Davisite Banner. Left side the bicycle obelisk at 3rd and University. Right side the trellis at the entrance to the Arboretum.
  • Why I Urge Everyone to Vote No on Measure N

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    If this tax is passed, we will essentially never be able to repeal or amend it.

    This is our only real chance to vote no. 

    I strongly recommend that on March 5, all local voters Vote NO on Measure N, the new large school parcel tax that will last in perpetuity with no voter check in and compound increasing every year. Because N has no sunset clause, this will be your only chance.

    This is the first time I am voting NO on any school measure, and I am doing so because it is not OK to install a large permanent tax that will never automatically come back to voters and will go up every year with inflation, especially when all indications are Davis student enrollment will decline significantly. Make the Board put a sunset on it and start to plan for declining enrollments.

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  • Will Davis Council get serious about Climate & I-80?

    Cartoon fist grabing freewayReview of policy to “Strongly Support” the widening at Tuesday Meeting

    By Alan “Lorax” Hirsch

    On Tuesday March 5th  Davis  Council  Meeting, there will FINALLY be a full discussion of the I-80 policy for the City of Davis. it will likely be in cryptically worded agenda item called Legislative Policy.  

    This is follow-up to the January 9th Council meeting where the city council wrote a highly critical letter about the problems with the environmental analysis for the widening.  And the June 6th 2023 meeting Caltrans pressured the city council and said “agree to partner with us- tonight–  or you won’t get mitigation money.”

    Currently,  Davis City policy is expressed in letter written to federal government and California Transportation Commission to “strongly support” the I-80 freeway widening. This is based on two lines slipped into a 10 page city council’s lobbying policy agenda item three years ago (2/16/21).  The BTSSC (Davis city transportation Commission) has never been consulted on this policy, neither has the council ever before had a in depth discussion targeting support or opposition this $465Mil project. Contining this  policy put obtains the missing $200- $350 mill need to complete construction of the project- and funding it mitigation of its GHG above real transit improvements. 

    ACTIONS NEEDED:

    If residents  want to speak up on this project, they can do one of these actions:

    • Show up council chambers and make a 2-minute comment— (you can make comment in general comment period before 7 pm and still make an election night party)
    • Leave Voice msg noon at 4pm on Tuesday 5th. 530-757-5693
    • Email: Davis City Council citycouncilmembers@cityofdavis.org

    Talking Points:

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  • March 10 haircuts benefit Soroptimist programs

    CutsForaCauseFlyer(From press release) In honor of International Women’s Month, the stylists at Creative Hair & Spa are donating their time to cut hair and raise money to empower women and girls. All funds will go to Soroptimist International of Davis.

    The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 10 at Creative Hair & Spa, 1520 E Covell Blvd., Suite 1, next to Nugget Market. Choose a haircut, or add a shampoo and blow dry. The suggested donation is $40 for a haircut and at least $50 for all three. All ages and genders are welcome.

    This service is available by appointment or walk-in. Appointments will be accepted between 10 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. To set a time, call Creative Hair at 530-753-3450 and mention Cuts for a Cause. Those who walk in during the event may schedule an appointment or be added to a waitlist.

    Come learn about Soroptimist, a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Attendees will also receive a gift bag of salon products donated by Creative Hair.

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  • Mike Thompson’s Bombs at Work

    By Scott Steward

    Stop the massacre

    photo in front of Mike Thompson's (CA4) office in Woodland

     

    Today will be Twenty Tuesday vigils. Five months 28,000 more Palestinians dead since the first Children's Ceasefire Vigil was held in front of Mike Thompson's office in Woodland on October 26th, 2023.   You can add your voice to Yolo4PalestinianJustice (Tuesday 4:30 – 5:30 pm) and demand Mike Thompson end the violence. 

    Thompson can't seem to read, hear, or do much of anything but repeat his loyalty oath to the extreme authoritarian state of Israel. A state where this post would put someone in jail, get their house bulldozed, and likely they would be shot before they made it to interrogation.

    A terrible attack occurred on October 7th, but why do we see no change in Thompson's words in his February  14th Enterprise letter, "the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust….raped women…..Hamas broke the ceasefire," It's been five months of complete war on an occupied territory.

    Thompson says "No one wants peace more than I do." the same 5 month old platitude (his November 12th press release.)?  Those of us at the vigil, and around the world, don't believe in the sincerity of this representative.   As a representative of the most powerful nation on earth, you cannot want peace and humanity and fail to force the delivery of food, water, and medicine to a civilian population, a population at the complete mercy of your "ally."

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  • Clear Choice in District 4

    Voters in east, north and south Davis, El Macero and Willowbank have a clear choice among the 3 candidates for District 4 Yolo County Supervisor.

    Dr. Sheila Allen—currently Deputy to D4 Supervisor Jim Provenza—is a public health nurse, a former two-term+ Davis School Board Trustee, and immediate past Executive Director of Yolo Healthy Aging, a post she held for 13 years. She’s also been Chair of the Unitrans Advisory Committee and the City of Davis Human Relations Commission.

    Her modest rural Wisconsin hometown values anchored her through graduate education in San Francisco and her time providing in-home nursing services to families on Chicago’s South Side. She’s been active in the Davis and greater Yolo County community for 30 years; we go “way back” to 1999—when I was then D4 Supervisor Dave Rosenberg’s Deputy and she was tapped to serve as his appointee to the inaugural Proposition 10 – First Five Yolo Commission. Our collaboration continued throughout my years as the D4 Supervisor and in the State Assembly.

    Yes–Sheila has been doing the work and doing it well for a long time. From the youngest to the oldest county resident, her ability to serve has been boundless. As we face serious budget shortfalls and the specter of a fraying democracy, that whiff of ageism in the call for a “new generation” of leadership belies the strength of lived experience tempered only by years in service.

    On March 5, Vote Sheila Allen for D4 Yolo County Supervisor.

    -Mariko Yamada

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  • Allen most qualified

     I am writing to express my support for Sheila Allen. As a colleague and friend, I believe that Sheila is the most qualified candidate to represent District 4.

    I first met her about twenty years ago, at the Yolo County Health Department. Throughout the years I’ve known her, she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to our community. She has been an advocate for all Yolo County residents from all stages and circumstances in life, from youth and families to seniors. The depth and breadth of her experience and commitment to service is unparalleled.

    A stand-out aspect of Sheila’s service is her tireless advocacy for public health. Sheila was heavily involved in the COVID-19 response and was a valuable member of the advisory committee that made the very challenging decision-making and implementation process of equitable vaccine distribution a success. Her efforts in other public health projects have positively impacted countless individuals. We need a leader who not only understands Yolo’s unique challenges, but also has a proven track record of effectively addressing them.

    In addition to her impressive accomplishments, Sheila has consistently shown a willingness to collaborate with all community stakeholders. This inclusive approach to governance is crucial in fostering unity and ensuring that the diverse voices of Yolo County are heard and represented.

    As we approach March 5, I encourage Yolo County residents to consider the invaluable contributions Sheila has made to our community. Her experience, passion, and dedication make her the clear choice to represent Yolo’s District 4.

    -Ada Barros

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  • Disconnect Between Councilman Vaitla’s Words and Deeds

    I am very concerned at the disconnect between Councilman Vaitla’s words and deeds.

    Vaitla spent considerable verbiage at the last council meeting claiming that his plan for the commissions was to “build capacity in our commission to go out and do the broad-based outreach.” He claims he seeks, “ as many people, as many different people, as diverse people as possible. Diverse in terms of class, in terms of resources, age, sex, gender, race, are in the process and participating.”

    These are great sentiments and feel-good words about diversity and involvement, but the actual policy Vaitla put forward shrinks the commissions by about 25% of the community members serving as commissioners and he has not proposed any additional avenue for involvement. Each commissioner is not just a lone voice. As the Davis Commission handbook describes they are “the eyes and ears” of the council. Every commissioner is also a point of community contact in their neighborhoods, social circle, family network and beyond. Every commissioner is a community contact multiplier and brings with them a basket of other community voices.

    Vaitla’s grandstanding and value-signaling are a sad display of typical politics. Remember, don’t look at what the politician says. Look at what they actually do. Vaitla's proposal to merge and disband commissions shrinks opportunities for diverse community involvement.

    I am a current member of the Tree Commission and past chair, others on the commission may agree with me, but I am speaking for myself.

    Colin Walsh

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  • Political Spam & a Revised Davis Ballot Flyer

    By Alan Hirsch

    This is my revised ballot flyer (see below) posted earlier here and on the Facebook Group Davis Ballot Talk.  I have changed my endorsement for US Senator to Adam Schiff from Katie Porter.  Porter has taken the unprecedented move of selling her donors list PRE-Election, the most assured way to create spam to her donors.

    In the political world there is an awareness of donor annoyance with spam-but it’s the tragedy of common’s playing out.

    This intel comes courtesy of Vera Sandronsky (my wife) who has studied the issue and written in the Enterprise about other ways to give politically- i.e. non-candidate giving –  It will likely be more effective and reduce spam: give to grass root groups building local civic involvement infrastructure (like Sister District, Indivisible, Walk the Walk, etc.)  instead of pop-up candidate efforts that appear and go away bi-annually.

    But even for candidate giving changes are coming, and donors have choices…

    I share below from Halley Bash’s  of Donor Hub newsletter : –

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  • Thank you from The Celebration of Abraham

    The Celebration of Abraham (https://celebrationofabraham.net) wants to thank 103 people who braved the weather to come together on February 4 for the 21st annual Celebration of Abraham: A Community Conversation on Generous Listening. The program began with presentations from speakers from each of the Abraham traditions on the importance of listening within the tradition: Michael Hirsch, Bet Haverim; Pastor Dan Smith, Lutheran Church of the Incarnation; and Laleh Rastegarzadeh, Muslim Davis Engagement and Interfaith Network (DEIN). After the speakers set the table, Vera Sandronsky (Bet Haverim) and Anne Kjemtrup (Muslim DEIN) presented and then led the attendees through a structured listening training developed specifically for interfaith dialogue.

    Following the exercise, participants were asked to write down, “How do you see using this listening tool in your life today?” One reflection captured what so many felt: “The world is in need of more people who listen well. We need to keep on working on these tools so that they become a natural part of one’s listening. “

    After the exercise, participants engaged in a ritual of hand washing and sharing bread.

    This year’s freewill offering totaling $1675 supported the Seeds of Peace which brings together young people from conflict areas of the world, including Israel and Palestine,  for dialogue and exercises in peace leadership

    The event ended with another great tradition– Randy Ferris leading all in singing “Children of Abraham.”

    The Celebration thanks the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation for providing the venue and the Davis Coop for the bread.

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  • Letter: No to PG&E Contributions

    I recently read the Enterprise’s article about campaign contributions in the District 4 Yolo County Supervisors race. I was very disappointed to learn that a candidate in that race took money from PG&E. As a climate advocate, PG&E is the last corporation I want to see involved in our local elections. PG&E is responsible for dozens of wildfires, hundreds of deaths, and thousands of homes destroyed in California. As a Davis resident, my rates have also been hiked by PG&E, all while my service worsens.

    PG&E has been flexing its political power to pass its liabilities onto ratepayers. Who could forget the money PG&E spent to defeat Yolo’s effort to join SMUD? As a community, we need to create a locally-controlled energy grid that relies on 100% renewable energy. Electing people who take money from PG&E is two steps backwards.

    Yolo County is also beginning to implement its climate action & adaptation plan. As PG&E cuts investment in renewables due to their bankruptcy, the last thing we need in Yolo County is a Supervisor beholden to PG&E. The Enterprise reporting also begs the question: how can PG&E even give money to candidates with their recent bankruptcy? Is that what my higher rates are paying for?

    I encourage everyone to read the Enterprise coverage of the contributions to the Supervisor race. I will be voting for a candidate who did not take money from PG&E.

    Elias Bunting

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