Opinion March 15, 2017

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

No Utopia

In the March 8 issue of GT, Steve Palopoli refers to the fact that Santa Cruz’s reputation as “a safe haven for countercultural ideals” might be exaggerated in the collective memory. ’Twas ever thus.

In 1980, I served on a commission of the City Council where it was explained to us by politicians and business leaders that the reason we had so many homeless people was because the town was over-generous in welcoming the “bums” and “trolls” with city services and such. The police chief was recommending a crackdown on street performing, and county supervisors voted to (illegally) cut people off of food stamps if they couldn’t prove that they had a place to live! Despite the fact that we were among the last to allow a homeless shelter to open (San Jose and Half Moon Bay had shelters before Santa Cruz) we were (and are) told that we’ve always been just too generous.

Yeah … that’s our problem.  

Tom Noddy

Santa Cruz

Deconstructing the Garage

Thank you for the timely and comprehensive article in last week’s Good Times (GT, 3/8) on the critical issue of a proposed five-story parking garage. Here are some of the thoughts that came to me as I read it.

First, the idea of building a new library needs to be de-coupled from the proposed garage and examined. When so many of us voted for Measure S in June, we voted to refurbish the existing downtown library. There was nothing on the wording of the ballot about building a new one. If I, and many other folks I know, had known Measure S would potentially lead to a monstrous parking structure where we currently enjoy the Farmers Market, we certainly would not have voted for Measure S.

Consider, too, the flow of traffic on the streets around the proposed garage’s perimeter, streets already in need of maintenance from overuse. And consider what a five-story building will do to block sunlight in that area.

What’s more, I find it hard to believe that a permanent structure would be built for a weekly farmers market, when space is at such a premium. Where would it be? And what would happen to the monthly antique fair?

Far better to use that $35 million (though it could well be more than that) to encourage people to leave their cars at home when they come downtown. All Metro buses currently end up right on Pacific Avenue, and they need more riders.

Most likely, people don’t use the bike lockers we now have because they are intimidating. People are afraid they won’t be able to get their bikes back out. Bike lockers that are friendly in operation, and uniform throughout town, would be a great enticement.

Brodie Hamilton told the audience during his visit here that parking and transportation at Stanford are under the same department and budget. The popular bus service in Boulder is paid for by parking fees. We could move into a more contemporary transportation culture if we followed their example.

So, hold your horses, I say. Let’s think about what kind of town we want. One that is bound by car traffic, or one that encourages a walk-able, bike-able, bus-able town we can enjoy for many years to come. We don’t want to be left with a white elephant sitting in the center of our town with car ramps that can’t be re-purposed for something more worthwhile like affordable housing.

Dana Bagshaw

Santa Cruz

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MAPS FOR THAT
The United States Sentencing Commission will hold a public hearing for the first time in 16 years to evaluate MDMA sentencing guidelines on Wednesday, March 15. Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) will testify on the tough rules’ impact. According to MAPS, the current rules are 500 times more strict than those for marijuana.