March 2010 - Davis Vanguard

City Offers More Smoke and Mirrors With Regards To the Budget

By David GreenwaldMarch 31, 201014 comments

If you have watched Davis City Council Meetings for the past several months and certainly longer, one gets the impression that there are seldom consequences for policy actions and in particular policy decisions made by council, as though we can balance the budget in a manner that is fairly painless to the community.

The reality now is that the failure of the council to achieve the targeted cash savings has immediate and very serious consequences for city services.

Latest Council Financial Reports Released

By David GreenwaldMarch 31, 20103 comments

The Vanguard back in early February analyzed the early filings by the Council candidates where Joe Krovoza had a small lead over Sydney Vergis. At that time, they were the only declared candidates. Now that number is up to five, however, only three appear to be spending money.

The big question that looms in this race is who will the firefighters back and how will that impact this race. In the meantime, Mr. Krovoza has maintained his small lead primarily drawing from a wide variety of individuals in the community. Sydney Vergis continues to draw from her pro-growth and pro-development core of supporters, while Rochelle Swanson emerges with her first filings, many of them from business interests and individuals who have worked with her on the Blue and White Foundation.

Gifted and Talent Education Student Ranking Process at DJUSD‏

By David GreenwaldMarch 30, 20102 comments

by Parent X –

Apparently California State University, Sacramento did a study on DJUSD’s Gate Identification Procedure back in 2005

Among the findings:

“…A significant challenge Davis faces is related to the ranking of students who meet identification criteria but are put on waiting lists because of space limitations. This challenge is exacerbated by a lack of clarity in what determines a child’s rank. OLSAT scores, for example, determine some children’s ranking, but when rescreening occurs and alternate test scores replace sub-test scores, this presumably changes the rank. Further, some students are tested privately which has raised questions of inequity with some parents, and expectations of assured program placement by others

Council Candidates Responses to Brief Vanguard Questionnaire

By David GreenwaldMarch 30, 20109 comments

The Council election is less than three months away and most of the public knows very little about most of the candidates. The Vanguard will have extensive coverage of the City Council campaign. Today each of the candidates have addressed five questions from our questionnaire we sent out. The answers here are unedited and complete. They are printed as submitted.

1. Describe in a paragraph your vision for Davis on June 30, 2014

City of Davis Files Complaint Against NewPath with Public Utilities Commission

By David GreenwaldMarch 29, 20107 comments

The strange saga of NewPath continues as now the city of Davis has filed a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission CPUC) alleging that the telecommunications company had begun construction on four of its facilities prior to receiving a Notice of Proposed Construction and Application for Determination of Exemption from CEQA (“NPC”) from the Energy Division of the CPUC.

NewPath is a competitive local exchange carrier, authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission under a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, to provide “full facilities-based competitive local exchange and access services… for the entire state of California.”

No Physical Evidence in Drive-By Shooting Case That Ends with a 55 Year Sentence

By David GreenwaldMarch 29, 201028 comments

To read the accounts in the paper, taken almost verbatim from the Yolo County District Attorney Office’s press release, an 18-year-old Woodland gang member was sentenced to 55 years for a drive-by shooting that occurred in 2008, in Woodland’s Campbell Park.

Ramiro Leon was handed down the sentence for attempted murder along with enhancements for criminal street gang activity and firearms.

Here We Go Again: Souza and Saylor Make Another Attempt at Council Rules For Sanction

By David GreenwaldMarch 28, 201020 comments

Councilmember Stephen Souza and Mayor Pro Tem Don Saylor have introduced an item submitted by council that will amend both the “Council Meeting Ground Rules” and “Procedures Manual for Council Members” to add language regarding enforcement for non-observation of the rules.

When they last attempted the new council rules for sanction, they were soundly slapped down by many in the community including Davis Enterprise Columnist Bob Dunning arguing that the rules went too far and became tantamount toward stifling minority dissent under the guise of civility.

Who Becomes Mayor Next Year?

By David GreenwaldMarch 27, 201020 comments

The Davis Enterprise ran an article on Thursday that certainly did not clear up that issue. However, we do know that Don Saylor will serve as Mayor and on the City Council until at least the end of December 2010, which means that any belief that he would be replaced in the November Election is wishful thinking at best.

Mr. Saylor is running uncontested for a seat on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. He will be seated on January 3 at which point in time he would have to give up his seat.

Three Days of Marches in Yolo County Highlight Injustices; Honor Cesar Chavez

By David GreenwaldMarch 27, 20101 comments

Protesters in Yolo County marched on Thursday and Friday in the first two legs of a three day planned march in honor of the late union organizer and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.

The first stage of the marches was held in Woodland on Friday where demonstrators numbering approximately 50 gathered at 9:30 am at the Woodland DMV, the site from which Luis Gutierrez would embark on what turned out to be his last minutes of his life. Soon after, he was contacted by Yolo County Sheriff’s as part of the Yolo County Gang Task Force, and as he fled, a confrontation ensued and he was shot and killed.

Judge Denies Whitcombe His Motion to Change Title of Measure R

By David GreenwaldMarch 26, 20100 comments

Yolo County Superior Court Judge David Reed ruled against attempts by Joseph Whitcombe to change the ballot language on Measure R and denied the temporary injunction. According to Judge Reed, the language in Measure J had used the same title, it was approved back then, and has remained on the books for ten years.

While the argument by the petitioner claimed that the title does not describe the measure accurately, the title need only be a title, and a way to a reference. The court finds that there is insufficient evidence of false or misleading language, therefore the request is denied

School District Responds to Dunning Column on Truancy

By David GreenwaldMarch 26, 201023 comments

Earlier this week, Bob Dunning had a column in which he described the letters sent from the Davis School District that told him his three children in elementary school were truant for missing three days of classes due to a trip to Disneyland.

In his column, he writes:

Developing Story: Whitcombe Challenges Measure R Ballot Title

By David GreenwaldMarch 25, 201043 comments

In a late breaking story yesterday, the Vanguard learned that Joseph Whitcombe has filed a suit in Yolo Superior Court against the city of Davis regarding the language of Measure R, which will renew Measure J, originally approved in 2000. According to our sources, the main challenge is to the title, “The Citizen’s Right to Vote on Future Uses of Open Space and Agricultural Lands.”

It is unclear what the problem is with the title, which is the same as it was back in 2000 when the measure was on the ballot as Measure J.

Chancellor Katehi Calls For a “Hate-Free” Campus

By David GreenwaldMarch 25, 20102 comments

The recent events on the UC Davis campus and across the UC’s have focused sustained attention on the issue of hate crimes and hate speech. The UC Davis campus has seen several incidents involving swastikas including one carved into a Jewish student’s dormitory door in late February.

On Wednesday, the UC Board of Regents met in San Francisco and received a report from UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi along with two other UC chancellors who described recent events on campus including a noose, KKK symbols and the Compton Cookout, a party that mocked black history month at UC San Diego.

Is There a Fight on For the Renewal of Measure J (Now Measure R)?

By David GreenwaldMarch 24, 201015 comments

One of the interesting questions that has emerged in the post-filing period for city elections is whether there is going to be a battle for the renewal of Measure J, which will be on the ballot as Measure R.

It is worth noting that the ballot measure that requires a vote for land use changes and incorporation of open space and agricultural land into urban uses is so synonymous with its previous ballot designation, that the city will now be forced to have to adopt it’s common reference of Measure J. Will it continued to be called Measure J or it’s actual name, the “Citizens’ Right to Vote on Future Use of Open Space and Agricultural Lands?”

DA Investigator Skaggs Reaches Settlement with Yolo County on Whistleblower Retaliation Suit

By David GreenwaldMarch 24, 20107 comments

Last August, the Vanguard reported that Yolo County District Attorney’s Office Investigator Randy Skaggs had filed suit against Yolo County and the District Attorney’s Office for among other things a violation of right to privacy and whistle-blower retaliation.

According to the suit, in 2008, Mr. Skaggs, a ten year veteran DA Investigator was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an administrative inquiry into allegations of misconduct. Details of the discipline case were then disclosed to Dave Markss, Chief DA Investigator for Colusa County’s DA’s Office who sent the details of the conversation to no less than thirteen other Chief District Attorney Investigators.

“Cash For Conviction” Program in DA’s Office?

By David GreenwaldMarch 23, 201020 comments

This past weekend, the Woodland Daily Democrat had a small story on Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig. He had given a speech last week at the Woodland Chamber of Commerce laying out the fact that the DA’s office was facing budget cuts that will result in a reduction of services and prosecutions.

He told the audience that with the new budget cuts and the fact that staff has already been cut as much as possible, services will suffer. At the same time he said that between 30 percent and 35 percent of the DA’s Office is funded by grants which are used to investigate and prosecute different areas of crime.

Vanguard Investigation into Gutierrez Shooting Finds Official Report At Odds with Physical Evidence

By David GreenwaldMarch 22, 201025 comments

Last November, the Yolo County District Attorney’s office released their report on the Shooting of Luis Gutierrez Navarro by Yolo County Sheriff’s Deputies. That report concluded, “When considering all of the facts and circumstances known to them at the time, the use of deadly force by the deputies was objectively reasonable and justified and therefore does not warrant the filing of criminal charges against Sgt. Johnson, Deputy Oviedo or Deputy Bautista.”

At the time, the Vanguard raised some troubling questions about inconsistencies in the report. Those questions have grown with last month’s hearings by the Yolo County Independent Human Rights Commission, the testimony by several witnesses, and the report by investigator Frank Roman.

Analysis: Emlen and Navazio’s Commentary Papers Over Key Problems For City

By David GreenwaldMarch 22, 20104 comments

In Sunday’s Davis Enterprise, City Manager Bill Emlen and Finance Director Paul Navazio address the city’s current fiscal status. While we wish to encourage the city manager and his staff to continue to communicate with the public, we feel it needs to be a dialogue rather than a monologue. As such, this article seeks to respond to some of their comments where we believe that the city manager and finance director have papered over key problems and avoided responsibility for the current fiscal crisis.

Mr. Emlen and Mr. Navazio write, “The recession has resulted in a decline in tax revenues available to support public services, ranging from public safety to education, social services and basic infrastructure.” However, the striking feature of the most serious problems in the city, is that they are of our own creation.

Council and City Get a Unique Introduction to Council Candidate Daniel Watts

By David GreenwaldMarch 21, 201085 comments

Those either in attendance on Tuesday night at the Davis City Council meeting or watching on TV got a unique introduction to Council Candidate Daniel Watts. In his ballot statement he states flatly that Davis City Government is broken and he will fix it. That may be a raison d’etre for the Davis Vanguard, however, Mr. Watts apparently has something very different in mind and he means it.

He states in his ballot statement, “Repeal unconstitutional ordinances banning “annoying” conduct and “bawdy” language (Municipal Code Sections 26.01.010 and 26.01.100).” Audiences on Tuesday would get a sense for exactly what Mr. Watts means by that. It turns out, according to City Attorney Harriet Steiner, he was at least partially correct.

Commentary: UC Davis Needs To Clear James Marchbanks Name

By David GreenwaldMarch 21, 20101 comments

Good piece by Marcos Breton this morning in the Sacramento Bee on James Marchbanks. Mr. Marchbanks if you recall was cleared in late January of wrongdoing in a case in which three students in his drama class claimed that he made a bomb threat.

He served four days in jail and faced an $150,000 bail. At the time of his release, the DA’s office did not file charges pending further investigation.

Month: March 2010