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Category: Politics

  • Tone Deaf Department? Christmas Sirens – Ho Ho Humbug

    Three fire trucks pass through a small town neighborhood, with eerie sirens, warning lights, and amplified voice warning. It is actually a failed attempt to lift spirits by amplifying "Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho", but the townspeople think it's an emergency because they can't hear the words so they cower in fear in their houses

    The sirens on the night of Wednesday the 18th sounded eerie and odd. The emergency vehicles weren't moving fast. A muffled, highly amplified voice penetrated the foggy night. Was it an evacuation, a flood, a wall of fire, a killer on the loose? I hadn't heard such confusing and scary chaos in Davis since the evening Natalie Corona was killed.

    I ran outside and saw three emergency vehicles in the distance winding slowly onto my street a few blocks north, then slowly winding off of it. The muffled warnings continued, inaudible and invoking concern. None of this was helped by the sonically-delayed echoes of the sirens and muffled voice off the recently-constructed 5-story student apartments behind me.

    I ran towards the vehicles, hoping to hear what the emergency was and what we should do. Finally I heard:  "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas".

    First of all, I'm Jewish. But no, I was not offended by the lack of a menorah on the hood.  Celebrate Christmas all y'all want.

    But I have rarely experienced such a display of tone-deaf foolishness from a local government entity. I mean, nothing says "Peace on Earth" like sirens and emergency lights and what sounded like an amplified public emergency warning. You already got your Davis-subsidized ladder-truck because y'all were awarded for not cooperating with UC's fire department, and now you want a new fire station and the rebuilding of another.

    To gain public respect and support please considering how some residents of Davis may react to a "well meaning" act that included the extended presence of emergency vehicles, emergency lights, sirens and amplified warnings in our neighborhoods.

    Bah Humbug

    Three fire trucks pass through a small town neighborhood, with eerie sirens, warning lights, and amplified voice warning. It is actually a failed attempt to lift spirits by amplifying "Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho", but the townspeople think it's an emergency because they can't hear the words so they cower in fear in their houses Three fire trucks pass through a small town neighborhood, with eerie sirens, warning lights, and amplified voice warning. It is actually a failed attempt to lift spirits by amplifying "Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho", but the townspeople think it's an emergency because they can't hear the words so they cower in fear in their houses

  • California EBike Incentive’s Disaster Rollout

    When Climate Action meets Tech meets Social Justice

    By David Abramson

    Unnamed

    The California Air Resources Board alongside Pedal Ahead, a San Diego-based 501c3 whose stated goal is to ‘foster a transportation system that is both environmentally friendly and accessible to all’ just launched their first program to provide up to $2000 for 1500 low-income folks to purchase eBikes, called the California eBike Incentive Project.

    They announced the launch of the program to the public via what appeared to be a quite sizable multi-channel marketing campaign, with applications set to open on Wednesday, December 18 at 6PM. Fanfare and nervous, excited anticipation presumably ensued.

    As the local neighborhood techie, I supported a friend and their sibling in shooting their shot to be one of the lucky 1500. First off, my friend’s family comes from a disadvantaged background and economic status for whom this program was presumably intended, and truly needed the money in order to be able to buy an eBike so she and her sibling were quite excited about the prospect of getting support for this!

    I knew the odds were stacked against them once I saw how this program was going to go down, but we worked towards having the best chance possible to make it in.

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  • Followup on Vaitla/Chapman Commission Proposal

    By Elaine Roberts Musser
     
    On the Davis commission issue that was proposed by Mayor Chapman and Councilmember Vaitla, in which a commission must first ask permission of the City Council to put a commission-initiated task on their agenda, the bad news is the proposal passed 5-0. The good news is Councilmembers Partida and Neville will review the results of this proposal over the next year and make any necessary tweaks to it. Both of them saw major flaws in this proposal, but saw that three votes were going to approve (Chapman, Vaitla, Arnold), notwithstanding the many problems in the proposal. Apparently Mayor Chapman said he is stepping back from the whole thing because of all the criticism he received. He is leaving it to the two women on the City Council to take the fallout from this approved proposal.
     
    What is important to note is that the worst parts of the original proposal were removed, as were some elements of the ever-evolving/vague proposal. That was as a direct result of all the criticism, according to Vaitla & Chapman. (6 citizens spoke against the proposal at the City Council meeting, no one spoke in favor; several letters went to City Council in opposition.) A single council member cannot veto a commission agenda item, which was a clear violation of the Brown Act. Informational or educational items can still be put on a commission agenda without permission of City Council. Agenda items to be reviewed by the City Council will be put on the consent calendar at the next City Council meeting, to avoid lengthy delays. But make no mistake, the proposal micromanages commissions in a way that makes it difficult for them to represent their constituencies. Stay tuned for further developments!
     

  • Letter: Support a Down Payment Assistance Program

    On January 7th, the council will consider a city ordinance to create a Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Program—an initiative that can open doors for firsttime home buyers, particularly young families who can afford mortgage payments but struggle to save for a down payment.

    DPA programs bridge this gap, offering loans that help families achieve the stability of home ownership and the potential for wealth building through property appreciation. Proven successful in other cities, DPA programs promote workforce housing, increase diversity, and offer a critical step toward addressing economic inequities.

    These programs are flexible—structured as repayable loans or equity-sharing agreements—and recycle the payments plus interest, equity or both are paid back into the City Housing Trust Fund, creating a sustainable cycle of assistance. Prioritizing workforce families who live and work locally could also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by shortening commutes.

    With Measure Q’s passage in November, the city will have access to $11 million yearly in new funds. While there are many critical needs in our city, both our Housing Element and the Housing Trust Fund Appendix A of the Housing Element acknowledge the need for supporting first time home buyers. Allocating $1 million yearly to the DPA program could support 50 families with a $20,000 DPA—an impactful investment that strengthens our schools, diversifies our community, and enables wealth-building for those often excluded from home ownership opportunities.

    Carpe diem—let’s seize this moment. Urge the council to create and fund a Down Payment Assistance program. Together, we can make home ownership a reality for more Davis families.

    Interfaith Housing Justice Davis

  • Vaitla/Chapman Commission Proposal

    The following letter from Dan Carson and Elaine Roberts Musser was sent to the Davisite this morning for posting.

    Dear Davis City Councilmembers and Commissioners,

    As you know, Agenda Item 06-B on the Dec. 3, 2024 City Council agenda presents the latest proposal by Mayor Chapman and Councilmember Vaitla to control how items are placed on city commission agendas. It is, in our view, an improvement over prior versions of their proposal, in that it creates fewer opportunities for violations of the state’s landmark open meeting law, the Brown Act. However, it does not completely take care of that problem, and it contains other crucial flaws. In particular, this proposed change would improperly and unwisely attempt to micromanage deliberations of the corps of volunteer experts on our city commissions. They have long provided invaluable expertise and perspective free of charge for the benefit of our citizens.

    Accordingly, we again urge the full City Council to reject this proposal and adopt an alternative approach we outline at the end of this letter. An approach that we believe would foster a sense of community and collaboration between the Council and its commissions, rather than one that will come across as controlling and condescending.

    Unfortunately, this continually-evolving and still-vague proposal was publicly released by Mayor Chapman and Councilmember Vaitla on the city’s website just before the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend was beginning. It is likely that many affected commissioners are unaware of this new proposal. 

    But we note that prior versions of this plan were roundly rejected by most of the commissioners who were asked to review it during a series of public hearings held in September, and with good reason.  As detailed in a prior message we shared with you, one commissioner after another voiced their concern the proposal would result in delays that would stifle their ability to conduct the public’s business and render them unable to provide the very advice the council assigned them to provide.  Commissions that meet less frequently could have their ideas sidetracked for months. They would be less likely to bring their ideas forward.  Proposals that were time-sensitive in nature, such as consideration of city budget issues, would die by default.

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  • On KDRT: Deciding what Davis citizen commissions should talk about

    By Dan Carson

    On Monday, Davis community radio station KDRT began airing an half-hour radio program by local journalist Bill Buchanan examining a proposal by Davis Mayor Josh Chapman and Councilmember Bapu Vaitla to change the current authority that city commissions have to set their own agenda and send proposals forward to the council for its consideration.   Elaine Roberts Musser and I have publicly called for the proposal to be rejected because it is neither legal nor good government.

    Buchanan says, “This week’s subject is narrow, but contains a question worth considering. It involves one of the ways that ideas emerge and ultimately shape public life in Davis. This specific path involves the Davis citizen commissions that advise the City Council on subjects including city spending, planning, police accountability, and several other areas.”

    The show will air periodically on KDRT over a two-week period. A link to Buchanan's description of the show and a recording that can be heard at any time can be found below:

    https://kdrt.org/audio/davisville-nov-11-2024-deciding-what-davis-citizen-commissions-should-talk-about

    Please feel free to share this information with other Davis residents so that they can hear firsthand what is being said on both sides about this controversial proposal that we fear will damage an important aspect of Davis democracy, its system of volunteer experts who serve on city commissions.

  • Commissions Pushing Back on Chapman-Vaitla Plan

    By Dan Carson and Elaine Roberts Musser

    This fall, Davis Mayor Josh Chapman and Councilmember Bapu Vaitla asked our city commissioners for feedback on a proposal they offered for “clarification of how items are placed on a commission meeting agenda.” Their plan, which may come before council in the coming weeks, would empower even a single councilmember to sidetrack any commission-initiated proposal he or she didn’t like, for any reason.

    Commissioners pushed back against the proposal in a recent series of commission hearings:

    David Sandino, Fiscal Commission: “The danger of this is [it] is pretty bureaucratic … I would personally be comfortable with the chairperson working with staff to craft agendas, and not have to have additional review by a council subcommittee or a council liaison…It seems to me too many cooks in the kitchen… I’d hate to stifle commission thought and initiative because you had a few major examples that have ruffled some feathers.”

    Mitchell Marubayashi, Fiscal Commission: “I don't really understand… the problem that this is solving…”

    John Reuter, Climate & Environmental Justice Commission: “This is something the whole city is going to have to live with… If someone has to check on every agenda item, this is a logistics nightmare…an outrageous effort and waste of time…. I think we should be allowed to set [our] own agenda… If you go down that flow chart…where does the commission’s point of view come in?”

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  • There is still time to VOTE today!

    IMG_8398

    Davisites, you can vote at the following locations until 8 PM tonight (Nov 5):

    Dropboxes:

    • UC Davis Campus, 282 Tennis Court Lane, Davis
    • Davis City Hall, 23 Russell Boulevard

    Vote centers:

    • Veterans Memorial Center – Multipurpose Room, 203 E 14th Street, Davis
    • UC Davis ARC – Ballrooms A & B, 760 Orchard Road, Davis
    • Montgomery Elementary School – Multipurpose Rm., 1441 Danbury Street, Davis
    • Emerson Junior High School – Indoor Commons 1, 2121 Calaveras Avenue, Davis

    More info here: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/305/Vote-Centers-Ballot-Drop-Boxes-Locations

    Every vote counts!  There is a lot at stake in this election at the local, state, and federal levels.  I urge everyone to let their voices be heard.

  • This Doubling of the Local Sales Tax – It’s All a Lie! – Vote NO on Measure Q! ———- [Al’s Corner – November ’24]

    622ad996-fc34-43cc-928a-94dc8cecf5beToday's article is a video against Measure Q.  This was going to be my testimony before the Davis City Council, but they didn't meet last week.  Or the week before that.  Or next week.  What do they think this is, summer break? 

     

     

     

    Here's the three-minute video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2mXBTMCgRo

    Of course, as always at Al's Corner, other subjects welcome!  😉

    Davis Citizen  (sung to the tune of "Witchita Lineman" by Glen Campbell)

    I am a citizen of Davis
    And I bike the main roads
    Searching in the street for another pah-ah-ot hole

    I hear far-lefties call “more taxes!”
    I can hear the fire fighters whine
    They say the City budget
    Is still on the line!

    You say we have to save the planet
    Cuz it don't look like rain
    And the more we subsidize housing
    The more the budget won't stand the strain

    You say you need Q more than want Q
    And you need Q for for all time
    But this doubling of the local sales tax
    Is all a lie!

    Vote NO on Measure Q, Mildred!

     

    (Original Glen Campbell version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8P_xTBpAcY )

  • Dillan Horton Receives Endorsement from the Collective PAC

    (From press release) Dillan Horton, a candidate for Davis City Council’s District 2, is proud to announce that he has received endorsement from the Collective PAC, a political action committee aiming to build Black political power. The Collective PAC endorses federal, state, and municipal candidates across the nation that will elevate Black representation in federal, state, and local governments. It is no coincidence that Dillan also received endorsements from Black community leaders across Davis, including former organizer of Parents of African American Children – Davis Dzokerayi Mukome, former President of DJUSD Board of Trustees Cindy Pickett, Chief Emeritus of UC Davis Police Calvin Handy, founder and director of the Culture C.O-O.P Sandy Holman, former member of the Davis Human Relations Commission Rev. Tim Malone, and many others. Their endorsements demonstrate Dillan’s commitment and strength in reforming city government and fighting for racial justice.

    As potentially the first Black Councilmember in Davis, Dillan will not only bring needed representation to the City Council, but also fight for equal opportunity for all Davisites. He will make it easier to start Black-owned, other minority-owned & women-owned small businesses, along with expanding the availability of quality-affordable housing in Davis, particularly expanding workforce housing. In addition, Dillan’s successful experience in criminal justice reform has equipped him to tackle implicit racial biases in policing, such as reforming traffic enforcement, where Black Davisites report persistent racial bias.