Back to the Land and the Pursuit of Happiness

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Wonderful photo essay here→
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Feeding America: How the hell did we get here?

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From TIMROFF
Daily Kos

[With the expansion of Walmart in South Ukiah, I think we need to be asking if we will be seeing a food desert (explained in this excellent post on the Daily Kos) in the Ukiah Valley. For people who are not farmers market shoppers for whatever reason, I think this is a real possibility. I say this because if Walmart becomes a superstore that contains a huge supermarket, will the other supermarkets be able to survive? Will Safeway, Lucky, and Raley's still be around? Or, will only people with transportation to Walmart be able to buy food from other than fast food establishments and minimarts (where the food is both bad for you and very expensive. -JS]

So why in the name of (insert your deity or hero’s name here) are there people starving in America? According to Feeding America’s latest figures, 49 Million people are in a state of food insercurity:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA) reported (Nov. 19th) that 49 million Americans, including nearly 17 million children, are food insecure. The 2009 report on Household Food Insecurity in the United States paints an alarming picture of the pervasiveness of hunger in our nation.

This is an increase of 36 percent over the numbers released one year by the USDA, which found that 36.2 million American were at risk of hunger.“It is tragic that so many people in this nation of plenty don’t have access to adequate amounts of nutritious food,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America.

Go to complete article here→
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Ukiah Mendocino: Hey Monster Mall Folks – Lighten Up! (Video and Free Concert Announcement)

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Ukiah

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. ~Willam James

DDR generously, but erroneously, attributes to my organizing skills the sing-a-long at their recent “town hall” in Redwood Valley. Kudos should be directed to The Bronnettes for their clever lyrics and singing! The subject of the meeting was Measure A, the initiative to put a monster mall on the old Masonite site. Watch the YouTube video of the sing-a-long portion of the meeting below.

In the video, DDR accuses The Bronnettes of disrupting the meeting.   But if you look at the video, it’s plain to see that the meeting hadn’t begun; the room is nearly empty.  The sing-a-long was simply a bit of pre-meeting entertainment.   Hardly what I’d call “disruption.”

Why do so many oppose Measure A? If passed, Measure A would:  (1) Allow an Ohio corporation to bypass local planning regulations that the rest of us have to follow; (2) Avoid review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); (3) Replace jobs at existing local businesses with minimum wage jobs at the monster mall; (4) Create traffic nightmares; (5) Create polluting runoff from a huge parking lot; (6) Use lots of scarce water; and (7) Divert shopping dollars from downtowns across the county to big corporations that have no stake in Mendocino County.

Take Action! Sing-Along To DDR Monster Mall Promoters Tonight Wednesday 8/26/09 Redwood Valley (Updated)

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

August 25, 2009 Ukiah Valley, Mendocino, North California

The Bronnettes singing group strikes AGAIN and all others that would like to participate, are welcome to copy the words below, which (loosely) goes to the Ernie Ford song Sixteen Tons.

DDR is planning a Community Town Hall meeting tonight, 6:15 ish or 6:30 is when we plan to sing.

The place….Redwood Valley Grange, 8650 East Road, near the Fire Station I’m told. Please feel free to make as many copies as you want… pass them around… an unofficial “No on A anthem”? Come sing with us, bring friends, we’ll have a few copies there to pass around too I believe. By the way, I find that snapping my fingers keeps a steady beat through out this piece plus I believe there will be guitar to keep us all “mostly together”.

Vote No on A Anthem
[Original lyrics here.]

some… people say a town is made out of shops,
but a good town has a lotta mom and pops,
mom and pops – not yer great big box -
the money stays here on our own sidewalks

CHORUS
with a DDR mall, what do you get -
another credit card and deeper in debt.
if there’s enuff water for a great big mall
you can be sure that they’ll take it all.

DDR’s too broke to develop what it owns,
that’s why they want us to pass a re-zone,
they can turn around and sell it to a bigger guy,
and no one knows if the project will fly.

now… other comp’nys work with the peoples plan,
but these carpetbaggers do whatever they can,
we’ll be stuck with it even if it ain’t right,
as we stop on State at the seventh stop light

Report From Eureka: Bayshore Monster Mall

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

August 24, 2009 Ukiah Valley, Mendocino County, North California

Driving to Oregon and wanting to break up our trip, Bill and I stopped at Eureka’s Bayshore Mall.  I wanted to see how the economic downturn was affecting the mall.  Maybe there were some lessons for Mendocino County voters as Election Day approaches for Measure A.

We were surprised to see the parking lot practically full.  Maybe things weren’t so bad after all.

The mystery deepened once we entered the mall because it was practically empty on a Thursday afternoon.

What about all those cars in the parking lot?  We did not solve the mystery, but we did take a few pictures before a very imposing guard informed me that taking pictures was prohibited.  Why? I asked.  Because, he said, there were concerns about trademark infringement, what with all those logos (of extinct businesses?) and store names right out there for anyone to copy.

Letter to the Editors – Prop 13 Encourages Malls

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

August 5, 2009 Ukiah Valley, Mendocino, North California

To the Editor:

Mr. Jon Fenwick’s lengthy letter (7/30/2009) in which he attacks Dave Smith, Tom Anderson, Judy Pruden and me for hypocrisy and “preachy letters” prodded me to do some research. I first Googled “’Jon Fenwick’ Ukiah California”, turning up only Mr. Fenwick’s letter. Then I called information to ask for his telephone number, and found that there was no listing for a ‘Jon Fenwick’ in Ukiah. I find it strange that Mr. Fenwick’s foray into letter writing to the local paper began with a very long preachy letter. If I talked to him, I figured, maybe there could be some common ground. Mr. Fenwick, please take note.

With respect to the proposed projects at the Redwood Business Park by the airport, Mr. Fenwick may not be aware that although the City of Ukiah did not prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when it purchased the land for the projects, those projects are not exempt from CEQA. The act of purchasing, because it does not involve any change in land use, does not warrant an EIR. Because the City is subject to CEQA, there will be additional environmental analysis before approval (or denial) of any permits that would allow development to take place. Should Measure A pass, however, Developers Diversified Realty (DDR), would-be developers of the Masonite site, would be exempt from CEQA. That’s a major distinction that Mr. Fenwick should consider.

On at least one point Mr. Fenwick and I are in agreement. Indeed, California is a mess. And the root cause of the mess is Proposition 13. In 1978, voters thought they were capping real property taxes to allow the elderly to remain in their homes. Property taxes would increase only at the time of sale, or so the voters thought. Corporations, however, soon found ways to transfer property without a resultant increase in property taxes.

Ukiah-Mendocino: Support Local Food!

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

August 3, 2009 Ukiah Valley, Mendocino County, North California

Bill and I love this CSA.

Last winter we were supplied with the most gorgeous vegetables I’ve ever seen.  Everything looked like something from Sunset Magazine –  only the vegetables were the real thing, not all doctored up for a fancy magazine.  The vegetables were also the best tasting ever, and I consider myself a discriminating foodie.  If you can sign up now, Adam Gaska and Paula Manalo will be forever grateful –  they’re in a bit of a tight spot, along with the rest of us, but their tight spot is particularly tight as Adam explains below.

Oh– an added bonus is a weekly newsletter with lots of recipes, pictures, descriptions of the plant and animal lives, and occasionally a bit of food politics.

Please pass this along to all your friends who appreciate good food and want to see more of it produced locally.
~

From ADAM GASKA and PAULA MANALO
Redwood Valley

Think it’s too early to start thinking about winter produce? WRONG!

It’s 100 degrees out, and the sun is blazing, but all the planting for fall and winter crops happens as soon as Summer Solstice hits. Please sign up here (pdf) for the Winter CSA and send in a deposit to keep your local farmers farming and ensure a bountiful winter harvest.

Take Action! Healthcare Reform Now!

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Ukiah Valley

July 20, 2009 Ukiah Valley, Mendocino County, North California

How can we get real healthcare reform NOW?

Not next year, not in five years when the economy may have recovered, but now.  We want single payer healthcare by the end of August.

For a succinct discussion of the health care policy debate, go to Wikipedia here.

We are stuck with two reluctant reformers:  Dianne Feinstein, Senator, and Mike Thompson, Representative.  So far as I know Barbara Boxer is not a problem.

Thompson gets campaign money from the “health sector”, to the tune of $254,625 in 2008.  He does, however, profess to be in favor of the public option (second best after single payer).

Our job is to turn him to single payer.  Here’s his contact information:

E-Mail Mike Thompson

WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE
231 Cannon Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3311
Fax: (202) 225-4335

MENDOCINO DISTRICT OFFICE
430 North Franklin Street
PO Box 2208
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Phone: (707) 962-0933
Fax: (707) 962-0934

Feinstein’s website tells us nothing about her position on health care.  Let’s force her to play her cards. What does the Senator think?  I asked:

Dear Senator Feinstein:

As your constituent, I would like to see your position on health care reform posted on your website.

Ron Lippert: The Monster Mall’s Worst Nightmare

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

July 7, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

In its campaign to make the idea of a mega mall on the old Masonite site attractive to county voters, DDR (Developers Diversified Realty) didn’t count on Ron Lippert. Turning up at a focus group, Wednesday, July 1, in Ukiah at the Hampton Inn, Lippert and 11 other gentlemen were paid $50 each to let Nichols Research, Inc., a Fresno-based research outfit, pick their brains and shape their opinions.

In a phone conversation with Lippert, he told me how it unfolded. For starters, 9 participants initially favored DDR’s plan for the mega mall, 2 were neutral, and 1 (Lippert) was opposed.

The process began with the participants registering their awareness of local institutions and personalities by using a hand held device akin to a game boy toy. The results are revealing. A third did not recognize the names of the members of the Board of Supervisors.

Janie attends the Fourth of July Parade in Mendocino and brings back photos

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

July 6, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

Sitting at the intersection of Lansing and Lake Streets in Mendocino, Bill, dogs Heidi and Jerry, and I watched the Fourth of July parade in Mendocino.  Here are some of the photos…

Art Activist

Banana Slug For Peace

Calling Rep. Mike Thompson! Photos from Universal Health Care, Ukiah Demonstration, Courthouse 6/25/09

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

June 26, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

Thirty-five inland Mendocino County residents demonstrated in the noonday sun to show Congressman Mike Thompson that there is strong support for single payer health care reform in his Congressional district.

Demonstrating were a small business owner, politicians, a doctor, several retirees, and members of the Ukiah Valley Democratic Party.  In other words, people from all walks of life came together to show their support for single payer health care reform.

The ambiance was friendly; there were no hecklers, unlike Friday evening demonstrations for peace where a couple of hecklers can be counted on to shout epithets at the demonstrators.  Could there be more support for health care reform than for peace?  That’s what it looks like.   Perhaps it’s because, as one demonstrator’s sign showed, health care is an out of pocket expense whereas war is covered by our taxes.  We don’t see the tax money; we do see the health care money go to insurance companies that thrive by overcharging and cherry picking whom they choose to insure.

To put health care on the same footing as war, it would be paid for with tax revenues.  Everyone would receive the benefits, not just those with lots of money who have never been sick.  Is that so much to ask?  We don’t think so, Congressman Thompson.

Support H.R. 676, the bill that, if enacted, would give all your constituents health care without worrying about paying for it.

Action Taken! Universal Health Care, Ukiah Demonstration, Courthouse 6/25/09

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From JANIE SHEPPARD

Mendocino County

>>>>Photos from the demonstration→

June 21, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

To demonstrate how much universal health care means to Mendocino County, let’s meet on Thursday at 12 Noon in front of the courthouse in Ukiah. Bring video cameras. Make some beautiful signs. The videos can show our way too-conservative Congressional Representative, MIKE THOMPSON, that his constituents CARE ABOUT UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, preferably the single-payer kind.

MIKE THOMSON recently said outside a business meeting in Fort Bragg to the 20+ constituents requesting his signing onto HR 676 that “there is not enough public support for Single Payer Health Care. If there were 2,000 of you here, that would be public support.”

In a recent Letter to the Editor (UDJ 6/18/2009), a constituant addressed the following to MIKE THOMPSON: “You said that while Single Payer is popular in your district, it does not have wide spread support throughout the country. This statement is factually in error; poll after poll shows a large majority of the Americal people in support of Single Payer. Here is a list of reputable independent polls on Single Payer with the percenage of people in support: Feb. 2009 New York Times/CBS News Poll – 59 percent; Feb. 2009, Grove Insight Opinion Research – 59 percent;

Shock Doctrine — California Style (video)

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From Avi Lewis
The Huffington Report

[This is the first comprehensive look at what is in store for the state that I have seen.  It shows exactly the ideological underpinnings of what is going on. Before watching this I had not been aware of the rabid moronic Joe and Ken Show on AM talk radio in Los Angeles. I also was not aware of Schwarzenegger's affection for Milton Friedman. -JS]

June 22, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

Since the financial crisis hit in September, Naomi has been warning that the real shock was yet to come. “Unless we get a good deal” on the bailouts, Naomi wrote back in October, “there will be nothing left over after the banks are done feeding to pay for the meager services now provided in exchange for taxation. The spiraling cost of saving Wall Street from its bad bets is already being used as an excuse for why we can’t solve our many other crises, from health care to climate change.”

In California, the real shock has arrived with the state’s devastating budget crisis and unprecedented spending cuts. Read the post by Avi Lewis below about California and then click on the links to watch his incredible half-hour documentary.

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Schwarzenegger’s Shock Therapy — The Poor Pay For The Sins Of The Rich

By Avi Lewis
Published on the Huffington Post

Now that Washington has ruled out an immediate bailout for California, we know who will pay the ultimate price for the crisis born on Wall Street: the state’s most vulnerable citizens. And with many states facing similar crises, this could be a preview of where the country as a whole is headed.

California is facing a $24.3 billion dollar budget gap, and the governor wants to attack it with cuts to social programs alone. If Schwarzenegger has his way, the price will be paid by 1.9 million people who lose their

Stop Big Pharma and Insurance From Killing the Public Option in Health Care Bill

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Mendocino County

June 7, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

[After reading Robert Reich's blog, I just sent this to my congressional respresentative Mike Thompson -JS]

Dear Congressman Thompson:

I am writing to urge you to support a real public option in the emerging health care bill. Big Pharma is trying very hard to make any public option meaningless as I learned from Robert Reich in his blog→.

My first choice would be single payer health care, but that appears to be off the table. To have any meaningful reform there must be a public option. As a member of Congress you are already a beneficiary. Every American should have the same opportunity.

I urge you to press as hard as you possibly can for a public option without conditions or triggers — one that gives the public insurer bargaining leverage over drug companies, and pushes insurers to do what they’ve promised to do.

Your constituent,

Janie Sheppard

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In the “Frontline” documentary “What It’s Like To Be Sick Around the World,” the award-winning correspondent shows why the health care system in the United States lags far behind other major democracies. To watch the PBS program, click here→.

Letters to the Editor – Masonite Monster Mall

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From JANIE SHEPPARD

5/4/09 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

Alternative to rezoning Masonite

In a letter to the Ukiah Daily Journal (5/3/09), two Manchester residents said they would love to see a Costco in Ukiah. Now, when they go to Costco in Santa Rosa they said they also shop at Friedman’s, Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Their shopping does not benefit Mendocino County, but it could.

They would do their shopping in Ukiah, they wrote, if there was a Costco.

What if Costco located in the current Airport commercial mall, with Friedman’s, Wal-Mart and with Home Depot close by?

Costco, the City of Ukiah, and the owner of the Airport commercial mall could work this out to benefit not only themselves but all county shoppers. Furthermore, that’s good planning because it would use the existing commercially zoned land. The Masonite site could remain zoned for industry.

Why not do it?
~

From DAVE SMITH

Masonite Not About Costco

Julie Simental in her letter to the editor (UDJ 4/20 responding to my letter against the Masonite Monster Mall) has either not done her homework, or is purposefully misleading citizens. By hanging her argument for supporting the mall around “we could have a Costco right here in Ukiah,” she does a disservice to our community.

In numerous letters to the editor and opinions in the UDJ, it has been well-documented that Costco was about to close a deal with the City of Ukiah for building on land already designated for retail in the city. Costco withdrew their plan when they were offered a deal by DDR to build on the Masonite site, even though that site is not zoned for retail. I daresay walls would already be going up for a Costco store in Ukiah by now if that had not happened.

Personally, I do not support any more big box stores in our area for all the reasons I’ve stated [in other letters]. But, please. Can we put the Costco canard to rest?
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Newcomer says: Don’t make the same Sonoma County mistake – Masonite Monster Mall (Updated)

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Letter to the Editor
Press Democrat→

As a newcomer to Ukiah, I find it disheartening to find my new home possibly about to make the same mistake as my old one, Sonoma County.

DDR, a development company, is pushing for a shopping center on Ukiah’s Masonite site, and while the project is promoted as a small strip mall, the developer’s 2009 proposed specific plan amendment calls for construction of a mixed-use center with maximum building area of 800,000 square feet — making it comparable to Coddingtown or the Santa Rosa Plaza.

In the 1980s, the Santa Rosa Plaza emptied Santa Rosa’s downtown of commerce, and it’s taken decades for that downtown to recover. I would hate to see the same fate for downtown Ukiah and its nearby smaller shopping centers.

There’s evidence nationwide that Americans are rejecting mall culture as gas prices rise, turning instead to smaller local shopping areas and to online shopping that doesn’t require car travel at all. DDR’s large mall would require a large shopping population drawn from a wide radius, not just from small Ukiah.

How sad if we in Ukiah allow construction of a major shopping center when other Americans are learning the lessons of the past decades, coming to prize their downtowns and avoiding huge malls.

VICTORIA GOLDEN

Ukiah

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[Update -DS]

GUINESS McFADDEN talks about the Monster Mall plan on BARRY VOGEL’S Radio Curious (podcast)→

McFadden discusses why he is strongly opposed to the attempt by Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty Inc. (DDR) to pass a ballot initiative which would rezone the 76-acre Masonite plant site to allow a shopping mall of up to 800,000 square feet.

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Obama’s First 100 Days Makes and Remakes History

…what team Obama has accomplished in its first 100 days is nothing less than an unprecedented reversal of decades of unsustainable national policy forced down the throat of the American public by conservatives.  While I will present a longer list below — and welcome your additions — three game-changing accomplishments stand out:

1. Green Stimulus:  Progressives, Obama keep promise to jumpstart clean energy, economy — conservatives keep promise to jumpstop the future
2. Sustainable Budget:  The first sustainable budget in U.S. history.
3. Regulatory breakthrough:  EPA finds carbon pollution a serious danger to Americans’ health and welfare requiring regulation

Obama has clearly demonstrated he has a serious chance to be the first President since FDR to remake the country through his positive vision.  Indeed, if Obama is a two-term president, if he achieves even half of what he has set out to, he will likely be remembered as “the green FDR.”

Go to article at Grist→
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Single Payer: They can’t hear us, or they aren’t listening?

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From JANIE SHEPPARD

April 27, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

It appears that Congressional leaders are being deliberately dismissive of single-payer to the point of ludicrous statements. It’s like they have put their fingers in their ears and are yelling “I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you.”

Here they are in all their Congressional “member” glory:
Baucus a few days ago: “Everything BUT single payer is on the table. Single payer is off the table”
Pelosi: “In our caucus, over and over again, we hear single payer, single payer, single payer. Well, it’s not going to be a single payer.”
Pelosi’s aide: “Where are the phone calls, e-mails and faxes in support of single-payer? Speaker Pelosi has been in favor of single-payer for a long time. Now make us do it.”

OK. We are up to the challenge. Her aide wants to see the faxes. Let’s break their damn fax machines with the faxes.
You can send a fax right now to Pelosi, Baucus, the aide and the White House.

http://www.1payer.net/campaigns/efax-pelosi-single-payer-agenda.html

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The power of money – Masonite Monster Mall

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From JANIE SHEPPARD
Save Our Local Economy (SOLE)
P.O. Box 1530, Ukiah CA 95482
SOLE@pacific.net – www.NoMegaMall.com

April 25, 2009 Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

Efforts of Diversified Development Realty (DDR) to put a mega mall on the old Masonite Site demonstrate the power of money.

See what corporate money buys:

Jeff Adams, spokesman for DDR, says $1 Million has been spent so far for mailers and public relations. He says DDR will spend another million to get its initiative on the ballot.

H & H Petitions hired signature gatherers to blitz the county. The signature gatherers are paid $2.00 per signature. DDR foots the bill through a consultant.

Arno Political Consultants, a very big-time outfit paid by DDR, subcontracted H & H Petitions to gather signatures. On its website, Arno brags that it has turned signature gathering into an “art form.” Among the services offered is “assisting letter writers in putting their own thoughts on paper [for letters to the editor].” Be skeptical when you read those letters that are subsidized by DDR.

Brian Sobel, principal consultant at Sobel Communications, is paid by DDR to go to the local media. Sobel boasts that his clients include Chevron and Unocal. His services are not cheap.

Mendocino County Tomorrow purports to be an exclusive club. If you want to join, be prepared to pay least $80 and be scrutinized for suitability. “Mendocino County Tomorrow reserves the right to refuse membership to anyone.” In reality, it’s a front group paid for by DDR.

All the money is being spent to pass a 324-page “specific plan” which is the actual initiative language. That’s what we would vote to accept or reject if the H & H signature gatherers get enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. How specific could it be when it is “subject to change” in 28 places?

The initiative, if passed, allows DDR to do whatever it wants. If passed, we would have no control, no public hearings, and no environmental review. We would, however, have a mega mall.

Help Save Our Local Economy. Join SOLE by going to its website, nomegamall.com, and signing up. If you can, please make a donation.

SOLE’s coffers are empty. You can send a check to SOLE, P.O. Box 1530, Ukiah, CA 95482. Thank you very much.

Janie Sheppard
Treasurer, SOLE
~

From EVAN JOHNSON:

The list of known entities DDR/”Mendocino Crossings” has hired to ram this project through:
1. Mendocino County Tomorrow
2. Hogle-Ireland, Inc.
3. Muelrath Public Affairs
4. Ruff and Associates
5. Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinello, Mueller & Naylor, LLP
6. Sobel Communications
7. CoxCastleNicholson
8. Arno Political Consultants
9. MCG Architecture
10. Fair & Powerful Communication
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Masonite Monster Mall Owner DDR – Fire Sale of 52 Shopping Centers

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From Janie Sheppard

Apr 15, 2009, Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

See article here.

This only confirms local suspicion that DDR is interested in making a fast $30 million by getting the Masonite site zone changed, then flipping it to who knows who to develop.

Here is the link to the DDR Plan Amendment:

http://www.mendocinocrossings.com/pdfs/2009-3-28%20Mendocino%20Crossings%20Specific%20Plan%20-%20Exhibits%20AB.pdf

Note 2 things:  it is in pdf format and can be searched and it is on the website mendocinocrossings.com
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If you’ve signed the Masonite Monster Mall petition in error, you can un-sign it!

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From Janie Sheppard

Apr 12, 2009, Ukiah, Mendocino County, North California

Un-sign yourself. Please spread the word . . . lots of people are really confused.

Dave will have forms available at Mulligan Books during store hours (11-6) to sign, and I will pick them up and take to the County Clerk.

According to the Ukiah Daily Journal:

Those who believe they have signed their names to a ballot petition in error recently can have their signatures removed, provided they provide paperwork to the county before the petitioners get there first, said Assessor/Clerk/Recorder Sue Ranochak on Friday.

“As long as we receive the written requests before the signatures get here that will work,” she said.

Ranochak said Section 103 of the California Elections Code covered the procedure voters could follow should they wish their names stricken from the record.

“Any voter who has signed an initiative, referendum or recall petition pursuant to the constitution or laws of this state shall have his or her signature withdrawn from the petition upon filing a written request therefor with the appropriate county elections official or city elections official prior to the day the petition is filed,” stated the code.

To read more about this issue click here.
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Masonite Monster Mall Developer In Financial Turmoil

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From Janie Sheppard

UKIAH, Mendocino County, North California Apr 8, 2009

[The New Hampshire project is in trouble for not agreeing to widen the road and the the design plans for DDR's project here in Ukiah also has no plan to reroute traffic. -JS]

SEABROOK, Apr 06, 2009 (The Daily News of Newburyport) The developer proposing a massive shopping center for Route 1 has fallen into financial distress as it continues to refuse to widen the state highway that town officials say would assure the project’s approval.

Developers Diversified Realty has already poured more than $20 million into buying and improving the site for its proposed 500,000-square-foot shopping center. The additional roadwork would add a few million to its investment.

The company, however, has widely reported financial problems, its stock losing about 95 percent of its value in the last year.

Although doing very well in 2005 when it began its initiative in Seabrook, DDR — a publicly traded company — has been hit hard by the recession. A look at its stock values in the past four years shows stock that once traded at a high of $72.33 per share in February of 2007 opened on the stock exchange late last week at $2.39 a share.

According to market reports, the company has been suffering from rising debt and a cash shortage. Last month, DDR was dropped from Standard & Poor’s 500 Index “due to low market capitalization,” according to a report from Zacks, an Web-based market reporting site.

Keep reading DDR Owned by German Company→

Mendocino County Voters Beware!

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From Janie Sheppard

3/30/09 Ukiah, North California

In April, a group calling itself Mendocino County Tomorrow will launch an effort to get enough signatures on a petition to allow placing an initiative on the ballot.

The initiative, if passed by a majority of Mendocino County voters, would allow building an 800,000 square foot mega mall on the old Masonite site, just north of the Ukiah city boundary.

Diversified Development Realty, better known by its initials “DDR,” realizing that the Board of Supervisors would vote 4-1 to defeat the attempt to change the zoning from industrial to retail, will now go to the voters.

The initiative, a 310-page document, would become the law on the Masonite site without environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act.  Once passed, the developer could do anything it pleased, provided what it wanted to do fit within the very loose parameters of the initiative.  The county would have no leverage to get changes.  Now, when the county finds a builder’s plans would damage the environment, the county planners can get the plans changed.  Not so on the Masonite site if the initiative passes.

DDR, if it remains the developer, has very little capital.  It would skimp on the fancy stuff that you likely saw in the appealing mailers.  We know this because on Friday, March 27th, Fitch Ratings, the same rating agency that downgraded the county’s debt, downgraded DDR’s debt.  DDR debt was downgraded to the lowest investment grade.  Its preferred stock now has “junk” status.  And, it has a “liquidity shortfall” of 300 Million Dollars.  DDR’s broke.

Alternatively, what DDR may be trying to do is put the Masonite site up for sale, recouping its 6 Million Dollar investment and then some.   In which case, the county would not be dealing with DDR, but with some other developer that would be so leveraged after buying the site, it too would have no money for niceties.

Don’t sign DDR’s petition.  Just say NO.

Let’s save the Masonite site for industry and real jobs.

We can do it.  Si se puede.
~

See also Is the American mall dying? at MSN Money→
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First day of Spring

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From Janie Sheppard

Urban Organic Food Growing in Havana

A delightful 8-minute video of organic gardening in Cuba. Great music, old cars, a handsome narrator with a great British accent. Happy farmers and reformed bureaucrats.

Click on Title (First Day of Spring) above to get full screen

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A Look into the Future

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From Janie Sheppard

3/2/09 Ukiah, North California

Let’s just imagine, for a few minutes, that marijuana is legal. There are signs that such legalization is in the offing: The new Attorney General, Eric Holder, has said it will henceforth be the policy of the DEA not to raid California medical marijuana dispensaries. There are other signs as well.

California would become the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use under a bill introduced February 23rd  by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco.  Numerous commentators have suggested that taxing marijuana sales, a Thirteen Billion Dollar industry in California alone, would be a painless way to fill the state’s coffers. Taxation, long ignored as a source of revenue for our beleaguered state, extends to marijuana sales. Imagine, for now, that is the reality.

With legalization, comes regulation. Only sustainably grown marijuana, meeting organic standards, is legal. Artificial fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides, diesel generators, their spills and contamination, along with vicious guard dogs, are relics of the past.

Sales are made only to adults, with strict punishments meted out to anyone caught selling to underage purchasers. This is how sales of alcohol and tobacco are controlled today; such a scheme easily could be adapted for marijuana sales.

Mendocino County is known for strains of marijuana that treat specific maladies, many of them providing medicinal benefits without the high. Purchasing these strains is no longer illegal. Imagine patients receiving treatment without being forced into bankruptcy by prescriptions that make the out-of-county pharmaceutical companies rich. Recall too that the defendant in the Kelly case, presently before the California Supreme Court, grew 7 marijuana plants (one over the limit under S.B. 420) to treat pain, something he could not afford to do by purchasing prescription pharmaceuticals.

Recreational users, for the most part, become responsible, just as most wine drinkers are today. Wine drinking drivers know they stand a healthy chance of being pulled over and arrested if they have exceeded the allowable blood alcohol limit. Well publicized campaigns against driving drunk provide further deterrence and the same could work for marijuana.

The Sheriff deploys deputies to help the federal government clean up trespass on federal lands where illegal grows produce no tax revenue, only environmental damage. Illegal grows decrease rapidly because there are more available enforcement personnel. Wildlife returns to take advantage of the quietude and the water that is no longer siphoned from the streams for irrigating. Consider that last season there were 50 trespass grows on Cow Mountain alone, with only one BLM enforcement agent for the entire Ukiah district. Consequently, there was no enforcement and only minimal cleanup.

The Sheriff can deploy deputies to help the feds because it got its act together early. Seeing legalization on the horizon, the Sheriff and his deputies brainstormed priorities. They figured out that the serious problems (not per se breaking the law) came from large-scale growers using diesel powered generators to run the lights and fans required for indoor grows. Also causing big problems were the out-of-county residents who hired locals to tend marijuana gardens here, there, and everywhere. And, of course, the gun-toting, pit bull owning outlaws. The Sheriff realized that if he concentrated his efforts on the serious problems, he could win support of county residents. He also realized that shutting down local, small-scale growers hurt the local economy. He quit doing that.

Paul Krugman, noted economist and New York Times op-ed columnist won the Nobel Prize last year for his ideas about international trade. Implied in those ideas was the notion that production (e.g., of marijuana) becomes concentrated in areas where expertise exists. Here, where medical marijuana expertise exists in abundance, we should acknowledge it by promoting the various Mendocino marijuana-based remedies. This is our opportunity. We need to take advantage of it.
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What about a new bank?

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

The Obama administration is about to disgorge the second half of TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) money ($350 Billion Dollars) to bail out the banks. The first $350 Billion didn’t do the trick, the second won’t either. But wait, before once again dumping that much money into unsound banks, here’s another idea. This idea isn’t mine, and if it gets some attention, I’ll again ask permission to disclose its origins. For now, we’ll just focus on what I understand to be the substance.

Forget existing banks. Why not leave them to sink or swim? The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was created to clean up banking messes, and it has a good record. Let it do its job.

Instead, ask Congress to appropriate money for a NEW BANK. In its charter would be a mandate to extend credit, something no amount of TARP money alone will do, as we have seen.

The NEW BANK would not be burdened with toxic assets like mortgage-backed securities that turned out to have no value and were a bad idea in the first place.

The NEW BANK would not have greedy shareholders demanding dividends from government bailout money. The shareholders would be us, the taxpayers. Instead of dividends going only to rich shareholders, taxpayers would see the benefits in the form of readily available credit. What would this mean? Ordinary people could finance cars, houses, businesses, and get lines of credit. With the increase of economic activity created by the loosened credit, employment would increase. Instead of losing hundreds of thousands of jobs each month, there would be a gradual turnaround.

What else would this mean? No more huge bonuses for executives more concerned about their pay and perks than the welfare of the country. No more incentive to produce short-term stockholder dividends. The NEW BANK’s profits would come from the interest on loans, not from fraudulent financial instruments that through the deceptive magic of “bundling” hid huge losses. This game of “hot potato” went on while the bundlers sold the instruments to our pension funds and, amazingly, to each other.

Congress would set the salaries for NEW BANK employees and managers. Bonuses would be tied to the health of the economy, not bolstered by phony recommendations of executive pay consultants. This could be in the legislation, if we demanded.

There are plenty of people in the federal government who could run the NEW BANK. Recall that the Resolution Trust Corporation and the FDIC employ plenty of smart people. Bankers who made the mess would be prohibited from employment, if we demanded.

To get the NEW BANK going requires a popular revolt. Unless we tell the Congress, loud and clear and with street demonstrations, if necessary, that we’re fed up and not going to take it anymore, the TARP money will be spent, banks will continue to go bankrupt, and the likes of you and I will not see any benefits while the unemployment numbers keep going up.

If you’re fed up, let President Obama know, let Mike Thompson know, let Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein know, and share this idea with your friends. Don’t take it anymore!

See also Good Bank/New Bank vs. Bad Bank: a rare example of a no-brainer - Financial Times→

and I am as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore – YouTube→

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Do you see what I see?

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

Jeff Adams, the man on the ground for DDR (Developers Diversified Realty, aka, Mega Mall at the old Masonite site) resurfaced recently.  In a January 13, 2009 letter he informed the Governor that DDR intended to create a project that we could be proud of.  Looks like DDR isn’t going away any time soon.  I wonder why not when I contemplate what’s happening locally and on the national scene.  Why doesn’t DDR see what I see?

I see:  Lead article in the New York Times Sunday (2/1/09) Business Section, entitled Our Love Affair With Malls Is on the Rocks.  In the article, the reporter points to the nation’s bad habit of overspending as one of two causes of the economic crisis, the other cause being “mortgage-related financial insanity.”  But, the reporter informs us, because “personal consumption” accounts for 70 percent of the American economy, if we don’t spend, we don’t recover.  The reporter analogizes thusly:  “[T]he mall we married has become the toxic spouse we can’t quit . . ..”  So, why marry the mall?  If we can make DDR go away, we wouldn’t have to marry it and we wouldn’t end up paying alimony if things didn’t work out.  Seems obvious, doesn’t it?

I see:  Windsor Town Green, a mixed retail/housing development between Healdsburg and Santa Rosa, isn’t doing well.  When that development first opened, Laura Fogg and I visited it, describing what we saw  in an article published in the Ukiah Daily Journal (December 11, 2005).  Three years later, I revisited the area to see how it was faring in the face of the current economic downturn, depression, recession, whatever you want to call it.  I found lots of empty storefronts.  Why would DDR’s project, Mendocino Crossings, be different?

I see:  The localization movement is growing.  More and more people don’t like the idea of the money they spend going to distant corporate headquarters, never to be reinvested in Mendocino County.  Local shops reported good holiday sales while big chain stores mostly reported their sales were poor to awful.  We could continue our personal consumption without acquiring Mendocino Crossings, a toxic spouse.  So far as I know, it’s not even immoral to spend money locally . . .

So:  DDR’s matchmakers urge us to get married.  I say the odds are so against such a marriage working out that we should call off the romance.  Jeff Adams seems like a nice guy.  We could remain friends.

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More Stonewalling: Growth of County Debt (Updated)

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

Continue to YourPublicMoney.com→

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Update

From Dave Smith
Ukiah

The feeling returns
whenever we close out eyes
Lifting my head
looking around inside.

Facts are simple and facts are straight
Facts are lazy and facts are late
Facts all come with points of view
Facts dont do what I want them to
Facts just twist the truth around
Facts are living turned inside out
Facts are getting the best of them
Facts are nothing on the face of things
Facts dont stain the furniture
Facts go out and slam the door
Facts are written all over your face
Facts continue to change their shape

I’m still waiting…
I’m still waiting…
I’m still waiting…
I’m still waiting…
I’m still waiting…
I’m still waiting…
I’m still waiting…
I’m still waiting…

Crosseyed and Painless – Talking Heads→

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Els is back on KZYX today Monday 1/26 9am

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

After a two-year hiatus, Els Cooperrider (photo), much respected host of two previous KZYX radio shows, The Ecology Hour, and The Party’s Over, will resume her radio career today, Monday, January 26 at 9 a.m.

In a cozy interview in front of the fire at The Brew Pub, her family’s brewery and restaurant, Els talked about the new show to be broadcast every fourth Monday (mostly). She and Jason Bradford, host of The Reality Report, will share the time slot and will be flexible depending on their respective schedules.

Els and her guests will address how human relationships will change when cheap energy runs out. She warns, “None of the techno stuff will matter without human relationships.” Peering into a crystal ball, she sees a return to living in groupings of the extended family. This she said will be a matter of necessity for survival. Cheap energy has made the nuclear family possible, and when that goes away, so will the nuclear family.

She made clear that she was not talking about the intentional communities of the 1970’s, which, she said seemed to fall apart. Instead, she meant family by blood and marriage. Her perspective, she said, was made clearer when she came upon an anthropological concept, “Dunbar’s Number.” Dunbar theorized that an optimal group size for humans would be 150. Expect to hear more about that on Els’ show.

Two books could get us all thinking about these issues, she said. The first is a science fiction novel, World Made by Hand, by James Howard Kunstler, in which he portrays us as living in localized, agrarian communities. The second, Daniel Quinn’s Beyond Civilization: Humanity’s Next Great Adventure, is a series of one-page musings; perfect reading for the bathroom, she noted.

Her first guest will be clinical psychologist, Dr. Richard Miller, already familiar to KZYX listeners as the host of the show, “Mind, Body, Health and Politics.” Be sure to tune in for some intriguing and likely provocative radio.

Welcome back Els!

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Water, Then and Now – UPDATED 1/21/09

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

Updated below

A chance encounter while enjoying a stroll on the new trails around Lake Mendocino, Bill and I met Sean White, the Executive Director of the Russian River Flood Control District.  The first person we met, he was enjoying the trails as well.   Not surprisingly, the conversation quickly turned to the water level in the lake.  Sean said it had not been so low on the same January date since 1976-77, and summed up what happened then with one word: “gnarly.”  And, that’s when there were fewer water users than there are now.  Thursday, January 22, he said, there would be a public meeting to inform the public.  Put that date on your calendar and await details to be announced in Tuesday’s Ukiah Daily Journal and here in Ukiah Blog.

Update:

It was nice running into you on the trail. Our meeting will be at 6 pm at the Alex Rorabaugh Center (1640 S. State) at 6 pm on Thursday the 22nd. We will be discussing two main issues at this Special Meeting:

1)The upcoming SWRCB License Inspection
2)The Water Supply Outlook for 2009

FYI-Reservoir levels are now the lowest on record for this date. In 1977 we had approximately 52,000 acre feet of storage at this time, it is currently at 33,000…the situation is indeed “gnarly”.

We are are hoping that by beginning water supply discussions early, we can have allocation system in-place if rainfall continues to be insufficient. Thanks for spreading the word and hope to see you at the meeting.

Sean White
General Manager
RRFC

Continue reading Water, Then and Now→

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The Saturday Walking Group’s 20th Birthday

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

The Saturday Walking Group is almost 20 years old. This enthusiastic group meets every single Saturday morning at the Redwood Health Club (membership NOT required) to carpool to the intersection of Boonville and Robinson Creek roads. From there the group walks, rain (well, mostly) or shine, about 3 miles up Robinson Creek Road and turns around.

It’s not boring: every week is different. Maybe there are wildflowers, a Pileated woodpecker, a screaming hawk, deer, snow, a gushing creek, a dry streambed, tiny fish, or a turtle. This is a social group as well: talk turns to grandchildren, children, politics, books, movies and food. Almost always, there is an appetite-stimulating discussion of food.

The pictures tell the story…

Continue reading The Saturday Walking Group’s 20th Birthday→

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The City Council’s Obama Moment – Will it Last?

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

Monday, January 5, when the Ukiah City Council convened (minus Council Member John McCowen) in a Special Meeting to appoint a new member to fill the remainder of departing McCowen’s term, over 40 people attended.  Seeing so many members of the community interested in its proceedings, the Council did itself and the community proud.

Seven residents of the City of Ukiah filed applications for McCowen’s job.  Among them were John Graff, well-known representative of the Employers Council of Mendocino County, and Mary Anne Landis, respected member of the Ukiah Planning Commission, educator, and prominent proponent of the principles of “Smart Growth.”

Because three of the City Council members were likely to support Landis, and the fourth, Doug Crane, was not, the entire matter could have been handled in a matter of a few minutes.  One of the Council members could have nominated Landis, another seconded the nomination, and a roll call vote could have garnered the requisite three votes.

Instead, the members took their time, after first quizzing Dave Rapport, City Attorney, on possible procedures to fill the remainder of a departing Council member’s term.  Lacking a definite procedure to follow, the members heard the presentations of the seven applicants, asked them a couple of questions, and then heard the presentations of interested citizens.  The citizens spoke respectfully; enunciating criteria they felt were relevant to the selection of a new Council member.  A few endorsed a particular applicant.

After the last speaker, the Council members began deliberations.  Benj Thomas said he believed it was important to measure the applicants against certain criteria, and Doug Crane made a pitch for a conservative-leaning applicant.  Mari Rodin, noting that it sounded “like kindergarten,” spoke up for the qualities of respect and kindness.  She explained that Council members need to be respectful and kind to the City’s staff, other members, and citizens who attend and speak at Council meetings.  “Reaching across the aisle,” as our President-Elect Obama would say (my comment).  When Rodin spoke, a light came on:  rather than bringing the matter to a vote quickly, the members were showing kindness and respect for each other, the applicants, and the speakers.  Ah, I thought, Obama comes to Ukiah.  I get it . . .

So what? a cynic could say.  Well, here’s what:  in the end, Doug Crane voted with the other three Council members, making the vote unanimous.  He had been heard, his candidates treated with respect, but in the end he acted to welcome Landis to the Council.  How in the spirit of Obama I thought.

If the actions by the City Council are indicators of what is to come I foresee the Board acting in harmony in these difficult times.  Thank you Ukiah City Council for showing us the way.

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Celebrating Ukiah Valley Trail Group’s New Bridge

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From Janie Sheppard
Mendocino County

The occasion of the best New Year’s Day party in the Ukiah Valley was a celebration of the Ukiah Valley Trail Group’s new bridge near Lake Mendocino.  Hikers carried all manner of delicious homemade goodies to the party, including champagne, sparkling cider, hot tea, coffee, cinnamon rolls, pate, cookies and delicious cakes.  Really, it was a feast befitting the dedication of this gorgeous addition to our local trail system.

Continue reading New Years Day On Ukiah Valley Trails→

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This and That and DDR

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From Janie Sheppard

This post will most likely turn out to be a bit of this and that, locally inspired. A bit of this: I wish someone would tell us exactly what DDR, would be developer of the old Masonite site, is up to. Are they folding their tent? All I know is that Jeff Adams, DDR’s local man-on-the-scene, isn’t answering phone calls, even from people who were (are?) working with him. We do know that DDR, apparently without any qualms on the part of the Board of Supervisors, tore up all the railroad track on the property, which would be a strange thing to do if DDR was thinking of unloading the property, or maybe not. Mysteries abound. On a related matter, could someone who attended the December 14th meeting of Mendocino County Tomorrow report on what’s going on with that group?

The larger question posed by DDR’s plans is: Who does DDR envision its customers would be? Mervyn’s couldn’t make it, Kohl’s thinks it can even while more county residents have less money to spend. I’m curious how they figure that. Long suspicious of marketing studies I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that whoever conducted the original DDR marketing study was using made-up numbers, just like Ponzi scheme master, Bernie Madoff. Likewise, whoever conducted the marketing study for Kohl’s.

On the subject of made-up numbers one memorable scene comes to mind: Supervisor Colfax expressing disbelief that DDR’s proposed development would result in an increase of 26 eating establishments hereabouts. Disbelief seems too mild a word; astonishment perhaps? And yet on the basis of patently ludicrous numbers shopping centers get built. Not all succeed. In the end, I suspect their success or failure has little to do with the forecasts in a marketing study and more to do with elusive factors such as feng shui. There isn’t a lot of feng shui at the Mervyn’s site, which is owned by DDR, as Evan Johnson’s ironic photo shows. If Kohl’s succeeds, obviously I’m wrong, but I’d rather see the building demolished and a community garden established on the site, growing vegetables for the local food bank, Plowshares, and the Ford Street Project. The feng shui would emerge, people would eat, and profits would be in the form of healthier local residents.

The local farmer’s market at Alex Thomas Plaza has quite a different vibe: Local merchants selling fresh, locally grown food, handmade toys, beautiful woolen hats and scarves, and cosmetics, some of which I captured in a photo post. I’m spending whatever I can afford there, where the local merchants are appreciative and helpful and the profits stay at home. Why should I help DDR or Kohl’s when their profits go to huge out-of-state corporations? And what the local merchants don’t carry (yet) I will try to do without, or buy at a thrift shop, where the profits stay right here.

For a winter vacation we went to Mendocino to stay at the Stanford Inn, within 50 miles of our house, but with all the amenities of far-away fancy resorts. There, the profits do not get sucked up by a big corporate chain, but are plowed right back into the business and the county. It is a great way to get away while keeping your money at home . . . My grandson was drawn like a magnet to the electric train set up under a lovingly adorned Christmas tree; Bill and I loved the imaginative food, and my daughter and son-in-law loved the huge swimming pool and the hot tub. The dogs loved the strange smells, the other dogs, and the cats (well, love isn’t quite the right word for the cats, but their tails did wag).

And that’s it for today.
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See also The Mall Man’s Dreams For Ukiah at the AVA→

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A day at Ukiah’s Farmers Market

From Janie Sheppard

Today’s Ukiah farmers market at Alex Thomas Plaza was beautiful. Because this is one of those “a picture is worth a thousand words” topics, I will dispense with words and just show you what I mean…

These happy people have a basket of winter vegetables from the Mendocino Organics Winter CSA.

Continue reading A day at Ukiah’s Farmers Market→

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Supporting local agriculture

From Janie Sheppard

This is a first installment of reporting on a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  Bill and I bought half a share in Adam Gaska and Paula Manalo’s Mendocino Organics Winter CSA.  Saturday we picked up our first basket of winter vegetables.

If you don’t already know about CSA’s, here are the basics:

Economics. Non-farmers pay a local farmer to grow their vegetables.  The non-farmers pay up front for the whole season, thereby assuming the risk of crop failure while allowing the farmer to make all his or her seed and equipment purchases without having to arrange for credit, which as the recent economic crisis reminds us, is hard to get.  Extending credit to farmers, especially the small local farmers, has never been easy.  CSA’s solve that problem handily.

Read more of Supporting local agriculture

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