Saturday, June 30, 2012

Streets from Kids Eye View



This weekend of music, sunshine, beach clean up and just walking around on the Leucadia portion of Highway 101 should be some fun.  It might be fun to imagine what it would be like without any cars.  That is exactly what the kindergarten children were asked in the following video.  What would you like to do if there were no cars?



And since Leucadia claim the distintion of Art and Soul. What if we joined with kids and painted the highway? Or at least all around the Roadside Park and Leucadia Blvd where it is so dangerous?

Friday, June 29, 2012

Radical Political Leadership FAIL

Anyone who have heard the Right wing crazies in the media know why the video below makes just as much sense as these leaders would risk anyone's life to make their points and to discredit this President. There is seething hatred behind this.*

The claims are preposterous and it is clear that in their bigoted assumptions they would win the Supreme Court ruling on Affordable Care Act. Let's be clear, they must lie because they can't simply say they don't believe poor people, black people and others they disapprove of deserve health care.


The Affordable Care Act is a far cry from single payer that is the ultimate outcome many of us would much prefer. This will be a step towards sort of, kind of a more egalitarian access to the broken health care system of the USA. Meanwhile, the health insurance corporations, Big Pharma and many more corporations tied to health care have struck it rich. This last line is the best explanation out there for Justice Robert's yea vote. We all know a local health insurance broker who is no doubt thrilled but don't count on him ever acknowledging President Obama has gifted him. (So, he can retire from local politics. Amirite?)

*No links provided to these invective headlines or sources. You're on your own.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

According to Mary: Save the Ocean


Artist Mary Fleener usually appears at the Our Mayor blog with the whole collection of insightful cartoons about the city. This celebration of art cartoon seemed more appopriate here, where it can join the civic celebration for Leucadia's good fortune. True fact: I very nearly submitted this spelling error - inciteful.  I think Mary will laugh at the made up word.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Tuesday is Dues-day: Don't Give Up

Today is Dues-day, but what are the dues?

Paying attention . . . Yes, by simply schooling yourself on how our local governance is organized, who are the players, what are the screw-ups, where is the money and what things get reported you can legitimately call yourself a citizen, an advocate for democracy.

For most people local politics only becomes a reality when you are afraid for your home, your property or your neighborhood. Fears can be physical, financial and cultural.  Fears can be great motivators, as so many activists' stories of initial involvement attest.

Citizen Tip = "Don't Give Up"

This month's look at  the worldwide, nationwide changes and the connection to our local reality, local scene is linked to activists not giving up.

From the video clip description:
"A surprise Arab drive for freedom, the West's structural crisis and new hope coming from Latin America. That's the modern world in the eyes of Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali, two prominent thinkers and this week's guests on Julian Assange's show on RT."  






There is a secondary tip about dues here and in last month's Assange interview, the BBC's Century of Self Series last week and that tip is - you need to search for information that can be trusted.  

US media is now controlled by about four owners who have clear agendas for their own direction and prosperity.  On top of that, our social and educational culture is being dumbed down to the point that young people aren't learning history, civics or humanities.  The things discussed in this video from men who have been active for over 60 years each are known by fewer and fewer people. Recently I read the following description:

American's Core Beliefs
Don't make me feel bad about the way I live, and
It will all work out, we're Americans
This is it really.  This is our worldview these days.

That's a deeply cynical view and my fervent hope is that more US citizens will protest the bar being placed so very low as to be a fantasy.  In order to go on, to not give up we will have to raise that bar and allow some self-criticism and allow some inconvenience and a bit of discomfort.  Oh, and maybe we can stop calling ourselves Americans - which makes all Central Americans and South Americas disappear in that one ethnocentric label.

Hat tip Common Dreams

Monday, June 25, 2012

Quote of the Day

Fifty years later . . . still true.

Light posting week, activists are busy organizing, in the streets, fund raising and engaging the community in a host of activities going on during this busy summer schedule.  Activists are finding the things that matter to them the most and reaching out to others with shared interests to tell them about a new and better Encinitas through voting in a new city council and community involvement.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Beautiful Day


In honor of the Summer Solstice, longest day of the year (a couple of days ago - whoops).

Believe it or not, this billboard was banned in Canada.

Unbelievably, oil drilling is again being allowed in the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the BP spill.

New Jersey outranks California in solar power installation.

Van Jones refutes solar power only for white, ex-hippie with a beach home.

It's time to retire the dangerous and badly designed nuclear power plant next door. This month our city council heard many speak out against this plant.


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Encinitas City Council's "Hire" Power

Lisa Shaffer submitted this to Encinitas Patch, AOL's online paper and we decided to keep a copy here at Encinitas You Need Us. Love the title!

On June 20, the Encinitas City Council used its "hire power" to extend and amend a contract for Peder Norby as a consultant to the City. Unfortunately this move will not fix the problems with the General Plan Update (GPU) process, nor is it an example of responsible administration.

Mr. Norby has been employed as the Highway 101 Coordinator, and this move formalizes the role he has been playing for the last several months as facilitator of the General Plan Update process. I had planned to speak at the Council meeting, but I realized that my comments were unlikely to impact the vote, so I offer them here instead.

The agenda item at City Hall mixed together two issues that each deserves a separate discussion. One is how the GPU process is handled, particularly the housing element; the other is how and when the City hires consultants.

The GPU Process: The decision on June 20 formalizes Mr. Norby’s role in facilitating several concurrent groups that are reviewing each element of the General Plan and making recommendations to the City Council. This process is a “restart” after the City spent over $1million on a consultant whose work product was rejected by the Council. No explanation has been offered of how that contract got so far off track. Who was responsible for oversight? Where is the accountability? Until the Council provides some leadership and lays out a vision, hiring more consultants won’t fix the problem.

The initial focus of the restarted GPU process is the housing element. There is a state mandate to show high density zoning that would, in theory, allow for 1300 affordable housing units to be developed in Encinitas. Mr. Norby has taken each group through a mapping exercise that is supposed to show which locations should be given highest priority for such upzoning. When all is debated and tabulated, we still won’t know what are community preferences. We won’t know which maps were dotted by Encinitas residents and which by non-residents. We don’t know which were dotted by people with business interests in development and which by people who might actually want to live in affordable housing if any were to be built. And we don't know which areas have the infrastructure to make affordable housing practical.

The question remains: what is our strategy? Is our goal to do whatever it takes to get our housing element approved? Is our goal to provide as much opportunity as possible for property owners and real estate developers to make money? Or is our goal to honestly and creatively meet real needs for affordable housing while preserving community character? Should we try to work with the League of Cities, state elected officials, and other groups to seek changes to the population projections and associated mandates?

I want to maintain a diverse community where business owners and their workers can all find housing here; where we provide for the housing needs of young families, seniors, and others who cannot afford or don’t want big single family homes in this community. I think we need to take a holistic look at traffic, land use and supporting infrastructure and decide where such capacity makes sense.

The mapping exercise I observed the ERAC, GPAC, and community workshops will not improve the quality of Council decision-making. I would like to see the Council provide some leadership. Give direction to the City Manager and let the Planning Department take responsibility for developing a GPU draft we can discuss. That doesn’t require taking Peder Norby away from this Highway 101 duties, where, by all accounts, he has been very effective. It does require accountability from public employees and the Council.

Hiring Process: The second issue is one of process. How and when does the City hire consultants? We have a Planning Department. I don’t understand why the Planning staff can’t facilitate meetings. But if we need a new facilitator beyond existing city staff capacity, issue an RFP and choose one competitively. If Mr. Norby wants to apply, and he is deemed most qualified, fine. But what if there is someone else who might have a better idea. We won't know if we don't ask.

The issue before the Council should not have been about Peder Norby’s character or competence. The issue is how the City Council and City Manager act as stewards of Encinitas. They have a responsibility to spend our money well, to enhance our quality of life, and to plan for our future. The General Plan Update process is a mess and putting Peder Norby in charge of it through a non-competitive contract with no clear deliverables won’t fix that.

Any expenditure on outside consultants should be made in accordance with established procurement policies, on a competitive basis, with clear deliverables and accountability. And when the whole Council votes to hire someone, whether it was the original GPU contractor, Mr. Norby, or someone else, let the whole Council be accountable for that decision. Everyone wants Encinitas to stay wonderful. We all want clean beaches, great schools, safe streets, a healthy economy, environmental stewardship, and neighborhood communities. Let’s work together in an open and honest dialog and move forward. We’re all on the same team.

Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:07 pm

SB 375 Explained

As a public service this article by Darrell Steinberg is reproduced its entirty from the February 2008 issue of Western City, a publication of the League California Cities. 

I want to thank the League of California Cities for this opportunity to write about my bill, SB 375, and what I think is the biggest environmental issue of our time: the relationship between how California grows and our efforts to combat global warming.

A pundit once said that the three biggest issues in California are growth, growth and growth. California’s constant growth affects nearly everything around us, from our schools to our water supply to our roads. According to projections, this won’t change anytime soon. California is expected to grow by another 20 million people by 2050.

The big question is this: How can California continue to grow and at the same time maintain the quality of life to which we are accustomed?

While that question is usually at the heart of California’s thorniest policy debates, this year there’s a new wrinkle to the conversation because of landmark environmental legislation passed in 2006. AB 32 says that the state must reduce greenhouse gases by 25 percent by 2020.

To reach the goals of AB 32, California governments (both state and local) must find ways big and small to reduce their carbon footprints. Many, of course, are already doing this, and the California Air Resources Board (ARB) is also developing a program to reduce carbon emissions from a variety of sources.

Cars and light trucks are the single greatest source of carbon emissions -- generating about 40 percent. But AB 32 does not specifically speak to land use or transportation. This is where my bill, SB 375, comes in.

Everybody talks about the high-profile solutions to global warming: hybrid cars, solar panels and wind-generated energy. Of course, these solutions are important and necessary. But by far, the hardest decisions we will have to make are about land use and transportation.

Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled

The question before us is: How do we maintain local land use authority while at the same time creating incentives for cities and developers to build housing closer to job and retail centers? By moving housing closer to urban cores, we can reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in California.

Why is this important? In the past 16 years, California VMT has increased more than 30 percent, growing faster than even our rapid population growth. The implications of this increase in VMT are dire; 50 percent of air pollution comes from highway vehicles, and California consumes more than 1 million barrels of oil per day. One can only imagine what these figures will be when the state grows to 60 million people in 2050.

In human terms, the implications of doing nothing are just as dire -- more Californians spending more time in traffic and less time with their families. The longer driving times will poison our air and increase health problems for the most vulnerable among us. And California farmland, a main economic driver for our state, will disappear as we continue to locate housing farther away from cities and job centers.

By signing AB 32 in 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger showed that he’s serious about the threat automobile emissions pose to California. California’s cities are also showing that they’re ready to take on this challenge, taking steps that include switching city auto and bus fleets from dirty diesel and gasoline to cleaner burning fuels, and passing green building ordinances. California cities recognize that they must be at the front lines in our continued battle against global warming.

Cities should also be at the forefront of any effort to reduce VMT, and they can do this best by working collaboratively with other cities to come up with regional solutions. This is already happening successfully through councils of governments, with the idea that traffic or bad air doesn’t begin or end at a city or county border. It’s a regional problem.

Take the example of a resident of City A who works in City B. This very typical individual deserves more than the independent efforts of two cities to reduce emissions in his or her community. Such a resident would surely benefit from a multijurisdictional, regional transportation plan in which land use, transporta tion funding and reductions in green house gases are linked, precisely as they are in the real world.

California’s best regional transportation models not only prove that growth can be accommodated, but that the foot print can be more compact and necessary expenditures for transportation can be tailored to a region’s housing needs. A key part of SB 375 is that these pioneering regional blueprints should be emulated and adopted into a cohesive state strategy .

Crafting the Bill

I have wrestled with how to craft a bill that relies entirely on incentives to strengthen the existing regional transportation planning model while respecting local governments’ land use permitting authority. The bill requires a commitment to housing all of our future residents in such a way that homes are located closer to jobs, thus ensuring that we can meet our climate-related objectives.

I don’t pretend that this is easy, but I believe it is essential. The major incentives in the bill come from reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that expedite review of projects located within what the bill calls a "sustainable communities strategy." This is basically a beefed-up version of the existing regional transportation plan with the addition of a regional emissions target, criteria for prioritizing development away from agricultural and resource lands, and adding several CEQA incentives.

The bill calls on ARB to establish greenhouse gas reduction targets (on the same timeline as AB 32) for every region of the state. The regions would adapt their housing and transportation plans accordingly to take advantage of the CEQA reforms the bill offers. If a region is unable to achieve the ARB target, it would submit a "supplement" that contains the steps it would need to achieve the target. Rural counties are exempt from the bill.

It is important to note that the bill does not prohibit development on agriculture lands or other resource lands. In fact, the most successful regional blueprints plan for about half of the new growth in their respective regions on "greenfields" and not as infill projects.

Proposed Changes to CEQA Provide Incentives

Rather than mandating specific land use or transportation planning results, I have insisted that the bill proceed with the use of incentives. For years, local governments and developers have asked for changes to CEQA to spur development in urban centers, and that is what the bill contains.

The bill proposes four CEQA changes for primarily residential projects:

  1. Projects that can mitigate their impacts may use a new "sustainable communities environmental assessment" that would be reviewed under the substantial evidence standard and would not be subject to legal challenges in the same way as mitigated negative declarations;
  2. Projects that need an EIR because the impacts cannot be fully mitigated are only required to review the "project-specific" impacts;
  3. Projects can be relieved from the imposition of additional traffic mitigations under CEQA if they comply with traffic mitigation policies adopted in advance by the local jurisdiction; and
  4. Projects that are consistent with the sustainable communities strategy will not be required to do a separate environmental analysis of the greenhouse gas impacts of traffic associated with the project.

Again, these CEQA incentives are designed specifically to accommodate developments that will reduce the miles that Californians drive every day. If only the four major metropolitan areas in California adopted plans that reduced VMT by 10 percent, 250 tons of pollution would be eradicated from our air -- the equivalent of eliminating all air pollution from electric utilities, petroleum refining, oil and gas production and all waste disposal combined.

Working with the League and other key stakeholders, my objective is to craft legislation that is practical, efficient, cost effective and, most importantly, will help California meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals contained in AB 32, the Governor’s Climate Change Action Plan and elsewhere. I have amended the bill to alleviate many concerns already, and I will continue to be responsive to all responsible parties. Climate change is the environmental issue of this and the next generation, and it is incumbent on all of us to get it right.

Fundamentally, growth is a positive thing for California. We must ensure that the state grows in a sustainable way to maintain our quality of life for the generations to come.

Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), state senator for California’s 6th District, which includes the City of Sacramento and parts of Elk Grove and Citrus Heights wrote this in 2008. Previously, he served as a member of the state Assembly and the Sacramento City Council.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Police Must Be Filmed

Last week at the Walmart's opening the Sheriff's department personnel made a grand display of clearing the public roadway of several activists filming the event and interviewing a protester. It was a silly police action, yet intimidating with threats of tickets.

This was all captured in the great clip from an Encinitas citizen filming the opening and the protesters who proudly were showing off their "Dump Stocks" bumper stickers.  Obviously, the police presence was to serve Walmart, not the public.

No, there was no violence in this broad daylight gathering of white people.  The following video is a chilling account of how out of control police all across this country are with people who are guilty of being black.  Be warned. It is dedicated to the thousands who marched in NYC this weekend to protest the stop and frisk statistics of the NYC police and in memory of Rodney King who died yesterday, whose filmed beating by police in the spring of 1992 in no way found justice.

The principles of the right to assemble, innocent until proven guilty and countless other laws protecting the citizenry apply in a democracy no matter what community and what the population.  It is not against the law to film the police.  The police are supposed to identify themselves and diffuse situations, not antagonize or escalate situations. It is contemptible when they do harm and hide behind their badges.

Dissent is not illegal.  Keep your cameras handy. Know your rights. 



Recently Leucadian David Smith stepped up to the podium to speak at a city council meeting. He faced the audience instead of the dais.  Within moments Mayor Stocks called a deputy who came over and put his hands on Smith.  Smith protested loudly that it was his right to stand as he wished.  Stocks would have none of it.  Stocks was in fact in charge of bolting the podium into its present position in a petty move to force an activist away from facing the audience.  It is the behavior of a bully, directing bullies.

Rodney King's famous quote, which he was mocked and belittled for were these, "Can't we all just get along?"

Hat tip Common Dreams and Banksy's internationally famous guerilla art (Walmart indeed)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tuesday is Dues-day: Mad Men Had a Grandad

Today is Dues-day, but what are the dues?

Paying attention . . . Yes, by simply schooling yourself on how our local governance is organized, who are the players, what are the screw-ups, where is the money and what things get reported you can legitimately call yourself a citizen, an advocate for democracy.

Citizen Tip = Study "Century of Self" for answers about today's self-involved voter.

Ten years ago the BBC won awards with its four part series, The Century of Self.  Fair warning, this isn't a 25 words or less answer to today's electoral disfunctions.  There is history that is vital to understand before we can adequately explain what is going on today.  Each part is one hour long.  Think bigger than local and longer than your lifetime for a bit. This takes some time, but it is worth it. How did we get to this place of self above all else? How did greed take over? Sikp around if you must, but please focus on the last 20 minutes of part four at absolute minimum.

Part 1: Happiness Machines



Part 2: The Engineering of Consent



Part 3: There is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads: He Must Be Destroyed



Part 4: Eight People Sipping Wine In Kettering



Ten years later and extensively British in context, this is a deeply researched, higher education course in today's electorate. From democracy's charge of making every person's path open to freedom, liberty and happiness we devolve into every man for himself (oh, and may the women, minorities, disabled and all the mixtures of these simply disappear).

Monday, June 18, 2012

Walmart: Police, Politi-Speak & Polite Activists

Thank you to our polite activists, videographer who was willing to ask the questions.

Update: Should have mentioned the local television coverage. C.J. Minster did a great job and those young men were a refreshing sight.  Sadly, the typically shallow coverage  left the impression that the controversy was only about class instead of erosion of local financial. economic resilience.

Also, the television news primarily acted as anticipated in its role as publicist for Walmart in the generous neighbor propaganda.  Words fail when trying to name adequately the flyspeck that $12,000 is from this corporation.  It works only if we keep our expectations equally, infinitesimally tiny.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Chart of the Day

"I know, we're all used to hearing "war on women" mean the fight to defund and limit women's reproductive health. But this chart just astonished me. Take a second to compare (all) American deaths in combat with women's deaths at the hands of men who putatively loved them. Now, which war, again, is being funded with billions of dollars and covered every day with high-profile news coverage and media punditry?"
 Source
For millions of women and children, daily life can escalate into terror over the smallest things. They might be living in your neighborhood.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Walmart Going Out Of Business



What too soon?

Please consider, one can never start too early envisioning change. Amirite?

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Tuesday is Dues-day: 10 Steps

Citizenship dues brought to you today by Equinox Center and Move San Diego
-compilied following February 23, 2012 Leaders 2020 event, “Civic Engagement 101.”

Become a Positive Force for Change Today! 
10 Simple Steps

1. Identify your passion.

You can’t change the world overnight, but you can identify a particular issue that you can make a difference on in your community. From there, your impact will grow. Regional and national policies and legislation often draw from best practices uncovered in individual communities. That could be your idea!

2. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.

Ask yourself: will the path we’re currently on get us where we need to be as a region? Does it defy common sense? Then you have every right to challenge the status quo, no matter your age or experience level.

3. But first…get informed.

  • Turn to Equinox Center’s tools like our Quality of Life Dashboard, other research or Facebook updates. Pick the issue that pushes your buttons most and sign up for e-updates from advocacy groups focused in that area.
  • Identify the Committee Consultant or appropriate staff person for your local city council, State Senator or Assembly person, or even federal representative on a given issue and ask if they will meet with you. They are a wealth of information and can help you understand what is at play with a certain issue.
  • Join Twitter. It’s amazing how many policy debates are aired publicly and in real-time through Twitter. You can easily follow along, or participate!

4. Identify the decision makers.

For example, visit San Diego Couny's website or CA state's website to find out who are your elected representatives. Sign up to receive their e-news or Facebook updates to stay informed about what’s happening in your community and upcoming town hall or “coffee with your councilmember” events you can attend.

5. Take a stand.

  • Sign the Leaders 2020 Call to Action to show candidates and elected officials you support intelligent, sustainable growth in the region.
  • Contacting elected officials via email, phone or even snail mail is not only an effective way to have your voice heard, but issues with calls from constituents are typically recorded and tracked by elected officials. Typically, you will get a written response for a written communication to an elected official acknowledging your issue, and making a comment on where they stand.

6. Decide if you’d like to go solo or team up.

As an individual, simple things like sending letters to the editor on issues you care about can be incredibly powerful. Or use groups like Leaders 2020 to network and find others who share your passion and brainstorm simple things you can do in your own community as a start. For example, consider that each member of the public can have three minutes to speak at a City Council meeting, so team up with others to make multiple comments on a given topic.

7. Attend local City Council meetings when agenda items relate to your interests.

Yes! Elected officials will listen to what you have to say – IF you address them in a respectful and professional manner. Remember that they are public servants who work hard to better our region. Treat them and their staff with the respect they deserve and your input will carry more weight. Basic etiquette for a governmental forum?

8. Serve on a public commission or committee.

Find out what citizens’ commission openings are coming up by looking at your city’s website. Apply to join one that covers an issue you care about, such as a Sustainability Committee. If you’re not accepted right away, keep trying! (Here’s an example from the City of San Diego.)

9. Identify opportunities to volunteer in your community and learn more about an issue

For example:
  • Develop a broader understanding of growth and sustainability issues in the region by taking a leadership role in Leaders 2020.
  • Identify advocacy groups working in areas you care about and inquire about volunteer opportunities.
  • Explore board or junior board openings.
10. Spread the word!

As someone who is passionate about an issue, you are in the best position possible to inspire others, so don’t keep it to yourself!

  • Invite people to join Leaders 2020 or other groups with which you’re involved.
  • If you hear misinformation spoken or written about an issue, gently correct it.
  • Draw from resources in #3 to make sure you are using solid data and facts to make your case.

Equinox is an Encinitas based company

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Tell-A-Vision: Garden of Your Mind


Love this for inexplicable reasons, maybe just because. It is good to be curious and let our ideas grow.  Much is going on behind the scenes, underground and throughout the town overall.  People are talking and grumbling and comparing.

Just watch, somebody will call Mr. Roberts a Socialist. 

Via Bluegal at Crooks & Liars

Friday, June 8, 2012

Number of the Day


1,975: The number of charges filed with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that Walmart discriminated in pay and promotion decisions on the basis of gender.
In related news: "Walmart's outsourcing of jobs is driving down wages at American factories, according to a report from the National Employment Law Project." Walmart's garbage employment policies underscore the speciousness of waxing rhapsodic about "job creators" without any kind of qualifications about what kind of jobs are being created.
Walmart's increasingly expansive presence across the nation creates retail jobs—but does so at the expense of US factory jobs. (Not to mention the jobs lost at the smaller and/or independent retailers Walmart drives out of business.) Meanwhile, the jobs Walmart creates lack protections, benefits, and equal pay.
[Encinitas] needs fewer jobs like the ones Walmart is creating, and more like the ones Walmart endeavors to destroy to maximize profits. Source

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Revolution in Quebec

Press CC for English subtitles . . .

A great inspiration for budding film makers besides being relevant to our California student protests against tuition hikes and a great deal more in the US of A.  And corruption, misuse of police force, lack of humanity and greed are present here and millions of others towns and cities around the world. 


Remember this from last week?  

Citizen Tip = "All movements are born out of grievance." 
"This week the connection between our local reality, local grievance is linked to the worldwide, nationwide changes in full view of the world through live stream.  The corporate press in this country is still mostly absent in this global  story unfolding.  But, the vastness of millions protesting around the world is happening even if the US public is largely unaware of what is going on in this country and abroad." 
 And, sometimes its difficult to keep expectations excruciatingly low.

Via Common Dreams

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Tuesday is Dues-day: Why Tuesday?

Today is Dues-day, but what are the dues?

Paying attention . . . Yes, by simply schooling yourself on how our local governance is organized, who are the players, what are the screw-ups, where is the money and what things get reported you can legitimately call yourself a citizen, an advocate for democracy.

Citizen Tip = Why do we vote on Tuesdays? 

It goes back to an 1845 law, established to give people traveling by horse-drawn carriage to take all of Monday to travel to the county courthouse after allowing Sunday to be devoted to rest. Yes, that's the actual reason.


"If we can move Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Holiday for the convenience of shoppers, why not make Election Day more convenient for the sake of voters? First and foremost, it is time to end the deafening silence of good people on this vitally important issue. So we ask: Why Tuesday?" source

One could question if the day of the week is the most obvious reason people don't vote, but it does raise a host of questions about our political rituals in general for the curious, for the aware.

Way too many 19th century conventions are followed to the letter in 2012 for no apparent reason or for reasons that died long ago. Daylight Savings Time comes to mind.  Is that a statement with which you might agree? Sometimes it's easy to forget that we need to be aware of and to challenge the things around us that do not support our lives, our quality of life or our future.   Supporting the status quo is sometimes just inattention or inertia.

At the same time there is an equal challenge of abandoning or destroying things that have worked for a hundred or hundreds of thousands of years because of an immediate or short term need or profit potential.  See forests, wetlands, clean air, life cycle waste treatment, diverse planting and diverse animal species and healthy ocean life.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Hall Property (not yet) park

Good for the online reporting from Patch's reporter Jared Whitlock today in his article, Encinitas Community Park Update: Phase I Base Bids Higher Than Expected. Please visit the original article for the full story.

That last word in the title could have legitimately been "announced" or "promised" depending on what Mayor Stocks statement one wanted to quote.  This could have easily been the Myths Encinitas post today at Our Mayor.  The story is just beginning to be retold, so there is plenty of time for more posting here, there and everywhere. The following clip is a reminder of what the mayor said specifically about the Hall property bids and another clip from that speech concerning financials in general at the state of the city speech in April.



The following is a good note to encourage you to go read the post while considering this Hall property as just one aspect of the overall fiscal health of this city.
Cyrus Kamada 1:19 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012 
I believe our mayor Stocks reassured us earlier that these bids were going to come in below estimates. That was irresponsible and misleading. This "five soccer fields or bust" attitude has to end. We need to fold the Hall Park into the overall set of city priorities which include maintaining infrastructure, holding prudent reserves for anticipated pension costs, and addressing pressing needs such as the flooding in Leucadia.
Clarification: this is breaking news only in a sleepy beach town kind of way. Chill.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Battle Behind the Bottle


From the video description:
In the film students in the award-winning Pace University course "Producing the Documentary" highlight the unseen issues within the cork industry in Portugal. The students wrote, filmed and produced the entire project, traveling to Porto, Coruche & Lisbon to research and film.

The film makes the connection between cork harvested for wine bottles, a source of livelihood for 100,000 people, and the forests that are repositories for wildlife across Southern Europe and parts of North Africa.
When someone tries to tell you the latest far right fringe propaganda that sustainability is some sort of subversive word, let this person know how dead wrong that idea is. Even with technology, scientific advancement incorporated into this ancient industry - the basics remain as a viable means to make a living, to provide a population with a resilient industry.

Contrast this as an economic strategy with the Wal-to-Wal El Camino strip, where from Walgreens to Walmart, Encinitas business means job offerings of minimum wage exploitation of desperate workers.  The few businesses that are locally owned may be the exception to the rule.  But all businesses suffer when having to compete with the corporate chains.

This campaign season, let's ask our candidates to offer better alternatives for economic resilience.