Jim Matthews: Esplanade needs a simpler fix

24 Apr

I’ve been so busy lately I have “blog stop” – aka, “writer’s block”.  I saw this letter from Jim Matthews in the paper this morning and it got me thinking.

On April 14, the Chico City Council voted for sweeping changes to The Esplanade. While roundabouts may reduce vehicle accidents, they are actually more dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists. Drivers often just don’t yield to pedestrians. This could open the city up to lawsuits when a child is injured there. Some European cities have removed roundabouts due to this safety issue. Other U.S. cities have been sued because roundabouts are very difficult for handicapped users. Signal lights really do work better.

The proposed bike path is well meaning, however cyclists will still need to deal with motor vehicle traffic at every block, just like they do now. That bike path will only give bike riders a false sense of security and may actually lead to more accidents. This could also expose the city to lawsuits.

These changes will also require the removal of many of the lovely trees that currently line our beautiful boulevard. We should preserve the attractiveness of Chico and save these trees.

The crosswalks work well on The Esplanade. The current light timing gives people plenty of time to cross. The problem at the high school is that too many kids are jaywalking. Why not try crossing guards?

Instead of such radical alterations, let’s go for simple incremental improvements first.

— Jim Matthews, Chico

Jim makes great points – this thing will be a tree slaughter. He also reminds me – the real issue with the Esplanade is the ADA – Adults with Disabilities Act. This act requiring that public infrastructure be safe for use by handicapped individuals was passed in 1990, but the City of Chico remains out of compliance all over town.  I don’t think the city is under any sort of order to fix Esplanade,  but they’ve been offered a bunch of grant money if they’ll do it. The more expensive they make the remodel, the more grant money they get.  

Yes we need safe sidewalks and crosswalks. As a cyclist and pedestrian, I’ve seen it all. A couple of weeks ago I watched a woman employee walk out of Wells Fargo Bank at Mangrove and Vallombrosa, trip over a large, many times repaired crack in the pavement, and fall to the ground. The sound of her head hitting the pavement was so sickening I wretched (don’t even get me going with the gagging, I can get everybody in the room going).  She got up and said she was okay, got in her car – but wow, she was walking funny. I told her she should call the city, but I don’t know what she did. 

Former Chico City Planning Commissioner Jonathan Studebaker died from bed sores at Enloe Hospital after a fall from his wheelchair on a Chico sidewalk. Described as an “advocate for the disabled,” Studebaker complained loudly about the lack of continuous, safe sidewalks in Chico. When the city remodeled Downtown with faux brick sidewalks, Studebaker lobbied for the introduction of what is now called “The Studebaker Strip” – a smooth strip down the middle of the sidewalk suitable for use by wheelchairs and easier for everybody from toddlers to centenarians. 

The job that’s proposed for The Esplanade is nothing but a pitch for grants to pay down the salaries, benefits and pensions Downtown. The city is in more trouble than they are admitting, at their next meeting they’re taking more money out of the General Fund to cover deficits in other funds. Again.  Why would the sewer fund be in deficit? My God, look at sewer rates, look at what they charge to hook up. But like Mark Sorensen reported in his now taken down blog – $taff looted the sewer fund to pay down the pension deficit, to pay salaries in other departments that don’t take in any revenue, etc. Now that Sorensen is mayor, he’s pretty mum about all that looting, but it goes on at every meeting – they call it “cost allocation.” Put some fancy words on “stealing” and it’s okay? I call it embezzlement, but I’m no lawyer.

So now this scheme to trash Esplanade. Like Jim Matthews says, roundabouts are not safe for pedestrians, I hate cycling through them. Mark Sorensen told me he loves them, and wants them all over Chico. After the Esplanade, he’s headed for Mangrove Avenue. He told me he wants a roundabout at Mangrove and Vallombrosa. 

Sorensen is the one you need to contact about this, he’s pushed roundabouts for every major intersection in town. He’s after the  grants. He’ll tell you, he uses them – yeah, I had him on his bike right in front of the F-150 one day in the Manzanita roundabout. He needs to see video of his worthless ass on a bike from the driver’s perspective, I don’t think he’d pull that stunt again.  He’ll tell you just because he can do it, your 8 year old should be able to do it.  Tell him you are sick of his machinations to pay down the pension monster.

This is not about the ADA, it’s about money for CalPERS. Remember, Sorensen is an employee in Biggs, where he makes almost $100,000 as their city manager. He needs CalPERS to stay afloat so he will get his pension. I think that colors alot of his thinking Downtown.

 

Chico is a mushroom patch

20 Apr

Of course we are all a-titter over the Esplanade. I’ll tell you what – it amazes me what gets people’s attention around here. Yeah, I  care about the Esplanade – I also care about the millions in tax dollars that would be squandered on such a project, and furthermore – I know they’re just doing it to get federal grants to help them feed their pension monster. I’m not hearing that in the conversation, I’m just hearing a bunch of idiots, many of whom moved here within the last 10 years, whining and crying about the city’s history. 

I’d be interested in hearing their versions  of Chico history.  I mean, I’ve lived here all my life, I know people who’ve been born and raised here in town, and I bet you wouldn’t get the same story twice. 

Can anybody tell me about the big head stone in the cemetery, marked “Moak”? Now there’s a story about a nice family, and they continue to be a real nice family around here today. Nuff said?

History. Sometimes it’s better not to turn that rock  over.

I’m more concerned with the present day, and I wish more people would be. I’m sorry to make fun, I won’t include the name, but I got a comment yesterday that illustrates how out of touch this little band of terrorists actually are. This person found an old post about Measure J,

https://chicotaxpayers.com/2012/08/07/thankyou-city-council-candidate-andrew-coolidge-for-taking-on-ann-schwabs-phone-tax-plan/

and posted two comments:

First – Stop the turn around on the esplande. Stop change things. You ruined the city park with cement took the tree and the homey fill our little town had. Now you you build to many house to close together on to narrow streets. You ruined our pioneer days now there is nothing about pioneer week. It sucks you allowed the students actions to effect us. In our wonderful little town. But you don’t listen to the tax paying adults who live here. Stop speeding on art project s that are ugle and bring back our comfortable small town feeling where everyone had fun and was proud of where we live.

And here’s where she starts channeling Miss Emily Latella:

Is that women crazy? Phone tax so if you have a $350.00. Phone bill what pray tell more does she want us to pay. Family of four soon to be five. We can’t afford any dime for phone let alone what ever project she want to fund. I want to fight this all the way. This is Very upset citizen who can’t afford any tax or otherwise increases.

I won’t blame this person for being confused. I also tried to find contact information for the group who was threatening a referendum regarding the decision made last week, but all they have is Facebook. I don’t do Facebook – it’s exclusive to other people who do Facebook. When you want to get your message out there, how does it pay to be exclusive? 

So, I contacted Andrew Coolidge, because he was all over the local news, trying to put his name on this referendum. Same tactic he tried to use with Measure J, and even I fell for it. He calls the media and tells them he’s jumping on some popular movement. Then does nothing. He did nothing to oppose Measure J, he didn’t even take a sign for his front yard, or offer to distribute signs. Looks like he’s pulled the same thing with this Esplanade referendum thing – he never answered my inquiry, and I’m not expecting any response.  Coolidge is all yak, and no substance.

He’s a liar too. When he was running for office, he came to speak to a little group of us at the library, and one story he told was about him and a group of local candidates getting together to try to tell other candidates (like Dave Donnan and Joe Montes?) that they should drop  out of the race because they would be “stealing” votes from Coolidge and the other conservatives. Later he denied telling me that, and made lawyer-sounding threats, telling me I had to take that out of the blog. Well, I did, but I’m putting it back, lying bitch.  Montes told a story later that indicated he’d been one of the candidates, but when I pressed Montes, he wouldn’t tell me who it was who told him to drop out. They all stick together, like a big turd.

And the comments above illustrate the kind of voter we have in Chico – a regular mushroom, kept in the dark and fed regular doses of bullshit.

 

 

What ever happened to “our drinking problem” ?

17 Apr

After my last post, complaining about serial criminals in our town, Police Chief Mike O’Brien released his crime report – nothing surprising. What was weird was how it was viewed by the media.

http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20160414/chico-crime-rate-up-4-percent-in-2015-positive-signs-ahead-police-say

http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/chico-crime-rate-drops-9-percent-in-first-quarter-of-2016/39028878

I  think it’s just funny how these two different media sources look at the story, one “glass half empty” and the other “glass half full.” I think the local editor paints a scarier picture because he’s stumping for a public safety tax, while the story out of Redding seems too optimistic. Somewhere between lies the truth.

The chief seems to be saying two things at once. While he says crime is down in the first quarter of 2016, he admits, “ I think if you were to ask anyone in the community whether crime was increasing or decreasing — or increased or decreased in 2015 — everyone would have said yes, it has increased…”

I have to wonder about these reports  – for example, according to Jerry Olenyn, “The report does not include an uptick in other types of crimes. For example, honey butane oil lab activity is on the rise.   ‘Not only is it a problem, it’s a public safety concern, because houses and apartment are being blown up,’ said O’Brien.”

Why aren’t all crimes included?

According to this week’s News and Review

https://www.newsreview.com/chico/losing-our-buzz/content?oid=20614263

Chico PD reports arrests are down on the infamous party days, like Halloween and Cesar Chavez Day, but Enloe reports alcohol related ER visits for the 18 – 23 age group are increasing every year. Just since January, there have already been 94 visits in that category. The 18 to 20 year olds, and whoever furnished them with the alcohol, are committing a crime, a very dangerous crime, and I have to wonder why this isn’t included in O’Brien’s report.

There have been a couple of high profile, very tragic alcohol related deaths every semester for the last couple of years. Endless staff time has been poured into symposiums about “our drinking problem” since Ann Schwab was mayor. What track did that little choo-choo train run off on? 

The party article mentions that many Downtown restaurants are changing their atmosphere – no more drink or pitcher specials. A more adult atmosphere, pricey drinks, pricey foods. They have priced out the party crowd Downtown. But at the same time, the city has permitted Bev Mo! and other discount liquor merchants around town. So what’s happened, I’m guessing, is the parties are moving underground, and I’m guessing there will be a lot more underage drinking, and more tragedy to come. 

And the 21 – 23 crowd will continue to patronize the bars, which sit right off campus like some kind  of Pleasure Island. Not just college students, but young people from all over the area are attracted to the alcohol scene Downtown every  weekend. These people are not only the perpetrators but the victims of crime – they drive drunk, they injure or kill themselves or others, they lose their wallets, get mugged, get sexually assaulted.  They go back to their apartments, leave their cars unlocked, their doors unlocked, their valuables laying around untended. 

Alcohol is  a crime problem in Chico.

Meanwhile, they had a symposium about it. This what these people do. 

http://www.orovillemr.com/general-news/20160415/butte-county-officials-community-groups-gather-for-summit-on-homelessness

 

 

Why are the same people being arrested again and again for increasingly violent crimes?

10 Apr

Concerned with the increasing presence of transients and crime in my neighborhood, I contacted Chico Chamber director Katie Simmons about Team Chico, a collaborative effort between the city of Chico and local businesses. I had seen Team Chico at Mangrove Plaza one morning, and I had a few questions about city staff time, and exactly what Team Chico was trying to accomplish. I related to her an incident I’d witnessed that morning, just before I’d seen her, involving a transient and the manager of a business located at the shopping center.

https://chicotaxpayers.com/2016/03/26/team-chico-city-still-spending-taff-time-on-economic-development/

Simmons responded

Thank you for your note. Yes, Team Chico and I walked the Mangrove corridor on Friday morning to invite businesses to our upcoming Community Safety Meeting at the CARD Center on April 5th from 10-11am. This is a free opportunity for businesses and residents to dialogue with the Chico PD about issues in the area, like the one you observed at Bubbles. In fact, the proprietor of Bubbles attended our last meeting and shared her concerns. While some businesses reported improvements since Team Chico checked in last Fall, there continue to be concerning activities which we will address in our report to the City and during our meeting with the PD on the 5th.  I hope you will attend.

One after another police chief has tried to use public meetings to mollify the public into thinking the city is doing something about this problem. Simmons said it herself in the above message – “…there continue to be concerning activities…”  These meetings aren’t dealing with the problem. 

The meeting went off on April 5th. I don’t know how many people attended, because the newspaper reporter only showed pictures of the speakers.  

http://www.chicoer.com/article/NA/20160405/NEWS/160409865

Take a good look at those pictures – this is what these people’s work day looks like.

The next day, less than a mile from Mangrove Plaza and the CARD center,  a man was assaulted by two others and his cell phone stolen.

http://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/two-men-arrested-for-bidwell-park-assault-robbery/

I recognized the name David Milliron right away, because I’ve seen it in the newspaper before. In 2012, Milliron had been arrested for a late night armed robbery at the Mangrove Plaza Safeway. 

http://www.chicoer.com/article/ZZ/20120726/NEWS/120729705

I don’t know how that case was resolved, but I see that it was handled by Butte County deputy district attorney Brent Redelsperger.  Redelsperger was still with Butte County DA at that time, despite a very embarrassing DUI conviction. 

http://www.paradisepost.com/article/ZZ/20100304/NEWS/100309973

http://www.orovillemr.com/article/ZZ/20100515/NEWS/100519909

http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20101015/deputy-da-gets-30-day-dui-sentence

Apparently given a second chance by the courts, Redelsperger was also reinstated at his job with Butte County DA.  About a year and a half later he supervised the case against Milliron. I wonder what kind of state Redelsperger was in, because just a year later, he was arrested for being really, really drunk again, a violation of his probation.

http://www.chicoer.com/article/ZZ/20131001/NEWS/131009610

http://www.chicoer.com/article/ZZ/20131211/NEWS/131219560

How many of these cases slipped through the fog of Brent Redelsperger’s career with Butte County DA? 

Milliron was free in 2012 when he was caught “accompanying” an 18 year old woman driving a stolen car – that 18 year old woman was Breanne Sharpe, who, about a year later, was gunned down by Chico PD in another stolen car.

http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/update-suspect-shot-and-killed-by-chico-police-identified/22080100

How are these serial criminals finding their way right back onto our streets? Endangering innocent people. What in  the hell are meetings doing to stop this? 

Enterprise Record running a scare campaign on behalf of Chico PD – they will endorse a safety tax, I’ll bet my bicycle on it

8 Apr

I love to read what the readers are thinking about – the search term of the day is “collective bargaining is inherintly political”  Typo included. 

Inherently – according to Google, means  existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute

If you want to understand “collective bargaining,” watch “On The Waterfront“. 

Right now the city is bargaining with the police department. Their contract includes stuff like, automatic promotions with step pay increases.  They get 90 percent of their highest year’s earnings at age 50, paying only 12 percent of the premiums out of their $100,000+ salaries.  And the contract is written so that they don’t have to pay taxes on these benefits. Think about that, but don’t hurt yourself.

They even get paid to “don and doff” – shower and dress before and after their shift. Talk about Divas!  My goodness, somebody get me a wet towel. SNAP!

Chico PD are a gang of racketeers. They use intimidation to get what they want. They use their imbedded newspaper editor to spread fear – gangs? Really David Little? What would David Little know about gangs? His kids went to “charter school” (where students are picked and chosen) and had a backyard swimming pool (despite all his insincere protests about the closure of Shapiro Pool). 

Then yesterday, we see a headline story about an old idiot who leaves his bike unlocked at Walmart and it’s stolen. Because this man makes a weekly fun ride up to Salmon Hole wearing a green t-shirt printed “Park Watch” (that’s funny, I don’t believe he is watching anything but the trail in front of his tire) – we’re supposed to feel sorry for this man? If he were my husband I’d take away his driver’s license and his credit cards, and I damn sure wouldn’t leave him alone with the grandkids.

This merits a big, front page story? And how do you like the way the editor made it sound like a mugging in the park? 

All this, while the death of Merle Haggard runs across the bottom of the page like so much Hollywood trivia.

David  Little is running a scare campaign for the cops.  Good bye journalism. 

 

 

 

This is why taxpayers get cranky

5 Apr

Where have I been? Where have you been?

I’m still waiting to hear back from Enterprise Record editor David Little regarding the disparity between the public salaries he reports in his “newspaper” and the figures reported by the state controller. For example, Laura Urseny reported that CARD director Ann Willman makes $111,000 a year, the state controller reports $124,000 – just in salary.  I wrote the editor the usual polite note, and he promised to check into it and get back to me.

And the crickets chirped.

I am also waiting to hear back from my Third District supervisor Maureen Kirk regarding a joint Cal Water and PG&E “hearing” scheduled by the CPUC for April 26. Maureen sent me the notice, and I asked her what the county’s strategy is for opposing these rate hikes. 

And the crickets chirped.

I’m still waiting to hear the outrage of the public over all these rate hikes and tax increases, but, again, chirping crickets.

What is wrong with people in this town? I think it’s that everybody sits in their little houses, hiding, telling themselves it’s more important to watch American Idol. 

PG&E tells us they want to put us on “time of use” rates. That means, if you use power between 10am and 7pm, you pay whatever electricity is selling for on “the market.” Think back, think hard, think ENRON.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal

Hey, here’s something I never knew – CalPERs current situation has a lot to do with questionable deals they made with Enron (from Wikipedia):

In 1993, Enron established a joint venture in energy investments with CalPERS, the California state pension fund, called the Joint Energy Development Investments (JEDI).[28] In 1997, Skilling, serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO), asked CalPERS to join Enron in a separate investment. CalPERS was interested in the idea, but only if it could be terminated as a partner in JEDI.[29] However, Enron did not want to show any debt from assuming CalPERS’ stake in JEDI on its balance sheet. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Fastow developed the special purpose entity Chewco Investments limited partnership (L.P.) which raised debt guaranteed by Enron and was used to acquire CalPERS’s joint venture stake for $383 million.[26] Because of Fastow’s organization of Chewco, JEDI’s losses were kept off of Enron’s balance sheet.

In autumn 2001, CalPERS and Enron’s arrangement was discovered, which required the discontinuation of Enron’s prior accounting method for Chewco and JEDI. This disqualification revealed that Enron’s reported earnings from 1997 to mid-2001 would need to be reduced by $405 million and that the company’s indebtedness would increase by $628 million.

The wheeling, and the dealing – it’s enough to give you motion sickness, doesn’t it just make you want to barf? Here’s what the whole thing was really about;

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/enron-traders-caught-on-tape/

And who do we have to protect us? The CPUC? It was CPUC judge Jeanne McKinney who made the decision to consolidate a PG&E hearing with a Cal Water hearing for later this month. She also decided to consolidate the  Cal Water hearings for Chico, Marysville, Oroville and Willows on the same night, here in Chico.   Write her a note, and ask her why she would expect people from these towns to drive to Chico for a 6pm meeting.  Ask her why the PG&E hearing was scheduled for the same night.  While you are at it, ask her for her salary and how much of her own benefits she pays. There’s a phone number, if you find that more convenient.

Jeanne M. McKinney

Administrative Law Judge

California Public Utilities Commission

jmo@cpuc.ca.gov

(the address on the e-mail exchange was  jeanne.mckinney@cpuc.ca.gov  – I would use both )

Or give her a call at   (415) 703-2550 

 

Where will the taxpayer find shelter?

29 Mar

At 3:22, I found myself too awake to lay in bed, but not quite awake enough to do anything.  I got up and followed the glow of light to my coffee maker, and I pushed the little button. I always set myself up a cup of coffee for these mornings when I wake up ahead of Me.

The moon was hanging so bright outside – not even full, but lighting up my driveway like a flashlight. The wind has scoured the sky very clean, the planets and stars look very bright too. 

As I wandered around the house in the dark, I could hear the 3:20 train, a few minutes late, screaming it’s way across town – GET THE HELL OFF THE TRACKS!  

I have a couple of things screaming their way across my head, I guess that’s why I can’t sleep. 

First are the rate increase notices I’ve got – not from Cal Water or PG&E, but from the California Public Utilities Commission. CPUC is having a hearing for both rate increases in April, on the same night, giving the public one hour to discuss the PG&E hike and then opening the floor to ratepayers from Willows to Marysville regarding the Cal Water hike. 

CPUC does not work for the ratepayers, they work for the utility companies. This is not really a “hearing,” it’s a “telling.” Our CPUC judge will explain to us that in 2018, PG&E will switch all ratepayers to “time of use” rates – meaning, your smart meter will keep track of the market price on the hour, and as you go along using your electricity through the day, you will be charged whatever power is selling for on the open market at that very moment. 

After the PG&E “telling” the judge will explain to us that Cal Water is merging Willows, Oroville, Chico, and Marysville into one district so Chicoans can help pay for “improvements” in those towns. When Cal Water asked for rate increases in those towns to cover the cost of long-neglected repairs to their infrastructure, CPUC said the increases were not reasonable. So, CPUC sat down with Cal Water to work out a system by which the costs for those districts will be handed over to Chicoans. 

Here’s the thing – those towns have all suffered from a lack of development. Here in Chico, we have development out the ass, so we get a lot of new water stuff. Right now Cal Water is getting ready to put a new water tower in at Fogarty’s new subdivision on Hwy 32, held up arguing over who will pay for it. Meanwhile, Willows, O-ville and Marysville (named for a survivor of the Donner Party, omigosh!) have been sidestepped by prosperity, and their local governments have not held Cal Water up to any standard, so their infrastructure is substandard. I’m guessing those towns have pipes dating back to the time when lead poisoning was considered a fact of life.

What will the ratepayer do?

Meanwhile, I’m being harangued by the director of a local homeless shelter because I criticize the way he runs the shelter and efforts he’s making to get more funding out of the city of Chico. When I said he already gets county funding by way of other agencies that share staffers with him, he really got pissed off. He denies getting public money – I keep explaining, he gets it by way of other agencies. He admitted he shares the staffer position I found, but now denies that agency gets public money. I got sick of arguing with him, but he keeps coming over  to argue, saying the same crap over and over.  

County Admin Officer Paul Hahn says the county spends over half it’s budget on “indigent” services, “including homeless services.” They fund agencies like the Catholic Relief Services, so does the city of Chico. These agencies spend that money on staffers who work at both the Torres Shelter and the Jesus Center. 

We have definitely become a magnet for criminals who use “homeless” like a shield. Just the other day, I read about a couple of guys who were found standing over a sleeping man in his apartment in the middle of the night. They were later found by the cops in the stolen vehicle the victim had described, with not only stolen articles but drugs. When I typed their names into the superior court index, they both came up, multiple arrests over the years, including robbery. 

Again and again, these people are released “OR” – own recognizance – back into the community to commit the same crimes over and over. They seem to disproportionately attack the campus neighborhoods, breaking in even when people are in their homes, stealing electronic items and any other valuables they can grab. They steal cars, they steal from cars.  And they commit strong-arm robberies, using knives and beating their victims.

I believe the services offered by our city and county attract these people. They know they will find sympathy here, they will find people who will shield  them from the law.  We have way too many people that enable the behavior – cries to build “little tiny houses” for the “homeless,” people who clean up their encampments just so they can move back in, etc.  We have too many public salaried voices screaming about the “criminalization of homelessness.”  So we have a regular army of people who don’t have fixed addresses, who wander out of the supervision of the law and turn up six months or a year later, arrested for the same crime or worse.

I have studied the operation of the Torres Shelter, and I feel they attract the criminal element without doing anything to control them. The director admitted that they have strict rules for who they will let in – but when they get turned out, they are only told to leave the immediate property. Right out front of the center you will find a little camp in the street. Then there’s the area between Park Ave and Fair Street known as “The Wedge” – a de facto homeless camp, sprawled out there behind the old Victor toxic Superfund site.

From the Chico Chamber of Commerce “Team Chico” report:

VICTOR SITE Redevelopment of the Victor Site, which is under a state consent decree overseen by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC), has been recognized by all interested parties as a key to successful redevelopment of the Wedge. To promote that effort, EPA agreed to allow grant monies to be utilized to hire a local design firm to develop a range of development scenarios for the site that in turn will be used to develop a conceptual cleanup plan for approval by DTSC. This process is involved and the outcome uncertain, but it is intended to lay the framework for the purchase and redevelopment of the property by a viable interested party. The City, DTSC, and local development interests are working together toward that end.

That site has been known to be toxic since the 1980’s or earlier. Here they received money from the EPA, and they used it to hire a design team? What? And now, added to whatever Victor pumped into the  ground, is the toxic mess left behind by these criminal campers – the usual garbage, feces, drug paraphernalia, etc. 

No, I don’t like the Torres, I think it’s run badly, I don’t like taxpayer money supporting it.  I am also sick of Team Chico masturbating our money away with their concepts.

Meanwhile, my tenants and I, working class slobs, trying to pay our bills, trying to keep a roof over ourselves so we don’t end up on the street, get no sympathy – the city, the school district and the rec district are all considering separate tax increases. 

Where’s the angst from all these bleeding hearts? Nobody to cry for the working people? Brad? 

On a positive note, The Wedge is also a great tune by Dick Dale.

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

Editor playing coy on swimming pool tax

27 Mar

I sent my swimming pool letter to the Enterprise Record, and I got a note back from the editor.

“Reading your letter today (sorry, there’s a long queue), I think we need to change “will” to “may” in the first sentence. The board has not voted on any revenue measure.. They’re still weighing a set per-parcel tax or a ‘benefits assessment” tax on property owners based on property valuation. They were leaning more toward the assessment because they didn’t think they could get their act together for the November ballot for a question on the parcel tax. The benefit assessment would allow them to send out a mailed ballot to property owners on their own time schedule. Regardless, though, that decision hasn’t been made.

Unless you know something we don’t …”

 

Being as I have no confidence with vernacular in these tax deals, I submitted to the editor’s opinion and allowed him to make the change, and then I changed the ending to, “Please contact your CARD board now and tell them you do not want to be assessed for poor management.”

But I had to ask the editor, since he seems to know so much, had he attended a meeting?

 
“thanks, I was unsure what word to use. “may” is good.

 

I think they had plenty of time to make the November ballot – at the meeting I attended, Lando expressed concern about the city putting a sales tax initiative on the ballot, as well as the school district, and he thought the voters would be overwhelmed with all those taxes.  

 

so, did you actually attend a meeting?”

 

His answer surprised me, but not really.  “No, we had a reporter there. I was not.” 

 

This is a guy who has refused to print letters in which I’ve used direct quotes, telling me he did not believe the person actually said that, even though he was nowhere near the meeting, and there was no recording. He refused to take my word for stuff, but I am expected to take his second hand crap.

 

And then he wrote the following, really misinformed – actually uninformed editorial.  I’ve added my commentary in blue, cause it’s Easter and all.

Difficult to say how much pool will be missed

Thinking ahead to Chico’s sweltering summer days, it’s hard to imagine this community having one less swimming pool for cooling off.

It’s hard to imagine that the newspaper editor would be surprised the local pool is crapped out after years of neglect. 

But that will be the reality, with the Chico Area Recreation and Park District’s decision last week to shut down Shapiro Pool.

An antique that was built in 1956, the pool next to Chico Junior High School has had plenty of problems dragging it down.

The filtering system has been limping along for several years, with problems from overuse to age. Old equipment has been babied, patched, repaired and patched again. Steps to bring the pool in line with Americans With Disabilities Act laws have lagged, and there have been other safety issues.

“babied, patched, repaired and patched again…” – that’s exactly what’s happened, but no mention of that $400,000 pension payment. “Steps to bring the pool in line with ADA...” Oh come on, Mr. News Reporter – there haven’t been any steps to bring the pool up to ADA.

Knowing the pool’s role in the community, CARD directors even asked if Shapiro could be dragged through 2016. The answer was no because of public safety concerns.

“public safety concerns” that the board has been well aware of, since at least 2009. Still they let the public use a pool that was below sanitary standards and had other “concerns,” like tripping hazards. Tripping hazards at a swimming pool? 

While the pool will not be open, CARD will still hold on to the lease that has no cost to the district other than non- operation maintenance costs.

What would Little define as a “non-operation maintenance cost”? Is this guy an  idiot? Everything you do to maintain a pool is an “operation cost.” A pool should not be operated if filtering and safety are not maintained, but CARD ran Shapiro at sub-standard levels for at least six years. Oh, but now the pool has to be closed!  

We guess there still is hope that CARD might find a way to resurrect the pool at some future time, but that has not been officially said.

As a matter of fact, an aquatic center consultant recommended against trying to rebuild Shapiro, saying it would cost about $2.5 million.

But no mention of that 2009 report. 

Strange to us is that the pool owner, Chico Unified School District, has not made any effort to help CARD with the pool. The school district has made it clear that it’s not interested in operating swimming pools, even though some of its schools have P.E. swim programs or competitive swim teams.

Strange to you, and the mouse in your pocket, because you don’t know anything?  Mr. Little, the school made the same deal with CARD that the city made over Humboldt Skate Park. CARD agreed to take on maintenance and supervision of these facilities, but did not. It’s interesting to note, that CARD wanted to close the skate park altogether, but is allowing a private group to raise money and make plans for a remodel. Meanwhile they plan to raise taxes to build a center for Aqua Jets. Read further.

It’s hard to know how much Shapiro will be missed. We know there will be an impact. Already CARD has rescheduled Shapiro’s programs to its other pool, Pleasant Valley, next to Bidwell Junior High, including part of the Aqua Jets youth swim program, CARD swim lessons, and recreational swimming.

The only public use listed in the paragraph above is rec swimming, the rest are programs run for profit by CARD and Aqua Jets. And, the public still has to pay to get into rec swim, there’s no “low-income” scale or waiver. 

That means a busier swim season for Pleasant Valley.

Which CARD has also reported is in trouble and they are looking at closing it within the next few years. That conversation has not been mentioned by either Urseny or Little. They know how pissed off the public would be if CARD announced they were closing both pools. 

In the past, Shapiro has been busy with activity from residents trying to cool off, have fun and get exercise.

I’m pretty sure the editor is not speaking first hand – he has a backyard pool. Shapiro has been in terrible decline, has been badly vandalized by the public that is supposed to love it, and according to reports on CARD’s website, attendance and revenues have been down for a couple of years.

Swimmers may shift to PV, or find relief in local creeks, including Sycamore Pool in Bidwell Park. They may seek out the community’s privately owned pools, like those at sports clubs, or could head up to Redding, which has a water park.

CARD would love to have another choice for swimmers, and has been talking about a community aquatic center, but no funding has been identified. Maybe one reason for hanging on to the lease is to see what a year will bring.

Little plays coy here – I think he knows otherwise. Although, he just admitted to me the other day, he hasn’t attended any of the meetings, he gets his information second hand. I’m guessing he has regular conversations with Tom Lando, but that’s just my speculation.  

There hasn’t been a huge outcry to keep the pool open. It was built at a time when not so many residents had backyard pools, but that has changed.

Speaking for himself, again.

This time next year, CARD may be ready to give up the lease or will have a better understanding of what the next step should be.

Maybe one reason for hanging on to the lease is to see what a year will bring.

What a journalist. 

Team Chico – city still spending $taff time on “economic development”

26 Mar

My husband and I are turning over a rental. We had a big load of cleaning rags to wash, so we took them over to Bubbles laundromat at Mangrove Plaza. We’ve used that laundromat for years, whenever we have an oversize load, to use their bigger, more powerful machines.  I think that was the last load we’re going to do there after the experience we had yesterday.

Over the last few years, Bubbles has been dealing with the homeless problem that moved to Mangrove Plaza with the Downtown “sit and lie” ordinance. There are almost always homeless people sitting in there when we have brought in laundry. They usually sit quietly, I assume they also have laundry to wash, so I’ve never thought anything about it. Yesterday I found out, it is a problem.

As we entered with our bag of laundry and handful of quarters, a woman came walking toward us, she looked very pissed off. She stepped right in front of us to confront a man who was sitting in a chair, staring at a row of unused machines. “If you’re not doing laundry,” she said, “you will have to move along.” She was not friendly, she had already decided the guy would be moving along. This seemed to be a situation she had dealt with before.  My husband and I skipped across their confrontation like a pair of deer avoiding a car wreck.

This man, about 30 years old, sat back in his chair and challenged the woman’s authority to kick him out, challenged the idea that he did not have laundry in one of the machines, and challenged the notion that he was not allowed inside unless he did have laundry in a machine. She asked him to show her his laundry, and the conversation got belligerent on both ends. The woman lost patience and stalked toward the office, saying she would be calling the police.

At this point, we had our machine running, and we left to walk to Safeway to get groceries.  We felt a presence behind us, it was the homeless man, grumbling his way out the door.  A little boy who had witnessed the scene was crying, and his dad took him outside to comfort him.  We watched as the ejected man lumbered out across the parking lot toward Mangrove Avenue, then we went about our business, wondering if the woman actually called the cops, and if they would actually respond.

When who should we almost run into but little Katie Simmons, Chico Chamber shill. She had a bundle of papers, and seemed to be standing there in front of that new sandwich place, waiting for somebody. I saw a couple of young, office-dressed men join her, and then an older, casually dressed man – Team Chico.

Team Chico is our “economic development” policy. They go out and walk around whatever retail area, checking in with businesses, letting them know the chamber and the city are there to help them with whatever. Whatever. You mean, like these homeless creeps who stand around the front door of my business, scaring away customers?

I sure wanted to ask her if she was planning to go into Bubbles, but I had business of my own to attend to.  I believe Team Chico is nothing more than a membership drive for Chico Chamber of Commerce, which has come to have way too much influence in city business. It annoys me that she has city employees in tow. When I asked former city staffer Shawn Tillman what the city was spending on Team Chico, he said, “The City put no money in it–just staff time.”   

Just staff time. 

Look how quickly idiot Tillman landed in a sweet new job! While still living in Chico!

http://www.lincolnnewsmessenger.com/article/1/13/15/tillman-says-residents-can-help-shape-city%E2%80%99s-future

There’s no accountability in government. 

 

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CARD too chickenshit to go to the general ballot – they’re sneaking their assessment into your mailbox

23 Mar

I sent the following letter to Chico Enterprise Record this morning, we’ll see if it gets ink.

Chico Area Recreation District will seek to assess residents in a mailed ballot election, saying they need the money to build an aquatic center and make other improvements in district facilities.

What they are not discussing before the voters is their unfunded pension liability – $1.7 million as of 2014.  Management employees pay nothing toward their own retirement.

CARD says Shapiro Pool is beyond  repair. That was not the story in 2009, when a consultant reported Shapiro was adequate to handle local demand as well as swim meets, and could be brought up to code for about a half million dollars. At that time, he reported, there were safety code and Americans with Disabilities Act violations – including substandard filtration and sanitation, and trip hazards due to incomplete removal of a diving board.

CARD’s board of directors chose to do nothing. Annual budgets on CARD’s  website show very little money has been spent maintaining either public pool over the years.

The ADA was passed in 1990, but CARD only last year commissioned a study, $60,000, to find out just how non-compliant their facilities are, including California Park Lakeside Pavilion. Lakeside Pavilion also  has extensive rot damage.

With all these problems, they chose in 2012 to make a $400,000 “side fund payoff” to CalPERS for their pension fund rather than make badly needed repairs to facilities like the Humboldt Skate Park.

Please watch your mail for a ballot and vote NO.

Something else you might do is write to or call CARD, and ask longest standing board member Jan Sneed why she let the swimming pools go without maintenance for so long. 

 

 

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