This article "Council signals hesitant support for ‘community conversations’" was in last Friday's Coast News.
Of note is Shaffer's quote: “I am tentatively supportive, but reserve final commitment until I see what the content is, because it could go either way.” One has to wonder whether her "could go either way" comment stemmed from the result of the recent forum she held with Mark Muir. Things there certainly did not go Shaffer/Muir's way if they were hoping to talk people into a HEU "yes" vote next year. HCD admitted to the crowd that affordable housing was not possible without (nonexistent) State subsidies and Habitat for Humanity said they could build homes but only on donated land.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
To converse or not to converse, that is the question
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Translation: She will agree to open discussion as long as she can be assured that the majority will agree with her!
ReplyDelete5:20- That pretty much sums it up.
Delete5:20, exactly. It seems from the article that she and the rest of the Council are fearful of losing control over increasingly eroding and unconvincing arguments that we "must" pass the HEU.
DeleteWhat a mess Karen stepped into.
I think it is not appropriate for any paid member of the city, including the citype manager, to meet with select residents "privately " to sell the HEU- these proposed "private " meetings allows city staff to misrepresent facts around the HEU without informed members of the public being present to correct any misinformation the city might seek to spread. Any city meetings on the HEU muse have a public notice and be open to all members of the public to attend.
ReplyDeleteGood point. The city has been misrepresenting the HEU from day one and that won't stop with these non-public "conversations." They are just another "tool in the toolbox," as Vina and Murphy would say.
DeleteYou couldn't pay me enough to converse with Shaffer.
ReplyDeleteA true "conversation" is a two-way dialog and can inform and alter opinions on both sides. Right now the "Housing Element" is still a draft. These conversations could lead to improving the final "Housing Element". Or not.
ReplyDelete10:48am. What a pollyanna to think that Planning will change anything of substance to the three story prison complex looking apartments they have brought to us at enormous cost and a huge waste of time. Remember, they have already submitted this plan to HCD for approval. Our approval will be so easy to acquire.
ReplyDeleteAdd to that, the repeated attempts to bamboozle the unsuspecting and uninformed citizens who have not been paying close enough attention to sell this crapola through disinformation of what this plan will actually result in. Gut Prop A, all future developments will not have public oversight. Planning and Council will not have to engage the public in these decisions that affect everyone who treasures our community.
Don't let it happen. Vote this pos down. We are better than this and deserve more from our highly overpaid and over pensioned staff.
Two approaches:
Delete#1 - Leave this POS as is and try to vote it down in November.
#2 - Work on Council and Staff to change this draft into something more suitable.
I'm for #2. Have the good fight now. If it doesn't work out then #1 is still available.
#2 hasn't worked so far. 11:23, would love to hear of any indication you've had that it will.
DeleteIf it goes through, I'll volunteer to host one at my house for my neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's a bad idea.
Of course, we'll require two forms of picture ID. The Peak Democracy saga taught me that there are thousands of people actively trying to distort our local HEU process.
Probably.
One more thing.
DeleteI will welcome all my neighbors, irrespective of their opinions on the HEU. But anyone who is disrespectful or disruptive will be asked to leave my home.
Maybe the government can't do that, but I can in my own home.
One problem with your comments 11:50. We have no idea who you are so how can we respond to you?
DeleteAnd why would that matter?
DeleteMaybe I'm Sean White, or Richard Dreyfuss. Or maybe I'm Joe Walsh, or just a citizen you've never heard of.
How would any of those answers color your response?
The problem with the private meetings is that the city will be free to continue lying to residents about the HEU, but out of publicity sight and free of correction. This does not sound any different from Peak Democracy, the "workshops," or the lying-by-omission flyers we've been fed to date, only this time will take place away from prying "usual suspect" eyes.
ReplyDeleteYet another step toward solidifying the impression that the city is trying to pull a fast one.