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More Punches at the Poor on Today's Council Agenda A recent letter I sent to Mayor Justin Cummings remains largely unanswered. I include some selections as well as a few additional comments bearing on today's agenda at the "public" meeting--largely a rubberstamp of the City Manager's latest decrees and the unelected city staff's priorities....
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:42AM
Abbi Samuels Letter to City Attorney Condotti Re: Police Harassment of Cooper D'Angelo Activist and ACLU Board member Abbi Samuels posted the following letter asking telling questions about the harassment of Cooper D'Angelo and her partner Russell on the sidewalk outside the Main Post Office last week....
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2020 4:48AM
Yet Another Tightening of the Noose: City Council "Meets" Again Tuesday City Council is slated to rubberstamp more power in City Mangler Martin Bernal's hands, a slamdown of Beach St vendors, a rise in fines for "being in a park after dark", the ability to hire more enforcement personnel, no discussion of the police (or any other part of the) budget, gentrification of Front St., and authorization of the Mayor to "respond to" the Grand Jury's critical report on homelessness....
Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:10AM
Another Toxic S.C. City Council Meeting Today I wrote a letter to Justin Cummings last week about the upcoming "public" City Council meeting. On the agenda are the usual rubberstamping of City Manager Bernal's diktats, new police funding, denying claims against the police, the zombie resurrection of an anti-Vending law, inadequate "controls" on facial technology use, and a sell-out CACH homeless report....
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:09PM
Shark vs. Human: Who Is More Dangerous? Washington, DC, August 10, 2020 — As Shark Week kicks off this week, more than 200 restaurants across the United States and Canada are exacerbating the rapid decline in shark species by continuing to serve an expensive soup made from their butchered fins....
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 2:33PM
Santa Barbara County to Vote on ExxonMobil Plan to Restart Offshore Platforms, Truck Oil in California Final Environmental Study Released, Project Approval Hearings Announced...
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 2:13PM
Questions Still Unanswered In late May, I wrote SCPD boss Andy Mills a lengthy letter reiterating questions asked him around three years ago that have largely been unanswered with any specificity. He responded ("An Updated Letter to SCPD Police Chief Mills in the Wake of the George Floyd Murder" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/29/18833367.php). This is my follow-up to his response written in mid-June. I received no answer to any of the follow-up questions...
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:33PM
Monterey Zoo Faces Scrutiny Over Elephant Deaths Salinas, Calif. [June 30, 2020] – PETA has just obtained necropsies for two elephants, Paula and Kristy, who died at the Monterey Zoo in 2019—and the reports raise serious questions about the level of care that the animals received prior to their deaths....
Posted: Thu Jul 2, 2020 9:01PM
Chatting with a Conscience-Lacking Council The 'No Public, Please" City Council meeting today again has call-in access only, and likely Oral Communications limited to one minute and cut off at the whim of Mayor "I Kneel with the Police Chief" Cummings. I pass on suggested talking points. However, deaf politicians and staffers need large numbers showing up at workplace and home to be convinced. Obediently following do-nothing guidelines will...do nothing....
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:12AM
The Questions Grow More Pressing I've been persistently raising issues of police abuse with the SCPD. Most recently, I sent a letter to Chief Andy Mills with a variety of questions, following up on issues raised months (and often years) ago. He roplied. I responded to his reply a few days ago. So far no reply....
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:14PM
Some Questions for Sandy Brown and the City Council An e-mail sent to Councilmember Sandy Brown will likely result in no action at City Council. More seriously, the Council, which has ultimately control of the police through the City Manager, needs to be forced to confront long-standing SCPD issues that are of a piece with demands on departments across the nation....
Posted: Tue Jun 9, 2020 11:57AM
An Updated Letter to SCPD Police Chief Mills in the Wake of the George Floyd Murder In anticipation of possible protests in Santa Cruz regarding police violence and racial injustice, I've written Chief Andy Mills a follow-up letter regarding concerns I expressed 2 1/2 years ago. I begin with an earlier letter I sent him, and his responses to that letter. Attempts to get more detailed information were unsuccessful....
Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 10:28AM
California Proposes Regulations to Prevent Whale Entanglements in Crab Gear SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 15, 2020 — California state officials released a proposed rule today to reduce the number of endangered whales and sea turtles that get entangled in commercial Dungeness crab gear. The Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP) was prompted by steep annual increases in reported whale entanglements and a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity....
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:09PM
Santa Cruz Needs Community Control of Surveillance Santa Cruz has a community control of surveillance law in front of the City Council. We need transparency, advanced notice and joint decisionmaking about pervasive surveillance everywhere. Sign the petition (from ACLU) https://action.aclu.org/petition/cn-santa-cruz-surveillance-petition...
Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 2:37PM
Vaccines Neither Vegetarian Nor Vegan Vaccines are developed using animal blood, gelatin, eggs, and countless other ingredients...
Posted: Sat May 2, 2020 11:47AM
Another Round of Partial Answers and Continued Questions Here's a letter I e-mailed several days ago with questions, Jessica Scheiner's answers, and my further questions. Scheiner is with the County of Santa Cruz, Human Services Department. E-mail: Jessica.Scheiner@santacruzcounty.us: Phone: 831-454-4088. Those who want to press for safe and sane homeless shelter-in-place now in a time of pandemic might call or e-mail her in hopes of speeding that action....
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:36AM
Tiny But Tough-Love Tour of Shame to Demand Opening Up Motel Rooms for Shelter Now ! In an Easter Sunday sweep through the City by car, several of us will gather (safely in our cars or at 6' distance with protective gear) 2 PM at Laurel and Front St. We will distribute survival gear and provisions to folks outside around the City and conduct an educational tour of shame to counter the rosy fabrications of Sentinel and city/county officialdom....
Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:54PM
An Immodest and Long Overdue Proposal Please post your reactions to this proposed protest, which mirrors actions undertaken by nurses, unions, and homeless advocates in other cities. An earlier version of these suggestions was originally posted on facebook....
Posted: Tue Apr 7, 2020 8:45AM
Lobby for your Life: Suggestions from Laura Laura Chatham suggest folks barrage do-nothing city officials with some basic info and demands. An an activist with HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom), I'm particular concerned with the City and County's failure to provide the funded motel rooms for folks aside to shelter-in-place. I pass on her suggestions....
Posted: Mon Apr 6, 2020 2:42PM
Correcting the Sentinel's Latest Errors Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry corrects errors, omissions, and distoertions in Sentinel writer Jessica York's recent story "Santa Cruz County launches joint homelessness task force in coronavirus pandemic; Food Not Bombs expands food distribution" (4 PM, April 4th) at https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/04/04/santa-cruz-county-launches-joint-homelessness-task-force-in-coronavirus-pandemic ....
Posted: Sun Apr 5, 2020 3:41PM