Partisan gridlock in Sacramento: is there no end?

You may not have noticed that the Lieutenant Governor's job in Sacramento is vacant. No, this is not a long-overdue elimination of a largely ceremonial job to help balance the budget. It is because the former occupant, lifelong politician John Garramendi, won election to Congress recently. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has the authority under the California Constitution to appoint a successor, subject to confirmation by the Legislature. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, nominated a fellow Republican, State Senator Abel Maldonado, to succeed Garramendi, who is a Democrat.

None of this much matters to the voters in California. But the bitter partisan gridlock in Sacramento is damaging the future of the seventh largest economy in the world and the 35 million Californians who depend on it for our future. So when Sacramento politicians play partisan games, it perpetuates the reason why less than one in eight California voters that they approve of the performance of our State legislators.

Our local assemblymember, Democrat Pedro Nava, flanked by two colleagues, called a press conference today to urge that Maldonado be denied confirmation. According to the Ventura County Star, Nava "singled out such issues as Maldonado’s opposition to a bill requiring health insurance plans to include maternity coverage and his no vote on AB 32, the state’s landmark law to regulate greenhouse gas emissions."

Do the votes cited by Nava really put Maldonado outside of the mainstream of California voters, let alone Republicans? Maldonado is one of only a tiny handful of Republicans who sided with Democrats and Governor Schwarzenegger to approve our current budget. He's a rare political species -- a moderate. In fact, his moderation was a key reason he lost to his primary bid for State Controller to our local State Senator, conservative Tony Strickland.

Nava is a thoughtful and hard-working legislator. So is Abel Maldonado. It is hard to fathom why Nava would lead the charge to block Maldonado's appointment beyond partisan politics.

Can't even the moderates in the two parties get along? And if they can't, what hope have we of agreeing on a budget before the State prints more IOUs, further damaging California's already abysmal credit rating?

The City of Ventura has no position on who should be Lieutenant Governor, nor as City Manager, do I have have an interest in how all this turns out. But the State budget crisis directly affects local government. That's the major reason the California League of Cities is spearheading a petition drive to safeguard local revenues. Normally leery of "ballot box budgeting," the League has given up hope that the ongoing crisis won't lead to more efforts (even unconstitutional ones) to fill the widening hole in the State budget by stealing or "borrowing" local funds that are used to support vital police, fire, library and park services in California communities.

Everyone knows we are in tough shape in California. Now, more than ever, shouldn't we expect statesmanship in our State capital?

What is the State of our City?

Last night, Mayor Bill Fulton delivered his first State of the City Address, two months into his two-year term. Noting that the state of City government is "challenged" like other public, private and non-profit institutions, he asserted that the state of our community is "stronger than ever."

"The people of Ventura bring an enormous amount of passion and energy every day to task of sustaining our community as a terrific town," he noted, citing "soccer leagues, little leagues, community organizations, arts and cultural activities, education, music, and businesses that are born and grow and prosper. It is all of you who make our community strong and give us the passion and the energy to deal with hard times."

Fulton reviewed the major accomplishments of the last decade:

• The City's ambitious road repair efforts
• The Community Park
• The revitalization of Downtown
• Fiscal discipline to live within our means
• The adoption of a General Plan, laying the foundation for higher standards, clearer rules and shortened time frames for new development proposals.

Then he turned to the challenges ahead, starting with the opportunity to create "enduring prosperity."

Fulton focused on "high wage jobs," citing UC Santa Barbara and Amgen as nearby "institutions that constantly spin off startup businesses in the high-tech and biotech" fields. "In the past two years, Ventura has made a major effort – unlike any other city in this region – to connect with these institutions," he declared, "with startup entrepreneurs, and with venture capitalists, to encourage spin-off businesses to locate and grow here in Ventura. And it’s working. Today - for the first time - we are part of the high-tech/biotech business ecosystem."

Fulton highlighted the success of the "launch party" last week that focused on the ten start-up firms in the Ventura Ventures Technology Center (V2TC) business incubator. The event drew more than 200 "new economy" players to the Crowne Plaza to hear the entrepreneurs behind companies like Lottay and Geodelic outline their prospects -- with both firms actively hiring in a tough economy.

The Mayor went on to cite the expected groundbreaking of a new Community Memorial Hospital in the year ahead, continued focus on Ventura as a unique cultural and outdoor destination, job training for the new green economy and a closer partnership with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce as foundations for "enduring prosperity."

Fulton then turned to the theme of "environmental stewardship":

It’s easy to forget that this is a very fragile place to live. We are reminded only occasionally when we are inundated … as were last week, or when fire threatens to overwhelm us, or when we are cut off temporarily from the outside world. Yet people have made this small piece of land their home – living sustainability with the environment – for many thousands of years. It’s been two and a quarter centuries since the Mission was founded and almost a century and a half since the creation of Ventura as a municipality.

He outlined the City's aggressive efforts to protect the environment, including reducing pollution carried by stormwater into our barrancas, rivers and ocean;
reduce energy use and switch to renewable sources; promote water conservation and recycling; and cope with the threat of sea level rise from global climate change.

Finally, Fulton addressed the necessity of reinventing the way City government delivers services to our community:

In these hard times, we have had to make difficult decisions to cut services. We have lost some of our most cherished businesses and community institutions, and many more are at risk. This in turn has understandably led to tension over how to live within our means today . . . it’s time to think about how to do things differently; reinvent things; ask ourselves questions we’ve never asked before . . . Can we find a way to make sure that everybody has access to library services even if they don’t live near a library? Is there a way for firefighters and police officers and code enforcement officers to work together as they traverse the streets of our community, keeping an eye out for our well-being? Can’t we work with together with nonprofit organizations like the Serra Cross Conservancy, the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy, and the Ventura Botanical Garden to manage Grant Park and actually make it better than it is now, at less cost?

Of course, answering these questions requires analysis and debate -- and actually making such changes requires more hard work, creativity and tenacity. But business as usual is not affordable in these times.

The Mayor concluded on an optimistic note:

This is a time of great change and uncertainty in our society. Old ways of doing things are falling by the wayside quickly and new ways are emerging rapidly. Such times can be frightening, but they are also pregnant with great possibilities. We in Ventura are very determined and well positioned to take advantage of those opportunities in order to reinforce Ventura as a great place to live and work.

The text of the entire speech is on our City's website.

Big yellow bus skimps on gas

What's yellow and black and green all over?

Keep reading for the answer.

It doesn't have a distinctive stylish hatchback like the Prius (or a "Save the Planet" sticker on the bumper.) In fact, it looks just like every other school bus you see belching diesel fuel.

Except this one doesn't. In fact, it is the first "plug-in hybrid" school bus in Southern California and it made its debut yesterday on a cloudy day in Ventura when an eager class of E.P. Foster Elementary students climbed on board.

This morning's LA Times and Ventura County Star both carried stories on how Ventura Unified worked with Santa Barbara's Community Environment Council to secure grant funding to help underwrite the extra cost. Now transporting what Superintendent Trudy Arriaga called "our most precious resource, our students" will cost less, pollute less and reduce Ventura's carbon footprint.

In a city that consumes less water today than it did nearly forty years ago -- and has reduced trash going to the landfill by three-quarters, an environmentally-friendly school bus fits right in. Ventura Councilmember Brian Brennan attended the debut of the bus and noted, "Ventura continues to lead in creating a more sustainable community."

So now you know what's yellow and black and green all over -- Ventura's not-so-stylish, but ever-so practical, first-in-the-region, plug-in hybrid school bus.

Blue skies . . . and not too much storm damage

UPDATE: Today we received the following compliment from a couple who live in the neighborhood affected by the "extreme wind event" -- "We live on the corner of Wellington and Winford . . . I am just writing to tell you that as far as we are concerned, the emergency response to the damage caused by that weather event was amazing. In a very short time, there were lots emergency personnel on scene, Police, Firemen, and Public Works Department and there were Volunteer Police as well. All of them were very helpful, and extremely polite, and told us what to expect from the City.
The "tornado" went through our area around 12:30 or so -- by 4:30 p.m., the street tree had been mostly removed, and the tree across the sidewalk was trimmed for safety reasons. The men said they had too many trees to deal with, and would return another day to remove the stump, etc. They were here, today, only 4 days later!!!
Also amazing was how the residents all came out of their homes, looking around and checking on their neighbors, making sure everyone was alright, and calling neighbors too, offering to help in any way that they could.
We were luckier than other residents in our area -- we only lost a couple of trees and there was no serious damage to our property.
Sincere thanks to all the emergency personnel for a great job."

A tornado, sink holes, a damaged pier and downed trees and tree limbs. All things considered, Ventura came through the "storm of the decade" reasonably well.

One insidious impact of our budget cuts is the that we've we’ve had to chop the capacity that used to give us greater margins for such emergencies. We've shrunk our workforce from 650 to 610, but we are also holding 40 additional jobs vacant. So that means we have 570 people instead of 650, stretching us pretty tightly when a storm comes along that affects police, fire and public works response. From flooding to potholes, our resources are strained to keep up with nature’s fury.

The unfolding horror in Haiti underscores the vulnerability of populations when government can't effectively respond to natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina, the San Diego wildfires and the La Conchita mudslide all showed that our own nation is not always adequately prepared either.

Being ready involves three critical elements. First, and most obvious, is having adequate staff and equipment to handle events that may happen rarely, but are reasonably predictable (hurricanes on the Gulf of Mexico coast; giant snowstorms in the Northeast, earthquakes along the San Andreas faults, even terrorists attacks in New York City or Washington DC.) Resource allocation is always a tricky thing, particularly in tough times -- but intelligent judgments need to be made. The capacity for emergency response is like insurance -- you pay for it every year, hoping you don't have to make a claim, but you'd be foolhardy not to have it.

The second is planning, planning, planning. During Ventura's School Fire, our Fire Department was almost immediately overwhelmed and had to call on "mutual aid" from departments up to 200 miles away. When those trucks from Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles and Orange County jurisdictions rolled into our city, they received detailed maps that showed them exactly where to park their engines to give maximum coverage to protect lives and property while staying close to available water and having a way out if weather and fire conditions change -- as they so often do. Those plans earned our department respect and kudos from the arriving crews -- and more importantly saved lives and homes because the out-of-town units went immediately where they were needed and could operate most effectively.

The third is public education and preparedness. In a major emergency, government will never have adequate resources. It takes a huge coordinated effort to pull off mass evacuations, supplying food and water, protecting public health and helping people get back to normal. Unless individuals and families, along with schools, churches and other formal and informal volunteer organizations and networks can pitch in and take care of themselves and help others, there will be huge problems. That is the lesson that has been learned over and over -- but is quickly forgotten as we focus on our "normal" challenges.

We came through this test well -- and were fortunate that the winds and rains weren't as severe as predicted. Still, the thunder, lightning and drama of the last week remind us that we are vulnerable. It takes resources -- public and private -- to protect ourselves. At a time when we must skimp on adequately funding local services, we can't neglect the need to prepare for the dangers that lurk in nature. It may not seem urgent -- but it certainly is important.

The Top Hat . . . again

Twenty years ago, Ventura's Downtown was famously forlorn, like so many of America's historic centers. County government and major retailers had abandoned Downtown. Vacant stores and a seedy appearance had set in.

Today, many take for granted the remarkable renaissance of Ventura's historic heart and overlook the incredible public-private partnership, the political battles, the hard work and entrepreneurial energy of merchants, investors, historic preservationists and other activists. It's certainly not perfect -- the economy has taken its toll of small businesses and keeping Downtown safe and clean is an ongoing challenge.

The latest flashpoint is the imminent eviction of the Top Hat Burger Palace. The investors in the property have wanted to build on the surrounding parking lot since 2004. Although the economy stalled their plans, they see the Top Hat as standing in the way of progress. Whether to try again to build or simply clear the site to sell it, they served a 30 day notice to the Bell family, the Top Hat's long-time owner/operators.

When this issue last roiled Downtown, a compromise was reached where the developers would move the Top Hat to a nearby city-owned parking lot. It would be brought up to modern codes, including a restroom, which would also be public to help serve Downtown visitors. That plan faded when the housing market imploded.

With the revival of the controversy, emotions run high. Plenty of people who seldom patronize the Top Hat have passionate opinions about its fate. The Ventura County Star story on the eviction drew (at last count) 231 comments. That's nearly three times as many as the next-most commented on article over the last week.

The debate is all over the map. One group sees the place as the last remaining symbol of old time Ventura authenticity, a family-owned hamburger, hot dog and chili dog stand that serves up affordable food to all comers. Others see it as a scuzzy remnant of the days before Ventura cleaned up its Downtown act. Some are sentimental about the restaurant, others are concerned about the historic significance of this familiar Downtown landmark. Many, of course, wonder what the fuss is about.

I grew up in Pasadena. In the heart of Old Pasadena, Jake's Diner (a little larger version of the Top Hat with indoor counter stools) has been "preserved" instead of demolished. It now stands as the entrance to an upscale pool hall (or billiard club or whatever they call those kinds of places these days.) I understand the sentimental pull of the places of one's youth. But I'm not sure the preservation of the structure successfully conveys much without the aroma of pre-Starbucks black coffee and sizzling hash browns.

In the case of the Top Hat, the "City" is not in a position to do much at this point. If the property owners want to evict the Bells, they legally can. Many people seem to think the City is in charge of what stores and restaurants open and close, although opinions vary about whether this is a good idea. But it isn't reality. We can sometimes have a little influence at the margins, but by and large, which businesses come and go is a function of the private market, not public decisions. So it is with the Top Hat.

On the other hand, over the past twenty years, the "City" has put in a huge amount of effort and public investment into the revitalization of Ventura's Downtown. So all citizens have a stake in its success, regardless of their opinions about the cuisine or the architecture of the Top Hat Burger Place. And from two angles, it may make sense for the investors, the "City" and the Downtown Ventura Organization to cut the Top Hat a break.

The first is economic. These are tough times. Closing down a three-generation- family-business just to clear the decks for a speculative development project seems heartless and counter-productive. In this week's issue of the VC Reporter, the chair of the Downtown Ventura Organization, Dave Armstrong, makes a similar point: “We hope not to see another long-term vacant lot and building on Main Street. It doesn’t do anybody any good.”

The second is also economic. These days, pretty much everywhere you go, you see similar mixes of stores and restaurants. There are upscale clusters, middle market clusters and discount clusters -- but they are ubiquitous in malls, restored Downtowns and even airports. Some cities have almost nothing but chain merchandisers. But as an economic strategy it reminds me of the old complaint, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." If your taste is Anne Taylor, you can find it anywhere -- no, everywhere -- from the Internet to the local mall. If it's Target, same thing (we have two within a mile of each other.)

What's increasingly missing is the unique. For whatever it's merits or lack thereof, there isn't another Top Hat Burger Palace in the world. Yes, stands like it used to be everywhere too. But no longer.

The Top Hat will never attract diners to the Watermark. But having a diverse, interesting, unique mix of chain and local businesses is key to why anybody would choose to patronize Ventura's Downtown (versus their local shopping center.) Yes, we have an ocean (across the freeway) and yes, the weather is nice. But if everybody can shop in the same stores and same restaurants wherever they go, Ventura doesn't have a compelling reason to attract customers here. Even the future investors in the retail/residential project want to build there have a stake in Ventura's unique appeal.

This may just be my view. It certainly isn't the official view of the "City." But if I were the investors at that corner, I'd cash the Bell's rent checks until I really had a project I was ready to build. I think it's good business, regardless of the emotional arguments on either side.

Cross at Grant Park gets new rock walls

A team of stone masons from around the world is currently practicing the ancient art of building walls without mortar below the cross at Grant Park.

The project is overseen by the Serra Cross Conservancy, the non-profit that purchased the area around the historic cross from the City in 2003. The rock wall project is part of an ambitious landscape improvement effort spearheaded by the Conservancy.

Paul Lindhard, the local artist who owns the sculpture supply business Art City, connected the international group with the Conservancy and is helping coordinate the project, along with Doug Halter from the Conservancy. The work and materials are donated, but the Conservancy needed to obtain City permits -- and discovered an old, but active water pipe during their excavations that had to be moved.

Ventura County Star reporter Kevin Clerici gives more detail on the Star's website and also lists links to the Conservancy and the international Stone Foundation.

Equal access: implementing the Americans for Disability Act

Imagine you are losing your sight or hearing. Or must use a wheelchair.

Suddenly, things you take for granted are much more difficult or even impossible. But when it comes to city services, a landmark Federal law passed in 1990 is supposed to ensure you are not disadvantaged as a citizen or an employee.

Back in 2008, a new resident of Ventura contacted the City to offer his services to assist us with disability issues. Michael Levine had been actively involved in Portland, Oregon regarding that topic and noticed that our web site was deficient for individuals who are sight impaired, as Mr. Levine is. This lead to a series of meetings with me, former Mayor Christy Weir, City Attorney Ariel Calonne along with extensive conversations and email exchanges with quite a number of city staff.

To make a very long story short, Mr. Levine eventually concluded that we were hopeless and heartless violators of the Americans with Disability Act. Our "transition plan" for complying with the federal law was out of date. We had no citywide coordinator responsible for monitoring and carrying out our legal responsibilities under the law. We hadn't conducted citywide training for our staff. He cited a number of specific deficiencies, including access to City Hall for those with mobility impairments.

All legitimate concerns and for getting the city to pay closer attention to them, everyone owes Mr. Levine sincere thanks. Although much progress has been made over the past fifteen years in areas like curb cuts and access ramps, we should have been more vigilant in complying with this important law. So now we are updating our plan. We are designating a citywide coordinator. We are scheduling training. We are paying closer attention to these issues, including new signage at City Hall and a plan to install improved access here. We welcome public input and participation in achieving full compliance with the spirit and letter of the law.

But all too often, citizens like Mr. Levine are frustrated and astounded that City government doesn't automatically live up to their expectations. They notice water running in the gutters next to a City park. They fail to get an answer to a burning question about the budget. They come forward with a brilliant idea for a promotional event they insist will net big money to the City. They want to open a nightclub or marijuana dispensary. They want to lower building heights in their neighborhood. They want the City to curb greenhouse gas emissions, cut out unnecessary frills, waive their code enforcement fine or get the City to build a bigger skateboard park for their kids.

All legitimate concerns. But when you have 106,000 citizens, it turns out that it is impossible to satisfy them all. Ironically, the more you try, the harder it gets.

The more things people expect of government, the harder it gets to satisfy those expectations. There are grand philosophical arguments about this, but as a City Manager, I'd point out just one simple practical challenge: the more things you do, the harder (and more expensive) it is to do them all well.

Lest this sound like bureaucratic whining, I want to offer the counter. I don't think there should be any excuse for sloppy performance, shabby results and poor customer service. As law enforcers, we have a high standard for abiding by them as well. Citizens have the right to hold their government accountable.

Here's the trade-off though: we have to be clear about what responsibilities belong to government, what services are going to be delivered and what results can be achieved for the tax money spent. Only then can city government be held appropriately accountable.

Here's the catch, though. Getting everyone to agree is near to impossible. To Mr. Smith, having a community park with a public pool and sports fields might seem a ridiculous indulgence. But to Ms. Jones, it might be the best (and in her opinion) only good thing the City has done in ten years. To Mrs. Green, public art might be the mark of a civilized city. To Mr. Black, it might be an eyesore.

The decisions on how to allocate our resources rests with the City Council with the City Manager responsible for administration of their policy direction. That's where the buck stops. The City Council sets priorities and makes the hard calls on what matters most. They do it in public by majority vote. It isn't a perfect system, but it is amazing to me how much it is undervalued by those who only pay attention to a specific concern. If you measure it by any single issue or single interest, it can stink. But if you look at the big picture, local government is a phenomenal success at balancing wildly divergent interests, opinions and factions, particularly in a diverse city like Ventura.

Back in 1999-2000 more than a thousand local citizens participated in a robust debate about the future direction of the City. Their aspirations were codified into the General Plan adopted unanimously by the City Council in 2005. It has set the direction of the City for the past four years. In revitalizing our Downtown, improving public safety, protecting our hillsides, reducing water and energy use and a long, long list of important priorities, paying attention to the rights and needs of Ventura's disabled citizens was neglected. There's no excuse for that shortcoming, but there is an explanation. Priorities. In these tough economic times, we can't be all things to all people -- and we run huge risks trying.

What government does, it needs to do well (including providing services equally to our citizens, regardless of disabilities.) The capacity to succeed at that starts with being focused and disciplined about what government does. This has always been important, but never more so than now, when expectations remain high, but resources have shrunk.