Stop, Drop and Roll

31 December 2007 | Alameda Community | John Knox White

Every Day I Write the Book

At the end of 2007, during the penultimate 12 hours of the year, it seems to be traditional to look back at the year that’s past and the one just ahead. I went back and looked at all my postings from 2007, thinking I’d write a recap of the major Alameda issues of 2007 through the SD&R lens. But that started to seem a bit unnecessary as the local papers did a pretty good job of covering them.

But having read through the archives, there were a few major themes that continued to pop up, something that probably indicates both what’s happening in the Alameda Community at-large as well as what interests me. But what really hit me, as I thought about “the blogs” of Alameda, is that they are filling a really great niche in Alameda’s media picture. The coverage of the local papers continues to strengthen on a whole, and issues are brought to the fore in a timely manner, but the blogs in Alameda are helping to increase both the discussion of issues and the depth of coverage of their details. This isn’t supposed to be a tooting of my own horn, there are others who are more consistent in their publications and the breadth of conversations that take place.

That said, I was happy with the information and analysis SD&R provided on issues like the School Budget (here and here), the Union Pacific RR project to put rail gates across the Park Street Bridge (here, here and here), and the ferry takeover (here, here, here, and here).

If there was one victory that SD&R can claim (and there’s probably more than one), it has to be the city finally providing online documents in a searchable format (PDFs that can be searched and copied). A big assistance to those of us who use computers to try and understand what’s happening in the city.

2007 is going to be the year that Alameda said “let’s take another look at Measure A as it relates to Alameda Point.” The broader context is that 2007 was the year that a sizeable community in Alameda (some might call them the majority) said enough to the shenanigans of a very vocal few and started to support community dialog around development issues. Sure the lawn signs came out again, yawn, the recriminations exploded, super-yawn and the mouthpiece of the nattering nabobs of negativity imploded. Yep, 2007 was the year that the on-line media monopoly that was Alameda Daily News collapsed. As with all collapsing “empires,” Don and Dave and friends attempted to focus their control at ADN, increasing their attacks on people they didn’t like and restricting the dissenting voices even more than they had in the past. But thanks to Lauren Do and others, there were more outlets for people to choose from, and ADN became nearly indistinguishable from the Alameda Daily Noose. When ADN isn’t posting a letter from David Howard, it’s reprinting press releases from the city (On December 23, ADN announced that the lights were on at the Alameda Theater, something that happened at the beginning of November). Don has started kvetching about how nobody writes “to the papers” anymore and blames it on the city council (I’m serious!).

Predictions for 2008:

• A huge and painful school budget shortfall discussion
• Serious discussions about development at Alameda Point (look for some serious fireworks)
• Difficult conversations about Fire/Police contract negotiations
• Tense School Board elections
• Non-competitive city council race (incumbents easily reelected)
• Major transit funding issues (more of a state problem)

Finally, in SD&Rs ongoing campaign to increase the public availability of information, we’ve resolved to launch a two-pronged attack in 2008. First, to get the city to host video archives of school board meetings on the city’s web video site, something that should be very close to cost neutral and yet a huge gain for those of us who don’t Tivo School Board meetings and second, to get AUSD to provide school board packets on line in digital format. Both of these are pretty low-cost items that the City and School District can implement quickly and easily.

Wishing you a happy 2008!

A quick timeline of 2007

January

• Council Approves Alameda Landing DA
• Hospital Board re-opens application for Lena Tam’s vacated seat after only one applicant applies
• Alameda Currents TV Show Launches (still going after a year)
• AUSD Budget Troubles hit the big time, $2 million in proposed cuts
• Edison Kindergarten Registration Sleepover

February

• AUSD’s ADA receipts from the state become a hot topic of conversation
• As do AUSD’s attendance #s

March

• Anti- redevelopment folks start looking to try and make the school budget an issue in the theater
• Alameda Daily Noose starts up
• I get sued in small claims court, asked to appear on TV Court show
• Planning Board meeting on Measure A forum kicks off

April

• In march, CMFA lose lawsuit against the city. Recriminations of “technicalities” linger (a common theme for losing lawsuits)

May

• Measure A Forum Appeal filed with council
• Council hears Appeal
• One of the most underreported issue, sales tax receipts continue to fall
• Community Group knowingly files improper FPPC papers (notable for the irony)
• Harbor Bay Village VI EIR starts moving forward
• Teachers Ratify new contract and here

June

• Measure A Adhoc Committee #1 is held (top read post of the year)
• Blocked access to the public waterfront is exposed
• Alameda Museum asks for a continued subsidy
• AUSD Kindergarten Enrollment policy comes to the board
• Target pulls out of Towne Centre

July

• TC renamed (Results in many good laughs, personal highlight!)
• National Guard/Ira War issue at the council
• Measure A at the Demo Club
• Measure A Ad Hoc Mtg #2 is held and here
• SunCal signs ENA
• Ryhthmix Cultural Works opens it’s doors

August

• JKW handily defeats lawsuit
• Kindergarten Enrollment Policy at the School Board – Meeting 2 and here
• AP&T/PUB pass on adding voice to the APT&T telecompackage – signaling changes to come
• Iraq Resolution comes forward to the council
• Webster and Posey Tube Lights Go Out

September

• The Council votes to draft changes to the City Charter
• The Association of Bay Area Governments release the regional housing numbers and here
• A second hospital board vacancy is announced
• City Council pay becomes an issue
• Trains to stop traffic at the Park Street Bridge
• Alamedan spurs huge fundraising effort in fight for breast cancer

October

• The State legislature passes a law mandating a state takeover of the Alameda Ferry system
• School Board passes kindergarten enrollment policy
• The Planning Board votes to hold a Measure A Forum (forum to be held Saturday, February 2, 2008)

November

• Parking more important than open space at Independence Plaza and here
• Rob Bonta Appointed to Hospital Board
• Coast Guard Housing goes on the block
• Community visioning process is begun for Alameda Point
• Action Alameda offers one man’s vision
• The council votes to use the Carnegie Library for planning and permitting offices (and public displays)
• AP& T announces a rebate on solar panels

December

• Sales Tax news continues to be poor
• The Veterans Administration unveiled it’s plans for Alameda Point
• In what the East Bay Express called the “low-point” of the year, Measure A advocates attempt to convolute the shooting death of Iko with the their concerns about development discussions in Alameda
• SunCal holds the second community meeting for Alameda Point Planning
• The year ends with two charter schools applying for approval from AUSD