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Category: Politics

  • Why is our Democratic Assembly Member endorsing a non-Democratic Yolo County District Attorney?

    DeanJohanssonBy M E Gladis

    To Voters in California Assembly District 4.

    One wonders what the Democratic Assembly Member, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry intends by endorsing the present non-Democratic Yolo County District Attorney since he doesn’t follow democratic values. This District Attorney remains neutral on Prop 39 ( 3 Strikes Reform ) but opposes Prop 47 (Sentencing Reform ), Prop 57 ( Reduce Mass Incarceration ), and Prop 64 (Legal Adult Marijuana Use).These four Propositions Yolo County voters overwhelmingly approved. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry appears to oppose Yolo County voters.

    Consider, then, this same District Attorney has filed more felony trials in Yolo County ( Pop. 213,000 ) than has the district attorney in Alameda County ( pop. 1,683,000 ) Felony trials are expensive ordeals. Yolo County 41% to CA average 19% Felony non-conviction rate. Cecilia seems to support this effort.

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  • What does the proposed Nishi project have to do with traffic downtown?

    Nishi-OldDavisRdYesterday, Dan Cornford wrote about how the Nishi project would contribute to traffic and the deterioration of air quality downtown.  People who don't travel these roads frequently might have trouble seeing why that would be the case.  Well, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

    If the Nishi project goes through, an underpass would be built under the railroad from the Nishi property to Old Davis Road.  As the graphic shows, there is already significant traffic from Old Davis Rd to First Street and downtown, and onto Richards Blvd.  Cars from the Nishi development – with its 700 parking spaces – would contribute to that traffic as residents drive to and through downtown.

    This is just one of a number of concerns about Nishi.  As I said in an earlier post, the unhealthy air quality experienced by residents because of its location is my primary concern.  But the concerns about traffic and air quality downtown are serious ones and should not be overlooked. 

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  • A few more specific questions to ask City Council candidates

    Screen Shot 2018-04-05 at 5.40.46 PMBy Dan Cornford

    I totally agree with Roberta’s criticism about the candidates for city council refusing to be more specific and with specific reference as to how they stand on Measure J/R and if they want to amend it, how precisely would they amend it.

    However, I would like to broaden this discussion to make observations about the ways in which almost all candidates for city council have campaigned since I moved here in 2000. A trend that was apparent when I arrived here has become more and more pronounced.

    To put it bluntly and simply, almost all candidates are reluctant to, or more accurately often refuse, to discuss specifics especially when it comes to some of the most important and controversial issues. Their reasons for doing this are obvious. They think by appealing to as broad a constituency as possible, and not alienating any one constituency, they are maximizing their appeal and their chances of election. I could cite endless examples from the campaigns of several of our incumbent council members.

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  • Amend Measure R? Will Candidates come clean on how they want it amended?

    Screen Shot 2018-04-04 at 3.03.03 PM
    At the recent CivEnergy City Council forum, audience members filled out cards asking other questions of the candidates — questions that there was simply not enough time to ask during the forum itself (with 9 candidates, it’s hard to ask a lot of questions!).  It’s a little grainy and part is cut off, but at the beginning of this post you can see a screen shot of my question:

    For those candidates who say that they think Measure J/R should be amended, specifically how do you think it should be amended?  Please give a detailed answer.

    So far, none of the candidates have answered my question (or, many of the other audience members’ questions).  Dan Carson, Linda Deos, Eric Gudz, and Gloria Partida (perhaps others) have said that they are thinking about proposing amendments to Measure R, should they be elected.  I’d like to invite them – and members of the Davis community – to have a discussion about what amendments they would like to see, if any, to Measure R.  Again, specificity is good!  Information on Measure R is here: https://localwiki.org/davis/June_2010_Election/Measure_R

  • Dean Johansson Supports the Just Announced ‘Use of Force’ Legislation to Curb Killings of Civilians by Law Enforcement

    DeanJohansson(Press release) Yolo County Deputy Public Defender Dean Johansson, a candidate for Yolo County District Attorney, Tuesday was among the first candidates for public office in the region to support state legislation introduced today to restrict when law enforcement officers could shoot suspects.

    The measure would modify the standard officers use to fire their weapons to "necessary force" from the current "reasonable force," which has led to 162 killings by California peace officers in 2017 – more than half of those killed were unarmed.

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  • On Nishi 2.0: A simple question about fair housing in Davis

    Housing-clipart-_9667858236By Michael Harrington

    Dear City Leaders:
    May I ask a simple question?

    If I want to advertise a rental unit on Craig’s List, and I list if for $1,000 to anyone, but $850 to a full time, card carrying student, everyone knows that as a private owner and lessor, I cannot do this. I cannot do this even if the City thinks it’s fine and gives a City Council 5-0 vote blessing and passing an ordinance.

    This question is not anti-student or anti-student affordable housing. It’s a basic fair housing question.

    So, how is Nishi 2.0 any different than my renting a house to students and non-students, with a 15% discount for being a fulltime student?

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  • Seven FAQs about Nishi Air Quality

    Nishi-pic1. What is the Nishi project?

    Measure J/R gives Davis citizens the right to vote on whether residences (aimed at students, but not exclusively for students) should be built on the Nishi property.  Two years ago, Davis citizens voted down a project at Nishi.  That project had a commercial component and a residential component.  The new project proposal, often called Nishi 2.0, just has a residential component, plus allowances for daycare, nursery, outdoor exercise areas, etc.

    2. Nishi is near a freeway. So what? A number of places in Davis are near freeways.  Do they have bad air quality too?

    Studies show that all sites near freeways suffer from poor air quality.  Quoting a recent LA Times article:

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  • City Council Candidates Changing Positions on Measure R

    CivEnergyForumThe Davis College Democrats (DCD) have excoriated Linda Deos for her apparent change of position on Measure R* from "I am definitely for repealing" to "I support Measure R." Now, with the publication of the candidates' responses to CivEnergy's question about Measure R, we can see where the other four candidates besides Deos who were at the DCD forum now stand on Measure R.

    Mary Jo Bryan to the DCD: "Repealing of course. I have never voted for it."

    Mary Jo Bryan to CivEnergy: "I am neutral at this point."

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  • District Attorney Candidate Dean Johansson Played Key Role in Development of New City of Davis Surveillance Ordinance

    399a952f6da55671839f719b9de05a16
    (Press release) Yolo County ACLU* board member Dean Johansson – now a candidate for Yolo County District Attorney – played a leadership role in developing the surveillance ordinance passed unanimously Tuesday, March 20, 2018, by the Davis City Council.

    The ordinance – which regulates city departments’ use of surveillance technology, building in safeguards to protect civil liberties – was the result of a year and a half of collaboration between the Yolo County ACLU, ACLU of Northern California, Davis City Council, Police Chief Darren Pytel, and Brian Hofer, Chair of the City of Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission.

    Other community groups, including the Davis Human Relations Commission, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, ACLU People Power, and the National Lawyers Guild supported the development and passage of the ordinance.

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  • Live blogging from the CivEnergy City Council Forum

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    Here is a brief summary of each candidate's positions on the questions asked. These are my paraphrases, not quotes – I did the best I could, typing on a cranky iPad!

    I left off opening statements in what follows; the four questions that I blog about below are:

    1. Unique food identity for Davis?
    2. Instance of one City decision making process and your evaluation of it.
    3. One issue in your platform, why important, how you will address
    4. Closing remarks 

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