Measure I Protects Our Environment
by Andrew Fulks, Chad Roberts, Alan Pryor, and Bob Schneider
Davis residents value nature, our natural lands, and our farmlands. From the scenic geology and diverse biology of the Inner Coast Range, to the fertile farmlands around us, to the beautiful and productive wetlands to our east, we live in a unique place. Recognizing the value of these natural assets of our own and our children’s future, Davisites have always worked hard to protect these special places and to contribute to a sustainable and vibrant regional environment.
But all is not well! Davis relies on 20 wells for its water; 16 wells pump water from an intermediate depth aquifer while the remaining four are deep wells. The quality of drinking water we get from our intermediate depth wells is deteriorating. The intermediate wells themselves are aging and becoming less reliable. Mineral contaminants in the water drawn from these wells pass through our homes and the City’s wastewater treatment plant, and are showing up and accumulating in the wetlands east of Davis.
California’s violent crime rate has fallen steadily since 1992, including a 63% decrease from 1993 to 2011. However, budget pressures have forced California to re-think how they handle crime, and preliminary information from the FBI shows that both violent crime and property crime increased slightly in most large urban areas in the first six months of 2012.
Today’s question: Did anything at the water forum on Saturday cause you to change your vote or re-think your position?
Thanks to the brilliant Martin Luther King Day speech by Sujatha Baliga two weeks ago, many in this community got introduced to restorative justice processes. The use of restorative justice is actually quite unusual in a crime as serious as murder – but, in fact, it is increasingly being used in a variety of different situations.
By William Kopper, Michael Bartolic and Mark Siegler
By Vanguard Court Watch Interns
The People’s Vanguard of Davis and Davis Media Access sponsored a roundtable community forum on “Measure I,” also know as the Surface Water Project. DMA recorded the forum Sat., Feb. 2 from 1-3 p.m, in Community Chambers. Voters will have the opportunity to vote on Measure I in an all-mail only Special Election, March 5, 2013.
Things have really heated up on the campaign trail in the last week and I have received some interesting and pointed complaints from people on both sides of the issue – which basically tells me I’m doing my job.
Yesterday the news came down that Thaddeus Sonne was acquitted of the charge of rape, for an incident that happened last August in downtown Davis near the train depot. We had several reports that it was a very emotional moment for all involved.
Associate Superintendent Bruce Colby told the Vanguard late Thursday that he does not understand the accusation made by Michael Harrington, in the Yolo Ratepayers press release, that the school district is not paying its water bills.
By Brett Lee
By John Munn
Lawsuit is a Brilliant Political Tactic, Exposing the City’s Failure to Communicate – Let us be clear at the start – the lawsuit has almost no chance of succeeding in a court of law. The city probably is not tracking its expenses as closely as it perhaps should, something that City Attorney Harriet Steiner appeared to acknowledge in a statement to the local paper.
by Antoinnette Borbon 