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September 20, 2007
Steve O'Bryan
I had heard rumors for weeks, if not months, that long-time community leader Steve O'Bryan was ready to move away from the Planning Commission. Above is my musical tribute to him.
O'Bryan finally made his decision, as the E-R reported in its front-page article "Discouraged and frustrated planner resigns from panel."
First, I think the E-R headline is slightly inaccurate. O'Byran is a planning commissioner - not a professional planner like Patrick Murphy, who left the City earlier this year to travel the world.
It's interesting that O'Bryan cites the City Council's recent approval of Tuscan Village as one example of his dissatisfaction with several land-use decisions.
That vote was a 4-3 vote with Mayor Andy Holcombe and Vice-Mayor Ann Schwab joining Councilors Steve Bertagna and Larry Wahl to approve the project against the wishes of several neighbors, Supervisor Maureen Kirk, and many environmentalists.
O'Bryan also cited his general concerns about growth and how the City pays for its impacts. The E-R quoted O'Bryan stating: "The way it is now, the more we grow, the more in debt the city grows."
O'Bryan is a great guy with a heart solidly rooted in Chico civic affairs. I know his years on the school board, particularly dealing with the controversies over Jeff Sloan, were challenging and draining.
Everyone needs a break from public service to rejuvenate. O'Bryan deserves to rest for awhile, but I would not be surprised to see him jump back in sooner than later.
Actually, given his 20+ years of public service and since O'Bryan regularly showcases Celtic music in town, he's deserving of another musical tribute:
Today's Scrabble word is titivate, or to spruce up.
Posted by dan_nt at September 20, 2007 12:00 AM
Comments
Dan -
The headline for Steve's resignation isn't the only inaccurate and misleading coverage in today's E'R. Check out today's Editorial for this incredible leap of logic:
We've long regarded with concern the cozy relationship between those who prepare environmental documents, the agencies that have authority over them, and groups like the Friends or the Butte Environmental Council that file lawsuits over the paperwork. They seem to be a mutual support group designed to keep each other profitable.
This statement is breathtaking in its illogic and dishonesty.
Yes, EIR firms do profit from creating the docs. Government agencies, by law, cannot make a profit. And anyone who has worked in ANY non-profit knows that lawsuits are money drains, not money-makers. Perhaps the E-R's editors are unclear of the meaning "non-profit" when accusing non-profits of profiting. Just to be clear: the law prevents non-profits from making a profit.
The only people who profit in lawsuits are lawyers (assuming they aren't working pro bono for the non-profit, in which case there is -- wait for it -- NO PROFIT).
Secondly, sometimes environmental groups must sue government agencies over the illegality of either ignoring an EIR or accepting a defective EIR. As anyone who has ever been involved in lawsuits knows, it is absolutely the last resort used only when all other options have been exhausted.
In the E-R world, agencies are more than welcome to be sued by developers to recover imaginary profits. Also in the E-R world, groups representing the public, like Friends or BEC or Sac River Trust or Sierra Club, must remain silent and deferential to corporate power.
Posted by: Chuckles at September 20, 2007 11:22 AM