Month: September 2015

  • High-Cost Rail – Part 114 Predictable Fires

    I had two immediate thoughts while watching the news last night and reading that Jerry Brown had finally declared a state of emergency over the Valley fire.  This was the scene that sparked the thoughts.

    Fire screen_TV

    That is three very large ones including one that doubled in size in less than a day and my first thought was to the air pollution.  Shortsightedness on where to put state resources seems to be the problem.  Plenty of talk about cap and trade, fuel mixtures, fracking, etc and then for lack of reserve firefighting and aircraft capacity at CalFire we get this!

    Whenever I start thinking about wasted resources, our high-cost rail boondoggle comes right to mind.  Brown will never have any credibility on anything else until he kills that–which ain't gonna happen.  So it was inspiring to read this from the L.A. Times:

    "The depth of opposition became more apparent Thursday evening when protesters in the city of San Fernando took over an open house meeting held by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. They demanded that state officials answer questions about the project's impact on their community.

    "But unlike typical protests, this one was led by elected officials. Seventy people, headed by the city's mayor pro tem and other current and former city officials, marched into a city auditorium and set up their own public address system.  "With their Police Department on hand, they confronted state officials with anger that has not been seen even in the virulent opposition to the project in Northern California or the Central Valley.

    "The bottom line is you are not really welcome," Mayor Pro Tem Sylvia Ballin told state officials, whose plans call for bisecting the small working-class city with high sound walls that the city fears will become an eyesore and magnet for graffiti.

    "Protesters said they would not accept the state's way of conducting meetings on the project, which includes refusing to allow residents to ask questions during an open forum."

    Wow!  That feels like responsive leadership from elected officials.  We will be getting one of these Authority informational meetings at the Rec Center on Oct. 7th from 4-7pm.  They scheduled it without coordinating with the city staff beyond just have the announcement go out in email. 

     

  • Climate at the Pump

    I'm just back from a couple of weeks in New England that included a goodly amount of driving–and filling up my gas tank.  The price difference between there and here is astounding even to someone like me who is used to a significant differential.  I paid $2.19 for regular.  Put that in your mental carburetor.

    So it was with gratitude that I returned to a San Mateo County Times headline on Thursday that read "Brown's priorities defeated".  I would link to it, but you guessed it, even putting the exact title in the Times and Merc website doesn't yield the article.  No matter since the two reporters did an abysmal job of reporting their own opinions instead of the news.  Here is one fact-based sentence from the article

    The governor's infrastructure plan seeks to raise $3.5 billion annually by boosting the gasoline tax 6 cents per gallon, increasing the diesel tax by 11 cents and increasing the vehicle registration fee by $65.

    For the real complete story, we turn to yesterday's Wall Street Journal editorial

    Cap and trade has raised fuel costs, though it effect is hard to isolate from other environmental mandates.  The Western States Petroleum Association last year projected that cap and trade would add 16 to 76 cents per gallon to the retail price of gas based on data from the Air Resources Board.

    In 2006 Californians paid about 23 cents more per gallon than the national average due to higher gas taxes and the state's reformulated fuel regulations.  The price premium increased to 41 cents last year and spiked to $1.14 in May after several in-state refineries experienced problems.  The average gas price in California now is $3.22….

    I could go on with the market data and the effect of the ethanol requirements on people's cars, but you get the point.  That is why 21 Democratic assembly members also voted against Brown this week.  So what does he do?  "Mr. Brown vowed to use regulation to end-run the legislature."  Oh goody.

  • My take on the upcoming council race

    I promised Joe I would write up my thoughts about the upcoming election. My first thought is: “Why are there just four candidates running with two open seats?” Last go ‘round there were a plethora of folks running—including those who shouldn’t have been on the slate as they were clearly not ready for the job.

    I guess I could say the same this time around. Specifically, Mrs. Bandrapalli and Mr. Storey fit the category. They may be nice folks with good intentions, but running for council takes some understanding of the issues and it appears to me that neither have that understanding. Bandrapalli has demonstrated a lack of understanding through her work, or lack thereof, in her role as a planning commissioner and her campaign rhetoric during the last election and Storey demonstrates it through his website, which promises changes that could never be realized for a variety of fundamental reasons.

    I have spent time in recent days asking tough questions to the two other candidates, Donna Colson and Emily Beach. They have some attributes in common. Through their community service they have accomplished measurable results and have gained experience about how the system works and clearly, how to get things done. Neither promised anything so far reaching that it could not be attained.

    Sure, both have somewhat of a learning curve regarding what the community values and what the campaign issues are today and what they likely will be during their terms. When asked what the top issues were, neither said “growth.” That in my mind is the number one issue and has been for some time. (Personal note: I’m not against growth, I just want it done extremely carefully. I don't want it done the wrong way and honestly, it seems to me that the current council is indeed going about it the wrong way. End of clarification.) High Speed Rail is still a hot button issue in my mmd, but didn't rank as high with either Donna or Emily, but they did at least acknowledge the need to be vigilant about it

    My interviews with both reminded me of an old episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the one where Mary was being interviewed for her job by Lou Grant. Towards the end of the interview, Lou said to Mary, “You’re spunky.” Mary smiled and reacted as if she were being complimented. Lou responded, “ I hate spunky.”

    I, on the other hand, like “spunky.” I think it takes a little spunk in order to question authority, question your colleagues, question those you represent and question staff. Donna Colson and Emily Beach have spunk—and I’ll vote for spunk over empty campaign promises every time.

    Donna colson mug
     

     

  • My Council Endorsements: Colson and Beach

    We have an important City Council election in November.  The overall tenure of the council has been dropping in the last few years and will drop to the lowest in memory come November.  In a "throw the bastards out" environment that might not be a worry, but I know from watching the council for 20-plus years that knowing where we have been helps one decide where we should go.  The recent affordable housing-rent control fiasco orchestrated by outgoing councilwoman Terry Nagel is a perfect example.  We have an ordinance on the books that precludes rent control, so why did the council waste so much of their time and staff time on the issue?  Lack of knowledge and poor judgement on Nagel's part.  Result: a 4-1 vote to say "go away".  So here is who I think should replace Nagel and Jerry Deal placeholder John Root:

    Donna Colson, for sure, and Emily Beach with my fingers-crossed.

    I've known Donna Colson for some time and have seen her in action getting things done.  We've talked about many of the issues in town and I know she has a grip on a variety of issues along with the professional experience to handle some of the more detailed financial issues and questions as they arise.  She is a no-brainer vote.

    Russ Cohen and I sat down with Emily Beach for an introductory conversation about a week ago.  I think we heard and reacted similarly, but here I am speaking for myself.  He can weigh in at his leisure.  Emily Beach comes across as having a good range of life experiences and some local experience mostly with school issues.  She and her family have lived in B'game for eight years, so it is impossible to have that "institutional memory" I spoke of above if you were not here.  So she has a lot of learn about the various issues, but I liked the clarifying questions she asked and her awareness that there are consequences to be considered that are not always obvious.  That is especially true if someone brings them to her attention!

    Lastly, I like that she lives on Cambridge Rd. just south of Village Park and just in from California Ave.  She is not in one of the sheltered corners of west-side B'game.  She has a front row seat for high-speed rail and congestion from over-development and sees the ill effects on the local schools from it. 

    One could say the same for Nirmala who is on a nearby street, but I have seen Nirmala in action the last few years and have been singularly unimpressed.  One has to do more than show up for meetings and events.  Everything I heard, wrote and agreed with in the press is still true and I do not believe she is prepared for hard decisions.

    In a short field of four candidates for two open seats Donna Colson and Emily Beach get my vote.  I believe they should get yours, too.  If, like me, you had not heard of Emily Beach before she threw her hat in the ring, this is her.

    Emily Beach

     

  • Burglaries: Up or Not?

    I have had this sense that home and vehicle burglaries are on the up swing for about a year.  I have no data to support the gut feel yet.  I'm planning to have a meeting with our Chief soon and that will be one of my questions.  This is today's latest data point

    Police are seeking help in identifying two men caught on video burglarizing a Hillsborough home Tuesday afternoon.

    A home-security system caught the two men ransacking a home on the 100 block of Denise Drive around 12:39 p.m. The two suspects gained entry by breaking a large window to the rear of the residence and stole jewelry, according to Hillsborough police.

    What other questions do you bloggers have for the Chief?

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