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

(more…)

This is a complicated issue …. assisted dying…. and can have profound impact for individuals and their families.

The original law in California, based in part of laws from other states including Oregon, was proposed by Davis based Senator Lois Wolk.  It was passed during a special session of the legislature and a recent court decision put it on hold for that reason.  Then just this week a higher court reversed the hold and now the law is in place again.

That kind of back and forth must be torture for doctors, patients and their families trying to help their loved ones and also wanting to be operating within the boundaries of the law on this controversial issue.  (Many disability advocates have issues with this law).

Couple of interesting articles in the Chronicle today (https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/California-s-assisted-dying-law-reinstated-12999276.php) describing the law switching back on and from the Bee (when the Wolk bill was approved by the California Senate) help provide some background: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23113641.html

Perhaps this is something to discuss in your families, among friends, on this blog page, etc….

John 

Some folks may know that the legislature is supposed to vote on the California State Budget by June 15th or today.  Actually, they finished up yesterday a day ahead of time.  That's kind of nice because this kind of performance was not always the norm.  It seemed that not that many years ago, the Legislature was chronically late in moving on the final budget and that caused lots of problems for state funded programs.  But no more, and let's give appropriate thanks to the Governor and the Legislature for making that process work!

Speaking of work, how are the folks in the education sector going to spend all the money that they got in one time and ongoing boosts to their budgets?  You might like to know that this was a major "feature" of the budget and as Delaine Eastin was heard saying in her campaign for governor, "Budgets represent values" and so, I think the new California $200 billion budget does that with an infusion of money into education.

(more…)

This evening I was listening to NPR and heard the end of an interview with Delaine Eastin.  How interesting!  Such an experienced and well thought out politician.  She has promised to stay engaged and help elect more women (only 23% in the California legislature) and to hold elected officials feet to the fire regarding positions taken and promises made.  I'm glad!  

Check out her interview here:  https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown

 John

(more…)

Recently I heard someone describe Davis in print as a "company town".  This was in the context of the housing needs of local residents and/or students.  This writer also made some cheap shot about "Without UCD, we'd be Dixon or Vacaville" and I am sure the good people who live in those towns did not appreciate that slap, just like some voters in the 2016 did not like being called "deplorables".  C'mon have some manners!

But that is not my main point here.  The main point is:  Who wants to be a company town anyway? Historically company towns were situations where a large employer manipulated the employees of the company and residents of the nearby town for their own economic benefit…. essentially making the residents indentured servants.  Is that the kind of relationship we want between UCD and the town?  I think not.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)