Davis city officials met on Wednesday with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), as Assistant Police Chief Darren Pytel told the Vanguard that any homicide inside a licensed establishment triggers a review process that could trigger corrective action. A single incident of this magnitude is sufficient to lead to official notice.
The Vanguard received a records request from the city, showing there have been 525 calls for service since 2010 at KetMoRee, but Assistant Chief Pytel cautioned that the police have asked establishments like KetMoRee to call the police at the first sign of trouble, even on incidents that they might not normally consider necessary to do so.
From his perspective, bars are about the same as they were five years ago, but students are doing far less drinking than they had done in the past. Bars are no longer just catering to the students and that might be part of the problem. But if it is, it is not just at KetMoRee alone, although at this point it seems to be the most popular late night destination.
Mayor Dan Wolk told the Vanguard, “On behalf of the Davis community, our sympathies go out to the family and friends of Peter Gonzales, the 23-year-old who was fatally stabbed early Saturday
morning at KetMoRee Thai Restaurant and Bar.”
He added, “Right now our city is properly focused on making sure the police department has all the resources it needs to pursue this matter. But I do believe this must serve as a catalyst for a larger conversation in our community about the activities taking place in nightclubs late at night in our downtown.”
Mayor Pro Tem Robb Davis added, “I am awaiting action by the ABC since they are the entity that controls alcohol sales permits. Their action or inaction will determine to some extent what the City might consider.”
Darren Pytel told the Vanguard that the Davis Police Department is in the process of reviewing all incidents at all ABC licensed establishments in the Davis Downtown. They are working with all of the bars on the process, as the bars are concerned – none of them want to do something different from the others.
They were already scheduled to meet with the bar managers and bouncers on Wednesday night, even prior to Saturday’s incident.
City staff and city council at this point are considering their options. Assistant Chief Pytel said that, having been to a lot of meetings in the last few days, for the most part the meetings have been positive and people have not gone overboard in reaction to this incident. “They’re being very moderate, but willing to do something,” he said.
Darren Pytel blamed the problem on “multiple factors.” He said that the bar scene is “really weird,” where “one bar will suddenly become the most popular destination. It could be from the atmosphere inside to the type of music that’s played.” He said that bars seem to rotate in terms of popularity over the years. “KetMo seems to be at the top of the list for popularity right now, at least with this crowd that is kind of coming in from out of town,” he said.
He said they have seen increased problems with respect to that restaurant, “but I can say that all of the officers have told me that the staff that works at KetMo does a good job of dealing with the crowds, they handle the incidents inside their bar very well, they call the police anytime they feel it’s necessary.”
He added, “We actually tell them to call the police anytime they see anything that even could potentially be a problem.” He said, “They do call frequently, even before they see problems, just to make sure that nothing actually comes up.”
The point, he said, is when you look at the calls for service, some of that is “we’re telling them to call and they are not necessarily things that they would have called on their own volition.”
That said, Darren Pytel added, “We are still with a lot of problems there.” He said at KetMoRee and other locations that they are seeing more and more weapons. “We’ve taken more guns and knives off of people arrested in fights downtown,” he said. “We have kind of seen a change regarding escalation in weapons and violence over the past couple of years.”
Darren Pytel clarified that the calls for service have not suddenly doubled or tripled downtown, it’s always been busy. However, the nature of these incidents have escalated somewhat in the last few years.
One thing that he said has improved things is that the police made a conscientious effort to approve more businesses with ABC licenses in the downtown. “What we’re finding is that when you only have a couple of bars and then you have hundreds people standing in line, we were dealing with a lot of problems just with the people standing in line,” he said.
Contrary to what people may believe, the more people you get into a bar, because of the security inside, you actually reduce the problems. So having more places can be a better situation than having not enough space and having people waiting in line, angry that they aren’t inside, having fun.
“Downtown is actually more orderly now that we don’t have all of the long lines in front of some of the bars like we used to,” he said.
But KetMoRee is one of the places that still gets long lines in front. Darren Pytel said there are about five locations that they found in a preliminary search that account for a majority of the calls. KetMoRee is at the top of the list, but G Street Pub actually has only slightly less calls for service, with Tres Hermanas slightly behind those two.
The question is really at this point what can be done, and the answer right now is that the city is weighing its options.
“My hope is that the city will be able to sit down and have a dialogue with all establishments offering late night entertainment to discuss options,” Mayor Pro Tem Robb Davis said.
He added, “I would advocate for a ‘secondary prevention’ approach which would be to explore ways to remove weapons from the mix so that even if alcohol-related incidents cannot be fully eliminated, the risk of injury will be. I am also awaiting a report from staff on next steps in this regard.”
Clearly, this is an issue everyone wants to address, but for now calmer heads seem to be prevailing.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
““My hope is that the city will be able to sit down and have a dialogue with all establishments offering late night entertainment to discuss options,” Mayor Pro Tem Robb Davis said.
He added, “I would advocate for a “secondary prevention” approach which would be to explore ways to remove weapons from the mix so that even if alcohol-related incidents cannot be fully eliminated, the risk of injury will be. I am also awaiting a report from staff on next steps in this regard.”
As usual, Mayor Pro Tem Davis is offering a reasoned approach to addressing a multifaceted problem. I would hope that his approach would also include dialogue with other downtown establishments and non business neighbors directly affected by the night club activities to consider a broader range of view points as well as just the club owners and employees and police.
Are we talking about having metal detectors in downtown liquor serving establishments in Davis? Will I have to get wanded in order to buy a pizza at Woodstock’s?
BP
“Are we talking about having metal detectors in downtown liquor serving establishments in Davis? Will I have to get wanded in order to buy a pizza at Woodstock’s?:
Tongue in cheek second sentence of your post not withstanding, would that be so onerous if it saved an innocent life ?
So here we go again, if anything saved one life should we all give up our freedoms in order to do that? Do you want Davis to become a fearful society that everytime you entered a liquor establishment you had to stand in line and get wanded like you’re traveling at an airport? What would that say about Davis?
I find myself agreeing with BP here
Yes, Tia, it would be onerous. I always carry a knife (1-1/4 inch blade), and often carry a Leatherman that has a 2-1/2 inch blade. I carry these as tools, not weapons, but metal detectors cannot judge “intent”.
Since this conversation has spun (somewhat predictably) out of control let me make myself clear: my “secondary prevention” statement applies only to the late night club scene (that was the context of my comment in response to David’s question to me about what I would do about Ket Mo Ree and, by extension, the club scene) and I am not suggesting some form of weapons checks for entrance to all establishments serving or selling alcohol at all times. The conversation here is about a very particular situation that occurs late at night (one that I have had the opportunity to observe during a ride along with the police and several times since as a resident of the downtown).
The particular mix created in the downtown during the “club hours” is unique and may require unique solutions that need not apply at other times and places in town. As a public health professional I am taught to think about reasonable prevention activities to prevent harm. In this case I do not think it is going to be possible to remove the “matrix” that creates the environment in which the risk of injury is elevated (primary prevention). As a result I look for reasonable ways to remove weapons from the matrix.
To move from this narrow focus to statements that somehow such actions imply a move to limit civil liberties in this town is a leap that is unreasonable and one that, quite frankly, causes my head to spin.
Admit it Robb, you are trying to my nail clippers away.
I would not have a problem with the wand being used for the night clubs. Just go to a Kings game, or any concert these days. When there is a packed crowd of people coming in the door, it is customary – regardless if you like it or not – to have a security person check the inside of purses and scan everyone before allowing them to enter. This is especially a good idea when there is alcohol being served. Then they do the stupid thing and ask “are you carrying any weapons?”
Since this was a stabbing I guess all knives should be removed from these establishments.
There have been multiple theater shootings so let’s wand at Regal and Varsity too.
Interesting. This goes against my libertarian senses, so why am I okay with it?
I have two two-something boys that periodically end up at these places, and I want them to be safe. It is the outside element that decreases safety. I am willing to accept this since it is common and it would help increase the safety of young people attending these events.
Come on Frankly, everything we do involves some risks. Do you want a society where we live in fear. Your kids would be safer too if we install speed bumps every 100 yards on streets all over town. There’s no end.
Notice how the “outside element” was ignored? There was also a reference to the crowd … and that there are less students.
It should be easy for the DPD to sort their database to find out what percentage of troublemakers are from in town, and from out of town.
It sounds to me like they’re moving slowly ~ if another violent crime happens in the near future. The officer says we can’t change “the matrix” – I still say well-publicized DUI checkpoints would serve several purposes:
1. Reduce the numbers a little (young people aren’t stupid)
2. Reduce some of the troublemakers / gang bangers
3. Troublemakers who still chose to come to Davis may leave their knives / guns in their vehicles
4. Knuckleheads who are caught with weapons / under the influence will be pulled of the road, may avoid Davis in the future, and word will get out
TBD: Actually it would be extremely difficult for the PD to do that. It’s a probably we have with all sorts of a data in a college town. Most students have their permanent addresses on their licenses. The PD would show that a large percentage of calls for service are from out of the area, but would not be able to screen out UCD students. The other problem is unless they actually issue a citation or make an arrest, they may never get to the point where they ask for ID.
How does a restaurant adopting a policy that says you are not allowed to bring in weapons go against your libertarian senses? In this instance no one is stopping anyone from carrying weapons, the business owner is just saying you can’t bring weapons inside my establishment. Not defending their right to make and enforce this policy, would seem in my mind to go against your libertarian senses.
You seem conformable banning people who choose to decorate their face, if anything that idea should mortify any so called libertarian.
I hear you. There are trade-offs for everything. It is not that I like the fact that people would invade my privacy before allowing me to enter, it is just that it is common these days. Davis is a bit of a bubble. It is surrounded by communities that generate aggressive and violent people. Some fear is justified…. especially since Davis liberals are also demanding we reduce law enforcement and criminal punishment across the state.
Very good point that makes me feel better. Thank you.
Huh?
More thugs and gang bangers.
So Frankly, when I, as a women, purposed this idea that other day it was dismissed by you as a “half-baked” solution, based on an emotional response, that was going to create more problems then it solved. But when a man, proposes the same things its a good idea. Typical.
I did not say that the wand was a half-baked solution. I have no problem with the process of checking people at the door. But there is the point that fists can be deadly weapons too. This isn’t a full solution to the problem… that was my only point.
hpierce
And how often do you find that you have needed these as tools when you are out at a night club ? Could they not be left locked in your car during your excursion to your local nightclub, or if you forgot you had them, could they not be checked in at the door ? How onerous would that really be ?
Why not have half of us monitor the other half, and alternate days? Just think, we could have subsidies for gov’t service too!
Is the ‘nightclub’ aspect of these establishments drawing more out of towners, of causing the increase in issues in the past 5 years. I admit I don’t know what ‘happens’ at the magic hour to turn the restaurant into a nightclub…but maybe the music and dancing aspects?
Tragic no matter what; I cannot fathom what the family must be going through now at this time meant for their celebration.
As one who spends a fair amount of time in saloons, and relies on their security people to protect me and my band members (and a few bucks worth of gear), I’m going to nip at the hand that feeds me.
I like lively audiences. Though it may sound romantic, coming from this old curmudgeon, my favourite part of performing is watching couples on the dance floor, hearing the embarrassed laughter at some intimate joke as they twirl by and breathing in the aroma of perfume and sweat and alcohol and in the old days cigarette smoke. I have spent close to two thousand nights in such establishments and they feel like home to me.
The one element common to the nights that were spoiled by violence, was over-serving of booze. Some places, I expect it and frankly carry cheaper guitars and wear track shoes. I know that the ABC has some clear rules about serving intoxicated customers and I also know most bar owners/bartenders ignore them. A program to train bar staff on who to serve and when to cut them off might do some good.
;>)/
“A program to train bar staff on who to serve and when to cut them off might do some good.”
Or how about some objective criteria so that there is no dependence upon the astute observational skills or potential conflict of interest with the profit motive ?
Sure Tia, lets calculate everyone’s BMI before they can get a drink. For someone involved in health care to cast aspersions on the profit motive is hilarious.
;>)/
Even BMI wouldn’t work… there is a huge variation in tolerance and behavioral results between individuals with same BMI. Some folk become beligerent drunks, others tend to mellow (or even get sleepy).
hpierce
True enough. But we have an objective criteria already in use ( the breathalyzer) which police have a long history of using successfully to assess the blood alcohol level of drivers. It takes less than one minute to complete as I well know having had police decide they needed me to do it, not once, but twice as the passenger !
BP
“So here we go again, if anything saved one life should we all give up our freedoms in order to do that? Do you want Davis to become a fearful society that everytime you entered a liquor establishment you had to stand in line and get wanded like you’re traveling at an airport? What would that say about Davis?”
Interesting that you chose this analogy. I recently traveled outside the country. As part of the security process I was randomly pulled out of line having been selected for a higher level of security. I had my hands tested for traces of explosives. I am 63, female and Caucasian. I had no contraband and no suspicious looking equipment or weapons on me ( as has sometimes been the case in the past, equipment, not weapons) and yet because of 911, we as a society have chosen to spend millions of dollars and hours of delay to perform these random searches in the name of security and safety. My preference would be to have neither wanding in Davis nor random and completely inexplicable process in the name of security at our airports. However, I do believe in an evidence based approach to problem solving and would like to see some rational basis for decision making rather than just a don’t step on my rights mantra.
Please note that my comment was not a demand, but rather a suggestion that we as a society reconsider our priorities, consistently place the value of life over the value of one’s right to drink until too messed up to think rationally or the right of a business owner to increase their profits by promoting the former behavior.
My gosh, is there no end to your hubris and impertinence? No one has asserted any of those “rights” you made up. You have no basis to claim the owner of any business promotes drunken murder. You are no less callous than the “right to lifers” you so often decry.
;>)/
More proof how screwed up our PC security processes are.
I believe we’ve had over 1 billion domestic passenger trips over several decades and never has an American tried to blow up a plane.
We could learn a lot from the Israelies and Chinese, but Israel is a small country. We have so many flights.
Sorry to only be the annoying grammar police…
“but G Street Pub actually has only slightly less calls for service”
Should be: fewer calls.
Trying to see where anything in this article would cause me to correct anything that I already wrote on this topic. Nothing apparent.
I posed that as a question, but then Assistant Chief Pytel says it is the waiting in line that causes the stress levels to build and problems to occur. And so those that demand we shut down KetMoRee would contribute to this problem… something else I pointed out.
My main point was that there are a mass of people all bunched up together and that is causing the problem. Open more establishments that are larger and there will be fewer people waiting in line and fewer problems.
You have not made your case that I was materially wrong on anything I wrote.
Not sure I agree with Chief’s full take.
The fight occurred inside the club, as well as the stabbing.
I’m with Robb.
I would recommend restaurants check for weapons during the time in which the have converted to a make-shift nightclubs. In the meantime, I think I’m going to avoid downtown on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, it sounds like it is getting a little too sketchy.
I knew someone years ago that was black-listed from Disney Land. He tried to go back again, and they ID’ed him at the gate and would not allow him in. That was over 20 years ago.
There is technology for scanning a license/ID to match to a database to blacklist people that have previously caused trouble. http://www.securityinfowatch.com/product/10524698/easylobby-inc-drivers-license-scanner
This would help in two ways… one, as an incentive to NOT cause trouble. Two, to keep the troublemakers out.
They are using this in many school districts to allow/deny access to the school grounds.
Maybe this is a solution we can pursue. Have the city contribute and the restaurants contribute to this as a shared system. Maybe this is a good use for the $1.7 million in money sitting in city accounts from our previous Cable franchise payments.
Even though this idea is not fully baked (I guess you are the only one allowed to make these types of suggestions;-) I think it has some merit.
Now, now… I see what you are doing.
This is a half-baked solution. Different than an idea to start talking to people to get ideas.
Both are useful recommendations to pursue, but not in the same category.
Note that I had moved passed half-baked discovery mode and actually made a half-baked solution proposal. I even checked to see that the technology existed and noted how it was being used.
So basically when you present something its a “half-baked” solution. When I do, its an idea?
Note, when I suggested doing a weapons check the other day, I also did internet research and found that it was pretty easy to get a handheld wand to do this, and I spoke to a friend of my whose husband works as a bartender, who informed me that bars in Sacramento do this routinely. But yeah you are right, totally sounds half-baked, and based on my inability to control my emotions.
Please take the time to find my exact quotes that you are complaining about. Otherwise you are just being emotional about this.
With proper evidence I will be happy to fall upon my sword.
You might wish to stop telling people they are being emotional about things.
I’m too busy crying, if I can calm down enough I’ll go back and take a look.
“But KetMoRee is one of the places that still gets long lines in front. Darren Pytel said there are about five locations that they found in a preliminary search that account for a majority of the calls. KetMoRee is at the top of the list, but G Street Pub actually has only slightly less calls for service, with Tres Hermanas slightly behind those two.
The question is really at this point what can be done, and the answer right now is that the city is weighing its options.”
This confirmed what I had heard/read somewhere, that KetMoRee was the establishment that was the most problematic for police calls, bar fights, etc. I am glad to see the City Council and Davis PD as well as ABC assessing the situation, to determine if more can be done to make the situation safer in downtown Davis at night. What concerns me is the city of Davis is getting a reputation as a nighttime party destination for the wrong element, much like what happened in regard to Picnic Day and the Whole Earth Festival. Davis citizens and UCD students who live here are having to avoid certain activities because we don’t feel safe in our own town.
Anon, Anon, Anon.
You are in spin-doctor mode. The Assistant Chief qualified this that KetMoRee calls more often and is well managed. He was clear that KetMoRee calls more often, not that they have more incidents. You seem to have it out for that restaurant for some reason.
And, the main thing that is bringing in the outside element is congregating college girls. I attended high school in Dixon (a long time ago) and met and married the Davis girl of my dreams. Even back then that was what most young males in the area talked about… going to Davis on Thursday, Friday or Saturday to meet girls.
Interesting too… the percentage of females attending college has been increasing while the number of males has been decreasing. So part of the problem we see with more outsiders coming here can be explained by local population demographic changes and biology.
There’s a good solution, make UCD all male.
Ha!
I think unless it is 100% male, you would see more male fights over the low supply of females.
Yup.
Biddlin
“No one has asserted any of those “rights” you made up.”
Multiple posters have suggested that they believe that this violates their rights to freely purchase alcoholic beverages and /or the rights of club owners to pursue profit. I am demanding absolutely nothing. I am not aware that stating my belief that an evidence based approach which is what we use for DUI assessment might be appropriate is either hubristic or impertinent.
“.. we as a society reconsider our priorities, consistently place the value of life over the value of one’s right to drink until too messed up to think rationally or the right of a business owner to increase their profits by promoting the former behavior.”
Deflection, thy name is Tia.
Many have said they consider a body search to buy a pint of lager excessive. That would be consistent with US culture and values, across a vast spectrum of political, ethnic, social and religious groups. No one is placing buying a beer above a human life. We are just being humans. The owners of a business are there to make a profit. You seem to oppose that at every turn. You have no evidence that the bar contributed to the crime in question or not, but don’t let facts distract you from your prejudices.
;>)/
Anon
“ike what happened in regard to Picnic Day and the Whole Earth Festival.”
I also see the similarity between this situation and those events. This gives me cause for hope since with regard to both Picnic Day and Whole Earth, the worst of the behaviors seem to have improved over the last few years which has been dependent upon the voluntary willingness of businesses to curtail the worst excesses of their sales behaviors in favor of a safer day and evening.
This is every Thursday – Saturday night 11pm – 2am, but is quite localized to the downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.
Yeah , WAY TOO calm of heads.
The police seem to be apologizing on behalf of the the bars. Are they afraid of losing overtime for the officers if the scene goes away?
Your heels are dug in so far you might fall over backwards.
I see the bars as the victims here.
Ahhh… the ‘victim mentality’.
Corporate victim mentality.
Similar to corporate welfare.
“Ohhhhhhhhh! The poor bars! Ohhhhhhhh!”
Interesting that Frank Lee sees mega-profit being hindered on the same level homeless activists see any effort to reduce the ability to squat downtown as infringements of rights. Both extremes are unwell.
“mega profit”?
Since when did any small business restaurant in Davis make mega-profit?
The problem we seem to have is that not everyone can land a cushy, politically-correct government job where they can use their work time and work computer to endlessly demonize private business.
Does any small business make a “mega profit”?
Frankly could comment on this. I was once working for a $70 M a year private firm which was just bought. I was talking with the CFO, and he said, “We don’t make a lot of profits… we have never had more than $400,000 in the bank. The time you make money is when you sell a business.”
I know there are tax write offs… I know the VPs all had company cars, but that was part of the requirement of the marketplace. We had universally old computers and we really timed when it was wise to buy new computers (75-100) due to tax implications, and money flow (for lack of a better term). There didn’t seem to be any magic pot of money laying around, we were always looking at ways to save money and economize.
“Barack Palin
September 24, 2015 at 10:05 am
There have been multiple theater shootings so let’s wand at Regal and Varsity too.”
Actually, they do check for weapons at movie theaters now. If you bring a backpack or purse, they check them for weapons at the door.
Not good enough, too easy to sneak a weapon in on your body or in a jacket. We need to go full monty.
Be sure to include cavity searches.
“Frankly
September 24, 2015 at 10:10 am
Anon, Anon, Anon.
You are in spin-doctor mode. The Assistant Chief qualified this that KetMoRee calls more often and is well managed. He was clear that KetMoRee calls more often, not that they have more incidents. You seem to have it out for that restaurant for some reason.
And, the main thing that is bringing in the outside element is congregating college girls.”
UCD college girls have been present long before these problems occurred. It wasn’t until the development of the nightclub scene, Picnic Day as a drinkfest, bringing a nighttime DJ to the Whole Earth Festival, etc., that things started going really bad in Davis at night. If KetMoRee has more police calls than any other establishment, it isn’t a stretch in logic to assume they have more problems than any other establishment. How many deaths/assaults have occurred at KetMoRee versus other establishments. I’m sure ABC and the city will be looking at the statistics.
Uh, yes it is a stretch. Read it again. KetMoRee calls at the first blush of a potential problem to get help from the cops to prevent the problem.
With your logic here we should demonize all those inner city schools for the higher number of incidents from their customers. Why is it that some people gravitate to blaming private institutions for the bad behavior of people?
It is possible… probably… the KetMoRee has done everything right. Followed every one of the copious rules they are demanded to follow… and have excellent business processes and well-trained management and staff. From this article, it seems that the Police are not considering KetMoRee being non-compliant.
500 calls sounds like a huge number, but that is 100 per year, so 2 calls per week. If half of those are “cautious” calls (following DPD requests), it puts in in perspective.
That is one way to look at it.
On the other hand when you consider that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are the three most heavily attended days of the week, on average two out of every three of those result in at least a police call.
I’m going with Frankly on this one. Sounds like KetMoRee was taking pro-active measures by calling the police at the first sign of potential problems. I don’t think they should be punished for this, although its a less then ideal solution.
The current bar scene downtown IS the problem.
Back in the mid 80s there were ~20,000 students, and maybe 2 active bars? Mr. Bs downtown, and The Grad on Russell. I think I saw one fight in all my years out on the town in Davis.
It looks like there are a lot more bars / nightclubs… yes, the “club scene”… did the city ever consciously try to create this, or they just let it happen over time?
What would the city have done to let it happen over time?
Maybe this is the tipping point to get the club scene “in check” like Picnic Day.
Regular patrons with common sense can tell when a crowd turns to the negative. Young ladies and men know to leaver early – 11;00, 11:30, 12:00, to avoid trouble. Clubs go from hot, to busy, to crowded, and then the knuckleheads find out and ruin the scene. The average life span of most clubs is very short (I’m told) for this reason.
You seem to ignore MacArthur Park, Larry Blakes (with Rathskeller), the Club (scene of many fights), etc. The first burned to the ground ‘mysteriously’. They were around in the mid-late 70’s, and I seem to remember Blakes and The Club still in existence in the early-mid ’80’s. Also in the 80’s was the Paragon. Also a scene of fights and at least one death due to acute alcohol poisoning.
Wasn’t there a bar named “Antique Bazaar” at one time, or am I getting that confused with some other community?
Yep. https://localwiki.org/davis/Antique_Bizzare
Thanks Don! As memories fade thank the lord for Google and Wikis!
Honestly, just let the local economy handle this place. I’m sure that many people will be dissuaded from going into KetMoRee based on the tragic event that unfolded there.
Proof that there is a lot more risk of harm with a greater concentration of humanity into a space.
An argument against the Tracksidescraper.
(And don’t even try to call me anti-development, you know that won’t stick. Anyone who doesn’t agree with any and all development proposed is not anti-development.)
Support opening peripheral land for development and peripheral retail?
i’m glad the assistant chief is neither calling for banning facial tattoos at bars nor calling for an 11 pm closure of bars. the latter would be particularly stupid given it would force students to drive out of town to go drinking, increasing the number of dui’s.
CASE INFORMATION UPDATE
Information garnered from the Solano County online case information system; no password or funds required for access.
1. The Sandeno family name has 76 entries, Zachary Sandeno appears to be the most prolific.
2. It looks like Zachary & Joseph will be busy next month in a Jury trial from a 2014 alleged crime.
3. Zachary Sandeno had a Felony in 2012. ($25,000 bond)
4. There are hundreds of cases for Contreras, 12 for Martyn Alex Contreras.
5. Contreras just had a case filed the 25th of last month. Juvenile case purged, Felony in 2013 (dismissed, $35,000 bond); 2013 – a second Felony Dismissed (see below).
“RECEIVED FROM CENTER FOR INTERVENTION RE: WEAPONS VIOLATION PROGRAM / CERTIFICATE PLACED IN FILE…dwol”
6. Contreras – 2011 – Felony – Dismissed.
A more experienced individual may be able to garner more information from this site.
http://courtconnect.solano.courts.ca.gov/courtconnect/ck_public_qry_cpty.cp_personcase_setup_idx
David: You’ve reported three of the five biggest problem spots. What are the other two?
Suggest an extra municipal tax on businesses that want to stay open past 10:00 and serve lots of alcohol.
Right now the community is subsidizing the over-consumption of municipal services that these establishments require.
how do you know that? how do you know that those entities don’t bring back substantial money in sales tax revenues?
I don’t. A cost-benefit analysis would be a great idea.
Sales tax is not a “fee for service”. It is a true tax. Contributing sales tax does not entitle the payer to make sure the get their “money’s worth”.
Those businesses are taxed to the hilt by both the Fed and the state, and their sales are taxed by the city. And if you are a Dem, your business-hostile state legislature is already gearing up to add more taxes. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2015/09/california-law-to-tax-cocktails-bars-bonilla-sf.html
I’m not saying that this idea lacks complete merit, it just needs to be a decision made in consideration of what these businesses already pay in the permission economy.
Besides, without all this stuff going on Davis cops would be bored working the night shift.
Frankly
“I’m not saying that this idea lacks complete merit,”
So if you are not saying that the idea lacks complete merit, then why the needless partisan swipe at Democrats ?
My point is/was that since Democrats are taxing everything to death, there are fewer options for local communities to apply a tax to solve some problem.
“My point is/was that since Democrats are taxing everything to death, there are fewer options for local communities to apply a tax to solve some problem.”
Taxing everything to death. Now there is a graphic piece of hyperbole. I do not see asking for money to pay for the goods and services that people expect from their government is causing any deaths of those who have enough money to be taxed. In order to say that taxes are “too high” at any level of government, one has first to have decided what the appropriate taxation would be. When you have made your declaration of how much tax is the appropriate amount at each level of government and also posted your justification for how you arrived at that dollar amount, it would be possible to make a determination of whether or not one is in agreement with you. “Taxing to death” is obviously neither a factual nor an objective statement from you who has claimed in the past to be objective to a fault.
The Laffer Curve: http://www.laffercenter.com/the-laffer-center-2/the-laffer-curve/
Today in California a business owner can easily be in the position where her next dollar earned will be taxed greater than 50%. This then destroys the incentive to go earn that next dollar. Why put your savings at risk and work all those extra hours to try to grow and start a business when you will be giving more than half of it back to fund Tia’s utopia? Why not chill and take more vacations… in fact, travel to places where you can attend a conference and earn the business tax write-off?
Yes, people are being taxed to death because the current tax rates and tax code and regulatory climate (more “taxing”) are hostile to business starts and growth and so we don’t have enough job growth and people are dying from lack of income to pay their humongous Obamacare insurance deductibles.
The point being made there is that the politicians at the Fed, the State and the county… they are all trying to milk more out of people to pay for the giant mess they have made and are still making. And so you and other local tax-and-spend types need to consider the dream of “rich people” tax increases in this larger context.
Wage earners like yourself have a lazy view of taxation, because you don’t really have a choice for what you make. But then why don’t you go start a private practice or clinic that would hire more people? Some people do, but more and more people do not because the risks and returns don’t pencil out in consideration of high taxes.