Author: davisite

UC Davis Statement On "Chancellor May, Leidos Corp., and “heart-wrenching political tactics” for refugees" Published on the Davisite.org

On behalf of Chancellor Gary S. May and UC Davis, I must address the accusations and incorrect information made by Nick Buxton in his June 20 article, “Chancellor May, Leidos Corp, and ‘heart-wrenching political tactics’ for refugees.” In addition to the inflammatory and wildly inappropriate placement of Chancellor’s May’s picture with that of children detained by ICE, Buxton made false statements related to May’s Leidos Board seat and how that position impacts his role here at UC Davis. 

For starters, Chancellor May has been transparent about his board service from the very beginning. He disclosed his board service and salary candidly with the search committee that ultimately recommended unanimously to select him as the next UC Davis Chancellor. The UC Office of the President and UC Regents were also informed about his board leadership prior to selecting him. He has discussed this topic with the campus community and during many media interviews. He continues to make himself available to anyone who wants to discuss this with him in person. 

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By Nick Buxton

UC Davis Chancellor Gary May has joined the chorus of voices rightly condemning the separation of children from parents seeking asylum in the US. In a public statement on June 19, he condemned the “heart-wrenching political tactics” affecting refugees and voiced his support for DACA students. These are important statements, but they would be even more powerful if he took action to back up those values, which in this case he could easily do by stepping down from his position on the board of one of the leading corporations involved in the inhumane border regime.

According to Sacramento Bee, May earned $288,280 in cash and stock in 2015 as a member of the board of Leidos, a Virginia-based defense and technology company. Leidos is an important supplier of surveillance equipment to the Department for Homeland Security Border guards, boasting of supplying 70 programs worth $200 million in the last five years. The company has expanded significantly in recent years and its CEO has boasted to investors of how it is benefiting from Trump’s agenda.

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photo by Iggie Walsh – https://www.instagram.com/iggiewalsh/

By Tom Owczarzak

It’s amazing how much hospitals look the same. Not on the outside – on the inside.

Early morning, body cramped from dozing in uncomfortable chairs – why the hell do they not put couches in the waiting rooms? There has to be some logic there I am missing because it makes no sense.

And, yep, back in the hospital. Another nighttime vigil for family.

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photo by Iggie Walsh – https://www.instagram.com/iggiewalsh/

By David Kupfer

"Leadership is action, not position." – Donald Megannen

"Don't agonize, organize!" – Florence Kennedy

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." -Aldous Huxley

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." – Emerson

"The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on Earth." – Sir Wilfred Grenfell

"In dreams begin responsibility." – Yeats

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Hello Davis! We have an exciting opportunity for you TOMORROW (June 9, 2018)! Come out and try your hand at something called 19th century base ball. We play America's pastime with 1864 rules. No gloves (scary)! But, it's an underhand pitch, which makes fielding easier. AND, you may catch the ball off one bounce and still get the striker out! It's a fantastic version of baseball that is perfect for a very wide range of talent. If you're a youngster or an old-timer, a guy or a gal, a seasoned veteran of the modern game or a novice, you're on a very similar level with each other. This is a game that has rules that really level the playing field.

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By Tom Owczarzak 

OK, think a few people will get this one right about this time.

I went to see my niece graduate last night. And not just graduate – give the Valedictorian Speech.

Yeah, cuz she is a serious badass.

Graduation is a heady experience. The excitement of the students, the charge in the air, the super proud families.

Summer just minutes away.

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By Colin Walsh

Davis has a tradition that at the end of every City Election, all parties involved work together to sweep up the campaign signs from all corners of the City. It is a refreshing idea that no matter how hard fought the campaigns may be, the day after the election they all work together to clean up the town and signs are returned to the campaign from whence they came.

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By Rik Keller

Summary

Based on extensive analysis of the Nishi project I did using my long-term professional experience as an affordable housing and city planning consultant, I found that there is a lot of dishonesty in how the project is being marketed by its proponents as “affordable”. The Yes on J campaign website touts its “groundbreaking, privately-funded affordable housing program,” However, when the numbers are looked at more closely, it is just marketing lingo that is covering up for the developers proposing to charge substantially more by running the project with a bed-lease arrangement rather than a room-lease or unit-lease arrangement. Fundamentally, the way the project is structured provides a large profit margin for the developer for the provision of expensive, exclusive housing compared to existing Davis rental rates.

The bottom line is that the ‘market rate’ units–consisting of 90% of the units in the project–will be among the most expensive, if not THE most expensive rental units in town, and even the majority of the ‘affordable’ units will be more expensive than average current city rental rates.

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Dear Fellow Parents,

It has come to our attention that the district is planning to make cuts to the choir program for the incoming school year. The rationale given has been that next year’s enrollment numbers do not allow for two choirs at each Junior High School and the plan will be one choir per Junior High combined with 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students. Mr. Zinn’s 1.0 FTE is being reduced to a .6 position.

As we all can appreciate, differentiated teaching can be difficult.Teaching beginning choir students presents different challenges than that of more mature 9th graders, many of whom who will be preparing for auditioning for DHS choirs next Spring. Though next year’s choir class sizes could be smaller than other subject matter classes, it has been demonstrated both this year and in the past that the school district has supported and offered smaller class sizes for choir.

Davisite Sarah Joan Fulton, better known as Sadie, was certified as a write-in candidate for Assembly District 4 by CA Secretary of State Padilla on May 25^th.  Fulton joins two other write-in candidates and current Assembly Member Cecelia Aguiar-Curry in the June 5^th open primary election.

Since Aguiar-Curry faces only write-in candidates in the June 5^th primary, whichever write-in candidate gets the most votes will appear on the November ballot with Aguiar-Curry.

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