while it does have the raunchy, crotch, rectal, sex stuff… it’s got ZERO comedy. Lots of the audience howled at it, I was bored and disgusted at what passes for humor nowadays. It’s about parents trying to stop their three daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. Don’t go!!!

LEAN INTO THE WIND. Andy Goldsworthy’s saga. I had forgotten just how influential Andy Goldsworthy’s message to humanity was, and will continue to be long after we’ve all left. Much like Christo and Jean Claude (“Running Fence”, “The Gates” in NYC) these artists/sculptors force us to appreciate the earth we live on…and in. Like his “Rivers and Tides” documentary from 2003, this movie was filmed in San Francisco and a dozen otherplaces where Goldsworthy has and continues to build and sculpt beautiful and thoughtful designs from the very ground we appear to be destroying more and more rapidly. See this film…I guarantee you’ll love our earth even more than you do now. HURRY!!! It closes Thursday April 10.

THE DEATH OF STALIN. This would-be comedy is much like “Veep” — the TV series based on inside White House “secret” humor. They are similar because both are directed by the same guy. The problem is that we (or I especially) don’t know anything about the Russian government under Stalin. In addition it’s based on a graphic novel. If you know the roles Khrushchev or Malenkov played, or just who Beria supported, you’ll be way ahead and might even laugh. It’s a bitter, biting, mean type of humor and not my style.

ISLE OF DOGS. This is Wes Anderson’s latest, and I didn’t like it any more than any of his other sideways attempts at new cinema statements. The Royal Tannenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel all not just bored me but left me mystified. Rushmore was a notch up. Isle of Dogs uses cute Japanese-themed names like Kobayashi, Atari, Watanabe, Yoko-ono, and the clever Major Domo. The very famous and excellent Hollywood persons who do the voices are near legendary, but Anderson’s attempt at cleverness, brilliance and just plain story telling once again leaves me very cold and bored.

READY PLAYER ONE. The last video game I remember playing was Atari’s “Pong” back in 1972 or 73 with Manny Santana and John Tuck in “The Med” (Mediterranean Restaurant), next door to Manuels Restaurant on Center Street in Aptos. Video games have evolved since, and this Spielberg FX extravaganza is all about avatars, time travel, old timey movies, TV shows and memorabilia…and features so much space jumping and time warping that I lost interest after about 15 minutes. It was too much trouble, and besides that it’s set in Columbus, Ohio in 2045. A very large and long and dull film from a director who usually can focus more sharply.

UNSANE.Real film followers know what to expect when it’s a Steven Soderbergh film, and Unsane is one of his best works. Claire Foy (star of The Queen) is the tortured lead and Joshua Leonard (Blair Witch Project and Higher Ground) is her stalker/torturer. It’s the scary, numbing story of a woman who is troubled psychologically to begin with,and then makes the scary mistake of signing documents that she didn’t read. That possibility alone should scare and wake all of us. Soderbergh shot the entire film on an iPhone, edited it at night and in 10-12 days had it finished. That he has the courage and talent to go against the billion dollar corporate films being produced today is extraordinary. A unique film, as are most of Soderbergh’s creations…it’s not easy to watch, and the acting is near-perfect. Full& happy disclosure, I sat with Joshua Leonard’s parents, who are old friends, who left their Watsonville home for Santa Cruz’s Del Mar theatre to see his newest. Go for it!!!

LOVE, SIMON. This is a very light, music background, story of a teen age boy coming out as gay. It contains drama, real pain, peer and penis envy and it’s still “lighter than heir”.(Pun intended). No stars involved, but it’s a nice movie.

ANNIHILATION. This is the Natalie Portman science fiction thriller that got an 87 on RT. If you pay close attention there is quite a moral, philosophic base to the plot. Like one line I can’t forget…”all humans self destruct either by suicide, drinking or smoking”. The same director did “Ex Machina” so you can tell he’s got something to say. But it’s way too hard to follow. There’s a sort of foggy, swirly, shimmer wall and people go through the wall. The dead come back to life, time goes back on itself, and on and on. Maybe if you really concentrate and stay awake you’ll get some kind of profound meaning from Annihilation…I’m not sure.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are based on comics – DC and Marvel respectively – and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther? Got beat by …..

TOMB RAIDER 2018. Angelina Jolie (Oscar winner and ultra conservative actor Jon Voight’s daughter) starred in the first two Tomb Raider films, in 2001 and 2003. Now, with a 50 RT score Alicia Vikander, Dominic West and Kristin ScottThomas (in a very small role) have tried to bring back that comic book-type spectacle. It’s 98% special effects, and centers on a search for some mythical spirit power…I think. Sleep overtook me, at about 11:30 am on a Saturday morning. Tomb Raider was once a video game, if that gives you any more clues whether or not you’d like it.

A WRINKLE IN TIME. The much hyped adapting of this hugely popular children’s book by black woman director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out so otherworldly so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

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. April 10 has Santa Cruz Veterans advocate Dean Kaufman discussing news and programs created for our veterans. He’s followed by Robert Morgan talking about the Frankenstein 200th Anniversary Celebration conference happening at MAH. On April 17 Davis Banta director of Assassins at Mountain Community Theatre talks about the Sondheim musical. Then folks from The Reel Work Film Festival reveal this year’s festival films. Candace Brown discusses the choosing of a new Parks and Recreation Director on April 24. May 1st has Kathy Bisbee talking about Virtual Reality and Air Pollution. May 8 is KZSC’s bi-annual Pledge Drive time. 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

If you build one of these machines, let me know! 🙂

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. “The White House”
“On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. H. L. Mencken
“People say satire is dead. It’s not dead; it’s alive and living in the White House”. Robin Williams
“I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters – two beautiful, intelligent black young women – playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters, and all our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States”. Michelle Obama

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.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

April 2 – 8, 2018

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…the continuing Octagon mystery, Live Oak development, UCSC meadow development, our public library, Lou Harrison’s other house…GREENSITE on the Housing Blues …KROHN is on vacation this week and his column will return next week.…STEINBRUNER re Aptos Village’s many development issues, property boundaries and Barry Swenson, help Soquel Creek, and raising our taxes…PATTON asks Are Hillary and Donald Trump the same person?…EAGAN an Inside view of the White House…DeCINZO and our world family…JENSEN reviews Isle Of Dogs…EVENTS New Music Works, Baroque Festival, Espressivo Orchestra…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…BRATTON critiques Andy Goldsworthy doc, Death of Stalin, Isle of Dogs…QUOTES about April

DAVENPORT 1908. One of hundreds of area photos by Ole Ravnos. He came here from Norway and had a studio in Capitola from 1907-1915. You can see the towering cement plant structures off to the left.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

HEALTHY HAND EXERCISES. Hard to believe…try them..

NOSTRADAMUS 2018 PREDICTIONS.

MEL BLANC. remember his unlimited cartoon voices?

DATELINE April 2, 2018

OCTAGON PLATZ. Another beautiful noon hour or two, and sitting alongside the Octagon I get even more reports from inside sources that John McEnery IV had been showing two Asian gentlemen the insides of the Octagon only the week before, with hopes that they would open two non-competitive restaurants (with 270 sq.ft. spaces) inside that historic space. For some reason John still hasn’t removed detritus from the so-called Puppetry Institute that remains inside the Octagon. What’s even worse is that John leaves the Octagon’s glass door windows open, so the very many tourists and local curiosity seekers can see what a mess our precious County Records building has been left in.

LIVE OAK DEVELOPMENT. One hundred 600 square foot “market rate” rental units on Capitola Road right off 17th avenue…at the corner of 17th and Soquel by the Live Oak Supermarket across from the school!! That’s what being proposed by developer Sibley Simon, husband of Nina Simon of MAH community Center (formerly Art & History). Sibley’s development company New Way Homes has played and posted many developments like the large one proposed near the Homeless Servicers center, but so far none are visible — and what’s with that? Showcases (ie. stacked and controlled) “feedback sessions” are being planned for April 12 & 14th. This is the time for genuine feedback IF you can avoid the post-its and stay after the bound-to-be lengthy developer presentations. Other members of New Way Homes developer’s team are Owen Lawlor and Robert Singleton. In other words, lotsa politics going on here!!!

UCSC’S EAST MEADOW ACTION COMMITTEE. These stalwarts have raised over 40,000 signatures from across the USA to stop UCSC from building 40 two-story units on the scenic and significant East Meadow. They sent this email Monday (4/02) … “As the new quarter gets underway at UCSC, the pace of protest against the East Meadow building plan will be increasing. Last week the university released its Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), which can be downloaded here. It’s a complex, 600-page document, and we’re asking as many people as possible to request an extension on the 45-day comment period to make a serious review possible. Please write to Alisa Klaus, UC Santa Cruz, , Physical Planning & Construction, 1156 High St, Mailstop: PPDO, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or via email aklaus@ucsc.edu. “You should also look into their website www.eastmeadowaction.org

SANTA CRUZ PUBLIC LIBRARY. Lee Brokaw writes…

Dear Editor…

I saw a picture the other day of the Carnegie library of Santa Cruz, times gone by. I was reminded of the Carnegie library in Emporia, Kansas, which I visited with rapped anticipation, as a child. Part of the appeal was that magnificent ‘period’ architecture, the windows letting in natural light and the ornate craftsmanship. I felt like I had arrived at a special place and that was before I saw a single book. How is it that the new proposed library/bomb shelter will create such feelings? It won’t, not for the patrons nor the workers. This is nuts! I predict it will fail to bring clientele, then what will we do? “Things are the way they are because rich people feel that they don’t have enough money. ” I quote myself. Let’s not feather some one’s nest over this stupid idea. Lee Brokaw

    PS the libraries of great civilizations have been architectural master pieces

LOU HARRISON HOUSE NEWS. I’ve mentioned several times over the decades that it’s a shame there is not one single monument, street, building, auditorium or even a plaque mentioning our world-famed and now-departed composer Lou Harrison. In the few years just before he died he and partner Bill Colvig built a straw bale house in Joshua Tree. I’ve been there and it’s well worth the trip. Go here… to get an idea of the cultural events and respect Lou still encourages.

Dateline April 2nd. 2018

HOUSING RED FLAGS
One thing was clear from the recent city council meeting on the report submitted by its Housing Blueprint Subcommittee: there is little the city can do to improve housing affordability in the city of Santa Cruz. Despite a 6-month long “housing listening tour” generating 82 suggestions and many meetings of the subcommittee distilling these suggestions into 5 priority areas, the options available for affordability are few.

At the end of a long convoluted discussion at which the council seemed unclear on what they were being asked to approve, lacked even a copy of the presentation delivered by the Planning Director, the city manager summarized a list of housing that is just completed or underway and the total is 500 units. That is not an insignificant number in a town already built out and it would have been helpful to have that as part of the introduction to give the call for increased housing a context.

It was refreshing to hear council member Martine Watkins argue for child- care to be part of the discussion in consideration of livability. Apart from that, increased housing was discussed in a vacuum as though the increase in population that such housing will generate has no impact on everything else. At the urging of the community group, Save Santa Cruz, council members Chris Krohn and Sandy Brown tried hard to get a specific number increase of inclusionary housing into the mix and the final vote did include a consideration of increasing the number from the current 15% but council member Richelle Noroyan made it clear that without public funding for such an increase, lenders will not give developers money to build: a reminder that housing is a commodity with profit the bottom line.

A red flag was raised at the beginning of the meeting and no one seemed to notice. The Economic Development director showed a map of key opportunity sites for development, which included the greenbelt lands and open space. Yes, you read that correctly. Of course that will be a policy decision and up to council but its inclusion sent a chill up my spine.

One of the top three priorities to increase housing stock offered by the committee raised another red flag. That is, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s). Not only are ADU’s the least affordable of housing types after single family dwellings and usually unsuitable in size for a family but we have been through scores of public meetings over the past few years to streamline the ADU ordinance to make such units as permissible and affordable as possible. The recent state requirements lowered the bar even further with reduced set-backs, reduced or eliminated parking requirements, increase in size and erased public hearings on all but two story units. The city is limited in how much it can reduce fees before other issues are triggered. So what’s left? Owner occupancy. Requiring that an owner occupy one of the buildings is the only safeguard against rampant overbuilding and is the only nod to neighborhood integrity. Consider that in Santa Cruz city, 54% of single -family homes are non-owner occupied. If the owner occupancy requirement were to be lifted, there would be a massive rush by off-site owners to build second units on current single-family lots. Yes this would increase the housing stock but at what cost? And true affordability would still be a pipe dream.

At the recent YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) conference whose members want more housing built with no regard for livability, affordability or sustainability, perhaps the most pertinent comment was made by former Mayor Don Lane who was quoted as saying: “If you build 5,000 units here, it wouldn’t affect the part of the market I’m most concerned about, workforce housing. People who make $60,000 are still shut out.”

Increasing housing stock, which shuts out working residents and only attracts non-residents with higher incomes is not a path worth taking.

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.

April 2, 2018

Chris Krohn is on vacation this week and his column will return next week.

(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

Dateline April 2, 2018

APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT PROPERTY BOUNDARIES?
A prominent local surveying company hired by Aptos Village Project developer Barry Swenson Builder just could not find three critical property boundary markers when surveying the site. The markers were noted as “Disregarded” and would be “Re-Set” after construction. The three markers delineate property boundaries shared with the Bayview Hotel property. What that really means is that Aptos Village LLC developers Barry Swenson, Pete Testorff and Joe Appenrodt could decide where to put the boundaries….and build wherever they want. That is just what is happening. Luckily, the Bayview Hotel property owner hired her own survey to be done by a local surveyor recommended for his great personal integrity. He easily found the three original survey monuments that had been noted as “Disregarded”. One had a hole already cut into the pavement with a weed growing in it….clearly visible and easily found.

Pete Testorff decided to fence-off the drive-through easement in front of the two massive structures under construction next to the Bayview Hotel near the railroad tracks and Soquel Drive last week. A survey marker appeared with “Property Boundary” written on it that was about 12″ into the Bayview Hotel property. The chain link fence now blocks legal easement access for all adjacent property owners, and also forces pedestrian traffic onto the railroad tracks.

Last week, Testorff Construction crews moved their portable office trailer into the railroad right of way, about two feet from the track. As I was photographing the trailer from my Bayview Hotel vantage point, the foreman yelled at me to “Get off the property!” To my knowledge, Pete Testorff has not bought the Bayview Hotel…..

I did check with the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) about the legality of a construction trailer being parked nearly on the railroad tracks. Transportation Engineer Ms. Sarah Christensen, assured me that Testorff has a “Right of Entry” agreement with the RTC. I asked for a copy of that agreement. “I’ll do my best,” she replied. One week later, I still do not have it, but I noticed the trailer got moved the next day. I have filed a Public Records Act request for the document.

Meanwhile, Barry Swenson Builder crews have excavated nearly two feet into the Bayview Hotel property bordering Trout Gulch Road for the towering new building (is that really a single story building as shown in the plans?). They plan to put up a tall fence and effectively restrict access for the Bayview Hotel and soon-to-be Betty’s Burgers (formerly a laundromat and dry cleaning shop). The surveyor hired by Bayview Property owner established yet another critical property boundary that Swenson’s surveyor could not find, as well as two key boundary marker locations that the County had removed and not replaced when doing road improvements on Trout Gulch Road.   This legal mess will cost a lot to fight, and it is clear that the County is not interested in providing any oversight on the Aptos Village Project problems. I wonder how much Swenson and Testorff paid their surveyor…Hmmmmmm.

ANOTHER APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT ROADWAY HAZARD

Two Saturdays ago, several sections of perimeter chain link fencing at the Aptos Village Project got knocked down and were lying in the Cathedral Drive roadway, opposite the Aptos Post Office exit. I reported the hazard to the Aptos Village Project 24-Hour Disturbance Line (required by County ordinance of all construction projects but did not exist for this one until recently). Nothing got cleared off the roadway after 24 hours, so I called the Highway Patrol and Sheriff. Still no removal of the hazard. There were orange cones that are always in the roadway there, but the fence extended into the roadway beyond the cones. Finally, the mess got cleared by Swenson crews Monday morning (by and large, they are not local resident workers).

This lack of regard for public safety really bothers me. Swenson has no encroachment permit for this roadway work, even though required by County ordinance. It means that the County taxpayers are liable for any property damage and/or personal injury associated with the work in the publicly-owned right of way. Where is the government oversight on the Aptos Village Project??

(Photo of the roadway hazard, many thanks to Gary L.)

You can file a complaint with the County Planning Department Code Compliance Office here

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT IS LOOKING FOR YOUR HELP
The Soquel Creek Water District is asking for ratepayer volunteers to serve on Standing Committees that provide important liaison recommendations to the Board and staff. This is an opportunity to really find out what is going on, and hopefully have some say as to what the District actually does. The applications and Committee descriptions are here.

You must be a customer in the District service area to be on a Committee.

In my opinion, the most crucial Committee is the “Water Resources Management & Infrastructure Committee”, because this is the ratepayer group that will really review the District’s PureWater Soquel Project, which involves injecting treated sewage water into the area’s drinking water supply. If you want to investigate the three Standing Committees, you may do so at the meetings that are coming right up:

Water Resources Management & Infrastructure Committee meets April 11, 4pm-5pm

Finance Committee (discussing yet another rate increase to support Pure Water Soquel) meets April 9, 4pm-5pm

Public Outreach (how to design ways to convince ratepayers that the treated sewage water is okay to drink and won’t run up big debt) meets April 10, 10:30am-11:30am

All meetings are at the District Office (5180 Soquel Drive).

The deadline for applications is April 30.

I hope you will consider serving on a Committee, and ask that you pass this on to others whom you think would be good candidates.

COUNTY PARKS & OPEN SPACE HAS A STRATEGIC PLAN TO RAISE YOUR TAXES
Last week, Santa Cruz County Parks and Open Space Department hosted three evening workshops for the public to view the new Strategic Plan. I really appreciate that the meetings were scheduled for the evening, rather than 9am, as is the habit of most County government departments. Unfortunately, traffic was so congested, I could not make it to the Watsonville meeting by 6pm, but I have read the Strategic Plan document.

I hope you will read it, too. Here is the link: http://www.scparks.com/Home/Parks/StrategicPlan.aspx

Public Comment is due by this Friday, 5pm. April 6. While you may click on the “Comment” button, it really is more of a survey. I recommend sending comments directly to Parks Director Mr. Jeff Gaffney <jeff.gaffney@santacruzcounty.us>.

The 60-page Plan and 30 pages of Appendices gives considerable background on the Department, why the Plan is being developed and how it has come to arrive in the form that is being presented. If you are short on time and want to focus on what the Strategic Plan focus will be, I recommend reading pages 56-60. That is where you will read about a new tax coming your way, but it will probably be called a “fee” and you will not have the opportunity to vote on it.

What bothers me about this report is that no mention is made of the actual dollar amount of the Parks Department Budget. It discusses the County Service Area (CSA 11) special tax district that encompasses the entire unincorporated area of the County (i.e., outside Watsonville, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley city limits) that was formed in 1971 to fund County Parks, but does not provide the tax rate or the revenue dollar amount generated. The report discusses Measure F, another parcel tax to support County parks that was approved in 2014 by voters in the CSA 11 area, but does not explain the measure and that it added a $8.50 fee to all improved parcels in the unincorporated areas. You may recall that the Board of Supervisors had dissolved the Parks Department just prior to that ballot measure, adding it under Public Works Department management.

The report discusses that staffing levels have not re-gained the pre-recession levels, but does not discuss that soon after the Parks Department was re-established in 2015 with the hiring of Director Jeff Gaffney and establishment of offices and staff at the Simpkins Swim Center, a full-time Park Planner, Mr. Will Forte, was hired. The report does not discuss that last year; the Board of Supervisors actually approved more funding for the Parks Department Budget than requested so that additional staff could be added. This additional staff was two additional Park Planners.

The report discusses that developer fees are an important part of the revenue stream to support new park development and maintenance, and that developer fees have not changed since 1997, but does not divulge that rate of $1000/bedroom for new development (which I have read in County documents obtained in Public Records Act requests was $750/bedroom about 5 years ago).

The County WAIVED ALL DEVELOPER PARK FEES FOR BARRY SWENSON BUILDER AT THE APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT because they instead accepted the plan for Swenson to donate land for a future park. Providing an active recreation area within the development was one of the Conditions of Approval for the Project, due to the Planning Commissioners’ concerns about the bike jumps getting bulldozed and also because a large group of skateboarding youth attended one of the early Project public meetings with then-Supervisor Ellen Pirie. What happened was that Swenson claimed to have bought 0.74 acre of vertical hillside adjacent to Aptos Creek Road for $500,000, so the County waived the $1000/bedroom developer fees for 319 new bedrooms in the Aptos Village Project 69 new residential units, and also approved FREE DRAINAGE EASEMENT across the Aptos Village County Park land so all parking lot stormwater from the Project can dump into Aptos Creek.

In 2015, the Board of Supervisors denied my appeal of the Planning Department approval of several significant changes to the Aptos Village Project. In retrospect, the Board violated California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) law. One of the changes to the Project was a reduction in the size of the Park Parcel, to allow for more parking spaces for the development. On December 8, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved the Phase I developments that you see being built now. At that time, the Planning Department stated Swenson had met all requirements, including posting a bond for the worth of the Park Parcel rather than dedicating it to the County at that time. Through a Public Records Act request, I learned that Barry Swenson Builder DID NOT POST THE BOND until January 16, 2017, and only for the amount of $15,000…not the $500,000 Swenson claimed they paid for the land.

So, let me ask you…are you willing to support a tax increase for County Parks with the current level of County government oversight?

~

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

Dateline March 31, 2018
#90 / Also Contagious

The picture on the right, from a CNN web posting, ran under the following headline: “Are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump the same person?” The CNN posting pointed out a lot of similarities. Let me point out another one.

I, and many others, have been appalled by the way Donald Trump has turned the presidency into an opportunity to advance his family business, and to make a personal profit from what most voters believe ought to be a public service assignment. If you have any question that this is exactly what our current president is doing, please click the following link, for an article in which Newsweek details the “Trump Family’s Endless Conflicts of Interest.” In fact, the Newsweek article probably only scratches the surface.

A neighbor, by no means a Republican, and by no means a Trump supporter, recently dropped off a book for me to read (see below).

Clinton Cash is a pretty convincing demonstration that Hillary and Bill Clinton have teamed up to achieve exactly the same kind of transformation of public service into personal economic wealth that is so evident in what President Trump and his family are doing. The events that the book documents are just as distressing as the actions of our current “first family,” making it appear that it is not only our current president, but other federal office holders, too, past and present, who are more devoted to filling their personal bank accounts than to achieving any public good.

In yesterday’s blog posting, I was talking about how current social change movements seem to be exhibiting “contagious” qualities, giving hope to those who would like to see some fundamental rearrangements to this nation’s political, economic, and social order.

Bad things are contagious, too! One reason that the public, in general, is so dissatisfied with our political system is that all too many elected officials “work their positions,” not for the benefit of those who elected them, but for their own, individual economic advancement. Trump, the Clintons …. We are only scratching the surface here!

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. Check DeCinzo’s “World Family” view just a finger flick below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Peeking Inside” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

NEW MUSIC WORKS. April 7. New Music Works has a concert Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 7:30 pm in the Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High Street Santa Cruz, CA. The concert title is “BECAUSE”. The guest artists are; Akindele Bankole composer and vocalist- Sarah Cahill, piano- Lori Rivera, vocalist-Marina Thomas, organ –The Ariose Singers, conductor, Camille Couture -NewMusicWorks Ensemble, conductor, Philip Collins. They’ll play works by Akindele Bankole, Jon Scoville, Igor Stravinsky, Frank Pesci, John Thomas, John Lennon, Christopher Pratorius. More info and tickets at newmusicworks.org.

SANTA CRUZ BAROQUE FESTIVAL. April 8. Their concert is Sunday, April 8 at 3 p.m. In the UCSC Music Recital Hall. The concert title is…”The Musical Offering–J.S.Bach” playing that day are Edwin Huizinga, Baroque violin. Lars Johannesson, traverso flute. Adaiha McAdam Somer, viola da gamba and Linda Burman-Hall, harpsichord. In 1747 J.S. Bach visited Potsdam, where the Emperor Frederick challenged him to prove his musical ability by immediately improvising on a theme composed by the Emperor himself. Bach’s genius prevailed, and this collection of canons and fugues are the result. This intricate music exemplifies the counterpoint nature of the challenge, with notes choreographed against one another in the “classic rock” style of High Baroque. This concert includes other works of Bach, and invites you to step into the heart of the dark, dramatic challenge of an Emperor. Tickets are available for purchase online, and at the door with cash, check, or credit card.

ESPRESSIVO ORCHESTRA. April 15. This concert is titled, “Eight, Nine, Ten—Go! ” It happens Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 3:00 pm at the Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center located at 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz, California. They will play Ludwig van Beethoven Rondino (Octet), WoO 25 (1795) – Franz Lachner Nonet (1875) – and Jean Francaix Dixtuor (1987. For tickets and information go to http://www.espressorch.org

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “What’s more fun than a basket of puppies? Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, a savvy, funny social and political satire expertly told in stop-motion animation. Find out what all the fuss is about this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/).” Lisa has been writing film, theatre reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

LEAN INTO THE WIND. Andy Goldsworthy’s saga. I had forgotten just how influential Andy Goldsworthy’s message to humanity was, and will continue to be long after we’ve all left. Much like Christo and Jean Claude (“Running Fence”, “The Gates” in NYC) these artists/sculptors force us to appreciate the earth we live on…and in. Like his “Rivers and Tides” documentary from 2003, this movie was filmed in San Francisco and a dozen other places where Goldsworthy has and continues to build and sculpt beautiful and thoughtful designs from the very ground we appear to be destroying more and more rapidly. See this film…I guarantee you’ll love our earth even more than you do now.

THE DEATH OF STALIN. This would-be comedy is much like “Veep” — the TV series based on inside White House “secret” humor. They are similar because both are directed by the same guy. The problem is that we (or I especially) don’t know anything about the Russian government under Stalin. In addition it’s based on a graphic novel. If you know the roles Khrushchev or Malenkov played, or just who Beria supported, you’ll be way ahead and might even laugh. It’s a bitter, biting, mean type of humor and not my style.

ISLE OF DOGS. This is Wes Anderson’s latest, and I didn’t like it any more than any of his other sideways attempts at new cinema statements. The Royal Tannenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel all not just bored me but left me mystified. Rushmore was a notch up. Isle of Dogs uses cute Japanese-themed names like Kobayashi, Atari, Wataanbe, Yoko-ono, and the clever Major Domo. The very famous and excellent Hollywood persons who do the voices are near legendary, but Anderson’s attempt at cleverness, brilliance and just plain story telling once again leaves me very cold and bored.

READY PLAYER ONE. The last video game I remember playing was Atari’s “Pong” back in 1972 or 73 with Manny Santana and John Tuck in “The Med” (Mediterranean Restaurant), next door to Manuels Restaurant on Center Street in Aptos. Video games have evolved since, and this Spielberg FX extravaganza is all about avatars, time travel, old timey movies, TV shows and memorabilia…and features so much space jumping and time warping that I lost interest after about 15 minutes. It was too much trouble, and besides that it’s set in Columbus, Ohio in 2045. A very large and long and dull film from a director who usually can focus more sharply.

UNSANE. Real film followers know what to expect when it’s a Steven Soderbergh film, and Unsane is one of his best works. Claire Foy (star of The Queen) is the tortured lead and Joshua Leonard (Blair Witch Project and Higher Ground) is her stalker/torturer. It’s the scary, numbing story of a woman who is troubled psychologically to begin with, and then makes the scary mistake of signing documents that she didn’t read. That possibility alone should scare and wake all of us. Soderbergh shot the entire film on an iPhone, edited it at night and in 10-12 days had it finished. That he has the courage and talent to go against the billion dollar corporate films being produced today is extraordinary. A unique film, as are most of Soderbergh’s creations…it’s not easy to watch, and the acting is near-perfect. Full & happy disclosure, I sat with Joshua Leonard’s parents, who are old friends, who left their Watsonville home for Santa Cruz’s Del Mar theatre to see his newest. Go for it!!!

LOVE, SIMON. This is a very light, music background, story of a teen age boy coming out as gay. It contains drama, real pain, peer and penis envy and it’s still “lighter than heir”.(Pun intended). No stars involved, but it’s a nice movie.

ANNIHILATION. This is the Natalie Portman science fiction thriller that got an 87 on RT. If you pay close attention there is quite a moral, philosophic base to the plot. Like one line I can’t forget…”all humans self destruct either by suicide, drinking or smoking”. The same director did “Ex Machina” so you can tell he’s got something to say. But it’s way too hard to follow. There’s a sort of foggy, swirly, shimmer wall and people go through the wall. The dead come back to life, time goes back on itself, and on and on. Maybe if you really concentrate and stay awake you’ll get some kind of profound meaning from Annihilation…I’m not sure.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are Marvel Comics creations and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther? Got beat by …..

TOMB RAIDER 2018. Angelina Jolie (Oscar winner and ultra conservative actor Jon Voight’s daughter) starred in the first two Tomb Raider films, in 2001 and 2003. Now, with a 50 RT score Alicia Vikander, Dominic West and Kristin ScottThomas (in a very small role) have tried to bring back that comic book-type spectacle. It’s 98% special effects, and centers on a search for some mythical spirit power…I think. Sleep overtook me, at about 11:30 am on a Saturday morning. Tomb Raider was once a video game, if that gives you any more clues whether or not you’d like it.

A WRINKLE IN TIME. The much hyped adapting of this hugely popular children’s book by black woman director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out so otherworldly so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

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 April 2 the full hour will be devoted to the heavily debated proposed Library/Parking Garage with Rick Longinotti, Chris Krohn, Judi Grunstra and Jean Brocklebank. April 10 has Veterans advocate Dean Kaufman discussing news and programs created for our veterans. He’s followed by Robert Morgan talking about the Frankenstein 200th Anniversary Celebration conference happening at MAH. On April 17 Davis Banta director of Assassins at Mountain Community Theatre talks about the Sondheim musical. Then folks from The Reel Work Film Festival reveal this year’s festival films. 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

Young Turks breaks down that Sinclair “must run” segment. Watch this, especially if you haven’t seen the Deadspin viral video, and then think about how terrifying and oh-so Orwellian this is. After you’ve seen the Young Turks’ piece, feel free to follow this link and watch John Oliver’s exposé on Sinclair Media from July last year.

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. “APRIL”

“Every year, back comes Spring, with nasty little birds yapping their fool heads off and the ground all mucked up with plants” ~ Dorothy Parker
“Oh to be in England now that April’s there.” ~ Robert Browning
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” ~ William Shakespeare

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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

March 26 – April 1

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON about Burying the Library, KSQD progress…GREENSITE on the city’s proposed sales tax increase…KROHN re UCSC growth locally and beyond, developer’s bonus plans… STEINBRUNER covers dirty drinking water, Groppetti –Nissan dealership in Soquel, cannabis licensing, and reasonable development?…PATTON about Corporations are People…EAGAN draws us into Facebook …DeCINZO hits law enforcement… NEW MUSIC WORKS…SANTA CRUZ BAROQUE FESTIVAL…ESPRESSIVO ORCHESTRA… JENSEN reviews the new Andy Goldsworthy doc…BRATTON critiques UNSANE and LOVELESS…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES about HOMELESS.

DAVENPORT CEMENT PLANT.1967. The original cement plant was built by the Portland Cement Company and opened in 1905.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

THE BEST OF POLE VAULTING. There’s something about this sport that seems extra-terrestrial

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FLAGPOLE SITTING? Watch and think about this guy, just one of hundreds back in the day.

THE BALD SIDE OF JOHN WAYNE. After all these decades it’s surprising to see this universal hero as a bald guy!

DATELINE March 26, 2018

LIBRARY UPRAISING, UPRISING, UPHEAVAL, USURPING. Few issues touch and affect as many citizens and visitors like the managing of the city library, any city library…in any city. Santa Cruz is facing an extreme change in the very existence of the main branch of our library. Few citizens are fully aware (so far) of what and how the proposed developmental changes will work. Long time residents Jean Brocklebank and Judi Grunstra created a newsletter and an organization titled “Don’t Bury The Library” — DBTL — that keeps folks aware. Here is almost every word from their latest issue.
“Isn’t it nice that there is no official Downtown Chapter of the non-profit organization called Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries (fscpl.org)? There are six official chapters (Aptos, Boulder Creek, Capitola, Felton, La Selva Beach and Scotts Valley). Downtown is not one of them. So, for the moment, we are taking a bit of liberty in our greetings on this Update.

New DBTL Web Pages

We have archived 13 of the previous DBTL Updates, in case anyone wants to catch up. Update #14 was a two liner, so we did not include it.   To see the new Updates page click here

We added a page especially for the Downtown Library Advisory Committee (DLAC). This page includes our opinion of the DLAC process, which is: From the very beginning there were problems with the eight month DLAC process, including, but not limited to, lack of adherence to the call for a “minimum of three meetings” to “engage citizens and stakeholders in meaningful dialogues” concerning the proposed plan to abandon the now historical downtown library, an integral part of the City’s Civic Center. The process basically went downhill from there.   To see the DLAC page, click here

Like us, some of you may be volunteers for the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, or may have donated to them over the years. Because FSCPL has engaged in an extensive lobbying campaign to push acceptance of the DLAC recommendation for a library in a parking structure, we have added a FSCPL web page. DBTL is challenging the accuracy of the content of the newsletters going out in the name of FSCPL. To see the new FSCPL web page, go here

Downtown Commission Meeting

On March 22 the Downtown Commission (DC) was presented with the DLAC Report. The public was allowed 1-1/2 minutes each to address the Commission after the presentation. About 10 people spoke, mostly from the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, including Rick Longinotti whose major point was that the parking garage would be subsidizing the library. This is important because, as DBTL informed the Commission by email:

Our main concern for your Commission’s consideration is whether it is appropriate (or even legal) to use Parking District deficiency fees to construct a parking garage that will also include a 44,000 square foot library as a tenant of the parking structure. The foundation, walls and roof of the proposed library will be built with deficiency fees. That 44,000 square feet will not be able to be used for parking spaces. Is a library or affordable housing, both of which will reduce parking spaces in a parking garage built with parking deficiency fees… appropriate or legal?

Judi Grunstra, active in DBTL and wearing her Don’t Bury The Library sign, also spoke at the meeting, informing the Commission of the lack of real public involvement in the DLAC process. Interestingly, a DLAC member actually told the DC that one of the things they did hear from the public was that people were opposed to a library in a garage. Thanks, Judi, for being there early in the morning of a very rainy day!

A New Wrinkle
Just as the City of Santa Cruz is trying to use Measure S funds to build a new library in a parking structure — something never mentioned in the Measure S ballot language — so also is the City of Scotts Valley trying to use Measure S funds to build a theater adjacent to their library. Additionally, the County, led by Supervisor John Leopold, is trying to build a so-called “Live Oak Library Annex” to be located 1/2 mile away from the Live Oak Library between the Simpkins Swim Center and the Boys and Girls Club. What’s up with that? None of these projects meet the “where necessary” construction phrase of Measure S language.

Don’t Bury The Library will be contacting the Joint Powers Authority for the system wide library and asking for oversight of Measure S funds to be placed on the agenda of their May 3 meeting. Stay tuned for an update if and when that is secured. Meanwhile, there are two news articles on our website, one about the Scotts Valley project (3/21) and another one of Stephen Kessler’s most recent editorial (3/16). Both can be read here: http://dontburythelibrary.weebly.com/news-and-articles.html

City Council Meeting Update: For now all we know is that the Council will not have the DLAC Report on its April 10 agenda. It is even starting to look unlikely that it will be on their April 24 agenda. As soon as we know, you will know!

Our Mission remains: Keep the Downtown Library Branch in its current location — remodeled, renovated, refurbished. Again, go to their website to learn still more about this…http://dontburythelibrary.weebly.com

KZSC ONE HOUR SPECIAL. You can hear Judi Grunstra, Rick Longinotti, Christopher Krohn and Jean Brocklebank discuss the library issue on my Universal Grapevine radio program Tuesday night April 3 for the full hour 7 to 8 p.m. at 88.1 fm or KZSC.org (go to “Listen Now” on your device.

KSQUID OOZES UPWARD!!! Some highlights of recent happenings in what looks to be Santa Cruz’s newest fm radio station. KSQD already has 71 program applications from some very well known names in the county. Some are new to radio and some are long timers. Their first elected acting board members are: Rachel Anne Goodman, Chair, Ned Hearn, Vice-Chair, Jean Kratzer, Treasurer, and Linda Burman-Hall, Secretary. The first temporary broadcast studio will be located at 399 Encinal which is out in Harvey West near or next to the County Board Of Education offices. They’re working on a final FCC agreement, a call letter certification and a contract with UCSC to lease their tower. The legal name of the station entity is Natural Bridges Media and they’ve filed with the IRS for tax exempt status. There’s a need for more funding and like all independent stations there’ll always be a need for more funding…this time through Crowdfunding: youcaring.com/ksqdfm-1133919 . If you’d like to submit a program proposal do it through http://centralcoastcommunityradio.org/?page_id=106 . They expect to go on-air by mid-June. In the meantime they announced, “Join us for a KSQD-FM Community Radio Meeting at the Santa Cruz Public Library Community Room upstairs on Thursday, April 19, 2018, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM”.

Dateline: March 25th 2018

CONTEMPLATING A VOTE
For the first time in 43 years I just registered to vote. Before concluding that I am civically irresponsible, remember that in the United States you have to be a citizen to vote and I only recently became a citizen. Most other developed countries do allow voting by permanent residents but not in the U.S. So permanent residents in the U.S. are taxed without representation. Wasn’t there a revolution over that?

Despite widespread cynicism with electoral politics I think it will feel good to go to the polls. I’m hoping the poll workers won’t mind some basic questions such as “how does this work?” I don’t want a mail-in ballot. Showing up in person seems significant although I appreciate that ability has its privileges. In Australia you are fined if you fail to vote. As a result, voter turnout is high with 94% voting in the last Australian federal election compared to 54% in the last U.S. federal election. It has other advantages. Australians from all walks of life engage in political discussions on ballot issues of the day more than it seems do their U.S. counterparts. An engaged- citizenry is a good thing.

The issues on the local June ballot include the city of Santa Cruz’s quarter cent sales tax. Not having the vote for the past 43 years has not dampened my enthusiasm for holding opinions but casting an actual vote calls for more careful consideration. And so I am carefully considering the pros and cons of a quarter cent city sales tax increase, bringing it up to the state-controlled limit of 9.25 per cent. The increase is apparently needed to help offset a projected budget shortage due to increases in pension costs and health care costs that are expected to rise significantly before they get better. The sales tax, if passed, is expected to reduce the budget deficit by $3 million.

I have always opposed sales tax increases because they are a regressive tax, impacting lower income workers far more than the middle class and the wealthy. That’s reason enough. However the budget crisis is apparently real and SEIU (Service Employees International Union) is supporting the increase so a closer examination is in order.

Many residents are skeptical of the city’s claims of a budget crisis when the economy is hot, unemployment is at its lowest levels in decades, property taxes are in the ozone and new hotels are filling city coffers with their TOT (Transient Occupancy Taxes). While all this is true, apparently the need to fill the void in projected pension costs overwhelms the increased revenue from other sources. One wonders how and why the city’s projected pension costs are 3 times higher than the state average? One hopes that this means the average worker is well taken care of in Santa Cruz city but it may also mean the city has more than average top management and pays them too much. In my opinion a yearly salary of around $200,000 not including benefits is a tad high for department heads while a quarter of the city’s workforce is temporary.

Then there’s the plethora of high-priced consultants which are becoming a city norm and the hiring of upper management department spokespeople who do the public relations job that many feel the highly paid department heads are fully capable of doing. At a past budget presentation to city council I noted the comment that there is a “need to retain and develop city staff.” “Retain” seems reasonable but in a budget crisis, “develop” is probably not. And at which end of the employee spectrum will such development take place?

A further concern is that if passed, the sales tax increase will go into the General Fund, which basically means it can be used for anything that is paid for out of the General Fund. It cannot be earmarked for any specific item or need: that would require a two-thirds vote to pass rather than a simple majority. How can we trust that the tax won’t come back to bite us, say in the form of fiscal support for the highly unpopular Wharf Master Plan project? Many residents voted for Measure S to support and renovate our libraries and are now outraged that such funds are proposed to be used to tear down the current main library and stick it under a 5 story parking garage.

As this campaign progresses, expect to see a list of the most popular programs, mostly under Parks and Recreation that will be cut if the sales tax isn’t passed. Such manipulation has always irked me and the public usually falls for it. Rather, I suggest a list of ten top city boondoggles that will be cut, a short-list of projects that will be funded if the sales tax is passed and a firm commitment that not one penny will go towards morphing our historic municipal wharf nor tearing down our municipal library.

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.

Dateline March 26, 2018

The Bernie “Tweet of the Week” is actually a video, “Inequality in America: A National Town Hall,” featuring Bernie Sanders , Senator Elizabeth Warren, film-maker Michael Moore, and economist Darrick Hamilton, It is riveting, informative, and offers a look at what a presidential team might look like working together in crystallizing national issues and forming consensus responses for the 100%, not just the 1%. Impressive. Check it out at:

KEEP GETTING WOKE
SHIT HAPPENS: THE UC “GOLD STANDARD” GROWTH PLAN FOR SANTA CRUZ QUESTIONED ON MANY FRONTS.
“The University of California is preeminent in educating the state’s young people, in enhancing research and scholarship in every discipline, in fostering economic growth, medicine, the arts, its athletic and other programs. Simply put, UC is the gold standard. Together, we must ensure that this standard is upheld.” (Janet Napolitano, https://www.ucop.edu)

The corporate offices of the University of California are located at 1111 Franklin Street in the city of Oakland, California, and its subsidiary, UC Santa Cruz has an address at 1156 High Street in Santa Cruz. Together they form an unelected growth machine in the midst of conceiving, and rarely revealing all sorts of growth plans they have for a coastal part of earth between the 36th and 37th parallels. (Yes, they act globally and do not seem to think much locally).But, at their own peril the public corporate cats based in “Oak Town” are shunting aside the views, opinions, lifestyles, and jobs of those who will be most affected by their education biz chess moves: students, staff, faculty and perhaps most significantly, the 45,000 non-university-related residents who live uneasily with the fear of being swallowed by a brand of education corporatism, which is nowhere to be found in UC President Napolitano’s statement above.

More than Just a Town-Gown Tussle
It turns out not all is well among the Surf City serfs. A full-scale attack is being mounted inside and outside the Kingdom of the Slug. This UC growth tape worm thing might not be the slam dunk UC officials were quite expecting. A coastal sleeping giant is waking up and ready for a fight. What’s at stake? That old, revered, and basic political notion known as sovereignty–self-rule, freedom, and autonomy. It’s being demanded by those damn “Townies,” while at the same time undermined by “The U, Inc.” UC Oakland may quickly find itself under siege as fast as the sea level may rise that some of its research scientists suggest could happen when the atmosphere has had enough of human-induced warming. But for now, who is studying resident indignation-rise around the City on a Hill? There are no fewer than five groups organized on and off-campus to not only “limit” university growth, as the CLUE lawsuit sought to do in the mid-2000’s–remember those days…Aaahhh, 2004, when you could actually find a seat on the 15, 16, or 19 buses; or a parking space after paying $4 for an A permit (now $9); or even get to Highway 1 in less than 25 minutes on any weekday afternoon?) These groups want to put a STOP to the inflow of any more students above 19,500 for a period, maybe for a period of five years. Outcries are coming from not only residents feeling besieged, but from students, staff and faculty who daily witness the quality and scholarship of a once pedagogically and ecologically avant-garde UC campus erode and begin to engage in daily conflicts with a once welcoming host city. In fact, the Santa Cruz city council has placed an up or down enrollment growth (referendum?) initiative on the June 5th ballot. Voters will be asked, yes or no, should UCSC grow past its current agreed upon cap of 19,500 students? Stay tuned, maybe we will have our sovereign day in our coastal fog and sun.

Who Are the Dissenters?
A newly formed group made up of current and emeriti faculty, the East Meadow Action Committee (EMAC), is pissed-off about the lack of transparency in developing the East Meadow (corner of CoolidgeDr. and Hagar Dr.) of the campus. In a pushback letter sent out March 23rd, the result of Chancellor George Blumenthal’s why-we-must-develop message to campus and community. EMAC says it is committed to “reverse the administration’s disastrous proposal [for the East Meadow] and seek a better way forward.”The letter further states, “What we object to is the way the housing crisis is being used, as in the administration’s letter, to justify an unprecedented and destructive move into the East Meadow.” The group says it’s already gathered over 500 signatures in the first week to stop development on the East Meadow of the UCSC campus. To see the letter and sign the petition go to: https://www.eastmeadowaction.org Another group, the Community Advisory Group (CAG), is a group of over twenty countywide community residents appointed by the UCSC administration to offer input into the current Long-Range Development Process (LRDP) now underway. Although not as chary and outwardly upset as the potential fight the administration might find in EMAC, CWC, SC4Bernie, People’s Democratic Club, Campaign for Sensible Transportation, Santa Cruz Climate Action Network, and the Santa Cruz City Council, this group, the CAG, (rhymes with gag), recently received an overview from No Place Like Home and UCSC Sociology professor, Miriam Greenberg, about the SC housing facts we’ve all come to know so well. The “rents” being levied on dorm rooms are driving the rents ever-higher in town, thus forcing many to spend upwards to 70% of their incomes on housing before they join the cascade of rent-refugees heading to south county and beyond, victims also of an ever-expanding “commute shed,” as Greenberg put it. On March 16th, CAG members shook their heads, winced, guffawed and offered pointed questions in their third meeting with vice chancellor for business and administrative services, Sarah Latham and her dozen or so staff encircling the CAG member’s dais. The meeting finally ran out of time with many staying well beyond the two-hours to continue to prod the university on alternatives: why can’t qualified students attend less impacted UC’s like UC Merced or UC Riverside? Will UC provide the resources before sending any more students to Santa Cruz? Will there be housing for all students on campus first, before taking on any more students over the 19,500 agreed upon cap? You know, stuff like that. There seemed to be potential consensus-building moments among CAG members to severely limit anymore UCSC growth. This CAG group includes: Councilmembers Cynthia Mathews and myself, Supervisors Ryan Coonerty and Bruce McPherson, former Supervisor Gary Patton, former Chamber of Commerce director Bill Tysseling, former head of Redevelopment Ceil Cirillo, and the Committee to Limit University Expansion (CLUE) members Ted Benhari and John Aird. CAG actually might be the place to start to get to YES. Yes, on the future quality of life for all Santa Cruzans. Yes, to traffic mitigation and improvement. Yes, to bringing down rent prices on and off-campus. Yes, to quality education at UCSC. And yes, to improving our transportation and water infrastructure before any more student growth happens. Can I get an Amen!?!

Santa Cruz City Council Agenda Items to Look Out For

Since this column comes out after the city council meets (March 27), I want to offer a heads up on a potential bait and switch program by the SC director of planning, Lee Butler. In his (?) agenda report it states: “On October 26, 2017, the City Council approved a number of amendments to the Density Bonus Ordinance required for compliance with California state law. At that time, staff also presented two additional amendments not required by law but would make it easier for developers to use the Density Bonus Ordinance.”Seems like: “A provision was included for this option to allow its use at the discretion of [Lee Butler] the Planning and Community Development Director to enable future flexibility to address potential changes in federal programs or laws if needed.”Does this mean replacing mandated affordable inclusionary units with Section 8 units? Oh, and Lee Butler ends the report by saying there will be “no fiscal impact.” Fiscal impact on who? Renters? First-time home buyers? The developer’s bank accounts? Who? Stay tuned. On the evening agenda there was the “Housing Blueprint Subcommittee Report” back to the city council. The committee is recommending that the council “Receive a progress report on the Housing Blueprint Subcommittee’s work and authorize extension of the Subcommittee…and return to the City Council with first priority recommendations in June 2018 and an actual “blueprint” in August. What is going on? We started this process on June 24th, the half-year of housing, and we still have little in the way of actual policy changes. Yet planning staff has come through with plenty of changes, none of which seem to protect tenants. In fact, the council approved a rent freeze ordinance on February 13th and renters have come to councilmembers since, saying they are receiving rent increases, what can they do? This councilmember would expect planning staff to work with the city attorney to notify all landlords that there’s a rent freeze on, and to let all tenants know that they have rights under this ordinance. The city attorney’s office needs to provide protection for tenants, now. That is what planning staff should be bringing to the council, ooopps…

Here are the pictures of the week, which really is a multiple collage of pictures from the March for Life in Phoenix, Arizona…similar to all the other marches I’ve seen around the country. It was spectacular in that the participation and leadership of students stands as a testament to what our country is capable of producing in terms of conscientious approach to stifling guns and gun violence in our country.

(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

Dateline March 25, 2018

MONKEY SAW, MONKEY DID

COUNTY SUPERVISORS DID NOT READ STANFORD ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CLINIC OPPOSITION TO SB 623 GREEN LIGHT FOR WATER POLLUTERS IN CALIFORNIA
County Supervisors, led by Chairman Zach Friend, approved Santa Cruz County endorsement of legislation that will allow polluters to continue contaminating drinking water supplies. Several community members spoke out against the action, but were ignored. It seems that the Board of Supervisors had not read the SB 623 legislation language and also ignored the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic’s evaluation and opposition of the bill. Here is a link to a letter of opposition to SB 623 from a group of organizations that contains a legal analysis of the bill by Stanford Environmental Law Clinic.

According to this legal analysis, SB 623 would establish a new precedent for a “pay to pollute” exemption from the Porter-Cologne Act.

County Supervisor Zach Friend recommended the Board approve his plan to send County endorsement of Senator Bill Monning’s SB 623 “Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fee” proposed legislation at their March 13 meeting as a “non-controversial” Consent Agenda item #18. I pulled it that day and, as a Regular Agenda item, allowed for greater public discussion. This legislation will prohibit state and regional jurisdictions from enforcing the regulations that stop polluters from contaminating the groundwater drinking water supplies in the areas where there are problems. There was NO discussion by the Board, and no expert staff was asked to answer questions posed in the public testimonies.

Please contact your County Supervisor about this and ask that the County endorsement be rescinded until Senator Monning removes the language that will allow polluters to continue contaminating drinking water supplies until 2035, as long as they pay the SB 623 “Safe Drinking Water Fees”. 831-454-2200 and

Write your County Supervisor:

Greg Caput: greg.caput@santacruzcounty.us

Ryan Coonerty: ryan.coonerty@santacruzcounty.us

Zach Friend: zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us

John Leopold: john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us

Bruce McPherson: bruce.mcpherson@santacruzcounty.us

Contact Senator Bill Monning (916)651-4017 and ask for Mr. Trevor Taylor, the staff person who is in charge of taking public comment on SB 623. His e-mail is Trevor Taylor trevor.taylor@sen.ca.gov. According to Senator Monning’s staff, the proposed legislation is currently waiting to be heard by the Assembly Rules Committee. This Committee is chaired by Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), who can be contacted at 916-319-2008.   Here is a link to a Sacramento Bee article about his position as Chairman of Assembly Rules Committee, and what that means.

Here is the re-worked version of SB 623 that your County Board of Supervisors endorsed without (most likely) reading

THE SOQUEL COMMUNITY IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE COUNTY’S PLANS TO SHOVE IN THE GROPPETTI – NISSAN DEALERSHIP AT SOQUEL DRIVE & 41ST AVENUE
An astute group of Soquel neighbors is closely monitoring what the County Planning Department and Economic Development Department is trying to push through at the busiest intersection in the County and ignore public process that would instead bring housing. Quite by accident, the people discovered what was planned shortly before end of public comment last year, and now the Project is undergoing a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) by County Planner Todd Sexauer. Does this seem like a fox guarding the hen house?

Lisa Sheridan added this to the Groppetti Nissan Project news, “It would be more accurate to note that the Economic Development Department has been advising the Auto dealer to change eight individual lots on the corner of 41st avenue and Soquel Drive ( 2.6 acres or two foot ball fields in size) and one of the busiest intersections in the County, from a mixed use zoning C-2 to a Service Commercial C-4 intensified zoning. This proposal is in conflict with both the Current General Plan and the more recently Supervisor approved community supported Sustainable Plan. Read the excellent comments the Soquel neighborhood group submitted to Mr. Sexauer in this pdf

SPECIAL COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING FOR CANNABIS LICENSING ISSUES
There will be a Special Meeting of the Board of Supervisors Monday, April 9 at 9am to hear public testimony regarding the proposed County ordinance changes to allow Cannabis cultivation and processing licenses. The meeting was suggested by Supervisor John Leopold in order to give ample time to the public for comment. He did mention that because it is a Special Meeting, the Board cannot take action that day.

I wonder why the meeting is scheduled for 9am on a workday instead of a weekend or evening, when more people might be able to attend? Contact your supervisor if you are unable to take the day off work to participate in this important public meeting. It will be held in the 5th Floor Supervisor Chambers at 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz.

LISTEN TO US!   DON’T BURY THE LIBRARY!
Why is the Santa Cruz City government so adamant that a brand new library be built beneath a multiple-story parking garage, costing millions of dollars and obliterating the beloved Farmer’s Market space? A group of clear-thinking and responsible citizens keeps asking that question and others regarding the use of Measure S library funding. Take a look at their website: http://dontburythelibrary.weebly.com

Click on “Updates” for the #15 summary of the March 24 Downtown Commission meeting to discuss the issue.

Listen in on April 3, 7pm-8pm on Bruce Bratton’s “Universal Grapevine” (KZSC 88.1 fm ) program to hear activists Rick Longinotti, Judi Grunstra, Jean Brocklebank and Santa Cruz City Councilman Chris Krohn discuss this insane push to build a six story parking garage and use Measure S library funding when the money could be used to update the existing library.

THERE ARE THINGS THAT RAISE A FLAG
Read the March 23 San Jose Mercury News article about yet another neighborhood fighting for their quality of life in the face of tax-revenue-hungry local government shoving in massive, dense development:

“Developers create problems in neighborhoods, but live elsewhere, and the neighbors are left with the resulting problems.” stated one citizen at a public meeting. The people were not against development, but are merely asking for a REASONABLE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT, given the infrastructure problems and neighborhood cohesiveness. Is that too much to ask?

“The project is not taking into account our concerns,” said one citizen, “We’re frustrated.”

Sound familiar??? Stay tuned next week for an update on the Aptos Village Project mess. Survey markers?? What survey markers…we’ll just put them where we want them….

Cheers,

Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

Tuesday, March 20, 2018 | #79 / Corporations Are Persons, Too!

Zephyr Teachout, an academic, an activist, and a former candidate for Governor of New York, has written a nice review in The New York Review of Books. The book that Teachout has reviewed is called, We The Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights.

Most of us know about Citizens United. This is the United States Supreme Court case that made clear that corporate “civil rights” includes the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on American politics. Money is just the same as “speech,” according to the Supreme Court, and we all know that “free speech” is fundamental to American democracy.

Some have observed a flaw in the system, as now structured under Citizens United. While we may all be free to speak out, individuals and corporations alike, it actually costs a lot of money to distribute a message to the American public. This is no problem if you have billions of dollars, like the Koch Brothers, and like many corporations. If you have the money, you can really say a lot! If you don’t have billions of dollars, it turns out that “free speech” isn’t actually “free.” Without the bucks to be able to distribute your message you are strictly out of luck.

Since I am basing this blog posting on a one-page book review, and not on the book itself, I am not exactly certain how We The Corporations addresses this issue. Teachout doesn’t highlight it. What did strike me in Teachout’s review, though, is her accurate observation that corporations are “persons,” too. If they are, and that is pretty undeniable, given the current state of the law, then corporations can be regulated in the same way other persons are. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible, to impose dramatic public regulations over the operations of all American corporations. As Teachout puts it: “We need neither abolish corporations nor accept them as they are; we can instead fight for new laws and for new Supreme Court justices. If we don’t like how corporations have appropriated civil rights in the name of citizens, we can change that”.

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. Professor DeCinzo looks at our “law enforcement” situation… scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Facebooked” 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, plus the ever entertaining Eaganblog with his “Grille of my Dreams”.

NEW MUSIC WORKS. April 7. New Music Works has a concert Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 7:30 pm in the Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High Street Santa Cruz, CA.

The concert title is BECAUSE. The guest artists are; Akindele Bankole composer and vocalist- Sarah Cahill, piano- Lori Rivera, vocalist-Marina Thomas, organ –The Ariose Singers, conductor, Camille Couture -NewMusicWorks Ensemble, conductor, Philip Collins. They’ll play works by Akindele Bankole, Jon Scoville, Igor Stravinsky, Frank Pesci, John Thomas, John Lennon, Christopher Pratorius. More info and tickets at newmusicworks.org.

SANTA CRUZ BAROQUE FESTIVAL. April 8. Their concert is Sunday, April 8 at 3 p.m. In the UCSC Music Recital Hall. The concert title is…”The Musical Offering–J.S.Bach” playing that day are Edwin Huizinga, Baroque violin. Lars Johannesson, traverso flute. Adaiha McAdam Somer, viola da gamba and Linda Burman-Hall, harpsichord. In 1747 J.S. Bach visited Potsdam, where the Emperor Frederick challenged him to prove his musical ability by immediately improvising on a theme composed by the Emperor himself. Bach’s genius prevailed, and this collection of canons and fugues are the result. This intricate music exemplifies the counterpoint nature of the challenge, with notes choreographed against one another in the “classic rock” style of High Baroque. This concert includes other works of Bach, and invites you to step into the heart of the dark, dramatic challenge of an Emperor. Tickets are available for purchase online, and at the door with cash, check, or credit card.

ESPRESSIVO ORCHESTRA. April 15. This concert is titled, “Eight, Nine, Ten—Go!” It happens Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 3:00 pm at the Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center located at 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz, California. They will play Ludwig van Beethoven Rondino (Octet), WoO 25 (1795) – Franz Lachner Nonet (1875) – and Jean Francaix Dixtuor (1987. For tickets and information go to http://www.espressorch.org

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “The fruitful relationship between filmmaker Thomas Riedelsheimer (Rivers and Tides) and the extraordinary “environmental artist,” Andy Golsdworthy, continues in a vibrant new doc titled “Leaning IntoThe Wind – Andy Goldsworthy”, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). See it if you want to get your own creative juices flowing! Also, details emerge about the upcoming audiobook and future giveaways for Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

LOVELESS. Definitely not an easy film to watch. It was Russia’s entry for Oscar’s best foreign film this year, and centered on contemporary Russian “middle class” family life. A bitterly fighting couple torture their 12 year old son with their constant battling. He is so hurt and unloved that he disappears. If you’ve ever been in or lived with a screaming, shouting, very deep and detested relationship you’ll leave the theatre feeling very bad. And it’s a well-made film.

UNSANE. Real film followers know what to expect when it’s a Steven Soderbergh film, and Unsane is one of his best works. Claire Foy (star of The Queen) is the tortured lead and Joshua Leonard (Blair Witch Project and Higher Ground) is her stalker/torturer. It’s the scary, numbing story of a woman who is troubled psychologically to begin with, and then makes the scary mistake of signing documents that she didn’t read. That possibility alone should scare and wake all of us. Soderbergh shot the entire film on an iPhone, edited it at night and in 10-12 days had it finished. That he has the courage and talent to go against the billion dollar corporate films being produced today is extraordinary. A unique film, as are most of Soderbergh’s creations…it’s not easy to watch, and the acting is near-perfect. Full & happy disclosure, I sat with Joshua Leonard’s parents, who are old friends, who left their Watsonville home for Santa Cruz’s Del Mar theatre to see his newest. Go for it!!!

A FANTASTIC WOMAN. Daniela Vega is a transgender actor portraying a transgender lover of an older married man. The film just won the Oscar for best foreign film and it should have, it’s an amazing film. It’s in Spanish and directed by Chilean writer director Sebastian Leilo. Daniela Vega did n Oscar presentation last night at the Oscars in the same dress he wore in the film. You’ll learn a lot from this brilliant, touching, accurately acted film. Don’t miss it. I’m emailing all my close movie expert friends to see it immediately.

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its worth going just for the fun of it.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

THOROUGHBREDS. Two very privileged teen-age rich girls try to figure out what their lives are about. It’s up-state Connecticut and it is a biting, psychological peek into isolated, removed out of touch 15 year olds. Not funny, not satire, not rewarding and definitely not for anyone seeking a fine happy time at the movies. BUT like The Strangers, it too is a well made film.

LOVE, SIMON. This is a very light, music background, story of a teen age boy coming out as gay. It contains drama, real pain, peer and penis envy and it’s still “lighter than heir”. (Pun intended). No stars involved, but it’s a nice movie.

THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT. It’s a sequel but never mind that…it is one very well made film. It is bloody, violent, senseless, pointless and edited and expertly directed to scare the hell out of everybody. I certainly won’t say you’ll like it, I’m not sure I did but I cannot deny the pacing, camera angles and movement combine to make it a genuine knuckle breaker. Christina Hendricks who starred for 8 years in Mad Men is the only star you might recognize in this trailer park murder mess.

RED SPARROW. Jennifer Lawrence is just a little bit better at ballet than I am and she’s also much better an actor in every one of her other films than she is in this spy action Red Sparrow flick. She’s a ballet dancer who gets hurt, and actually goes to a Russian government run whore’s school and learns how to spy on people and use lots of sex. Of course like anyone with little imagination would write she falls for an American and everybody lies a lot, then the movie ends. Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, and Ciarán Hinds are in it too but they shouldn’t have been, they don’t help at all.

ANNIHILATION. This is the Natalie Portman science fiction thriller that got an 87 on RT. If you pay close attention there is quite a moral, philosophic base to the plot. Like one line I can’t forget…”all humans self destruct either by suicide, drinking or smoking”. The same director did “Ex Machina” so you can tell he’s got something to say. But it’s way too hard to follow. There’s a sort of foggy, swirly, shimmer wall and people go through the wall. The dead come back to life, time goes back on itself, and on and on. Maybe if you really concentrate and stay awake you’ll get some kind of profound meaning from Annihilation…I’m not sure.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are based on comics – DC and Marvel respectively and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther?

TOMB RAIDER 2018. Angelina Jolie (Oscar winner and ultra conservative actor Jon Voight’s daughter) starred in the first two Tomb Raider films, in 2001 and 2003. Now, with a 50 RT score Alicia Vikander, Dominic West and Kristin ScottThomas (in a very small role) have tried to bring back that comic book-type spectacle. It’s 98% special effects, and centers on a search for some mythical spirit power…I think. Sleep overtook me, at about 11:30 am on a Saturday morning. Tomb Raider was once a video game, if that gives you any more clues whether or not you’d like it.

A WRINKLE IN TIME. The much hyped adapting of this hugely popular children’s book by black woman director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out so otherworldly so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

THE PARTY. A star studded cast with Bruno Ganz, Patricia Clarkson, Cilian Murphy, Emily Mortimer and mostly Kristin Scott Thomas. It’s a very dark comedy/satire that really bites deep. It’s also an intellectual London apartment party where the cruelty and humor fight for top billing. Vicious, scathing, cruel zingers just about kill everybody and could get to you too if you go. Yes, it did get an 84 on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s only 71 minutes long.

GAME NIGHT. An extra dopey, low grade, over used plot with stars like Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams (and her dimples) trying to make it into a comedy. Couples get together for one of those “who did the murder” themes only ha, ha, ha, it isn’t a fake. It’s boring, trite, unbelievable, and lacks any semblance of humor.

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. March 27 Chris Connery and Paul Schoellhamer from the East Meadow Action Committee talk about UCSC and development. Then local author Leslie Karst talks about her new book, “Death al Fresco“. April 2 the full hour will be devoted to the heavily debated proposed Library/Parking Garage with Rick Longinotti, Chris Krohn, Judi Grunstra and Jean Brocklebank. April 10 has Veterans advocate Dean Kaufman discussing news and programs created for our veterans. He’s followed by Robert Morgan discussing the Frankenstein 200th Anniversary Celebration conference happening at MAH. On April 17 Davis Banta director of Assassins at MCT talks about the Sondheim musical. Then folks from The Reel Work Film Festival reveal this year’s festival films. 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

I love me some good beatboxing. This is impressive 🙂

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the 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. “HOMELESS”

“You can spend the money on new housing for poor people and the homeless, or you can spend it on a football stadium or a golf course”. Jello Biafra
“If my fans want to do something for me when that time comes, I say, don’t waste your money on me. Help the homeless. Help the needy… people who don’t have no food… Instead of some big funeral, where they come from here and there and all over. Save it”. B.B. King
“I am thrice homeless, as a native of Bohemia in Austria, as an Austrian among Germans, and as a Jew throughout the world. Everywhere an intruder, never welcomed”. Gustav Mahler

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.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

March 21 – 27, 2018

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…and the Dream Inn Cliff & Bay development, UCSC’s East Meadow plot and plans, natural foods markets in the area, Santa Cruz Indivisible, Robbie Schoen is alive and very well, Assassins the musical coming to Ben Lomond…GREENSITE on: two developments of concern…KROHN’s taking a breather…STEINBRUNER about ground water contamination, Aptos Bridge cracked and due to collapse?, County cannabis codes…PATTON re our housing supply and demand…EAGAN and “National Health Alert#15 “Suspicious Mole Trump”…DeCINZO visits a natural foods restaurant…JENSEN and Jewel Theatre’s “Coming Of Age” play…Bratton critiques “Love, Simon” and “Tomb Raider 2018” …UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES about “Meadows”

BOULDER CREEK’S MAIN STREET. Circa 1910-1915. According to Donald Clark’s book “Santa Cruz County Place Names” it was named after the “many bowlders in the bed of this creek”!!! The town dates back to the 1860s. It centered on a river water-powered saw mill located there.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

ASSASSINS. See the nearby words talking about the Ben Lomond production coming in May

PACHELBELS CANON IN D MAJOR. Remember when this ancient classic was nearly on everyone’s top ten list?

OBAMA FORGETS TO SALUTE MARINE. May 2013. Ya just gotta miss this guys style.

DATELINE March 19, 2018

DREAM INN EXPANSION….aka…”CLIFF AND BAY PROJECT”. Forces are mobilizing, neighbors are communicating, and environmentalists are strategizing over the newest and largest development our precious beach area has seen since the Dream Inn itself ruined our natural beauty. (Try to imagine our Cowell Beach and the coastline without the Dream Inn!) The Coastal Commission cares about sightlines, and this development would end sightlines for ¾ of West Cliff residents. When do they plan on starting and finishing construction? Are the traffic studies they’ve referenced current and accurate? What’s the total acreage? How many units per acre?

Have their plans been checked for compliance with zoning and the General Plan? What about the immediate and closest residents The ClearView Court Mobile Home Park and their Homeowners association? What’s the guarantee that the developer will adhere to the “affordable” housing percentage required? Or will it too “not pencil out?” Click here to read and see Dream Inn owners Ensemble Real Estate’s own website, and realize that their plotting is all too real!

UCSC’S EAST MEADOW DEVELOPMENT. The UCSC East Meadow Action Committee opens with a perfect description… “The East Meadow Action Committee (EMAC) is a group of University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) faculty, students, alumni, staff, and concerned community members. We have joined together in an effort to prevent development on one of the campus’s most important scenic landmarks, the East Meadow, north and east of the intersection of Hagar and Coolidge Drive on the UCSC campus. The open meadows are central to UCSC’s world-renowned design aesthetic. This proposal overturns a fifty-year tradition of environmentally-conscious planning. We support more, better and more affordable student housing and improved childcare facilities on campus. There are other places to build them that do not overturn UCSC’s proudest traditions”.

The website goes into well-developed ideas and issues. It concludes with… “Conclusion: We must provide more campus housing for students, honoring the 2008 compact with the City. Quality childcare is a priority, as is Family Student Housing. But there are certainly other ways to achieve these goals. If it is claimed that this is the only possible solution, we need to say, “not so fast.” For 50 years, campus planners have inventively found ways to grow without wrecking a unique environment. Acting with judiciousness and care we can sustain the traditions of stewardship that have made UCSC famous”.

City on A Hill, which has been producing some of the best reporting in the last school year that I’ve seen in my 48 years of reading it, has an excellent summary of East Meadow issues. One statement was… “Of particular concern was the announcement of development of the new Family Student Housing (FSH) facility in East Meadow, as well as the announcement that UCSC chose Bright Horizons, a for-profit child education company, to operate the early education center at FSH”. Go here to read the full story, http://www.cityonahillpress.com/2018/03/15/east-meadow-to-be-developed . UCSC affects, effects, impacts and re arranges all of our lives, and so we owe it to both the University and our community to keep up, and get involved in these proposed changes.

SIGN THE EAST MEADOW PETITION. There are already 600 signers to the petition. Go here to add your name…

UCSC’s LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Santa Cruz Board of Supervisor John Leopold’s latest newsletter has a survey from UCSC asking for input on their future. That is more than kind of him…go here…

MORE NATURAL FOODS MARKETS. Many mea culpas everywhere for not checking the statement in last week’s BrattonOnline, about New Leaf now being part of a much larger corporate market chain. The closing statement “Staff of Life is our ONLY local natural foods market” was part of a reader’s email that I printed, and was, it turned out, wrong. Reed Searle led all the fact checkers and pointed out, “Another natural food, health food store Aptos Natural Foods at 7506 Soquel Dr. is a good one”. Steve Premo added, “But isn’t Food Bin locally owned? What about Aptos Natural Foods?” Joan Martin adds that there are two markets in Felton and Boulder Creek that were named New Leaf but have dropped all connections with the Portland New Seasons chain and are now named Wild Roots Markets. I’ll edit and check more carefully, probably.

SANTA CRUZ INDIVISIBLE PLANS. I missed their early date (Sunday March 18) but check out all the other events they have planned. That would be March 25 and beyond

ROBBIE SCHOEN. Finally I got to visit with Robbie Schoen — former director, manager, planner and maitre d’ of the FELIX KULPA Gallery. More than that, Robbie was an integral member of the aesthetic team that hung and planned the design of MAH’s exhibits. Robbie recently went through some intricate brain and skull surgery and is doing beautifully. We’ll all be seeing him back around everywhere very soon.

ASSASSINS, THE MUSICAL…SOON! I love musicals, but only the really good ones. Most of my “good ones” have been written by Stephen Sondheim. Those certainly include Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum, Into The Woods, and Sunday In The Park With George. I’ve only seen one production of Assassins, a UCSC student production at Porter College many years ago. It’s so rarely produced that I wanted to urge musical fans and friends to get tickets as soon as they are available. Davis Banta is directing this production at The Mountain Community Theater (MCT) in Ben Lomond at the Park Hall May 4-June 2. The cast comprises both MCT favorites and newcomers to MCT, including Robert Gerbode as John Wilkes Booth, David Jackson as Giuseppe Zangara, Alexander Garrett as Charles Guiteau, Benjamin Canant as Samuel Byck, Brittney Mignano as Sara Jane Moore, Brennan Perry as Leon Czolgosz, John Wasielewski as John Hinckley Jr., April Bennett as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Sarah Kauffman as The Balladeer, and Mike Stark as The Proprietor.

If you’re wondering about timeliness, here’s some excerpts from a recent review (2017) of assassins. “Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman examine the motivations of the men and women who have killed — or attempted to kill — United States Presidents throughout history. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley and others meet and interact in this revue-style musical. It has mad scenes, melodrama, minstrelsy and vaudeville. Wednesday night, when a character called the Balladeer sang the lyric “Every now and then, the country goes a little wrong,” applause stopped the show for perhaps 20 seconds”.

Still, when Giuseppe Zangara, who tried to kill Franklin D. Roosevelt, calls himself an “American nothing,” or when the nine assassins sing together about “another national anthem” that applies to the likes of them, you may feel, as I did, the rumblings of our unsettled country in your bones. “Assassins” is the report of that unsettlement, and the bang”. Tickets go on sale March 23 at Brown Paper Tickets. A very rare opportunity.

Dateline March 19, 2018

LOSING SANTA CRUZ: ONE DEVELOPMENT AT A TIME.
Two massive developments are hurtling towards us like runaway freight trains. If given the green light, both signal a seismic shift from what has long been regarded as the essence of Santa Cruz. One is the proposed building complex on the East Meadow at UCSC. The other is the 4 story retail and housing development proposed for the corner of West Cliff Drive and Bay Street, opposite the Dream Inn.

Alarmist? I don’t believe so.

The motto that captures the unique geography and beauty of Santa Cruz city has forever been: “from the mountains to the sea” meaning you can stand near the ocean and see the faraway mountains and vice versa. This defining essence of place has been severely compromised since I arrived 43 years ago. I’ve watched with sadness its gradual disappearance when new high rise structures replace more modest human scale buildings, many of which housed local businesses that cannot afford the higher rents that such new dense development demands. In some places you can still catch a small glimpse of the former view, in others it’s a visual treasure forever buried.

One significant expanse of this view shed that breathes life into the motto is opened up at the corner of Bay and West Cliff Drive. All along the west cliff stretch you can see the ocean and hear the waves and when you reach Bay Street you look north and see the the sweeping hills of the former Cowell Ranch. Such breathtaking beauty will forever be lost if the Encompass Company development with its 89 condos and apartments, market hall and retail shops is approved by the city council and the Coastal Commission. This is the site of the former Sisters Hospital, a sweet modest stucco building where many long time locals were born. It was torn down in 1980. Currently the site is a surface parking lot, dignified by the presence of some of the biggest heritage trees in town. Planning Director Lee Butler while acknowledging that this is a “visually prominent location” went on to add that, “it is not providing the best face for the city. A surface parking lot is not a great aesthetic.” Such a statement ignores the beauty of the view that this open space allows. The face of the city that the Planning Director apparently favors is condos, townhouses and retail while the developer is enthusiastic that such a development will allow visitors and locals to mingle. Call me silly but mingling with visitors in retail stores isn’t nearly as attractive as the simple beauty of the current vista that mother nature provides for all for free. Stopping this development won’t be easy since the developer has already peeled and offered the city his carrots but we’ve stopped previous developments at this iconic site and we can do it again.

Ironically, this proposed development would block the view of the the other development which is proposed for the East Meadow of the Cowell Ranch, also known as UCSC. This plan, hatched behind closed doors and only recently released to the public, is to tear down the current Family Student Housing (FSH) apartments and child care center on the west side of campus and build new but fewer FSH units plus child care center on the East Meadow. I find it hard to believe that structures built in the mid-1960’s are deemed “at the end of their life” but such is the claim. The demolition will make way for 9 story buildings with the bed-space to relieve current housing pressure on campus and provide 2,100 new beds for new students whose numbers keep rising like dough in a hot oven. It’s hard to oppose more housing on campus but you know my observation: this town cannot sustain any further UCSC growth which threatens to destroy the unique lands of the former Cowell Ranch and overwhelm the town, causing ever spiraling housing costs. There is growing and strong opposition to the choice of the East Meadow for development. You can read about it at: eastmeadowaction.org.

What each of these developments has in common is their contribution to the gradual loss of the natural beauty that gives Santa Cruz its unique heritage and sense of place. If we sit back and watch it happen, there will come a day when “from the mountains to the sea” will be reduced to a Santa Cruz brand on beach towels and sweat shirts with no meaning beyond its commercial value.

~

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.

NO KROHN COLUMN THIS WEEK…he didn’t say why!!

(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

Dateline March 19, 2018

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO….

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED SB 623 WATER TAX TO HELP POLLUTERS CONTINUE
I was stunned to see the Board of Supervisors, led by recommendation of Chairman Zach Friend, unanimously approve County support of SB 623 without any discussion whatsoever. I pulled the item from the Consent Agenda in order to allow for public discussion, but other than a brief quizzical look from Supervisor Bruce McPherson as I described verbatim that the bill will prohibit state and regional authorities from enforcing regulations regarding groundwater contaminators, there was no reaction or discussion from the Board.

I later visited Supervisor Greg Caput’s office to inquire about his inaction. His assistant informed me that their office had simply looked at the list of non-governmental agencies (namely, the Farm Bureau) that have already signed on in support of SB 623 and agreed to go along with them….but HAD NOT READ THE ACTUAL TEXT OF THE SB 623 PROPOSED LEGISLATION. His aide pulled up the SB 623 document online, printed it, and started highlighting issues that he saw of concern. I asked if anyone in their office had read my e-mail, sent three weeks prior and again two days before the Board meeting, wherein I outlined the issues of continued contamination allowed (stated as “enforcement relief” in the previous iteration of this legislation) and other critical issues, with references to document page numbers and sections of the proposed bill. NO, they had not. He pulled it up on his computer and read it for the first time while I was standing there.

I am sure this situation is no different among any of the other four Supervisors…our public servants.

I was also surprised to learn that the Quaker Legislative Committee had urged members to send in numerous form letters to the Board to recommend support of SB 623, with no mention of the contamination issues or those low-income households who will be exempt from paying the new water tax MUST APPLY FOR EXEMPTION. How many do you think really will take that action? It also will allow the State to gobble up 25% of the money for administrative work. It will not allow small water mutually-owned companies to be eligible for any of the money for water projects, but instead force consolidation with larger water districts that are less-responsive to public concerns and not necessarily run as efficiently. It will seal all records regarding polluters’ compliance and fee payment records from any Public Records Act requests. Did the Quakers read the entire 19-page document, or did they also just “take a look at who had already signed on in support”?

Contact Senator Bill Monning (916)651-4017 and ask for Mr. Trevor Taylor, the staff person who is in charge of taking public comment on SB 623. His e-mail is Trevor Taylor trevor.taylor@sen.ca.gov. According to Senator Monning’s staff, the proposed legislation is currently waiting to be heard by the Assembly Rules Committee. This Committee is chaired by Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), who can be contacted at 916-319-2008.   Here is a link to a Sacramento Bee article about his position as Chairman of Assembly Rules Committee, and what that means.

Here is the re-worked version of SB 623 that your County Board of Supervisors endorsed without (most likely) reading

TROUBLED BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER IN APTOS VILLAGE
The 90-year-old historic Aptos Creek Bridge is cracked and may have serious scouring at its foundations, as described in a 2013 routine inspection report by CalTrans. The 2017 routine inspection report by CalTrans civil engineers has been withheld from the public for an additional two months, for unexplained reasons. That worries me…Aptos Village Project construction and other County taxpayer-funded road projects in the area have brought a sharp increase in the daily frequency of heavy construction vehicles (think loaded cement trucks and double-tractor trailer loads of gravel, sand and soil) rumbling over the old bridge. How long can it stand that abuse…with signs of cracking increasing?

In Florida, an engineer had reported cracking in the bridge that failed with catastrophic results and deaths last week. Here is a link to that story.

Will the Aptos Creek Bridge be the next one to crumble? County Public Works Director John Presleigh (retiring April 6) and Assistant Director Steve Wiesner have never responded to my inquiries about the safety and structural integrity of the Aptos Creek Bridge. Maybe they will respond to you: 831-454-2160. The official public information officer for Public Works is Christine Berge, at the same number. Here are their e-mail contacts:

Steve Wiesner steve.wiesner@santacruzcounty.us
Christine Berge christine.berge@santacruzcounty.us

You can request a copy of the September 2017 CalTrans routine inspection report of the Aptos Creek Bridge (structure # 36C0075 at Spreckles Drive) by contacting:

Autumn Woolworth autumn.woolworth@dot.ca.gov

You can read the 2013 report here

Note that the projected daily traffic level over the bridge in 2035 is 15,600. That number has already been surpassed, according to the 2016 Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission count at Spreckles Drive and Soquel Drive, which tallied 16,600 daily. Now, add in the 8,000 new vehicle trips per day from the Aptos Village Project that Santa Cruz County Senior Traffic Engineer Jack Sohriakoff projected in 2016 grant applications….IS THE APTOS CREEK BRIDGE SAFE? At least County crews last week removed the ivy, known to have destabilizing effects on concrete.

OVER TROUBLED WATERS…….
Last week’s wonderful rain brought a pond of muddy water and uncontrolled sediment-laden storm water from the Aptos Village Project. It all ran into nearby Aptos Creek and Valencia Creek, which is already troubled by heavy sedimentation problems. At least it seems that Barry Swenson Builder finally installed erosion control measures in some areas of the disgusting Project with massive amounts of disturbed earth left unprotected from erosion. Where is the County staff that supposedly is watching over this issue? Carolyn Burke, Environmental Planner is the person, but is not requiring the Aptos Village Project developers to follow County and State procedures for protecting local stream health.

Contact her and ask why: Carolyn Burke carolyn.burke@santacruzcounty.us

LET’S JUST KICK THAT CANNABIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD
The Santa Cruz County Planning Director, Kathleen Previsich, has recommended the Board of Supervisors wait another three weeks to consider the changes to County Codes to issue Cannabis Cultivators and Processing Licenses. What a mess. Meanwhile, the Black Market entrepreneurs are firing up their bulldozers and planting their crops….and the growers who have paid lots of money and will pay lots more to be legally-recognized and follow procedures are waiting. The public hearing before the Board of Supervisors will be April 10.

I attended last week’s Planning Commission discussion of the issue. Lots of concerns about the Planning Department’s interpretation of the Commission’s recommendations prompted the Commission to vote that Chairperson Rachel Danns contact the Board of Supervisors directly with the recommendations as soon as possible, rather than springing it on them at the last minute before the public hearing. Stay tuned….

Cheers,

Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

Dateline March 19, 2018; #78 / What Seems Right May Not Always Be Right

For years, I have read Land Lines, a magazine published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The Institute advertises the magazine this way: “Land Lines draws on Lincoln Institute research to explore land-based solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems. Connecting the dots between our expertise and major global challenges, Land Lines shows why land policy matters.” In the issue of Land Lines published in January 2018, George W. McCarthy, President of the Lincoln Institute, wrote an article in favor of efforts to provide price controls in local housing markets. McCarthy’s article was titled, “Protecting a Share of the Housing Market,” and his recommendations speak to the kind of conditions that exist in my hometown, Santa Cruz, California. By the way, McCarthy’s credentials are pretty impressive. Click the link to review his resume.
Here is a key paragraph from early in McCarthy’s article (emphasis added):

In his 1949 State of the Union address, President Truman noted that to fill the needs of millions of families with inadequate housing, “Most of the houses we need will have to be built by private enterprise, without public subsidy.” Nearly 70 years later, our collective failure to solve the affordable housing deficit may stem from wrongheaded analysis of the problem, and the conclusion that market-based solutions can be designed to solve the mismatch between the supply of affordable housing and demand for it.

McCarthy, in other words, is telling us that “the market” has not (and will not) ever solve our affordable housing problems. Building more houses, in and of itself, will not result in new housing that is affordable to average and below average income members of the community.

How could this be? Everyone knows about the so-called “law” of supply and demand. If demand exceeds supply, prices will increase. If a greater supply is provided, prices will fall until supply and demand are balanced. Belief in this supposed “law” of supply and demand leads to efforts to deal with our housing affordability crisis by determining that we need to “build more.” Yet, says McCarthy, this “build more” strategy won’t work to make housing prices more affordable to local residents. It will, though, result in more traffic congestion, more stress on the city budget and city facilities, like parks, and more demand for natural resources, like water.

Let’s be clear. McCarthy is a strong believer in the law of supply and demand, but he makes the point, as a matter of economic analysis, that this “law” only works within a single, contained market. If new housing built in Santa Cruz, to use my hometown as an example, were just going to be available to local residents, then building lots of new housing should bring down the price, and make housing more affordable to those who live and work in our community.

That, however, is not the actual situation. McCarthy, who looks at things from an “international” perspective, says that there are really “two” housing markets: the market for housing as shelter and the market for housing as an investment. Here is his comment on this issue (emphasis added):

Perhaps it is time that we question the conclusion that market-based solutions can address the challenge of sheltering a country’s population. Truman concluded that “By producing too few rental units and too large a proportion of high-priced houses, the building industry is rapidly pricing itself out of the market.” But Truman was thinking about the market for shelter, not investment. Remarkably, the number of housing units in developed countries significantly exceeds the number of households. In 2016, the U.S. Census estimated that there were 135 million units of housing in the country and 118 million households. One in seven housing units was vacant. This over-supply of housing characterizes every metropolitan market in the United States—even markets with extreme shortages of affordable housing. In 2016, 10.3 percent of housing units were vacant in New York, 6.0 percent in the San Francisco Bay area, 8.2 percent in Washington, DC, and a stunning 13.7 percent in Honolulu. The problem is that many households have insufficient incomes to afford the housing that is available.

What McCarthy is saying is that those who want to “invest” in residential housing (in Santa Cruz and elsewhere) will bid up the price of housing until the supply of housing for that “investment” market has been satisfied. That demand for housing as an investment is global, and it is HUGE, and by the time supply and demand come into balance for that “investment” market, ordinary working families looking for “shelter” are totally priced out.

In Santa Cruz, there is also another demand for housing that far exceeds the demand generated by local residents and local workers: the demand for shelter housing for persons who do not live or work in Santa Cruz, but who live and work in the greater Bay Area, where demand vastly outstrips supply. Because that demand is also HUGE, and because workers from the greater Bay Area have much higher incomes than residents and workers in Santa Cruz, more housing in Santa Cruz does not solve the local affordability crisis. In a lot of ways, it actually makes it worse.

It is rather nice to have someone with real credentials back me up. Since my years on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, I have always contended that building more housing (with all its community impacts) will NOT increase affordable housing in our community unless the new housing is sold with permanent price restrictions, making it available to those who live and work in our community, and who have average or below-average incomes.

If we truly care about getting more affordable housing for our community, we need to insist that any new housing built will have a large percentage of the new units permanently protected for sale or rental to persons with average and below average incomes, as measured by incomes in our own community. This kind of housing is called “inclusionary” housing. Both the city and county used to have a strong commitment to inclusionary housing, but both the city and county have abandoned their strong inclusionary requirements.

I have been making an argument that our community should not allow more development unless and until a large share of the new housing actually constructed will be permanently protected as “inclusionary housing,” and made available for sale or rental to persons who live and work in this community.

Resistance to this idea seems never ending, and not only from the developers, who naturally don’t like it. Ordinary community members, too, believe that the “law” of supply and demand means that “building more housing” will insure that there will be more lower-priced housing available for local members of the community.

It’s just not true, according to McCarthy. McCarthy is an actual “expert,” so check out his article. He says, in essence, that what “seems right” is not always “right in fact.”

Unless we provide permanent price restrictions on a very significant share of the new housing built in our community, the community will get all the impacts that come with “more housing” and none of the affordability benefits that we so desperately need.

~

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. Goes to a health food restaurant…see below a scroll or two.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Suspicious Mole Trump”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 about getting older.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Aging parents affect the lives of their adult children in surprising ways in Jewel Theatre Company’s new production of Kate Hawley’s “serious comedy,” Coming of Age, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express ( http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge, earns an encouraging review from a prestigious source, and another book to recommend (not mine) from my adventures in reading!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

LOVE, SIMON. This is a very light, music background, story of a teen age boy coming out as gay. It contains drama, real pain, peer and penis envy and it’s still “lighter than heir”. (Pun intended). No stars involved, but it’s a nice movie.

TOMB RAIDER 2018. Angelina Jolie (Oscar winner and ultra conservative actor Jon Voight’s daughter) starred in the first two Tomb Raider films, in 2001 and 2003. Now, with a 50 RT score Alicia Vikander, Dominic West and Kristin Scott Thomas (in a very small role) have tried to bring back that comic book-type spectacle. It’s 98% special effects, and centers on a search for some mythical spirit power…I think. Sleep overtook me, at about 11:30 am on a Saturday morning. Tomb Raider was once a video game, if that gives you any more clues whether or not you’d like it.

A FANTASTIC WOMAN. Daniela Vega is a transgender actor portraying a transgender lover of an older married man. The film just won the Oscar for best foreign film and it should have, it’s an amazing film. It’s in Spanish and directed by Chilean writer director Sebastian Leilo. Daniela Vega did n Oscar presentation last night at the Oscars in the same dress he wore in the film. You’ll learn a lot from this brilliant, touching, accurately acted film. Don’t miss it. I’m emailing all my close movie expert friends to see it immediately.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely not about Lady Bird Johnson!!! ENDS THURSDAY MARCH 22.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. No matter where you’re at sexually this beautiful film deals with a young 17 year old boy in Italy working his way through his sexual coming of age. Armie Hammer plays the 30 year old scholarly hunk who visits the kid’s parents. You remember Armie Hammer heir to the Armand Hammer oil fortune and who played The Lone Ranger to Johnny Depp’s Tonto (2013)!!! ENDS THURSDAY MARCH 22.

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinthand Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its worth going just for the fun of it.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its World War II history and it’s the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini. ENDS THURSDAY MARCH 22.

I TONYA. A very dark, depressing movie about some very depressed people. It’s got loud rock period music as the film score which almost qualifies it as a fun comedy but you’ll be able to count your laughs. Somewhere in the movie somebody says Americans love to hate or love their current sport stars…and its sure true here. Allison Janney plays Tonya’s seriously disturbed mother and deserves some award this Award season…but not for this one. Warning IF you do got you’ll leave wondering why you cared about Nancy Kerrigan or Tonya Harding. ENDS THURSDAY MARCH 22.

THOROUGHBREDS. Two very privileged teen-age rich girls try to figure out what their lives are about. It’s up-state Connecticut and it is a biting, psychological peek into isolated, removed out of touch 15 year olds. Not funny, not satire, not rewarding and definitely not for anyone seeking a fine happy time at the movies. BUT like The Strangers, it too is a well made film.

THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT. It’s a sequel but never mind that…it is one very well made film. It is bloody, violent, senseless, pointless and edited and expertly directed to scare the hell out of everybody. I certainly won’t say you’ll like it, I’m not sure I did but I cannot deny the pacing, camera angles and movement combine to make it a genuine knuckle breaker. Christina Hendricks who starred for 8 years in Mad Men is the only star you might recognize in this trailer park murder mess.

RED SPARROW. Jennifer Lawrence is just a little bit better at ballet than I am and she’s also much better an actor in every one of her other films than she is in this spy action Red Sparrow flick. She’s a ballet dancer who gets hurt, and actually goes to a Russian government run whore’s school and learns how to spy on people and use lots of sex. Of course like anyone with little imagination would write she falls for an American and everybody lies a lot, then the movie ends. Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, and Ciarán Hinds are in it too but they shouldn’t have been, they don’t help at all.

ANNIHILATION. This is the Natalie Portman science fiction thriller that got an 87 on RT. If you pay close attention there is quite a moral, philosophic base to the plot. Like one line I can’t forget…”all humans self destruct either by suicide, drinking or smoking”. The same director did “ExMachina” so you can tell he’s got something to say. But it’s way too hard to follow. There’s a sort of foggy, swirly, shimmer wall and people go through the wall. The dead come back to life, time goes back on itself, and on and on. Maybe if you really concentrate and stay awake you’ll get some kind of profound meaning from Annihilation…I’m not sure.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are Marvel Comics creations and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther?

A WRINKLE IN TIME. The much hyped adapting of this hugely popular children’s book by black woman director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out so otherworldly so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

THE PARTY. A star studded cast with Bruno Ganz, Patricia Clarkson, Cilian Murphy, Emily Mortimer and mostly Kristin Scott Thomas. It’s a very dark comedy/satire that really bites deep. It’s also an intellectual London apartment party where the cruelty and humor fight for top billing. Vicious, scathing, cruel zingers just about kill everybody and could get to you too if you go. Yes, it did get an 84 on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s only 71 minutes long.

GAME NIGHT. An extra dopey, low grade, over used plot with stars like Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams (and her dimples) trying to make it into a comedy. Couples get together for one of those “who did the murder” themes only ha, ha, ha, it isn’t a fake. It’s boring, trite, unbelievable, and lacks any semblance of humor.

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. March 20 has former Santa Cruz county Supervisor Gary Patton talking about UCSC’s LRDP and many more local and broader issues. He’s followed by Kara Meyberg Guzman editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel discussing the paper’s structure and plans. March 27 Chris Connery and Paul Schoellhamer from the East Meadow Action Committee talk about UCSC and development. Then local author Leslie Karst talks about her new book, “Death al Fresco“. April 2 the full hour will be devoted to the heavily debated proposed Library/Parking Garage with Rick Longinotti, Chris Krohn, Judi Grunstra and Jean Brocklebank. April 10 has Veterans advocate Dean Kaufman discussing news and programs created for our veterans. He’s followed by Robert Morgan discussing the Frankenstein 200th Anniversary Celebration & conference happening at MAH. April 17 Davis Banta director of Assassins at MCT talks about the Sondheim musical. Then folks from The Reel Work Film Festival reveal this year’s festival films. 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

Language warning, but this is funny and timely 🙂

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. “MEADOWS”

“Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the air”. Georges Bernanos
“My ideal is to wake up in the morning and run around the meadow naked”. Daryl Hannah
“I know I can’t own a hilltop, a meadow, or a mountainside. But keeping it a secret somehow makes it mine.”Joyce Rachelle
“While it is relatively easy to recognize the perennial grasses and seed-eating sparrows as characteristic of meadows, the ecosystems exist in their fullest sense underground. What we see aboveground is only the outer margin of an ecosystem that explodes in intricacy and life below.”Amy Seidl, Early Spring: An Ecologist and Her Children Wake to a Warming World

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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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

March 15 – 21, 2018

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Bruce

Highlights this week:
BRATTON…New Leaf Markets Corporate structure, Eduardo Carrillo appreciated in Pasadena…GREENSITE on the city asleep at the PG&E switch…KROHN about City council togetherness, rent control…STEINBRUNER on affordable housing guidelines, building permits, pure water Soquel, sewage and drinking water, business permits into rural areas…PATTON and the Koch Brothers and the common good…EAGAN and King of The World…DeCINZO takes on Clint Eastwood’s movie directing…Jewel Theatre’s Coming Of Age play opens…JENSEN reviews The Party…I critique Wrinkle In Time, Strangers: Prey at Night, The Thoroughbreds, The Party…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES on Droughts.

VIETNAM PEACE RALLY. April 8, 1967. Loyal, active Santa Cruzans stood in front of the post office making their position on World Peace clear. That’s John Tuck — arms folded fourth from the right in the front row. Just behind John is his and our old friend Tom Scribner (wearing a hat) between the two signs. It was almost exactly 51 years ago…we’re still marching and protesting for Peace.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

I loved Loving Vincent the animated murder mystery film released a few months ago. If you wondered how the 65,000 paintings were made into that film, check this out.

The erotic and legendary dance scene from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Still almost too sexy for us to watch?

PAUL NEWMAN HAD MANY CONNECTIONS WITH SANTA CRUZ. He visited here many times. Here’s his last interview.

DATELINE March 12, 2018

NEW LEAF MARKETS, CORPORATE STRUCTURE OF

Elizabeth Quinn was kind and involved enough to send this Santa Cruz and Aptos message.

She says — and I agree — that we should all read about the sale of and corporate takeover of New Leaf Markets in Santa Cruz: and also read about treatment of employees, and unfair union practices. Read about their executive board and Scott Roseman, too. Read about the plans for their new APTOS VILLAGE store… A new season for New Leaf

Elizabeth adds… “Now New Leaf is backed, along with the Portland New Seasons markets, by a big hedge fund, Endeavor Capital. Long-time New Leaf employees (whom I know personally) have been deliberately framed for infractions until enough was collected to fire them. The replacement employees are like automatons — they do not smile or speak or even appear to be present in their jobs. Undoubtedly they are paid less than the people they replaced.

From the article: “Endeavour has come under increased scrutiny by consumers and employees of New Seasons in the Pacific Northwest, particularly as the grocery chain vied for expansion into the Seattle area (where most grocery stores are unionized) while simultaneously pushing back against workers who expressed concerns about allegedly unsafe and unfair labor practices following Endeavour’s takeover.

Portland’s Local 555 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, or UFCW, recently launched a website, High Cost Endeavour to promote their “Endeavor Investor Watch” campaign and “raise awareness about the ethical implications and potential legal liabilities within Endeavour Capital’s investment portfolio.”

One key criticism of Endeavour (and in turn New Seasons) arises from ties to the M.J. Murdoch Charitable Trust, whose investments in various Endeavour funds brought more than $4.5 million in revenue for the trust’s grant-making operation in 2015. The trust, whose mission is “to strengthen the [Pacific Northwest] region’s educational, scientific, spiritual and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways,” has come under sharp criticism for its millions of dollars in annual charitable contributions to a wi e range of evangelical, homophobic, anti-choice, anti-union and anti-science efforts. These include The Alliance Defending Freedom (deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) that sponsored the so-called “bathroom bills”; Americans United for Life, the “legal architect of the pro-life movement“; and The Freedom Foundation, whose “number one stated focus is to defund the political left,” to name a few.”

They tried to introduce Cheerios, etc., at New Leaf: “A January (2018) petition titled “Keep New Leaf organic” expressed dismay after Santa Cruz’s Westside New Leaf began stocking conventional products such as “Karo syrup, C&H sugar, and Cheerios as required by their parent company, New Seasons.” Staff of Life is our ONLY local natural foods market.

EDUARDO CARRILLO ART NOW AT PASADENA…
The Pasadena Museum of California Art recognizes the brilliant creative genius of our former resident, and long time UCSC professor of art, Eduardo Carrillo. He inspired hundreds of students and friends with his wild colors and subjects. The Pasadena Museum’s exhibit is titled “Testament of the Spirit: Paintings by Eduardo Carrillo”. It runs January 21, 2018–June 3, 2018. Go online here http://pmcaonline.org/exhibitions/eduardo-carrillo and read about the artistic Chicano influence in the early 1970’s, and Eduardo’s role in it. Newcomers arriving here after 2000 have missed one of Eduardo’s masterpieces… a three dimensional Jesus-themed hallway, located in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz. City fathers, Chamber of Commerce and just about everybody allowed the business owners to paint over Eduard’s masterpiece so they could block the passageway and use it to store boxes. And still some folks think of Santa Cruz as aesthetically aware!

March 12, 2018

HOW THE CITY IS FAILING OUR TREES
“Why don’t the people of Santa Cruz care more about trees?” asked one of the Ocean Street Extension neighbors who are fighting to save the heritage trees that PG&E are cutting down at an alarming rate. Thirty-five big trees already chain-sawed in that area of town and many more on the chopping block, probably coming to a neighborhood near you.

I didn’t have an answer to her question. She has a job and children so it’s not a question of time. It’s a question of passion for trees. You either have it or you don’t. Apparently too few readers of this column have such passion. Two weeks ago I begged dear readers to contact the Zoning Administrator to encourage his efforts to save the beautiful red flowering gum tree on Washington Street, one of the countless trees that PG&E has in its crosshairs. I went to the meeting not expecting a big turnout since it’s on a weekday morning but did expect a goodly number of emails. Only one of you responded to the call to action with an email. Only one. And the only person who showed up as a result of my writing was… Becky Steinbruner. Yes, this is a bit of self-indulgent rant. However it did give me pause for thought on why I write this weekly column. I’d rather be on the wharf at Gilda’s right now. While writing is a visceral pleasure for me, the motivation is that by sharing my knowledge and insights, some activism will follow. If it’s just for armchair reading, it’s hardly worth the effort. So here’s hoping that when you read ahead how our city manager and city council have so far shirked their duty with respect to saving our heritage trees from the PGE ax, you will lift fingers to keyboard and let them know how you feel.

As you probably know from previous columns, when PGE first floated their misleadingly named, Pipeline Safety Initiative, to cut down all trees within 14 feet of both sides of their underground gas transmission lines across counties in California, many communities plus our county pushed back and said” Wait a minute! Prove with science that this is necessary and don’t you cut even one tree until you’ve conducted a thorough environmental review and adhered to local ordinances!” In those counties, including our own, PG&E has so far backed off. Not so in the city of Santa Cruz. Here, PG&E found a more nonchalant response, easy pickings and with a donation of $10,000 to the city’s tree fund it was full chain saw ahead. The city’s urban forester has managed to back them off from some of their targets but without city attorney, city manager and city council backing she has little sway. Keep in mind that the tragic San Bruno fire had nothing to do with trees and tree roots have not been a problem for underground gas pipelines. First responder access issues are bogus claims by PG&E since gas has to be shut off in an emergency.

The city and PG&E were supposed to sign an agreement. It was on the agenda but was taken off at PGE’s request and has never returned. It seems the city manager failed to alert council that PG&E is operating without a contract and council never asked. A letter was sent by PG&E to the city manager and that was apparently sufficient to start the killing of trees within the city. Only a handful within the coastal zone is receiving Zoning Administrator review, including the red flowering gum tree and the date palm in the photo. The Ocean Street neighbors have deluged council with questions and science-based research exposing this hoax but have received little response. Council member Krohn has tried to get answers and none is forthcoming.

At the Zoning Administrator meeting the fate of the red flowering gum tree was postponed since PG&E failed to provide the information requested to assess whether the pipeline can be relocated. (Hint…still time to write). The fate of the date palm hung in the balance. I urged the ZA to require PG&E to determine the depth of the tree’s roots by ground penetrating radar, which in their letter PG&E gives as a possible option. The pipeline is over 3 feet deep. Palms are rarely deep rooted. The owner of the rental units who planted the tree urged the ZA to save it or move it to a new location; a geologist in the audience who was there for a different item shared an alternative method to inspect roots of trees to assess if they are a problem; PG&E’s own arborist had noted she performed only a Class 2 Inspection and that a Class 3 Inspection would assess roots and pipes. PG&E was having none of it. Their platitudes about caring for trees are hollow. The safety issue is bogus. They are not even following the terms of their own letter for a risk assessment on a tree- by- tree basis.

The only remaining question is whether the city will have the spine to stand up to PG&E and join the county and all the other counties in protecting our heritage trees. And of course, whether you will take the time to urge them to do the right thing.

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.

March 12, 2018

FOUR WOW ISSUES THAT PASSED A USUALLY DIVIDED CITY COUNCIL.

A Tutorial on What Can Be Done in the Minority

Bernie Tweet of the Week

“I’ve never believed in this blue-state, red-state nonsense. Yes, Lubbock voted overwhelmingly for Trump. But any county in this country, which has people who are struggling, can and must become a progressive county.”(March 10)

February was a dry month for water, but a downpour happened on the policy front. If city council actions in February were measured meteorologically, it might be called one of the wettest legislative months on record. With a slightly center-right leaning mayor, David Terrazas, presiding over a politically fractured city council, no less than four significant policy issues were passed by the Santa Cruz City Council this past February. While relatively recent councils have voted to accept a BearCat tank from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, refused to purchase land for a permanent Beach Flats Garden, would not allow for a vehicle parking area for destitute residents, and for decades city councils have repeatedly turned down safe sleeping zones for homeless residents, these current council decisions might appear out of a Cuban play book. This is not to mention that the city manager’s office has reported that Santa Cruz spends upwards to between $18 million-$20 million on combating homelessness and substance addiction issues through its police, fire, and parks and recreation departments. Given that backdrop, the Santa Cruz city council approved a dizzying array of former politically left issues: funding for a homeless camp site at 1220 River Street; voting to place a measure on the June ballot calling on the university to limit its enrollment to 19,500, which is the currently agreed upon number from the 2005 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP); and a first-ever rent freeze was enacted on February 13th, along with a just-cause eviction ordinance. Given Surf City’s progressive history versus the current “moderate” council majority, one might assume that this group of councilmembers took a leap leftward. Probably not. More likely, former left-ish causes have become mainstream issues. It makes sense to set up a place for homeless people to sleep, to tell the university enough is enough, and to protect renters given that well over half of our residents rent.

Left vs. the Mainstream
Nationally, left issues like universal college tuition and healthcare for all have been moving steadily towards the center of American politics. Partly a result of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, but also because so many Americans struggle to pay the always increasing health insurance costs, and student debt-servicing. Some day we will figure out how much creativity and job motivation is lost by people not changing jobs they no longer like, or grew out of long ago, simply because they do not want to lose their healthcare. Ditto with college loan payments. Graduates cannot take on a post-college internship for further career experience, but instead move into barista or restaurant jobs to pay off their loans. In the past, many young people could leave college with enthusiasm and an adventurous mindset perhaps, but now they are saddled with anxiety and find few opportunities that will pay their living expenses and debt-service payments.

The Ugly Underbelly of Rent Control Rumormongers
The rich are attempting to eat the less-rich. If you are a landlord you have received no fewer than five offers in the past two weeks to sell your property. One from Scott Webber and Aimee Dietle from Century 21 states that they “work with 3 separate investor clients that pay cash, fair market price and close escrow in 17 days.” Scott and Aimee don’t seem to get it. Seems to me the city council took an extreme action on February 13th, called for by many in this community, to pass a rent freeze and contain this disease called rent madness. Now, some realtors seem to be saying it’s a tough climate, so sell us your property, at presumably a bargain, because rent control is coming. “All 3 are seasoned property investors and would gladly assume the current tenant lease contracts you currently have.” Who are these people? Are they betting that the repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Act will not pass statewide, and that rent control goes down at the ballot box in Santa Cruz in November? “If you have any interest in discussing what your property is worth,” these realtors invite you to “please call or email us at your convenience.” (831-818-2817) Renters, it is darkest before the dawn and the vultures are indeed circling. The community must circle too around our collective survival and right to housing. The Movement for Housing Justice can be reached at: https://movementforhousingjustice.org

City council candidate, Drew Glover spoke to the council in favor of restoring funding for children’s programming at the Nueva Vista Community Center in Beach Flats…and $25k was indeed restored!

(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

March 12, 2018

DOUBLING THE DENSITY OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COUNTY?
That is what the Board of Supervisors is most likely being lobbied to approve when they meet March 20 to consider the County’s Affordable Housing Guidelines. The quality of life in the County is in for a huge change with this.

Last week, on March 2, the Santa Cruz County Housing Advisory Commission (HAC) met to consider recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding whether to require developers to actually build the 15% affordable housing to meet Measure J requirements, or continue to allow developers to pay a relatively small ($15/SF) in-lieu fee. This policy was created by the Board of Supervisors two years ago and is now up for review. This policy change, “Developer’s Choice” was adopted in 2015. Most developers have chosen to pay the in-lieu fee, but there seem to be many barriers to actually getting the affordable housing actually built.

The audience at the HAC meeting included local developer Derek Timm, and Casey Beyer, President of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce. Along with Robert Singleton, who ran unsuccessfully for Santa Cruz City Council last year, the trio lobbied the HAC as representing the Santa Cruz County Coalition of Housing Advocates. They presented a proposal at the meeting to allow developers to reduce the size of residential units, doubling the density of new residential units, and awarding more concessions and incentives to developers for including affordable units within development projects.   They want the County to waive assessing developer fees that pay for impacts of development projects on local schools, roads, parks, and child care until after the units are sold. (The County pretty much waived or reduced most of those impact fees for San Jose-based Barry Swenson Builder at the Aptos Village Project, so I guess the local developers want the same treatment.)

Mr. Beyer presented a study to HAC members from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), an international think tank based in Washington, D.C.. The 2016 document, entitled “The Economics of Inclusionary Development” outlines the idea of Inclusionary Zoning (IZ), and suggests that developers must be given greater financial incentives and abilities to build extremely dense housing in order to have projects “pencil out”.

The HAC was told by Santa Cruz County Planning staff Ms. Julie Conway, that they had to decide on what to recommend to the the Board of Supervisors that day and could not request more time to ponder the information because the Affordable Housing Guideline issue has already been put on the Board’s March 20 agenda. Also, Mr. Beyer, as leader of the Santa Cruz County Coalition of Housing Advocates, had submitted their proposal just prior to the HAC meeting, so the group could take no action regarding it, in keeping with the Ralph M. Brown Act rules.

You can bet, however, that there will be plenty of private meetings happening with County Supervisors before March 20. The HAC heard from Ms. Conway and Mr. Timm that “developers are actually our partners” in projects, but are often made to look as the rich enemy. With a very swift motion by newly-elected Chairman J.M. Brown and virtually no time allowed for discussion by other Commissioners, the HAC voted to send recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to approve all aspects of the Planning Department’s plan to not increase commercial developer fees assessed to provide affordable housing for workers (currently $2/AF), not require residential developments for rental units to be 15% affordable, and to continue to allow “Developer’s Choice”. You can read the full recommendation report given to the Board December 12, 2017 under Item #59 here. It is worth researching the Urban Land Institute to better understand what you will most likely be hearing more in the future of County land use policy.

And, it is always good to know more about the people who are pushing for more concessions for developers in order to “pencil out” their projects.

https://patch.com/california/santacruz/new-ceo-named-santa-cruz-chamber

https://www.zillow.com/profile/DerekTimm/

http://www.santacruztechbeat.com/2017/06/16/robert-singleton-hired-business-council-director/

Contact your County Supervisor soon with your thoughts on doubling density for developments in Santa Cruz County. Call 454-2200 and ask for your Supervisor, or e-mail him:

Greg Caput greg.caput@santacruzcounty.us

Ryan Coonerty ryan.coonerty@santacruzcounty.us

Zach Friend zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us

John Leopold john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us

Bruce McPherson bruce.mcpherson@santacruzcounty.us

Water??? What water?

SB 35 WILL MAKE MULTI-USE BUILDING PERMITS A MINISTERIAL DONE-DEAL
County Housing Advisory Commissioner Bud Carney brought this legislation, proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener in 2017, to the group’s attention. It is indeed worrisome, as it would remove the ability of County staff to review permit applications for multi-family housing for discretionary requirements. The term “ministerial approval” means it is mandated to be approved. Here is the link to the legislative analysis of SB 35. Read item #2 carefully and note the “streamlined approval process” that would be mandated

Try to see the great and very poignant movie “Citizen Jane” and see what common folks can and need to do to preserve neighborhoods and quality of life in our Communities.

“THERE ARE COMPLICATED ISSUES WITH THE COUNTY”…That is what Soquel Creek Water District General Manager Ron Duncan said when I asked why the District paid former Santa Cruz County Planning Director Tom Burns $2,100 in January to “support PureWater Soquel Project”. He would not elaborate and denied that Mr. Burns is acting as a liaison for the District with the County Planning Department. Hmmmm…….I wonder what is so complicated with regard to this project to inject treated sewage water into the region’s drinking water supply, especially when the District insists no decisions have been yet made regarding the Project? I can hardly wait for the EIR to come out this spring.

IT IS NOW OKAY TO DUMP TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO RESERVOIRS THAT SUPPLY DRINKING WATER
Many thanks to the BrattonOnline reader who alerted me to the State Water Board’s approval last week to allow the advanced treated sewage water to be dumped into reservoirs supplying municipal drinking water. Read more here!

APTOS / LA SELVA FIRE DISTRICT WILL SOON NAME NEW CHIEF
Last week, the Aptos/La Selva Board of Directors discussed during Closed Session the contract parameters for hiring their choice (still secret) for the District’s next Fire Chief.   I still feel that the Board missed a true opportunity to bring the public to the table and hold public interviews of potential candidates. The only members of the public allowed in were hand-picked from the Aptos Chamber of Commerce. Let’s hope this Chief is more interested in working cooperatively with the Local 3535 firefighters and the community than former Chief Jon Jones ever was.    It is difficult to see that the District ratepayers are saddled with paying a hefty settlement package for Jon Jones…nearly $20,000/month, thanks to the Board’s decisions.

I wonder what the status is of those five lawsuits brought against various Local 3535 leaders? That was discussed last week during Closed Session, too.

WHY IS THE COUNTY CONTINUING TO GRANT COMMERCIAL USE PERMITS IN THE RURAL RESIDENTIAL AREAS?
I wonder how the Board’s impending approval of yet more wineries and breweries in the rural residential areas will affect the quality of life for those who want peaceful enjoyment of their property? Amplified music at large outdoor events is now approved readily by the County when requested by rural wineries and breweries. One may be coming to a narrow road near you with the approval of an ABC license this Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors for TMR Cellars (416 Bahr Drive, Ben Lomond, a 1,412 SF residence) and Green Earth Zayante (420 Old Mount Road, Felton, also a residence).

The Board will also be discussing the issue of imposing a new Alcohol Abatement Tax this Tuesday, as Item #37 to add an estimated $170,500 to support new law enforcement under-age alcohol sales stings. The winery and brewery business owners have lobbied hard against this, claiming they just are not part of the drunk-driver-on-the-narrow-roads problem. Hmmmmm…..    Maybe the Board needs to consider that over a nice complimentary glass of prize-winning vino.

A CORRECTION FOR THE RECORD….THANKS!
Many thanks to the kind message from reader Bruce Holloway who pointed out my error in calling Measure S a Library sales tax. It was passed to address the expiration of the sales tax that supported the library system, but is in fact a property parcel tax to pay for bonds the County sold, incurring debt, to support the library system. Thanks for the clarification!

~
Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.

Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

Friday, March 9, 2018
#68 / Hanging On To That Common Good

The Koch bothers, Charles and David (pictured), are each worth more than $40 billion, and to say that they are “active politically” would be a massive understatement. According to Rolling Stone, Koch-affiliated organizations raised some $400 million during the 2012 election, and they haven’t slowed down since. All these contributions are having a significant impact on public policy, too, as a recent article from The Intercept makes clear.

Koch Industries is a private company, and thus the Koch Brothers don’t have to make any public accounting of how they earn that money. According to the article I am referencing, dated in September 2014, “the Koch brothers are in the oil business…but Koch Industries is not a major oil producer. Instead, the company has woven itself into every nook of the vast industrial web that transforms raw fossil fuels into usable goods. Koch-owned businesses trade, transport, refine and process fossil fuels, moving them across the world and up the value chain until they become things we forgot began with hydrocarbons: fertilizers, Lycra, the innards of our smartphones.”

I was struck by a headline on a more recent article, published by Jim Hightower’s Lowdown. Here’s what the headline said:

The Koch Klan is funding a stealthy war against the principle of the Common Good

In fact, that somewhat antiquated-sounding phrase, “the Common Good,” expresses the central and enduring question in our national politics. Are we nothing more than a collection of individuals (which is pretty much the premise upon which the Koch Brothers seem to operate). Or, to the contrary, are we “in this together?”

If it’s the latter, as our greatest leaders have always proclaimed, then a war against the “Common Good” is a war against what is best in both our history and our potential future. Whether we talk about health care, education, or land use – whatever issue we address – if our society elevates individual prerogative over collective community benefit, then we are heading for disaster. And that’s where the Kochs and their politics would apparently like to send us.

Ben Franklin got it right, right from the start:

“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately”.

Robert Reich, like Jim Hightower, has also raised concerns that selfishness is prevailing, and that Americans may be losing their commitment to the Common Good. Unfortunately, dedication to the Common Good is all too uncommon. What you have to do, if you care about the Common Good, is to pay attention to your neighbor, and to what your neighbor needs. To do that, you need to take your eye off your own money, every little once in a while.

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. Check DeCinzo’s reaction to Clint Eastwood’s movie directing. Just scroll below a ways.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” King Of The World”down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog and his thoughts on Treason and hangings.

COMING OF AGE. Playwright, actor , local, Kate Hawley’s newest play “Coming Of Age” opens March 14 and runs through April 8th produced by the Jewel Theatre at the Colligan Theatre in the Tannery. Paul Whitworth is directing, Mike Ryan, Nancy Carlin, and J.Michael Flynn are all acting in it. Kate described it on Universal Grapevine last week as being a serious comedy about aging and maturity. Knowing Kate and her works this’ll be a play we won’t forget!!! Tickets and more info at www.jeweltheatre.net

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Big thanks to the 3516(!) readers who entered the giveaway for Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge on Goodreads. Even if you didn’t win a copy, help me celebrate my approaching pub date with an unbelievably cool Beast of the Month from contemporary Welsh artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). As to last week — okay, I flubbed my Best Picture prediction (hey, it was the only prediction I got wrong!), but I couldn’t be more delighted that The Shape Of Water swam off with the gold — a movie I loved so much, I just went to see it again! Can’t say the same for Sally Potter’s bitter black comedy, The Party, which you have my permission to skip. But do try to make it to a very special edition of The Gail Rich Awards, Tuesday night at the Rio!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT. It’s a sequel, but never mind that…it is one very well-made film. Bloody, violent, senseless, pointless and edited and expertly directed to scare the hell out of everybody. I certainly won’t say you’ll like it — I’m not sure I did — but I cannot deny the pacing, camera angles and movement combine to make it a genuine knuckle-breaker. Christina Hendricks (who starred for 8 years in Mad Men) is the only star you might recognize in this trailer park murder mess.

THOROUGHBREDS. Two very privileged teen-age rich girls try to figure out what their lives are about. It’s set in up-state Connecticut, and it is a biting, psychological peek into isolated, removed and out of touch 15 year olds. Not funny, not satire, not rewarding and definitely not for anyone seeking a fine happy time at the movies. BUT like The Strangers, a well made film.

THE PARTY. A star-studded cast with Bruno Ganz, Patricia Clarkson, Cilian Murphy, Emily Mortimer and mostly Kristin Scott Thomas. It’s a very dark comedy/satire that really bites deep. It’s also an intellectual London apartment party, where the cruelty and humor fight for top billing. Vicious, scathing, cruel zingers just about kill everybody and could get to you too, if you go. Yes, it did get an 84 on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s only 71 minutes long.

A WRINKLE IN TIME. The much-hyped adaptaion of this hugely popular children’s book by black female director Ava DuVernay is a flop. Even with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon and Zach Galifianakis it’s still a flop, and got a 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. Many women friends have told me Wrinkle was their favorite book when they were little. It’s so far out, so otherworldly and so fantastical it becomes unwakeable while you try to watch it. Think of time world-travel children’s classics like Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, ET, Fantasia and more. I saw it in 3D and it didn’t help, I couldn’t follow it…and there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so.

A FANTASTIC WOMAN. Daniela Vega is a transgender actor portraying a transgender lover of an older married man. The film just won the Oscar for best foreign film and it should have, it’s an amazing film. It’s in Spanish and directed by Chilean writer director Sebastian Leilo. Daniela Vega did n Oscar presentation last night at the Oscars in the same dress he wore in the film. You’ll learn a lot from this brilliant, touching, accurately acted film. Don’t miss it. I’m emailing all my close movie expert friends to see it immediately.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. No matter where you’re at sexually this beautiful film deals with a young 17 year old boy in Italy working his way through his sexual coming of age. Armie Hammer plays the 30 year old scholarly hunk who visits the kid’s parents. You remember Armie Hammer heir to the Armand Hammer oil fortune and who played The Lone Ranger to Johnny Depp’s Tonto (2013)!!!

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its worth going just for the fun of it.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its World War II history and it’s the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.

I TONYA. A very dark, depressing movie about some very depressed people. It’s got loud rock period music as the film score which almost qualifies it as a fun comedy but you’ll be able to count your laughs. Somewhere in the movie somebody says Americans love to hate or love their current sport stars…and its sure true here. Allison Janney plays Tonya’s seriously disturbed mother and deserves some award this Award season…but not for this one. Warning IF you do got you’ll leave wondering why you cared about Nancy Kerrigan or Tonya Harding.

THE POST. This is Steven Spielberg’s answer to the Trump administration’s corruption and misuse of presidential power. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks rip up the acting as we expect them to do. It’s the story of the then little Washington Post trying to catch up to The New York Times printing Daniel Elsberg’s Vietnam exposure papers. It makes easy parallels to Nixon and Trump’s dictatorships. It also makes great pitches for freedom of the press…and what we need to do to keep that freedom alive…especially now. Go see it, bring your friends. But truthfully it’s not as interesting or revealing as the MSNBC documentary two weeks ago… “The Most Dangerous Man In America” the same story from Elsberg’s view.

RED SPARROW. Jennifer Lawrence is just a little bit better at ballet than I am and she’s also much better an actor in every one of her other films than she is in this spy action Red Sparrow flick. She’s a ballet dancer who gets hurt, and actually goes to a Russian government run whore’s school and learns how to spy on people and use lots of sex. Of course like anyone with little imagination would write she falls for an American and everybody lies a lot, then the movie ends. Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, and Ciarán Hinds are in it too but they shouldn’t have been, they don’t help at all.

ANNIHILATION. This is the Natalie Portman science fiction thriller that got an 87 on RT. If you pay close attention there is quite a moral, philosophic base to the plot. Like one line I can’t forget…”all humans self destruct either by suicide, drinking or smoking”. The same director did “ExMachina” so you can tell he’s got something to say. But it’s way too hard to follow. There’s a sort of foggy, swirly, shimmer wall and people go through the wall. The dead come back to life, time goes back on itself, and on and on. Maybe if you really concentrate and stay awake you’ll get some kind of profound meaning from Annihilation…I’m not sure.

BLACK PANTHER. Like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman created a lot of good will and empowered women Black Panther does the same for Blacks in America and around the rest of the world. Both are Marvel Comics creations and are full of violence, killings and special effects. I’m finding it more and more difficult to see these action films with messages like revenge, torture, and blood and guts as having any semblance of cinematic art. Black Panther is science fiction, space travel and still the characters use spears and super hi tech weapons to kill each other. There are messages in this movie so I read…but I sensed nothing positive in it. Now I wonder since this has been such a blockbuster if we’ll see Mexican Panther, Chinese Panther, Croatian Panther?

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS..LIVE ACTION. Not as good as last year’s crop but “The Eleven O’Clock” is hilarious, “The Silent Child” will make you cry…and think and “Watu Wote” will give you hope for the world, in spite of everything. Go for it. Ends Thursday, March 15.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS …ANIMATED. Not funny, not great, not far out, not profound but “Dear Basketball” produced, directed and narrated by Kobe Bryant himself is beautiful. Ends Thursday, March 15.

DEATH WISH. It’s Bruce Willis in this re-make of the Charles Bronson vigilante revenge killer film from 1974. It’s the same trite Hollywood statement that it’s really ok to go and murder people if you can’t wait for legal justice. Willis plays a surgeon , if you can believe that!!! Then his daughter and wife are attacked, and the wide (Elisabeth Shue) dies. This isn’t the time or the country to release a film about how it’s ok to steal a gun and shoot people even if you are a surgeon.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P.T.Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should have. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz. It’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.

EARLY MAN. This stop action animated film cartoon was made by the same folks who created all those super brilliant Wallace & Gromit films. Even with voices by Eddie Tremayne and Tom Hiddleston there s’ not much to laugh at or even admire. Tired old cave man jokes, a soccer game parody but to expect to see the charm and intelligence of the old AARDMAN productions is a mistake.

GAME NIGHT. An extra dopey, low grade, over used plot with stars like Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams (and her dimples) trying to make it into a comedy. Couples get together for one of those “who did the murder” themes only ha, ha, ha, it isn’t a fake. It’s boring, trite, unbelievable, and lacks any semblance of humor.

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. . Roddey Reid author of “Confronting Political Intimidation and Public Bullying” tells us how to live during the Trump era on March 13. Then activist, BrattonOnline columnist Becky Steinbruner talks about many county issues and solutions. March 20 has Kara Meyberg Guzman editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel discussing the paper’s structure and plans. 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

This needs no words.

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. “DROUGHT”

“It’s so dry the trees are bribing the dogs.” Charles Martin.
“God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools”. John Muir
“Violence is like a weed – it does not die even in the greatest drought“. Simon Wiesenthal
“Any party which takes credit for the rain must not be surprised if its opponents blame it for the drought”. Dwight Morrow

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.

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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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