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August 2024

Will council let out-of-town landlord ignore Climate Policy?

Time to enforce the Law at Oakshade Mall?

By Alan ”Lorax” Hirsch

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Near Treeless North Parking at Oakshade Mall

To give the landlord more flexibility to find tenants, Davis council is being asked to rezone the Oakshade Mall (Safeway)  located  at south Pole Line Rd x Cowell.  This is before council  on the Tuesday 8/27/24 agenda ( see  staff report  item #4).   However this landlord is notorious for their neglect of its trees and is in violation of city tree protection ordinance.

So, while makes sense for city to update zoning in response to a changing retailing climate,  it also  makes sense to do updates in city’s  relationship with this out-of-town landlord in regard to the Climate Crisis and city’s  CAAP policies, changes to sustain  Davis’s quality of life by deal with global heating.

More Shade is Existential

It is forecast that half Davis’s  summer days will be over 100 degree in 50 years. Unshaded asphalt reachs 140+ degrees in those conditions.  Davis’s CAAP climate plan appropriately calls for more tree shade as part our adaption plan.  To have that shade in 50 year tree need to be planted now. And investing in tree is just good marketing sense of a long-term landlord-  as contrast with incentive for on-site property manager who  often just think about next quarter’s cash flow so look everywhere to cut maintenance cost.

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30 year old oak at Oakshade Mall

But beyond increased tree shade called for Davis CAAP climate plan, this shopping center development has for years been in  gross violation of the city’s  1990’s tree ordinance under which it was approved.  That ordinance required “50% parking lot shade in 15years”  The landscape plan the developer/landlords signed off as part of plan- check had them agree to no just plant trees, but maintain the newly planted trees to obtain that 50% tree shade level.  This was not an impossible requirement:  If you drive West of Cowell just 2 block to the Kaiser clinic you can see tree can be grown in Parking lots.

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In the past, a large shade tree was (killed?) and replaced with small shrub...that was then topped

However, the landlord & his property managers have not grown and maintain trees as agreed over near 30 years the mall has been in operation. And when trees have died they have either not been replace, or replace with a shorter species. And the irrigation system has been neglected.

As you can see from attached recent arial pictures- (and picture in below linked article from 2018), the landlord has not met their legal requirement of 50% shade.   A visit the site will make obvious the gross number of  missing, stunted and dead trees.  The north parking area is nearly tree-free.

Continue reading "Will council let out-of-town landlord ignore Climate Policy? " »


Dangerous Bike Lanes: Automobile Normativity Breeds Neglect (Part 1 of 3)

 

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East Covell, Westbound, between the Mace Curve and Alhambra. See Video. Reported on 8/1/2024. Based on my understanding of how My Davis Requests are processed, this has not even been evaluated at time of writing. 

Davis, CA -  I've been riding a bike in cities for most of my adult life - that's forty years. As an example for others I don't often say that something feels safe; but when I feel a situation is dangerous it's a more valid perspective to share. 

For the last six weeks or so I've had to travel two times a week from my home near Mace and Cowell to Sutter Davis. The fastest way there by car is via 80 and 113; by bicycle it's Mace to East and then West Covell.  I have an e-bike, and it takes about 23 minutes, a bit longer if I don't make the lights, and longer still if I have to slow or even stop to avoid hitting overgrowth of trees and bushes into the bike lane, and slower if I have to stop to let vehicles pass when the overgrowth extends all the way to the edge of the traffic lane. 

"In some situations when the tree concern appears to be an immediate safety hazard [emphasis mine] the Street division will respond and put up barricades or traffic control to block off the area until tree work can be done. When the Urban Forestry division assesses the tree they determine the urgency of the concern and who the work will be assigned to. They also consider if the tree is the City’s responsibility to maintain. If a tree is blocking the public right of way per the clearance standards for that specific area they will assign pruning of the tree to meet clearance standards for the roadway, bike lane, sidewalk or path. Prune may be done but City Urban Forestry staff or by our contract arborist, currently West Coast Arborist. Work is completed based on the priority assessment conducted by one of the City’s Certified Arborist. If you have any additional questions please contact us ..." - from a response to an earlier complaint. 

How in this cornhole-tomato industrial apocalypse is the situation in the photo above  not an "immediate hazard"? As of time of writing,  along the westbound (WB) route between Mace and Sutter Davis, there are just over 30 bushes and trees which are "overgrowth" - the City's term - in the bike lane. Some require a diversion into the buffer (which is not a passing lane, and only part of this route has painted buffers), some require a diversion into the traffic lane,  some require ducking under possibly sharp branch ends (ironically, the by-product of earlier trimming....). 

Along this route I first reported overgrowth on the NB Mace Blvd overpass on July 27.  It's still there, requiring a quick maneuver to avoid this punji stick, but - watch out! - not so far into the traffic lane! 


What's curious is that "Closed" seems to only mean that the problem is solved in regards to potholes (and similar). "Closed" in relation to overgrowth on city property such as Covell indicates that the issue has been forwarded to the City's trees department, and with private property it means it went to the police for code enforcement.  I have mentioned this and suggested that "Closed" should only be used if the issue is resolved (or fixed, etc) or some kind of interim category should be created to show it's in process. While non-anonymous issue filers receive updates via email, it would be better if everything was more clear in the My Davis App. 

So... a real question is what's a realistic timeframe for the City to respond to what is objectively an "immediate hazard"? BUT the better real question is:

Would this be tolerated in [motor vehicle] traffic lanes for weeks at a time?

What would people who drive motor vehicles do if their daily route required diversions, stopping, making sure a big truck wasn't going to ram into them, multiple times a week on the way to work or an errand?

The answer is simple: The city would clear it immediately, or with a bit of delay during an exceptional weather event. They would clear the traffic lane or lanes. This is how it works here, and my personal experience for the last seven years I've lived here. 

The roughly similar - but roughly more seasonal issue - is yard waste in bike lanes. It's explicitly completely illegal under city rules; "overgrowth" is not. Both are equally dangerous. 

Reviewing City Hall minutes from ten years ago... many things regarding yard waste in bike lanes were promised. When I was on the BTSSC (RIP) - actually the night that Officer Natalie Corona (RIP) was killed  - the Commission supported my wording of a recommendation to City Council to improve things. (It's perhaps worth noting that the immediate sequence of events that resulted in a person with serious behavioral health issues killing Officer Corona started with a vehicle crash on 5th St - things like that with cars are seen as normal, and are forgotten). The Council watered it down and nothing improved, or changed (with the exception of a few signs in certain areas simply referring to the existing regulation.) 

I have very little hope that the Council, Staff and relevant Commissions will do anything about it. Case in point: School starts today! Did DJUSD work with the City in the last weeks  to ensure that our City's safe routes to school (SRTS).. are safe? Beyond my ride to Sutter Davis I can say that they have not. There's lateral pot holes and overgrowth all over. 

Measure Q?  It makes general promises about improvements, but why would Davis change now and target the needs of the most vulnerable road users? It's never been the priority: The City chronically builds infrastructure that's not compliant with the 2016 Street Standards  -- while simultaneously referring to then as "progressive" when it is going forward on a street project. The BTSSC was never consulted about the ongoing 10-year pavement plan nor the overlapping Cool Pavements project. 

The City's not making it feel safe for me to get around... my sense is that those who are younger or have less experience with bicycles simply don't consider the fastest routes if they feel unsafe on them. Do people who normally drive not take certain routes in town because they feel dangerous?

*****

In the following additional examples, there is also the before and after of a sewer grate on the Mace overpass damaged to the level where one could stand a bike up in it, and its "fix", a few months after being reported. Some fine craftsmanship, there!

There's also a screenshot from the City's "What Do you Do?" video series of very light and uncritical portraits of city staff and their job duties. Why wasn't this slip up about "world" never corrected? 

Additional photography and video from the Mace overpass on NB Mace to E. Covell just west of Pole Line.

*****

Parts 2 and 3 coming soon: 

Part 2: What the City plans to do about yard waste and other materials in bike lanes - a ridiculous new tool. 

Part 3: What the City should be doing (and why success of Measure Q might not help very much.)

*****

What can you do now? 

* Write the Transportation Commission (copying to City Council, new Active Transportation Coordinator Sereena Rai and the City's tree department):  tc@cityofdavis org, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected].

* Ask the League of American Bicyclists if Davis deserves its "Platinum Bike Friendly" rating: [email protected] (there is not an application currently under review -- this is just a cheeky way to get this corrosive garbage on their radar.)

* Ask the Board of the Davis Joint Unified School District if the situation is safe for students, and if they got the City to check for obstructions - including potholes - on safe routes to schools in Davis before the first of day of class today: [email protected].


Natalie’s Corner is topic of Sept. 4 Soroptimist talk

(From press release) Former State Sen. Lois Wolk will be the speaker at the Wednesday, Sept. 4 meeting of Soroptimist International of Davis. She will discuss her work chairing the committee for Natalie’s Corner, the Central Park renovation named in memory of Davis police officer Natalie Corona.

Officer Corona lost her life in the line of duty in 2019, not far from the park. The talk will be from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the conference room at University Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Blvd., Davis. Learn more about Natalie’s Corner at https://nataliescornerdavis.com/.

The event is open to the public. Lunch from Dos Coyotes is available for $15. First-time attendees are free. Please RSVP by 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2 for lunch by emailing [email protected]. Guests are welcome to bring their own lunch.

Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. It was founded in 1921 in Alameda County. Soroptimist International of Davis was chartered in 1954. Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. Its core values are gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity and fellowship.

SI Davis offers cash Live Your Dream Awards to female heads of household seeking education or training, and assists King High students through its Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls program. It also funds high school scholarships, and grants to nonprofits that align with the Soroptimist mission.

SI Davis members meet twice a month on Wednesdays – once at lunchtime and once in the evening – and connect for other fun activities and service. Learn more at https://www.sidavis.org/.


Rebuttals to arguments for and against Davis tax increase (Measure Q)

By Roberta Millstein

Yesterday, I posted the ballot arguments for and against Measure Q, which would increase Davis's current retail transactions and use tax from 1% to 2%.  Here are the rebuttals to those arguments that will also appear on the November ballot.  See the County's website (where these arguments are also posted) for more details: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/417/Measure-Q---City-of-Davis

Rebuttal to argument in favor of Measure Q:

Continue reading "Rebuttals to arguments for and against Davis tax increase (Measure Q)" »


Sierra Club Presents Awards to Diana Almendariz and Adelita Serena for Outstanding Service to Communities and the Environment

Diana and Adelita
Diana Almendariz and Adelita Serena (Photo credit: Juliette Beck).

(From press release) The Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and oldest environmental organization, is pleased to recognize two outstanding environmental justice leaders – Diana Almendariz and Adelita Serena – for their dedication to protecting and enhancing the local environment for people and nature in the Yolo bioregion.

The Sierra Club Yolano group’s geographical reach extends from Southern Colusa County through the entirety of Yolo County to Northern Solano County and is within the ancestral homeland of the Patwin-Wintun people. The awards were granted by the Yolano Group to the two indigenous women for their work to engage community members in protecting the ecological health and sustainability of the region.

Diana Almendariz is a Cultural Practitioner of Maidu/Wintun and Hupa/Yurok traditions, heritage and experiences. She is a visionary culture-bearer, storyteller, naturalist, educator and visual artist who has been dedicated to the cultural and ecological revival of her Native homelands for over three decades.

Almendariz teaches homeland-based ecological stewardship using traditional materials such as tule – a wetland reed - to make baskets, mats, cordage, dolls, and boats, blending arts, culture, and ecology into the learning.

Continue reading "Sierra Club Presents Awards to Diana Almendariz and Adelita Serena for Outstanding Service to Communities and the Environment" »


Arguments for and against increasing transactions & use tax from 1% to 2% (Measure Q)

By Roberta Millstein

This November, Davisites will vote on Measure Q:

To support essential City services, such as public safety and emergency response; crime prevention; pothole repair; parks, road, sidewalk, and bike path maintenance; and addressing homelessness, affordable housing, and climate change, shall the City of Davis's Ordinance be adopted establishing an additional 1¢ sales tax providing approximately $11,000,000 annually for general government use until repealed by the voters, subject to annual audits, public disclosure of all spending and with all funds staying local?

This would increase Davis's current retail transactions and use tax from 1% to 2%.  To pass, a majority (50% + 1) of the votes cast by City of Davis voters must approve the measure.  As implied by the text above, the tax has no automatic sunset date; it will be in effect until repealed by voters. 

Further details are available at the County's website: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/417/Measure-Q---City-of-Davis

Here is the argument in favor that will appear on the ballot:

Continue reading "Arguments for and against increasing transactions & use tax from 1% to 2% (Measure Q)" »


Four California Bills to Punish Free Speech and Academic Freedom at Schools and Campuses Are About to Become Law

Being heard in California State Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees Today

Silenced

By Scott Steward

Three of the four bills are unbalanced and likely to increase the punitive environment (and the cost) of our California universities, state universities, and community colleges and send a "shut up or else" message to about 2.5 million mostly young adults, their instructors and administrators.

Unfortunately, Dodd already voted to pass the two Senate bills to the Assembly, which is very sad for our college campuses.  Aguiar Curry already voted to pass the assembly bills, which is sad for our high schools.  I'll assume that Democratic majorities are all in on these bills. The bills are now being heard by the appropriations committees of the opposite houses today. Floor votes for the AB bills are likely in the Senate and floor votes are likely for the SB bills are likely in the Assembly soon. 

That said - I would propose you let Dodd and Aguiar-Curry to recommend

For Aguiar-Curry:

NO on senate bills SB 1277 Pupil instruction: genocide education: the Holocaust.

NO on senate bills SB 1287 Equity in Higher Education Act: prohibition on violence, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination.

For Dodd:

NO on assembly bill AB 2918 Pupil instruction: ethnic studies.

And a "not encouraged by" AB 2925.  AB2925 Equity bill was more balanced, but there is concern over the vague nature of who would be implementing anti-discrimination training and what guardrails would be put in place to make sure that anti-discrimination training was developed inclusively - specifically that training included Palestinian voices along with other voices.

Continue reading "Four California Bills to Punish Free Speech and Academic Freedom at Schools and Campuses Are About to Become Law" »


Comments from Sierra Club Yolano Group on scope of environmental review for Eastside project

The following comments are the Sierra Club Yolano Group's response to the call for comments on the proposed scope of environmental review of the proposed Eastside (misleadingly called "Shriners") project. See earlier article for details: https://www.davisite.org/2024/07/notice-of-preparation-nop-for-so-called-shriners-property-project.html .

Apologies for the weird numbering on the list -- the SCYG Management Committee's intent should be clear.

From: Sierra Club Yolano Group
To: Dara Dungworth, Principal Planner
Re: Eastside NOP Comments
Date: August 7, 2024 

Transmitted via email: <[email protected]>

Ms Dungworth - Regarding the Notice of Preparation (NOP) and the upcoming preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the “Eastside” housing project (formerly referred to as “Shriners”), the Sierra Club Yolano Group offers the following comments and recommendations.

  1. Alternatives

    1. City staff has recommended that one the Alternatives to be analyzed in the EIR should have “Higher Number of Units – Same Footprint,” but it does not specify the number of units to be analyzed. We recommend that a minimum of 1500 units be analyzed and that the design of this Alternative incorporate a substantial co-op model (perhaps similar to Dos Pinos or Muir Woods) that prioritizes alternative modes of transportation, especially bicycling.  This Alternative would better achieve the following goals: more traffic/transit efficiency, better for minimizing negative impacts to air quality and climate change, more equitable and affordable, better able to serve underserved populations.
  1. Biological Resources
    1. We recommend the then current leasehold farmer not perform any cultural activities resulting in soil disturbances in environmentally sensitive areas, including planting of cover crops, until all of the biological studies are completed.

    2. In the analysis for rare plants, we recommend all historical records be consulted.

    3. We recommend all surveys performed for determination of Biological Resources be performed by specialists approved or certified to perform such studies under CEQA guidelines and performed in accordance with CDFW protocols.

    4. We recommend environmental evaluation also be performed considering the Yolo Regional Resource Conservation Investment Strategy/Land Conservation Plan (RCIS/LCP) in addition to the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan & Natural Community Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCP).
  1. Traffic
    1. We recommend the traffic impact analysis be studied for cumulative impacts of all the four proposed properties on Covell and the Mace curve including this project, Village Farms, Palomino Place, and On the Curve, as would be done in an East Covell - Mace Curve Specific Plan to assess cumulative impacts.
    2. Below is a diagram which illustrates the relationship between the developments by indicating the ¼ mile walking distance of each proposed project. We recommend the proposed transportation mitigation be developed in light of these findings to minimize walking distance to public transit.
    3. We recommend a study to determine long it would take to evacuate the residents of the 1800 units from the two exits in case of fire, flood, etc., and whether that could provide for a safe evacuation.
  1. Air Quality
    1. Given that development is almost adjacent to the Open Space for Public Health and Safety housing exclusion zone around the landfill and sewage treatment plant, we recommend that an EPA-approved air dispersion modeling tool be employed to investigate potential harmful or nuisance odorous or particulate matter or other vectors be performed to determine the extent of possible exposure of residents of Eastside to emissions emitted from the Yolo County Landfill or the Davis Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Excerpts from Davis General Plan re Exposure to Odors and Vectors from Landfill

Section V: Community Facilities and Services Davis General Plan

Chapter 9: Parks and Open Space May 2001/ Amended Through January 2007 (p. 228)

“The land within one mile of the landfill and sewage treatment facilities is designated “Open Space for Public Health and Safety.” The intent is that residential development is prohibited within this area due to public health concerns including vectors and odors. In addition, this area poses a hazard to aircraft because of the large number of birds that congregate in the vicinity of the landfill.”

  1. Hazards and Hazardous Materials-
    1. We recommend a Public Health Vector Control analysis be performed as a result of the proximity of the development project to the Open Space for Public Health and Safety housing exclusion zone. Concerns could include vectors such as mosquitoes (from the wetlands by the wastewater plant) as well as rats and seagulls potentially carrying dangerous impacts (feces, West Nile virus, etc.) toward the new development.
  1. Hydrology
    1. Given the 100-year floodplain extends into the property, we recommend the potential impact of peak flows and volumetric capacity on the project and downstream system be studied using a 200-year flood event in the Drainage Report in addition to using a 100-year flood event.

Map of 100-year Floodplain Extending into Property

  1. Noise
    1. We recommend noise analyses be performed to evaluate potentially loud noises from adjacent uses which have occurred in the past, e.g., sound guns to scare off birds from the landfill to the north of the property and from agricultural land to the north-east of the property.
  1. Cultural Resources
    1. We recommend that the Yoche Dehe Wintun Tribe and other tribal groups be consulted with more than a certified letter to notice them of the upcoming DEIR and consultations opportunities.

Fight for Our Future: A Yolo-Wide Election Kickoff

Sunday, August 25, 4-5 p.m., Veterans Memorial Center in Davis

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Volunteers canvassing in the Central Valley earlier in 2024 will be returning as election nears

 (From press release) Local progressive activists are saying, “We’re not going back!” 

Winning the White House, restoring a House majority, and holding the Senate and key State House races will be front and center Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4  p.m. when Sister District Yolo and Indivisible Yolo, along with Democratic Party partners, host a Yolo-wide election rally. 

Speakers include Michael Tubbs, former mayor of Stockton and candidate for California Lieutenant Governor, and Rep. Jasmine Clark, a top target for the GOP in the critical swing state of Georgia.

Co-sponsoring groups include the Yolo County Democratic Party, West Sac Democratic Club, and Davis College Democrats.

“It’s time for Yolo County to step up our voter outreach to elect President Kamala Harris and give her a Congress she can work with. We are delighted to have Michael Tubbs as our featured keynote speaker not just because of his outstanding work on behalf of populations often left behind, but also his Central Valley roots,” said Steve Murphy of Indivisible Yolo. “Come learn how you can take action, no matter how much time or resources you have.”

Continue reading "Fight for Our Future: A Yolo-Wide Election Kickoff " »


Reminder: still time for citizens to give input on environmental review of "Shriner's" project

Location of proposed Shriners project

Comments are due by Monday, August 12.  Details are on this earlier post:

https://www.davisite.org/2024/07/notice-of-preparation-nop-for-so-called-shriners-property-project.html

You can send your input, comments or responses (including the name for a contact person in your agency) to:

Attn: Dara Dungworth, Principal Planner
City of Davis Department of Community Development and Sustainability
23 Russell Boulevard
Davis, CA 95616
[email protected]


Will City & County Prioritize Yet More money for I-80?

Missing funds may continue to compromise transit

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Map of what’s planned: : Phase I of Yolo80 widening will only be west of the 50/80 split in West Sacramento- We are missing $265 Mil

By Alan Hirsch 

This is a report on the untalked about short falls in funding on I-80Yolo projects (plural), changes to the freeway from Dixon across the Sacramento River bridges for both US 50 and I-80. We are told the freeway here is in crisis (Like the climate crisis?)

Other have noted the short thinking of funding highway widening continue to “crowd out” funding of substantial transit improvements and that keeps us from addressing climate change and providing travel choices to driving.

For example, on I80 Yolo the total bill is a jaw dropping $745 million- 40 times the Yolobus budget.

Caltrans and freeway proponent all through the decision-making process on I80 have not make clear its full cost and long term impacts. They have instead  levered an initial $86 Million federal grant – which we are told we dare not give back - to lock us into spending hundreds of million more. A sum that effectively  crowd out investment in transit.

Continue reading "Will City & County Prioritize Yet More money for I-80?" »


Al's Corner August - "Vanguard News Group" New Website Still Sucks

B06d68e7-1808-4726-a1a3-c4b40600b925After years and years of anticipation and false promises of 'any day now' going back years, the 'Vanguard News Group' new website landed last week with a 'plop', like the sound of a human turd dropping on a San Francisco sidewalk.  I honestly wanted it to be better, but it wasn't.  In some ways it was worse.  Why spend so much time to get it right, and then roll out something that is less functional and still has many of the problems of the old site?

The old site was bad and getting worse.  It would load so slowly it would often time out.  The site used massive RAM memory that would drain a laptop battery.  The pages would skip while you were reading them, and then when you went back (if you could find where you were), the page would skip again. 

Towards the end the site had some sort of virus/malware that would cause the page to spontaneously skip to unwanted ad pages, and it would replace the recent history with six steps of the same ad page address with the original address eliminated.  Usually it was unwanted ads, or Bing, for some reason.  A couple of times it was straight up porn.  Without giving it in full the domain address it skipped to once began with "https://da.check-tl-ver-176-2.com/my-adult-video/ . . . ".   This should have been stopped at once, but it happened 2-3 times.

One piece of good news, the new site hasn't spontaneously skipped to ads or porn or replaced the short-term history.  It has, however, had the same loading issues and even said, "The site you are trying to reach is taking too much memory and is slowing down your browser.  Would you like to leave?".  It also still spontaneously skips text as it is trying to load text, and still does it again when you go back.  Others have told me this was the worst part of the old site to them as well, and it's amazing DG rolled out the new site without fixing this.

Certain things about the new site are worse:  It's too plain.  While the old site had too much color, it would have been nice to have kept the old color scheme, just as borders and highlight, but it's just plain with no character.  For some reason, the "Davis Vanguard" livery is replaced with "Vanguard News Group".  Like so many things with the Vanguard, I'm sure this has some meaning to DG, but to the common person it's just confusing. 

There is no ability to click on comments so you have to scroll through the whole article to reach them.  Honestly, the so-called articles are so often dull and predictable and/or copied from elsewhere, so I'd often read the comments first or don't read the article at all.  Having to scroll to comments, if there are any at all, which increasingly there are not, is just more than I feel like doing.  In addition, there is no 'new comments' box, so you'd have to keep track of each article and keep clicking on it to see if anyone added a new comment.  And again, that's more than me or most people are willing to do.  And as people learn that no one knows they posted a new comment, they won't bother to post at all.

The banner at the top only hides one article at a time, and it moves at a weird rate, and it's too big and obscures to those not familiar that the most recent news is below.  The articles are still repetitive crap on housing in Davis, how someone is going to sue on measure J, and on why cutting school costs actually costs money, and how more housing will save schools.  And there are the usual copy articles on the evils of 'carceration' by the ACLU.  And by the way, if you liked the ACLU of years ago, join F.I.R.E..  It's like the old ACLU without all the new utlra-progressive crap.

DG say:  "The website highlights the various segments of the Vanguard. My focus will continue to be heavily on Davis issues and multiple commentaries each week."  Let me guess:  Recycled crap about  housing in Davis, how someone is going to sue on measure J, on why cutting school costs actually costs money, and how more housing will save schools.

DG say:  "we now have a team member who is working exclusively on grants which we see as part of the long-term financial sustainability for the Vanguard."  It's good to have a team member doing this, so they can get grants that will partially cover their own salary  :-|   And bye bye Sparkplug Foundation:  you exhibit poor judgement.

KO say:  "I remember the days when there would be 50 comments by 9am. There were robust conversations. The fact now that comments often sit in the moderation queue for hours kills any chance of that ever happening again."   Yup.

KO say:  "Where are the several conservative commenters that used to post? Having diverse views used to generate more commenting. I thought progressives were supposed to be all about diversity."  Diversity of skin color, not diversity of ideas.

KO say:  "What you need are the Alan Millers, Ron Oertels, SOD’s and Frankly’s to return."  Not to mention Rik Keller, that spacey woman who talked about space aliens, and that drunkard musician who doxxed RO with the global coordinates of his house.

And yes, bringing back Alan C. Miller would be the savior of the Vanguard.  He is more interesting then the entire blog and its staff combined and can bring you joy and eternal life.  Alan C. Miller says:  "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in my will never die!"  [Actually Alan C. Miller does not say that.]

But it is true that bringing back the robust community comments would bring more clicks and more eyes.  Apparently that doesn't interest the Vanguard.  Having developers, H.A.L.'s, useful idiots, startup foundations and civil-rights lawyers fund the thing is all that matters in the new business model, apparently, and community engagement and discussion or even clicks really don't matter.  Is that sustainable?  Especially with a tax lawsuit to fight?

I would have gladly served as a site-tester for the new website, but no one asked me.  Apparently DG never even had a normal person look at it, as surely they would have said, "Dude . . . "

Well, DG, your savior awaits.  DG deep down knows I am the savior, that my comments are the best, most humorous, and most interesting and will save all blogs whom I touch.  DG knows my terms.  DG knows the real problem.  But until he deals with it . . .