FAR out lie

It has been some time since I wrote anything under the Marina Matters banner. Not that there have not been issues to write about but I just needed a break from the intense focus it takes to stay on top of all the local issues. Now I just can’t sit by quietly as our infamous City Council majority continues to endanger the long term viability of our City.

Let’s start with the latest distortions and lies that led to denying a local developer the right to build shops and restaurants on his property at the Dunes Shopping Center. The argument was centered on a little known numerical calculation called the FAR ratio. That stands for Floor Area Ratio. It is intended to increase the density of a project and leave more open space around it. The City of Marina requires a .25 ratio.

Opponents claim that the .19 ratio proposed by the applicant is in violation of the City’s General Plan. That is, in fact, correct. Several people spoke about the sanctity of the General Plan and how changing it for this project would destroy Marina. But here is where it starts to get interesting.

As was stated many times before the City Council during this process, the VA clinic and the Cinemark Theatre also fall under the magical .25 ratio requirement. So how can this be? The Council is adamant about upholding the General Plan without a change. In fact, it was Councilwoman Morton that stated “the plan requires that we reject the proposal”. The proposal voted on by our City Council included specific wording to change the General Plan for a very specific area within the Dunes Center to account for these developments being under the .25 ratio and correct the inconsistency. I myself repeatedly asked for the City Manager and City Council for the FAR ratios of the projects within the Dunes but they could not, or would not answer the questions while the item was pending. These numbers were promised to me after the fact but I have yet to be contacted by the City with these numbers.

I have since been able to obtain these numbers and the calculations needed to determine them from sources outside of the City. Let’s start with the VA Clinic. There are a total of 8 lots needed for the clinic that total 623,349 square feet. The building itself is a total of 148,401 square feet. So if you divide the building by the lot size you get a .2381 FAR ratio. But how can that be? It falls under the sacred General Plan ratio of .25.

Let’s look at the Cinemark Theatre. It sits on a lot that is 145,490 square feet with a building of 23,016 square feet. Dividing these numbers out you get a ratio of .1582. The last I checked these buildings are being built or have been completed so certainly the City Council approved these projects. How is that possible?

It seems that if the Council majority like a project they calculate the FAR ratio across the entire Dunes project. If they don’t like it they make each segment stand on its own. A similar thing happens when you include the Wellness Center into the mix. As it stands today, the Wellness Center does not meet the FAR ratio but will, once CHOMP builds the next building on the site (whenever that happens).

Where is the City Attorney in this discussion? I would think that applying the rules in such a hap hazard manner would expose the City to significant litigation. But I guess when you have so many attorneys on Council you don’t worry about litigation, no matter how much it could cost the taxpayer in the end.

I hope that the applicant re-applies with a couple of the compromises outlined in the months’ long discussions and negotiations. I also hope that the Council majority ends its campaign of lies and distortions and compromises so that this project can move forward to benefit our entire Marina community.

More later......

Election Season

It seems to happen about the same time every year, sometimes twice a year. It’s the time when feelings are shared, words are spoken and people get hurt. It’s when things are said with intent, whispered to do harm and to change people’s minds. In this country it’s called election season.

In fact, it happens all around the world, some are more vicious than others. We have read all sorts of stories about rogue campaigns in far off places and some not so far away. The use of scare tactics that are designed to inflame and harm an individual’s character and credibility seem common place. Like this is the norm and the way campaigns are supposed to be run. Sometimes these are done with the candidate’s full knowledge and forethought, others done behind their back by outsiders that support the candidate or issue.

Of course this is not new. The Romans and Greeks had some wicked statements said for and against competitors. In America, things said forty, eighty even a hundred years ago in campaigns would curl your hair even today. This election cycle we hear stories from elections around the country that are hard to believe but true. Charges leveled at candidates or parties that have no truth but designed to inflame and incite a visceral reaction.

Locally, we hear a few of these stories as they are whispered at door steps instead of broadcast for all to hear. Many of the statements are undoubtedly false if one was to think about the statements, others are so far from the truth they are outright slanderous. Still others reflect some fact, some conjecture and some exacerbation woven into a tale that people may actually believe to be true.

It’s time that we all as a society and as a community step back a bit. Is this really the way we want to elect our representatives? This is certainly not new to Marina; it’s been going on for years. There are plenty of examples of cases from both/all sides over the years of whispered, printed and even stated comments that crossed the lines. Even acts of theft and property damage designed to intimidate or threaten.

The only way this stops here and elsewhere is when we ALL stand up and say it is unacceptable. Argue the facts, the policies and even the actions of the candidates. Talk about what you would do differently, your ideas, your proposed policies. It does not need, nor should it ever be personal. It’s not as easy as it sounds because many of the statements, policies and ideas of candidates are based on personal beliefs, thus making a counter argument sound personal when it is not. I think we all know when it crosses the line … the hard part is listening to that inner voice that says it’s too far, time to back off. It’s time we do a bit more listening to that inner voice

More later…

2014 Marina Elections

It has been a while since I have written a Marina Matters column, primarily since it is election season and you needed to hear from the candidates about the issues and where they stand. By now I hope you have seen and heard from many of the candidates and have an idea of how you will vote in the November elections. If not, or if you are not sure I want to forward to you the Monterey Herald editorial endorsement for the Marina elections.

Mind you I have not agreed with the Herald on a lot of things over the years but they evolved recently to now look at the issues that affect us all in a much broader sense. The editorial board really captured the essence of our Marina City election and stated it very clearly. It goes without saying that I agree with their comments and the candidates they endorse.

More later….

Editorial: Amadeo, Turgen, Devlin best for Marina

Monterey County Herald

POSTED: 10/16/2014 05:20:54 PM PDT

Marina was one of the cities hardest hit economically when Fort Ord closed in 1994, and now 20 years later it is still dealing with a variety of issues stemming from that event. But its officials are also considering how to develop a downtown with a specific identity and how to meet the needs of various groups in the community, like teens and seniors.

A recent candidate forum highlighted different approaches to these issues. We found mayoral candidate Ken Turgen and council candidates Dan Devlin Jr. and Nancy Amadeo, an incumbent, to have the most balanced approach. We recommend their election.

Turgen, a member of the city Planning Commission and an architect, emphasizes the need for logical economic growth and job creation, and stresses the benefits to Marina of more regional cooperation. He clearly understands the necessity of solving the region's water problem, as so many of Marina's residents work in jobs all over the Monterey Peninsula — jobs that could be in jeopardy without a water supply project. Turgen wants to see city parks improved, a downtown identity developed and a stable city revenue base established.

Incumbent Mayor Bruce Delgado clearly spends a lot of time on his job as mayor. But his future vision for the city is not as clearly balanced or delineated as Turgen's. Delgado emphasizes "smart growth" and a new "greenway" for Marina, though he has not provided details about the greenway or how it could contribute to the city's economy. Delgado does highlight his endorsement by political parties, a trend we find unhealthy for local nonpartisan offices.

We believe Turgen would bring a more vigorous and balanced perspective to Marina's economic future.

The council race mirrors the mayoral contest. Incumbent Nancy Amadeo clearly has the best grasp of how to be an effective council member. At a recent forum she stressed the need for Marina to develop policies and strategies for economic health, rather than just react in a piecemeal fashion. She also has an impressive understanding of the city's budget process.

Candidate Dan Devlin Jr. emphasizes his interest in providing good city services for families, and wants to develop an economic base that will benefit Marina overall and provide jobs for CSU Monterey Bay graduates. We feel his family-oriented perspective and his budget expertise from his job with the Department of Defense would be good additions to the City Council.

Incumbent David Brown believes the city's "smart growth" is a sufficient economic policy, but offers few details about how he would apply that to future project review. Brown has noted he's been part of "a council majority with Delgado and Frank O'Connell since 2010." We think a more open-minded approach to council business would be better for Marina.

Turgen, Devlin and Amadeo offer balanced, reasonable and thoughtful approaches to Marina's future and deserve your vote.

Immigration

With all of today’s headlines about immigration I wanted to weigh in with a few thoughts. I suppose that what I am going to outline is not terribly new but it does take issue with both sides as they try to position themselves for their core constituents.

First, it sounds obvious, but we have to admit there is a problem. There are many who do not feel that there is. A country’s border is sacred to its citizenry for it separates one country from another in social, economic, security and political ways. The United States is the destination for people all over the world because we are a beacon of social, economic and political freedom rarely found in other countries.

To maintain many of these freedoms we must have control of who enters our country in number and identity. The latter, even more so in today’s world of terrorist plots and threats. Those who believe that our border is secure need only see the unaccompanied twelve years olds walking or swimming across the border to realize the borders are not secure. This leaves the door open for all forms of immigration abuse. Most every country in the world controls, in some form, its own border or its own economic interests by visa or other controlling factor. Why should we do anything different?

On the other hand, those that believe the eleven or twelve million undocumented individuals in this country should be deported are not being realistic. It will simply never happen. Yes, they entered illegally or entered legally and overstayed their visa and they will need to pay a price for not following the laws of our country. What that price is can and should be debated. What plan comes from this is not amnesty. Amnesty would be to ignore the illegal act and give everyone citizenship without a paying price.

So just what is the answer to our immigration problem? Here is my solution. You may have your own and that creates a healthy debate that we need to have in this country. Not by the headline grabbing talking heads but by those actually responsible for enacting our laws and enforcing them.

The first thing is to actually secure the border, not just temporarily but permanently. The next step is to increase the number of legal visas and work permits substantially. This will allow for a legal work force to follow many of the agriculture related jobs that flow across the border. Additionally, we need to substantially increase both work visas and citizenship for higher educated individuals. Finally, we will need to finalize a path to citizenship for the millions of illegal individuals already here.

Of course, none of this can happen without strict enforcement of the laws we already have in place. That may well mean that those with criminal records are deported immediately but others will no longer be looking over their shoulder and afraid of deportation if they follow the new laws. Yes, there will some gray areas and those can and will be worked through over time.

It is time that we stop ignoring our immigration issues and stop the rhetoric (from both sides). It’s time to do the humane thing, and that is to find a solution now. All in the name of freedom, health, safety, and the economic benefit of our Nation.

More later…

Veterans Cemetery Revisited

We had the opportunity to spend a few minutes yesterday with Congressman Sam Farr and State Senator Bill Monning at an open forum updating everyone on the status of the Veterans Cemetery on Ft. Ord. It was a fairly well attended event with parties from both sides of the issue.

My first thought is it’s rather odd that there would even be two sides to this issue. Clearly the community has spoken out in support of the Veterans Cemetery time and time again over twenty some years. Yet, there are still a handful of people that continue to harp on the same issues that have been addressed and readdressed time and time again. Clearly their collective opposition is that they want nothing done at the site, or for that matter, anywhere else on the former Ft. Ord. Period.

So please allow me to once again address the issues in a calm and easy to understand form:

First, let’s address the biggest of the scare tactics currently being used. The Veterans Cemetery is NOT connected in any way to the Monterey Downs project. Senator Monning carried legislation a couple of years ago to completely separate the two projects. So supporting the Cemetery does not mean you support ‘gambling’ or any other perceived social ill the opposition continues to throw out by connecting the two.

Second, the project is being reviewed for environmental impacts by both the State and Federal government. Each has identified issues that will be easily mitigated during the construction of the current 17 acre project. These include the replacement of trees and the usual air quality, drainage and other steps used during most any construction process in California.

Next is the actual size of the project. When this project was first envisioned twenty some years ago it was to be some 260 plus acres. That was simply too big for everyone involved and has been completely re-imagined under a much smaller total build out. Currently the only area under consideration is the 17 acre columbarium. Any additional phases or additions will require additional environmental review at that time. Legally, the current proposed 17 acre site is all that can be reviewed at this time because there is no funding or plans for the additional expansion that may or may not happen over the next ten years or more.

Then there were comments made that the project needs more review, that the site should be somewhere else and, of course, there will be trees that will be removed. Let’s be clear about one thing. This project has been reviewed, and reviewed, and reviewed - again over a twenty plus year period. The site was selected years ago and reviewed in public by the Board of Supervisors and by FORA. The general plans have been reviewed by FORA, the County and the State. The voters weighed in with a special referendum and now the State of California and the Federal government are making their final reviews of the current 17 acre plan. This has been one of the most public projects in the history of Monterey County and likely the State of California.

Trees. I will stipulate yes, there will be trees removed. Just as there are trees removed for almost any other construction project. Of course, there will be trees replanted as well. Let’s also be clear in that most of the trees are scrub oaks, not the big majestic oaks that one might imagine. Let’s also remember that this area has survived the most powerful army in the world. It has withstood bombing, shelling, canons, grenades and just about any other form of explosive, plus tanks, half tracks, trucks, jeeps and thousands of troops stomping over the grounds… I do believe it will survive as the permanent home for those that have served this country for generations.

It’s time that we ALL stand up and give our full support to the Veterans Cemetery project and stop the fighting. As Congressman Farr stated…”he has never seen so much made about so little”.

More later…

City Budget, again

I know that for most of you talking about the budget for the City of Marina is about as interesting as watching the grass die in a drought. However, this is the document that the City needs to provide the direction to operate for the coming fiscal year. It will determine the number of city employees in each department (police, fire, recreation, planning, etc.), it will determine how much to spend on pot hole repairs, park and facility maintenance, and all the functions of a City.

It is with this in mind that I ask you to sacrifice a few hours of your life and attend the City Council meeting this Tuesday night (June 10^th at 6pm) to listen and provide your input on the choices before the City Council. I will try to give you an outline of the issue I think is most important in a single paragraph.

The City Council passed a resolution a couple of years ago to “balance” the City budget under the definition of “monies in equal’s monies out” in a given fiscal year. On the surface that sounds great but it also ignores the $7,000,000 in reserves the City currently has. As a result the City Council has been cutting vital services to all our City departments while maintaining an oversized reserve fund.

At the same time, the City Council will be finalizing plans to bring Measures M and N before the citizens in November for extension. It seems to me that asking citizens to continue the TOT and Sales Taxes while not using the funds already available to them is disingenuous.

While no one is demanding that we use all of our reserves, we do ask that a basic level of service be provided to our Police and Fire departments, our Recreation department, our Public Works department and all the others that provide the services we as Marina citizens expect and voted for the first time with Measures M and N. But just like your own budget, you set aside in savings monies to buy a car, replace a roof or for other big expenditures, the City has these funds set aside to use to replace old equipment, repair or replace worn out streets or maintain a basic level of service.

For some reason, this Council wants to use these funds to someday buy more land or some other plan they do not articulate rather than provide the services that 21,000 current Marina citizens expect and need. They would rather reduce staff in the Recreation department in the middle of summer, not fill positions in the Police and Fire departments, not replace worn out vehicles, not provide proper Library building maintenance and more. Although you could do all of these at once with the reserves, no one expects that. Rather, what is needed is a fair plan to use our reserves to work through a very long list of deferred issues and proper staffing as identified by the staff.

So it is with this back drop that I ask my fellow Marina citizens to attend Tuesday night’s meeting and help express the Community’s views and priorities on an issue that affects our own daily life within our community.

More later…

 

California

The June primary is just around the corner so it’s a good time to share some thoughts.

For those that have followed this column over the years I am sure it is no surprise that I identify myself as a Republican. Yes, I know just more than half of you just freaked out and jumped to all sorts of conclusion by that simple statement. My guess is that if you and I sat down for 10 minutes we would agree on some eighty percent of the issues that confront us today. Of the remaining 20 percent, we would likely agree on the issues but have differing opinions as to the solutions.

 I would say that I consider myself a fiscal conservative and more of a social libertarian. Frankly, I could care less whom you sleep with, who you love or what you do to yourself - those are the choices that you make, not me. I believe in a right and wrong and that people need to take responsibility for their own actions. There are just things in this world that are really that simple.

Now that I have said all that here is another simple statement… California is a mess and it needs to be fixed as soon as possible. This State has been ruled by one party for far too long. What we need is a balance, members from both parties working together for the good of the people not their own good. How many Sacramento politicians do we need to see indicted before we wake up? How many more budget tricks does it take to get re-elected? How soon, before we as a State pass the point of no return?

We do not need to legislate the amount of sugar in your drink, we need to address the structure of our Government. We need to consolidate departments and agencies and simply eliminate tons of redundant panels and commissions. We need to address out of control social programs that need to be adjusted, not eliminated. We need real jobs from energy, manufacturing and trade not some grand cap and trade experiment that is already failing.

That brings me to this June’s primary. I have had the opportunity to meet several of the candidates in person. I have asked questions and heard them speak before several groups. As a result I have my recommendations for you to consider. First, for Controller is the former Mayor of Fresno Ashley Swearengin. She has been endorsed around the State by newspapers and editorial boards of both parties including the Los Angeles Times. Next would be Secretary of State Pete Peterson. He has also gained the support of businesses, newspapers and editorial boards of both parties. He has a real plan to make Sacramento friendlier to business to help get our economy working again. Of all the candidates running, these two individuals can really make a difference in how our State is run and start to make the changes necessary to get California moving in the right direction.

In the Lt. Governors position, Gavin Newsome is likely a lock and that is disappointing. He needs to be challenged at every step to defend his positions. Ron Nehring will do so but he will likely not get a lot of traction unless Newsome really steps into something which he has the potential to do. I have met and talked to Ron, he is a very serious candidate but you will likely hear little about him in the weeks ahead.

Finally, realistically the two candidates that are battling in the Republican primary don’t stand much of a chance against the Brown machine.  I have had the opportunity to meet and listen to both candidates.  The one who should debate Brown would be Neel Kashkari but his chances seem slim at this point even with some very high profile endorsements. The other candidate Tim Donnelly is nowhere near qualified and that might well be an understatement. If Donnelly does indeed become the Party’s nominee he will likely hurt the qualified down ticket candidates I mentioned earlier.

It is time for the citizens of California to look beyond the party affiliation and truly look at the candidates. Take the time to understand their philosophies and ask what they would do to change California in a bipartisan manner. Anyway, those are my thoughts, what are yours?

More later….

Time to get back to it...

As many of you know I used to write a blog/column called Marina Matters. I started it back in June of 2011 as a way to communicate with the Marina community and to share my thoughts about what was going on that might be of interest to them. I stopped writing it last December so I could focus on other things that are important to me like my family and our business.

So here we are in April of 2014 and I feel there are issues within our community that are not being talked about since we do not have a daily or weekly paper that focuses on our Marina community. These are issues that if the community knew more about, we could have a dialog as to what they think about them. So I have decided to start writing the column again and use Facebook to disseminate it.

A case in point will be the extension of Marina’s sales and TOT taxes (Measures M & N) that will appear on our November ballot, the state of our City’s annual budget discussion and the Council’s desire to once again cut positions out of our police, fire and other departments while we have some $7,000,000 in reserves.

I will address these issues in coming columns but I think it is important that our Marina community understands these, and other issues, and expresses their collective opinions on our future direction.

It is my desire to facilitate the start of a healthy dialog to benefit our Marina community.

More later….

A Christmas Wish

This year has passed so quickly… it seems like only yesterday we celebrated Christmas and the start of 2013. Yet, here we are on the cusp of another Christmas and the start of 2014!

It has been a fun filled holiday season to date in Marina with the lighting of the City Christmas Tree with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, the first ever Holiday sing-a-long at the Library with the Marina High School Choir, the annual City Senior Christmas Dinner with over 150 members of our senior community participating and, of course a few Christmas Parties and gatherings along the way.

At this point I hope we all take a few minutes and reflect on our own blessings and do what we can to help those that are less fortunate within our Community. Be it volunteering, supporting the Thomas Carman Food Pantry, making a donation to a worthy community organization or simply helping a neighbor, we can all lend a helping hand regardless of our own situation.

As we look to the new year- I hope that we all include in our plans to carry this spirit beyond the holidays and keep it close to our hearts year round. It’s important to our community and it will bring joy to your heart throughout the year.

So I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! May there be peace, goodwill and tolerance around the world. Finally, may the New Year bring together all your hopes and dreams in one magnificent package that you unwrap each and every day!

More in the New Year!

Random Thanksgiving thoughts…

So now the Marina Gazette has fully embraced the digital age. Somehow I already miss the tangible, print edition. That said; here are some more random thoughts that don’t necessarily fit in a full column but are worth sharing for this Holiday week.

We all have so much to be thankful for as we head into Thanksgiving week but a new report from the Centers of Disease Control counts Monterey County as the most dangerous County in California for youth at risk between the ages of 10 and 24. There are many elements to this but when Marina has some 76 percent of our kids that qualify for free or reduced lunches at school we know we have work to do in our own backyard.

The Marina Police Department is working with HOPE Services on a jean drive in early December. Take a few minutes and clean out your closets and drawers of those old jeans you will never wear again and take them to the Marina Police Station. There are many people, of all ages, who need them desperately.

Of course, many people do step up and help serve Thanksgiving meals to those who are in need this week. Almost all our service organizations really do a great job fulfilling this mission. If you cannot help out please consider dropping a check off to the Thomas Carmen Food Pantry at the Epiphany Lutheran and Episcopal Church (Carmel and California Streets). Can goods are always welcome but at this time of year they need to buy lots of items so a cash donation is extremely helpful.

It goes without saying that the need for help really is a year round issue and there are many organizations that do great work to benefit those of all ages. One that is close to my heart is the Nutrition Program through the City’s Recreation and Cultural Services Department. Our City staff and an incredible group of very dedicated volunteers serve breakfast at our Teen Center, Monday through Friday while school is in session. This program has reduced truancy and has helped to keep kids in school so they have alternatives in life. It also makes sure that those that may not get a good breakfast have that opportunity.

That same program extends to late afternoon with a hearty snack for many who will likely not get dinner at home. This too has made a tremendous difference in the lives of many kids in our community. To help support this program, please go to www.themarinafoundation.org and donate to the Marina Teen Center Nutrition programs. Full disclosure, I am President of The Marina Foundation and I can assure you that all donations to the program are tax deductible and all proceeds go to the program itself.

One final thought for the week. I am very grateful that I live in a community that really does step up and help those that may not be as fortunate. We as a community do so without regard to politics, race, religion, or any other measure that our society wants to pigeonhole people into. We do so because it’s the right thing to do, period.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving week!

More later…

Measure K, Part Three

Over the course of my last two columns I have tried to explain both the Veterans perspective and the gambling issue raised against Measure K. In this column I want to wrap up the discussion and touch on several other issues and why I am voting for Measure K and against Measure M.

First, let me acknowledge that attempting to take the authority away from our locally elected officials by initiative is a terrible way to govern. This initiative process is full of special interests and unintended consequences that eliminate local authority. Measure K came about as a response to those wishing to take away access to the land promised for the Veterans Cemetery and the land for future economic development by the initiative process (Measure M). It was not a fight that was chosen rather a reaction to “secure the promise” made to our Veterans and the community as a whole.

As much as the Measure M people want you to believe, the Monterey Downs project is not approved by Measure K. Yes, it is an allowed usage of the land as it is currently under the Ft. Ord Reuse plan. If that project were to go forward it would still have to complete an EIR and be approved by the City of Seaside and Monterey County… not by the approval of Measure K.

What Measure M would do is make any project on this land impossible. That would include any project that would bring the jobs needed in our community. Under the Sierra Club agreement with FORA years ago, this land was set aside for economic development – again, Measure K keeps that promise.

As a reminder, the former Ft. Ord property is approx. 28,000 acres - about the size of the City and County of San Francisco. Of that, over 20,000 acres are already preserved as open space forever. This open space includes all the National Monument acrege, Ft. Ord Dunes State Park and hundreds of acres of other parks, open space and right of ways. These areas are full of hiking, biking and riding trails destined to create recreational opportunities for generations to come.

On the remaining 8,000 acres we have all of CSUMB, UC Santa Cruz, Monterey College of Law, MPC, York and Chartwell schools. Schools that produce educated workers in need of local jobs. We also have the Marina development areas that include The Dunes Shopping Center, Marina Heights, Preston and Abrahms Parks, the Marina Airport and the ill fated Cypress Knowles project. It also includes land in Del Rey Oaks and Monterey, the Bayonet and Blackhorse Golf Courses, Seaside Highlands and the 540 acres subject to these initiatives. Each and every one of these projects are designed and approved to bring jobs and housing (in balance) to replace those left behind when Ft. Ord closed.

Just as the National Monument is a work in progress, so are the development areas. These areas will take years and years to become fully developed as demand for them allows. What is clear is that if we are to provide the jobs needed in our communities to sustain our local economy we need to keep the promises made in the past. These are the reasons why voting Yes on K and No on M are important to all of us.

More later…

Measure K, Part Two

In my last column I presented the case for Measure K from the Veterans Cemetery prospective. In this column I will look at one of the issues raised by the Measure K opponents. I will conclude my series of articles next time with a look at the land use issues that are answered in Measure K.

I know this may come as a shock to many of you, just as it was to Captain Renault in the famous scene from Casablanca when he said “I'm shocked... shocked to find that gambling is going on in there” but gambling happens each and every day in our communities. It could be your latest wager over the 49er game, perhaps March Madness, a friendly poker game or playing the lottery. It could also be at one of several legal card rooms in Monterey County. It could also be at our local Monterey Fairgrounds in the form of satellite wagering. All are considered gambling so it’s quite disingenuous of the opponents of Measure K to think of this as a major reason to oppose it.

So let’s look at what is legal gambling specifically on the land of the former Ft. Ord. Many years ago it was feared that a large Indian Casino might be built on the former Ft. Ord property. As a result of this fear the FORA (Ft. Ord Reuse Authority) Board specifically outlawed all forms of gambling with the exception of pari-mutuel betting, this at the insistence of the City of Monterey.

The City of Monterey at one point thought they would move the fairgrounds to the former Ft. Ord so they wanted to keep the cash flow that pari-mutuel betting currently brings in to the fairgrounds in the form of satellite wagering. Yes, you did read correctly, I did say currently. Satellite wagering has been going on at the Monterey County fairgrounds for years and yet we don’t hear a huge hue and cry over it now do we? So why, if it were available (though yet to be seen) would it be a problem in the future?

Could it be that the opponents of Measure K are attempting to divert the attention away from what the real benefits are of Measure K? Of course they are. They do not want to talk about the 25,000+ potential jobs that would be permanently lost if the opposing Measure M passes. We know we have thousands of acres of land for recreation but little Ft. Ord land for economic development.

Yes, I understand that some oppose a potential racetrack and that’s a discussion for later since Measure K does not approve any single development project. That decision will be up to the City of Seaside after the EIR is complete. For the sake of argument though, let’s say that Google or Apple wanted to build a facility on these lands. They would not be allowed to do so under Measure M – only Measure K would keep this land available for job creation.

Since it is jobs and careers that are needed in our community to sustain our regional economy, why would anyone fight against them? They wouldn’t, unless you want the land for more open space, then you would create a straw argument like gambling to divert the attention away from the real issue at hand.

So for the Veterans Cemetery and for the job potential that Measure K ensures, I urge you to vote Yes on Measure K and No on Measure M.

More later…

Measure K, Part One

I have had the privilege of working with some very dedicated and focused individuals over the course of the past few months. These people have one goal in mind - an honored resting place for our retired and active duty service members. They are working to “Keep the Promise” of a Veterans Cemetery at the former Ft. Ord.

In the first part of a series of articles about Measure K, I want to explore why the Veterans Cemetery is so important to our community and what stands in the way of it becoming a reality.

First: a little history. From its founding in the early 1900’s, Ft. Ord had served as the training ground for hundreds of thousands of Army soldiers until it’s closing in 1994. For many who served in Korea and Vietnam, Ft. Ord was the last place they stood on American soil. Many, who trained here, fell in love with the area and came back here to live after their service to raise their families and become vital members of our greater regional community.

As Sid Williams explained at the Measure K kick-off event at the proposed cemetery site, “those who served are bound together in a brotherhood”. Those that served and trained at Ft. Ord are indeed a brotherhood dedicated to fulfilling a commitment made to them when the base closed – that a Veterans Cemetery would be built.

Unfortunately, keeping this promise has been a challenge and some 20 years later this brotherhood is still waiting. Today, the promise of the Veterans Cemetery has never been so close, and yet it is in danger of never being built due to two competing Measures on your November ballot. Measure K will ensure that the Cemetery will be built, while Measure M endangers that effort.

Without getting too far into the weeds of the Measure, Measure M will limit the access to the proposed site in a way that will negate the Federal funding needed to build the cemetery. In fact, one of its primary backers stated that proper access will stop about a quarter mile from the cemetery itself. The Federal government requires ADA compliant roads to service all Federal projects. Measure M will make such a requirement impossible to fulfill, thus removing the funding and stopping the cemetery.

I fully support Measure K to “Keep the Promise” made to our Veterans and all active duty military who choose to be laid to rest close to home on Ft Ord. I hope that you will do everything you can to help us fulfill the promise made to them and vote Yes on Measure K, No on Measure M.

Next time I will go deeper into some of the land use issues that Measure K reaffirms and why it is important to you and the future of our entire region.

More later

More random thoughts...

Its Labor Day weekend as I write this version of Marina Matters, the official end of summer, so I thought I would catch up on some random thoughts this week.

You tell your kids not to do something bad or they will be in trouble. Even they know to anticipate the negative consequences of their actions if they do it anyway. You don’t come back and say in three weeks I am going to take away your toys for a day as a result of disobeying me. Our President has simply lost whatever credibility he had over the Syrian issue. It’s a position he never should have put himself or the Country into.

Interesting reactions to my last column about the City’s proposed card room tax. Of those that have reacted, it seems to be running about two to one in agreement with my position. The argument from those that disagree with me seems to be that they understand my position (and many agree) but the City needs the money now so we have to approve it. Again, I would rather lose the revenue from the Card Room Tax and make sure that M & N have a reasonable chance of re-approval in the future. As it stands right now, the voters will simply not reapprove M & N next year. Our City Council must get a wakeup call now and this is the only way we can get their attention.

As the calendar moves from August to September the boys of summer are closing on the playoffs. It seems clear that the Giants will not make it this year but the A’s are right in the middle of it all. Let’s hope they can keep up the momentum and represent our region well. Our area can certainly support two baseball teams so it’s not too late to get on board and support the A’s into the playoffs!

Of course, September really means that football is back! The college teams started this weekend and the pros start on Thursday night. The 49’ers are anticipating a run for the Super Bowl and the Raider’s… well the best thing for them (or us) is that most games will be blacked out. Of course, as a Chicago Bear and Denver Bronco fan, I know the ups and downs of the game. A true fan will stand by their team regardless… so here’s to Da’ Bears and the Bronco’s this year!

Finally, I will write my next column in support of Measure K (Keep the Promise) and against Measure M on our November ballot. The implications of these measures for the future of our entire region are huge and I want to devote a lengthy column to explain why. It is important to hear all the facts, not the made up arguments of a few with their own agenda. More on that next time!

More later...

 

Violence

California is truly becoming a scary place. Our region is certainly reflective of that thought as we are seeing a tremendous spike in violent crime from Santa Cruz to Seaside and especially in Salinas. Unfortunately, we have seen this before and it’s not pretty. Many innocent people get caught up as peripheral damage to gang wars and needless assaults and violence.

Just in the last week we have seen a running gun battle through the streets of Santa Cruz as two cars shot at each other resulting in at least one death. We saw a security guard at a 99 cent store stabbed to death when he did not have a key to a safe in Salinas. We had a drive-by shooting in Seaside that resulted in another death. We have seen multiple attacks, shootings and even some that seem to target our police that have resulted in multiple deaths. That’s all this past week.

Yes, violence seems to step up over the summer as if that is an excuse. People, wake up! We have a serious problem here and it needs to be addressed in each of our communities now!

We have a State and Federal economy that has produced fewer and fewer jobs, especially for our youth.  We have a Governor that is releasing career criminals back into our communities to address overcrowded prisons. We have a State legislature that has refused to address this issue for at least a generation. We have an education system that has failed our students no matter how much money we seem to throw at it. As a result many of the people and companies that can hire and help with the situation are simply leaving the State due to taxes and regulations, and yes, crime.

In Marina, we have held our own against this tidal wave of violence that is surrounding us by trying to maintain a strong Recreational program despite a City budget that’s working against it. We have a great police force that is working harder and harder to protect our community with great success but with dwindling resources. This combination has worked well to date but we cannot assume anything in the future.

We are in a battle for the minds of our youth and we all need to do what we can to work with them, to help provide safe places to grow up, to educate them and help provide jobs where possible. We need mentors to stand up and show them that there is another way, that with desire and education they can still succeed in their world despite the pressure and temptations.

Here is a plea to all that care about the future of our community. Do what you can; no matter how small a role you can play. Donate money to a cause that supports education and/or recreational activities. Volunteer your time to help an organization that works with our local students, no matter the age group. Truly listen to what our politicians and activist are saying. Tell them to stop with the excuses and do what is right not for our society, not their next election.

Things will not change overnight. We know that, but they won’t change at all without your help!

More later

Random Thoughts....

Sometimes there are so many things going on in the world, in the area and in our personal lives that narrowing things down to a single thought for a column every couple of weeks is challenging. Even the events over the last 24 hours (I am writing this on Sunday morning) fill the mind with all sorts of random thoughts.

Let’s work backwards a bit…

To start on a lighter note, Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter for the struggling Giants. Congratulations! Perhaps ending the first half of the season on a high note bodes well for the second half for them. Meanwhile, the A’s have had a great first half and we hope they can continue that effort the second half of the season.

On a more serious note, the jury acquitted George Zimmerman in Florida. It was clear from many of the pundits, from both sides, that the State had a very weak case based on Florida law. You can argue all you want with the law itself, which will certainly happen in the weeks to come, but this case was turned into far more than it was by politics and race. Unfortunately, cases like this happen almost every day around the Country which is the tragedy we should be addressing.

It seems the world is getting ready for the birth of a new royal soon. The future king or queen of England (third in line) should happen almost any day now. Let’s hope that the positive thoughts and well wishes transcend a lot of the negative thoughts and actions around the world, even for just a few minutes.

It was reported last week that we have more people on food stamps and other related food programs than ever before in our nation’s history. I can understand an uptick through the recession but these numbers should be going down as the nation’s economy slowly recovers. Instead they are increasing. I think it should be clear to all that our “War on Poverty” is not working and we need to change strategies.

Locally, I am proud to say that The Marina Foundation efforts to secure an ADA equipped Van for the City of Marina should take a huge step forward on Tuesday night. The City Council will hopefully formally accept the funds and authorize the purchase of the Van itself. We will have a ceremonial presentation of the check to the City soon. If all goes well from here we hope to have the Van here by Labor Day!

Finally, it looks like the two initiatives regarding Ft. Ord have qualified to be on the November ballot for voters to decide on. It should make for a very interesting election and a lot of dialog between the two sides of the issue. Voters should be very aware of what the real issues are as they contemplate their vote. I will dedicate more than one column in the future to this debate but I will make it clear now that I fully support the efforts of the United Veterans Council and the Secure the Promise initiative.

Of course there is one more thought…. Football season is now less than eight weeks away!

More later

The 4th of July

It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating the 4^th of July. What a busy year it has been!

For many, it will be a four day weekend so the usual cautions and words of advice always apply. Use only safe and sane fireworks, use plenty of sunscreen, keep an eye on all the kids and have fun!

That said, it is a time to rejoice in the freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of this wonderful Country. Now, especially with so many issues on the table that seem to be divisive we need to remember and celebrate our right to freedom of speech. Yes I know you may not agree with what someone is saying but they have a right to say it, no matter how offensive it is to you. This is something you cannot control. What you can control is the way you react to it. Rather than condemn or ridicule, acknowledge their point of view and respectfully disagree or simply walk away. Not everything needs to be a confrontation; we have enough of those events in our daily lives.

Unfortunately, one of things that we cannot celebrate is the use of common sense. There are so many things in this world that are counter to us that we don’t know where to start. This being the 4^th of July, we will see all sorts of videos of people doing things without using their own common sense. People will get hurt, others will laugh at the stupidity but no one seems to want to step in and offer some sage advice and common sense. That also goes for everyday situations as well as the overall state of government and politics worldwide.

It seems to me that a few able bodied and intelligent people can find things that they agree on, that they can compromise on and continue to talk about the things they disagree on. It can be done without name calling, back stabbing or threats of retaliation for actions only imagined. This includes the need to be done without a nod to any special interest but rather for the common good of the majority, regardless of the issue or situation.

Of course all of this does tie together. Celebrate your right to express yourself this weekend AND use your own common sense. Discuss those things that hinder moving forward AND re-learn the word compromise. After all, isn’t it the freedom of expression that we celebrate on the 4^th of July?

More later…

Marina’s Sequester Budget

Well, it’s that time of year again - time for the annual Marina City Budget dance. This year our new City Manager is creating a budget that follows the City Council’s Balanced Budget Resolution of 2012 with all of its flaws. In other words, the Council will be working under its own version of a sequester budget.

Section 4 of the Resolution states: “requires all future proposed balanced budgets shall, if necessary, reduce expenditures of a specific department in a manner that is consistent with the percentage that that specific department has to the total City annual expenditures”.  This means that regardless of the importance of, or damage created by a proportional reduction to a department, the cuts shall be made.

Isn’t this what everyone complains about in Washington, how unfair the sequester budget is to specific departments and how any reasonable budget would consider that some departments can accept larger cuts than others? Why on earth would we as a City want to emulate that?

The bottom line of the proposed budget for the coming year will result in the elimination of 12 currently filled positions, including 6 in the Police Department and 2 in the Fire Department. In addition, there will be some 4,000 hours of reduced on-call Part-time Recreation Department personnel. These cuts fly counter to Measures M & N that you the citizens passed “to preserve funding for general city services, including but not limited to, maintaining firefighters and police officers for adequate emergency response, reducing crime and criminal gang and drug activity, maintaining City streets and parks, senior programs and youth after-school activity…”

So what has become of the some 2.5 million dollars in annual M & N funding in relation to our overall City budget? What is the Council spending these funds on? Where is the focus on new revenues for the City that is promised each year during the budget discussions by this Council? What about the almost 6 million dollars held in reserves?

The resolution also states that the City “consider retaining an adequate General Fund balance while maintaining an adequate level of service”. Just a few years ago we strived as a City to deliver “world class” service to our residents. Today we struggle to deliver adequate service. If this budget is approved as proposed, we will not even deliver that.

So what can we do? First, the City Council can revisit the resolution at the beginning of the budget process and allow the City Manager and our City Executives to make cuts where they feel they can be made. This does not mean that any cuts would not be painful but potentially they would not be catastrophic to any one department.

Next, we as citizens must attend and make our voices heard starting May 23^rd at the first budget session. The City will need to take from our reserves to maintain some levels of service across the board. We need to help the Council understand our priorities and that reductions in police, fire and recreation endangers our community.

Additional consideration needs to be given to the two properties that the City is close to selling that would help our overall budget. The Council needs to consider these funds, as other Councils have in the past, to maintain at least our current service levels.

Finally, the Council will once again look to raise fees for services as a way of bringing in revenue. They will need to consider that those that pay the fees are, in most cases, those that are attempting to benefit the Community (service groups, developers, etc.). Raising the fees has, and will continue to cause these events and projects to go away to the detriment of our community as a whole. The Council must look to economic development to maintain our City services, but we have said that year after year. It also does not help that the Economic Development Department is yet another department slated for more cuts.

More later…

 

 

Secure the Promise

I have written many columns about issues of importance to our community. This column is about staying true to your word and honoring the promises you make - something that goes beyond our community to reflect who we are as a society.

When Ft. Ord closed we lost a tremendous economic engine that powered our local economies. To make up for that loss three “E’s” were promised: Environment, Education and Economic Recovery. Since that time more than 70% of Ft. Ord lands have been set aside to protect the environment, 8% of the land was set aside for education (CSUMB, MPC, York, Chartwell and Monterey College of Law) and 15% was set aside for economic recovery. It is the last portion that I want to address.

Within the 15% allocation was land promised to our Veteran’s community for the Central Coast Veteran’s Cemetery and land set aside for commercial activities to create jobs and housing. For years Veteran’s groups have been working to make the cemetery a reality while municipalities and business groups have worked on the economic side of the equation.

Today all that effort is in jeopardy due to a handful of activist organizations that do not want anything created on these lands (e.g., the Ft. Ord Access Alliance). They created an initiative designed to confuse and impede the cemetery and the economic activities so vital to our area’s economy. In fact, Congressman Sam Farr and State Senator Bill Monning have stated “their representations to voters remain disingenuous and misleading”.

It is for this reason that the United Veterans Council of Monterey County (UVC) has created a separate initiative called “Secure the Promise”.  This initiative is designed to do just that, secure the promise of a veteran’s cemetery where it has been designed to be from the beginning and to designate land for the economic benefit of our region. This is the blue initiative that I would urge everyone to sign.

Just to clarify, this initiative does not favor one development over another. That is the decision of the local land use jurisdictions. It reads “… designated for planned development mixed use district and habitat management land uses”. It also “…celebrates the areas cultural heritage by allowing the integration of the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery”. There it is, stated in clear language forever securing the promises made years ago to our entire community.

Many of you may have already signed the other initiative not really knowing what it stood for. You may still sign the “Secure the Promise” initiative. Of course, I would urge you to only sign the blue “Secure the Promise” initiative that is just now circulating throughout our communities.

Time is limited to qualify for the November ballot with the “Secure the Promise” initiative so please seek out the petition and sign it today. If you have difficulty finding it please contact me (emersonformarina@gmail.com or 595-6282) and you can sign my copy of this important and historic document. Let’s work together as a community and finally secure the promises we made when Ft. Ord closed.

More later…

Government Gone Wild!

Over the past couple of years of writing this column I have talked a lot about broken government, especially locally. The headlines over the past couple of weeks show that government as a whole has gone wild. It all seems to ask the very simple question: does anyone have any common sense?

Let’s start with the whole sequester issue. Since when is a decrease in the rate of an increase a cut? Even under the sequester budget the rate of government spending will still increase just at a rate of 2% less than before. I understand that with entitlement programs not included in these “cuts” the rest of government will take on a larger percentage, but really, what private sector manager cannot cut 2-4% out of an already bloated budget and not affect service levels?

So the FAA decides to turn a 4% cut into a 10% cut in tower personnel to maximize end user disruptions while not touching unspent budget monies. Of course, the majority of furloughs were to non-union sub-contractors and major market facilities. Fortunately, Congress (of all people) stepped in and mandated the FAA re-work their budget to minimize disruptions and spend other unspent funds. Why was that even necessary?

On a local level, all I have to say is MPUSD. Once again we enter the theatre of the absurd as we watch the MPUSD Board shoot itself in the foot, again. Let me remind them. You hired a PR firm to clean up your image then you go and try to hire a new Superintendent with an open sexual harassment claim against him. You had a search firm give you a list of 27 or 28 “qualified” names and this is who you picked and you were surprised at the community’s reaction?

It is not very often that I agree with the Monterey Herald’s editorials but they were right on this week. It’s time to restart the hiring process and include members of the community on the hiring committee. Once that is done the community will have an opportunity to get a broader group of Trustees on the Board in November (sooner in Marina as the Board needs replace a Trustee).

I think we all need to remember that you get the quality of government that you vote for, especially during school board elections. Only 20% or less of the community even bothers to pay attention and vote during most “off year” school elections. I urge you to really pay attention this coming election cycle and vote. Our children and our community deserve so much more.

More later