By Crescenzo Vellucci
Vanguard Sacramento Bureau
DAVIS/SACRAMENTO – Skipping class used to be something that got you in hot water. But this past Friday, to millions of students around the world – including those in Davis and Sacramento – skipping class was a matter of life and death.
Good defense lawyers could argue the students were not guilty because of a “defense of necessity” – that is, being truant was necessary to prevent a greater harm: the destruction of the planet.
Friday, millions of people, most of them young, rallied as part of a Climate Strike Friday in cities across the planet, and Davis and Sacramento were no different with more than a 1,000 people in each city – most of them students – striking.
In Davis, according to environmental organizer Nick Buxton, a Climate Strike March stretched for blocks from the Central Library to Central Park. Marlen Garcia, one of the key organizers of the action, shouted out the names of different schools with students who skipped class, including the schools of Cesar Chavez, Patwin, Holmes, DHS and De Vinci.
The throng honored the land on which they marched, that of the Patwin people, with Celia Murillo leading. And then a moment of silence to remember the victims of climate change – those in Texas, Puerto Rico, and Paradise.
Loud chants filled the air along the march route, including “Hey, hey, ho, ho, fossil fuels have got to go,” and “Our planet, our future” and “No Planet B,” while there was a block of animals that face extinction because of climate change, a giant extinction puppet and a block of solutions, including solar power, wind, people power.
The march stopped just outside the offices of the DJUSD and City Council where Emma Larson and Sumaya Buxton presented a letter to both councils as well as a marked rock so that they remember the climate strike and act on it.
(NOTE: SEE THE TEXT OF THE LETTER AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY)
And there was street theatre, a play performed by schoolkids where animals went extinct, but protestors pushed back extinction to save planet and animals.
“We all here have a heartbeat that we share with each other. We share a heartbeat with communities in Texas suffering from intense flooding, with those suffering from Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. We share a heartbeat with California wildfire victims who have been California’s climate refugees. We share a heartbeat with the trees and animals burning in the Amazon. We share a heartbeat with the indigenous and marginalized communities who fought so hard, and have often been the most affected,” said sixteen-year-old DHS student Amber Crenna-Armstrong.
She noted that “All these issues affect every single person, no matter where you live or who you are. We are all here today because we recognize the importance of life on this planet, we see the danger it is in and we have each chosen to take responsibility to protect and celebrate human, animal and plant life on Earth. Our Earth is 4.5 billion years old and in just the past 200 years we have sickened the Earth to the point of extinction
“We as youth are all too aware of the 10 year deadline our Earth has placed for a possibility to halt climate change. In 10 years, I will be 26. Many children here will be 15, 16, 20… it is devastating to see our future so threatened by such an addressable issue.
“We are calling to you – our parents, our community members, our government officials and especially corporations (who are most responsible for climate change) – for immediate recognition and action and against climate change. Until our local, national and global leaders address these demands, they should know that we are waiting and watching your actions. And know that here today, as a collective we are taking responsibility for our actions in order to protect our future,” she said.
AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN SACRAMENTO, about 1,000 people rallied, and politicians made the usual promises. But it was the youth who stole the show. And out-and-out challenged politicos.
“Dear politicians, I am terrified,” said Supriya Patel, 13, outside the Capitol’s West Steps. She’s the founder of the Sacramento chapter of Fridays For Future
“The climate crisis is right here and right now. The clock is ticking on the climate emergency. There is still time…(We) demand systemic change and transition away from fossil fuels. One way or another our movement will win,” she said, and quoting Swedish youth activist Greta Thunberg, 16 (a year ago she began skipping school Fridays to protest the government’s lack of action on climate crisis: “Change is coming whether you like it or not.”
“The decision is yours,” said Patel, speaking directly to the members of the legislature and Governor at the Capitol. “Will you speak up and protect your constituents, or will you choose bowing down to corporate interests, being spineless, and scolded by a 13-year-old girl,” Patel asked.
California officials did offer something, announcing Friday they had taken steps to help fighting the climate emergency. But it wasn’t nearly enough for the youth, and older, activists at the Capitol.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday he had signed an executive order directing the nearly $400 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the $237 billion California State Teachers’ Retirement System to “shift” investments away from fossil fuels, he stopped far short of doing what climate activists are clamoring for – pure and complete divestment from all fossil fuels.
TEXT OF LETTER SENT TO DJUSD, CITY COUNCIL AND YOLO COUNTY BOARD
20 September 2019
Dear Davis Joint Unified Leadership, Superintendent Bowles and Trustees Poppenga, Pickett, Adams, DiNunzio and Fernandes,
The youth of Davis, following the lead of people all over the world, are declaring that we have a climate emergency on our hands. Our precious planet is dying, and everyone is being affected by it. We are writing this letter to you, the leaders of our community, demanding that you lead the change. Davis is a very environmentally aware city and we are grateful for that. However, we are not talking enough about these issues in school and some kids don’t even know what’s going on in our world. Not enough is getting done in our country and our world about these catastrophes and so we need cities, districts, states and countries to start doing more to lead the change.
This crisis is making animals go into extinction and they can never be regained. People in frontline communities are dying and losing their homes and, most importantly, we are killing ourselves and our Mother Earth! Citizens hear about these catastrophes as they happen and then they forget about them, so we need a way to remember! We need reminders, memorials, a physical memory of each disaster and each extinction so that we do not forget!
This is really frightening for us; we constantly hear about the impacts of climate change, we feel the earth changing, we breathe the smoke, and we cannot understand why the adults and the leaders are not stepping in and making changes. This climate crisis robs us of our childhoods. Instead of being able to enjoy this precious time, when we are relatively free of responsibilities, we now have to step into adult positions. As a matter of fact, we are standing up to adults. It is both hugely unfair and wrong that the children of the world feel forced to take a stand due to the neglect and irresponsible behavior of the adults in power and those leading our communities worldwide.
The leaders of the world are not taking the climate crisis seriously and some refuse to even acknowledge its existence. We need the caring and responsible adults in our community to hold these leaders accountable to take vital steps to save our planet. The change we so desperately need is not happening fast enough! So, we, the youth of Davis, CA, the parents, and our Mother Earth, demand that the adults running our community, our state, and our country, step up and face the greatest challenge of our time; climate destruction.
The City of Davis has made the commitment to Net Zero Emissions by 2030. We now demand that the district do the same. We also want the City to find new ways to reduce CO2 emissions now! We want to see steps being taken as soon as possible!
We must change the mental focus from “me” to “we”. We all live here together; we have to care for each other and for our Mother Earth. The sacrifice, if any, is worth it! We need to have a healthy home when we grow up and when our children grow up. Please help us make this possible! As Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “The time is always right to do the right thing.”
With that said, we have provided an “asks” list. This list is very specific about the expectations of our Davis community members. In accomplishing what is on the list, we will be taking vital steps towards becoming Net Zero. We need you to step up and do the right thing, for us and for the future children to come. If not for your own – then for the animals, plants, and people dying in our hands.
List of Asks for Davis Joint Unified School District
- Make our school district run on 100% clean and renewable energy through Valley Clean Energy ASAP.
- Currently the plans to build two new $9.2 million Multi-Purpose rooms at Birch Lane and Cesar Chavez do not include solar panels. Fix this! Consider ways to make the construction of new buildings eco-friendly!
- Upgrade energy inefficient buildings.
- Have tasty and meat-free meals 2 days a week on school campuses.
- Provide energy efficient public transportation to schools and around town.
- Create bus service to pick up kids from Woodland.
- Create bus or van service for charter schools that pull beyond neighborhood schools.
- Implement of bike education programs in every school.
- Improve bicycle paths around the city.
- Commit to Net Zero Emissions by 2030.
- Reduce single use plastics.
- Divest with the few very large financial institutions that underwrite fossil fuel projects.
- Improve bike parking on all campuses so kids bikes don’t get stolen.
I wonder how many student, other protesters arrived to the protest sites in GHG emitting vehicles… whatever. “It’s all for the kids”, right? No chance of slight hypocrisy, right?
Didn’t they walk out from school?
“Walked out”, or walked out? They met at the Library on Fourteenth and walked to Central Park. (Emptyprize account).
So, kids from Pioneer, Patwin, Emerson, Korematsu, Birch Lane, Harper walked to Stephens Library, to Central Park, and back? Good exercise. Really?
I have no idea who went.
But I would also point out you’re making an issue out of someone peeing in the ocean rather than dumping in the waters down the shore.
By that I mean, the individual contribution to GHG is minimal, but the macro level is where the fight needs to be. Without dealing with the fight at the macro level, we are not making an impact anyway.
6 billion individual contributions to GHG are de minimus?
Then, as Alfred E Neuman might opine, “why worry”?
Why should Davis residents have only the option of using electrical energy, when much of that energy is generated by GHG sources, and then at a loss of energy content (a law of thermodynamics, and a fact)?
I was there with my grandson…and yes, we made a point of biking there. There were a LOT of bikes at the library/Vet’s Memorial area that day. I’m optimistic that spending that time with our impassioned youth will inspire many of us to avoid using our cars whenever possible.
I rode a JUMP bike over there. Then, I rode a JUMP bike back home. Hard to believe that people really do understand the implications of our fossil based transportation system isn’t it?
Good for you. Seriously.
Very pragmatic and well-considered list. I suggest the school board turn the response to this into an ongoing agenda/action item for meetings. Some of the ‘asks’ would require budget discussion, others are more long-term planning issues, and some are probably already underway (bike education, for example). But if the board established a climate action subcommittee they could formulate a response and develop ongoing strategies.
I would add that they should partner with TREE Davis to plant more trees on all the campuses.
There is definitive evidence the all these events were caused by climate change? How about rain, hurricane and PG&E?
Here’s a factoid on Texas: “The Great Galveston Storm of Sept. 8–9, 1900, was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history in terms of human life. Loss of life has been estimated at 6,000 to 8,000, but the exact number has never been determined.”
If you really want to make these kids feel like they did something, PUNISH THEM for skipping class.
As I recall, all great protests included risks of, or actual consequences (aka punishment)… Civil Rights movement in the US, for ex.
Folk died/got injured in the CR movement… for this protest, it is assumed not even a detention, essay, call to parent(s), nada… and some teachers, administrators apparently got a Ferris Bueller day off as well, to supervise the protest (good, in itself) without needing to deal with their normal duties, being paid the same as if they were… what didn’t get done?
Civil disobedience (including but not limited to shutting down a significant collector street, and requiring diversion of PD resources otherwise being deployed ‘on-task’) without risk of consequences… well that gets to another thread about events @ Slide Hill Park near Whole Foods…
Add the GHG contributions from PD vehicles to the ‘spreadsheet’… and unavailability of PD resources…
That’s why I suggested a ‘Teach-In’ day… likely more effective in the long run, cheaper in the short-term… gee, isn’t that what climate change action is about? Long term?
What this “teaches” is that civil disobedience is EASY. That the civil rights movement was EASY. That there are NO CONSEQUENCES. And when did the kids make those butterfly wings? Was that IN CLASS? If so, are the teachers ENABLING the so-called “WALK OUT”???
The woman in Sweden is actually walking out — actually disobeying. Actually taking the consequences. The school district here is all but making this a field trip. Teaching there are no consequences, no effort. Imagine when they grow up and get pepper sprayed or maced? Are they going to cry “no fairs”???!
And what about the kids who don’t agree? Are they in class, at the lake? Or on a pro-life march? After all, they believe abortion is murder, so isn’t that an “emergency” to them? Do they also get a free absence from school?
That is the perennial question…how much punishment is appropriate for doing the right and moral thing? How much should we have punished civil rights marchers, or lunch counter sit-ins? How much punishment to mete out to Rosa Parks for violating the bus seating law? Wrong side of history, Alan.
Oh, BE SERIOUS, DH! We don’t get to go back and rewrite history. There was no ‘should have’ with civil rights . . . people were being punished for protesting unjust laws, as per the reality of the time — there is no ‘should have’.
The problem is that this is being billed as a ‘walk out’ by students, when clearly it is being orchestrated by politically like-minded school employees who are acting like the kids are doing something brave and noble, when in fact if the kids are doing this, they should just DO IT and take the hit for the absence. THEN, I would respect the kids walking out. As it is, this is a bad joke with butterfly wings.
I’m as serious as a heart attack about calling out immoral laws and not punishing people who take a moral stand. Things are never a problem in the present for some people. Just go back to sleep and don’t pay attention to that thing over there. All manner of things are legal long after they are discredited on moral grounds. Adolph Hitler made it illegal to protest, but some people tried to kill him. Punish them. Women couldn’t vote and were beaten when they demonstrated. Punish them. The apartheid system in South Africa was supported by Ronnie Reagan until he couldn’t anymore because of massive civil disobedience and sacrifice all around the world. Punish them. I mean, Alan, it goes on and on and on. Hunkering down and doubling down on bad policy, bad laws is morally weak if comfortable. Protecting your privileged existence may feel right to you, but it isn’t working for everyone else.
I think you left out China, India and Russia . . . to name a few.
It isn’t – ish, a bad list. Lots of transportation-related, which isn’t common. But ‘comon, seriously? Are kids really that thrilled about riding buses around town? Is Yolo Bus ever actually going to run the 42 more often than once an hour on a lop-de-loop around town, and requiring a 3-hour tour of West Sac?
And seriously, who wrote this? Do 8-year-old know what divestment is?
And the BIG QUESTION — how many of these kids got DRIVEN to school? You selfish, scared, helicopter-hypocrit parents who won’t let their children bike to school, and passed helmet laws so they won’t bike to school, and cause traffic jams twice a day around the schools burning fossil fuels, while you take kids off bikes and make all kids more at-risk because so many less kids out there.
IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE riding bicycles en masse — so much that the cars would have to trundle around at 15mph and the BICYCLES RULE THE STREETS of DAVIS. You want to make a difference in climate, helicopter-hypocrite parents? STOP DRIVING YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL. They might also end up LESS FAT.
More filling!
9.46 on a scale of 10.
Tone it down please, Alan.
Tone it down in what sense? Don’t say what I mean? Or less all-caps? Or don’t expose probably the simplest way for people to really cut down on their carbon footprint daily in this town, simply be having kids get to school as they did for centuries until the soccer-mom-van boom of the 2000’s?
I take it you aren’t giving me a score below the 9.46 WM gave me . . .
Please stop using all caps, and please don’t be rude.
As someone who worked with Jonathan Flecker (first designated Traffic Engineer for City) to investigate traffic concerns @ L/Drexel, where parents said they HAD (note, all CAPS) to drive their Jr High students, as it was unsafe for them to walk or ride bikes to school because of the car TRAFFIC (ibid), the videos we gathered made it abundantly clear that the traffic was 96.78% related to the parents driving their precious charges to school… I remember Jonathan and I laughing and thinking of Walt Kelly, and Pogo, who said, “We have met the enemy, and it is us…” STRONG (ibid) wisdom.
You may differ with Alan’s delivery method, but he is speaking much truth… but some can’t handle the TRUTH (ibid) …
And I find use of ALL CAPS, to be less offensive than those who try to link every subject to their PET agendas…
Just saying…
WM, my favorite post from you ever, on several levels . . . especially the PET, and “we have met the enemy . . . “.
Alan, your tone seems to be at odds with what you are writing, or maybe I’m misinterpreting. Sounds like you are totally supporting the demands put forward by the Climate Strikers. The benefits of making it more of a pain to drive cars does mean a better life for our kids. In the Sacramento Bee today is a report that in the latest statistics (2016) for Sacramento, 40 children under 15 were killed or injured as pedestrians and another 16 killed or injured while biking. Sacramento expanded rapidly during the 1960s and early 1970s when driving was the central idea for all development. They are now paying the price. Our own Mace Blvd. controversy is Sacramento in miniature for our tiny town right here. A peripheral development designed with no services so that people were encouraged or required to drive. Never to late to make positive change and the breath of fresh air from our kids is one we should take in deeply.
It would be better to encourage the shopping centers to plant shade trees. And unfortunately, shade trees and solar panels don’t mix.
Dave H… study the crashes… look at the actual crash /collision reports… here in Davis, we are seldom doing that, so we spend many 100’s of thousands of dollars to make intersections “safe” for children who have not been taught common sense/safety skills by their parents, their schools, or the community. They are being taught that they are “bullet-proof”, and no matter what “stupid” they do… if there is a mishap, it is solely due to the driver, the design of the intersection, and or the community. That attitude has one benefit… might just improve teaching of life skills, or failing that, cleanse the gene pool.
We are not doing our children any favors by not teaching them awareness, caution, and responsibility for their own actions (life skills)… ‘bubble-wrapping’ is not a viable option. Bubbles burst…
Horrible and not surprising. Sacramento drivers as a whole are complete idiots when it comes to treating bicycles decently. Then again, I almost got clipped by an a-hole in Davis last night who gunned around me then right turned onto the 113 freeway onramp inches in front of me without signaling.
The very first “ask” of DJUSD might be to stop encouraging those who are driven to campus from outside of town (and whose families don’t pay DJUSD parcel taxes), and “right-size” the school district to meet the actual needs of the community.
Thereby reducing (both) greenhouse gasses, and taxpayer money. Might also reduce any perceived influence to create more greenhouse- emitting sprawl, in order to meet DJUSD’s “needs”.
I continue to have a problem with your characterization here. I don’t think you understand the financial problems that this would cause. Moreover, a good percentage of the students parents work at UC Davis, so the. Impact on GHG gas is minimal. Parents simply drop their kids off on their way back from work.
Friendly amendment… drop kids off/pick them up, to and from work… rest is pretty much correct, as to the ‘out of town’ students…
And, the rest of your content…
Right-sizing the school district creates financial problems? I don’t think so.
I’m not referring to parents who live on UCD’s campus.
Unlike major employment centers (such as UCD), there is not enough “mass” to create bus service to individual DJUSD campuses. (How did that absurd “ask” even get into the list? Did some teachers suggest that?)
And, how much greenhouse gas is created by any UCD employee (from another community) who drives their kids to a DJUSD campus (instead of allowing them to attend their local school), and how might that impact their parent’s decision to consider taking one of the dedicated commuter bus lines to UCD (instead of driving)?
Can’t speak for UCD employees, but having our kids attending school and participating in extracurricular activities in the community where we work rather than their home district clearly saved us considerable travel time and energy use.
And my understanding is that’s the case for most people – they are taking their kids to school locally because they work locally.
What a LOAD of C . . . (I’ll leave off the all-caps there, but had to emphasize). Seriously? You said yourself people are not able to work in this down . . . many travel to and from Sacramento area or Bay Area, and could not possibly come to/from school at work hours. I’m sure some do what you say above — that doesn’t add miles of driving? But there is no way you can blanket say “Parents simply drop their kids off on their way back from work.” How dismissive of the whole problem. There were never horrendous traffic jams around schools in the 60’s, 70′, 80’s and 90’s. This is a helicopter-parent phenomenon. And they are causing the very traffic that they are trying to have the kids avoid by driving them, and burning fossil fuels unnecessarily while doing it.
Have you done any analysis of where the out of district transfer come from or where their parents work?
Are you serious?
Has Greta Thunberg done a worldwide study of travel patterns to determine how many people actually “have” to fly?
She seems to have a lot more time than I do. Maybe instead of skipping school on Fridays she could crunch some worldwide air-travel-pattern statistics.
Ron, I think your ask is unrealistic and places too much of the responsibility for fossil fuel on the individual as opposed to public policies that have more long-lasting effects. Aside from the fact that people from outside the district usually have a practical reason for enrolling their kids in DJUSD (they work in town and it is more efficient to have their kids enrolled in the town where they work) the solution to reducing or eliminating carbon emissions requires a massive approach that all of us can incorporate into our lives. One tiny example, why isn’t every parking lot in Davis covered with solar panels? Lord herself only knows most shopping center parking lots have too few trees to provide shade in summer, so they should all be covered in panels. And, yes, we can pay for it out of the very same fund we use to pay for any manner of national priorities. It all boils down to policy choices and the youth quite rightly see it as a priority over all others. The big three threats to our collective future: Nuclear war, climate chaos and artificial intelligence.
Cost. You asked . . .
I answered that. Read my answer above again. It’s all about priorities.
You answered my answer to your question. I don’t think you did, as I hadn’t answered yet.
True story… more precisely ‘intelligence’ that purports to be so, but is often ill-informed, naive, and/or lacking cognitive judgement. Artificial. Not real.
I agree your posts seem to be just that. I suggest you attend climate marches and interact with all those people you so casually dismiss. You’ll get away from that keyboard and discover a whole real world.
Greta Thunberg is the leader of the prominent European movement of flygskam, or “flight-shaming”.
The time has come for a similar movement in Davis, lead by Alan C. Miller, to be know as droppingoffandpickingupyourkidsatschoolgskam, or “dropping-off-and-picking-up-your-kids-at-school shaming”.
For shame!
Greta Thunberg has more strength of character in her little finger than those who attempt to laugh and and scoff and attempt to make fun of others who have nothing to offer. Not even humor that works. I suppose it seems like play to mock someone who feels deeply.
Very strange post if it was meant as a reply to mine. Character in a little finger?
If the school district (and those associated with it) are actually concerned about global warming, policies encouraging enrollment of out-of-district students (who are probably ALL driven to campus, at considerable distances) is certainly the first place to look, internally.
One wonders if they’re avoiding this issue simply because they don’t want to “right-size” the schools to meet the actual needs of the community, and/or if they’re “caving in” to pressure from individual parents – who don’t necessarily put global warming at the top of their list of concerns when considering choice of schools.
By the way – the “knee jerk” reaction against even examining this issue (both fiscally, and environmentally) demonstrates an almost incestuous/small town (and hypocritical) point of view, in my opinion.
All talk, but no action regarding an issue that is simultaneously “claimed” as a concern.
It wouldn’t do either. This is completely a figment of your imagination. Why you are so concerned about those of us who brought our children to DJUSD, I don’t know.
This was answered pretty well above regarding why there are legitimate reasons for non-Davis residents to enroll their kids in DJUSD schools. But, again, your criticism places all the focus on what individuals do and completely ignores the subject of this story which is the policy decisions and choices governments are making. It’s not about whether you or I put another gallon of fuel in our car, it’s about the policies that favor fossil fuel, ignoring the impacts and getting distracted with other minor issues that just really don’t matter in the end.
Perhaps we should start with an analysis of the population that is actually taking advantage of this situation (and the various reasons for doing so), rather than individual (selected) examples – as self-reported on a blog. Perhaps the analysis would include an estimate of how many extra collective miles (and greenhouse gasses) this policy creates.
I specifically mentioned DJUSD “policy”, above. Also, if I’m not mistaken, this policy was actually mentioned by someone who promoted it as a way to “make up” for declining enrollment. (Unfortunately, I did not save a link to that article, so I can’t verify it.) Assuming that I’m recalling this correctly, it’s a troubling statement – in more than one way.
What we do on an individual level (collectively) matters, as well. In fact, many people pay close attention to that. But again, my comment was focused on DJUSD policy.
It’s both an environmental, and fiscal issue. At a time when the school district is requesting more money, as well.
Also – if it does turn out that the primary beneficiaries of this situation are teachers (and their children), perhaps they could simply pursue positions in their home districts (where the need for their services is greater, housing is cheaper, and the pay is reportedly higher – as repeatedly mentioned on here).
A “win-win-win”, as it were. For the teachers and their families, for the environment, and for DJUSD fiscal stability as a result of “right-sizing” Davis schools to meet the actual need. (Also reducing the need for increased parcel taxes, in Davis.)
But, given the vested interests in fighting logic, I don’t expect this to prevail very easily. No matter, it will eventually be forced upon the district.
In the meantime, be sure to carry those signs, claiming interest in reducing global warming. Younger students are probably not mature (or independent) enough yet, to see the hypocrisy on their own.
No, it’s up to their parents and teachers to ruin them and teach them that doing nothing seems like doing something.
Wow. Just wow. Way to abjucate responsibility. “I’m not responsible, I’m too small. The government should fix us for me.”
Climate change does not hinge on what Alan Miller does. I know he’s a very wise and sage person, but in the bigger scheme of things, he is a speck, as are we all. We need policies, that amplify and magnify what responsible individuals would do.
Driving kids to distant schools does not contribute to greenhouse gasses? Well, forgive me as I must have an active imagination.
Granted, there are situations in which it likely wouldn’t make much difference – as the parents would choose to make (much of) that daily trip, regardless.
But, we’ll never know how much of this could be avoided, since it’s not even on the radar (while simultaneously “protesting” climate change).
The “good news” is that at least teachers pay DJUSD parcel taxes, if they do live in Davis. (Oh, wait – it’s my active imagination kicking in again.) 😉
“Driving kids to distant schools does not contribute to greenhouse gasses? ”
It doesn’t if you are Don and you work in Davis and drop your kids off on the way. It doesn’t if you’re me, I drop my kids off on my way to work (I live in town, but it’s the same equation). It doesn’t if you work at UC Davis. The vast majority of interdistrict transfers are doing so in part because their parents work here.
Not meaning to be personal, but why do you drive your kids to school? We didn’t, our parents didn’t, unless extremely inclement weather, or carrying large musical instruments…
Parents driving kids to school is the #1 risk factor for kids who walk or bike to school.
If a child has physical/cognitive issues, by all means, they should be driven…
Again, think Pogo. A self-fulfilling prophecy…
In the case of someone like Don (not necessarily him, personally), how far away is the school, compared to his business? How often would he not even need to go to that business, if he wasn’t dropping off or picking up his kids?
How does the school schedule correspond with the period in which someone like Don needs to be at his business? For example – if kids get off at 3:00 p.m., but he needs to stay until 5:00 p.m., is a special trip then needed to bring the kids home?
Same type of questions would apply to anyone transporting their kids to Davis schools.
Also, how many out-of-district residents take (or keep) jobs in Davis, primarily because they want their kids to continue attending school there? (While conveniently avoiding school district parcel taxes, as an added perk?)
(Which – in the case of teachers, doesn’t apply since they don’t pay school district parcel taxes regardless of where they live.)
Business: 1607 Fifth Street.
Schools: Valley Oak Elementary, just a few blocks away. The kids could and did walk to my business after school, even when quite young.
Holmes Junior High, a few blocks away. The kid who went there walked or biked as need to after-school arrangement.
Emerson Junior High, less convenient. But buses and bikes were used.
Davis School for Independent Study. This is a different approach, since the student only meets with the teacher one hour a week.
Davis High School. Kids basically autonomous at that point, able to walk or bike as needed.
I don’t understand this question.
Parents who work make after-school arrangements for their kids. Day care for ours was in Davis, on L Street. They began their daycare there before they even started in school. Once they were older they spent their afternoons in my business, but had I had a ‘normal’ job there would have been other arrangements. At a certain age, extra-curricular activities become common. Those involve a lot of shuttling around, as any parent can tell you, but there’s not really any difference between interdistrict parents and resident parents in that regard. Except that it was definitely more convenient, many times, to have their after-school activities centered in Davis than had they been in Dixon. That would have likely required extra travel.
See above. After school arrangements are the norm for working parents.
We can’t really do more than speculate about the motives for where people work. It’s often multi-factorial, and it’s not uncommon for two working adults to work in different communities. Depends on where the jobs are.
We pay those taxes, which vary, in our resident districts. And some of us pay them here as well.
Note that one of the “asks” of the school district (listed in the article above) was to create a bus service for out-of-district kids. So, whoever created that list recognizes a problem, while proposing a solution that would be expensive and inefficient, AND would create more greenhouse gasses.
The trips can be avoided in the first place, by having kids attend their local schools.
That’s not (only) an unsupported claim – “shuttling” kids around is also a primary problem. If the kids are driven to town in the first place, they don’t have bicycles with them to “shuttle around” on their own, after school.
Another question is how many non-resident workers would take one of the dedicated/commuter Yolobus lines (e.g., to UCD) if they weren’t “also” dropping off their kids at some school (which might be located at the other end of town, as well)?
Or, how many non-residents might pursue jobs outside of Davis/UCD – if their kids weren’t enrolled in Davis schools? (Thereby freeing up jobs, and less-impactful commutes for Davis residents and their children?)
Thanks for sharing. I take it you have limited experience with after-school extracurricular activities. They don’t tend to be along bus lines. But parents do make arrangements with other parents for car-pooling, regardless of where we live. My son did rowing at the Port of Sacramento. Somebody had to drive him there and pick him up every day of the week. Needless to say, we combined efforts with other parents.
Not true. Bicycles can be carried on cars. They actually make special devices just for that purpose.
Ridership on those lines is not great in any case. I doubt interdistrict transfers are a major or even a minor factor. Most people prefer to drive their own cars for a number of reasons. This fact always seems to come as a shock to people who like to ride their bicycles or use public transit.
Terrific. Perhaps you’ll let us know how many non-resident parents are bringing their kids’ bicycles with them, attached to their vehicles.
Well, it’s “great” enough that dedicated commuter bus lines to Davis/UCD already exist. With ridership that will likely increase, as the cost of parking increases, and more sprawl occurs near Davis. By the way, does UCD help to subsidize those costs (e.g., Yolobus) for their employees?
I suspect that the ability for non-residents to send their kids to Davis schools is a significant factor regarding motor vehicle trips that would otherwise not need to occur.
We’re already coming here because we work here. So no, you are likely wrong about this.
The fact that you were unaware of the existence of bike carriers pretty much tells me that you’re not very well-informed about how people with kids deal with transportation issues. I suggest you stop making assumptions and speculating about things that you’re uninformed about.
I’ve already discussed some of the potential factors impacting this situation, throughout this article. Some of these were not responded to, at all.
Again, it was apparently enough of a concern to include it on the list of “asks” to the school district, even if the proposed solution makes little sense in this case.
Uhm, I’m “well-aware” of bicycle carriers. Perhaps you’ll let us know how many non-resident parents are strapping their kids’ bicycles on their vehicles, so that their kids can “shuttle themselves” around after being driven to Davis.
Ron:
Ron:
I can’t think how I got the idea that you weren’t aware of them.
Not following you, Don.
I’m aware of bicycle carriers. I asked how many non-resident parents are using them to bring their kids’ bicycles to Davis (attached to their vehicles), so that their kids can use those bicycles to shuttle themselves around town on school days.
I’d venture a guess, somewhere between “zero” and “zero”.
That fact isn’t lost on me at all — not only do I like to ride my bicycles and use public transit — my profession is public transit planning. This is an area I have disagreements with advocates on — you can’t force people into public transit or bicycling — you have to make the options BETTER than driving. And for many it never will be. And many systems are built without this simple fact in mind. The gap between where we are are where we need to be is catastrophic — and the student list fails to consider what it even means about increased public transit — and utterly fails when helicopter parents en masse won’t even let their kids bike to school and insist on driving them everywhere.
Just to clarify, a non-resident who runs a business in town (or a worker who might have telecommuting options) may not need to be physically present, every workday.
Nevertheless, they might be “forced” to drive into Davis, simply to drop off (and pick-up) their kids – even when their personal presence at work is not required.
Which, once again can be entirely avoided by having their kids attend local schools – instead of distant ones.
Interesting… the list of “asks”…
No personal commitment from those ‘asking’… the student action, asks, would be much more credible if a COMMITMENT was made by students: to walk/bike to school, regularly; to minimize computer/TV use at home to avoid consuming electricity; to accept (and encourage their parents to…) higher thermostat settings in warm weather, cooler in cold weather.
No quid pro quo. No commitment, no personal responsibility. Just “asking” things of others to provide for them… guess they never were taught JFK’s famous quote… “ask not what your [fill in the blank] can do for you, but rather, ask what you can do for [same blank]”… was 6 when I heard that on TV… left an impression… as it did on many.
We are not doing any favors by telling kids that the world owes them everything they want, and protect them from everything that might negatively affect them… we we taught differently… we were taught responsibility… no training in that @ DJUSD or in the homes, as I can see…
I’d be much more attentive to the “ask list”, if I saw a concomitant commitment from those who created ‘the asks’…
This whole ‘student’ acting out thing, with no consequences, no personal commitments, sure looks invalid [just realized, now intended, ‘double entendre’… not justified, lame)] …to me. Others may see it differently…
Climate change is real… has been for millions of years… one swing after another… evolution favors action, and/or reaction… that’s the reality of planet Earth and its denizens… human or otherwise…
Famous quote “let me change the things I can, let me accept those I cannot, and may I have the wisdom to discern which is which” [paraphrase]. By all means, let us do what we can (but that is personal, not just ‘others’), but also prepare for what is beyond our control.
BTW, anyone heard of ‘dangers’ with the ozone layer lately? That too, was a crisis…
I’ve read (and posted) information stating that the concern regarding the ozone layer was largely/successfully addressed through direct, international action.
The issue isn’t climate change over geologic time, it’s climate change driven by human release of greenhouse gases since the start of the Industrial Revolution: anthropogenic climate change.
Yes. Remember how that got resolved?
Don… not just geologic time, last 500 years… people burned peat… high GHG… there have been mini-“ice ages” and mini-“global warming” in the last 200-500 years… the record is there, tree rings, arctic/antarctic ice… please focus on the fact that I don’t think we should do nothing, but the fact is that the current data seldom distinquishes between man-made and natural forces… we should do what we can do… but not in panic mode. Thoughtfully. Not panacea du jour.
Know the history… the last 60-100 years is actually an anomaly as to climate… more stable than any of record (and even then, not as stable as folk would like to think)… and records only go back ~ 150 years at most as we now measure it. Show me a record of world ocean/sea temperatures that go back over 50 years… same for atmospheric carbon measurements that go back even that far… the dataset is weak. But, we should reasonably do what is reasonable to mitigate, or at least not compound our ‘contributions’ to changes that may well be within cyclical parameters… and many natural… in the US, in the early 1800’s, there was the ‘summer that wasn’t’… heavy snow in the eastern US in the summer months… unusually cold temperatures… volcanic ash had a lot to do with it… from a volcano in SE Asia…
If the US immediately stopped emitting even one gram of carbon into the environment, as another poster has correctly pointed out, between China, India, South America, Africa, etc., the effect would approach being de minimus. Reality.
Science is a …
Oh, since I’m arguing against your comments, please feel to delete my response, as you and/or ‘moderator’ have (and have committed to do) when I tried to point out errors in another poster’s arguments… only fair to do that.
I note that the other poster is free (apparently) to do what ‘respond’ to my posts, w/o sanction. Whatever…
You nailed it, WM. This is exactly the belief system of DH, who states above:
Which is translated pretty much to: “Ask not what you can do for the world, as what your government will do for the world”. I honestly consider this utterly irresponsible. Like, by definition – not responsible.
Bill has nailed nothing. There is a difference between policy and behavior. Policy comes first when dealing with an existing and persistent problem. Remember seat belts? My parents had cars with no seat belts. I was raised without them. Then we got lap belts that sort of worked, but most people my age didn’t use them all the time. Policy came along and made Alan Miller wear a seat belt whether he like it or not. Now days, most everyone wears them without much griping. We have come to recognize their value. Same thing with all manner of behavior around what to do about environmental issues. Some of us have come along quicker than others and some people will never get with it and will need to be penalized for not doing the right thing. That’s human nature.
True, for current assessments… draft proposal will give them an “opt-out”.
Sidebar: for current assessments there are other opt-outs, but the District does not publicize them much…
So, as a PSA, here is the current version:
https://djusd.net/cms/one.aspx?portalId=117173&pageId=1231339
Previous reporting, on new proposal, will give Davis residents who are DJUSD employees an opt-out. So, they can vote for a parcel tax to add compensation to DJUSD employees, and not have any increased assessments. That’s in addition to the other exemptions… nice.
Thanks for the clarification. Apparently, I confused the current situation, with the proposed one.
Yeah the humanity, they get an extra $200 raise annually. If they can afford to live in Davis and buy a home, which is increasingly doubtful.
That’s how much the proposed parcel tax would be, not the amount that each teacher would receive (or how it might be distributed among them).
Regardless, it sounds like (rather than getting a job where they’re actually needed and where it supposedly pays more), some of them are commuting to Davis in motor vehicles from surrounding, sprawling developments (and not paying ANY of the DJUSD parcel taxes).
A salary in the mid $80K range, plus benefits (for what is essentially a part-time job) does not exactly put teachers at the bottom of the list. Especially since a lot of them probably have spouses pulling in salaries, as well.
I would think that a good number of folks are significantly worse-off, than teachers.
I believe I understood you, Craig… 98.76% sure you meant the value of the $198 exemption, over and above whatever compensation increase they may get from the measure itself… de minimus, to be sure, yet, there is also the principle of voting for a tax increase for others, while benefiting, and being exempt. But, at the end of the day, the principle sticks in my craw, not the $$$.
Bill: “We are not doing any favors by telling kids that the world owes them everything they want”
You mean like a future, a chance to have kids, grow old, have a life? That’s what we’re talking about. I’ve read your comments here, you don’t know the first thing about what you’re talking about. Apparently knowledge of engineering doesn’t translate to knowledge of climate science. What you’re posting is absolute junk.
Since this isn’t a rebuttal, just an insult, I’m calling personal attack. MOMMY!
Thanks Alan, but Mom passed 18 years ago (last week, in fact). Trust me, I believe ~ age 10, I learned how to handle this type of situation… Dad taught me… you stand up to folk who use certain tactics… can’t say I’ve always handled it perfectly, but I know how. Do appreciate the thought, tho’…
Guess someone doesn’t think I care about my children, possible future descendants, but that is his issue, not mine. He appears to be a ‘child’. Maybe he’ll learn, and grow up to be an adult..
‘Mommy’ weighed in… not clear about who… might be general, non-specific…
WM, didn’t mean to get into the personal. I was tattle-tailing in the forum – thus “MOMMY!”. Wasn’t anyone’s parent in particular, just me whining to those in power.
No. And if you really gave it thought, and put it in context, you’d know that.
If you are associated with UCD, you must be a Rhetoric or Drama person.
If you want a duel to see who knows most about climate science (between you and me), pick a date, time, neutral third party to prepare questions and judge answers, “bring it on”! I throw down the gauntlet. Will you accept?
Sidebar:
In sports, referees don’t think they’re sure they see an initial ‘foul’… so, they don’t call it… but when it’s not called, the player fouled may do a ‘pay-back’ foul… that’s usually what gets ‘called’, and penalized… ask any ref.
To address the issue of out of district transfers:
Out of a total of 747 transfers, 551 of them have parents that work in the district. So around three-quarters of them have parents that work in the district.
I figured that those who work for the school district comprised the majority of non-resident enrollments. Another “perk” of working for the district – probably a better work environment (than other school districts), and enabling their kids to attend higher-quality schools – without having to pay for that difference.
Perhaps a reason that they continue working for the district, vs. pursuing jobs in their own districts (which “supposedly” pay more). Perhaps not all of the benefits are factored into that equation.
Friendly clarification… you didn’t say work for the district, but rather intended, ‘work for an employer within the boundaries of the district’… if I mis-judged, I apologize…
Thanks for the clarification Bill – yes, work within the district boundaries (which includes UCD) not for the district necessarily.
That’s a good catch, Bill. Not sure what David meant, now.
Played shortstop and centerfield… defense… on offense, tried to hit the ball between the infield and outfield… with my frame, was stupid to try for the fences… so, I didn’t. Was pretty good at defensive positions… in softball and in my career… but, was also a force offensively, in both… not a ‘star’, but a ‘player’…
Regarding Greta Thunberg. Ok, I’d just heard about her, including from friends. And from everything I’d heard I was expecting this cute, likeable kid who was making a mockery of world leaders. Honestly, I listened to her rant to the U.N., and she struck me as angry and nearly unhinged. I don’t think she’s who climate activists want to trot out as their poster-child. I realize she’s doing it herself, but I wouldn’t hitch my wagon to her horse. Yeah, yeah, aren’t I mean criticizing a child who means well? Well, yes, I am. Saved you the trouble.
Honesty… admitting one was momentarily mislead by hype… how refreshing… improves the ‘climate’ of the discussion… a good antidote to “rhetoric ‘warming'”… that’s meant as a compliment, Alan… good example for others… including myself…
Not to worry – anger will soon give way to resignation, as one gets older. 😉
I guess that’s why I stay angry . . . keeps me young 😐
Great movie (original)… twelve angry men… great cast… Klugman, cousin E.G., Henry the founder, Martin Balsam, Lee J Cobb, Ed Begley, Jack Warden, etc.
A jury that the VG might not have a problem with…
I do wish the emoticons would go the way of the “ALL CAPS” tho’… 😉
You want angry? Greta Thunberg. She is angry and I am astounded at how focused she has remained with all the cameras and rock star treatment she gets. She knows how to communicate effectively and was doing it before she came to media attention.
How 16-year-old Greta Thunberg’s rise could backfire on environmentalists
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/24/how-greta-thunbergs-rise-could-backfire-on-environmentalists.html
“Greta Thunberg is angry. Lots of people are angry. But anger without doing something other than protesting and making speeches won’t protect the environment or do much else other than produce more anger.”
Seems like what the world needs is someone to draw attention to the issue that a lot of people are ignoring
G.T. . . . . . . . So cute and disarming? How dare you watch this video . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=TMrtLsQbaok
An old game, sometimes used as a “personality test”… but, a game…
Take a small mirror, place the edge along the centerline of a person’s facial picture… resolves the facial asymmetry most have… you can also do it mentally… supposedly shows the two sides of a person’s personality… duality…
If you do that with Greta, the left side, with mirror image, some might find it scary, “disturbed”… others, not so much. Right side, not. It’s a game, remember… not indicative of anything… but interesting…
I take back my skepticism and criticism of Greta Thunberg! This girl rocks!
In response to Trump’s sarcastic tweet-criticism of her:
She said nothing, but place on her twitter page bio:
That was a very Alan Miller – like thing-to-do. I’m a fan now, G.T. !
As we all should be.
I am wondering how last Friday’s (9/27) #FridaysForFuture event went in Davis? Y’know, the one where the students didn’t get an all-but-excused absence from the progressive school administration? The one where the students faced consequences for leaving campus? That one? The one in solidarity with Greta Thunberg’s weekly sacrifice of her studies? How did that go? Where are the pictures? Seems that one would have drawn some press because of the bravery and sacrifice of the students? Pictures? Anyone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …… … #crickets#
Still wondering how the 9/27 march went . . .
. . . . . . #crickets#