WOW!
When folks talk about civic involvement our neighbors really step up! The Park & Recreation Commission has 17 applicants for 2 seats. Thank you to all the applicants for making the effort to serve our community. I’m looking forward to meeting each during the interview process.

Please join these terrific applicants in welcoming our new Park & Recreation Director Douglass Long. Mr. Long will lead a team in charge of programs and facilities of which we are all passionate. I had the pleasure of attending a meeting with him yesterday and it’s great to have him join our city.

One vote?
One vote?!?

One lone vote is holding up the budget and the opportunity for California to move forward. Sadly, party stereotypes are heard loud and clear with one side arguing to reduce program cuts and the other on a mission to cut taxes.

Cooperation is in short supply and the people of California are held hostage to a game of high-stakes politics.

Sadly – our California budget system is built to ensure this single holdout will deliver a truckload of pork to their district.

The simple truth was actually stated by the Governor that there would be cuts, there would be revenue increases and everyone would have “skin in the game.”

There is no reason for Salma Hayek to be in this blog. She has nothing to do with San Carlos, any pending issues on the City Council agenda or our current state of affairs.

So why is Salma Hayek on this blog? Ummm… Just because…

And she is a an extraordinary humanitarian.

I’ll admit to a few things I have little patience for:

• “Creative” math (I’ll probably rant on this later)
• Incorrect scientific assertions
• Hyperbole.

I have no qualms with folks who are passionate and want to make their case for whatever issue they choose to advocate. I do feel strongly that everyone taking part in the process do so accurately with fact based arguments which can be verified.

This brings me to a particular website advocating a particular growth strategy. To quote:

What is really going on?

The city wants to develop the open space north and south of Holly (next to the train tracks) into the San Carlos Transit Village …”
The site goes on to host a poll asking “What would you like to see in the open space north of Holly?

I hope folks reading the site will keep a few facts in mind:

1. The property in question is not “open space” as defined by zoning law
2. The property in question is not owned by the city
3. The property in question is not available for sale to the city
4. The city does not have money to purchase property in question
5. The party who may develop the property is the property owner. In this case, the property owner is SamTrans, not the city.

These issues may seem obvious – but need to be clearly asserted when trying to frame the discussion
of development.  It seems on many occasions these facts are occluded from those making arguments for/against development.  As always – please feel free to ask tough questions anytime!