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April 28, 2007

Spare the Air Week Gives Free Ride

As a regular rider of the B-Line (local transit system), a local business owner and paying member of the Downtown Chico Business Association (who has a cooperative agreement with the B-Line), and full-fledged "attention-paying" community member, I was surprised to learn of the "Spare the Air Week" put on by the Butte County Association of Governments. What surprised me was the fact that I found out about it via a letter-to-the-editor in Friday's E-R. I would have expected some marketing effort to hit me (after all, I'm actually on the bus). Poor marketing not withstanding, the "Spare the Air Week" is providing free transit on the B-Line, and guest speakers for various bus routes next week. That's right, take the bus for free, and learn about your community. Speakers include, but are not limited to, historians, a blogger-columnist for the E-R, a cycling enthusiast, and a few politicians. Speakers were organized by the League of Women voters, a non-partisan group of liberals. Here are some of my favorites. "Biking through the County" - Ed McLaughlin, Chico Velo Club Routes 20 & 30 (10:50 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.) Chico TC 10:50, Oroville TC 11:42, Biggs 12:32, Oroville TC 1:17 " Heading for the Hills" - Scott Gruendl, Chico City Council member Route 7 (1:46 - 4:36 p.m.) " Our Home Town" - Andy Holcombe, Mayor, City of Chico Routes 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 (12:46 - 5:16 p.m.) Rt 7 Chico Mall 12:46 & 3:46, Rt 4 PVHS 1:07 & 4:07, Rt 3 NVP 1:20 & 4:20, Rt 6 Chico TC 1:50 & 4:50, Rt 5 Chico Mall 2:23, Rt 4 Chico TC 2:50, Rt 7 PVHS 3:13, Rt 7 "History of the Esplanade" - Steve Brown, Chico ER Columnist Route 10 (12:20 - 4:40 p.m.) "Preserving the Nature of Chico" - Maureen Kirk, Butte County Supervisor Routes 2 & 1 (12:50 - 4:50 p.m.) Rt 2 Chico TC 12:50, 1:50, 2:50, 3:50; Rt 1 Ceres/Lassen 1:15, 2:15, 3:15, 4:15 After a quick glance, I noticed that of all the experts only Andy Holcombe is speaking on my route, but not when I take the bus. I'm hopeful that "Spare the Air Week" isn't intentionally avoiding me, but I can't be sure of that. I might take a bus ride when one of the local politicians are giving their presentation, just to see how it goes. I don't think I'll take Ed McLaughlin's bus because he'll be saying "At this point on the bus trip you should really be riding your bike!" Likewise, I think Steve Brown's bus might go like "Did you see that house? What about that one? Hey, bus driver, can you slow down? I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, I usually walk this route." All kidding aside, my hat goes off to everyone that takes the time to help out with the "Spare the Air Week". That includes the local politicians who I might not agree with on some other topics. While I'm not that concerned about the air, every time I take the bus there's one less car on the road. And that means I'm not congesting traffic when some mom needs to get 3 kids to school and shop for the family groceries. Traffic is a huge problem in Chico, and the fastest way to fix it is for some of us to drive less. Maybe "Spare the Air Week" can help make that happen.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)

April 27, 2007

Bidwell Park Plan EIR Is Complete!

The long awaited Bidwell Park Master Management Plan environmental review (EIR) will be available on Friday 4/27/2007, via the General Services Department web page. The plan cost somewhere between $274,000 (the original estimated price) and $500,000 (my unkind estimate). It was started in mid-to-late 2004 and was estimated to take roughly 16 months to complete. It has taken a little longer than that. The EIR will determine the fate of disc golf as a recreation in Upper Bidwell Park. Building a disc golf course is not very expensive as far as recreation facilities go (roughly $1,000 per hole). The EIR for disc golf will cover no courses, 18 holes, 27 holes, or 36 holes. So the EIR itself is likely to cost at least 10 times the cost of any disc golf course. If expensive mitigation is demanded by the EIR, or local environmentalists, then disc golf will probably not make it through the political hurdles. Further improvements like safe parking and access, providing restrooms, overlooks, and other nice park features will probably exceed the cost of the EIR. The EIR will be available for public comment for 45 days, after which the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission will vote to approve the EIR, followed by the City Council having a say. The decision on disc golf in Bidwell Park will probably be made in the next 4 months.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM

April 26, 2007

City Manager Sends Gloomy Budget Forecast

On April 10th the City Manager, Greg Jones, sent a memo to all management staff detailing the significant budget problems facing the City of Chico (see the memo here). In the memo Jones outlines the fact that sales tax income, 46% of the General Fund, is down from last year and down for the second quarter in a row (this last happened 12 years ago). He states that there is a structural year-to-year deficit of approximately $6 million, and goes on to say... "The continued use of inter-fund transfers and the use of reserves, an approach used over the past several years, is no longer sustainable." Then comes a discussion related to the fact that 76% of General Funds go to pay salaries. Recently Chico News and Review reporter Richard Ek pointed out that those salaries (and benefits) have increased dramatically since 2000. For example, firefighters have had a 40% increase in pay, and City employees have had a 379% increase in benefits (see Ek's "Breaking The Bank" here). Jones finished his memo stating... "Extremely difficult choices will need to be made in the near future to significantly reduce expenditures and / or increase revenues..." and staff members will present some of the options to the City Council in June.

During the last City Council election local liberals downplayed the economic problems facing Chico. They called the $40 million dollar projected budget deficit more or less an accounting problem, created by changing the length of the City's budget forecast, or other fiscal adjustments. They said conservatives were crying wolf. In fact our current Mayor, Andy Holcombe, had this to say last November in a CNR editorial titled Budget Monster...Fact or Fiction?... "Historically, the city manager projects long term deficits even though the city typically ends up with an actual surplus when the fiscal year ends. Those budgets are based upon prudent assumptions of estimated expenditures on the high side and revenue projections on the low side. Those budgets, including the current one, have been unanimously approved by council. The difference between projected deficits and actual balanced-budget outcomes is largely due to receipt of higher than projected sales-tax revenue. Actual expenditures are also typically lower than projected due to personnel vacancies." Unfortunately, we are facing a reduction in sales tax revenue and have seen a dramatic rise in personnel expenditures, which is the exact opposite of what Holcombe described above. The budget monster some of last year's candidates called fiction is turning out to be fact. It's also fact that everyone but Nickell and Flynn voted for the current budget. The financial solutions to be spelled out by the City Manager may include no more raises for the union (and non-union) employees at the City, a tax increase for the rest of us, reduced City services, or some combination.

Summary: The budget shortfall Chico is facing is a very real problem. It will likely cause significant pain in the coming years. There is a whole other side to Chico's economic problems that relate to reduced tax-increment income to the Chico Redevelopment Agency (RDA) stemming from reduced home sales and reduced home prices. I might go into that later. But if this money dries up most major projects in Chico will stop. I like Andy Holcombe, and haven't seen much to complain about during his short period as Mayor. However, I did complain when he became an Enloe union booster. I thought as Mayor he should have stayed away from any endorsements. If the economic choice before the City Council turns out to be stopping growth of City salaries (primarily union members) or taxing the general public to pay the piper, then Andy is in a political pickle. I hope I don't see the Mayor standing out front of the city building with a bull-horn claiming undemocratic labor practices are occurring at the City of Chico. But if it was good enough for Enloe, why not City Hall? Holcombe finished his editorial last November with the following statement... "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." I couldn't agree more.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)

April 25, 2007

Recreation Makes Cents

The Chico Chamber of Commerce is holding an AM Issues presentation in conjunction with the Chico Area Recreation and Parks District (CARD) on Friday May 11th at 7-9AM. It will be at the CARD Community Center on Vallombrosa Avenue (545 Vallombrosa). The event is $15 for members, and $20 for non-members. The topic of the presentation will be the "Economic and Social Value of Recreation Facilities and How To Make Them Realities". The guest speaker is Mike Shellito, President of the California Park and Recreation Society. It's important that the Chamber be involved in recreation and parks issues. If you look around Chico at our greatest attractions (Bidwell Park) and some of our largest events (recent Wildflower race), you'll see that recreation and parks drive not only the quality of life issues but many of our tourism and economic issues. The Chamber could, and probably should, be a greater supporter of things like BMX racing, mountain biking, hiking, road biking, running, softball leagues, soccer leagues, equestrian park use, and anything else us business owners do after work. Coordination between CARD and the Chamber is a great thing to see. It's too bad the event will cost me the non-member fee of $20. Even so, I will probably attend it. $5 would likely bring a larger crowd, and pastries and coffee would be a viable alternative to a full breakfast.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM

April 24, 2007

Maybe It's Time To Look For Solutions

I've noticed a couple of homeless camps along the bike path I take to work. The one shown above has been slowly getting improved over the last few weeks. Recently there has been a news story and editorial on the success the police have had patrolling the new downtown Plaza. The police arrested a homeless guy wanted for sexual assault, another guy for packing a concealed knife, and still others on various warrants. As I read those articles patting the Chico Police and local officials on the back for getting serious at the Plaza a couple of things came to mind. First, it's not like the "bad guys" showed up after the Plaza was built. They've been downtown for quite some time, and a number of people complained about the homeless problem long before the Plaza was finished. I have to wonder why it took a $4.1 million Plaza to get patrols allocated. Second, if patrolling the Plaza is a good thing, then why isn't patrolling all of downtown? Didn't this same problem exist at Children's Park just last year? The camp above is close to low income apartments and a trailer park. There are always kids playing on the nearby railroad tracks. In all likelyhood the shanty above is the abode of some harmless fellow. But if the police are finding hardened criminals at the Plaza should they be concerned about the rest of Chico's homeless population? If they're not concerned should they let us know why? It seems like local politicians could put as much effort into solving the homeless problem as some of the other efforts they get engaged in. If they put as much effort into the issue as our local homeless advocates do, we might find some unique solutions.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

April 23, 2007

Leaf My Private Property Rights Alone

The group Tree Action (www.treeaction.org) recently proposed that Chico's Tree Ordinance be strengthened. The City Council, at its last meeting, unanimously forwarded the request to review the Tree Ordinance to its Internal Affairs Committee. This will probably happen in early May. The group claims to be a non-party political lobbying effort, but the proponents of changing the Tree Ordinance all seem to be aligned with the local political left. The proposed changes to the tree ordinance would place many trees on private residential property under the authority of the City of Chico. Homeowners would lose some of the decision making authority over trees on their property. For example, if you purchased and planted a Dogwood 20 years ago, watered and cared for it for two decades, and then decided to remove it, the City of Chico could force you to keep it. This sounds like an eminent domain land grab on a smaller, leafier scale.

The argument over private property rights is one Tree Action covers on its own web site. It's good that they don't shy away from the topic. My concern is that few Chicoans will pay attention to the discussion of expanding the Tree Ordinance and it will fly under the radar to implementation. Here is one aspect of the discussion of private property rights covered on the Tree Action web site. Bill and Nancy Knudsen said on our Comment Page: "There is an implication in the proposal of this additional ordinance that the homeowner is not to be trusted with the trees on his property ... The judgment of the homeowner should be final. " Lin Jensen disagrees: "Such an ordinance … serves as a guideline and instrument of restraint wherein we all agree to protect a value we hold in common. I, personally, am willing to forego the homeowner’s right to final judgment on such a matter, in favor of a cooperative agreement such as an ordinance provides." And the site further describes reasons a tree couldn't be removed under an expanded ordinance. The tree is "messy" or "too much trouble." The tree's leaf-drop is late, after the leaf pickup has stopped. The tree needs pruning too often. The homeowner just doesn't like that type of tree. Thoughtless tree removal is a failure by the owner to understand the contribution trees make to our environment and we think it should be strongly discouraged. An individual homeowner is just passing through the life of the tree; it takes years and often decades to replace a tree once it is removed.

Summary: I have to wonder... why stop with trees. If homeowners can't be trusted maybe the City should pass a Shrub Ordinance, or possibly a Lawn Ordinance (alternatively a Lon Ordinance). Also, automobiles that aren't well tuned or new could fall under the Automobile Ordinance, which would also help the environment. Whenever you go to sell your car, the City should step in with an "authorized mechanic" to tell you whether you can sell it, and if you can, what car you can purchase as a replacement. Let's also pass a Checkbook Ordinance. People who run low on cash have a disproportionate impact on the environment since they can't afford to purchase carbon credits. We should have "authorized financial planners" checking everyone's spending habits to ensure all purchases are environmentally friendly. The proposed Tree Ordinance change is government at its worst. It is a land grab, and a theft of private property. There is a middle ground that I could support that would maintain many of Tree Action's proposed changes. The City of Chico could purchase trees from homeowners on a voluntary basis. They could then assume all responsibility for the trees regarding upkeep, cleanup, and pruning. Personally, I would be happy to let them rent access across my property so they can get their watering hoses to the trees I've sold to them. Lin Jensen states that he is personally willing to give up his private property rights (from Tree Action web site reposted above). I think that's great, he should give them up. My proposal would allow him to do so. However, I'm not willing to give up mine, which means they must be taken from me. That's theft.

Tree Action's Proposed amendments to be considered by the City Council: Applicability: Extend the ordinance to include all trees – on city streets, in parks, on private land, on corporate/industrial land and parking lots, including areas of the county and city that are in the city’s sphere of influence or being considered for purchase or annexation. Size: Extend definition of “tree” or “trees” to include all trees of 12” or larger in diameter at breast height – except designated “weed trees” [Current size is 24” or larger] Smaller Species: Include a list of specimen trees that never grow to 12” in diameter: e.g., Crabapple, Dogwood, etc. Tree Removal Permit: Before any trees protected by this ordinance are removed, a city-certified expert arborist must examine them and issue a report, with recommendations about repair, pruning and care. If removal of a protected tree is unavoidable, a permit must be obtained from the City’s Urban Forester. Development: All developments in the city – on commercial, industrial, city government, residential or private land, developed or not – must be studied by a professional arborist to determine how alterations to lot lines, building placement, roads, drains and services, etc. can be adjusted to prevent unnecessary tree removal and to specify remedial mitigation action if removal is found to be unavoidable. Such mitigation is to be aimed at replacement on a 2:1 ratio, augmentation of trees in approved locations, and beautification of the site. Fees charged for planning permissions should now include a cost element to cover the checking and study by an arborist licensed by the city and an inspection fee. Developer applications for planning permission: I No application will be considered for approval if, within 5 years prior to the filing of the application, trees have been removed, either by applicant or previous owners in contravention of the terms of the tree ordinance. II Applications for general plan amendments shall contain the following statements:: “Within 5 years of the filing of this application the applicant or previous owners have not removed trees which fall under the protection of the Chico tree ordinance or pruned their roots or branches or treated them in such a manner as to cause them to fail.” III For every tree that has been removed or killed on the proposed development, by topping, root pruning or mistreatment within the 5 years prior to the filing of this application, whether by the applicant or previous owners, the applicant shall plant a substitute tree in mitigation in a location and of a size to be approved by the Urban Forester in consultation with the Planning Commission and be liable for the fines for these actions set out in the ordinance. 7. Homeowner applications for planning permission: When homeowners wish to make changes or additions to their homes (extensions, swimming pools, second dwellings, etc.), which already require planning permission, every effort must be made to save trees from unnecessary removal, and advice from a city-certified arborist should be obtained. TreeWatch: A volunteer TreeWatch group should be formed to aid in the preservation of trees, limit tree topping, mitigate tree losses, plant trees, educate the general public about the vital importance of Chico’s tree canopy, and to raise funds to promote these objectives. It is intended to be a conduit for information from the community to the Urban Forester (on the lines or the ParkWatch model) with a reporting procedure that involves recording the information to the TreeWatch website established for that purpose. TreeWatch volunteers should be trained to record photographically the conditions of the trees about which they report and send such photographs to the TreeWatch website. These volunteers are not to second-guess the qualified city staff or arborists but to improve communication, information and monitoring of the city tree cover and the implementation of the terms of the ordinance. The TreeWatch website will be regularly monitored and acted upon by the city arborist and used for follow-ups by designated arborists appointed by the Urban Forester. Such actions are to be recorded. Pruning & Training: Good pruning practice should be mandated, as correctly pruned trees reduce the treat threat to safety and so will reduce the need for removal. Good pruning will extend their lifespan. Citizens should use only city-certified expert arborists to help them with tree pruning and removal decisions on their property. Training should be provided, which will raise the skill levels and awareness of tree owners. Monitoring: We need a management system to monitor this ordinance and collect data on its operation and effectiveness. By examining other city’s ordinances we can improve the working and effectiveness of our own. Funding: Even with the help and work of TreeWatch volunteers, there will not be sufficient staff time or people to do the work required to monitor and protect the trees; we intend to promote and support an increased budget for the Urban Forester's work and staff. Planting: Street trees and those specified for parking lots and office, commercial and industrial developments should be chosen from a list that ensures that, as they grow, they will do the job they are designed for. For example, parking lot trees should be able to give the necessary shade to the parking spaces within 15 years; street trees should not have such invasive roots or be placed so close to buildings that they will lift foundations and footpaths.

Posted by Lon at 09:41 AM | Comments (14)

April 21, 2007

You Are Worthless Alec Baldwin

The photo of Alec Baldwin comes from his seminal role in the breathtaking epic film Team America. Alec was recently recorded leaving his 11 year old daughter a pleasing voicemail rant where he called her a "pig" among other things and said he'd fly out from New York and straighten her out then fly back. Hear it here (note: swear words). As a big global warming advocate, Alec was strangely silent on the environmental impact of flying across country to deliver a "beat-down" to his little girl. I expect he'd have purchased carbon credits to assuage his moral convictions. It's the right thing to do. This is just another wonderful example of how completely worthless the Hollywood idiots are. To pay homage to Alec, who I don't mind as an actor, but ridicule as a spokesperson for anything, please listen to this powerful song from Team America. You Are Worthless Alec Baldwin (note: swear words) - sung by North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il, who turns out to be an alien bent on world domination.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM

April 20, 2007

Sex Games

While waiting for CARD's board to discuss a kid's disc golf course I was treated to a discussion of transgender identity and Meriam Park's proposed (by New Urban Builders) multi-organizational park structure. The latter discussion was more interesting to me, but the former is what the press has been covering over the last week. So I'll talk about the transgender stuff. Tedra (pronounced Tee-druh) is a man who self-identifies as a woman. She (Tedra) wants to play softball on a girls team, in CARD's league. It was previously reported that Tedra's male softball team didn't want her to play if she came dressed as a woman. At first I wasn't sure if playing on a women's team was an alternative to the guy's team, or if it was part of a larger "transgender rights statement".

I think it's okay that the men's softball team players didn't want her to play dressed as a woman. They are also paying for the experience to "play", and maybe they didn't want Tedra's gender identity issues to be part of their recreation. Sometimes these issues can be seen as "hyper political", and I'm guessing some of the players just wanted to take part in a simple game, and not be part of a movement. At 6'4" Tedra looks to be a pretty good ball player. I'm thinking if she showed up displaying her feminine side her team would have a competitive advantage (psychological warfare and all that). And CARD has no rules against her playing with the guys. Based on the rule CARD adopted last night in order for her to play with the gals she'd have to undergo surgery and hormone therapy to get into the lineup. Beyond the softball strategy lesson I like to remember the fact that we're all a little bit different and strange. I've yet to meet someone that's not peculiar in some way. If Tedra decides to play on a men's team dressed as a woman, as the rules allow, I hope she finds some teammates more accepting of her. I would play with her, but I suck at softball, so she might not want me on her team. I didn't see anything last night suggesting Tedra was seeking a competitive advantage. I didn't see anything that suggested she was only interested in making a stand on transgender rights. Her statements in the "rights" area were along the lines of "hey, I'm not the only one" and "you have no rules regarding this issue, and you should have some". CARD adopted a rule that bases gender on plumbing (it's based on Olympic sports rules). While this wasn't what Tedra asked for, I think it is fair considering the broader interests involved in CARD's programs. Tedra also deserves credit for talking publicly about being a transgender athlete. Exposing yourself to the public isn't always a fun thing, and it takes courage to do it. But you can't always get what you want, and if you try sometime, you find you get what you need. Hey, isn't that a Rolling Stones song?

Posted by Lon at 08:57 AM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2007

University Going Climate Neutral... Or Are They?

CSU Chico has taken significant steps towards endorsing an environmentally "sustainable" future. These steps include recycling programs, LEED certified buildings, and a commitment to make CSU Chico "climate neutral" by taking the lead in a university movement in this direction (read entire press release here). "Being one of the founding members of this group underscores not only our commitment to practice the sustainability values we advocate, but also to provide institutional leadership in these matters," Zingg said. "As our mayor and City Council recently did with a similar measure, signing this commitment demonstrates our alignment with our local community and emphasizes that addressing environmental challenges requires dedicated partners and bold action." The ACUPCC calls on campuses to take actions that are already underway at CSU, Chico, such as establishing that new construction meets environmentally conscious "LEED" standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council, and beginning to inventory greenhouse gas emissions. The University deserves credit for embarking on an energetic series of programs to help the environment. However, I'm forced to ask whether the goal of being "climate neutral" is more of a marketing campaign than an achievable goal.

Being climate neutral would include reducing green-house gas emissions below meaningful levels and producing no waste that can't be recycled. How does this goal compare to other goals, such as those stated in the 2005 CSU Chico Master Plan? In the Master Plan CSU Chico intends to increase enrollment by 1800FTES (full-time enrollments). This translates to at least 1800 new students. That's probably 1500 or so new cars on Chico streets, and probably around 500 new trash cans of household garbage every week hauled to the landfill. I think when the university decides it will be climate neutral it is drawing a line around its physical campus and ignoring the environmental impacts of its growth off-campus. Even the new LEEDs certified Student Services Center (shown in photo above) is an additional burden on the environment. It is not being built to replace an old wasteful building. It is an entirely new building being built to house the services needed by the increased enrollment size. It may be the best environmental option for a new building , but it is in no way climate neutral.

Summary: Denis Hayes , founder of Earth Day, recently visited the University. He stated at one meeting that it was entirely possible to "game the system" when it came to green-house gas reduction. By drawing false boundaries you could exclude contributors and include reducers. His suggestion was that this should be avoided. I'm not a Hayes' disciple, but that statement seems to worth considering for those who are. The University has decided to be "climate neutral" and work with the City as a "dedicated partner" seeking "bold action". As the University grows its enrollment by more than 10% (and Chico's population by 2%+) it should address the climate impact of all those new bodies, on and off campus. I'm one of those people that's less interested in pronouncements of glorious intent, and more interested in seeing how goals are achieved. I'm very curious to see how CSU Chico will become "climate neutral" as it meets the growth and building objectives of its own Master Plan.

Posted by Lon at 09:12 AM | Comments (5)

April 17, 2007

Who Likes Kids Best? Let's See Tonight!

On sunny afternoons when I ride my bike through Oak Way Park (northwest Chico) there can be as many as 200 people using the park. The playground is full, the full sized basketball court is in constant use, and miniature soccer and baseball players practice on unmarked fields. It also has a restroom and a separate fenced-in infant playground. It's a great example of a neighborhood park. I previously posted about my concerns that new neighborhood parks are being approved missing restrooms and a recreation components (examples: basketball, baseball, spelunking). Tonight the City Council is looking at Ceres/Highland Neighborhood Park. This park could be built with or without restrooms, but I'm hoping the Council will be kid friendly and include a bathroom, and park friendly by including a recreation component. This discussion comes on the heels of David Little's (E-R news editor) editorial on kid-unfriendly neighborhood designs. Where he postulated that Councilors that rarely have young kids are not figuring that demographic into their decisions. To which Councilor Scott Gruendl posted this response on Dan's blog. "As far as Little's column, as a "childless" councilmember, my record clearly speaks better on parks and youth than the record of my conservative colleagues of past and present who do have children." The entire discussion of who is more tuned to the local kid's needs in the Council is a bit foolish. Little's column, in my opinion, was pointing out that by the time someone is on the City Council their kids are no longer young, not taking a shot at childless councilors. I don't think the liberal majority's priorities to date have been overly kid friendly. But they also haven't been antagonistic. For Gruendl to say he's been better for local kids than the people he serves with who have kids is unnecessarily defensive. Fast-tracking and spending millions of dollars on land that is fenced and off-limits to the populace, while slow-tracking park construction and recreation components like disc golf and a BMX facility seem to indicate other priorities. Regardless of past decisions the City Council can do two things tonight to help Chico's kids, young adults, and parents. 1. Tonight, the entire council, conservatives and liberals, will have an opportunity to consider kids in their decision. Ceres/Highland Neighborhood Park should have a restroom and a recreation component (basketball court in this case). Otherwise, birthday parties, team practices, and other multi-kid events will not be feasible there. In fact, no neighborhood park should be built without those facilities. The Council should fund these amenities. 2. My wife and I are having our second child in 6 weeks. I can't watch the council meeting because I'll be working on a nursery in my home. There is a lot of work to be done, including painting and cutting trim for doors and floors. If any council member (with kids or not) would like to come over and help in the coming days, that would be great. On a final note, I think about 40% of Chico consists of the traditional nuclear family (parents-2.5 kids). That means we also have to pay attention to the needs of the other 60% of the population in our parks.

Posted by Lon at 09:19 AM | Comments (2)

April 16, 2007

Happy Government Employees Come From California

Federal income taxes take the biggest bite out of my bottom line. But the privilege of living in California comes with its own costs. Californians are in the top 20 or so states as far as tax burden goes. About 14% of Californians don't pay taxes they owe, and about 3% get caught. 86% of us voluntarily comply with the economic whipping. The photo above is from the California Tax Franchise Board's web site. I'm pretty sure she's an employee and not a taxpayer (judging by the happy demeanor). I'm also guessing she is part of a union, has a great retirement package, and can't be fired for poor performance. For the next week all government employees should be happy, since they are getting all of their annual paychecks paid in the next couple of days. They should also go out of their way to stop strangers on the street and thank them for their jobs. If they get paid by California they may want to verify that the "stranger" is one of the 86% voluntary compliance tax payers first. Here are the income and expense pie charts from the Govenator's budget, if you're curious where your state taxes come from or go to.

Posted by Lon at 08:55 AM | Comments (4)

April 14, 2007

Get Out and PLAY!

The Chico Area Recreation and Park District's (CARD) summer activity guide, PLAY!, is coming out tomorrow. The guide covers activities, special events, and classes for all ages from May-August of 2007. Recently Butte College decided it couldn't afford to maintain community classes. You'll now find many of those classes offered by CARD, who stepped in and adopted them. These classes include topics like Novel Writing Workshop and Landscape Renovation and Design. Registration for popular CARD activities (like kid's swimming lessons) will be available online April 23rd. CARD is revamping their web site to make it easier to use and to handle enrollment, which is a much needed change. Classes offered include everything from Basic Dog Obedience to Yoga, with lots of sports activities like Tennis and Fencing as well. CARD also has some great camps. These include Chico all time favorites like Camp-Chi-Da-Ca where your kids will learn camp songs every other kid in Chico learned over the last few summers. There's is a Mountain Bike Day Camp and an Aquatic Adventure Camp. Science based camps like Gizmos Gadgets, and Goop and Space and Rocketry are also available. CARD will be putting on a number of special events that are also detailed in PLAY!. There is a dance at the new downtown Plaza, Swinging Under the Stars, the Community Campout at Hooker Oak Recreation Area, and the popular Pastels in the Park. Back from last year are the Movies in the Park, at Sycamore Field adjacent to Caper Acres in Bidwell Park. These are free movies projected onto a large screen with a professional sound system. There is also usually a snack bar whose proceeds benefit local altruistic efforts. The movies this year are... June 16th - Willy Wonka (the original, where Grandpa Joe gives his "tobacco money" to Charlie to buy the winning chocolate bar). July 21st - ET August 18th - Robin Hood (the original, without Kevin Costner's bad accent, and with scenes filmed in Bidwell Park, including the Hooker Oak. September 15th - Grease (is the word Grease is the word, is the word that you heard It's got groove it's got meaning Grease is the time, is the place is the motion Grease is the way we are feeling This is the life of illusion Wrapped up in trouble laced with confusion What we doing here?) Card does a number of fun and inexpensive things around Chico in the summer months. Pick up a copy of PLAY! and check it out, enrollment is occurring now.

CARD and its classes: CARD collects enrollment fees for the classes it offers. CARD used to give anywhere from 30%-60% of the enrollment to the instructor (the amount depending on facility use). That may have changed, but it's probably still close. In order for this to work the classes must have some minimal enrollment number. If you sign up for a class you might try to get some friends or family to take it with you. This can push up enrollment and ensure the class isn't cancelled. CARD and special events: Special events are sometimes funded by fees (Community Campout) or may be free (Movies in the Park). CARD is often looking for primary sponsors for these events (Swinging Under the Stars would be a great corporate sponsor event). If you want to sponsor an event contact CARD, they are pretty affordable to sponsor as far as these things go. CARD's web site is http://www.chicorec.com.

Posted by Lon at 09:33 AM

April 13, 2007

Hayes'd and Confused

I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day, speak to a small group yesterday. Hayes is a visionary and is sometimes credited with the creation of the modern environmental movement. He was also part of the Seattle political establishment that created the Mayor’s Climate Change Protection Agreement, an agreement Chico signed onto last year under Councilor Scott Gruendl. Hayes’ talk was one that was politically loaded. In addition to a few obvious jabs at the Bush administration his manner of speaking was one that belied a profound belief that his way of thinking was the only correct one. Corporations that joined the global warming fight were “enlightened”. High density urban environments were the only “intelligent” solutions. Anti-growth policies would cause “smart” people to want to live here. Nationally, Hayes spoke of sending an army of little “green gorillas” across the nation to jump start the recycling movement. The “gorillas” being our kids regurgitating morality lessons taught to them in our public schools.

His support for extreme environmental regulations was alarming. He supports having City workers go through your trash can and fining you $100 if you failed to recycle (a program Seattle uses, and one Hayes described as “Stalinist”, but necessary). He wants the price of the automobile to be based on the cost of damage to the polar ice caps from global warming. Hayes agreed that greenhouse gases (GHG) were a pollutant that should be considered under California’s Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process. He said that American’s bear the greatest burden of reducing global emissions, and should strive for Al Gore’s suggested 90% reduction in GHGs by 2050. He called implementing the Kyoto Protocol an “intermediary step”. Hayes’ felt third world nations should not be legislated to do the same. He touched on destroying America’s love affair with the automobile, and its association with freedom, sex, social status, and everything else we attach to our cars. There was also a practical side to Denis Hayes. He spoke of a “rapid bus system” that can take the place of trains and would not require land for track infrastructure. The buses could be diverted in case of terrorist attack, general maintenance of roads, or other circumstances. He pointed out that one day soon we'll be changing to LED light bulbs, which will be another step towards reducing energy use. Many of his suggestions for land use policy and open space set-asides have already been put in place by the local liberal leadership. Here was a guy who had been addressing energy reduction and CO2 emissions in one of America’s largest cities. His ability to create change in Seattle required tremendously more political power than that required to change Chico. The change in Seattle has occurred and now he reaches further. When I say Hayes was a visionary I mean that. For much of the small crowd he was preaching to the choir. He wasn’t saying “recycle some stuff and save some energy”. He was saying “the Kyoto Treaty isn’t enough; you have to change everything about the way you live, and pay for all of the damage you’ve done to date”. Heads in the room would nod up and down when he spoke of “intelligent” policy and importing “smart” people. Coos of pleasure met the discussion of the trash police. He was caressing political supporters’ egos by applying an intellectual measuring stick to his talk. Hayes’ vision is being played out on the global stage, and is one enforced by intensive environmental regulation. It is one where our elite collective guilt pays the luxury tax made necessary by our endless orgy of consumption. His clarion call is that if we don’t pay the piper, the planet will die. I know some Chicoans will find this review hyper-critical of Denis Hayes. That’s not my intention. His discussion was open and genuine, and I disagree with some of his statements and implied meanings. As an intellectual leader of the "global warming" and "peak oil" movement, and a creator of the Mayor’s Climate Change Protection Agreement, we should be aware of his beliefs. Some of those beliefs will be parroted by locals seeking to do their part in saving the planet. Some of those beliefs may be better suited to Seattle and San Francisco than to small town Chico. I for one do not want the “Recycling Nazi’s” rummaging through my refuse on Tuesday mornings. That policy could unhinge the burgeoning economy that many "dumpster divers" depend on to get their next quart of malt liquor. I can't be a party to that.

Posted by Lon at 08:15 AM | Comments (1)

April 12, 2007

The South Side of the Park

Most people seem to know about the Upper Bidwell Park trail system that spreads north from the main park road and east of the Easter Cross parking area. The trail system on the south side of Big Chico Creek is less traveled with much of it accessible via mountain biking or fairly long hikes. There is one nice trail that is easily accessible with a wide fire road for a path. I'm not sure how many people take the time to drive up past the disc golf courses to 10-Mile House Road, so I thought I'd post it here. This time of year is a great season for this hike (but not necessarily right after the rain). The parking area is on the left side of highway 32 about 10-15 minutes east of Chico. A metal gate blocks the entrance to the fire road, which is also an avenue for firefighters to access Bidwell Park. You'll find a foot path to the left of the gate that gets you into the park. The road is initially steep, but after a mile or so terrain flattens out and the vegetation enclosing the road drops away revealing rolling hills with unique rock formations along the way. At this point start looking for a decrepit structure. Nearby this old building is a trail heading off to the left that takes you to a small reservoir pond hidden in the underbrush. There is a picnic table here, and you can look for the yellow legged frogs that are native to this area, or the bullfrogs that moved in more recently to dine on the yellow legged frogs. This 10-Mile House Road access point is one way of getting into the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, which is a 4400 acre limited access reserve abutting Bidwell Park. Here is the trails map for Bidwell Park. Guardians trail that heads west from the fire road shortly after the trailhead, and is also a nice hike. Below is an image that might help you orient yourself as far as the driving distance up highway 32 to the trailhead.

Posted by Lon at 08:07 AM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2007

The New World Odor

I was interviewed a few weeks ago for a local documentary on the homeless problem in Chico. The documentary is being done in conjunction with the Jesus Center. I was asked about the idea of a homeless campground that some locals are suggesting. My response was that if the City can't provide a restroom for the homeless then why would they think they can successfully provide a campground. That response was based on some personal experiences. In the last couple of years we've had 3 instances people pooping behind our office. The most recent was last week, and I've cleaned up the photographic evidence and posted it above (replacing poop with red spots). While I can't guarantee that this is the result of the local homeless population, it does coincide with a lot of homeless activity in Lost Park and the parking area adjacent to it. There were other debris suggesting someone was camped out during the "Night of the Pancake Batter". Additionally, just a couple of months ago I saw a guy peeing on the North Rim Sports roll-up doors at about 3PM in the afternoon. He was one of our homeless folks, and was bold and brash in seeking relief from internal pressures. There are some solutions to this New World Odor that I would like to propose. The first is that I would be willing to hang some toilet paper and provide a few magazines behind my office. If it's going to be used as a restroom we might as well make it comfortable. A second option is installing one of those "doggy bag" dispensers there so people can pick up after themselves. Okay, those aren't really solutions. I'm not sure there are any. The expensive downtown Charrette suggested that a clean and inviting downtown would make it more walkable. With puddles of puke, urine smelling store fronts, and wall mounted fecal matter, I'm not sure we've achieved that goal. That's too bad because downtown is still a great place to work and shop. The story in today's paper related to homeless from the Jesus Center picking up litter around town is certainly welcome. It underscores the fact that the homeless population is not homogenous. There are many people who can and are being helped out of their situation. There is also a population that doesn't want help. I think those folks may contribute greatly to problems downtown. I'm not sure how you address the issue, but painting all homeless with the same broad, negative, brush is not appropriate. At the same time the impact of the homeless on our downtown environment isn't one that should be ignored, and I personally don't see it getting any better.

Posted by Lon at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

April 10, 2007

The New World Order

Some time in the last few days I think the New World Order took over the U.S. and Europe. They now seem to be flying their flags over the Esplanade. I also heard helicopters over the hospital, but I'm not sure if they were black. Actually, these are the Earth Flags of Chico which are part of a project spearheaded by Jennifer Rotnem, Bill Knudsen, Andy Keller, Jillian Buckholz, Mimi Riley, and Lorena Beckham. At least that's what this pdf file says (the link also describes the project if you want to learn more). Last month the Chico City Council voted to bend the rules to allow these flags to fly on hardware normally used for American flags (I seem to recall they actually suspended the rules). The mounting hardware is privately owned, and the owners agreed to share them with this project. The Earth flags did not replace the stars and stripes which were not scheduled to fly at this time. Personally, I'm still very much a nationalist. I love America and all of the opportunity it provides to its people. Globalism annoys me because the people that live under tyrants or in forgotten backwater dumps aren't jumping up and down for global togetherness. They'd rather be right here in my neighborhood working for a living. And I know Earth Day (and Earth Flags of Chico) isn't about globalism, but this is my blog so I'll pontificate at will. I do like the Earth Flags of Chico. They are a nice change of pace, and I like to see locals get excited and do new things. It shows we've still got some fresh blood pumping in the community. I might even suggest a Mars Flags of Chico next year, because all that orange would look fabulous.

Posted by Lon at 05:18 PM | Comments (2)

April 07, 2007

Remember the Jackalope

On the eve of Easter, and to pay homage to the Easter Bunny, I would like to focus today's blog post on the fate of the North American Free Range Jackalope, a distant cousin of the North American Easter Bunny. These beautiful creatures have been hunted to near extinction, with only an estimated 400 breeding pairs left in the wild today. Up until the early 1980's they were hunted primarily as game animals, and due to their wily nature were not threatened to any great degree. After 1980 all that changed. In 1979 scientists at 3M realized that an enzyme present in crushed Jackalope horn could be used as an active agent in a persistent but weak chemical adhesive. This glue later was used to create Post-It notes. 3M's manufacturing division was able to copy the natural enzyme using man-made ingredients, but the new attention given the Jackalope's natural bounty did not help the animal. By 1996 Jackalopes were being harvested in large quantities to produce the pharmaceutical Sildenafil citrate, which is sold under a number of brand names (the most popular being Viagra). In 1999 additional protections for the Jackalope came in the form of a bill signed by President Clinton. The Jackalope Protection Act has given this animal a chance to recover. At the time Clinton referred to his childhood dependence on Jackalope horn soup as part of a poor Arkansas family. It was his desire that the Jackalope continue as a viable game animal for future generations. Several aspects of the Jackalope's natural behavior have slowed its population recovery. The first is the fact that they are extremely shy until approached (at which point they become quite friendly). This can shorten Jackalope life span during hunting season. A second issue is the fact that they don't breed like rabbits. If fact they only mate during electric storms where hail is present, which is the only time rabbits will not breed. The Jackalope is a unique and beautiful component of our natural world. As your family celebrates Easter, and as the Easter bunny plops multi-colored eggs about your lawn or living room, please remember the Jackalope. Take some time and sign this petition to stop the needless killing of Jackalopes today!

Posted by Lon at 08:17 AM | Comments (4)

April 06, 2007

Just A Reminder, Too

Just another reminder... The Chico Area Recreation and Park District is holding an Easter Egg Hunt and other activities at Caper Acres tomorrow (Saturday). Caper Acres is adjacent to 1-Mile in Lower Bidwell Park. This is a fun and very popular activity.

Posted by Lon at 02:52 PM

Disc Golf For Kids?

Photographed above is the Chico's disc golf "Dream Team". These are the folks that will represent Chico in the 2008 Disc Golf Olympics to be held in Paris, France in November. From left to right is Women's Pro-Am Champ Jenn Klein, followed by the men's team Dennis "have I got a park for you!" Beardsley, Gregg "if it doesn't move Payne't it" Payne, and Steve "my middle name is recreation" Visconti. Okay, not all of those photographed are disc golfers, but after seeing Klein throw a couple I think she has a future. Not shown, but present for a walk through Hooker Oak Recreation Area , were CARD board members Jan Sneed and Mike Leitner (yes, that's "cardboard" when you put it together). Finally, the grand pooh-bah of environmental concerns, John Merz, attended and provided constructive contributions to the discussion. "The discussion" was whether or not a kid's/family disc golf course could be designed into an unused portion of Hooker Oak Recreation Area. Klein's article covered many of the salient points, and so I won't reiterate them all here. But give it a read because disc golf in this area is certainly possible. Here is her article. There are two paragraphs where Klein references the existing "unofficial" courses off of highway 32 that deserve repeating and discussion. Currently the only disc golf course in Chico are two unofficial courses in upper Bidwell Park. General Services Director Dennis Beardsley said when the city purchased the land in 1995 -- it was not a part of the land originally deeded to the city by Annie Bidwell -- the disc golf course was already in place. But Beardsley said in the last 10 to 12 years the sport has grown in popularity and is causing wear and tear. A yet-to-be-approved Bidwell Park master plan includes four options for the disc golf site -- three ways to improve the site to cut back on the impacts, and a fourth option of completely taking out the courses. There are a couple of points that should be made regarding the courses in upper park. The first is that "wear and tear" on the park could have been minimized years ago if the City managed the area as a disc golf course. Not having appropriate equipment, signage, and a maintenance program contributes to "wear and tear". The City was stopped from managing the area as a disc golf course when legal action was threatened by a member of the Friends of Bidwell Park. The lawyer's letter demanded a Master Plan be completed before any disc golf course be built. Since the courses existed before City ownership of the property the status quo was left intact. This has not been good for Bidwell Park, disc golf, or the City pocket book. The Master Plan has cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The second point is that the EIR for the Bidwell Park Master Plan update does suggest 4 options for disc golf. None of those options for disc golf include "leaving it as is". The largest option introduces a reduction of about 40% from the existing area used. 90% of sensitive areas have been protected in the proposed disc golf plans. This huge reduction in the area has been supported by park users that play disc golf, but not by local environmentalists. Dennis Beardsley said yesterday that the EIR for Bidwell Park should be available in the next few weeks.

Summary: The discussion regarding disc golf at Hooker Oak Recreation Area was very positive. A few weeks ago John Merz suggested that people interested in providing more disc golf opportunities should get together and discuss options. One option proposed was placing a kid's course in Hooker Oak, and it may come to pass. At that meeting Merz separated the discussion from Bidwell Park. That made finding common ground much easier. I think it is entirely possible that Merz or others might have some insight into the fate of disc golf in Bidwell Park as defined by the upcoming EIR results. If mitigation is costly or impossible I think the City Council will vote to remove thousands of people from Bidwell Park. Some of the Council majority's environmental constituency will demand that. That will create some problems in our community. Thousands of people play disc golf. The Park Department can't stop people from bootlegging courses into Bidwell Park. Removing the courses could spread the impact of unmanaged disc golf to other areas. Additionally, neither CARD nor the City of Chico has identified property that supports moving the existing courses. Neither CARD nor the City of Chico has the money to purchase property for alternative sites. The best alternative that I can see is to continue using the existing sites and manage them while accounting for environmental concerns to the best of our ability. In the future, as options present themselves, it may be possible to shift some of the use closer to town. To do this disc golfers and environmental groups like the "Friends of Bidwell Park" need to figure out a way to work together.

Interesting Point: I listened yesterday as the Park Director (Beardsley) and CARD General Manager (Visconti) discussed a water fountain used in our parks that had increased in price from $4,500 to $9,000. I realized this morning that one of those water fountains would cost about as much as a 9 hole kid's disc golf course as proposed for the Hooker Oak Recreation Area. That's a pretty good example of how affordable disc golf can be.

Interesting Point Number 2: Many disc golfers consider themselves "environmentalists". I separate the two groups with labels much like the newspaper does, simply to frame the discussion. It's a false separation and recognizing that would probably allow more constructive cooperation between people that really just want slightly different things out of their park experience.

Posted by Lon at 08:58 AM | Comments (3)

April 05, 2007

Just A Reminder

Just a reminder. The Downtown Chico Business Association is holding the first Thursday Night Market of the season tonight. When you're heading home the downtown roads will be closed, so go around (or stop at the market). With the downtown Plaza completed it should be a pretty happening "Chico-style" event, with lots of kids running through the fountain. Swing by, have a hotdog, fresh strawberries, some cotton candy, purchase a pre-paid phone card, get some lotion or soap, and learn more about several multi-level marketing schemes. I spent a lot of last year's markets hawking fundraising T-shirts for the Nico Project, which we hope will break ground in Caper Acres in May. And I'm glad I don't have to work the market this year.

Posted by Lon at 09:20 AM

And The Results Are In

A public art survey that many Chico residents took over the last month or so has had its results reported. The results show that Chicoans like their art, with the possible exception of "The Silver Plow". The Plow really is the poster child for bad locally funded public art. For one thing it was not done by a local. When you add the very high price tag (~$130,000), and the fact that it is oriented so drivers can't really see it as they whiz by, dislike is not an unexpected result. The "Our Hands" sculpture down at City Hall is well liked. This is interesting because that wasn't always the case. Art tends to grow on you if you exist around it for a while. The fact that when the "Hands" were commissioned you could buy a house in Chico for a similar amount seems to have been forgotten. The "Hands" are now a recognized and well marketed part of Chico's public art. The survey results also seem to indicate that the Public Art process needs to be better defined for the public. The public process is not always clear to the citizen that walks in off the street, and for an artist trying to navigate his/her way to a City contract it can appear to be a closed system. See the survey results here. I hope the decision makers around Chico take some time to review the results of the survey. I also hope they appreciate the fact that interested citizens took the time to make this happen at no cost to the City. On the next page you'll see the email sent to the City Council, Art Commission, and City staff by the folks that put this survey together.

Dear Commissioners, Staff, and City Council, On Feb 20th, a Public Art Survey Preview was sent out to Arts Commissioners and Staff. On Feb 25th, after much positive response and a great endorsement by the ER, the survey was distributed through our e-mail list which includes hundreds of local artists, arts groups, businesses, and stake holders. After a great response from more than 300 citizens, the survey has been closed as of March 20th. A preview of the results is now available to Arts Commissioners and Staff before its public release in a few days. The written comments about the projects and the process are also included. (A very few expletives or slanderous comments were copied and then removed.) We hope this information will be valuable to revisions of our public arts programs that are currently under way and planned for the future. We welcome the reflection and constructive conversation that we hope will come with diverse interpretations of our results. Click on this link to view: http://www.surveymonkey.com/Report.asp?U=329458238752 Guide for Interpreting Results. 1. The preference ratings scales show "Response Average". "No Opinion" and "Don't Know" are neutral. 3.00 is the median. Any average below 3.00 is increasingly well liked. Below 2.50 is very well liked or agreed with. Below 2.00 is extremely well liked. In the same way, 3.0 and above are increasingly disliked, or disagreed with, in relation to the higher value of the number. The lower the response average, the more positive. The higher the response average, the less positive. 2. Filter comparisons of the different demographic groups will be presented on request or during our report. 3. It is also interesting to compare contrasts within the scales. For ex: Mass indifference would balance out to the same results average value as equal weights of extremely opposing views. Same number, two very different results. Numbers of respondents are also shown next to selections. 4. To read "Written Comments" for #4(Projects) and # 30(Process), Click on the "View" button and select "250 per page" to read them all on the Open-Ended Results Detail page. 5. Enjoy forming your own conclusions. Thank you for your participation, The Public Art Survey Committee

Posted by Lon at 08:16 AM | Comments (0)

April 04, 2007

One Reason City Workers Get Paid So Well

Here's one reason the City employees get paid so well. This guy was one of a couple of workers up in the trees at Lost Park in downtown Chico. I'm not sure if they are pruning or preparing to remove some trees, but the technique this worker displayed was probably worth some extra benefits (preferably health insurance). The worker was balancing on two different trees, while doing the splits, and using a hand saw carried in a sheath on his hip to remove limbs. While the workers below are in a bit of a "Cal-Trans" pose for this image I can assure you they were all working fastidiously. I do hope their job was not to catch the guy in the canopy if things went wrong. Unfortunately, I'm guessing these guys aren't terribly high on the municipal pay scale, but at least one of them should be.

Posted by Lon at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

April 03, 2007

B-Line Is Just Fine

I've been experiencing the glory of the B-Line public transportation system lately. Once or twice a week my son and I take the bus downtown to work. I would have to say that the B-Line does a pretty good job as far as public transportation goes. I spent a couple of years living in Germany so I have a good idea what an integrated national public transportation system looks like. It doesn't look like the B-Line. And I haven't traveled all of the Chico bus routes, so there may be systemic problems that I haven't run into. But my experience has been generally positive. Here's my take on the B-Line bus system. Pros: The bus is generally on time (+/- 5 minutes) It doesn't cost a lot ($1, $0.75 for students-seniors) No need for a pocket-full of change whenever you go downtown The bus is never full The bus is pretty clean You can bum a cigarette off of most of the other riders Cons: You can bum a cigarette off of most of the other riders (I don't smoke) The "money" machine is always broken That giant lady with the gang tattoos and her skinny crack-head boyfriend need to learn not to swear in public I recommend that people around town give the B-Line a try. I referenced my one experience where a fellow rider was annoying, mostly people are friendly or aloof. For the B-Line managers out there that I'm sure read my blog here are some ways to increase ridership. 1. Have the downtown parking meters modified to only take nickels. People will tire of trying to find that much change and will take the bus more regularly. 2. Start a program that gives free rides one Saturday a month. Once people get past the hurdle of figuring out where and when the bus arrives they are more likely to use it. 3. Fix or replace your money machines. You've got your drivers doing too much extraneous stuff.

Posted by Lon at 08:27 AM | Comments (4)

April 02, 2007

Well, Ek-scuuuuuse Me

I met Richard Ek a couple of times when he attended RDA Committee meetings. He also called me at home to interview me for his RDA related stories. Those interviews were usually a slow and methodic process. The results of his journalism related to RDA were heavy on detail and accuracy. His recent CNR story "Breaking the Bank" is something every Chicoan should read. It details some of the serious financial problems facing Chico. These are the same problems that were downplayed by local liberals prior to the last election. Ek states that 80% of General Funds pay for payroll (with the majority going to union members) and those costs have been accelerating steeply in since 2000. From the article.. "Retirement benefits for city employees as a group have gone up 379 percent since 2000, and pay rates have largely kept pace." With those costs increasing the remaining General Fund spending needs to be done with a careful touch. It can be argued that that careful touch has been missing in some instances. City Councilor Larry Wahl caught some flak at the "State of The City" address earlier this year when he said as much. Wahl gets some credit in Ek's article for speaking up about discretionary spending. Another bucket of money the City uses is also running low. This would be the redevelopment bond money (managed by the dreaded RDA). People should know that the RDA draws a few million dollars out the Chico's General Fund annually. People should also know that any RDA project will cost Chico twice the advertised rate due to interest debt. The impact on the General Fund of RDA spending is real, the impact of poor spending decisions via RDA money is also real. Because of interest on the RDA bond the downtown Plaza will actually cost closer to $8.2million, versus the advertised $4.1million, when the bill is settled. If the RDA did not draw millions of dollars out of the General Fund the Plaza could have been paid for in 1.3 years (in cash). This would have saved the taxpayers over $4million. Poor long term financial decisions at the City of Chico are not owned by a left or right ideology. But with the left leaning folks running the City it will be up to them to pass solutions to these issues. I'm not sure they agree that there is a financial problem looming (although our City manager has stated there is). I know first hand that there was little desire to place constraints on RDA spending, and that bucket of money has a lot less political baggage than the union consumed General Funds.

Read Richard Ek's stories on the Chico Redevelopment Agency (RDA) here.. Council may stretch RDA limits - January 2006 Slow down, RDA group tells city - June 2006 City taking frugal course - June 2006 Watchdog group gets the axe - November 2006

Posted by Lon at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)

April 01, 2007

City Unveils New Policies To Reduce Carbon Footprint

The City of Chico, in an abrupt Sunday announcement, unveiled a new set of policies designed to reduce the City's carbon-footprint. It is hoped that with these new policies the green house gas emissions of the Chico area can be reduced to pre-1997 levels, and brought in-line with the Kyoto Protocol. Reduced Air Travel: Most forward thinking Earth lovers now realize that air travel is significantly more polluting than even automobile use (the sole exception being the H2). Therefore, the City of Chico is halting all commercial airport activity immediately. United Express and Aero Union have both been asked to vacate their leases within 30 days. Small businesses such as Chad's Airplane Bug Splat Removal Service may also be out of business due to fewer customers. In related news, the latest issue of Chico Today News, published by City staffers is being recalled. In the issue they accidentally trumpeted the economic benefits of airport activity. Eliminating Subsidies for Carbon Producing Visitors: Additionally, the City of Chico will no longer fund endeavors designed to attract carbon producing tourists. Funds going to the Chico Chamber of Commerce and the Artoberfest to attract visitors to Chico will be eliminated. The City has also asked the committee organizing the 2007 Chico Air Show to refrain from flying in aircraft for display, and instead provide a "Power Point" presentation of the airplanes. City Services No Longer to Use Automobiles: All police, fire, and city services will no longer use automobiles to accomplish their various missions. The Chico Fire Department has been practicing using a tandem "ladder bicycle" to reach objectives. And yesterday the Chico Police Department fielded its pedicab with a plexiglas "cell" on the back for use in suppressing the Caesar Chavez partiers. A combustion free solution to leaf pickup has yet to be conceived. Even private institutions like Enloe Hospital are getting on board the reduced carbon footprint effort. Enloe is experimenting with the new Rescue Bike on display below.

Posted by Lon at 07:05 AM | Comments (4)