The council chambers in Santa Cruz City Hall has been the scene of countless heated political battles, and at least one melee.
In November, 2021, more than 2,000 people gathered in the bucolic Silicon Valley suburb of Los Gatos for what was called the United Against Hate March. They did so in part because the town's mayor and elected council had been subjected to a slew of attacks in the wake of vaccination mandates and policies promoting diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI). Similar incidents had already happened during public meetings throughout the state and nation, and they have continued ever since. And last Jauary, my friend Fred Keeley, mayor of Santa Cruz, received a death threat following a contentions city council meeting during which protesters stormed the council dais and broke windows in the chambers.
Last month, the Los Gatos town council voted unanimously to cancel its November election because nobody filed to run against the incumbents for two seats that would have been in contention. We've noticed that the same thing has happened in multiple towns and cities throughout Northern California. In this week's edition of The Newsletter, Chris Neklason examines the trend and posits some reasons people might find running for a public office or advisory board—an admitedly serious conmmitment to civic duty—increasingly daunting.
But first, Chris talks with Ryan Coonerty, a former veteran Santa Cruz elected official and, not incidentally, co-host of the podcast "An Honorable Profession," which is about (you guessed it) elected public service.
The Business Community Steps Up
When we talk about how California works here at CALocal, we frequently point out that the civic infrastructure in most cities and towns is made up of a multitude of individuals beyond elected officials and public employees. They include, for instance, the employees and volunteers at nonprofit community groups. In every instance I know of, the local business community is also involved in the work of civic betterment.
One of the best examples of business leaders stepping up to nurture community involvement are local programs such as Leadership Santa Cruz—there are similar organzations in many counties throughout California and beyond, and they are generally founded by local Chambers of Commerce.
• The Bats of Yolo County
The Sacramento Observer shines a light on the hundreds of thousands of bats who make their home in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and how they benefit local sustainable agriculture (and eat a lot of insects.)
(09/09/2024) → The Sacramento Observer
• California "30x30" Conservation Efforts Make Progress
The California state goal to conserve 30% of its land and coastal waters has advanced, with conserved lands reaching 25% and coastal waters 16%.
(09/08/2024) → Los Angeles Times
• Reparations Supporters Plot Comeback After Bitter Defeat in California Legislature
The controversial idea of cash reparations divided even Black advocates in the legislature this year. Here’s what’s next.
(09/06/2024) → CalMatters
• CA Rent Control Battle Goes to the Ballot
Amid a Southern California heat wave, about 300 advocates for rent control — with two 10-foot “greedy landlord” puppets — rallied Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, chanting: “The rent is too damn high!”
(09/06/2024) → CalMatters
• Should California Community Colleges Offer Bachelor’s Degrees in Nursing? Universities Say No
Lawmakers approved two bills to allow some community colleges to provide bachelor’s degrees in nursing. That’s setting up another conflict with the California State University, which already offers these bachelor’s degrees.
(09/05/2024) → CalMatters
• Are CA Gig Workers Getting Promised Pay and Benefits?
California voters passed Proposition 22 four years ago. The ballot initiative, backed by Uber, Lyft and other gig companies, promised the state’s more than 1 million gig workers new benefits, such as guaranteed minimum earnings, health care stipends, occupational accident insurance and accidental death insurance.
(09/04/2024) → CalMatters
• More Extreme Heat + More People = Danger in These California Cities. ‘Will It Get as Hot as Death Valley?’
Inland communities with big population booms will experience the most extreme heat days under climate change projections. The combination puts more people at risk — and many cities are unprepared.
(09/04/2024) → CalMatters
• California Schools Release a Blizzard of Data, and That’s Why Parents Can’t Make Sense of It
Information about how the state’s K-12 students are performing is located on several sites and is difficult to understand, a new report finds.
(09/04/2024) → CalMatters
• California School Dashboard Lacks Pandemic Focus, Earns a D Grade in Report
The California School Dashboard makes it hard for the public to see how schools and districts are performing over multiple years, concludes the report's lead author.
(09/04/2024) → EdSource
• California Has Spent Billions on Homelessness but Lacks Hard Data on Outcomes
California has allocated more than $20 billion to alleviate the state’s homelessness crisis since Gavin Newsom became governor in 2019, but there’s precious little data on how the money was spent and what effect it’s had, other than the number of unhoused people has continued to climb.
(09/04/2024) → CalMatters
• Health Care in California: How the State Made Almost Everyone Eligible for Coverage
Almost everyone in California has health insurance. That trend reflects about a decade and a half of policymaking designed to expand access to health care. The state’s average uninsured rate has dropped from nearly one in four Californians in 2009 to less than one in ten today.
(09/03/2024) → CalMatters
• California’s Economy Lags Behind Other States, Here’s Why It’s So Sluggish
California’s unemployment rate, 5.2% of its labor force in July, is no longer the nation’s highest after months of having that dubious distinction.
(09/02/2024) → CalMatters
The council chambers in Santa Cruz City Hall has been the scene of countless heated political battles, and at least one melee.
