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Category: Ethics

  • Go See “October 8th” @ Davis Varsity playing through Thursday

    by Alan C. Miller

    The showtimes for Monday March 31st – Thursday April 3rd are:  6:10pm & 8:40pm

    The official summary is:

    "OCTOBER 8th" offers a look at the explosion of antisemitism on college campuses, social media and in the streets of America beginning the day after the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas. Through meticulous investigation, the film also uncovers how over decades, Hamas created sophisticated networks in America to permeate U.S. institutions and examines the tsunami of online antisemitism, propaganda, and disinformation unleashed by Iran, China and Russia – with the sole purpose of dividing American society.

    I am sure some will dismiss this movie as "Isreael propaganda".  I've seen two single-showing pro-Palestine movies at The Varsity that could  be considered Palestinian propaganda.  Not that I didn't learn anything or that it is all BS, but of course the most effective propaganda contains mostly truths and leaves out truths not flattering to the propaganda side.  I did not consider "No Other Land" to be propaganda; it was about a particular situation from the effects of the settlements in the West Bank.  I have yet find anything convincing to morally justify the settlements.

    I haven't seen "October 8th" yet, but will be seeing it this week.  From the clips I've seen, there is a parallel to what I felt on October 8th and the days following.  I had lived as we all have, knowing there were, as in the 40's, and through much of history, people out there who wanted to kill us for who we are, for some to kill all of us —- with one or dozens killed in individual terrorist attacks over the last few decades.  I had only come into contact with real antisemitic hatred a few times, but it's really ugly when it happens directly, and astounding.  And it has been ramping up, and most white people don't get it.  I said that on purpose to get a rise; most non-Jews don't get it.

    And then it happened.  1200 Jews killed, and hundreds dragged over the border.  I never thought I'd see an event of the mass slaughter of Jews reflecting of the Holocaust in my lifetime.  While not as massive, the genocidal intent and the hate was clear.

    The next day, on October 8th, I had no expectation of the media and public reaction, but I was shocked by what occurred.  Why would I not hear mass mourning and understanding by so so many?  I heard calls for Israel to 'stop the genocide', still weeks before Gaza was invaded, with no recognition of the genocidal attack that had just occurred.  Multiple independent news sources that I trusted and hosts I admired suddenly turned with narratives that bordered on or were outright antisemitic.  1200 Jews had just been killed, and the term 'Zionist' was now being openly used with the same tone as 'Nazi' by large swaths of the public and even some media outlets — Israelis were even being called Nazis.

    I was watching Israeli media directly as much as possible.  The day after the "40 beheaded babies" story broke, the story was debunked in Israel.  Yet days later our President (Biden) repeated it (why??? @#$%&!).  Then for months this group, suddenly empowered in the media, the 'anti-Zionists', including anti-Zionist Jews, began repeating the 40 beheaded babies story as a lie told by Israel, even though it had been debunked the next day in Israeli media.

    And the most heinous lie of all – summed up by many as "Listen to all Women, Unless they are Jewish".  The anti-Zionists spreading information that there were no rapes.  One of the darkest things I ever witnessed was — just a few days after October 7th — two hours of interviews with a team of women who had prepared the bodies of the women slaughtered at the Nova Festival for respectable and fast Jewish burial.  This wasn't propaganda — there wasn't even time to have orchestrated such a thing — these were women who had traveled to help out due to the massiveness of the task.  They described the burns, the semen stains, the broken bones and pelvises, the severed limbs.

    And then — journalists I respected said it was all a lie — there were no rapes.  Some say it to this day.  I believe the NY Tines didn't get it all right, but that doesn't mean there were no rapes.  And this just a handful of years after 'Me Too'.  And all this macro-hate directed at Jews when just a few years earlier we were told of the evil of 'micro-agressions'.

    I've made it a point to listen to both sides, to all sides, and seek to watch every pro-Palestine movie that comes through, to fully understand, if not to agree.  And yes, criticism of Israel is more than valid, it's a right and necessary.  I am not a fan of Netanyahu nor the West Bank settlements and Israel deserves much criticism.  But the outright double-standard used against Jews, and the hate, that has to be recognized by more Americans for what it is, as it isn't going away.

    So this may be propaganda in some people's eyes, and maybe it is.  As I said, I haven't seen it yet.  But I make it a point to see what is put out by all sides on this issue.  I hope you will too.

  • Again? Freeway-to-Sac’s Closure Postponed – now Indefinitely

    By Alan Hirsch

    Below is the core of Caltrans press release issued Wednesday 3/12 at 3:28pm announcing postponement of the Eastbound 50 Freeway in West Sac closure for this weekend. They say indefinitely—but it could be forever as they may figure out how to do the pavement rehab work while keeping some of regular 3 lanes up.

    But if they reschedule total closure another weekend later in March, drivers will have to contend traffic from with opening of the A’s and River cat baseball season to Sutter Health Park.

    This will may push out the work… and could conflict with the schedule to begin work to widened i-80 with toll lane- which is set to begin just next month. The Toll Lane construction work – Phase I of it– will continue into 2028.

    For previous articles on evolving (potential) freeway closure, click here , here2.and here3. 

    Note the bike lane will also be continue thru Monday 3/17 next week- but could go longer as Caltrans notes unhelpfully “weather permitting”.

    Editorial: This indefinite postponement could be due to pushbacks to Caltrans from local city council members and state representatives- after receiving calls from constituents. We will likely never know.  It is strange the freeway closure was not announced or discussed during YoloTD board meetings even though Caltrans was present – only in public comment. One wonders, for example, if there will be a total west bound closure too.

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  • Reform the DDBA to Avoid a Costly Lawsuit

    Commentary by Heather Caswell with Jonathan Greenberg

    Our decision to threaten the City of Davis with a class action lawsuit on behalf of members of the Downtown Davis Business Association (DDBA) was not made easily, or quickly. For years, an organization that was created to support the interests of hundreds of dues-paying businesses has instead been co-opted to support controversial political positions promoted by the Davis City Council, as detailed below.

    As stated in the California Supreme Court’s landmark 1976 Stanson v. Mott decision, a “fundamental precept of this nation’s democratic electoral process is that the government may not ‘take sides’ in election contests or bestow an unfair advantage on one of several competing factions.”

    This means that it would be illegal if the Davis City Council, even indirectly, allowed a special tax dedicated to promoting the interest of downtown businesses be used to promote political speech benefiting city council positions on public initiatives.

     

    We believe that this is what the DDBA has done,  through an unaccountable board of directors, which holds its power through irregular and potentially illegal elections

    The DDBA has done this through an un-accountable board of directors, which holds its power through irregular and potentially illegal elections. Fewer than 10% of the organization's members voted in the January 23 election that I ran in. Three quarters of the dozens of DDBA businesses that I spoke to never received email notifications of the election. Not a single one was notified by the organization that they could run for its board. And at a time when all DDBA Board meetings are held over zoom, members, for no good reason, were required to vote in person within a one hour period, instead of online, at their convenience.

    When Ezra Beeman and I ran to help create a more responsive board, the existing board members and the DDBA Executive Director colluded to change the election rules at the last minute, while they selectively recruited other former board members to show up to run or vote against us. Without any mention during the board meetings prior to the election, they added four seats to the seven member board two days before the election (the DDBA website today still states that they are a seven member board). They then delayed the printing of ballots for three days to print them just hours before the election, so that the names of their friendly candidates could be included.

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  • CITY OF DAVIS MISLEADS PUBLIC ON $24 MILLION WRONGFUL DEATH VERDICT

    Attorney Roger Dreyer Calls Out the City’s Failure to Take Responsibility Until the Last Minute

    For Immediate Release: Kellie DeMarco

    Woodland, CA — After a Yolo County jury unanimously found the City of Davis fully responsible for the tragic death of Jennifer Comey, a wife and mother killed by a falling tree limb in a city park sandbox next to her toddler, the City immediately pushed out a carefully crafted press release in an effort to control the narrative. But here’s what they aren’t telling the public.

    For four years, the City of Davis denied responsibility, instead blaming private contractor DRG Inc. for the tragedy. It wasn’t until one week before trial ended—a clear PR stunt—that the City finally admitted fault while continuing to point fingers at DRG. However, the jury saw through the City’s tactics and ruled unanimously (12–0) that DRG was not responsible in any way. Instead, the jury held Davis 100% accountable for failing to inspect and maintain its own trees.

    “What was most impressive about this case is that the jury was not distracted by the misleading tactics of the attorneys for the City,” said Roger Dreyer, attorney for the Pitts family. “They focused on the devastating loss this family has endured. This jury’s decision was a remarkable demonstration of how citizens do their job for the public.”

    THE FACTS THE CITY WON’T SHARE

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  • 100% closure I-50 to Sacto next weekend

    Expect cut thru traffic in Davis, Woodland, West Sac

    By Alan “Lorax” Hirsch & Caltrans

    Image006 103

    Official Caltrans map routing Freeway Traffic onto local streets in West Sac

    The essence of Thursdays Caltrans press release is simple, but its repercussions to hundreds of thousands of people are wider ranging: “I-50 east bound to Sacto in West Sacramento will be 100% closed (after the split) for 3 1/2 days, from Fri. 3/7 9pm to Tues. 3/11 5am.

    Its impacts will be felt by hundreds of thousands of travelers- including Sac airport users from Yolo/Solano now facing congestion on I-5 causeway, workers on Monday, and of course Tahoe vacationers on Friday & Saturday. Those dependent on the bus will also be affected:

    80,000 cars cross the Yolo causeway– each direction — every day.

    There will also be an impact on local travel inside Davis, West Sacramento, and Woodland.  Local residents can expect cut thru traffic delays as, traffic is likely to backup over the causeway deep into Davis and traffic will cut up Pole Line and 113 and backup the I-5 Causeway to the airport as has happen on other occasions. And of course south Mace in Davis will likely be effected.  West Sac travel on West Capitol and Industrial & Jefferson will be “affected” as they parallel the closed freeway section- as will Yolo buses that use this segment.

     

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  • Volunteer at the Community Mercantile in Davis, California!

    IMG_0144(From press release) Are you passionate about the environment and eager to make a difference in your community? The Community Mercantile in Davis, California, is looking for dedicated volunteers like you!

    Join Us in Our Mission

    At the Community Mercantile, we believe in the power of reuse and recycling. Our goal is to divert items from the waste stream and give them a second life, reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainability. We need community-minded individuals who share our vision and are ready to contribute to this important cause.

    How You Can Help

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  • Sierra Club Yolano Group Comments on Village Farms DEIR

    The following comments were emailed by the Sierra Club Yolano Group to Dara Dungworth, Principal Planner City of Davis Department of Community Development, on Feb 25. 2025, concerning the Village Farms DEIR. (See https://newdavisite.wordpress.com/2025/02/02/draft-eir-for-village-farms-released-for-public-comment/).

    1. Alternatives

      a) Recommend Consideration of Co-op Housing – Evidence suggests that a housing co-op model can provide stable, affordable workforce housing for individuals and families (see California Cooperatives: Today's Landscape of Worker, Housing and Childcare Cooperatives). Providing affordable local housing for people currently commuting to Davis from outside Davis will lessen the VMT and GHG emissions impact of this project and should be considered as an effective mitigation measure.

      We recommend that the FEIR analyze as a Project Alternative a co-op model (perhaps similar to Dos Pinos or Muir Woods) as a supplement to the proposed starter-home program to explore the environmental benefits that such a model could produce.

      b) Recommend Consideration of Alternative Only Below Channel A – On December 8, 2023, the County of Yolo Planning, Building, and Public Works Departments sent a letter to the City of Davis commenting on the Village Farms NOP which stated, "The Draft EIR should consider a reduced footprint alternative that defines the northern project boundary south of the existing Davis Drain and explores the opportunity for increased density, thereby maximizing housing options without compromising economic returns". Quoting from Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 14: "Because an EIR must identify ways to mitigate or avoid the significant effects that a project may have on the environment (Public Resources Code Section 21002.1), the discussion of alternatives shall focus on alternatives to the project or its location which are capable of avoiding or substantially lessening any significant effects of the project, even if these alternatives would impede to some degree the attainment of the project objectives, or would be more costly. "

      We similarly recommend that a reduced footprint alternative be examined with its northern project boundary south of the existing Davis Drain to determine if building 1,000 or more units on such a reduced footprint can provide increased density and maximize housing options while preserving more trees and habitat and still meeting project objectives.

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  • Immigration Crisis-What You Can Do

    There are many immigrants throughout the country who have become frightened for their future due to recent changes in immigration policies.  Many of us are concerned about the impact of Trump’s new policies on our immigrant neighbors. We share Yolo County with a large number of immigrants and their families, and their contributions to our economy, agriculture, labor force, and rich diverse cultures are significant.  

    Please join us for “Immigrants at Risk-What You Can Do” to learn about the current immigration enforcement, how it is affecting our immigrant neighbors and how we can assist them during this stressful time.  The program will be on Monday, February 24 from 7-8:30 pm and is open to the public.  The evening will include a multi-speaker panel discussion covering the legal landscape, hearing firsthand from local immigrants and the director of a refugee center in Sacramento. The program is sponsored by the Social Justice Committee at Congregation of Bet Haverim along with support from Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network (YIIN).  Please register in advance here. The event will be at Congregation Bet Haverim at 1715 Anderson Road in Davis. The program is free, and donations are helpful to cover the costs.  Any questions can be directed to John Katonah at jckatonah@icloud.com. 

  • City admits liability for killing woman in Park

    By Alan “Lorax” Hirsch

    On February 23, 2021, a mother, Jennipher Comey,  was struck, pinned down and killed  by a failed city tree that stood beside the  sandbox in Slide Hill Park in east Davis. As also reported in the Enterprise Sunday, the event occurred  in front of her 3 year old daughter Marjory.   Two weeks ago, after four years, the city admitted its inadequate tree care, and thus liability. This admission only seems to have occurred after an under-oath deposition by the former city arborist of the time. Robb Cain. He stated there was no city record of this tree ever being pruned in past, no current plan to ever inspect it for safety- or any future schedule to even do any routine tree maintenance  pruning in the Slide Hill Park.  This according to Davey Resource Group lawyer, a codependent in the case and the company the city hired to do the city’s $250,000 urban forest master plan (UFMP) later in 2021.

    In contrast, professional arboriculture “standard of care” practice calls for paying heighten attention to trees that overhang a children’s play area or picnic tables- as the fallen one did.  Slide Hill Park’s trees were ignored, not even on the city’s minimal 7 year “block pruning” cycle street trees get according to Davey.

    The delay in admission meant the city seems to have made no payment to support the family over the last four years since the incident. During that period the now orphan girl and her surviving father left Davis and moved to Ohio to be near family for support not received in Davis.

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  • The Gravel Mining Companies Operating Adjacent to Cache Creek are Continually Violating Numerous Provisions of the Yolo County Surface Mine Reclamation Ordinance

    The following was emailed to Stephanie.Cormier@yolocounty.gov and clerkoftheboard@yolocounty.gov on Feb 7, 2025 with a request that the memo be forwarded to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors

    From:  Alan Pryor, Chair – Sierra Club Yolano Group
    To:       Yolo County Planning Commissioners
    Date:   February 7, 2025
    Re:       The Gravel Mining Companies Operating Adjacent to Cache Creek are Continually Violating Numerous Provisions of the Yolo County Surface Mine Reclamation Ordinance

    On behalf on the Sierra Club Yolano Group, attached please find a report in which numerous violations of Yolo County’s Surface Mining Reclamation Ordinance are disclosed and documented.   Download Yolo County Gravel Mining C

    Further, these violations were not disclosed last year to the Planning Commission when it was charged with certifying the 2023 Annual Compliance Report regarding off-channel gravel mining as required by County Code.

    Instead, as explained in the attached report, false representations that all of the mining companies were in compliance with the provisions of all applicable mining ordinances in the State and Yolo County were made to the Planning Commission in Findings of Fact statements.

    The ongoing failure by the County to enforce the provisions of the applicable mining ordinances in Yolo County has resulted in continued production and bioaccumulation of methyl mercury to excessive levels in fish in most of the impoundment pits on the mining sites and required Lake Management Plans to remediate the problems have not been implemented. These compliance shortcomings have also resulted in the ongoing failure by the mining companies to fully restore formerly mined farmland back to its pre-existing soil quality and crop productivity. 

    This is fully explained in the attached report entitled, “Yolo County Gravel Mining Companies are Continually Violating Numerous Provisions of the Surface Mining Reclamation Ordinance_2-7-25”.

    We request that the Planning Commission refrain from wrongfully certifying that mining companies are in compliance with Yolo County mining ordinances in the future. We additionally request that the Planning Commission not permit or entitle any future new mines or extensions or expansions of existing mines in Yolo County until such mining companies are in full compliance with all existing ordinances.

    Toward that end,  we ask that the following questions be addressed with detailed written answers.

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