There was this email, "here's something you might enjoy," with a link.
But I was in the middle of something, two somethings actually.
One was the latest in the seemingly-never-to-end public records saga.
The next was a way to communicate what I had learned from that hopefully-soon-to-end public records saga.
A couple days later, the time was right. I did enjoy it and so here it is for anyone who happens by:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/us/politics/02coffee.html?em
A new movement, the Coffee Party. The slogan is “Wake Up and Stand Up.” The mission statement declares that the federal government is “not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges we face as Americans.”
I had overcome my anger, disappointment, an intense desire to just give up and had maintained civility. Thanks, Mr. Rogers for: What do you do with the anger you feel?
So I can take the pledge:
As a member or supporter of the Coffee Party, I pledge to conduct myself in a way that is civil, honest, and respectful toward people with whom I disagree. I value people from different cultures, I value people with different ideas, and I value and cherish the democratic process.
With this caveat: I can only thank the sender of the email privately, which I believe may be systematic of a breakdown of the democratic process here in Fortuna. "When in the course of human events..." that happens it is very hard to remain pleasant, but it is a worthy goal. Don't you think? Hopefully it keeps us moving forward.
Back to those two somethings...
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"...I believe may be systematic of a breakdown of the democratic process here in Fortuna"
ReplyDeleteIs there something here I missed? I think the process is working just fine, but you do not understand it. Last time I checked, you were not on the city council, which is in the process of approving something you do not want.
That hardly constitutes a breakdown in the democratic process in Fortuna.
You also seem to be a very small minority of one or two people against this project. If the democratic process was indeed breaking down, it would be a small vocal minority through lawsuits and the like.
You are participating in our fair city's democratic process; just because you are not getting your way doesnt mean the process is breaking down. In fact that is an incredibly arrogant and narcissistic point of view.
Did you not receive the records you requested? From reading the Northcoast journal article, it is clear you won a judgement based upon the withholding of ONE document which was withheld due to security concerns.
The article also seems to show that fortuna employees pretty much bent over backwords to help you.
Getting public records and getting your way regarding decisions the city makes are two very different things.
I've talked to my neighbors about this and though we are not happy about the new sewer rates, we realized that they were necessary to pay for the city's new plant. Do you remember how the city used to stink in the summer? Well it doesnt any more.
Please let me put my statement back in context: "I can only thank the sender of the email privately, which I believe may be systematic of a breakdown of the democratic process here in Fortuna." There are many, like you, who are not willing to speak openly.
ReplyDeleteI received the records, including preliminary records, which had been withheld by filing a lawsuit and negotiating with the city. The Schematic is diagram showing elevations of wells, pumps, storage for the water system. A map which I paid for showed the location of the wells, pumps, storage, and piping for the entire city. Both had been displayed at a public meeting. The judge did not buy the security issue when we had to go to court to settle the issue of attorney's fees.
I have received more documents, unfortunately the threat of another lawsuit was required. Thankfully only a threat. The employees worked very hard to do what was asked of them. But as you point out, I do not run the City. All I could do is go to the City Council and ask that we find a more reasonable and cost effective way to identify the records.
I have had my hands full looking at the water system and whether or not we need 2 million gallons of storage at the north end of town. I'm convinced we don't. But of course you are right, I am only one person. Why don't you tell us more about the sewer rates and the new plant.
"Why don't you tell us more about the sewer rates and the new plant."
ReplyDeleteIt's very simple. Fortuna had to borrow over ten million dollars to build the new sewer plant. In order to pay for the new plant, the rates had to be raised in order to pay the debt.
I went to two of the public workshops. It was explained very well. As I said last night, most were not happy about the rate increases, but after going to the workshops we understood the necessity.
I didn't remember Fortuna stinking, so I asked my husband. He said sometimes, depending on the wind, it would stink down by Clendenen's Cider Works. But that wasn't the reason we didn't object to the rate increases. I remember the increases were needed for repairs/upgrades that hadn't happened because rates hadn't gone up for many, many years. At the January 2009 meeting on the Stewart Street Project that backlog of projects was mentioned again.
ReplyDeleteHere is some more information: Did you know that the 2006 Water Rate Fees Study Report says “The Environmental Impact Report prepared for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion projects a buildout of 15,170 with a potential annexation area buildout of an additional 4,830 people for a total potential population of 20,000.” The Study indicates that from 2000 to 2005 the city grew from 10,498 to about 11,250.
In the 1960's the city did a lot of infrastructure improvements: piping, sewer plant, road improvements and a new water reservoir. At one point they received a grant that covered half the cost of the projects they were working on, including the new 5 million gallon city reservoir.
Shortly after it was built the City Council lowered the water rates which had been raised to fund the project. If I remember right, according to the news report the new rates were the lowest in the county.
Only 20% of that reservoir is used. Four million gallons, twice what the city needs for Zone 1, is the amount of storage available just up the street from where the new tank is to be built. While at the other end of town the current storage is ½ million gallons short of projected need. We may well need to build new water storage; the question is where, and what other projects are there to be done.