Guest Commentary: Supervisor Mariko Yamada Responds To Vanguard

By David GreenwaldJuly 3, 2007300 comments
By Mariko Yamada, Yolo County Supervisor, District 4

Let me begin first by thanking the Vanguard for this opportunity to respond to the flurry of news regarding the conceptual proposal for a stem cell research facility in Yolo County.

The commentary, “Who Is Left to Defend Yolo County Farmland?” questions my record concerning land use decisions. My record, both public and private, is clear and consistent on the issues of protecting agriculture and open space, and fostering a safe and sustainable environment:

  • Conaway Ranch Eminent Domain – YES
  • Cache Creek Wild – YES
  • City of Davis Measure X – NO
  • City of Davis Target – NO
  • Southeast Quadrant – NO
  • The Old Sugar Mill – Sole NO vote on development in the Primary Zone of the Delta and behind uncertified levees in Clarksburg
  • The White Subdivision– NO vote on development behind an uncertified levee in Knight’s Landing
  • Yolo County Parks and Grasslands Regional Park Master Plans – YES
  • Measures H and I, SMUD Yes! – Campaign Chair
  • Yolo County Oak Woodlands Master Plan – YES
  • Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program – NO
  • Williamson Act – YES, and I organized an unprecedented nine-signature Board of Supervisors letter opposing the Governor that included the Yolo County Farm Bureau, Sierra Club Yolano Chapter and the Yolo County Taxpayers Association
  • Department of Fish & Game In-Lieu Taxes – YES, and I am currently organizing a coalition of public safety and taxpayer groups to fight for back taxes owed to the County by the State since 2001 (an unacceptable DFG practice that places local fire districts – and farm acreage – in jeopardy)
  • Yolo Basin Foundation Board of Directors – 2004 to present
On March 27, 2007, I joined in a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors in choosing a general plan preferred land use alternative that balances rural sustainability with strategic joint study areas to be considered for potential economic development. The County remains hopeful that joint discussions will occur.

The idea of a stem cell research facility in Yolo County is conceptual; there is no specific proposal to be considered at this time. At present, I am keeping an open mind about the research, educational, and life-saving potential such a facility might bring to the region.

Consistent with my deliberative style, I do not make a decision on an issue until I have all the facts before me and have taken input from all sides. I am not a “one-size-fits-all” representative, nor do I place the threat of political liability above the soundness of good public policy.

I am proud to represent the second-largest agricultural and open space acreage in Yolo County and consistent with my record I will continue to engage in principled, informed, and deliberative decision-making on behalf of my constituents.

Thank you very much for this opportunity to share my views.

Mariko Yamada represents the Fourth District on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors which includes most of the eastern half of the City of Davis. She currently Chairs the BOS. She is presently running for the Democratic Nomination for the 8th Assembly District of California.

Author

  • David Greenwald

    Greenwald is the founder, editor, and executive director of the Davis Vanguard. He founded the Vanguard in 2006. David Greenwald moved to Davis in 1996 to attend Graduate School at UC Davis in Political Science. He lives in South Davis with his wife Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald and three children.

    View all posts

Categories:

Land Use/Open Space

300 comments

  5. This is very good.

    However, the stem cell research center comes with potentially a nearly Davis size development. I think that would rule out consideration of the project – even in its infant stage. Also, I believe that the University has plans to build a facility on campus already. The stem cell money should go into research, not carrots to be used by developers.

    Nevertheless, I believe that Mariko’s blunt, straightforward, “I can’t be bullied” style has people frustrated. I think that its viewed as valuable when she is supporting one’s views, but nerve-wracking when she hasn’t made up her mind about something or seems to differ in viewpoint. I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.

  6. This is very good.

    However, the stem cell research center comes with potentially a nearly Davis size development. I think that would rule out consideration of the project – even in its infant stage. Also, I believe that the University has plans to build a facility on campus already. The stem cell money should go into research, not carrots to be used by developers.

    Nevertheless, I believe that Mariko’s blunt, straightforward, “I can’t be bullied” style has people frustrated. I think that its viewed as valuable when she is supporting one’s views, but nerve-wracking when she hasn’t made up her mind about something or seems to differ in viewpoint. I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.

  7. This is very good.

    However, the stem cell research center comes with potentially a nearly Davis size development. I think that would rule out consideration of the project – even in its infant stage. Also, I believe that the University has plans to build a facility on campus already. The stem cell money should go into research, not carrots to be used by developers.

    Nevertheless, I believe that Mariko’s blunt, straightforward, “I can’t be bullied” style has people frustrated. I think that its viewed as valuable when she is supporting one’s views, but nerve-wracking when she hasn’t made up her mind about something or seems to differ in viewpoint. I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.

  8. This is very good.

    However, the stem cell research center comes with potentially a nearly Davis size development. I think that would rule out consideration of the project – even in its infant stage. Also, I believe that the University has plans to build a facility on campus already. The stem cell money should go into research, not carrots to be used by developers.

    Nevertheless, I believe that Mariko’s blunt, straightforward, “I can’t be bullied” style has people frustrated. I think that its viewed as valuable when she is supporting one’s views, but nerve-wracking when she hasn’t made up her mind about something or seems to differ in viewpoint. I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.

  9. “I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.”

    That’s what the criticism is partly about–Mariko’s arrogance and “holier than thou” attitude.

    The other part though is the fact that she would even consider listening to a proposal which sought to add 10,000 homes to a flood plain on the Davis periphery.

  10. “I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.”

    That’s what the criticism is partly about–Mariko’s arrogance and “holier than thou” attitude.

    The other part though is the fact that she would even consider listening to a proposal which sought to add 10,000 homes to a flood plain on the Davis periphery.

  11. “I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.”

    That’s what the criticism is partly about–Mariko’s arrogance and “holier than thou” attitude.

    The other part though is the fact that she would even consider listening to a proposal which sought to add 10,000 homes to a flood plain on the Davis periphery.

  12. “I think that is all that the recent criticism is all about.”

    That’s what the criticism is partly about–Mariko’s arrogance and “holier than thou” attitude.

    The other part though is the fact that she would even consider listening to a proposal which sought to add 10,000 homes to a flood plain on the Davis periphery.

  13. Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?

  14. Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?

  15. Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?

  16. Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?

  17. Remember the Gidaro fiasco? Tarnish the progressive candidates with rumors of developer influence and we all lose. Elected officials must at least listen to people and hear them out. It does not matter in the end when the vote is done.

    So it is her style that is really the issue here – not her voting record or how she runs her office.

  18. Remember the Gidaro fiasco? Tarnish the progressive candidates with rumors of developer influence and we all lose. Elected officials must at least listen to people and hear them out. It does not matter in the end when the vote is done.

    So it is her style that is really the issue here – not her voting record or how she runs her office.

  19. Remember the Gidaro fiasco? Tarnish the progressive candidates with rumors of developer influence and we all lose. Elected officials must at least listen to people and hear them out. It does not matter in the end when the vote is done.

    So it is her style that is really the issue here – not her voting record or how she runs her office.

  20. Remember the Gidaro fiasco? Tarnish the progressive candidates with rumors of developer influence and we all lose. Elected officials must at least listen to people and hear them out. It does not matter in the end when the vote is done.

    So it is her style that is really the issue here – not her voting record or how she runs her office.

  21. Why do we need to hear out a proposal for 10,000 housing units in a flood plain? I elected my people to kill such proposals before I even find out about them.

  22. Why do we need to hear out a proposal for 10,000 housing units in a flood plain? I elected my people to kill such proposals before I even find out about them.

  23. Why do we need to hear out a proposal for 10,000 housing units in a flood plain? I elected my people to kill such proposals before I even find out about them.

  24. Why do we need to hear out a proposal for 10,000 housing units in a flood plain? I elected my people to kill such proposals before I even find out about them.

  25. Moreover you don’t explain to everyone smugly that it’s the 21st century, as though that means we now have to accept growth on flood plains.

  26. Moreover you don’t explain to everyone smugly that it’s the 21st century, as though that means we now have to accept growth on flood plains.

  27. Moreover you don’t explain to everyone smugly that it’s the 21st century, as though that means we now have to accept growth on flood plains.

  28. Moreover you don’t explain to everyone smugly that it’s the 21st century, as though that means we now have to accept growth on flood plains.

  29. Progressive Observer…

    The litany of accomplishments listed by Supervisor Yamada in her guest commentary, is something she should be proud of. Unfortunately nearly all pre-date her announcement to run for the state assembly. At the time of her announcement Yamada had already begun to publicly obfuscate her land use views by stating a willingness to be “open minded” to massive peripheral development all around Davis and Yolo County, something she had never done before. Her inclusion and public welcoming of big-time developers to submit their “conceptual” ideas into “study areas” for “discussion” during the general plan process is stunning. For example in recent months, Yamada has promoted the development of the Northwest Quadrant/Oeste site, the old Covell Village site and now the Tskaopoulos east Davis site. This is disturbing for these potential developments put precious agricultural land and open space in play, and for what? Campaign cash, that’s what!

    Supervisor Mariko Yamada’s views, both in public and private, used to be much more clear and consistent. But, no longer are her current pronouncements and views on the issues of “protecting agriculture, open space, and fostering a safe and sustainable environment” in keeping with her previous record. Her current views and public pronouncements are no longer clear and consistent, but instead filled with doublespeak.

    Every massive development proposal that Yamada is favorable to or outright promoting is disguised in the language of progressive social needs of our society. The 2,200 unit Northwest Quadrant/Osete site in Davis was described by her as simply a needed development for seniors, the disabled and the low income working poor. Her recent welcoming of the Tskaopoulos 2,800 acre development proposal east of Davis is described by her, as a “conceptual proposal for a stem cell research facility in Yolo County” needed by society, because after all we are in the “21st Century.” Her comments completely ignore that these proposals will contain thousands of new homes and commercial development clogging Hwy 113 and Interstate 80 with more unsustainable traffic, unaffordable costs, pollution and threats to the economic and societal well being of our community.

    Instead of working to find an appropriate location for a stem cell research facility (such as on UCD land) she is allowing the developer to promote it as an anchor or “carrot” to build a subdivision the size of a small city of 20,000 people. As noble a goal as a stem cell research center may be or a Level 4 Bio lab might have been these projects are inappropriate due to proposed location, size and the collateral effects of them on the surrounding community. The current Yamada favored projects will contribute to massive destruction of prime ag land and open space increasing our carbon imprint that contributes mightily to global warming and the killing of our planet.

    Supervisor Yamada is mimicking the developer’s PR specialists terminology by coining the I-80 Corridor as the “Innovation Corridor” and we must remember we all live in the 21st Century as if none of us understand what century we live in. What pompous nonsense is this? We have a responsibility in this century to minimize our human imprint on what remains of undeveloped land or face devastating consequences to the health of our planet and the humans who live on it.

    Frankly, this is Yamada’s clumsy attempt to promote inappropriate development proposals shrouded in doublespeak in return for seeking campaign dollars. Unfortunately for her, her efforts and timing are transparent for all to see.

  30. Progressive Observer…

    The litany of accomplishments listed by Supervisor Yamada in her guest commentary, is something she should be proud of. Unfortunately nearly all pre-date her announcement to run for the state assembly. At the time of her announcement Yamada had already begun to publicly obfuscate her land use views by stating a willingness to be “open minded” to massive peripheral development all around Davis and Yolo County, something she had never done before. Her inclusion and public welcoming of big-time developers to submit their “conceptual” ideas into “study areas” for “discussion” during the general plan process is stunning. For example in recent months, Yamada has promoted the development of the Northwest Quadrant/Oeste site, the old Covell Village site and now the Tskaopoulos east Davis site. This is disturbing for these potential developments put precious agricultural land and open space in play, and for what? Campaign cash, that’s what!

    Supervisor Mariko Yamada’s views, both in public and private, used to be much more clear and consistent. But, no longer are her current pronouncements and views on the issues of “protecting agriculture, open space, and fostering a safe and sustainable environment” in keeping with her previous record. Her current views and public pronouncements are no longer clear and consistent, but instead filled with doublespeak.

    Every massive development proposal that Yamada is favorable to or outright promoting is disguised in the language of progressive social needs of our society. The 2,200 unit Northwest Quadrant/Osete site in Davis was described by her as simply a needed development for seniors, the disabled and the low income working poor. Her recent welcoming of the Tskaopoulos 2,800 acre development proposal east of Davis is described by her, as a “conceptual proposal for a stem cell research facility in Yolo County” needed by society, because after all we are in the “21st Century.” Her comments completely ignore that these proposals will contain thousands of new homes and commercial development clogging Hwy 113 and Interstate 80 with more unsustainable traffic, unaffordable costs, pollution and threats to the economic and societal well being of our community.

    Instead of working to find an appropriate location for a stem cell research facility (such as on UCD land) she is allowing the developer to promote it as an anchor or “carrot” to build a subdivision the size of a small city of 20,000 people. As noble a goal as a stem cell research center may be or a Level 4 Bio lab might have been these projects are inappropriate due to proposed location, size and the collateral effects of them on the surrounding community. The current Yamada favored projects will contribute to massive destruction of prime ag land and open space increasing our carbon imprint that contributes mightily to global warming and the killing of our planet.

    Supervisor Yamada is mimicking the developer’s PR specialists terminology by coining the I-80 Corridor as the “Innovation Corridor” and we must remember we all live in the 21st Century as if none of us understand what century we live in. What pompous nonsense is this? We have a responsibility in this century to minimize our human imprint on what remains of undeveloped land or face devastating consequences to the health of our planet and the humans who live on it.

    Frankly, this is Yamada’s clumsy attempt to promote inappropriate development proposals shrouded in doublespeak in return for seeking campaign dollars. Unfortunately for her, her efforts and timing are transparent for all to see.

  31. Progressive Observer…

    The litany of accomplishments listed by Supervisor Yamada in her guest commentary, is something she should be proud of. Unfortunately nearly all pre-date her announcement to run for the state assembly. At the time of her announcement Yamada had already begun to publicly obfuscate her land use views by stating a willingness to be “open minded” to massive peripheral development all around Davis and Yolo County, something she had never done before. Her inclusion and public welcoming of big-time developers to submit their “conceptual” ideas into “study areas” for “discussion” during the general plan process is stunning. For example in recent months, Yamada has promoted the development of the Northwest Quadrant/Oeste site, the old Covell Village site and now the Tskaopoulos east Davis site. This is disturbing for these potential developments put precious agricultural land and open space in play, and for what? Campaign cash, that’s what!

    Supervisor Mariko Yamada’s views, both in public and private, used to be much more clear and consistent. But, no longer are her current pronouncements and views on the issues of “protecting agriculture, open space, and fostering a safe and sustainable environment” in keeping with her previous record. Her current views and public pronouncements are no longer clear and consistent, but instead filled with doublespeak.

    Every massive development proposal that Yamada is favorable to or outright promoting is disguised in the language of progressive social needs of our society. The 2,200 unit Northwest Quadrant/Osete site in Davis was described by her as simply a needed development for seniors, the disabled and the low income working poor. Her recent welcoming of the Tskaopoulos 2,800 acre development proposal east of Davis is described by her, as a “conceptual proposal for a stem cell research facility in Yolo County” needed by society, because after all we are in the “21st Century.” Her comments completely ignore that these proposals will contain thousands of new homes and commercial development clogging Hwy 113 and Interstate 80 with more unsustainable traffic, unaffordable costs, pollution and threats to the economic and societal well being of our community.

    Instead of working to find an appropriate location for a stem cell research facility (such as on UCD land) she is allowing the developer to promote it as an anchor or “carrot” to build a subdivision the size of a small city of 20,000 people. As noble a goal as a stem cell research center may be or a Level 4 Bio lab might have been these projects are inappropriate due to proposed location, size and the collateral effects of them on the surrounding community. The current Yamada favored projects will contribute to massive destruction of prime ag land and open space increasing our carbon imprint that contributes mightily to global warming and the killing of our planet.

    Supervisor Yamada is mimicking the developer’s PR specialists terminology by coining the I-80 Corridor as the “Innovation Corridor” and we must remember we all live in the 21st Century as if none of us understand what century we live in. What pompous nonsense is this? We have a responsibility in this century to minimize our human imprint on what remains of undeveloped land or face devastating consequences to the health of our planet and the humans who live on it.

    Frankly, this is Yamada’s clumsy attempt to promote inappropriate development proposals shrouded in doublespeak in return for seeking campaign dollars. Unfortunately for her, her efforts and timing are transparent for all to see.

  32. Progressive Observer…

    The litany of accomplishments listed by Supervisor Yamada in her guest commentary, is something she should be proud of. Unfortunately nearly all pre-date her announcement to run for the state assembly. At the time of her announcement Yamada had already begun to publicly obfuscate her land use views by stating a willingness to be “open minded” to massive peripheral development all around Davis and Yolo County, something she had never done before. Her inclusion and public welcoming of big-time developers to submit their “conceptual” ideas into “study areas” for “discussion” during the general plan process is stunning. For example in recent months, Yamada has promoted the development of the Northwest Quadrant/Oeste site, the old Covell Village site and now the Tskaopoulos east Davis site. This is disturbing for these potential developments put precious agricultural land and open space in play, and for what? Campaign cash, that’s what!

    Supervisor Mariko Yamada’s views, both in public and private, used to be much more clear and consistent. But, no longer are her current pronouncements and views on the issues of “protecting agriculture, open space, and fostering a safe and sustainable environment” in keeping with her previous record. Her current views and public pronouncements are no longer clear and consistent, but instead filled with doublespeak.

    Every massive development proposal that Yamada is favorable to or outright promoting is disguised in the language of progressive social needs of our society. The 2,200 unit Northwest Quadrant/Osete site in Davis was described by her as simply a needed development for seniors, the disabled and the low income working poor. Her recent welcoming of the Tskaopoulos 2,800 acre development proposal east of Davis is described by her, as a “conceptual proposal for a stem cell research facility in Yolo County” needed by society, because after all we are in the “21st Century.” Her comments completely ignore that these proposals will contain thousands of new homes and commercial development clogging Hwy 113 and Interstate 80 with more unsustainable traffic, unaffordable costs, pollution and threats to the economic and societal well being of our community.

    Instead of working to find an appropriate location for a stem cell research facility (such as on UCD land) she is allowing the developer to promote it as an anchor or “carrot” to build a subdivision the size of a small city of 20,000 people. As noble a goal as a stem cell research center may be or a Level 4 Bio lab might have been these projects are inappropriate due to proposed location, size and the collateral effects of them on the surrounding community. The current Yamada favored projects will contribute to massive destruction of prime ag land and open space increasing our carbon imprint that contributes mightily to global warming and the killing of our planet.

    Supervisor Yamada is mimicking the developer’s PR specialists terminology by coining the I-80 Corridor as the “Innovation Corridor” and we must remember we all live in the 21st Century as if none of us understand what century we live in. What pompous nonsense is this? We have a responsibility in this century to minimize our human imprint on what remains of undeveloped land or face devastating consequences to the health of our planet and the humans who live on it.

    Frankly, this is Yamada’s clumsy attempt to promote inappropriate development proposals shrouded in doublespeak in return for seeking campaign dollars. Unfortunately for her, her efforts and timing are transparent for all to see.

  33. I rely on Mariko Yamada’s solid public record and unsullied reputation for political integrity. She has referred to herself as the “accidental” Yolo Supervisor who did not come up through the ranks of the Yolo political machine with the accompanying IOU’s to Yolo “deep pocket” interests. Cabaldon IS a creation of the Yolo political machine.

  34. I rely on Mariko Yamada’s solid public record and unsullied reputation for political integrity. She has referred to herself as the “accidental” Yolo Supervisor who did not come up through the ranks of the Yolo political machine with the accompanying IOU’s to Yolo “deep pocket” interests. Cabaldon IS a creation of the Yolo political machine.

  35. I rely on Mariko Yamada’s solid public record and unsullied reputation for political integrity. She has referred to herself as the “accidental” Yolo Supervisor who did not come up through the ranks of the Yolo political machine with the accompanying IOU’s to Yolo “deep pocket” interests. Cabaldon IS a creation of the Yolo political machine.

  36. I rely on Mariko Yamada’s solid public record and unsullied reputation for political integrity. She has referred to herself as the “accidental” Yolo Supervisor who did not come up through the ranks of the Yolo political machine with the accompanying IOU’s to Yolo “deep pocket” interests. Cabaldon IS a creation of the Yolo political machine.

  37. Yamada’s claim to have been an endorser of a No vote on Measure X is disingenuous. Yamada did not publicly or privately oppose the City of Davis Measure X, as she now claims. She never spoke out against the Covell Village project at anytime prior to the election. Yamada did announce after the election that she had voted No on the measure. She and Duane Chamberlain did correct their colleague Helen Thomson’s assertion in the final days of the campaign that the BOS would bring a far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed and she deserves credit for that. Otherwise, Yamada provided no leadership on the issue when all of her colleagues, the entire Davis city council and even Assemblywoman Lois Wolk had taken a position for or against Measure X. Yamada ducked taking a stand stating this was a “city issue, not a county issue.” She stayed neutral, but now she wants credit for something she did not do.

  38. If I didn’t know any better, I would guess that Progressive Observer is none other than Councilman Saylor(Cabaldon endorser and Yolo political machine operative)..
    It certainly has his patent “long-windedness”

  39. Yamada’s claim to have been an endorser of a No vote on Measure X is disingenuous. Yamada did not publicly or privately oppose the City of Davis Measure X, as she now claims. She never spoke out against the Covell Village project at anytime prior to the election. Yamada did announce after the election that she had voted No on the measure. She and Duane Chamberlain did correct their colleague Helen Thomson’s assertion in the final days of the campaign that the BOS would bring a far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed and she deserves credit for that. Otherwise, Yamada provided no leadership on the issue when all of her colleagues, the entire Davis city council and even Assemblywoman Lois Wolk had taken a position for or against Measure X. Yamada ducked taking a stand stating this was a “city issue, not a county issue.” She stayed neutral, but now she wants credit for something she did not do.

  40. If I didn’t know any better, I would guess that Progressive Observer is none other than Councilman Saylor(Cabaldon endorser and Yolo political machine operative)..
    It certainly has his patent “long-windedness”

  41. Yamada’s claim to have been an endorser of a No vote on Measure X is disingenuous. Yamada did not publicly or privately oppose the City of Davis Measure X, as she now claims. She never spoke out against the Covell Village project at anytime prior to the election. Yamada did announce after the election that she had voted No on the measure. She and Duane Chamberlain did correct their colleague Helen Thomson’s assertion in the final days of the campaign that the BOS would bring a far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed and she deserves credit for that. Otherwise, Yamada provided no leadership on the issue when all of her colleagues, the entire Davis city council and even Assemblywoman Lois Wolk had taken a position for or against Measure X. Yamada ducked taking a stand stating this was a “city issue, not a county issue.” She stayed neutral, but now she wants credit for something she did not do.

  42. If I didn’t know any better, I would guess that Progressive Observer is none other than Councilman Saylor(Cabaldon endorser and Yolo political machine operative)..
    It certainly has his patent “long-windedness”

  43. Yamada’s claim to have been an endorser of a No vote on Measure X is disingenuous. Yamada did not publicly or privately oppose the City of Davis Measure X, as she now claims. She never spoke out against the Covell Village project at anytime prior to the election. Yamada did announce after the election that she had voted No on the measure. She and Duane Chamberlain did correct their colleague Helen Thomson’s assertion in the final days of the campaign that the BOS would bring a far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed and she deserves credit for that. Otherwise, Yamada provided no leadership on the issue when all of her colleagues, the entire Davis city council and even Assemblywoman Lois Wolk had taken a position for or against Measure X. Yamada ducked taking a stand stating this was a “city issue, not a county issue.” She stayed neutral, but now she wants credit for something she did not do.

  44. If I didn’t know any better, I would guess that Progressive Observer is none other than Councilman Saylor(Cabaldon endorser and Yolo political machine operative)..
    It certainly has his patent “long-windedness”

  45. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  46. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  47. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  48. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  49. “I think we would all be better off if we don’t “kill” a project before knowing what it entails.”

    Seriously here is what we know:

    1. Building in prime ag land
    2. Building on 100 year flood plain
    3. Building on 2800 acres
    4. Building 10,000 units
    5. Accommodating roughly 20,000 people
    6. I-80 is already overly congested

    What in the hell else do we have to know before we flush it????????????????

  50. The Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal is not about a stem cell research facility, it is about a large development of subdivisions designed to bring tens of thousands of homes to the I-80 corridor and campaign cash to town. Mariko must think very little of her constituents to think they would fall for something like this.

  51. “I think we would all be better off if we don’t “kill” a project before knowing what it entails.”

    Seriously here is what we know:

    1. Building in prime ag land
    2. Building on 100 year flood plain
    3. Building on 2800 acres
    4. Building 10,000 units
    5. Accommodating roughly 20,000 people
    6. I-80 is already overly congested

    What in the hell else do we have to know before we flush it????????????????

  52. The Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal is not about a stem cell research facility, it is about a large development of subdivisions designed to bring tens of thousands of homes to the I-80 corridor and campaign cash to town. Mariko must think very little of her constituents to think they would fall for something like this.

  53. “I think we would all be better off if we don’t “kill” a project before knowing what it entails.”

    Seriously here is what we know:

    1. Building in prime ag land
    2. Building on 100 year flood plain
    3. Building on 2800 acres
    4. Building 10,000 units
    5. Accommodating roughly 20,000 people
    6. I-80 is already overly congested

    What in the hell else do we have to know before we flush it????????????????

  54. The Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal is not about a stem cell research facility, it is about a large development of subdivisions designed to bring tens of thousands of homes to the I-80 corridor and campaign cash to town. Mariko must think very little of her constituents to think they would fall for something like this.

  55. “I think we would all be better off if we don’t “kill” a project before knowing what it entails.”

    Seriously here is what we know:

    1. Building in prime ag land
    2. Building on 100 year flood plain
    3. Building on 2800 acres
    4. Building 10,000 units
    5. Accommodating roughly 20,000 people
    6. I-80 is already overly congested

    What in the hell else do we have to know before we flush it????????????????

  56. The Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal is not about a stem cell research facility, it is about a large development of subdivisions designed to bring tens of thousands of homes to the I-80 corridor and campaign cash to town. Mariko must think very little of her constituents to think they would fall for something like this.

  57. No on X supporter.. your characterization of Yamada’s principled position that the BOS would stay out of the Measure X campaign(until Helen Thomson violated the BOS understanding) tells me that you are frighteningly misinformed or, much more likely, you are a Cabaldon supporter.

  58. No on X supporter.. your characterization of Yamada’s principled position that the BOS would stay out of the Measure X campaign(until Helen Thomson violated the BOS understanding) tells me that you are frighteningly misinformed or, much more likely, you are a Cabaldon supporter.

  59. No on X supporter.. your characterization of Yamada’s principled position that the BOS would stay out of the Measure X campaign(until Helen Thomson violated the BOS understanding) tells me that you are frighteningly misinformed or, much more likely, you are a Cabaldon supporter.

  60. No on X supporter.. your characterization of Yamada’s principled position that the BOS would stay out of the Measure X campaign(until Helen Thomson violated the BOS understanding) tells me that you are frighteningly misinformed or, much more likely, you are a Cabaldon supporter.

  61. What a bunch of malarkey from Yamada! Yamada is trying to characterize this issue as one of simply “keeping an open mind” about the concept of the “research, educational, and life-saving potential” of a research facility in the region dedicated to stem cell research. Who would oppose consideration of that? Instead, Yamada completely ignores the concern of her constituents about the location of the facility and that the facility in its proposed location (in a flood plain & on prime ag land) is nothing more than a disguise for a massive development of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, unaffordable costs and a boon to make billions for a developer known for his environmental degradation. Yamada’s “spin” and avoidance of the real concerns is pathetic and insulting

  62. What a bunch of malarkey from Yamada! Yamada is trying to characterize this issue as one of simply “keeping an open mind” about the concept of the “research, educational, and life-saving potential” of a research facility in the region dedicated to stem cell research. Who would oppose consideration of that? Instead, Yamada completely ignores the concern of her constituents about the location of the facility and that the facility in its proposed location (in a flood plain & on prime ag land) is nothing more than a disguise for a massive development of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, unaffordable costs and a boon to make billions for a developer known for his environmental degradation. Yamada’s “spin” and avoidance of the real concerns is pathetic and insulting

  63. What a bunch of malarkey from Yamada! Yamada is trying to characterize this issue as one of simply “keeping an open mind” about the concept of the “research, educational, and life-saving potential” of a research facility in the region dedicated to stem cell research. Who would oppose consideration of that? Instead, Yamada completely ignores the concern of her constituents about the location of the facility and that the facility in its proposed location (in a flood plain & on prime ag land) is nothing more than a disguise for a massive development of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, unaffordable costs and a boon to make billions for a developer known for his environmental degradation. Yamada’s “spin” and avoidance of the real concerns is pathetic and insulting

  64. What a bunch of malarkey from Yamada! Yamada is trying to characterize this issue as one of simply “keeping an open mind” about the concept of the “research, educational, and life-saving potential” of a research facility in the region dedicated to stem cell research. Who would oppose consideration of that? Instead, Yamada completely ignores the concern of her constituents about the location of the facility and that the facility in its proposed location (in a flood plain & on prime ag land) is nothing more than a disguise for a massive development of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, unaffordable costs and a boon to make billions for a developer known for his environmental degradation. Yamada’s “spin” and avoidance of the real concerns is pathetic and insulting

  65. Every other elected public servant, in Davis took a public position on Measure X, yes or no. Yamada in spite of her sanctimonious self-proclaimed “deliberative style” of decision-making decided after having all the facts and hearing from all sides on the measure, not to take a stand on a fundamental issue concerning our community. You’re right Progressive Observer she “ducked” the issue.

  66. Every other elected public servant, in Davis took a public position on Measure X, yes or no. Yamada in spite of her sanctimonious self-proclaimed “deliberative style” of decision-making decided after having all the facts and hearing from all sides on the measure, not to take a stand on a fundamental issue concerning our community. You’re right Progressive Observer she “ducked” the issue.

  67. Every other elected public servant, in Davis took a public position on Measure X, yes or no. Yamada in spite of her sanctimonious self-proclaimed “deliberative style” of decision-making decided after having all the facts and hearing from all sides on the measure, not to take a stand on a fundamental issue concerning our community. You’re right Progressive Observer she “ducked” the issue.

  68. Every other elected public servant, in Davis took a public position on Measure X, yes or no. Yamada in spite of her sanctimonious self-proclaimed “deliberative style” of decision-making decided after having all the facts and hearing from all sides on the measure, not to take a stand on a fundamental issue concerning our community. You’re right Progressive Observer she “ducked” the issue.

  69. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  70. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  71. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  72. Indeed, in her quest for campaign cash to fund her assembly campaign she has begun to talk the language of doublespeak. Yamada’s willingness to trade public championing of a horrible development for campaign dollars does not bode well for the citizens of Davis, Yolo County or the assembly district she seeks to represent.

  73. Is Mariko Yamada deliberately trying to confuse people?

    Last week, in both the Sacramento Bee and the Davis Enterprise, Mariko Yamada stated that new proposed development projects such as the Angelo Tskaopoulos proposal are “a part of the new direction the county is going in.” That sounds like she has made up her mind or is at least favorably leaning in the direction of huge development projects for Yolo County and Davis.

    But in her commentary today, Yamada says: “Consistent with my deliberative style, I do not make a decision on an issue until I have all the facts before me and have taken input from all sides.” Which is it Mariko? Have you made up your mind or not? Is the county not going in the direction you suggested last week or are you still deliberating?

    Yamada’s quoted comments in the papers and her commentary are filled with confusion and mixed messages. Supervisor Yamada, please aspire to be a “straight shooter” and stop confusing and dodging the issues at hand.

  74. Is Mariko Yamada deliberately trying to confuse people?

    Last week, in both the Sacramento Bee and the Davis Enterprise, Mariko Yamada stated that new proposed development projects such as the Angelo Tskaopoulos proposal are “a part of the new direction the county is going in.” That sounds like she has made up her mind or is at least favorably leaning in the direction of huge development projects for Yolo County and Davis.

    But in her commentary today, Yamada says: “Consistent with my deliberative style, I do not make a decision on an issue until I have all the facts before me and have taken input from all sides.” Which is it Mariko? Have you made up your mind or not? Is the county not going in the direction you suggested last week or are you still deliberating?

    Yamada’s quoted comments in the papers and her commentary are filled with confusion and mixed messages. Supervisor Yamada, please aspire to be a “straight shooter” and stop confusing and dodging the issues at hand.

  75. Is Mariko Yamada deliberately trying to confuse people?

    Last week, in both the Sacramento Bee and the Davis Enterprise, Mariko Yamada stated that new proposed development projects such as the Angelo Tskaopoulos proposal are “a part of the new direction the county is going in.” That sounds like she has made up her mind or is at least favorably leaning in the direction of huge development projects for Yolo County and Davis.

    But in her commentary today, Yamada says: “Consistent with my deliberative style, I do not make a decision on an issue until I have all the facts before me and have taken input from all sides.” Which is it Mariko? Have you made up your mind or not? Is the county not going in the direction you suggested last week or are you still deliberating?

    Yamada’s quoted comments in the papers and her commentary are filled with confusion and mixed messages. Supervisor Yamada, please aspire to be a “straight shooter” and stop confusing and dodging the issues at hand.

  76. Is Mariko Yamada deliberately trying to confuse people?

    Last week, in both the Sacramento Bee and the Davis Enterprise, Mariko Yamada stated that new proposed development projects such as the Angelo Tskaopoulos proposal are “a part of the new direction the county is going in.” That sounds like she has made up her mind or is at least favorably leaning in the direction of huge development projects for Yolo County and Davis.

    But in her commentary today, Yamada says: “Consistent with my deliberative style, I do not make a decision on an issue until I have all the facts before me and have taken input from all sides.” Which is it Mariko? Have you made up your mind or not? Is the county not going in the direction you suggested last week or are you still deliberating?

    Yamada’s quoted comments in the papers and her commentary are filled with confusion and mixed messages. Supervisor Yamada, please aspire to be a “straight shooter” and stop confusing and dodging the issues at hand.

  77. The stem cell research is just a ruse as many people have pointed out and I reject the proposal in its entirety. However, people keep saying it is to be built in a flood plain. What flood plain? I don’t know exactly where the 2800 acres are but surely west of the causeway and east of the DYSL soccer fields. There hasn’t been a flood there for as long as I can remember. Is all of old South Davis and El Macero in this same 100 year flood plain?

    There are those that say this should have been rejected before the constituents even heard about it. That’s nonsense. I want my representatives to “think” and then make the right decision, not in a robotic manner. I wonder how those same people respond when elected officials dismiss something out of hand when they are in favor of it?

  78. The stem cell research is just a ruse as many people have pointed out and I reject the proposal in its entirety. However, people keep saying it is to be built in a flood plain. What flood plain? I don’t know exactly where the 2800 acres are but surely west of the causeway and east of the DYSL soccer fields. There hasn’t been a flood there for as long as I can remember. Is all of old South Davis and El Macero in this same 100 year flood plain?

    There are those that say this should have been rejected before the constituents even heard about it. That’s nonsense. I want my representatives to “think” and then make the right decision, not in a robotic manner. I wonder how those same people respond when elected officials dismiss something out of hand when they are in favor of it?

  79. The stem cell research is just a ruse as many people have pointed out and I reject the proposal in its entirety. However, people keep saying it is to be built in a flood plain. What flood plain? I don’t know exactly where the 2800 acres are but surely west of the causeway and east of the DYSL soccer fields. There hasn’t been a flood there for as long as I can remember. Is all of old South Davis and El Macero in this same 100 year flood plain?

    There are those that say this should have been rejected before the constituents even heard about it. That’s nonsense. I want my representatives to “think” and then make the right decision, not in a robotic manner. I wonder how those same people respond when elected officials dismiss something out of hand when they are in favor of it?

  80. The stem cell research is just a ruse as many people have pointed out and I reject the proposal in its entirety. However, people keep saying it is to be built in a flood plain. What flood plain? I don’t know exactly where the 2800 acres are but surely west of the causeway and east of the DYSL soccer fields. There hasn’t been a flood there for as long as I can remember. Is all of old South Davis and El Macero in this same 100 year flood plain?

    There are those that say this should have been rejected before the constituents even heard about it. That’s nonsense. I want my representatives to “think” and then make the right decision, not in a robotic manner. I wonder how those same people respond when elected officials dismiss something out of hand when they are in favor of it?

  89. Yamada in her commentary today takes credit for being a leader on a number of land use issues including Measure X. She offers this as evidence of her leadership, but it is not true. At no time during the Covell Village campaign did she publicly say she was voting NO or opposed to Measure X. It was only after the election that she revealed how she voted. That is not leadership

  90. Yamada in her commentary today takes credit for being a leader on a number of land use issues including Measure X. She offers this as evidence of her leadership, but it is not true. At no time during the Covell Village campaign did she publicly say she was voting NO or opposed to Measure X. It was only after the election that she revealed how she voted. That is not leadership

  91. Yamada in her commentary today takes credit for being a leader on a number of land use issues including Measure X. She offers this as evidence of her leadership, but it is not true. At no time during the Covell Village campaign did she publicly say she was voting NO or opposed to Measure X. It was only after the election that she revealed how she voted. That is not leadership

  92. Yamada in her commentary today takes credit for being a leader on a number of land use issues including Measure X. She offers this as evidence of her leadership, but it is not true. At no time during the Covell Village campaign did she publicly say she was voting NO or opposed to Measure X. It was only after the election that she revealed how she voted. That is not leadership

  93. Yolo County’s elected officials including our own supervisor Mariko Yamada should reject Tsakopolous’ efforts to link any research center to the approval of residential development on Yolo County’s prime agricultural land.

  94. Yolo County’s elected officials including our own supervisor Mariko Yamada should reject Tsakopolous’ efforts to link any research center to the approval of residential development on Yolo County’s prime agricultural land.

  95. Yolo County’s elected officials including our own supervisor Mariko Yamada should reject Tsakopolous’ efforts to link any research center to the approval of residential development on Yolo County’s prime agricultural land.

  96. Yolo County’s elected officials including our own supervisor Mariko Yamada should reject Tsakopolous’ efforts to link any research center to the approval of residential development on Yolo County’s prime agricultural land.

  97. “Conaway Ranch Eminent Domain – YES”

    As readers of my column know, the eminent domain action that Yolo County attempted on the Conaway Ranch was a huge mistake and ultimately will cost the taxpayers about $600,000 in legal fees. (The owners of the ranch are paying off the county’s $2.4 million legal bill, but not in real dollars.)

    Would eminent domain have really protected Conaway Ranch from development? Absolutely not.

    What does protect that land from development? Zoning restrictions.

    Are the zoning restrictions in place now? Yes. And they were before eminent domain ever was considered.

    Could Yolo County strengthen the zoning restrictions by requiring a super-majority vote of the supervisors (or a Measure J-like vote of the people) in order to convert rural ag land into development uses? Yes. However, Yamada and her Democratic colleagues have strongly opposed such protections. The two Republicans on the Board, by contrast, have strongly supported my measure to do just that.

    Didn’t the County win the argument with Conaway Ranch in the end of the day by its settlement agreement, getting assurances that water would not be sold off site? Absolutely not. The agreement really gave the county almost nothing. No water off of Conaway has been sold in 17 years; and it is still unlikely that water will be sold. If there is excess, it will be sold locally, anyhow, as water is very expensive to transport. So the whole argument about sending that water to So Cal was a ruse in the first place.

    What would have happened if the county had gone ahead and taken over Conaway Ranch, as Supervisor Yamada really wanted to do? The County would have had to come up with more than $100 million — perhaps 3 times that amount, given the court decision on water — and would have probably had to float a huge bond to pay for it. They then would have had to cut services across the board in order to cover the monthly costs of their new bond debt. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the operating losses of the ranch. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the loss of property tax money.

    This is what Supervisor Yamada is proud of? I don’t get it. I’ve spoken with her and with most of her colleagues about this issue and it never made one whit of sense. This whole stupid idea simply was a way to make the lawyers who represented the county very wealthy, paying them hundreds of dollars per hour in legal fees. In less than two years, they charged the county $2.4 million dollars!!! That is absolute theft, in my opinion.

    In the end, I believe, had the county done this stupide eminent domain, the county would have had to change the zoning restrictions which are now in place, permitting development along I-5; and then the county would have sold off that land at a huge premium, in order to cut its losses. So eminent domain should be seen for what it was — an attempt to actually develop a part of the Conaway Ranch.

    I think it’s unfortunate that Supervisor Yamada believes that the people are so ignorant about Conaway as to conclude that her actions on that lawsuit, along with the Board majority, were anything but a huge mistake.

    What I would still like to know is this: where is our county going to get back its $600,000 the supervisors threw away? At $20 per book, that is the equivalent of burning 30,000 books.

  98. “Conaway Ranch Eminent Domain – YES”

    As readers of my column know, the eminent domain action that Yolo County attempted on the Conaway Ranch was a huge mistake and ultimately will cost the taxpayers about $600,000 in legal fees. (The owners of the ranch are paying off the county’s $2.4 million legal bill, but not in real dollars.)

    Would eminent domain have really protected Conaway Ranch from development? Absolutely not.

    What does protect that land from development? Zoning restrictions.

    Are the zoning restrictions in place now? Yes. And they were before eminent domain ever was considered.

    Could Yolo County strengthen the zoning restrictions by requiring a super-majority vote of the supervisors (or a Measure J-like vote of the people) in order to convert rural ag land into development uses? Yes. However, Yamada and her Democratic colleagues have strongly opposed such protections. The two Republicans on the Board, by contrast, have strongly supported my measure to do just that.

    Didn’t the County win the argument with Conaway Ranch in the end of the day by its settlement agreement, getting assurances that water would not be sold off site? Absolutely not. The agreement really gave the county almost nothing. No water off of Conaway has been sold in 17 years; and it is still unlikely that water will be sold. If there is excess, it will be sold locally, anyhow, as water is very expensive to transport. So the whole argument about sending that water to So Cal was a ruse in the first place.

    What would have happened if the county had gone ahead and taken over Conaway Ranch, as Supervisor Yamada really wanted to do? The County would have had to come up with more than $100 million — perhaps 3 times that amount, given the court decision on water — and would have probably had to float a huge bond to pay for it. They then would have had to cut services across the board in order to cover the monthly costs of their new bond debt. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the operating losses of the ranch. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the loss of property tax money.

    This is what Supervisor Yamada is proud of? I don’t get it. I’ve spoken with her and with most of her colleagues about this issue and it never made one whit of sense. This whole stupid idea simply was a way to make the lawyers who represented the county very wealthy, paying them hundreds of dollars per hour in legal fees. In less than two years, they charged the county $2.4 million dollars!!! That is absolute theft, in my opinion.

    In the end, I believe, had the county done this stupide eminent domain, the county would have had to change the zoning restrictions which are now in place, permitting development along I-5; and then the county would have sold off that land at a huge premium, in order to cut its losses. So eminent domain should be seen for what it was — an attempt to actually develop a part of the Conaway Ranch.

    I think it’s unfortunate that Supervisor Yamada believes that the people are so ignorant about Conaway as to conclude that her actions on that lawsuit, along with the Board majority, were anything but a huge mistake.

    What I would still like to know is this: where is our county going to get back its $600,000 the supervisors threw away? At $20 per book, that is the equivalent of burning 30,000 books.

  99. “Conaway Ranch Eminent Domain – YES”

    As readers of my column know, the eminent domain action that Yolo County attempted on the Conaway Ranch was a huge mistake and ultimately will cost the taxpayers about $600,000 in legal fees. (The owners of the ranch are paying off the county’s $2.4 million legal bill, but not in real dollars.)

    Would eminent domain have really protected Conaway Ranch from development? Absolutely not.

    What does protect that land from development? Zoning restrictions.

    Are the zoning restrictions in place now? Yes. And they were before eminent domain ever was considered.

    Could Yolo County strengthen the zoning restrictions by requiring a super-majority vote of the supervisors (or a Measure J-like vote of the people) in order to convert rural ag land into development uses? Yes. However, Yamada and her Democratic colleagues have strongly opposed such protections. The two Republicans on the Board, by contrast, have strongly supported my measure to do just that.

    Didn’t the County win the argument with Conaway Ranch in the end of the day by its settlement agreement, getting assurances that water would not be sold off site? Absolutely not. The agreement really gave the county almost nothing. No water off of Conaway has been sold in 17 years; and it is still unlikely that water will be sold. If there is excess, it will be sold locally, anyhow, as water is very expensive to transport. So the whole argument about sending that water to So Cal was a ruse in the first place.

    What would have happened if the county had gone ahead and taken over Conaway Ranch, as Supervisor Yamada really wanted to do? The County would have had to come up with more than $100 million — perhaps 3 times that amount, given the court decision on water — and would have probably had to float a huge bond to pay for it. They then would have had to cut services across the board in order to cover the monthly costs of their new bond debt. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the operating losses of the ranch. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the loss of property tax money.

    This is what Supervisor Yamada is proud of? I don’t get it. I’ve spoken with her and with most of her colleagues about this issue and it never made one whit of sense. This whole stupid idea simply was a way to make the lawyers who represented the county very wealthy, paying them hundreds of dollars per hour in legal fees. In less than two years, they charged the county $2.4 million dollars!!! That is absolute theft, in my opinion.

    In the end, I believe, had the county done this stupide eminent domain, the county would have had to change the zoning restrictions which are now in place, permitting development along I-5; and then the county would have sold off that land at a huge premium, in order to cut its losses. So eminent domain should be seen for what it was — an attempt to actually develop a part of the Conaway Ranch.

    I think it’s unfortunate that Supervisor Yamada believes that the people are so ignorant about Conaway as to conclude that her actions on that lawsuit, along with the Board majority, were anything but a huge mistake.

    What I would still like to know is this: where is our county going to get back its $600,000 the supervisors threw away? At $20 per book, that is the equivalent of burning 30,000 books.

  100. “Conaway Ranch Eminent Domain – YES”

    As readers of my column know, the eminent domain action that Yolo County attempted on the Conaway Ranch was a huge mistake and ultimately will cost the taxpayers about $600,000 in legal fees. (The owners of the ranch are paying off the county’s $2.4 million legal bill, but not in real dollars.)

    Would eminent domain have really protected Conaway Ranch from development? Absolutely not.

    What does protect that land from development? Zoning restrictions.

    Are the zoning restrictions in place now? Yes. And they were before eminent domain ever was considered.

    Could Yolo County strengthen the zoning restrictions by requiring a super-majority vote of the supervisors (or a Measure J-like vote of the people) in order to convert rural ag land into development uses? Yes. However, Yamada and her Democratic colleagues have strongly opposed such protections. The two Republicans on the Board, by contrast, have strongly supported my measure to do just that.

    Didn’t the County win the argument with Conaway Ranch in the end of the day by its settlement agreement, getting assurances that water would not be sold off site? Absolutely not. The agreement really gave the county almost nothing. No water off of Conaway has been sold in 17 years; and it is still unlikely that water will be sold. If there is excess, it will be sold locally, anyhow, as water is very expensive to transport. So the whole argument about sending that water to So Cal was a ruse in the first place.

    What would have happened if the county had gone ahead and taken over Conaway Ranch, as Supervisor Yamada really wanted to do? The County would have had to come up with more than $100 million — perhaps 3 times that amount, given the court decision on water — and would have probably had to float a huge bond to pay for it. They then would have had to cut services across the board in order to cover the monthly costs of their new bond debt. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the operating losses of the ranch. And they would have had to cut more services in order to cover the loss of property tax money.

    This is what Supervisor Yamada is proud of? I don’t get it. I’ve spoken with her and with most of her colleagues about this issue and it never made one whit of sense. This whole stupid idea simply was a way to make the lawyers who represented the county very wealthy, paying them hundreds of dollars per hour in legal fees. In less than two years, they charged the county $2.4 million dollars!!! That is absolute theft, in my opinion.

    In the end, I believe, had the county done this stupide eminent domain, the county would have had to change the zoning restrictions which are now in place, permitting development along I-5; and then the county would have sold off that land at a huge premium, in order to cut its losses. So eminent domain should be seen for what it was — an attempt to actually develop a part of the Conaway Ranch.

    I think it’s unfortunate that Supervisor Yamada believes that the people are so ignorant about Conaway as to conclude that her actions on that lawsuit, along with the Board majority, were anything but a huge mistake.

    What I would still like to know is this: where is our county going to get back its $600,000 the supervisors threw away? At $20 per book, that is the equivalent of burning 30,000 books.

  101. Anyone who was at the Sat. Farmer’s Market before the Measure X election, saw Mariko there with the NO on X camapaign and knew EXACTLY where she stood. She should be praised, not attacked, for following the unanimous agreement of the BOS members to stay out of the Measure X campaign and only became public after Helene Thomson violated this BOS agreement.
    Any active NO on X supporter knew this and so I must conclude that the moniker NO on X supporter for his/her Yamada attack posting is another Cabaldon campaign subterfuge.

  102. Thank you but I know the definition of the term. My question is whether the same standard should have been held to the houses built in the last 5-10 years east of old South Davis such as the $700K to $1M+ Warmington sub-division and surroundings?. They can’t be any less protected from flood.

    Again, I am totally against this proposal, if it really is a proposal, but I don’t think the flood plain issue is the issue. It’s a stupid idea for many other reasons.

  103. Anyone who was at the Sat. Farmer’s Market before the Measure X election, saw Mariko there with the NO on X camapaign and knew EXACTLY where she stood. She should be praised, not attacked, for following the unanimous agreement of the BOS members to stay out of the Measure X campaign and only became public after Helene Thomson violated this BOS agreement.
    Any active NO on X supporter knew this and so I must conclude that the moniker NO on X supporter for his/her Yamada attack posting is another Cabaldon campaign subterfuge.

  104. Thank you but I know the definition of the term. My question is whether the same standard should have been held to the houses built in the last 5-10 years east of old South Davis such as the $700K to $1M+ Warmington sub-division and surroundings?. They can’t be any less protected from flood.

    Again, I am totally against this proposal, if it really is a proposal, but I don’t think the flood plain issue is the issue. It’s a stupid idea for many other reasons.

  105. Anyone who was at the Sat. Farmer’s Market before the Measure X election, saw Mariko there with the NO on X camapaign and knew EXACTLY where she stood. She should be praised, not attacked, for following the unanimous agreement of the BOS members to stay out of the Measure X campaign and only became public after Helene Thomson violated this BOS agreement.
    Any active NO on X supporter knew this and so I must conclude that the moniker NO on X supporter for his/her Yamada attack posting is another Cabaldon campaign subterfuge.

  106. Thank you but I know the definition of the term. My question is whether the same standard should have been held to the houses built in the last 5-10 years east of old South Davis such as the $700K to $1M+ Warmington sub-division and surroundings?. They can’t be any less protected from flood.

    Again, I am totally against this proposal, if it really is a proposal, but I don’t think the flood plain issue is the issue. It’s a stupid idea for many other reasons.

  107. Anyone who was at the Sat. Farmer’s Market before the Measure X election, saw Mariko there with the NO on X camapaign and knew EXACTLY where she stood. She should be praised, not attacked, for following the unanimous agreement of the BOS members to stay out of the Measure X campaign and only became public after Helene Thomson violated this BOS agreement.
    Any active NO on X supporter knew this and so I must conclude that the moniker NO on X supporter for his/her Yamada attack posting is another Cabaldon campaign subterfuge.

  108. Thank you but I know the definition of the term. My question is whether the same standard should have been held to the houses built in the last 5-10 years east of old South Davis such as the $700K to $1M+ Warmington sub-division and surroundings?. They can’t be any less protected from flood.

    Again, I am totally against this proposal, if it really is a proposal, but I don’t think the flood plain issue is the issue. It’s a stupid idea for many other reasons.

  109. davisite said…
    Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?
    8:03 AM

    Good questions. Both candidates for supervisor need to answer those questions as does the current supervisor Mariko Yamada. Yamada has in fact cast doubt on current Pass-Through agreements stating “they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore” and is promoting the “joint-study concept” for future development. Yamada owes her constituents clear, unambiguous answers to your questions too.

  110. davisite said…
    Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?
    8:03 AM

    Good questions. Both candidates for supervisor need to answer those questions as does the current supervisor Mariko Yamada. Yamada has in fact cast doubt on current Pass-Through agreements stating “they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore” and is promoting the “joint-study concept” for future development. Yamada owes her constituents clear, unambiguous answers to your questions too.

  111. davisite said…
    Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?
    8:03 AM

    Good questions. Both candidates for supervisor need to answer those questions as does the current supervisor Mariko Yamada. Yamada has in fact cast doubt on current Pass-Through agreements stating “they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore” and is promoting the “joint-study concept” for future development. Yamada owes her constituents clear, unambiguous answers to your questions too.

  112. davisite said…
    Provenza and Ferrera: Where do they stand on fully protecting Davis’ current Pass-Through agreement? What IS the joint-study concept? Is it really just “discussions” with no joint decision-making?
    8:03 AM

    Good questions. Both candidates for supervisor need to answer those questions as does the current supervisor Mariko Yamada. Yamada has in fact cast doubt on current Pass-Through agreements stating “they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore” and is promoting the “joint-study concept” for future development. Yamada owes her constituents clear, unambiguous answers to your questions too.

  113. Darnell:

    It was not my intention to insult your intelligence, I just hope we have learned a bit more about flooding post-Katrina and are more reluctant to build in flood plains.

  114. Darnell:

    It was not my intention to insult your intelligence, I just hope we have learned a bit more about flooding post-Katrina and are more reluctant to build in flood plains.

  115. Darnell:

    It was not my intention to insult your intelligence, I just hope we have learned a bit more about flooding post-Katrina and are more reluctant to build in flood plains.

  116. Darnell:

    It was not my intention to insult your intelligence, I just hope we have learned a bit more about flooding post-Katrina and are more reluctant to build in flood plains.

  117. Rifkin,

    Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue, taking the developer’s and their PR flack, Tovey Weisel-tanner’s, talking points.

    Look at the court transcripts, where Gidaro saw the ranch as a series of assets to be sold, who saw the eminent domain action as a way to swoop in to acquire the ranch at a discount and then extort the County, and who held aww-shucks I’m-just-developing-to-put-my-kids-through-school photo-ops with the Davis Enterprise, who held ‘the-eatin’-makes-the-meetin’ tri-tip BBQ’s to try to sway public opinion, all in a bid to get super-rich as a result of the County trying to preserve the ranch as it was sold under bankruptcy.

    Just don’t….but you will. because it’s what you do.

  118. Rifkin,

    Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue, taking the developer’s and their PR flack, Tovey Weisel-tanner’s, talking points.

    Look at the court transcripts, where Gidaro saw the ranch as a series of assets to be sold, who saw the eminent domain action as a way to swoop in to acquire the ranch at a discount and then extort the County, and who held aww-shucks I’m-just-developing-to-put-my-kids-through-school photo-ops with the Davis Enterprise, who held ‘the-eatin’-makes-the-meetin’ tri-tip BBQ’s to try to sway public opinion, all in a bid to get super-rich as a result of the County trying to preserve the ranch as it was sold under bankruptcy.

    Just don’t….but you will. because it’s what you do.

  119. Rifkin,

    Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue, taking the developer’s and their PR flack, Tovey Weisel-tanner’s, talking points.

    Look at the court transcripts, where Gidaro saw the ranch as a series of assets to be sold, who saw the eminent domain action as a way to swoop in to acquire the ranch at a discount and then extort the County, and who held aww-shucks I’m-just-developing-to-put-my-kids-through-school photo-ops with the Davis Enterprise, who held ‘the-eatin’-makes-the-meetin’ tri-tip BBQ’s to try to sway public opinion, all in a bid to get super-rich as a result of the County trying to preserve the ranch as it was sold under bankruptcy.

    Just don’t….but you will. because it’s what you do.

  120. Rifkin,

    Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue, taking the developer’s and their PR flack, Tovey Weisel-tanner’s, talking points.

    Look at the court transcripts, where Gidaro saw the ranch as a series of assets to be sold, who saw the eminent domain action as a way to swoop in to acquire the ranch at a discount and then extort the County, and who held aww-shucks I’m-just-developing-to-put-my-kids-through-school photo-ops with the Davis Enterprise, who held ‘the-eatin’-makes-the-meetin’ tri-tip BBQ’s to try to sway public opinion, all in a bid to get super-rich as a result of the County trying to preserve the ranch as it was sold under bankruptcy.

    Just don’t….but you will. because it’s what you do.

  121. “…“they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore””

    This statement of Yamada about the Pass-Through agreement may be entirely true, i.e., it may not be optimal from the County’s perspective. If Measure J remains strong, the ability of Davis to reject annexation of a County development project may still make the Pass-Through agreement the best cash flow(although not ideal) stream into the County coffers with regard to development on Davis’ periphery.

  122. “…“they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore””

    This statement of Yamada about the Pass-Through agreement may be entirely true, i.e., it may not be optimal from the County’s perspective. If Measure J remains strong, the ability of Davis to reject annexation of a County development project may still make the Pass-Through agreement the best cash flow(although not ideal) stream into the County coffers with regard to development on Davis’ periphery.

  123. “…“they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore””

    This statement of Yamada about the Pass-Through agreement may be entirely true, i.e., it may not be optimal from the County’s perspective. If Measure J remains strong, the ability of Davis to reject annexation of a County development project may still make the Pass-Through agreement the best cash flow(although not ideal) stream into the County coffers with regard to development on Davis’ periphery.

  124. “…“they don’t pencil out” and “they don’t work for the county anymore””

    This statement of Yamada about the Pass-Through agreement may be entirely true, i.e., it may not be optimal from the County’s perspective. If Measure J remains strong, the ability of Davis to reject annexation of a County development project may still make the Pass-Through agreement the best cash flow(although not ideal) stream into the County coffers with regard to development on Davis’ periphery.

  125. OK, so now the stem cell research center is being refered to as the “Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal” (see Lets be clear posting).

    Be careful, people. This isn’t her proposal. This issue is ripe for opposition candidates to use to discredit her. Remember the ads run by the Covell Village campaign that called Mike Harrington and Stan Forbes were the “Gidaro candidates”? The source of this was Steve Souza and Kevin Wolf who were campaigning heavily for Covell Village. Did anyone learn anything from that? From what I see here, people have forgotten. Boogyman campaigning seems alive and well in this County and I have suspicions that this will be a tactic used against Mariko this election.

  126. OK, so now the stem cell research center is being refered to as the “Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal” (see Lets be clear posting).

    Be careful, people. This isn’t her proposal. This issue is ripe for opposition candidates to use to discredit her. Remember the ads run by the Covell Village campaign that called Mike Harrington and Stan Forbes were the “Gidaro candidates”? The source of this was Steve Souza and Kevin Wolf who were campaigning heavily for Covell Village. Did anyone learn anything from that? From what I see here, people have forgotten. Boogyman campaigning seems alive and well in this County and I have suspicions that this will be a tactic used against Mariko this election.

  127. OK, so now the stem cell research center is being refered to as the “Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal” (see Lets be clear posting).

    Be careful, people. This isn’t her proposal. This issue is ripe for opposition candidates to use to discredit her. Remember the ads run by the Covell Village campaign that called Mike Harrington and Stan Forbes were the “Gidaro candidates”? The source of this was Steve Souza and Kevin Wolf who were campaigning heavily for Covell Village. Did anyone learn anything from that? From what I see here, people have forgotten. Boogyman campaigning seems alive and well in this County and I have suspicions that this will be a tactic used against Mariko this election.

  128. OK, so now the stem cell research center is being refered to as the “Tskaopoulos/Yamada proposal” (see Lets be clear posting).

    Be careful, people. This isn’t her proposal. This issue is ripe for opposition candidates to use to discredit her. Remember the ads run by the Covell Village campaign that called Mike Harrington and Stan Forbes were the “Gidaro candidates”? The source of this was Steve Souza and Kevin Wolf who were campaigning heavily for Covell Village. Did anyone learn anything from that? From what I see here, people have forgotten. Boogyman campaigning seems alive and well in this County and I have suspicions that this will be a tactic used against Mariko this election.

  129. Thanks, Mariko, for taking the time to write here. I commend you for defending your record and explaining your position.

    Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.

  130. Thanks, Mariko, for taking the time to write here. I commend you for defending your record and explaining your position.

    Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.

  131. Thanks, Mariko, for taking the time to write here. I commend you for defending your record and explaining your position.

    Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.

  132. Thanks, Mariko, for taking the time to write here. I commend you for defending your record and explaining your position.

    Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.

  141. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    I appreciate Mariko’s comments and her time as well but your remarks implicates everyone by implicating no one. I didn’t realize you were manners police and I think Mariko can fend for herself if need be. She knew there would be people on both extremes of this before posting (or had DPD post on her behalf).

  142. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    I appreciate Mariko’s comments and her time as well but your remarks implicates everyone by implicating no one. I didn’t realize you were manners police and I think Mariko can fend for herself if need be. She knew there would be people on both extremes of this before posting (or had DPD post on her behalf).

  143. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    I appreciate Mariko’s comments and her time as well but your remarks implicates everyone by implicating no one. I didn’t realize you were manners police and I think Mariko can fend for herself if need be. She knew there would be people on both extremes of this before posting (or had DPD post on her behalf).

  144. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    I appreciate Mariko’s comments and her time as well but your remarks implicates everyone by implicating no one. I didn’t realize you were manners police and I think Mariko can fend for herself if need be. She knew there would be people on both extremes of this before posting (or had DPD post on her behalf).

  145. I’m certainly never going to support Cabaldon, though I do believe Mariko has taken on a series of poor decisions that will harm the progressive cause.

  146. I’m certainly never going to support Cabaldon, though I do believe Mariko has taken on a series of poor decisions that will harm the progressive cause.

  147. I’m certainly never going to support Cabaldon, though I do believe Mariko has taken on a series of poor decisions that will harm the progressive cause.

  148. I’m certainly never going to support Cabaldon, though I do believe Mariko has taken on a series of poor decisions that will harm the progressive cause.

  149. Burt said…

    Definitions of progressive on the Web:
    • liberal: a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

    Definitions of regressive on the Web:
    • Opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state

  150. Burt said…

    Definitions of progressive on the Web:
    • liberal: a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

    Definitions of regressive on the Web:
    • Opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state

  151. Burt said…

    Definitions of progressive on the Web:
    • liberal: a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

    Definitions of regressive on the Web:
    • Opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state

  152. Burt said…

    Definitions of progressive on the Web:
    • liberal: a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

    Definitions of regressive on the Web:
    • Opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state

  153. Davisite…your willingness to embellish Mariko Yamada’s record on Measure X is noteworthy, but you are not accurate.

    Yamada at no time lent her name as an endorser or supporter of the No on Measure X campaign. She never appeared in any No on X campaign literature, endorsement lists, campaign ads or events or news stories opposing Measure X and advocating a No vote.

    As I originally stated, in the final days of the campaign she along with Duane Chamberlain admirably opposed Helen Thomson’s “boogyman” assertion that the BOS would bring far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed. But that was all she did.

    She was not a leader or supporter of a No vote on Measure X. She did come to the Farmer’s Market No on X table on the final weekend before the election but not as a supporter of our efforts, but as a protester of Helen Thomson’s misleading politics. That is to be applauded too, but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.

    My objection to Yamada today taking credit for a NO position on Measure X is that she never took that position prior to the election, yet you now wish to claim her last minute effort against Helen Thomson’s misleading letter gives her the right to say she did. It would have been more honest had she taken credit for what she actually did and not mislead people in today’s commentary.

  154. Davisite…your willingness to embellish Mariko Yamada’s record on Measure X is noteworthy, but you are not accurate.

    Yamada at no time lent her name as an endorser or supporter of the No on Measure X campaign. She never appeared in any No on X campaign literature, endorsement lists, campaign ads or events or news stories opposing Measure X and advocating a No vote.

    As I originally stated, in the final days of the campaign she along with Duane Chamberlain admirably opposed Helen Thomson’s “boogyman” assertion that the BOS would bring far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed. But that was all she did.

    She was not a leader or supporter of a No vote on Measure X. She did come to the Farmer’s Market No on X table on the final weekend before the election but not as a supporter of our efforts, but as a protester of Helen Thomson’s misleading politics. That is to be applauded too, but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.

    My objection to Yamada today taking credit for a NO position on Measure X is that she never took that position prior to the election, yet you now wish to claim her last minute effort against Helen Thomson’s misleading letter gives her the right to say she did. It would have been more honest had she taken credit for what she actually did and not mislead people in today’s commentary.

  155. Davisite…your willingness to embellish Mariko Yamada’s record on Measure X is noteworthy, but you are not accurate.

    Yamada at no time lent her name as an endorser or supporter of the No on Measure X campaign. She never appeared in any No on X campaign literature, endorsement lists, campaign ads or events or news stories opposing Measure X and advocating a No vote.

    As I originally stated, in the final days of the campaign she along with Duane Chamberlain admirably opposed Helen Thomson’s “boogyman” assertion that the BOS would bring far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed. But that was all she did.

    She was not a leader or supporter of a No vote on Measure X. She did come to the Farmer’s Market No on X table on the final weekend before the election but not as a supporter of our efforts, but as a protester of Helen Thomson’s misleading politics. That is to be applauded too, but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.

    My objection to Yamada today taking credit for a NO position on Measure X is that she never took that position prior to the election, yet you now wish to claim her last minute effort against Helen Thomson’s misleading letter gives her the right to say she did. It would have been more honest had she taken credit for what she actually did and not mislead people in today’s commentary.

  156. Davisite…your willingness to embellish Mariko Yamada’s record on Measure X is noteworthy, but you are not accurate.

    Yamada at no time lent her name as an endorser or supporter of the No on Measure X campaign. She never appeared in any No on X campaign literature, endorsement lists, campaign ads or events or news stories opposing Measure X and advocating a No vote.

    As I originally stated, in the final days of the campaign she along with Duane Chamberlain admirably opposed Helen Thomson’s “boogyman” assertion that the BOS would bring far worse development to Davis, if Measure X failed. But that was all she did.

    She was not a leader or supporter of a No vote on Measure X. She did come to the Farmer’s Market No on X table on the final weekend before the election but not as a supporter of our efforts, but as a protester of Helen Thomson’s misleading politics. That is to be applauded too, but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.

    My objection to Yamada today taking credit for a NO position on Measure X is that she never took that position prior to the election, yet you now wish to claim her last minute effort against Helen Thomson’s misleading letter gives her the right to say she did. It would have been more honest had she taken credit for what she actually did and not mislead people in today’s commentary.

  157. This is all interesting backstory on the development and environmental concerns, but I think there is another angle to look at.

    Mariko’s support for development on the perimeter of Davis has blossomed just when she is trying to raise money for her Assembly Campaign. Saturday was the deadline for the first reporting period, and suddenly, the Monday after the deadline, she comes to defend her environmental record.

    Having not been on the “inside” with Measure X or the fights over Dunnigan and the Tsakopolous deal, I would appreciate a little help from the blogosphere. Who are the developers and friends of developers that may have been giving her money? The reports will be out at the end of the month, and I just want to know who to look for. Tsakopolous would be stupid to give money to her directly as that would probably force her to recuse herself from the vote, but there have to be “associates” and other smaller developers that have been giving her money.

    Already we know that Republican developer CC Yin has given her campaign support, and there was an event in Sacramento a month ago with a bunch of developer types.

    The brouhaha over this development will likely subside in a year, but the taint of her fundraising and using public office to earn political dollars should linger.

  158. This is all interesting backstory on the development and environmental concerns, but I think there is another angle to look at.

    Mariko’s support for development on the perimeter of Davis has blossomed just when she is trying to raise money for her Assembly Campaign. Saturday was the deadline for the first reporting period, and suddenly, the Monday after the deadline, she comes to defend her environmental record.

    Having not been on the “inside” with Measure X or the fights over Dunnigan and the Tsakopolous deal, I would appreciate a little help from the blogosphere. Who are the developers and friends of developers that may have been giving her money? The reports will be out at the end of the month, and I just want to know who to look for. Tsakopolous would be stupid to give money to her directly as that would probably force her to recuse herself from the vote, but there have to be “associates” and other smaller developers that have been giving her money.

    Already we know that Republican developer CC Yin has given her campaign support, and there was an event in Sacramento a month ago with a bunch of developer types.

    The brouhaha over this development will likely subside in a year, but the taint of her fundraising and using public office to earn political dollars should linger.

  159. This is all interesting backstory on the development and environmental concerns, but I think there is another angle to look at.

    Mariko’s support for development on the perimeter of Davis has blossomed just when she is trying to raise money for her Assembly Campaign. Saturday was the deadline for the first reporting period, and suddenly, the Monday after the deadline, she comes to defend her environmental record.

    Having not been on the “inside” with Measure X or the fights over Dunnigan and the Tsakopolous deal, I would appreciate a little help from the blogosphere. Who are the developers and friends of developers that may have been giving her money? The reports will be out at the end of the month, and I just want to know who to look for. Tsakopolous would be stupid to give money to her directly as that would probably force her to recuse herself from the vote, but there have to be “associates” and other smaller developers that have been giving her money.

    Already we know that Republican developer CC Yin has given her campaign support, and there was an event in Sacramento a month ago with a bunch of developer types.

    The brouhaha over this development will likely subside in a year, but the taint of her fundraising and using public office to earn political dollars should linger.

  160. This is all interesting backstory on the development and environmental concerns, but I think there is another angle to look at.

    Mariko’s support for development on the perimeter of Davis has blossomed just when she is trying to raise money for her Assembly Campaign. Saturday was the deadline for the first reporting period, and suddenly, the Monday after the deadline, she comes to defend her environmental record.

    Having not been on the “inside” with Measure X or the fights over Dunnigan and the Tsakopolous deal, I would appreciate a little help from the blogosphere. Who are the developers and friends of developers that may have been giving her money? The reports will be out at the end of the month, and I just want to know who to look for. Tsakopolous would be stupid to give money to her directly as that would probably force her to recuse herself from the vote, but there have to be “associates” and other smaller developers that have been giving her money.

    Already we know that Republican developer CC Yin has given her campaign support, and there was an event in Sacramento a month ago with a bunch of developer types.

    The brouhaha over this development will likely subside in a year, but the taint of her fundraising and using public office to earn political dollars should linger.

  161. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    Re: Don Shor: Its the classic hallmark of a narcissistic personality to lecture on ettiquete as an abstract concept…

  162. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    Re: Don Shor: Its the classic hallmark of a narcissistic personality to lecture on ettiquete as an abstract concept…

  163. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    Re: Don Shor: Its the classic hallmark of a narcissistic personality to lecture on ettiquete as an abstract concept…

  164. don shor said:

    “Don’t let the tenor of some of the replies put you off. It’s the blogosphere, after all, and they don’t have manners.”

    Re: Don Shor: Its the classic hallmark of a narcissistic personality to lecture on ettiquete as an abstract concept…

  165. I just checked our records and Mariko Yamada, who stated now that she was against Measure K (Target), did not publicly endorse our campaign. Her lack of endorsement as well as many other key figures in Davis helped Measure K pass. I personally am tired of hearing how political members feel about ballot measures *after* they are voted on.

  166. I just checked our records and Mariko Yamada, who stated now that she was against Measure K (Target), did not publicly endorse our campaign. Her lack of endorsement as well as many other key figures in Davis helped Measure K pass. I personally am tired of hearing how political members feel about ballot measures *after* they are voted on.

  167. I just checked our records and Mariko Yamada, who stated now that she was against Measure K (Target), did not publicly endorse our campaign. Her lack of endorsement as well as many other key figures in Davis helped Measure K pass. I personally am tired of hearing how political members feel about ballot measures *after* they are voted on.

  168. I just checked our records and Mariko Yamada, who stated now that she was against Measure K (Target), did not publicly endorse our campaign. Her lack of endorsement as well as many other key figures in Davis helped Measure K pass. I personally am tired of hearing how political members feel about ballot measures *after* they are voted on.

  169. Mariko Yamada may be accepting campaign donations from developers who ask in return that they be allowed to get through the door to present their proposals. Until we have public financing of elections, this is the way IT IS. All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT
    Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?

  170. Mariko Yamada may be accepting campaign donations from developers who ask in return that they be allowed to get through the door to present their proposals. Until we have public financing of elections, this is the way IT IS. All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT
    Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?

  171. Mariko Yamada may be accepting campaign donations from developers who ask in return that they be allowed to get through the door to present their proposals. Until we have public financing of elections, this is the way IT IS. All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT
    Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?

  172. Mariko Yamada may be accepting campaign donations from developers who ask in return that they be allowed to get through the door to present their proposals. Until we have public financing of elections, this is the way IT IS. All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT
    Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?

  173. “All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT”

    You probably have no idea just how ironic that statement is. Some of the very people complaining about Mariko now were at her announcement in February. Remember Greenwald who writes this blog, he and his wife have been long time supporters of Mariko, and even he challenged her on this issue last Friday.

    “Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    Again an ironic question and this time an even more ironic answer. The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been. Whereas Mariko seems to be selling out for a shot at the big time.

    I started this campaign clearly on the side of Mariko, I’m still leaning to Mariko and I’ll never vote for Cabaldon, but I may end up sitting this one out if Mariko continues to keep the door open to huge development in Yolo County and on the Davis periphery.

  174. “All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT”

    You probably have no idea just how ironic that statement is. Some of the very people complaining about Mariko now were at her announcement in February. Remember Greenwald who writes this blog, he and his wife have been long time supporters of Mariko, and even he challenged her on this issue last Friday.

    “Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    Again an ironic question and this time an even more ironic answer. The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been. Whereas Mariko seems to be selling out for a shot at the big time.

    I started this campaign clearly on the side of Mariko, I’m still leaning to Mariko and I’ll never vote for Cabaldon, but I may end up sitting this one out if Mariko continues to keep the door open to huge development in Yolo County and on the Davis periphery.

  175. “All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT”

    You probably have no idea just how ironic that statement is. Some of the very people complaining about Mariko now were at her announcement in February. Remember Greenwald who writes this blog, he and his wife have been long time supporters of Mariko, and even he challenged her on this issue last Friday.

    “Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    Again an ironic question and this time an even more ironic answer. The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been. Whereas Mariko seems to be selling out for a shot at the big time.

    I started this campaign clearly on the side of Mariko, I’m still leaning to Mariko and I’ll never vote for Cabaldon, but I may end up sitting this one out if Mariko continues to keep the door open to huge development in Yolo County and on the Davis periphery.

  176. “All the people who are trashing her now, of course, were first in line to send in their campaign contribution when she announced her candidacy… NOT”

    You probably have no idea just how ironic that statement is. Some of the very people complaining about Mariko now were at her announcement in February. Remember Greenwald who writes this blog, he and his wife have been long time supporters of Mariko, and even he challenged her on this issue last Friday.

    “Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    Again an ironic question and this time an even more ironic answer. The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been. Whereas Mariko seems to be selling out for a shot at the big time.

    I started this campaign clearly on the side of Mariko, I’m still leaning to Mariko and I’ll never vote for Cabaldon, but I may end up sitting this one out if Mariko continues to keep the door open to huge development in Yolo County and on the Davis periphery.

  177. Grown Up said: ” Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    This is an important point. It is not just the taking of campaign contributions that is important to look at, but who will be “bought” or even lured by a campaign donor to do something or vote in a way that is not consistent with their pre-contribution values.

    And this is exactly what is troubling about Yamada’s recent open-mindedness for development in the Yolo causeway.

  178. Grown Up said: ” Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    This is an important point. It is not just the taking of campaign contributions that is important to look at, but who will be “bought” or even lured by a campaign donor to do something or vote in a way that is not consistent with their pre-contribution values.

    And this is exactly what is troubling about Yamada’s recent open-mindedness for development in the Yolo causeway.

  179. Grown Up said: ” Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    This is an important point. It is not just the taking of campaign contributions that is important to look at, but who will be “bought” or even lured by a campaign donor to do something or vote in a way that is not consistent with their pre-contribution values.

    And this is exactly what is troubling about Yamada’s recent open-mindedness for development in the Yolo causeway.

  180. Grown Up said: ” Between Yamada and Cabaldon, who do you believe is less likely to be bought by such a campaign donation?”

    This is an important point. It is not just the taking of campaign contributions that is important to look at, but who will be “bought” or even lured by a campaign donor to do something or vote in a way that is not consistent with their pre-contribution values.

    And this is exactly what is troubling about Yamada’s recent open-mindedness for development in the Yolo causeway.

  181. What a stomach-ache Yamada supporters must be feeling… I honestly believe that her strongest advocates, including Davis Vanguard himself, believed that she would be a champion for environmental issues, progressive social values, and clean, uncorrupted politics. Yet, eleven months before the campaign she is having to defend herself on the environment? Next month she may be having to defend herself on fundraising?

    Sorry, but I don’t think the hope in Yamada was well-placed.

  182. What a stomach-ache Yamada supporters must be feeling… I honestly believe that her strongest advocates, including Davis Vanguard himself, believed that she would be a champion for environmental issues, progressive social values, and clean, uncorrupted politics. Yet, eleven months before the campaign she is having to defend herself on the environment? Next month she may be having to defend herself on fundraising?

    Sorry, but I don’t think the hope in Yamada was well-placed.

  183. What a stomach-ache Yamada supporters must be feeling… I honestly believe that her strongest advocates, including Davis Vanguard himself, believed that she would be a champion for environmental issues, progressive social values, and clean, uncorrupted politics. Yet, eleven months before the campaign she is having to defend herself on the environment? Next month she may be having to defend herself on fundraising?

    Sorry, but I don’t think the hope in Yamada was well-placed.

  184. What a stomach-ache Yamada supporters must be feeling… I honestly believe that her strongest advocates, including Davis Vanguard himself, believed that she would be a champion for environmental issues, progressive social values, and clean, uncorrupted politics. Yet, eleven months before the campaign she is having to defend herself on the environment? Next month she may be having to defend herself on fundraising?

    Sorry, but I don’t think the hope in Yamada was well-placed.

  185. “….but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.”

    No on X supporter.. you are attacking Mariko Yamada for making a claim that is no where to be found in her Guest Commentary. All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.

  186. “….but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.”

    No on X supporter.. you are attacking Mariko Yamada for making a claim that is no where to be found in her Guest Commentary. All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.

  187. “….but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.”

    No on X supporter.. you are attacking Mariko Yamada for making a claim that is no where to be found in her Guest Commentary. All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.

  188. “….but again she did not lead any effort against Measure X, period.”

    No on X supporter.. you are attacking Mariko Yamada for making a claim that is no where to be found in her Guest Commentary. All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.

  193. No on Covell Village, no on 3rd and B, no on Tskaopoulos. Will somebody tell me when we are going to get a yes on something that makes it easier for young families to afford to live here?

    No on Covell village was a big vote for people who already own homes but there is nothing progressive about that position, it favors the rich and it discriminates against the working class. So its no wonder that there is pressure to build. People who understand this are in elected positions and are trying to act responsibly understanding that there is pent up demand from nimby supply constraints. Any time they even intimate that they are not complete nimby’s they get slammed. So I ask all you landed nimby’s how do you think we should solve the lack of supply of reasonably priced homes in Davis where the adds should say non-millionaires need not apply.

  194. No on Covell Village, no on 3rd and B, no on Tskaopoulos. Will somebody tell me when we are going to get a yes on something that makes it easier for young families to afford to live here?

    No on Covell village was a big vote for people who already own homes but there is nothing progressive about that position, it favors the rich and it discriminates against the working class. So its no wonder that there is pressure to build. People who understand this are in elected positions and are trying to act responsibly understanding that there is pent up demand from nimby supply constraints. Any time they even intimate that they are not complete nimby’s they get slammed. So I ask all you landed nimby’s how do you think we should solve the lack of supply of reasonably priced homes in Davis where the adds should say non-millionaires need not apply.

  195. No on Covell Village, no on 3rd and B, no on Tskaopoulos. Will somebody tell me when we are going to get a yes on something that makes it easier for young families to afford to live here?

    No on Covell village was a big vote for people who already own homes but there is nothing progressive about that position, it favors the rich and it discriminates against the working class. So its no wonder that there is pressure to build. People who understand this are in elected positions and are trying to act responsibly understanding that there is pent up demand from nimby supply constraints. Any time they even intimate that they are not complete nimby’s they get slammed. So I ask all you landed nimby’s how do you think we should solve the lack of supply of reasonably priced homes in Davis where the adds should say non-millionaires need not apply.

  196. No on Covell Village, no on 3rd and B, no on Tskaopoulos. Will somebody tell me when we are going to get a yes on something that makes it easier for young families to afford to live here?

    No on Covell village was a big vote for people who already own homes but there is nothing progressive about that position, it favors the rich and it discriminates against the working class. So its no wonder that there is pressure to build. People who understand this are in elected positions and are trying to act responsibly understanding that there is pent up demand from nimby supply constraints. Any time they even intimate that they are not complete nimby’s they get slammed. So I ask all you landed nimby’s how do you think we should solve the lack of supply of reasonably priced homes in Davis where the adds should say non-millionaires need not apply.

  197. How were the 400K homes in Covell Village going to help young families? They weren’t. The only thing that Covell Village would have done for people is dump another 2 or 3 thousand cars onto Covell Blvd every day.

    You want something that will help young families? How about building smaller more affordable homes? How about stop building mcmansions? How about raising the required allotment of affordable housing?

  198. How were the 400K homes in Covell Village going to help young families? They weren’t. The only thing that Covell Village would have done for people is dump another 2 or 3 thousand cars onto Covell Blvd every day.

    You want something that will help young families? How about building smaller more affordable homes? How about stop building mcmansions? How about raising the required allotment of affordable housing?

  199. How were the 400K homes in Covell Village going to help young families? They weren’t. The only thing that Covell Village would have done for people is dump another 2 or 3 thousand cars onto Covell Blvd every day.

    You want something that will help young families? How about building smaller more affordable homes? How about stop building mcmansions? How about raising the required allotment of affordable housing?

  200. How were the 400K homes in Covell Village going to help young families? They weren’t. The only thing that Covell Village would have done for people is dump another 2 or 3 thousand cars onto Covell Blvd every day.

    You want something that will help young families? How about building smaller more affordable homes? How about stop building mcmansions? How about raising the required allotment of affordable housing?

  201. Both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points. One one hand, there is pent up demand but on the other, building McMansions doesn’t solve the problem. One one hand Vincente claims that he doesn’t wants more houses instead of McMansions but also doesn’t want additional traffic. When you ask for smaller, more affordable homes, the result is higher density and more localized traffic. But Anonymous 3:33 is right, it’s not particularly progressive to oppose developments that are “too dense”, which is a frequent theme in Davis, 3rd & B Street a prime example, despite its relatively small overall scale.

    You can’t just say “require more affordable housing” and expect it will just happen. Developers will expect a return on investment and more expensive homes often have to subsidize the more affordable homes. Disrupt that balance and developers won’t submit applications and no progress is made on affordability in town, especially in locations where we want it (wherever that is!).

    There are many infill opportunities in town that can chip away at the housing affordability issue. I’ve looked at the GP update Housing Element sites and some of the appear logical, while others have me scratching my head, while others still have been completely overlooked.

    This issue is too complicated to really address in a single post, but both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points, and they also are ignoring (IMO) many important considerations that our community must weigh.

  202. Both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points. One one hand, there is pent up demand but on the other, building McMansions doesn’t solve the problem. One one hand Vincente claims that he doesn’t wants more houses instead of McMansions but also doesn’t want additional traffic. When you ask for smaller, more affordable homes, the result is higher density and more localized traffic. But Anonymous 3:33 is right, it’s not particularly progressive to oppose developments that are “too dense”, which is a frequent theme in Davis, 3rd & B Street a prime example, despite its relatively small overall scale.

    You can’t just say “require more affordable housing” and expect it will just happen. Developers will expect a return on investment and more expensive homes often have to subsidize the more affordable homes. Disrupt that balance and developers won’t submit applications and no progress is made on affordability in town, especially in locations where we want it (wherever that is!).

    There are many infill opportunities in town that can chip away at the housing affordability issue. I’ve looked at the GP update Housing Element sites and some of the appear logical, while others have me scratching my head, while others still have been completely overlooked.

    This issue is too complicated to really address in a single post, but both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points, and they also are ignoring (IMO) many important considerations that our community must weigh.

  203. Both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points. One one hand, there is pent up demand but on the other, building McMansions doesn’t solve the problem. One one hand Vincente claims that he doesn’t wants more houses instead of McMansions but also doesn’t want additional traffic. When you ask for smaller, more affordable homes, the result is higher density and more localized traffic. But Anonymous 3:33 is right, it’s not particularly progressive to oppose developments that are “too dense”, which is a frequent theme in Davis, 3rd & B Street a prime example, despite its relatively small overall scale.

    You can’t just say “require more affordable housing” and expect it will just happen. Developers will expect a return on investment and more expensive homes often have to subsidize the more affordable homes. Disrupt that balance and developers won’t submit applications and no progress is made on affordability in town, especially in locations where we want it (wherever that is!).

    There are many infill opportunities in town that can chip away at the housing affordability issue. I’ve looked at the GP update Housing Element sites and some of the appear logical, while others have me scratching my head, while others still have been completely overlooked.

    This issue is too complicated to really address in a single post, but both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points, and they also are ignoring (IMO) many important considerations that our community must weigh.

  204. Both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points. One one hand, there is pent up demand but on the other, building McMansions doesn’t solve the problem. One one hand Vincente claims that he doesn’t wants more houses instead of McMansions but also doesn’t want additional traffic. When you ask for smaller, more affordable homes, the result is higher density and more localized traffic. But Anonymous 3:33 is right, it’s not particularly progressive to oppose developments that are “too dense”, which is a frequent theme in Davis, 3rd & B Street a prime example, despite its relatively small overall scale.

    You can’t just say “require more affordable housing” and expect it will just happen. Developers will expect a return on investment and more expensive homes often have to subsidize the more affordable homes. Disrupt that balance and developers won’t submit applications and no progress is made on affordability in town, especially in locations where we want it (wherever that is!).

    There are many infill opportunities in town that can chip away at the housing affordability issue. I’ve looked at the GP update Housing Element sites and some of the appear logical, while others have me scratching my head, while others still have been completely overlooked.

    This issue is too complicated to really address in a single post, but both Anonymous 3:33 and Vincente raise valid points, and they also are ignoring (IMO) many important considerations that our community must weigh.

  205. Vicente,
    I agree with your position in the second paragraph but where are the proposals? As for 400000 dollar homes that would be an improvement compared to the current market.

  206. Vicente,
    I agree with your position in the second paragraph but where are the proposals? As for 400000 dollar homes that would be an improvement compared to the current market.

  207. Vicente,
    I agree with your position in the second paragraph but where are the proposals? As for 400000 dollar homes that would be an improvement compared to the current market.

  208. Vicente,
    I agree with your position in the second paragraph but where are the proposals? As for 400000 dollar homes that would be an improvement compared to the current market.

  209. Anonymous: Where are the proposals? Good question. In the last few years, I’ve seen very few that I can support. Most of them have been along the lines of Covell, Target, 3rd and B, and now this one–too big and too massive.

    To Brian: What I would suggest are smaller houses, on small developments, phased in over time, with new supporting infrastructure built in. Where is that going to come from I don’t know, but I hope once we have a new council majority, who doesn’t automatically approve all developments, that the developers will bring up proposals that the new majority will be more likely to support–smaller homes, smaller developments.

  210. Anonymous: Where are the proposals? Good question. In the last few years, I’ve seen very few that I can support. Most of them have been along the lines of Covell, Target, 3rd and B, and now this one–too big and too massive.

    To Brian: What I would suggest are smaller houses, on small developments, phased in over time, with new supporting infrastructure built in. Where is that going to come from I don’t know, but I hope once we have a new council majority, who doesn’t automatically approve all developments, that the developers will bring up proposals that the new majority will be more likely to support–smaller homes, smaller developments.

  211. Anonymous: Where are the proposals? Good question. In the last few years, I’ve seen very few that I can support. Most of them have been along the lines of Covell, Target, 3rd and B, and now this one–too big and too massive.

    To Brian: What I would suggest are smaller houses, on small developments, phased in over time, with new supporting infrastructure built in. Where is that going to come from I don’t know, but I hope once we have a new council majority, who doesn’t automatically approve all developments, that the developers will bring up proposals that the new majority will be more likely to support–smaller homes, smaller developments.

  212. Anonymous: Where are the proposals? Good question. In the last few years, I’ve seen very few that I can support. Most of them have been along the lines of Covell, Target, 3rd and B, and now this one–too big and too massive.

    To Brian: What I would suggest are smaller houses, on small developments, phased in over time, with new supporting infrastructure built in. Where is that going to come from I don’t know, but I hope once we have a new council majority, who doesn’t automatically approve all developments, that the developers will bring up proposals that the new majority will be more likely to support–smaller homes, smaller developments.

  213. “The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been.”

    Interesting reasoning, Vincente
    …. because Cabaldon has a long history of being in the pocket of developers, this makes him LESS likely to continue so as Assemblyman.
    Mariko, who has a consistant public record of independance and not being beholden to developers is therefore MORE likely to now sell-out(note: this would be speculation .. quite different from Cabaldon’s public record).

  214. “The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been.”

    Interesting reasoning, Vincente
    …. because Cabaldon has a long history of being in the pocket of developers, this makes him LESS likely to continue so as Assemblyman.
    Mariko, who has a consistant public record of independance and not being beholden to developers is therefore MORE likely to now sell-out(note: this would be speculation .. quite different from Cabaldon’s public record).

  215. “The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been.”

    Interesting reasoning, Vincente
    …. because Cabaldon has a long history of being in the pocket of developers, this makes him LESS likely to continue so as Assemblyman.
    Mariko, who has a consistant public record of independance and not being beholden to developers is therefore MORE likely to now sell-out(note: this would be speculation .. quite different from Cabaldon’s public record).

  216. “The candidate less likely to be bought here is Cabaldon. Why? Because he is what he has always been.”

    Interesting reasoning, Vincente
    …. because Cabaldon has a long history of being in the pocket of developers, this makes him LESS likely to continue so as Assemblyman.
    Mariko, who has a consistant public record of independance and not being beholden to developers is therefore MORE likely to now sell-out(note: this would be speculation .. quite different from Cabaldon’s public record).

  217. “Rifkin, Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue.”

    It’s funny you call me a “shill” for the developers. I form my own opinions. I have no financial interest in any developments. You, however, obviously had a financial stake in the Conaway takeover. While I doubt you are one of the $500 per hour outside environmental attorneys the county paid to pursue its e.d. case — none of them writes as badly as you — you very likely are one of the hack lawyers who works full-time for the county. Those are the only two groups — both self-interested in this case — who would defend the horrible mistake the Conaway e.d. try was.

    Most telling is the fact that shortly after I wrote about the Conaway fiasco, the county fessed up and ran away from that lawsuit with its tail between its legs. Now only the county’s lawyers and the terminally stupid defend the bad advice they gave the Board of Supervisors.

  218. “Rifkin, Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue.”

    It’s funny you call me a “shill” for the developers. I form my own opinions. I have no financial interest in any developments. You, however, obviously had a financial stake in the Conaway takeover. While I doubt you are one of the $500 per hour outside environmental attorneys the county paid to pursue its e.d. case — none of them writes as badly as you — you very likely are one of the hack lawyers who works full-time for the county. Those are the only two groups — both self-interested in this case — who would defend the horrible mistake the Conaway e.d. try was.

    Most telling is the fact that shortly after I wrote about the Conaway fiasco, the county fessed up and ran away from that lawsuit with its tail between its legs. Now only the county’s lawyers and the terminally stupid defend the bad advice they gave the Board of Supervisors.

  219. “Rifkin, Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue.”

    It’s funny you call me a “shill” for the developers. I form my own opinions. I have no financial interest in any developments. You, however, obviously had a financial stake in the Conaway takeover. While I doubt you are one of the $500 per hour outside environmental attorneys the county paid to pursue its e.d. case — none of them writes as badly as you — you very likely are one of the hack lawyers who works full-time for the county. Those are the only two groups — both self-interested in this case — who would defend the horrible mistake the Conaway e.d. try was.

    Most telling is the fact that shortly after I wrote about the Conaway fiasco, the county fessed up and ran away from that lawsuit with its tail between its legs. Now only the county’s lawyers and the terminally stupid defend the bad advice they gave the Board of Supervisors.

  220. “Rifkin, Don’t distort the Conaway issue. Don’t be a shill for the developers, as you were in your columns about the issue.”

    It’s funny you call me a “shill” for the developers. I form my own opinions. I have no financial interest in any developments. You, however, obviously had a financial stake in the Conaway takeover. While I doubt you are one of the $500 per hour outside environmental attorneys the county paid to pursue its e.d. case — none of them writes as badly as you — you very likely are one of the hack lawyers who works full-time for the county. Those are the only two groups — both self-interested in this case — who would defend the horrible mistake the Conaway e.d. try was.

    Most telling is the fact that shortly after I wrote about the Conaway fiasco, the county fessed up and ran away from that lawsuit with its tail between its legs. Now only the county’s lawyers and the terminally stupid defend the bad advice they gave the Board of Supervisors.

  221. Ahh.. it’s delightful to have Rifkin back on this thread.. taking up right where he left off…tit-for-tat.. without missing a beat.

  222. Ahh.. it’s delightful to have Rifkin back on this thread.. taking up right where he left off…tit-for-tat.. without missing a beat.

  223. Ahh.. it’s delightful to have Rifkin back on this thread.. taking up right where he left off…tit-for-tat.. without missing a beat.

  224. Ahh.. it’s delightful to have Rifkin back on this thread.. taking up right where he left off…tit-for-tat.. without missing a beat.

  225. I alluded to this in an earlier dialogue with Wu Ming: what communities in California will accept the densities required to create housing in the $200,000 to $400,000 range that would be affordable for lower middle class and middle class people?

    basically, we would be talking about entry level units with square footage starting at around 700 square feet and topping out at around 1000 square feet

    certainly not Davis, and certainly not a lot of other places

    my complaint against Covell Center, as it would be against any similar development in the region was that it wasn’t dense enough, meaning that, the more units, the more affordable they would be, and the less environmentally damaging they would be in terms of water use and energy use and even loss of ag land

    environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person

    and the economics of home building and resource use are inexorably pushing us in this direction, albeit slowly

    –Richard Estes

  226. Actually Rich everyone had a stake in a government purchase of Conaway. It would have been a great park the county just got beat at every turn. Still the county did get some assurances about the water and other things so it wasn’t a total debacle. It was a near total debacle.

    Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.

  227. I alluded to this in an earlier dialogue with Wu Ming: what communities in California will accept the densities required to create housing in the $200,000 to $400,000 range that would be affordable for lower middle class and middle class people?

    basically, we would be talking about entry level units with square footage starting at around 700 square feet and topping out at around 1000 square feet

    certainly not Davis, and certainly not a lot of other places

    my complaint against Covell Center, as it would be against any similar development in the region was that it wasn’t dense enough, meaning that, the more units, the more affordable they would be, and the less environmentally damaging they would be in terms of water use and energy use and even loss of ag land

    environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person

    and the economics of home building and resource use are inexorably pushing us in this direction, albeit slowly

    –Richard Estes

  228. Actually Rich everyone had a stake in a government purchase of Conaway. It would have been a great park the county just got beat at every turn. Still the county did get some assurances about the water and other things so it wasn’t a total debacle. It was a near total debacle.

    Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.

  229. I alluded to this in an earlier dialogue with Wu Ming: what communities in California will accept the densities required to create housing in the $200,000 to $400,000 range that would be affordable for lower middle class and middle class people?

    basically, we would be talking about entry level units with square footage starting at around 700 square feet and topping out at around 1000 square feet

    certainly not Davis, and certainly not a lot of other places

    my complaint against Covell Center, as it would be against any similar development in the region was that it wasn’t dense enough, meaning that, the more units, the more affordable they would be, and the less environmentally damaging they would be in terms of water use and energy use and even loss of ag land

    environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person

    and the economics of home building and resource use are inexorably pushing us in this direction, albeit slowly

    –Richard Estes

  230. Actually Rich everyone had a stake in a government purchase of Conaway. It would have been a great park the county just got beat at every turn. Still the county did get some assurances about the water and other things so it wasn’t a total debacle. It was a near total debacle.

    Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.

  231. I alluded to this in an earlier dialogue with Wu Ming: what communities in California will accept the densities required to create housing in the $200,000 to $400,000 range that would be affordable for lower middle class and middle class people?

    basically, we would be talking about entry level units with square footage starting at around 700 square feet and topping out at around 1000 square feet

    certainly not Davis, and certainly not a lot of other places

    my complaint against Covell Center, as it would be against any similar development in the region was that it wasn’t dense enough, meaning that, the more units, the more affordable they would be, and the less environmentally damaging they would be in terms of water use and energy use and even loss of ag land

    environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person

    and the economics of home building and resource use are inexorably pushing us in this direction, albeit slowly

    –Richard Estes

  232. Actually Rich everyone had a stake in a government purchase of Conaway. It would have been a great park the county just got beat at every turn. Still the county did get some assurances about the water and other things so it wasn’t a total debacle. It was a near total debacle.

    Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.

  233. “environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person”

    All else held equal, that is true, Estes. However, the best thing we could do for the global environment would be to reduce the total human population. There are now about 6 billion people on earth, and demographers predict we will reach 12 billion in about 40 years. While that is expected to be the peak — after most of us are dead, human population is expected to decline — it’s hard to imagine how much environmental damage will be done with twice as many people on the planet as we currently have.

    Farming — even organic farming, and it’s arguably worse with organic farming — is inherently destructive of the environment. But if the world population doubles, we will have to do a lot more farming, probably on a lot more land. And of course more land will have to be dedicated to housing all those extra people and more space will be taken up with other forms of infrastructure to handle them all.

    If somehow we could encourage all women to have no more than two babies, this problem would not be such a difficult one into the future. But that, of course, is not going to happen.

  234. “environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person”

    All else held equal, that is true, Estes. However, the best thing we could do for the global environment would be to reduce the total human population. There are now about 6 billion people on earth, and demographers predict we will reach 12 billion in about 40 years. While that is expected to be the peak — after most of us are dead, human population is expected to decline — it’s hard to imagine how much environmental damage will be done with twice as many people on the planet as we currently have.

    Farming — even organic farming, and it’s arguably worse with organic farming — is inherently destructive of the environment. But if the world population doubles, we will have to do a lot more farming, probably on a lot more land. And of course more land will have to be dedicated to housing all those extra people and more space will be taken up with other forms of infrastructure to handle them all.

    If somehow we could encourage all women to have no more than two babies, this problem would not be such a difficult one into the future. But that, of course, is not going to happen.

  235. “environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person”

    All else held equal, that is true, Estes. However, the best thing we could do for the global environment would be to reduce the total human population. There are now about 6 billion people on earth, and demographers predict we will reach 12 billion in about 40 years. While that is expected to be the peak — after most of us are dead, human population is expected to decline — it’s hard to imagine how much environmental damage will be done with twice as many people on the planet as we currently have.

    Farming — even organic farming, and it’s arguably worse with organic farming — is inherently destructive of the environment. But if the world population doubles, we will have to do a lot more farming, probably on a lot more land. And of course more land will have to be dedicated to housing all those extra people and more space will be taken up with other forms of infrastructure to handle them all.

    If somehow we could encourage all women to have no more than two babies, this problem would not be such a difficult one into the future. But that, of course, is not going to happen.

  236. “environmentally, if one wants to reduce greenhouse gas consequences, conserve water and save farmland, then the solution is obvious, more people in less space using less energy and water per person”

    All else held equal, that is true, Estes. However, the best thing we could do for the global environment would be to reduce the total human population. There are now about 6 billion people on earth, and demographers predict we will reach 12 billion in about 40 years. While that is expected to be the peak — after most of us are dead, human population is expected to decline — it’s hard to imagine how much environmental damage will be done with twice as many people on the planet as we currently have.

    Farming — even organic farming, and it’s arguably worse with organic farming — is inherently destructive of the environment. But if the world population doubles, we will have to do a lot more farming, probably on a lot more land. And of course more land will have to be dedicated to housing all those extra people and more space will be taken up with other forms of infrastructure to handle them all.

    If somehow we could encourage all women to have no more than two babies, this problem would not be such a difficult one into the future. But that, of course, is not going to happen.

  237. “Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.”

    My intention was to be clear, not nasty. However, it’s funny that you level that charge at me.

    Anonymous (the county’s lawyer) accused me of distortion, called me a “shill,” called Tovey Geizentanner a Weasel (which the lawyer mispelled, perhaps on purpose), and falsely accused me of quoting someone’s ‘talking points.’

    Now is that nasty? Or is your accusation only to be leveled at me, because you don’t agree with me?

  238. “Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.”

    My intention was to be clear, not nasty. However, it’s funny that you level that charge at me.

    Anonymous (the county’s lawyer) accused me of distortion, called me a “shill,” called Tovey Geizentanner a Weasel (which the lawyer mispelled, perhaps on purpose), and falsely accused me of quoting someone’s ‘talking points.’

    Now is that nasty? Or is your accusation only to be leveled at me, because you don’t agree with me?

  239. “Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.”

    My intention was to be clear, not nasty. However, it’s funny that you level that charge at me.

    Anonymous (the county’s lawyer) accused me of distortion, called me a “shill,” called Tovey Geizentanner a Weasel (which the lawyer mispelled, perhaps on purpose), and falsely accused me of quoting someone’s ‘talking points.’

    Now is that nasty? Or is your accusation only to be leveled at me, because you don’t agree with me?

  240. “Also why do you need to be so nasty? For someone who is always such a grammar bully you sure don’t seem to be very concerned about the content or tone of your gramatically correct prose.”

    My intention was to be clear, not nasty. However, it’s funny that you level that charge at me.

    Anonymous (the county’s lawyer) accused me of distortion, called me a “shill,” called Tovey Geizentanner a Weasel (which the lawyer mispelled, perhaps on purpose), and falsely accused me of quoting someone’s ‘talking points.’

    Now is that nasty? Or is your accusation only to be leveled at me, because you don’t agree with me?

  241. davisite said…

    “All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.
    3:12 PM

    Davisite:

    In her commentary today, Yamada claims she opposed Measure X in defense of her environmental record. She stated and I quote: “City of Davis Measure X—NO.” Clearly she is using this statement to convince voters that she is a leader who protects the environment and includes this reference as evidence of her record. Otherwise why would she make the statement at all?

    Her statement is very misleading as has been well documented by previous posts today. Yamada does not have as you claim a “public record which includes support for NO on X.” She only announced her opposition to Measure X after the election results were known.

    At present, Yamada wishes to have future voters give her credit for taking a position she never took and vote for her to be their leader in the assembly in part based on her past record which she distorts. This is an example of Yamada and now you taking credit for something she did not do

  242. davisite said…

    “All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.
    3:12 PM

    Davisite:

    In her commentary today, Yamada claims she opposed Measure X in defense of her environmental record. She stated and I quote: “City of Davis Measure X—NO.” Clearly she is using this statement to convince voters that she is a leader who protects the environment and includes this reference as evidence of her record. Otherwise why would she make the statement at all?

    Her statement is very misleading as has been well documented by previous posts today. Yamada does not have as you claim a “public record which includes support for NO on X.” She only announced her opposition to Measure X after the election results were known.

    At present, Yamada wishes to have future voters give her credit for taking a position she never took and vote for her to be their leader in the assembly in part based on her past record which she distorts. This is an example of Yamada and now you taking credit for something she did not do

  243. davisite said…

    “All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.
    3:12 PM

    Davisite:

    In her commentary today, Yamada claims she opposed Measure X in defense of her environmental record. She stated and I quote: “City of Davis Measure X—NO.” Clearly she is using this statement to convince voters that she is a leader who protects the environment and includes this reference as evidence of her record. Otherwise why would she make the statement at all?

    Her statement is very misleading as has been well documented by previous posts today. Yamada does not have as you claim a “public record which includes support for NO on X.” She only announced her opposition to Measure X after the election results were known.

    At present, Yamada wishes to have future voters give her credit for taking a position she never took and vote for her to be their leader in the assembly in part based on her past record which she distorts. This is an example of Yamada and now you taking credit for something she did not do

  244. davisite said…

    “All I see is the cryptic bullet list of her consistent public record which includes support for NO on X. She never claimed to be a leader of the NO on X; to do so would have made
    her as culpable(on the opposite side of the issue) as Helen Thomson was in breaking the BOS agreement.
    3:12 PM

    Davisite:

    In her commentary today, Yamada claims she opposed Measure X in defense of her environmental record. She stated and I quote: “City of Davis Measure X—NO.” Clearly she is using this statement to convince voters that she is a leader who protects the environment and includes this reference as evidence of her record. Otherwise why would she make the statement at all?

    Her statement is very misleading as has been well documented by previous posts today. Yamada does not have as you claim a “public record which includes support for NO on X.” She only announced her opposition to Measure X after the election results were known.

    At present, Yamada wishes to have future voters give her credit for taking a position she never took and vote for her to be their leader in the assembly in part based on her past record which she distorts. This is an example of Yamada and now you taking credit for something she did not do

  257. “Rich they were nasty too but you post a lot and by name so you set yourself up for direct criticism.”

    In other words, I’m the bad guy (from your perspective), because I’m honest enough to use my own name and not hide behind anonymity. How kind of you.

  258. “Rich they were nasty too but you post a lot and by name so you set yourself up for direct criticism.”

    In other words, I’m the bad guy (from your perspective), because I’m honest enough to use my own name and not hide behind anonymity. How kind of you.

  259. “Rich they were nasty too but you post a lot and by name so you set yourself up for direct criticism.”

    In other words, I’m the bad guy (from your perspective), because I’m honest enough to use my own name and not hide behind anonymity. How kind of you.

  260. “Rich they were nasty too but you post a lot and by name so you set yourself up for direct criticism.”

    In other words, I’m the bad guy (from your perspective), because I’m honest enough to use my own name and not hide behind anonymity. How kind of you.

  261. Rifkin said: “no one writes as badly as you”

    Writes as badly? Are you serious?

    Writes as poorly, perhaps, but badly? Or how about goodly?

    Rifkin, you are classic in your approach. You and Bob Dunning always take the same approach. Rather than debate what’s at stake (Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense) you both resort to fretting over punctuation and spelling.

    Another thing..attacking someone as a ‘bad writer’ is hardly a hard-hitting insult. I’d love to see you write an action film.

    “You killed my family, you…you…bad writer!”

  262. Rifkin said: “no one writes as badly as you”

    Writes as badly? Are you serious?

    Writes as poorly, perhaps, but badly? Or how about goodly?

    Rifkin, you are classic in your approach. You and Bob Dunning always take the same approach. Rather than debate what’s at stake (Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense) you both resort to fretting over punctuation and spelling.

    Another thing..attacking someone as a ‘bad writer’ is hardly a hard-hitting insult. I’d love to see you write an action film.

    “You killed my family, you…you…bad writer!”

  263. Rifkin said: “no one writes as badly as you”

    Writes as badly? Are you serious?

    Writes as poorly, perhaps, but badly? Or how about goodly?

    Rifkin, you are classic in your approach. You and Bob Dunning always take the same approach. Rather than debate what’s at stake (Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense) you both resort to fretting over punctuation and spelling.

    Another thing..attacking someone as a ‘bad writer’ is hardly a hard-hitting insult. I’d love to see you write an action film.

    “You killed my family, you…you…bad writer!”

  264. Rifkin said: “no one writes as badly as you”

    Writes as badly? Are you serious?

    Writes as poorly, perhaps, but badly? Or how about goodly?

    Rifkin, you are classic in your approach. You and Bob Dunning always take the same approach. Rather than debate what’s at stake (Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense) you both resort to fretting over punctuation and spelling.

    Another thing..attacking someone as a ‘bad writer’ is hardly a hard-hitting insult. I’d love to see you write an action film.

    “You killed my family, you…you…bad writer!”

  265. “Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense.”

    The owners of the ranch could never develop any of the property without approval by the Board of Supervisors. Never. The land is all zoned for agriculture. So your contention is meaningless.

    This zoning fact would have been true with or without eminent domain. In fact, had you and the other county lawyers succeeded in your ploy, it would have been far more likely that the supes would have redesignated the land near I-5 for development.

    It is still possible that a future Board of Supervisors could change the zoning on Conaway land with a simple majority vote. That is why I have proposed requiring a Measure J-like vote of the people to prohibit the Supervisors from changing its ag zoning restrictions on undeveloped lands which are a mile or more from the urban cities in our county.

    Short of that, the present Supervisors could require a 4/5ths vote of their body to make such a change.

    It’s a shame that the county’s lawyers are so married to their personal interests that they cannot admit their mistakes in this case.

  266. “Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense.”

    The owners of the ranch could never develop any of the property without approval by the Board of Supervisors. Never. The land is all zoned for agriculture. So your contention is meaningless.

    This zoning fact would have been true with or without eminent domain. In fact, had you and the other county lawyers succeeded in your ploy, it would have been far more likely that the supes would have redesignated the land near I-5 for development.

    It is still possible that a future Board of Supervisors could change the zoning on Conaway land with a simple majority vote. That is why I have proposed requiring a Measure J-like vote of the people to prohibit the Supervisors from changing its ag zoning restrictions on undeveloped lands which are a mile or more from the urban cities in our county.

    Short of that, the present Supervisors could require a 4/5ths vote of their body to make such a change.

    It’s a shame that the county’s lawyers are so married to their personal interests that they cannot admit their mistakes in this case.

  267. “Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense.”

    The owners of the ranch could never develop any of the property without approval by the Board of Supervisors. Never. The land is all zoned for agriculture. So your contention is meaningless.

    This zoning fact would have been true with or without eminent domain. In fact, had you and the other county lawyers succeeded in your ploy, it would have been far more likely that the supes would have redesignated the land near I-5 for development.

    It is still possible that a future Board of Supervisors could change the zoning on Conaway land with a simple majority vote. That is why I have proposed requiring a Measure J-like vote of the people to prohibit the Supervisors from changing its ag zoning restrictions on undeveloped lands which are a mile or more from the urban cities in our county.

    Short of that, the present Supervisors could require a 4/5ths vote of their body to make such a change.

    It’s a shame that the county’s lawyers are so married to their personal interests that they cannot admit their mistakes in this case.

  268. “Gidaro’s tactic of slipping the ranch out from under the County and his stated intent in the court documents to use it to become wealthy at the county’s expense.”

    The owners of the ranch could never develop any of the property without approval by the Board of Supervisors. Never. The land is all zoned for agriculture. So your contention is meaningless.

    This zoning fact would have been true with or without eminent domain. In fact, had you and the other county lawyers succeeded in your ploy, it would have been far more likely that the supes would have redesignated the land near I-5 for development.

    It is still possible that a future Board of Supervisors could change the zoning on Conaway land with a simple majority vote. That is why I have proposed requiring a Measure J-like vote of the people to prohibit the Supervisors from changing its ag zoning restrictions on undeveloped lands which are a mile or more from the urban cities in our county.

    Short of that, the present Supervisors could require a 4/5ths vote of their body to make such a change.

    It’s a shame that the county’s lawyers are so married to their personal interests that they cannot admit their mistakes in this case.

  269. I’m hoping that those of us here who want to preserve sane land-use policies in Yolo County can use this forum as a way to think up useful political strategies.

    The way I see it, there are three major development players around Davis: the Covell Partners (Whitcombe, Roe, etc.), the Conaway Partners (Gidaro et al), and Tsakopoulos. There are more, but these are the biggies, and they each have their political base. The Covell Partners are basically kingmakers in Davis city elections and in the 2 Davis supervisor positions. The Conaway Partners have their hooks into the Republican supervisors and Woodland city council. And Tsakopoulos rules over the state Democratic party, and determines who becomes the candidate in strong-Democrat districts (viz. Cabaldon). At different times in their careers, politicians have to pander to each of these sources of campaign funds. Yamada managed to slide into Dave Rosenberg’s supervisor seat without coming up through the ranks, but you can bet she has debts to the state party and Tsakopoulos through Rosenberg. Yamada’s list of past anti-sprawl accomplishments only throws into relief how much she is now pandering to developers waving the cash needed to run for state office: I mean, a “no” on Covell Village but an “open mind” on something 7 times as big, in a floodplain, on the far outskirts of town? Please.

    The good news is that Yolo County is politically divided, so the developers are expending some energy fighting each other. That was part of the reason why McGowan, a great lover of sprawl, was so apeshit for the condemnation of Conaway Ranch: big development there devalues the land of Tsakopoulos and other big Dem donors. Rexroad and Chamberlain are therefore great allies of anti-sprawl forces–at least where the sprawlers are Democratic contributors. In and around Davis, this is most of them.

    So for those who care about reasonable land-use, especially in the case of the development on the periphery of Davis, we need to put together a coalition of Rexroad, Chamberlain, and one more supervisor. Helen Thompson is probably too far in debt to both the Tsakopoulos and Covell groups to be counted on, so I think Yamada is the swing vote. Clearly, she’s trying to keep her campaign cash lifeline to Tsakopoulos open by not slamming the door on his crazy-stupid plan.

    I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.

    So, what do you say, Mariko? Would you like to take up the mantle of the people-powered candidate?

  270. I’m hoping that those of us here who want to preserve sane land-use policies in Yolo County can use this forum as a way to think up useful political strategies.

    The way I see it, there are three major development players around Davis: the Covell Partners (Whitcombe, Roe, etc.), the Conaway Partners (Gidaro et al), and Tsakopoulos. There are more, but these are the biggies, and they each have their political base. The Covell Partners are basically kingmakers in Davis city elections and in the 2 Davis supervisor positions. The Conaway Partners have their hooks into the Republican supervisors and Woodland city council. And Tsakopoulos rules over the state Democratic party, and determines who becomes the candidate in strong-Democrat districts (viz. Cabaldon). At different times in their careers, politicians have to pander to each of these sources of campaign funds. Yamada managed to slide into Dave Rosenberg’s supervisor seat without coming up through the ranks, but you can bet she has debts to the state party and Tsakopoulos through Rosenberg. Yamada’s list of past anti-sprawl accomplishments only throws into relief how much she is now pandering to developers waving the cash needed to run for state office: I mean, a “no” on Covell Village but an “open mind” on something 7 times as big, in a floodplain, on the far outskirts of town? Please.

    The good news is that Yolo County is politically divided, so the developers are expending some energy fighting each other. That was part of the reason why McGowan, a great lover of sprawl, was so apeshit for the condemnation of Conaway Ranch: big development there devalues the land of Tsakopoulos and other big Dem donors. Rexroad and Chamberlain are therefore great allies of anti-sprawl forces–at least where the sprawlers are Democratic contributors. In and around Davis, this is most of them.

    So for those who care about reasonable land-use, especially in the case of the development on the periphery of Davis, we need to put together a coalition of Rexroad, Chamberlain, and one more supervisor. Helen Thompson is probably too far in debt to both the Tsakopoulos and Covell groups to be counted on, so I think Yamada is the swing vote. Clearly, she’s trying to keep her campaign cash lifeline to Tsakopoulos open by not slamming the door on his crazy-stupid plan.

    I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.

    So, what do you say, Mariko? Would you like to take up the mantle of the people-powered candidate?

  271. I’m hoping that those of us here who want to preserve sane land-use policies in Yolo County can use this forum as a way to think up useful political strategies.

    The way I see it, there are three major development players around Davis: the Covell Partners (Whitcombe, Roe, etc.), the Conaway Partners (Gidaro et al), and Tsakopoulos. There are more, but these are the biggies, and they each have their political base. The Covell Partners are basically kingmakers in Davis city elections and in the 2 Davis supervisor positions. The Conaway Partners have their hooks into the Republican supervisors and Woodland city council. And Tsakopoulos rules over the state Democratic party, and determines who becomes the candidate in strong-Democrat districts (viz. Cabaldon). At different times in their careers, politicians have to pander to each of these sources of campaign funds. Yamada managed to slide into Dave Rosenberg’s supervisor seat without coming up through the ranks, but you can bet she has debts to the state party and Tsakopoulos through Rosenberg. Yamada’s list of past anti-sprawl accomplishments only throws into relief how much she is now pandering to developers waving the cash needed to run for state office: I mean, a “no” on Covell Village but an “open mind” on something 7 times as big, in a floodplain, on the far outskirts of town? Please.

    The good news is that Yolo County is politically divided, so the developers are expending some energy fighting each other. That was part of the reason why McGowan, a great lover of sprawl, was so apeshit for the condemnation of Conaway Ranch: big development there devalues the land of Tsakopoulos and other big Dem donors. Rexroad and Chamberlain are therefore great allies of anti-sprawl forces–at least where the sprawlers are Democratic contributors. In and around Davis, this is most of them.

    So for those who care about reasonable land-use, especially in the case of the development on the periphery of Davis, we need to put together a coalition of Rexroad, Chamberlain, and one more supervisor. Helen Thompson is probably too far in debt to both the Tsakopoulos and Covell groups to be counted on, so I think Yamada is the swing vote. Clearly, she’s trying to keep her campaign cash lifeline to Tsakopoulos open by not slamming the door on his crazy-stupid plan.

    I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.

    So, what do you say, Mariko? Would you like to take up the mantle of the people-powered candidate?

  272. I’m hoping that those of us here who want to preserve sane land-use policies in Yolo County can use this forum as a way to think up useful political strategies.

    The way I see it, there are three major development players around Davis: the Covell Partners (Whitcombe, Roe, etc.), the Conaway Partners (Gidaro et al), and Tsakopoulos. There are more, but these are the biggies, and they each have their political base. The Covell Partners are basically kingmakers in Davis city elections and in the 2 Davis supervisor positions. The Conaway Partners have their hooks into the Republican supervisors and Woodland city council. And Tsakopoulos rules over the state Democratic party, and determines who becomes the candidate in strong-Democrat districts (viz. Cabaldon). At different times in their careers, politicians have to pander to each of these sources of campaign funds. Yamada managed to slide into Dave Rosenberg’s supervisor seat without coming up through the ranks, but you can bet she has debts to the state party and Tsakopoulos through Rosenberg. Yamada’s list of past anti-sprawl accomplishments only throws into relief how much she is now pandering to developers waving the cash needed to run for state office: I mean, a “no” on Covell Village but an “open mind” on something 7 times as big, in a floodplain, on the far outskirts of town? Please.

    The good news is that Yolo County is politically divided, so the developers are expending some energy fighting each other. That was part of the reason why McGowan, a great lover of sprawl, was so apeshit for the condemnation of Conaway Ranch: big development there devalues the land of Tsakopoulos and other big Dem donors. Rexroad and Chamberlain are therefore great allies of anti-sprawl forces–at least where the sprawlers are Democratic contributors. In and around Davis, this is most of them.

    So for those who care about reasonable land-use, especially in the case of the development on the periphery of Davis, we need to put together a coalition of Rexroad, Chamberlain, and one more supervisor. Helen Thompson is probably too far in debt to both the Tsakopoulos and Covell groups to be counted on, so I think Yamada is the swing vote. Clearly, she’s trying to keep her campaign cash lifeline to Tsakopoulos open by not slamming the door on his crazy-stupid plan.

    I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.

    So, what do you say, Mariko? Would you like to take up the mantle of the people-powered candidate?

  273. “…the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael…. I agree with your analysis. After all the campaign heat, neither Cabaldon nor Yamada will be casting votes on which development the County will be pursuing. Won’t the County General Plan have several options and it will be the seating Supervisors after 2008 who will be making the decisions?

  274. “…the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael…. I agree with your analysis. After all the campaign heat, neither Cabaldon nor Yamada will be casting votes on which development the County will be pursuing. Won’t the County General Plan have several options and it will be the seating Supervisors after 2008 who will be making the decisions?

  275. “…the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael…. I agree with your analysis. After all the campaign heat, neither Cabaldon nor Yamada will be casting votes on which development the County will be pursuing. Won’t the County General Plan have several options and it will be the seating Supervisors after 2008 who will be making the decisions?

  276. “…the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael…. I agree with your analysis. After all the campaign heat, neither Cabaldon nor Yamada will be casting votes on which development the County will be pursuing. Won’t the County General Plan have several options and it will be the seating Supervisors after 2008 who will be making the decisions?

  277. What is Yamada doing? Is she essentially saying, “screw Yolo County” as she departs from her supervisor seat?

    Why do I say this?

    Today, Saturday, July 7th, the wonderful Vanguard has informed us of the County General Plan in which Yamada and Thomson are looking at “special study areas.”

    If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.

    She can’t have it both ways. Quite frankly, I supported her, but it concerns me that she’s all over the map on growth. There’s a lot of double speak going on.

    I read the News & Review article that just came out and now she and supervisor Mike McGowan are backtracking saying that they support Stem Cell Research and do not recall housing development being part of the discussion.

    This concerned voter is smarter than they think…as I’m sure many other voters are too.

  278. What is Yamada doing? Is she essentially saying, “screw Yolo County” as she departs from her supervisor seat?

    Why do I say this?

    Today, Saturday, July 7th, the wonderful Vanguard has informed us of the County General Plan in which Yamada and Thomson are looking at “special study areas.”

    If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.

    She can’t have it both ways. Quite frankly, I supported her, but it concerns me that she’s all over the map on growth. There’s a lot of double speak going on.

    I read the News & Review article that just came out and now she and supervisor Mike McGowan are backtracking saying that they support Stem Cell Research and do not recall housing development being part of the discussion.

    This concerned voter is smarter than they think…as I’m sure many other voters are too.

  279. What is Yamada doing? Is she essentially saying, “screw Yolo County” as she departs from her supervisor seat?

    Why do I say this?

    Today, Saturday, July 7th, the wonderful Vanguard has informed us of the County General Plan in which Yamada and Thomson are looking at “special study areas.”

    If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.

    She can’t have it both ways. Quite frankly, I supported her, but it concerns me that she’s all over the map on growth. There’s a lot of double speak going on.

    I read the News & Review article that just came out and now she and supervisor Mike McGowan are backtracking saying that they support Stem Cell Research and do not recall housing development being part of the discussion.

    This concerned voter is smarter than they think…as I’m sure many other voters are too.

  280. What is Yamada doing? Is she essentially saying, “screw Yolo County” as she departs from her supervisor seat?

    Why do I say this?

    Today, Saturday, July 7th, the wonderful Vanguard has informed us of the County General Plan in which Yamada and Thomson are looking at “special study areas.”

    If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.

    She can’t have it both ways. Quite frankly, I supported her, but it concerns me that she’s all over the map on growth. There’s a lot of double speak going on.

    I read the News & Review article that just came out and now she and supervisor Mike McGowan are backtracking saying that they support Stem Cell Research and do not recall housing development being part of the discussion.

    This concerned voter is smarter than they think…as I’m sure many other voters are too.

  281. “If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.”

    There is nothing inconsistent here.. NO on X was a vote on a specific development proposal. A “study” would be the first step in seeing if an alternative project was acceptable to the voters of Davis. Elect Councilmembers who share your vision of Davis’ future and you have little to fear..and then there’s Measure J.

  282. “If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.”

    There is nothing inconsistent here.. NO on X was a vote on a specific development proposal. A “study” would be the first step in seeing if an alternative project was acceptable to the voters of Davis. Elect Councilmembers who share your vision of Davis’ future and you have little to fear..and then there’s Measure J.

  283. “If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.”

    There is nothing inconsistent here.. NO on X was a vote on a specific development proposal. A “study” would be the first step in seeing if an alternative project was acceptable to the voters of Davis. Elect Councilmembers who share your vision of Davis’ future and you have little to fear..and then there’s Measure J.

  284. “If in fact Yamada supported NO ON X, which I don’t remember her doing so, then why is she supporting a “study” of the Covell Village area.”

    There is nothing inconsistent here.. NO on X was a vote on a specific development proposal. A “study” would be the first step in seeing if an alternative project was acceptable to the voters of Davis. Elect Councilmembers who share your vision of Davis’ future and you have little to fear..and then there’s Measure J.

  285. We need politicians on the front lines (at council & at the board of supervisors) pushing back against these massive developments. We don’t need our politicians stating an interest in keeping “an open mind” on project “study areas” whose very scale and location are inappropriate for Davis. Helen Thomson, Mariko Yamada and Davis councilmembers need to serve us, not the developers.

    Therefore, our first line of defense in protecting Davis borders is holding our current elected officials accountable and then electing future councilmembers and supervisors who will defend the right of our community to control our own growth and resist massive urban sprawl. Measure J should be in the calculation, but only as a last resort when our politicians fail us.

  286. We need politicians on the front lines (at council & at the board of supervisors) pushing back against these massive developments. We don’t need our politicians stating an interest in keeping “an open mind” on project “study areas” whose very scale and location are inappropriate for Davis. Helen Thomson, Mariko Yamada and Davis councilmembers need to serve us, not the developers.

    Therefore, our first line of defense in protecting Davis borders is holding our current elected officials accountable and then electing future councilmembers and supervisors who will defend the right of our community to control our own growth and resist massive urban sprawl. Measure J should be in the calculation, but only as a last resort when our politicians fail us.

  287. We need politicians on the front lines (at council & at the board of supervisors) pushing back against these massive developments. We don’t need our politicians stating an interest in keeping “an open mind” on project “study areas” whose very scale and location are inappropriate for Davis. Helen Thomson, Mariko Yamada and Davis councilmembers need to serve us, not the developers.

    Therefore, our first line of defense in protecting Davis borders is holding our current elected officials accountable and then electing future councilmembers and supervisors who will defend the right of our community to control our own growth and resist massive urban sprawl. Measure J should be in the calculation, but only as a last resort when our politicians fail us.

  288. We need politicians on the front lines (at council & at the board of supervisors) pushing back against these massive developments. We don’t need our politicians stating an interest in keeping “an open mind” on project “study areas” whose very scale and location are inappropriate for Davis. Helen Thomson, Mariko Yamada and Davis councilmembers need to serve us, not the developers.

    Therefore, our first line of defense in protecting Davis borders is holding our current elected officials accountable and then electing future councilmembers and supervisors who will defend the right of our community to control our own growth and resist massive urban sprawl. Measure J should be in the calculation, but only as a last resort when our politicians fail us.

  289. Yamada offers the following comment as proof of her work to protect agricultural land: “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program – NO”

    Unfortunately, many who are stewards of Yolo county land were not pleased with the vote by the board of supervisors not to agree to a new agricultural district in the Dunnigan Hills area which would have provided more protection from urban encroachment on our farmlands and preserved Yolo’s agricultural heritage. Supervisor Yamada’s vote was not a vote for protection of agricultural land.

  290. Yamada offers the following comment as proof of her work to protect agricultural land: “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program – NO”

    Unfortunately, many who are stewards of Yolo county land were not pleased with the vote by the board of supervisors not to agree to a new agricultural district in the Dunnigan Hills area which would have provided more protection from urban encroachment on our farmlands and preserved Yolo’s agricultural heritage. Supervisor Yamada’s vote was not a vote for protection of agricultural land.

  291. Yamada offers the following comment as proof of her work to protect agricultural land: “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program – NO”

    Unfortunately, many who are stewards of Yolo county land were not pleased with the vote by the board of supervisors not to agree to a new agricultural district in the Dunnigan Hills area which would have provided more protection from urban encroachment on our farmlands and preserved Yolo’s agricultural heritage. Supervisor Yamada’s vote was not a vote for protection of agricultural land.

  292. Yamada offers the following comment as proof of her work to protect agricultural land: “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program – NO”

    Unfortunately, many who are stewards of Yolo county land were not pleased with the vote by the board of supervisors not to agree to a new agricultural district in the Dunnigan Hills area which would have provided more protection from urban encroachment on our farmlands and preserved Yolo’s agricultural heritage. Supervisor Yamada’s vote was not a vote for protection of agricultural land.

  293. Mariko Yamada’ commentary makes three dubious claims concerning her pro-environmental record:

    “City of Davis Measure X—NO”
    “City of Davis Target—NO”
    “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program—NO”

    Yamada makes statements opposing both Covell Village and Target as proof of her taking pro-environmental stands. She is playing games with the truth, as she did not publicly oppose either measure prior to their respective elections as previous posts have proven.

    Mariko Yamada’s deliberate exaggeration of her record on both measures is troubling especially since her proclaimed “integrity” has been one of her strongest selling points among her supporters.

    Her inclusion of the Dunnigan Hills agricultural district program vote is disturbing too.

  294. Mariko Yamada’ commentary makes three dubious claims concerning her pro-environmental record:

    “City of Davis Measure X—NO”
    “City of Davis Target—NO”
    “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program—NO”

    Yamada makes statements opposing both Covell Village and Target as proof of her taking pro-environmental stands. She is playing games with the truth, as she did not publicly oppose either measure prior to their respective elections as previous posts have proven.

    Mariko Yamada’s deliberate exaggeration of her record on both measures is troubling especially since her proclaimed “integrity” has been one of her strongest selling points among her supporters.

    Her inclusion of the Dunnigan Hills agricultural district program vote is disturbing too.

  295. Mariko Yamada’ commentary makes three dubious claims concerning her pro-environmental record:

    “City of Davis Measure X—NO”
    “City of Davis Target—NO”
    “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program—NO”

    Yamada makes statements opposing both Covell Village and Target as proof of her taking pro-environmental stands. She is playing games with the truth, as she did not publicly oppose either measure prior to their respective elections as previous posts have proven.

    Mariko Yamada’s deliberate exaggeration of her record on both measures is troubling especially since her proclaimed “integrity” has been one of her strongest selling points among her supporters.

    Her inclusion of the Dunnigan Hills agricultural district program vote is disturbing too.

  296. Mariko Yamada’ commentary makes three dubious claims concerning her pro-environmental record:

    “City of Davis Measure X—NO”
    “City of Davis Target—NO”
    “Inclusion of Dunnigan Hills in agricultural district program—NO”

    Yamada makes statements opposing both Covell Village and Target as proof of her taking pro-environmental stands. She is playing games with the truth, as she did not publicly oppose either measure prior to their respective elections as previous posts have proven.

    Mariko Yamada’s deliberate exaggeration of her record on both measures is troubling especially since her proclaimed “integrity” has been one of her strongest selling points among her supporters.

    Her inclusion of the Dunnigan Hills agricultural district program vote is disturbing too.

  297. Michael said…
    “I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael, I share your belief that the Tsakopoulos proposal is far from sane land use planning; however, as long as the end result is a rejection of the proposal by the Supervisors, what harm is Mariko’s desire to hear more doing … especially if the hearing is done in public? Forums like this one can provide all our Supervisors with a clear sense of how their constituents feel about the AKT proposal. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?

  298. Michael said…
    “I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael, I share your belief that the Tsakopoulos proposal is far from sane land use planning; however, as long as the end result is a rejection of the proposal by the Supervisors, what harm is Mariko’s desire to hear more doing … especially if the hearing is done in public? Forums like this one can provide all our Supervisors with a clear sense of how their constituents feel about the AKT proposal. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?

  299. Michael said…
    “I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael, I share your belief that the Tsakopoulos proposal is far from sane land use planning; however, as long as the end result is a rejection of the proposal by the Supervisors, what harm is Mariko’s desire to hear more doing … especially if the hearing is done in public? Forums like this one can provide all our Supervisors with a clear sense of how their constituents feel about the AKT proposal. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?

  300. Michael said…
    “I hope she will come to her senses soon and see that by failing to deliver the death-blow to the AKT plan, she is alienating her base and surely won’t be able to kiss up enough to overcome Cabaldon’s pandering advantage. Her one real shot is to run a clean, anti-corruption, anti-business-as-usual, anti-sprawl campaign that touts her wonderfully progressive values and accomplishments. In her case, the best odds of victory come from maintaining her integrity. If she tries to play the other game, she’s toast, and that would be a shame.”

    Michael, I share your belief that the Tsakopoulos proposal is far from sane land use planning; however, as long as the end result is a rejection of the proposal by the Supervisors, what harm is Mariko’s desire to hear more doing … especially if the hearing is done in public? Forums like this one can provide all our Supervisors with a clear sense of how their constituents feel about the AKT proposal. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?

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