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After debating endorsing or not, I have determined
that it would be best to speak up for what seems to be the best choices. Here you go for the local issues and
people. But please do your own research and here's a good place to start:
California Choices, a non-partisan site
with ballot measure information, endorsements and other links for making
good choices.
In case you missed it, Jesse Duarte did a very
thorough article on the General Plan debacle. There's more
to come Tuesday at 6PM at Vintage Hall on the GP. The law says that if
there are "significant" changes to a GP by a Council then it must
go back to the Planning Commission for review and public debate. This needs
to happen. The Council needs to be separated from their retooled Plan long
enough to have the debate be as impartial as possible. What is at
stake is housing, transportation, our economy, the environment -- all now
based upon clear winners and losers as though planning was a zero-sum game.
The re-tooled GP no longer resembles the 2010 version that the people did.
Then, in a classic Council move, the very next
morning, Wed., 8AM, there is a Special Meeting to complete the budget - IN
THE SMALL UN-TELEVISED CONFERENCE ROOM AT CITY HALL WITH 8 CHAIRS!
Clearly, too many people wanted to speak to the Council at the first Budget
meeting. If you object to this habit of deliberately excluding the
public, tell them: citycouncil@cityofsthelena.org. A large
crowd outside City Hall at 7:45 ready to attend the meeting could present a
curious problem.
Here is the latest doc with all the budget detail.
This is the first time it has been available in this form -- still do not
see where the big reserve identified by Broad at the last meeting is
identified.
Then, since this has public government
implications, I must share what I know: From 2 different reliable
sources, I understand that Greg Desmond, the Interim Planning Director, has
submitted his resignation. I called City Hall to confirm and was told
no one was there to do so until Tues. so we must wait for confirmation or
not. If true, we will have witnessed the complete implosion of our
City civilian government.
And finally, please be assured that in the coming
elections, this list will never be made available for political purposes.
Sandy
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