MCT: Wednesday, December 4, 2019

• Lingering Showers
• Bean Bails
• Big Band
• V Shenanigans
• B Squandered
• Future Disaster
• PSPS Forum
• Author Event
• Crafts Fair
• Kent 50th
• Eating Noses
• Ed Notes
• Swedish Politicians
• Wrong-Way Jacobs
• Hospital Measure
• Iceland
• Physics Museum
• Freed
• Garage Sale
• Beach Babes
• McGourty Announcement
• Snowcialism
• Mo Memo
• Yesterday's Catch
• Baldwin Speech
• White Panther
• Homeless Weedpatch
• Bad Writing
• Knee Taking
• Bouncer Mary
• Holiday Blues
• Maggie Reception
• Rabbi/Priest
• Rat Race
• Remain Sorry
• Greedy Rulers
• Bad Habits
• Not Frozen
• Frack Freeze
• Found Object

LIGHT SHOWERS will linger across the region today. Thereafter, a storm system will yield periods of heavy rain and strong winds Thursday night through Saturday. Drier weather will develop across the west coast on Monday. (National Weather Service)

GINA BEAN has been released on bail of $50,000. She turned herself in to the County Jail Monday afternoon. Ms. Bean has been charged with the hit and run death of Calum Hunnicutt in Mendocino in July.

CHP Press Release re: Hunnicutt hit and run incident:

On July 18, 2019, a hit-and-run traffic collision occurred on Highway 1 at Little Lake Road, resulting in fatal injuries to 21 year old Calum Pulido [Hunnicutt], from Mendocino County. The suspected driver, 41 year old Gina Rae Bean, from Mendocino County, was traveling northbound on Highway 1, when she struck Pulido as he was skateboarding westbound on Little Lake Road. Bean subsequently fled the scene in the suspect vehicle, a 2006 Toyota Tundra. As a result of a quick response and follow-up investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Bean’s Toyota was located at a local auto body shop. Upon locating the Toyota, it was determined that Bean’s boyfriend, 36 year old Ricky Santos, from Mendocino County, had attempted to repair Bean’s vehicle in an effort to destroy any evidence.

As a result of an ongoing and thorough investigation, the California Highway Patrol submitted multiple charges to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office on Bean, including Felony Hit-and-Run and Vehicular Manslaughter. Multiple charges were also submitted on Santos, including Conspiracy and Destroying or Concealing Evidence. On November 27, 2019, the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office issued arrest warrants for both Bean and Santos. On November 27, 2019, investigators from the California Highway Patrol located Santos and placed him under arrest. With the persistence of the California Highway Patrol investigators pursuing Bean, she turned herself in to the Mendocino County Jail on December 2, 2019. Bean then posted a $50,000 bail and was released on bail.

BOONVILLE BIG BAND PLAYS AT LAUREN'S

Special shout out to Comptche! See the Big Band @ Lauren's restaurant in Boonville, December 7, 9pm.

The Swingin’ Boonville Big Band will perform at Lauren’s Cafe in Boonville on Saturday December 7 from 9-11PM. Tickets are $15. This performance is a benefit for Adult Education Music in the Anderson Valley Unified School District. This is the 20th anniversary gig; thanks to Lauren and her fine restaurant for providing our flagship venue and supporting music and art in the Anderson Valley.

Lauren’s beer and wine bar open late, last dinner order 8PM, band starts promptly at 9.

MEASURE V ON BOS AGENDA MON. DEC.16

ATTENTION ALL!

As many of you already know the date of the Supervisors' meeting to consider Measure V enforcement has been CHANGED from Tues. Dec. 10 to Mon. Dec. 16. No time has yet been set.

Supervisor Haschak hopes to get the issue sent to the Standing Committee on Government which is noticed and open to public participation.

However, MRC has responded to the County Counsel's Nov. 18th letter affirming the legitimacy of Measure V, by requesting a PRIVATE meeting with Supervisor Haschak, County Counsel and CEO Angelo.

This is the apparent reason for yet another delay, as the County wants to wait for MRC's response and MRC is clearly taking their sweet time, maybe hoping to cut a deal and then present it to us as a fait accompli when we finally get to speak at a public meeting or even postpone it forever! Ya think?

Some people may want to attend the BOS meeting at public comment (9:00 a.m.) on the 10th to let them know we expect enforcement now. The County does not have to find a "mechanism". MRC just needs to comply with the law and stop using Hack and Squirt!

Meanwhile, please contact your Supervisors and tell them: NO SECRET MEETINGS!

As David Drell says: "If MRC wants to threaten the County, let them do it in public!"

Thanks,

Naomi Wagner

Willits

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WRITING in his recent Third District Report, Supervisor Haschak said: “Measure V which was passed by voters in 2016 to address the nuisance and fire hazard of standing dead trees, also advanced. Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC) had sent a letter to the County stating that they were exempt from the Measure V nuisance ordinance. At the Board’s direction, County Counsel sent a letter to MRC informing them of the County’s reasoning for why they aren’t exempt. I have placed on the Board agenda for our Monday, December 16 meeting a discussion of the County’s enforcement mechanism. As your Third District Supervisor, I would like to see positive economic development happen rather than a drawn out legal battle with MRC over this contentious issue. Many people have innovative ideas for how to use these native hardwoods constructively. My hope is that jobs can be created and MRC’s forest practice of wasting this valuable resouce can be ended.”

PAUL ANDERSEN commenting on the recent death on the streets of Charles Hensley: "It’s tragic, and shows how completely ill-equipped Mendocino county is in dealing with mental health and substance abuse services, despite receiving millions and millions of dollars from the state. Measure B which was supposed to help resolve these issues when it was passed two years ago, hasn’t done anything. Pathetic."

SUPERVISOR DAN GJERDE: Supervisor Ted Williams and I believe our communities would benefit from a drop-in event where people could see ways they can prepare themselves for a future disaster. We are reaching out to the groups and individuals who participated in the October 20 planning meeting (see below). Do you think folks would like to see a drop-in event held in the near future?

PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTDOWN (PSPS) RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS FORUM

The Public Safety City Council Committee will host a PSPS Response and Preparedness Forum on Thursday, December 5, 2019 from 6:00 to 7:30pm at Town Hall, 363 N. Main Street, Fort Bragg. The PSPS Forum is an opportunity for members of the community to voice their concerns, make suggestions, tell their own stories, or just ask questions about how the community responded to and prepared for the October 26 & 29 PSPS events that resulted in no electric power throughout Mendocino County for more than five (5) full days. As a community we want to learn how we can improve our preparedness and response to these PSPS events and other potential emergencies.

Bruce Broderick will present on opportunities and the benefits of a micro grid that stores power generated by solar to batteries so that one can survive and thrive during these outages which have been referred to as part of the “new normal” here in California.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Cristal Muñoz, at (707) 961-2823.

MIDNIGHT IN SAMARRA

Iraq whistleblower author event Dec. 5!

On Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 PM at the Mendocino Hotel (under the auspices of Gallery Books), Frank Gregory Ford and I will be giving a talk about our new book: MIDNIGHT IN SAMARRA, The True Story of WMD, Greed, and High Crimes in Iraq (Skyhorse, NYC)

We'll be reading, signing books, and doing Q and A.

For more, see: midnightinsamarra.com

Here's the book description:

The riveting, exclusive true story of an Iraq whistleblower who continues to be betrayed by his country, as told by an international bestselling author.

Gregory Ford, an intelligence agent and medic, was in Iraq for only a short time—from the invasion in March 2003 until early June of the same year, when he was strapped to a stretcher, drugged, and “renditioned” out of Iraq in a clandestine and criminal operation at the behest of his command, who were frantically trying to silence him. But why?

Midnight in Samarra is the shocking true story of one soldier’s attempt to speak up and report the abuse and torture he saw being inflicted on the local population, as well as secret, incriminating, enormous Iraqi arms stores of American-made Weapons of Mass Destruction with bills of lading implicating, among others, famous political families. His warnings about simmering anti-American fury of the local populace were ignored and suppressed by his command; hundreds of millions of dollars in cash seized in the home of Saddam Hussein’s main banker as a result of Ford's intelligence work vanished without a trace. Ford’s information about Hussein’s location, which could have led to the dictator's apprehension six months before his actual capture, was also ignored and suppressed. As Ford was filing charges against his superior officers, they seized his weapons (illegal in a war zone), tried to declare him insane, abducted him by force, restrained him, administered a dangerous mind-altering drug during a Medevac flight, and tried to interrogate him while he was under.

Years later, Gregory Ford is still trying to get justice. His command—and high-ups in both the military and the government—lied, dissembled, obfuscated, danced, and dodged while Ford endured libel, slander, and innuendo, feared for his life, and, nearly a decade after the drugging on the plane, learned that the chemical injected into him had done permanent damage to his heart and nervous system. Midnight in Samarra is the story of one man’s courage and conviction, and the horrifying truths of one of our most trusted and honored institutions.

NEVER FORGET

Dear Supporters of Kent State Truth,

Thank you for your support and interest in the Kent State Truth Tribunal.

As 2019 comes to a close, I am dreaming of Kent State peace for May 4, 2020 just five months away … and wishing to honor my sister Allison correctly as we bring Kent State Truth Tribunal findings to the masses. We have much to accomplish by the 50th.

Now that we’ve launched the website, we may begin stocking the People’s Truth Archive with hidden Kent State truth from near 50 years ago. Will you support our activities to produce, upload (video with transcripts) Emily Kunstler’s tremendous contribution from the Kent State 40th in her testimonial footage of 70+ Kent State professors, students, survivors, towns people and children-now-adults from the Kent State massacre? We have magnificent yet little-known jewels of truth, experience and reflection in our Truth Tribunal testimonials. Sample Truth Tribunal audio in this 2010 Best of Flashpoints, forward to 25:30: http://bit.ly/LdlALM

At the core of our Truth Tribunal offering is a long-lasting, truth-teaching experience for web visitors to access videos and transcripts from “those who were there,” original witnesses and participants of the Kent State Massacre. Making the "People’s Truth" available online around the world 24/7 from here forward. An intimate yet state-of-the-art way of learning history directly from the people who experienced the Kent State massacre first-hand, witnessing the People’s Truth.

Now that our website is up and readied for the Kent State Truth Tribunal testimonial content, we must now finalize our Truth Tribunal 70+ Truth Tribunal testimonial video and transcription content. We hope to integrate search tools to make Kent State truth accessible and useful to researchers as well as offering insights to “those who felt it could have been them” at Kent State. We are working with the Zinn Education Project and their teachers subscriber base of 100,000 to spread Kent State truth.

Will you please join us and help fund the 50th? Seeking your support to bring truth to Kent State 50th.

Peace and healing,

Laurel Krause

Fort Bragg

https://www.truthtribunal.org

ED NOTES

THE DAILY TRUMP DELUGE is hard to keep up with, but a coupla weeks ago Trump threatened to round up LA's and Frisco's homeless and place them in government properties, especially the LA homeless who Trump thinks have reached an intolerable critical mass. Team Trump apparently has a plan ready to go but wants to replace the boss at HUD first because he "is not willing to compromise his principles and follow the Trump administration's lead on homelessness policy."

EARLIER this year, Team Trump visited LA and San Francisco, emerging from their tour of LA's Skid Row to announce, "While some governors and mayors have helped create this situation only to ignore it, President Trump is not going to sit idly by."

THE WASHINGTON POST reported in September that administration officials have considered razing tent camps for the homeless, creating temporary facilities, and refurbishing government properties as part of an overall compulsory push to re-locate the homeless in blitzkrieg fashion onto sites like an abandoned FAA facility in LA.

IF THE ORANGE BLUSTERER moves on the homeless it won't be surprising given the level of public frustration driven by the true perception that homelessness is on the rise, especially in LA and SF where the figures on the unsheltered are put at 44,000 for LA, around 8,000 for San Francisco.

HERE IN MENDO COUNTY, the Marbut Report put the total number of homeless at about 300, a figure well below that of Mendo's helping pros whose self-interested and highly inflated count put the number of our homeless at around 1200. The higher the number, the greater the state and federal reimbursements to the local pros.

MARBUT'S recommendation, paid for by the County to the tune of $50,000 boiled down to this: focus on our homegrown homeless, kick the professional bums down the road. Well! This bit of expensive advice did not go over well with the helping pros. They quickly convened a meeting at the City of Ukiah's ghostly, cave-like community center in numbers greater than the actual homeless themselves to denounce Marbut's strategy as "cruel," even "heartless." And the Marbut Report was shelved, and a year later it's as if the guy and his sensible recommendations never existed, but he cashed a nice check for about a month's work.

CONTRARY to the wildly inflated homeless count enumerated by the paid local pros, Marbut put the true number of in-County homeless at about 350, of them X number career transients clustered at handout centers in Ukiah and Fort Bragg and another X number hopelessly addicted to drugs, alcohol or mentally ill further befuddled by drugs and alcohol.

THERE were only a dozen homeless in Willits; about a hundred in Fort Bragg; and not quite 200 roaming the greater Ukiah Valley, with none at all reported between Mendocino and Gualala.

LOCALLY, then, homelessness should not be beyond the abilities of our elected officials to solve.

BTW: When Marbut presented and summarized his report to the Board of Supervisors in April of 2018 they voted unanimously to endorse Marbut’s recommended actions. Assistant Heath and Human Services Director Anne Molgaard agreed with Marbut that Mendocino County only had about 300 homeless people [many of whom were passing though and not local] and that’s a much more serviceable number than in other areas like San Francisco, Los Angeles or even in Santa Rosa. “This is something we may be able to get a handle on,” Molgaard said, adding that the county had already “started” to implement some of Marbut’s recommendations, “with a high potential for consensus among county leadership on how to move forward.”

GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? That’s right: Nothing. Marbut’s recommendations were promptly ignored, and the Supes, despite their unanimous endorsement, never brought the $50k Marbut report up again.

SWEDISH POLITICIANS HAVE NO OFFICIAL CARS, OFFICES, TITLES, USE PUBLIC TRAINS

legit.ng/1241309-swedish-politicians-official-cars-offices-titles-public-trains.html

JACOBS PLUS TWO

On November 29, 2019 at approximately 9:20 AM, Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a call for service to check the welfare of a juvenile female in the area of Mill Creek Drive and Highway 1 in Fort Bragg.

When Deputies arrived in the area, they observed a female who matched the provided description, in the front passenger's seat of a sedan being driven by Thomas Jordan Jacobs, 18, of Fort Bragg.

Jacobs turned onto Highway 1 and drove south toward Fort Bragg. Deputies were aware that Jacobs was the restrained party in a recently issued court protective order that needed personal service. Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle to check on the welfare of the female juvenile and serve Jacobs with the court protective order.

Jacobs failed to yield to the Deputies’ red lights and sirens and drove south on Highway 1 to the area of Airport Road.

At Airport Road, Jacobs turned around and drove north on Highway 1. Jacobs increased his speed and began driving at speeds in excess of 100 MPH while passing northbound vehicles in the southbound travel lane. Due to the public safety risk, the vehicle pursuit was terminated and Jacobs continued to drive north on Highway 1.

A short time after the pursuit was terminated, the California Highway Patrol was dispatched to a vehicle down a steep embankment in the area of Highway 1 and Abalobadiah Creek.

Deputies responded to the vehicle crash and determined the vehicle was Jacobs' vehicle that had been pursued earlier. The vehicle was not occupied and none of the occupants were located inside or around the vehicle. Deputies located and collected physical evidence around the crash that was associated with Jacobs.

Deputies identified the two female passengers in Jacobs' vehicle as a 15 year-old and 17 year-old. Both female juveniles were later located and were uninjured in the crash.

Deputies learned that Jacobs was on pre-trial release for a separate contributing to the delinquency of a minor case that involved one of the female juveniles who was a passenger in his vehicle. Jacobs was found to be in contempt of court for associating with that female juvenile.

At around noon, Deputies were continuing follow up on this investigation and located Jacobs at his residence in the City of Fort Bragg.

Deputies established probable cause to arrest Jacobs for Child Endangerment, Reckless Evading, Reckless Evading - Wrong Way Driving and Contempt of Court. Jacobs was booked into Mendocino County Jail where was to be held in lieu of $35,000 bail.

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A READER COMMENTS: The only difference between a 17 year old “child” and an 18 year old “adult” is one calander day, and can actually be a mere second depending on time of birth etc. Such is the nature of “rule of law” in a “democracy.”

Our legal system of values is not the most insightful or accurate system of values by any means. Better than some, for sure. Stark legal lines of demarcation like these, are pretty silly, often times. Obviously, this young idiot is by no means in possession of the mental faculties many of us would associate with adulthood. I have many solutions, none of them palatable for blue state California sensibilities. Guess we will just have to let the kids run the roost!

MARCH BALLOT MEASURE FOR COAST HOSPITAL DISTRICT

March 2020 Ballot question on the Coast Hospital merger

From: "Kathy W" gglgrl@gmail.com

Here's the text of the Yes or No question on the Coast Hospital merger with Adventist Health (Stone Point Health).

I urge you to vote yes on this measure. (Kathy Wylie)

“WITH NO ADDITIONAL TAXES TO THE TAXPAYERS AND TO ASSURE CONTINUING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, ACUTE HOSPITAL INPATIENT SERVICES AND OUTPATIENT SERVICES, WITH SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS BY NON-PROFIT STONE POINT HEALTH TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MENDOCINO COAST RESIDENTS, SHALL THE MENDOCINO COAST HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ENTER INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT OF MENDOCINO COAST DISTRICT HOSPITAL FOR UP TO THIRTY (30) YEARS AT FAIR MARKET VALUE TO STONE POINT HEALTH, PER TERMS APPROVED BY RESOLUTION 2019-17 ADOPTED NOVEMBER 22, 2019?”

Church in Iceland

GOOD NEWS FOR THE LARRY SPRING MUSEUM

Larry Spring Museum has received national charitable status!

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Larry Spring Museum of Common Sense Physics is excited to announce that the Museum has attained national 501(c)(3) status as a charitable organization! This amazing milestone has given us the tools to realize our purpose, which is to collaborate with you to conserve and enliven Larry Spring’s unique creation.

As you well know, Larry Spring occupies a special place in Fort Bragg’s history. He was a creative, independent thinker who eagerly shared his hand-made, alternative approach to physics in his E. Redwood Ave. storefront. Today, the Larry Spring Museum is committed to sustaining his vision by offering arts and science programming that celebrates his do-it-yourself method of understanding the world.

The Larry Spring Museum is a living museum and your collaboration has already brought new and participatory ways of engaging with his collection to the community. Together, we have so much more to offer!

Help us develop and implement substantial programming for our 2020 - 21 seasons by volunteering and/or making a tax-deductible donation. You can make a contribution via mail by sending back the enclosed envelope to 225 E. Redwood Ave., Fort Bragg, CA 95437 or online at larryspringmuseum.org/donate

For more information, please contact me at director@larryspringmuseum.org

Thank you for your support!

Anne Maureen McKeating

Executive Director, the Larry Spring Museum

APRIL, 1945 by Major Clarence Benjamin and shows a train of Jewish prisoners that had been intercepted by Allied Forces. This is the moment they learned that the train would not be heading to a Concentration Camp and they had been liberated.

BIG GARAGE SALE

The Little River Improvement Club and Museum is having a big indoor garage sale this Saturday, 12/7. 8185 Hwy One in Little River, immediately above Van Damme's S curve. Starts at 9 ends at 3. Lots of new items good for gift giving. Several families contributing. Everything in good condition, some antiques and collectibles, lots of garden equipment (no rust), large paper cutter, timers for indoors or out, misc hardware (new), lanterns, heaters, lamps, framed antique prints, antique bentwood chest, office supplies. Priced very low to move, we want it all gone. Parking across the street.

HERESSSSSSSS, GLENN!

Letter to the Editor

As many of you know already, I’ve recently announced my intention to run for 1st District Supervisor. My family and I have called Mendocino County home for the past 32 years and as a researcher, educator, and farmer I’ve had the incredible opportunity to get to know many of you, and to work with you to realize our shared commitment to safe and prosperous communities. It is with this same commitment that I ask for your support and to serve as 1st District Supervisor.

I don’t take entering this race lightly. Through my experience on the Ukiah Unified Board of Trustees and the Ukiah City Parks and Rec Committee, I know that local government can have a profound impact on our community member’s lives. County government must be transparent, accessible, effective and responsible. To achieve this, the Board of Supervisors must take an active role, ensuring that we have a county government that works for all of us.

This decade has been filled with stark challenges for the people of Mendocino County. From prolonged and damaging droughts to sudden and devastating wild fires, we have faced incredible difficulties. For the people of our communities, living a rural lifestyle is not becoming easier. To confront our shared challenges and to preserve what we love most about where we live, it will take each of us doing what we can. We have a whole lot to get done, but we’re all in this together.

Thank you,

Glenn McGourty

www.McGourtyFor1st.com

mcgourtyfor1st@gmail.com

LIBERTARIAN KILLED WHILE PROTESTING SOCIALIST SNOWPLOW

stubhillnews.com/2017/03/16/socialist-snowplow/

MAYOR MO MEMO (THE LAST ONE)

This report is only from one City of Ukiah Council member. This week is my last week of being the Mayor. It has been rewarding and challenging. I look forward to continuing to serve the community as a Council member before heading to a higher level (voters willing) at the County Board of Supervisors level.

On Wednesday we welcomed a new Officer Laura Buttgenbach. Officer Buttgenbach is a Ukiah native who joined our department after working for the Brazos County Sheriff's Office in Texas for 8 1/2 years. Officer Buttgenbach brings vast police, investigative & tactical experience as a lateral officer- she became the first female officer to graduate from the Dallas Sniper Program. Laura is a Ukiah local and we are happy to have her back in our community. Next I'd like to congratulate recently promoted Administrative Lieutenant Waidelich. Lt. Waidelich began his law enforcement career with the Lake County Sheriff's Office in 2002. He joined the City of Ukiah Police Department in December 2005. Also Lt David McQuery retired from the Ukiah Police Department after 27 years of service. We are sad to see him go but wish him the best in retirement.

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. I took some time on Thursday afternoon to clean up a stretch of County Road from the Airport to Grace Hudson School with a walking path. I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve my community.

On Shop Small Saturday my girls and I went out to breakfast, hopped on the trolley and they took a few spins around the ice rink. I hope you get the chance to enjoy the ice rink this holiday season.

For information on the rink please visit: https://www.facebook.com/UkiahOnIce

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."- Oprah Winfrey

CATCH OF THE DAY, December 3, 2019

IVY BODWIN, Willits. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, failure to appear.

CYNTHIA DOMINGUEZ, Ukiah. DUI.

RICHARD NEAGLE, Willits. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

ANDRES REY, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. DUI, probation revocation.

LUIS SANCHEZ JR., Ukiah. Domestic battery.

EDGAR SANCHEZ-ASCENCIO, Fort Bragg. Taking vehicle without owner’s consent, stolen property, resisting.

ERIN WINKLER, Fort Bragg. Probation revocation.

JAMES BALDWIN AT CAL, 1979

HAIL HAIL JOHN SINCLAIR AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

by Jonah Raskin

Forty-eight years ago, John Lennon, with Yoko at his side, sang the words, “They gave him ten for two, what else could Judge Colombo do?” He sang those words before 15,000 people on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “Him” was John Sinclair. “Ten” was the number of years that Judge Robert Colombo sentenced him to Jackson State Prison, and “two” was the number of joints Sinclar had in his possession when an undercover cop busted him.

On December 1, 2019, Sinclair stood at the head of the line at Arbors Wellness, a brand new licensed cannabis dispensary in Ann Arbor and made a legal purchase of a handful of joints for which he paid in cash $160.35. It was a happy ending for cannabis activists in Michigan, and for the founder of the White Panther Party, who was a poet, a bohemian and a beatnik before he became a Sixties rebel. Let's hope that the weed in the joints Sinclair bought came from Mendocino.

In 2018, Michigan citizens voted by an overwhelming majority to legalize cannabis. For years, activists staged a pro-cannabis rally on the campus that was known as “Hash Bash.” After Sinclair was released from prison—the Michigan Supreme Court deemed his sentence “cruel and unusual punishment”—he traveled across the country with Otis Lee Johnson, a black activist who served four years of a 30-year sentence for giving a joint to an undercover cop in Houston, Texas. That was in 1967, not that long ago and yet in marijuana years a long time ago.

Back in the 1970s, Sinclair wrote and published a manifesto titled Guitar Army in which he called rock n’ roll the “greatest liberating force of our time.” He was also the manager for the rock band, MC5. Back then, I argued with Sinclair about his belief in the revolutionary force of rock, which seemed outrageous to me, though I also appreciated his deep feelings for jazz and the blues and his affinities for African-American culture. The White Panthers aimed to do to and for hippies and freaks what the Black Panthers did for convicts and street people who disliked “the Man.” Forty-one years later I don’t have a beef with Sinclair. He has proved to be a survivor and a man of integrity. If he still wants a guitar army I won’t try to stop him. Hail Hail rock’n’roll and check out the video on YouTube that features musicians and singers from around the world, including Robbie Robertson, Ringo Starr, Roberto Luti, Char, Larkin Poe, Mermans Mosengo, Ali Boulala, Sol Homar, Marcus King, Ahmed Al Harmi and more.

REMEMBER THE JOADS?

Editor,

Remember when the Joad family, in John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” came across the “Weedpatch” camp in California? They couldn’t believe their luck. They found relief in the fact that they no longer had to camp out on the road. In reality, these migrant “Okies” endured tremendous hardship and prejudice and were viewed as uncivilized, indigent people.

Weedpatch was an authentic Works Progress Administration government-built and sponsored “rescue center” in Bakersfield for migrants fleeing the Oklahoma dustbowl.

Today we find ourselves facing the same situation with the poor and unfortunate homeless population living on our streets, back alleys and community trails. Forget the reasons and circumstances that led them to homelessness, give them a Weedpatch, and let them govern themselves. Why not implement a humane answer to their needs? A safe place with running water and toilets. It can’t be that difficult.

It also makes sense that if there is only one locale where the homeless are allowed to live openly, there will be only one place for all social, medical and mental health services to minister to.

Call me a dreamer and idealist, but this could be a successful resolution in solving our homeless encampment crisis.

Cathryn Tait

Guerneville

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS TOOK A KNEE BEFORE A GAME, AND OPPOSING ‘FANS’ THREW TRASH AT THEM

by Dave Zirin

On Saturday November 23rd, Detroit’s Denby High School was playing in the Division 5 semifinals at unbeaten suburban powerhouse Almont High. The town of Almont is almost entirely white. Denby High located in a city that is 79% Black. Before the game, showcasing some serious courage given the surrounding environment, several Denby players took a knee during the anthem in protest of racism and police violence. The response from the Almont “fans” was to throw garbage at these teenagers and hurl racial slurs.

Denby coach Deon Godfrey said to The Detroit Free Press, “Our cameraman is white and was filming near some Almont fans. During the national anthem, he overheard them saying: ‘Look at these N-words taking a knee and they don’t even know why they’re doing it,’ and they kept going.”

He also said that the white coaches on Denby’s sideline were called “wiggers” and that “grown men and women started spitting on our kids as they walked up the ramp. They were throwing food, cups, and whatever… They called my student trainer a little monkey and they were saying: ‘Who let them off their leashes? They need to be on a leash. They never should have been here in the first place.”

After the game there were scuffles as Denby left the field, as more debris was tossed from the stands.

Denby counselor Bob Burg wrote on Facebook that as the game was coming to a close, “One of our young men was punched in the face by an Almont parent! After we were able to get our kids in a safe area they locked us all in a caged area in the corner of the field, when we just wanted to get the kids safely on our bus.”

This has been a feature of the Trump era: sporting events used as a place to spew racist derision at opposing teams. A knee is often not even required for people to feel like a a high school game is the proper place to bleat their bigotry, but it certainly on more than one occasion has been a highly flammable accelerant.

Howard Bryant, senior writer at ESPN and author of the new book Full Dissidence: Notes From An Uneven Playing Field, said to me,

“This was a moment where sports was co-opted from a place of player expression to one of disciplining players for their politics. The kneeling gesture is ‘the signal’ and the reason why it’s ‘the signal’ is because it’s the spot where America comes apart, where all the post- 9-11 pro-police messaging and militarism at sporting events collides with the reality of the cops and military. In no other element of our culture is there such a clear and defiant single gesture like taking a knee. Where else are we allowed the space to say we disagree with our police? Where else can we register with one gesture, dissent with the alleged ideals of this country? America is getting called out with this one gesture and they are determined to punish anyone using it.”

The following Saturday, November 30th, was the Division 5 championship game held at Ford Field in Detroit. There, mighty Almont lost 31-17 to Lansing Catholic, Lansing’s first championship in decades. The events of the previous Saturday must have been a distraction to the Almont players and coaches. As The Detroit Free Press wrote this week in the lead up to the Division 5 final, “When the Almont High School football team takes the field seeking its first state championship Saturday, it will do so under a mushroom cloud of racial tension.”

On the Tuesday before the game, Almont Community Schools Superintendent William Kalmar said, “(The team) will be able to maintain a high degree of focus. But if you’re a football player and your girlfriend is talking about being worried about driving down to Detroit because of what people are saying on Twitter, I don’t know if you can close all that off totally. I mean, they’re still human beings. Do you know what I mean?”

It’s this kind of constant positioning of Detroit as the scary “other”, threatening to this fictitious “girlfriend”, that some people from Almont use as ammunition for their own bigotry. Instead of reckoning with that bigotry, statements like this serve as justification. Superintendent Kalmar is also trying to deflect or ignore an obvious truth. This all started because Denby players had the courage to use the field as a political space, and the fans at Almont responded with violence to what they were trying to say. This one simple non-violent gesture could not be abided. Taking a knee is truly, as Howard Bryant said, “where America falls apart.”

BOUNCER "CAIRO MARY" ejects a customer at Shanghai Red cafe, Beacon and 5th Sts., San Pedro, CA, ca. 1953.

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

It’s so true that the holidays tend to make a lot of people feel blue. It seems as if they are less about the special moments and times of thankfulness, appreciation, and generosity, and much heavier on gross spectacles of gluttony and envy. A lot of people are still paying off last years’ gifts and now there are commercials out the wazoo for every last little thing that one has to have to achieve happiness (lol) for this special season. Until new stuff comes out next year of course. Our society is wasteful and gluttonous and our government is wasteful and gluttonous as well. Wasting our precious time and resources carrying on illegitmate efforts to disenfranchise us, the losers of their hunger games no less, so we never have a vote again. Hopefully the ominous turn this season takes will spell in end for these parasitic influences in society and culture and Uni-Party DC.

A PRIEST AND A RABBI suffered a minor fender bender one bright evening. The two men of the cloth exited their vehicles and discussed the situation, noting that both had suffered similar body damage to their nice new cars. Being responsible citizens, they called the police and reported the incident. They decided that they would share the expenses of the damage and not report it to their respective insurance companies. They were so proud of themselves for being amicable about the incident that the priest opened his trunk and suggested they celebrate by having some communion wine the priest had bought for an upcoming service. After the jovial priest took a healthy swig, he asked the rabbi to do the same. “Oh yes, Father. I’d love to,” said the rabbi, “right after the police get here.”

PG&E FAILED TO INSPECT TRANSMISSION LINES THAT CAUSED DEADLY 2018 WILDFIRE: STATE PROBE

The probe concluded that PG&E’s inspection shortcomings were part of a pattern of ‘inadequate’ execution of those tasks.

… “We remain deeply sorry about the role our equipment had in this tragedy, and we apologize to all those impacted by the devastating Camp Fire,” the company told Reuters in an emailed statement, adding that it accepted the probe’s conclusion that the company’s electrical transmission lines caused that fire.

reuters.com/article/us-california-wildfire-pg-e-us/pge-failed-to-inspect-transmission-lines-that-caused-deadly-2018-wilfdfire-state-probe-idUSKBN1Y70N8

INSIDER TRADING

To the Editor:

I had a horrifying thought.

Second District Supervisor John McCowen just announced his retirement from the Board of Supervisors.

Okay.

But what if the $96,000 patronage job as Program Manager for the Climate Action Advisory Committee (CAAC), sponsored and aggressively pushed by McCowen, wasn't intended for McCowen's tenant and palsy-walsy Alicia Bales, as many people, including myself, first suspected?

Folks may remember that at the time the CAAC was introduced Ms. Bales was President of the Mendocino Environmental Center, colloquially known as the MEC. She lobbied hard for the CAAC. Lobbied very hard. Filling the Supervisors chambers with a hundred supporters. And having her son sit next to her like a theater prop, as Ms. Bales, a trained actress, testified in support of the CAAC.

My thought?

What if the job were intended for McCowen himself?

What if McCowen was preparing for life after the Board of Supervisors?

McCowen is, in fact, the landlord for the MEC. And going back 40 years, McCowen was an hanger-on at the MEC during the early days of Earth First! and Redwood Summer.

To some, McCowen would be a "good fit" as the CAAC's Program Manager.

It's just a thought.

Not an allegation at this point in time.

The thought crossed my mind, because although self-dealing is unethical -- and may be illegal, depending on the circumstances -- it's the kind of thing that surprises no one in here in Mendocino County.

For example, just look at how the new Psychiatric Health Facility and the Crisis Stabilization Unit, to be funded by the millions of local sales tax dollars, is going to be built on the vacant lot next door to Camille Schrader’s operation on Orchard Street.

Self-dealing and insider-dealing is how Mendocino County does business. And it's one of the reasons why I'm running for office. I want to break these old habits. These bad habits.

John Sakowicz, Candidate, 1st District Supervisor

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Supervisor Dan Gjerde replies: The 15-member Citizen's Climate Action Committee has a budget of $7,500. That's consistent with the $2,500 approved for each of the 5-member municipal advisory councils that advise the County of Mendocino.

CALIFORNIA FREEZES NEW FRACKING PERMITS.

But all oil drilling permits still outpace 2018.

by Dan Bacher

The FracTracker Alliance and Consumer Watchdog unveiled a new website on November 19 to continually map and update the number of oil and gas wells permitted by the Newsom Administration: http://www.NewsomWellWatch.com.

“The pace of permitting overall is still on track to beat the total number of permits issued during Brown’s final year in office (2018). The number of drilling and rework permits issued in the first ten months of 2019 through November 4 total 4,049. In the same period of 2018, under Governor Brown, the total was 3,723,” the groups stated.

Los Angeles, CA—On November 19, Governor Gavin Newsom froze the approval of new fracking permits as a scientific study of fracking is conducted, but the total number of permits approved under the Newsom Administration still outpace those approved under Jerry Brown in 2018.

State oil and gas regulators have not issued a new permit for fracking or acidizing in California since mid-July and have slowed the overall rate of permitting oil wells.

Yet public interest groups Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance point out that regulators have granted oil permits at a pace that is 8.8% greater in the first ten months of 2019 than in the same period last year under Governor Jerry Brown, based on an analysis of state data.

Three actions were announced by Newsom and the Department of Conservation’s Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR):

1. A halt of approvals of new oil extraction wells that use high-pressure steam to break oil formations below the ground, a process linked to recent oil leaks in Kern County.
2. Rules for public health and safety protections near oil and gas extraction facilities will be updated and strengthened.
3. Pending applications to conduct hydraulic fracturing and other well stimulation practices will be independently reviewed.

“These are necessary steps to strengthen oversight of oil and gas extraction as we phase out our dependence on fossil fuels and focus on clean energy sources,” said Governor Newsom. “This transition cannot happen overnight; it must advance in a deliberate way to protect people, our environment, and our economy.”

Consumer Watchdog and the FracTracker Alliance applauded Governor Newsom’s announcement that he would “further rein in oil and gas extraction and regulate health and safety issues near extraction sites,” but noted that the rate of approval of all oil drilling permits still outpaced those approved under Governor Brown last year.

“Governor Newsom has taken an important step toward reining in the most high risk extraction techniques,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “The ultimate test of his tenure for climate change and the public will be simple math about how many fewer permits are issued and how many existing wells are closed. Net zero wells should be his goal.”

In July, the two groups revealed that state oil regulators held stock in the oil companies they regulated, prompting Governor Newsom to fire the state’s top oil regulator, Ken Harris, the head of DOGGR. The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) opened an investigation of the regulators in question.

“Newsom expressed concern at the time that he did not realize fracking permits had increased 103.2% over the first six months of 2018–Governor Jerry Brown’s last year in office,” the groups said.

The FracTracker Alliance and Consumer Watchdog unveiled a new website on November 19 to continually map and update the number of oil and gas wells permitted by the Newsom Administration: http://www.NewsomWellWatch.com.

“The pace of permitting overall is still on track to beat the total number of permits issued during Brown’s final year in office (2018). The number of drilling and rework permits issued in the first ten months of 2019 through November 4 total 4,049. In the same period of 2018, under Governor Brown, the total was 3,723,” the groups stated.

In addition to increasing the numbers of permits issued annually in 2019, the groups said “about ten percent of permits continue to be approved for wells that present the greatest risk to frontline communities. These wells are within 2,500 feet of schools, hospitals, homes, daycares, and nursing facilities and are sources of toxic air emissions including carcinogens.”

Unlike many other oil and gas producing states including Texas, Colorado and Pennsylvania, supposedly “green” California has no health and safety zones around oil and gas drilling operations.

For example, the state of Texas requires fracking operations to maintain 250 foot setbacks from homes, schools and other facilities. This is by no means adequate for health and safety protections, but it is better than California that has zero required setbacks. In addition, the City of Dallas mandates 1500 foot setbacks around oil and gas wells.

This year Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) introduced legislation, AB 345, to change things in California. This legislation that would ensure that new oil and gas wells not on federal land are located 2,500 feet away from homes, schools, hospitals, playgrounds and health clinics.

Unfortunately, intense lobbying pressure from the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) and legislators receiving big donations from Chevron and other big oil companies prevented the legislature from approving the legislation — and it has been made into a two year bill.

Kyle Ferrar, Western Program Coordinator for FrackTracker Alliance, noted that “while it is promising for the climate and community health to see that Governor Newsom’s administration has stopped issuing hydraulic fracturing and acidizing permits, the real health threat continues to expand in California.”

“Oil and gas wells continue to be permitted in increasing numbers near schools, hospitals, and next to homes in frontline communities,” said Ferrar. “Only setbacks and an end to drilling can reduce the elevated risks of cancer, congenital disorders, asthma and other health impacts resulting from living near oil and gas drilling.”

In July, the FracTracker Alliance and Consumer Watchdog found that the pace of permitting the drilling of new oil and gas wells had grown by 77% over the year before. This included both new oil and gas production wells and enhanced oil recovery wells (EOR).

The groups said permits for drilling new oil and gas production wells had increased by 61.6%. Permits for well reworks were also elevated at 19.5%, and 53.3% if only rework permits for oil and gas production wells were considered.

“As a result, Governor Newsom fired California’s top oil regulator and instituted an ethics review of the state’s oil well approval and inspection process. Since then, the pace of permitting to drill new oil and gas wells slowed, but as of November 4, 2019 was still 17.2% higher than 2018, according to the California Department of Conservation data,” the groups stated.

“This includes new oil and gas production wells (up 15.3%) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and support wells (up 18.2%). Enhanced oil recovery wells use techniques such as steam flooding, cyclic steaming, water flooding and other methods to gain access to hard-to-extract heavy crude oil,” they said.

“This reflects an overall decrease of nearly 60% in the rate of permitting new drilling since July. Similarly, rates of permitting well reworks have slowed 18.5%. As of November 4, permits to rework oil and gas production wells were elevated 19.6% versus 53.3% on July 8; a drop of 33.7%. Well reworks permits are required to deepen, redrill and recondition wells; techniques used to improve production,” the groups concluded.

On a positive note, it is in Newsom’s power to reverse the expansion of oil and gas drilling in California so it becomes less than during Governor Jerry Brown’s last year in office, rather than more.

“Since summer the oil permitting under Governor Newsom has flattened decisively,” said Liza Tucker, advocate for Consumer Watchdog. “Governor Newsom can still reverse the pace of permitting this year so that it is less than Governor Brown’s in 2018.”

Not included in Newsom’s announcements was any mention of addressing the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling in California waters. This includes over 200 permits for offshore wells in state waters, wells within 3 miles of the California coast, issued between 2012 and 2017, according to Department of Conservation data analyzed by the FracTracker Alliance in 2017. This expansion appears to have continued under Gavin Newsom.

In addition, Newsom didn’t address the fact that the state of California under Brown — and now under Newson – controls four times as many offshore oil wells in state waters as Trump’s federal government controls in federal waters off California. You can view the map showing the location of wells here: http://brownvtrumpoilmap.org.

Finally, Newsom, who was a supporter of the questionable “marine protected areas” created under the privately-funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, has made no indication if he will begin the processes to make these highly-touted “Yosemites of the Sea” into real “marine protected areas” that protect the ocean from offshore oil and gas drilling, pollution, wind and other energy projects, military testing and all human impacts on the ocean other than sustainable fishing and gathering.

In an apparent conflict of interest, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the President of the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), served as the chair of the controversial Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called “marine protected areas” in Southern California from 2009 to 2012 at the same time that she was promoting the expansion of offshore drilling in the same region.

The increase in fracking and other oil and gas drilling permits is a result of the millions that WSPA, the most powerful corporate lobbying group in California and the West, and oil companies spend every year on lobbying state officials, including the Governor’s Office and state regulatory agencies.

WSPA has spent $6,608,836 to date in 2019. The group spent $2,482,133 lobbying in 2019’s third quarter after spending $4,126,703 in the first 2 quarters of the year, according to forms WSPA filed with the California Secretary of State on October 30.

For the entire 2017-2018 Session, WSPA spent a total of $15,768,069 and spent $7,874, 807 to influence California government officials in 2018. Of the four quarters, WSPA spent its most money lobbying, $2,649,018, in the eighth quarter, from October 1 to December 31, 2018.

Over the past decade, WSPA and Big Oil have topped the list of spenders on lobbying the Legislature in California. During the 2015-2016 Legislative Session, the oil industry spent a historic $36.1 million to lobby lawmakers and officials in California.

Members of the Western States Petroleum Association also have donated many millions of dollars to California politicians and campaigns. In October 2018, an 8-month-long NBC Bay Area and Maplight investigation found the oil and gas industry paid $182 million to California politicians, PACs and political causes between 2001 and June 30, 2018.

You can expect WSPA and the oil companies to go all out in the coming months to counter the efforts by Consumer Watchdog, the FracTracker Alliance and the Last Chance Alliance to stop the oil drilling expansion in California.

Because of this money and the power that Big Oil wields in California, the Jerry Brown administration issued over 21,000 new oil and gas drilling permits in California between 2011 and 2018.

Background: Big Oil’s Lobbying Group, the Western States Petroleum Association

WSPA represents a who’s who of oil companies, including oil giants BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon, Shell, Valero and many others. The companies that WSPA represents account for the bulk of petroleum exploration, production, refining, transportation and marketing in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, according to the WSPA website, http://www.wspa.org.

The Western States Petroleum Association is led by President Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the former chair of the controversial Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called “marine protected areas” in Southern California.

This money and power allowed the oil industry to write the controversial cap-and-trade (carbon trading) bill, AB 398, that Governor Brown signed in September 2017, as well as to twice defeat a bill to protect a South Coast marine protected area from offshore drilling.

Ironically, the same WSPA president that led the charge to defeat a bill to protect the Vandenberg State Marine Reserve from offshore oil drilling CHAIRED the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create “marine protected areas” on the South Coast.

WSPA and Big Oil wield their power in 6 major ways: through (1) lobbying; (2) campaign spending; (3) serving on and putting shills on regulatory panels; (4) creating Astroturf groups: (5) working in collaboration with media; and (6) contributing to non profit organizations.

(Dan Bacher is an environmental journalist in Sacramento. He can be reached at: Dan Bacher danielbacher@fishsniffer.com.)

FOUND OBJECT