Yolo Election results favor sprawl, corporate developers

Here are the results of the June/6/2006 Yolo elections @;
http://www.yoloelections.org/returns/

The quick rundown is that Republican Ruth Admunson (pro-Target in Davis, pro-changing Davis zoning limit) and Democrat Lamar Heysteck (anti-Target in Davis, anti-changing Davis zoning limit) are the two winners of Davis city council positions. Very close tie between them. The battle against Target in Davis will pit Asmundsen and Target CEOs against Lamar Heysteck, downtown business owners, Davis residents against sprawl, anti-sweatshop activists, etc..

In Woodland pro-developer Matt Rexroad and his Urban Expansion Line UEL (he calls it Urban Limit Line ULL) will attempt to expand industrial and corporate development east of the city of Woodland into the floodplain wetlands of Cache Creek. Development on wetlands is a recipe for future flood disaster. Rexroad and his developer profiteers/campaign financers will be long down the road by then. No simpler way to say it..

Many people believe the current election process in the US is fraudulent, based on the overwhelming public opinion that opposes the right wing ideology and developer friendly initiatives that seem to have become elected into office. The current results from Yolo and Woodland indicate this as true. In addition, very misleading info on the Woodland ULL (actually UEL) suggested that voting in favor on Woodland's measure A would protect the environment, when in reality measure A expands Woodland's city limits further east than the already existing Urban Limit Line. The eastern section of Woodland already developed is occupied by corporate distribution warehouses and overpriced suburban sprawl housing. No doubt many corporate CEOs are now placing bids on moving to Woodland following the election results. The public will cover the costs of flood protection for corporate developers with their tax dollars. Heil Matt Rexroad, der fuehrer of Suburban Sprawl development into Patwin's former wetlands home..

The beneficiaries of the expanded UEL would be large corporations like Walgreens, Target etc.. that have their distribution and recieving center in Woodland. Other corporations, including Wal-mart, may now be extended welcome to develop in Woodland's eastern floodplains, billing Woodland residents living further west for flood insurance. Rexroad and his corporate lobbyists will smoke their fancy cigars and celebrate their wealth gained at the expense of others. So continues the march of capitalism to the inevitable economic and ecological collapse..

On election day there was also a memorial service for two UC Davis student activists, Aparna Gupta and Angelina Malfitano, who recently died in seperate though unrelated automobile accidents. Both were very involved in helping organize students around immigrant and human rights issues..

more info on auto accidents @;

http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/printable_news.lasso?id=7777&table=news

also;

http://www.californiaaggie.com/media/storage/paper981/news/2006/05/31/CampusNews/Student.Dies.In.Car.Accident.On.Interstate.80-2014950.shtml?norewrite200606071300&sourcedomain=www.californiaaggie.com

"Ms. Malfitano was active on campus in a wide range of activities: she was a Unitrans bus driver, a drummer in the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh, a community intern for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center, chair of the ASUCD Gender & Sexuality Commission and a presenter at the recent undergraduate research conference.

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In addition to her involvement with the Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity, Ms. Gupta had an internship at the UC Davis Medical Center, was active in the South Asian community and was friends with many members of the South Asian Student Organization."


It is the opinion of this author that there have been far too many auto accidents, suicides and other fatal incidents that claim the lives of activists in the past few years. Since i cannot "prove" anything substantial other than an abstract pattern, i am forced to keep my suspicions to myself lest i risk being accused of severe paranoia..

"It just seems that way", my CIA handlers tell me, "but accidents do happen. STOP being so paranoid."

Though i am sorry to never have met the two young women who are no longer with us in this realm, though i wish them well on their spirits' journey to thier next destination..


this info is from previous Yolo elections comment thread and is relevent to the flood zone development looming on Woodland's eastern horizon..

entire comment in thread @;
http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/06/1826727_comment.php#1827158

To clarify, voting NO on measure A leaves Woodland's Urban Limit Line in it's existing location, while a YES vote on measure A would expand the ULL, most drastically to the east into known flood zones. Currently most of Woodland's residents live further west than the flood zone and aren't at much risk of flooding. Most of the development in the eastern part is industrial and or corporate development (Target shipping/recieving warehouse, new suburban sprawl homes, etc..) thus the fears and concerns of flooding are mostly economic, not based on human lives. Either way wetlands restoration and expansion of Cache Creek's wetlands corridor via levee setbacks would be the safest way to ensure resident's long term safety. Another point to counter the Corps arguement that levee setback is undesireable is the way they propose going about it is the most destructive option. Instead of bulldozing the existing levees and killing off habitat for the endangered valley elderberry beetle, why not leave the existing levee and riparian vegetation standing (thus strengthening levee from erosion), build new setback levees further away from river's channel, then let seed dispersal growth into newly reclaimed habitat expand the vegetation to meet the setback levee. Eventually the older levee will be dispersed by floods, though the new setback levee will be strong enough (supported by riparian vegetation) to retain the waters until they enter the wetlands of the settling basin in the east..

Brenda Cedarblade is a world apart from Matt Rexroad when it comes to floodplain issues that will effect Woodland and points beyond. After a visit to her store in downtown Woodland, it is my belief that Brenda knows what she's talking about with regards to the floodplain prevention debate, ULL, etc..

"Mayor Rexroad's Urban Limit Line "ULL" is really an Urban EXPANSION line [let's call it what it is, a UEL]. Matt's history of City politics clearly shows he is not a friend to agriculture in Yolo County. This is a scheme being sold to voters as a "slow growth" policy. In fact, this new line creates a major growth opportunity on our prime agricultural land. Land now substantially owned by Sacramento Developers. The "ULL" allows the city to significantly exceed the population allowed by the current General Plan voted on in 1996 which imposed a growth cap of 60,000 people in 2015.

We already have growth limits which were set by voters in 1996, the "ULL" will change these limits to allow growth to the north and east, bringing more sprawl. Major development will be allowed in areas subject to "Deep Flooding". Growth in the floodplain shifts flooding onto surrounding properties; as well as CREATING SERIOUS FLOOD RISK to our community. As homeowners in the Southeast area found, development in the floodplain shifts flooding potential and insurance burdens onto neighboring properties that previously had no flood risk. It is like putting bricks in a filled bathtub. If you build in the floodplain, you put human lives at risk, what happens if we have an earthquake and the levee breeches?"

More on flood walls, Rexroad's UEL, etc @;
http://www.brendacedarblade.com/new/index.php?module=article&view=7&MMN_position=5:5

In closing, detailed issues such as the Woodland UEL ballot measure proposal by Republican Rexroad, flood walls, etc.. really make a difference if they pass or not in their local communities. Whomever get's elected (Go Brenda!) will need to be held accountable by the community to maintain their promises throughout the entire term. Elected officials are more approachable than the Kerry/Bush Bonesmen would ever be, so voting in local issues and maintaining grassroots pressure (aka direct democracy) on public officials via town hall meetings will get people their democracy back. Then we can better discuss the downfalls of capitalism in public forums instead of playing tag with fascist police after our dissent has become criminalized by Republican thugs like Bush, Schwartzenegger, Rexroad, etc..

To supplement voting and mainstream enviro groups, a Sacramento Valley Earth First!ers collective needs to happen in some form, maybe on the new sacramento imc website as an online meeting place since people live so far apart, and inclusion of a San Joaquin Valley Earth First!er's collective to cover ecological issues in the southern half. Maybe the two halves of the great central valley could become whole by meeting halfway at the delta where both rivers merge to become one..

This from EF! Journal Beltane issue on the effects of flooding;

"Let's be clear: If the powerful continue on the current track of ecological destruction, their "collapse" will not be liberating, glorifying or adventuresome. If New Orleans is any indication, their collapse will first and foremost affect the same people who have always been exploited by civilization?those not part of the dominant race or the dominant class."

more EF! strategies @;
http://www.earthfirstjournal.org/articles.php?a=904