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December 31, 2007
Toilet Paper
"A traffic hazard — with the potential for endless bad puns — briefly clogged traffic this morning at the intersection of Highway 99 and The Esplanade. According to the California Highway Patrol, the messy situation was created when as many as 100 rolls of toilet paper were dumped on the road."
I think the famous artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude are working on a Butte County art project - perhaps an attempt to wrap the "Our Hands" sculpture at City Hall in toilet paper.
Okay, since the E-R didn't want to wade into bad puns, I'm waiting for readers to post a few good ones.
I offer a few bad puns or slogans to get things "rolling" -- "Love Your Bum, Love Your Road" or "Too Much Toilet Paper Clogs Roads, Plunger Required."
Today's Scrabble word is hew, to cut with an ax.
Posted by dan_nt at 04:53 PM | Comments (5)
Favorite Things
The highlight of the 2007 year, in my opinion, was that Oprah chose Scrabble as one of her year's Favorite Things.
Not surprisingly, Oprah's version of Scrabble is the $70 Premier Edition complete with organizing drawer, mahogany finish, and lazy Susan.
I'm never spending $70 on a Scrabble set, unless it includes several dinners at Red Tavern or Spice Creek Cafe.
Whether you're playing Scrabble on New Year's Eve or partying like it's 1999 (which seems outdated now that's we're approaching 2008), have a safe night.
By the way, check out the 2007 Photos of the Year taken by the excellent E-R photographers Bill Husa, Jason Halley, and Ty Barbour.
It's fun to listen to the narration by Husa and Halley explaining the "story" behind each favorite photo. These photographers are incredibly talented. My favorite shot is the guy surfing under the bridge in One-Mile.
And enjoy this Diana Krall song, which asks the question all of us have been asked too many times leading up to this evening.
Today's Scrabble word ictus, a recurring beat in a poetic form.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
December 30, 2007
Top 10
It’s tradition that various media outlets summarize their top 10 stories for the calendar year. Early next year those same media outlets might compile their predictions for 2008.
It’s interesting to compare the top 10 stories compiled by the E-R and The News & Review.
Three issues surfaced on both lists: (1) the disorderly events ordinance, (2) the City budget, and (3) Enloe challenges.
The other top 10 issues on the E-R list included Las Plumas High School gunfire, Highway 149, family lost looking for Christmas tree, Steve Harrison’s death, public safety concerns, Lookout Point, and fraternity hazing.
As for the N&R, the other top 10 issues were Chet Francisco’s departure, the gravel mine, planning commission controversies, Meriam Park, water transfer issues, Chico State women’s basketball controversy, and cell phone tower debates.
This year also marked the passing of several wonderful community leaders, including Paul Persons and Hollie Vinson.
The year 2007 marked the departure of Paul McIntosh, former Butte County CAO and Greg Jones, former Chico City Manager, joining Francesco to make a trifecta of public executive departures.
And don’t forget, 2007 is also the year that the word cryptosporidium became part of our local civic discourse.
I would have made cryptosporidium a top 10 local story only because it’s a tough word to pronounce or spell.
By the way, it's worth checking out the final two or three top 10 ping pong hits below. Watching will help you exercise your eye muscles.
Today's Scrabble word is forb, an herb other than grass.
Posted by dan_nt at 10:55 AM | Comments (1)
December 29, 2007
Chico Spirit
I visited Ed McLaughlin on Thursday at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
If you want to receive updates on Ed, visit the ChicoVelo website.
City Councilor Tom Nickell was attending to Ed, replacing City Councilor Ann Schwab who was visiting earlier in the week. Ed’s partner, Suzanne, is back with Ed now.
I believe a steady stream of friends will be alternating visits over the next several weeks, if not months.
Unfortunately for Ed at this time of the year, the television in his hospital room plays more cooking shows than college football. If you want cooking tips, I'm sure Ed can recite a few new lessons he's learned by listening to the television in the background.
Ed has a long road of rehabilitation ahead of him, but clearly his spirit is strong.
During times of struggle, a good sense of humor can be critically important – and Ed continues to laugh and smile at various jokes despite the challenging circumstances.
In fact, I took a few photos of Ed taking phone calls with Nickell holding him up to talk, while a nurse held the phone.
I joked whether it was President Bush calling Ed to send his regards from Laura Bush and him, and whether Bush promised to deploy the full resources of the federal government to root out those terrorists bollards.
But on a more serious note, the E-R editorial following Ed’s accident is so true:
“Living in a close-knit community like Chico is like being part of a large family. As much as we argue and quibble, when tragedy strikes, we pull together. That's what's happening now as the community learns of the challenge facing local cyclist Ed McLaughlin.”
I’d bend over backwards – and I know a lot of other people would too – for each other. Ed's given a lot to Chico and will continue to give more. And in return, the community will surely give back and help take care of one of their own.
That’s the Chico familial spirit that makes me proud to call Chico my hometown.
Today’s Scrabble word is ratal, an amount on which rates as assessed.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
December 28, 2007
Best Buy
This stunt at a Best Buy is another great mission by the Improv Everywhere group. It's hilarious to read the summary of the Best Buy mission.
Today's Scrabble word is tumbler, or drinking glass.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
December 27, 2007
FreeRice.com
Given the rice industry's importance to our region, it's only fitting that I plug the website FreeRice.com.
According to the UN World Food Programme:
"FreeRice is the latest brainchild of US online fundraising pioneer John Breen, who first tied funds to clicks on the Web in 1999 with the Hunger Site, at the time, a WFP partner. Breen runs the Poverty.com website, a portal for information and facts about hunger and related diseases. FreeRice relies on private companies’ ad space payments to underwrite donations to WFP."
Despite my Scrabble playing interest, I tried playing the FreeRice vocabulary game and quickly determined that my vocabulary is less than stellar. And that's a kind description.
So check out FreeRice.com, help raise money to alleviate poverty, and tell me if you're hovering better than my 40 vocab level, which I only reached and maintained after a few guesses.
Today's Scrabble word is asperity, or harshness.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:50 PM | Comments (0)
December 26, 2007
ChicoBag Spotlight
Local company ChicoBag keeps generating a lot of media attention.
The San Francisco Chronicle featured ChicoBag in its recent article on the reusable bag trend.
And Hollywood has been taking notice with ChicoBag becoming a popular event goodie bag.
This promotional quote is golden:
"ChicoBags have already been seen in the hands of celebs from eco-kingpins Ed Begley Jr. and Leonardo DiCaprio, to kings of comedy like Steve Carell, and Oscar winning actresses including Susan Sarandon and Juliet Binoche."
I love that ChicoBag has the "Chico" in its name - promoting the community's values and name in various corners of the world.
When will Chico and other Butte County communities step up with its over version of a plastic bag ban applied to major grocery and drugstore chains?
Today's Scrabble word is rani, the wife of a raja.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:50 PM | Comments (5)
December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas
I received this forwarded holiday message from a friend.
To all my Democrat friends:
"Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee."
To all my Republican friends:
"Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And if you don't have a Merry Christmas, you can blame Bill Clinton for killing Santa."
Today's Scrabble word is phreak, to gain illegal access to a long distance service to avoid tolls.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2007
Holiday Greetings
This is a great holiday message from the Obama family.
The ending is warm and fuzzy, effectively tying the kids' personal punchline after the political standard "I approve this message" line.
Which other holiday message is your favorite? Some are much more serious that others.
John Edwards - Touches several of his main campaign themes.
Joe Biden: Emphasizing his foreign policy experience to lead the world.
Hillary Clinton: A little hokey, but at least she's trying to link issues with a holiday theme.
Rudy Giuliani: I look forward to receiving the fruitcake, but not that bright red sweater. Advice to Giuliani: Do not strike a cheesy pose next to a Santa Claus. I wonder if that's Bernard Kerik in the Santa outfit
John McCain: McCain does a good job reminding people that he has spent lonelier, darker holidays with a simple but hopeful message.
Ron Paul: Are the people in the video all the folks on the Internet raising millions for Paul, or is that his large family who break out singing like in the musical Rent every now and then?
Fred Thompson: Where the heck is Thompson? He's missing in action on the campaign and he's missing in action in his holiday video.
Mitt Romney: Okay, it's cold in Boston. I'm glad I no longer live there. Thank goodness for California.
Mike Huckabee: The bookshelf cross image in the background is a brilliant subliminal message to the evangelical voters who will push Huckabee to first or second in the Iowa caucus. But did he and Giuliani trade red sweaters?
Today's Scrabble word is scall, a scaly eruption of the skin.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 23, 2007
Updates
Best place to check for updates on Ed McLaughlin is on the Chico Velo website.
Ed was informed about the Healing Circle taking place on Christmas Eve at 8 pm in City Plaza when people are encouraged to ride their bicycles to the gathering.
Knowing Ed, I'm sure the thought came across his mind: "Well, if this is what it takes to get people out of their cars to ride their bicycles..."
He's receiving respiratory therapy. Doctors are keeping him stable on a rotobed to keep his head and body still.
Today's Scrabble word is fino, a very dry sherry.
Posted by dan_nt at 02:24 PM | Comments (1)
December 22, 2007
Healing Circle
Friends of Ed McLaughlin are inviting community members to show up to downtown's City Plaza at 8 pm on Christmas Eve.
According to organizer Kasey Merrill:
"The community is invited to gather at the Chico City Plaza at 8:00pm Christmas Eve 12/24/07 to create HEALING INTENTION for our dear friend Ed McLaughlin. Please come by bicycle to honor our friend’s contagious enthusiasm for cycling. Join the circle and blend your thoughts, healing prayers and skyward bike beams as we send our love and HEALING INTENTION to surround Ed."
If you can show up riding your bicycle and night light, you'll honor Ed's spirit as he fights to recover from his terrible accident.
McLaughlin is in a special spinal rehabilitation unit in Santa Clara. Not surprisingly, I hear Ed’s attitude is positive despite the circumstances. Let’s hope he regains movement of his legs, arms, and hands.
Fundraising details will be forthcoming to help cover medical expenses.
Today's Scrabble word is goral, or goat antelope.
Posted by dan_nt at 06:59 PM | Comments (0)
Ed McLaughlin
Ed McLaughlin of ChicoVelo was in a serious bicycle accident yesterday afternoon in Bidwell Park.
McLaughlin hit a bollard while bicycling with several other riders.
McLaughlin suffered serious spinal chord injury. He was taken by helicopter to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
McLaughlin organizes Chico Velo’s Wildflower Century, arguably one of the biggest non-university-related events drawing visitors from outside the region.
He has done more to advocate for an improved bicycle network than anyone in town. McLaughlin serves on the Board of the Downtown Chico Business Association.
And as anyone who knows McLaughlin can attest, he has a brilliant sense of humor.
McLaughlin is greatly respected by many, even if he’s from New Jersey. And yes, Ed would appreciate that put-down joke.
We're all hoping McLaughlin's strong spirit and body will pull him towards a recovery better than our worst fears.
My heart broke hearing the news. I've admired Ed for his tireless contributions to the community for many years.
Please keep Ed in your thoughts this holiday season.
Today's Scrabble word is bhut, a small whirlwind.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (8)
December 21, 2007
Prayer
I think the master of prayer hip hop dancing MC Hammer would appreciate our local “prayer walkers” who Emanuella Orr of The News & Review featured in her article “Prayer Walking.”
The article asks: “Can prayer reduce crime?”
If there was a causal relationship between prayer and reducing crime activities, I’d hire pastors to replace our current police force.
I wonder if the “prayer walkers” have considered “prayer sitting” at City Council meetings to help reduce the City’s budget.
Today’s Scrabble word is kyte, or stomach.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2007
David Guzzetti
Rumors are circulating that former long-time Chico City Councilor David Guzzetti, who now lives in Concow, is planning to challenge Supervisor Bill Connelly in District 1.
Connelly is already likely facing a challenge from former Oroville Mayor Gordon Andoe.
Guzzetti, who opted against re-election in 2000, would make the District 1 election the most interesting with three seasoned candidates in the mix.
As a four-term former City Councilor, Guzzetti has a strong political support base and knows how to fundraise. The mere opportunity to eat his wonderful catered food at a campaign event is enough to draw many folks.
Connelly, a Republican, made a surprising appearance at a recent Democratic event in Oroville featuring California Democratic Party chair Art Torres - perhaps an attempt to appeal to more liberal constituents against Andoe, even though Guzzetti entering the race may change this race dynamic.
Today's Scrabble word is rakish, or jaunty.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2007
Top Gems
This is the City Plaza photo on Mike Antolock's Chico's Hidden Gems website.
Here's the description of Chico:
"Travel in America is big business. It provides wealth, jobs and growth of cities. That's all good! But along the way sometimes the true virtues of some cities are lost. What makes Chico a great city is not necessarily it's unique attributes but rather the people living their day-to-day lives. Our goal is to give you a glimpse of Chico through the eyes of those who live here."
According to the website, Chico's gems include Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Satava Art Gallery, the Chico Outlaws baseball team, Bidwell Park, The Hotel Diamond, City Plaza, our downtown outdoor festivals, Nantucket store, Bidwell Mansion, Chico Velo, Chico Museum, and our art murals and galleries.
Other hidden gems not highlighted on the website include the many Starbucks tucked inside grocery stores, Panda Express, Wal-Mart, and Taco Bell and Jack in the Box near City Plaza.
Did I miss any other hidden gems?
Today's Scrabble word is merk, a former coin of Scotland.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
December 18, 2007
Budget Talk
Once again, the E-R editors can’t let facts get in the way of their opinions.
In the latest editorial, “City must stop salary escalation,” the E-R published the following comment about Mayor Andy Holcombe:
"’This is the first step in what's going to be a long-term process,’ City Mayor Andy Holcombe said of tonight's decisions. ‘That's part of the message. There's certainly no overnight fix in terms of getting to the end of the road of what our budget problems may be. ‘This is the same person who, while running for office last year, wouldn't say there was a problem. In fact, he criticized some opponents by saying they exaggerated the budget crisis for political gain.”
First, let's get this fact straight. Holcombe wasn’t running for office last year. He’s running for re-election next year in 2008 after his initial election in 2004.
Holcombe did write an editorial last year on the budget – not because he couldn’t admit there was a budget problem, but because political opponents were attempting to blame all the budget woes of the City on a select group of Councilors even though City Councils past and present, for the most part, have unanimously approved annual budgets and union contracts.
In short, Holcombe was criticizing political opponents for exclusively blaming the more liberal Councilors for budget problems for political gain, even though ironically the most conservative City Councilors Steve Bertagna and Larry Wahl have approved the most annual budgets and unions contracts than any other Councilor based on their seniority.
In fact, a fair reading of Holcombe’s essay reveals that he recognized that personnel costs are the biggest driving factor in the City’s budget. He recognized that annexations have cost the City money. And Holcombe acknowledged that growth has created fiscal strains.
Unfortunately, the headline in The News & Review is misleading with the question “Budget Monster: Fact or Fiction?”
Holcombe didn’t say there wasn’t a budget problem.
Based on my reading, he was making several factual points, including that budget deficit projections will be alarmingly large when you project over a 10-year period compared to two-year projections.
And Holcombe pointed out that the City historically has been very conservative projecting revenue compared to expenses, which is true if you review annual budgets over the last decade or longer.
These statements don't reveal a refusal to acknowledge a budget problem, but a logical attempt to move beyond political blaming to a better understanding of budget projection assumptions and structural challenges.
Holcombe ended his essay by writing:
"The true deficit warning cry is to be aware of its institutional causes that go beyond party lines or philosophy. It is a reminder to work together to best meet our city's growing demand for services.
He was right. The City and the public is more aware than ever about the institutional causes driving the projected budget woes - rising personnel and benefit costs.
It's unfortunate the E-R editors decided to ignore reading what Holcombe actually wrote to score their own political points.
Today's Scrabble word is haptic, pertaining to the sense of touch.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
December 17, 2007
Downtown Envy
It's interesting to read this commentary about Eugene, Oregon which references the Chico City Plaza:
"Think big on open space: Eugene needs a big green vision for its downtown. On a business trip last week, I found a full-page color ad in SkyWest Magazine touting the new downtown park plaza in Chico, Calif. It’s a full city block in the heart of town constructed as a multiuse public space for only $4.1 million. Wow! Clearly, some cities see the valuable contribution of public open and green spaces."
I underlined the word "only" mainly because this person's perspective is clearly different than the general sentiment of many local people who complained about the escalating costs of renovating the City Plaza.
Eugene certainly ranks high on the list of cities that Chico is compared to.
Today's Scrabble word is hariana, a breed of cattle.
Posted by dan_nt at 07:34 PM | Comments (1)
December 16, 2007
Impossible Bullfight
The Chico Chamber of Commerce made several good recommendations from its recent Budget Review Task Force.
The first recommendation is:
"The city should use a professional management firm to evaluate its practices with an eye to discovering ways to define its core missions and to reinvent its delivery of services so that the city is ultimately more effective, more efficient, and more focused on core missions."
In light of this recommendation, I am pleased to announce the formation of a new professional management firm called Impossible Bullfight.
The general partners of this new firm are myself and Lon Glazner.
The Chamber of Commerce believes that it’s important to reinvent and rethink the way government operates.
At Impossible Bullfight, we also share that belief, which is why we general partners are reinventing ourselves.
This is why I’ve decided to start espousing right-wing conservative viewpoints, while Glazner will begin to argue flaming liberal opinions filtered through his rainbow-colored glasses.
We hope City staff will seriously consider hiring Impossible Bullfight as its “go to” professional management firm. We promise not to charge overtime.
If hired, our first recommendation is to organize a community-wide charette to bring together key stakeholders to discuss how to make government more effective and efficient.
Today’s Scrabble word is fez, a felt cap.
Posted by dan_nt at 08:47 PM | Comments (1)
December 15, 2007
Barber Hose
This photo is supposedly the winning Barber Hose team competing on the corner of 2nd and Broadway on July 4, 1905. Hose competition looks more fun than bowling. Or not.
Barber, as many people know, was the adjoining neighborhood to the Diamond Match Company. You can read a history of Barber here.
Barber is named after Ohio Columbus Barber, the former president of the Diamond Match Company.
Image Courtesy of Gladys Pelletier and Special Collections Dept. Meriam Library, CSU, Chico.
Today's Scrabble word is euphony, or pleasing sound.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
December 14, 2007
Burn Fat
This video comes from Ed McLaughlin of Chico Velo.
The message is simple - bicycling is good for the earth and for your health. Some might say that's a good double-bottom line.
Today's Scrabble word is treacly, or cloying.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2007
Request Denied
Maybe the E-R’s holiday gift to County employees will be publicizing their names and compensation before the end of the year.
Here’s an excerpt from the last week's December 7 “Budget Notes from the Desk of the CAO [Brian Haddix]:
“It has been a busy few weeks since I arrived. I expect with the holidays on our doorstep it has also been an extraordinarily busy time for all of you as well. One of the many things that landed on the doorstep recently was a Public Records Act request submitted to the County by the Enterprise Record, seeking the names and compensation of all County employees. I was at a California State Association of Counties meeting in Oakland when news of the request popped up on all of our e-mails. Please allow me to provide you a bit more information. A recent court case made the law on this issue clear. If a member of the public requests a specific public document, they get it. In this case, the Editor of the Chico Enterprise Record asked us to provide the names and compensation of all Butte County employees. I understand how intrusive and personal a request like this may feel to you. Many of us look at public service as a calling, as a way to serve our community. I am also aware many serve in particularly sensitive positions with unique requirements of service, and numbers on a page could never reflect the considerable investment of time by all. My request to the Editor, that only position titles be used in place of names, was not granted. So, the document has been prepared and will be submitted to the paper today. I’m sorry for any discomfort it may cause you. Please know the work you provide to the citizens of Butte County is appreciated and valued.”
I underlined the key phrase. Intrusive. Personal. Discomfort. Those are definitely the feelings many people have expressed about the E-R's decision to publish names, instead of just positions along with compensation.
By the way, in the same "Budget Notes," Butte County CAO Haddix informed his employees that:
"...the State Water Resources Control Board granted a $38 million loan to install sewers in the Chico Urban Area in order to solve a long standing problem of nitrate contamination of the groundwater in that area. This act was the culmination of 20 years of work on the part of the County that ultimately led to the formation of a Joint Powers Financing Authority with the City of Chico."
This is good news. This loan will help off-set the cost for sewers replacing the septic tanks that caused the nitrate problems in the community.
Today's Scrabble word is tympanic, or drum-like.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)
December 12, 2007
Survey Says III
This is my last posting on the survey results. Can you tell I like to analyze surveys?
Employment & Buying Patterns
I’m not surprised that the majority of respondents shop locally, except almost 1/3rd buy their boats or cars outside Chico and almost 1/3rd buy computer or related accessories online.
Personally, I prefer to buy my boats online with free shipping via www.myexpensiveboatisbiggerthanyours.com. Okay, someday I'll launch this website when I've got more time. I'll headquarter the business near Lake Oroville.
It seems like there’s a business opportunity for someone to offer a more cost-competitive selection of boats and cars in Chico if 1/3rd of respondents are buying elsewhere.
Among the 13% of respondents who were business owners, roughly half of business owners feel it’s somewhat or very difficult to start or operate a business in Chico.
The obvious follow-up question to these business owners is “why do you feel it’s difficult to start or operate a business in Chico.” And are those reasons related to local, state or federal government actions or other “market” issues that affect business viability?
The other surprising demographic data was that 45% of respondents said they do not work in Chico. What is the source of the population data that supports the notion that 45% of Chico residents commute to work?
I assumed that Chico was a job center and that most people who live in Chico work in Chico. I assumed a high percentage of people living in Orland or Paradise might commute to Chico, but not 45% of Chico residents commuting to work elsewhere.
The only conclusion I can draw is that place of employment was not a factor in determining the representative sample for the survey.
Information & News Sources
Surprisingly, 38% of respondents have visited City of Chico website in the past 12 months. That’s a very high number of people interfacing with the City, which is a good reminder that the City – or any public agency for that matter – should continue to invest heavily on well-designed, well-functioning websites.
And among those respondents who visited the City’s website, 90% felt website is somewhat or very informative. Any website with 90% approval rating should be very content.
As for news sources, 34% of respondents get their news from newspapers, 31% from television, and 19% from internet. I’m sure the local media would have loved to ask respondents to list the names of their specific news sources to augment their own market research.
Today's Scrabble word is expiation, or atonement.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (7)
December 11, 2007
Survey Says II
Here are additional observations about the City of Chico General Plan Telephone Survey results.
Growth and Development
These are the most revealing results, even though cross-tabs on how different demographic groups responded to growth questions would be more fascinating.
It’s very clear an overwhelming 70-74% percentage of respondents oppose new housing and business development on farmland west of the City.
Respondents are more likely to support housing and business development north and south of the city around Highway 99. Respondents seem to be evenly split about new housing and business development in the Avenues.
And while 50-55% somewhat or strongly support housing or business development in the foothills east of the City, a strong 40% somewhat or strongly oppose foothill development too.
Growth and development issues are typically much more complex and nuanced than questions can capture. You almost need ask follow-up questions to drill down on someone’s opinion about growth.
For example, proponents of adjusting the Greenline might argue that there are many developable properties west of the Greenline that no longer protect working farmland.
They might argue that simply asking people whether they support or oppose developing farmland to the west of the city presupposes that all land west of the city is, in fact, working farmland.
Furthermore, there is also significant farmland north and south of the City. If respondents were asked if they support or oppose new housing and development on farmland north and south of the City along Highway 99, I bet less people would be inclined to support development north and south of the city limits.
Housing Preferences
I am not surprised that respondents generally preferred living in single-family homes with large yards and small yards. And I’m not surprised that a significant percentage would not live in condos above commercial units or in townhouses.
These results reflect the general trend over the past few decades that almost everything bigger is better – whether it’s the homes we live in or the cars we drive. In addition, in many cases people self-select where they live. If they’re comfortable living in townhouses or condos, they’d try to make a living in New York City.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that respondents generally prefer living in single-family homes with large yards, it would be interesting to ask those respondents if they also support accelerating new housing development outside the City.
It’s simple math – if you need to accommodate 25,000 new residents on more single family homes with large yards versus mixed density developments (mix of homes, condos, townhouses), the City will end up sprawling outward sooner than later.
Today's Scrabble word is monition, or warning.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
December 10, 2007
Survey Says
I’ve split my observations of the City of Chico General Plan Telephone Survey results into three parts. I’ll post my other observations this week.
Fiscal Health
Given all the attention the media has paid to the City’s projected fiscal woes, in addition to the City newsletter mailed to all households highlighting budget challenges, I’m surprised that 2/3rd of respondents believe City fiscal health is either fair, good, or excellent. Only 1/3rd of respondents believe the City’s fiscal health is poor.
And 3/4ths of these respondents are registered voters – in contrast to the apathetic subset who don’t even bother to vote. Not surprisingly, at the recent “Visioning” session on the General Plan, an overwhelming number of attendees (the super-engaged citizens willing to show up at meetings) felt the City’s fiscal health is poor.
Quality of Life
Surprisingly, 92% of respondents are somewhat or very satisfied with quality of life, while only 1/3rd of respondents believe quality of life is getting worse. Maybe I assumed too much pessimism, but I thought more respondents would indicate worsening quality of life. When survey cross-tabs are revealed, I suspect there is a strong correlation between this 1/3rd subset and the subset who are generally opposed to growth.
Perhaps respondents are generally satisfied with their own quality of life, but for whatever reason they're more concerned about quality life for the general population (i.e. their friends, neighbors and colleagues).
Priority Issues
The results of the questions about priority issues and ranking issues of importance to maintain quality of life are perplexing. Perhaps the questions could have been worded differently.
On the list of priority issues, the top four issues are: (1) Public safety, (2) Housing/Residential Development, (3) Traffic congestion/transportation, and (4) City finances. The lowest priority issues are neighborhood parks, open space and viewshed, and environmental issues.
On the surface, it would appear that respondents didn't feel environmental issues are a top priority.
Yet when respondents were asked to rate the importance of specific issues to maintaining their quality of life, many environmental and conservation issues like preserving open space, maintaining and improving public parks, preventing loss of farmland, improving air quality, and increasing recycling ranked higher than a 4.0 mean (very important).
It was interesting that the only issue that scored a mean less than 3.0 (somewhat important) was developing additional retail and restaurant businesses. I guess respondents feel there is adequate shopping and dining options in Chico, although I personally believe Chico needs a few more high quality brunch places ever since Cory’s closed.
Another interesting result is that only 1/5th of respondents believe road conditions and traffic are poor. The remaining 80% of respondents felt City roads were fair, good, or excellent. Given all the complaints I’ve read over the years about road conditions, I expected more pessimism. But maybe all the visible major road improvement projects over the past few years have tempered the general public outlook on this issue.
Today's Scrabble word is cannular, or tube-shaped.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2007
Survey Statistics
The City of Chico just released the results of its survey of 400 Chico residents that the City conducted as part of its General Plan Telephone Survey.
According to the City staff report, the survey was meant to “accurately represent Chico residents in terms of age, ethnicity, gender, and income.”
The survey, supposedly, has a margin of error of five points.
Assuming a confidence interval of 95%, this means that if the survey randomly sampled a different group of Chico residents reflecting the same demographics, 95 out of 100 times the survey results would fall within five percentage points higher or lower than the true population value.
This “margin of error” does not account for “sampling errors” or biases, such as poorly worded questions or telephone interview biases.
It’s hard for me to make a judgment on the survey’s statistical validity without knowing the details of how the surveyors adjusted for potential biases. For example, how did the surveyors vary the times of day the telephone survey was conducted?
How did the sample of respondents reflect the general population? Let’s see:
o 3/4th are registered voters – This seems unusually high. I think about half the population are registered voters so this sample seems overly skewed.
o 1/4th have lived in Chico less than five years and almost half lived in Chico for more than 15 years
o 16% respondents are students
o Almost 3/4th are Caucasian
o 35% are 18-25 years old and 17% are 55 and over
o Renters and owners are split evenly
o 52% are women
o Income of respondents is across the board, although 1/5th declined to state their income
For many years, I’ve wondered about public opinion on key growth issues. The survey revealed a mix of surprising and predictable results.
I plan to provide comments on the survey results this week.
Today's Scrabble word is whelp, or pup.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
December 08, 2007
Referendum
According to media reports, Chico Citizens for Civil Rights submitted 4,940 referendum signatures attempting to challenge the City Council’s “Disorderly Events” ordinance.
The group needs 87.5 percent, or 4,321 of its signatures to legitimately come from registered city voters.
I predict that the referendum will not qualify.
My sense is a high percentage of signatures are students who may not even know if they are registered in Chico or their hometown and whether they even live within the City limits given Chico’s patchwork of unincorporated County islands.
I believe the City Clerk will initially review a random sample of signatures for verification. If enough random signatures are not valid, this will likely spark a review of each signature, name, and address.
But even if the referendum does not quality, it will be interesting to see what the City Council will do.
They can simply ignore the issue and move on, or respond to the referendum efforts in some fashion.
Clearly a significant number of people felt compelled enough to sign a referendum, whether they are legitimate registered voters or not, which may warrant figuring out even further how to narrow the scope of the Disorderly Events ordinance.
Today’s Scrabble word is emesis, or vomiting.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (9)
December 07, 2007
Plan Websites
Okay, it's that time of the year again when we rank order the Best of 2007 Local General Plan Websites.
I know what you're thinking - who cares? Well, I apparently do.
This year the nominees are Butte County, City of Chico, City of Gridley, and City of Oroville.
My evaluation criteria is based on:
Design - How easy is the website design and layout on the eyes?
Access - Can you find what you're looking for easily?
Interaction - Does the website invite people to take action, participate, or share information?
My scoring system is as follows:
1 = Huh?
2 = Could Have Been Worse/Not Too Shabby
3 = Excellent
Here's my rundown:
Butte County
Design = 1
Access = 1
Interaction = 2
Summary: I don't know where to begin looking. I develop a headache just looking at the website. There are tons of information links, but hard to focus on any area. There's an interactive discussion forum, but it requires registration.
City of Chico
Design = 3
Access = 2
Interaction = 1
Summary: This website is easy on the eyes. Information and highlights are organized properly. By the way, the first City of Chico General Plan community meeting is tomorrow on December 8 from 10-noon at Manzanita Place.
City of Gridley
Design = 3
Access = 2
Interaction = 2
Summary: Given my scores above, I'd say this website is not too shabby. It could have been worse.
City of Oroville
Design = 1
Access = 1
Interaction = 1
Summary: Someone tell me how this website invites the average person to peruse and find information.
Given the mediocrity of many of these websites, I would encourage the citizens serving on the various General Plan Advisory Committees to encourage their consultants and staff to create better designed websites.
These websites serve as important communication tools to the public, while also providing the public access to all documents.
They should be viewed from the perspective of the average citizen trying to understand the General Plan process, what it means to them, how to get involved, and how to access information.
Today's Scrabble word is mycosis, or a fungal disease.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
December 06, 2007
Friends
Larry Mitchell from the E-R wrote about Congressman Wally Herger’s $5,000 donation to Congressman John Doolittle’s legal defense fund in “Herger justifies donation to Doolittle fund.”
According to press reports, Herger is the first and only sitting California Congressional representative to donate to Doolittle’s legal defense fund.
Herger rarely goes on a limb, unless you call supporting almost every Bush policy as risky, so this step to help defend Doolittle seems unusual except these two men clearly have a strong personal relationship.
And that’s what friends are for, right?
Even though Herger says he donated because Doolittle is a “longtime friend,” Herger made his donation from his campaign account instead of his own personal funds.
I guess it's okay to take all the lobbyist campaign money and transfer some of those dollars over to help a friend.
Doolittle is the only Congressional representative embroiled in both the Jack Abramoff and Duke Cunningham campaign finance and lobbying scandals.
Only a Republican who believes he’s in a politically safe district, like Herger, would go on a limb at this time to defend Doolittle against mounting allegations.
Doolittle deserves his day in court, but all indications point to a possibly very bad political and personal fallout for Doolittle when justice is served.
Today’s Scrabble word is lade, burden.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2007
Go Green
It's been interesting to see "green" or sustainability initiatives become increasingly mainstream, including in the private sector.
There's always the fear that companies and organizations obscure their bad environmental practices under "green washing" efforts.
Locally, the growing and #165 Internet retailer ImprovementDirect.com has launched a new "Go Green" section on its website.
According to the ImprovementDirect.com's EVP of Marketing Sean Cramer:
“We are excited about offering our customers another shopping experience. At Improvement Direct, customers will be able to fulfill all their home improvement needs on one platform as well as have an opportunity to purchase Eco friendly products that will make a difference in the environment as well as their wallet.”
ImprovementDirect.com is one of the fastest growing local companies. The company is a great local success story worthy of a bad musical tribute.
I don't know about you, but I developed a severe headache after hearing the above theme song.
Go Green Ranger! I'd prefer Die Green Ranger.
Today's Scrabble word is alight, or dismount.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 04, 2007
Electric Railroad
Supposedly this is the first trial run of the Butte County Electric Railroad in Dec. 27, 1904.
Image courtesy of Nora Mootz and Special Collections Dept. Meriam Library, CSU, Chico.
Today's Scrabble word is signet, or seal.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
December 03, 2007
Congress
Political Trivia Question: Which recently elected Congressional member was born in Chico?
Niki Tsongas was elected to Congress on October 16, 2007 in a special election to represent the Fifth Congressional District in Massachusetts.
Her biography states:
She was born April 26, 1946 in Chico, California. Niki's mother, Marian Susan Wyman, was an artist and copywriter. Her father, Colonel Russell Elmer Sauvage, served as an engineer in the United States Air Force and was a survivor of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Tsongas name should be familiar since Paul Tsongas was a former U.S. Senator who also battled Bill Clinton in the 1992 Democratic primary.
The Washington Post recently published an indepth feature on Tsongas.
Today's Scrabble word is llano, an open, grassy plain.
Posted by dan_nt at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2007
Waste
The E-R dedicated an entire editorial, “Waste chronicled in revolting book,” by summarizing the California Piglet Book published by the sometimes equally revolting Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Association.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Association was one of the primary advocates and defenders of Proposition 13.
While Proposition 13 has certainly lowered property taxes for many citizens, it has also created a wide array of tax structure problems for cities, counties, and school districts.
According to the E-R:
“The efficiency of government is on everybody's mind, both locally and statewide, as the economy crashes and politicians start threatening to raise taxes. Taxpayers, who have to approve all tax increases, should insist first that government spend their tax dollars wisely. It's our money, yet some government agencies treat it like a blank check. If you're convinced government would never do something like that, take a look at the fifth annual "California Piglet Book." It's compiled by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Association and Citizens Against Government Waste.”
There’s no question there is waste at all levels of government. But there’s plenty of waste spent in the private and nonprofit sectors too.
And sometimes it’s easy to target government waste and in many cases exaggerate the problem. This approach is largely to substantiate the primary argument that public servants and employees are inept – even though those same critics want to pay public employees lower salaries that will likely attract lower performing employees who don't know what they're doing or require significantly more training.
For example, the E-R wrote: “The city of Sacramento hired a consultant, at a cost of $50,000, to find out why the Department of Parks and Recreation lost $15,000.”
Specifically, the California Piglet Book cites:
“The Sacramento Bee, on April 4, 2007, reported on an audit finding that the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation has not properly tracked incoming money, after $15,000 disappeared. The audit noted it was difficult to trace where money from several recreation classes went. The city paid $50,000 to a consulting firm specializing in financial oversight to find out why it lost $15,000.”
It may seem preposterous to spend $50,000 to determine why this parks department lost $15,000.
But according to the April 4, 2007 Sacramento Bee article, “City's parks agency didn't safeguard cash, audit finds,”
“Following the audit, the city took immediate action to improve oversight at the parks and recreation department and hired a consulting firm for $50,000 to make recommendations on financial oversight and internal cash controls. The city also drafted procedures being put in place in all departments, said Assistant City Manager Gus Vina.”
It appears the $50,000 consulting fee not only evaluated oversight and financial control systems for the parks department, but also citywide financial controls.
In other words, the $50,000 consulting fee likely produced better citywide financial controls that will ensure taxpayer money is more property accounted for - not just for the parks department.
If anyone has ever worked in financial management, you'd know that spending $50,000 to review financial control and compliance systems is not out of the ordinary for large private or public enterprises.
And with respect to local budget belt tightening, it's easy to say that local government needs to root out wasteful spending before raising taxes.
But those same critics have a hard time actually taking specific policy positions as to what they consider to be wasteful.
We all want to curb government spending waste in theory, but very few people are willing to state directly and clearly their list of specific wasteful spending items that will sufficiently add up to closing a projected budget deficit.
Today’s Scrabble word is istle, a strong fiber.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
December 01, 2007
Wendy's Protest
I've seen many protests in my years, but the below video showcases one of the best - even if the protest is simply a joke organized by the NYC-based Improv Everywhere.
If you're a redhead or know any redheads, you know how these people feel.
And given the recent blog conversation about protests, I can honestly say that I think these protesters are everyday activists fighting the good fight.
My favorite line by one of the leaders critiquing the Wendy's logo: "How many of us today actually wear our hair in pigtails?"
You need a new funny bone if you don't laugh when you hear the protest demand, "Give Wendy some pigment!"
Today's Scrabble word is orison, a prayer.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)