Mendocino County Today: Thursday, Sep. 13, 2018

• Rebuilding Fees
• Supe's Meeting
• Little Dog
• Writers Lunch
• Quiz Night
• Valadao Photo
• Ricardo Galvez-Calleja
• Edu-Board Position
• AV Old-Timers
• Yesterday's Catch
• Swimming Naked
• Honoring Labor
• Morans
• 9/11 Predictions
• Freefall
• Peckerwood
• Housing Survey
• Plant Sale
• How To
• Football Season
• Theatre Auditions
• Dulaney/Warren
• Distancing
• Info Avalanche

$6,000 TO FOR A PERMIT TO REBUILD?

A woman named Wendy Escobar, whose home in Redwood Valley burned down in last fall’s Redwood Complex fire, appeared before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to complain primarily about the County’s unreasonably high permit fees, rightly implying that the Supe's smug, self-congratulatory handling of the fire's aftermath has been belied by her's and other victims actual experience with the County.

* * *

Escobar: I am here because I am really disappointed with all of you people regarding the fire recovery program. Especially [Supervisor Carre] Ms. Brown. I have called you several times and you never call me back. I find that really disrespectful to me and I don't really appreciate that.

Brown: I do not remember getting any calls from you.

Escobar: I left two voice mails.

Brown: What are voice mails?

Escobar: Well, that's what I have. Anyway, I am here because of the building permit costs which I find criminal. I was told that if we stayed and rebuilt that the county was going to reduce the building costs so that they would not charge us $6000 for a building permit. What on earth can you be charging $6000 for? That comes out of our rebuilding insurance money. By the time we do the code upgrades on the sewer. By the time we do the stupid water system that's going to raise the insurance that everybody is turning off anyway because if you have a little jolt on earthquake the stupid sprinkler system goes off and floods the house and it won't stop a wildfire from anything. You are talking about suicide today. I know of a person who killed himself over these fires. Because he didn't have enough insurance to rebuild. Then you guys want to go and rip us off $6000? You are profiting off of our trauma. It's been a year old almost, next month it will be a year — and this County has done nothing for us, nothing at all. And I find you actually 50% responsible for the fire, for our houses burning down, because if you guys had any kind of plan in effect -- I was at the firehouse that night and I got news for you. They did nothing to stop our houses from burning. One of our neighbors had a water tender that ran around and sprayed some houses and saved them. But had we known about that fire coming we could have watered down our roofs and saved our houses. But we knew nothing! The fire department didn't even go back and save my husband who was asleep in his house. If I hadn't kept calling him and calling him and calling him he would have been victim number 10! So I want something done about these outrageous costs for the building permits. I got my blueprints in over there a month ago. I was told it would be one week before those permits were done and I could have it. It's been a month. Oh, well we are shorthanded… Well, I still don't have the permit! And I don't have $6000 to pay for it! If I want to rebuild I have to pay for all these upgrades. Window upgrades -- $2600! Forget it! What are you guys doing for us? You've done nothing! This county is supposed to be taking care of us and if we don't rebuild and stay you are not going to have any taxes or anything. A lot of people -- go around here, go around Redwood Valley. Look at all the For Sale signs. People have walked away and left! What are you doing for us? Nothing except gouging us! You worry about contractors gouging us? What about your own Planning department? And sanitation? It was $7200 for me to upgrade the stupid sewer system and I'm not even building as big a house as I had before. For one year I have been living in a 40 foot trailer on that property of which I had to pay for a temporary power pole to go up and now there is another $84 over there, and $160 fee for the septic tank. I don't have any money left to rebuild! By the time I pay all your fees and all your upgrades and this and that -- how do you expect me to rebuild? I have to pay for the insurance. I had to go on state aid because my husband's business burned. He was a handyman. The truck burned down. Now I have truck payments. Now we have to go out and use the insurance money to buy him tools so he could get his business back again!

Board Chair Dan Hamburg: Thank you Ms. Escobar.

Escobar: So that's what I have to say. I want to know what you guys are going to do about the fees.

Hamburg: I'm sure that Supervisor Brown is trying -- you know if she had heard from you she would have gotten back to you. She is definitely known for paying close attention to the needs of her constituents. I hope you will try again. We are doing everything we can as a county to respond to these issues. I believe our building department has been doing a good job getting permits out. But we are somewhat overloaded. I think you should work with our staff and not give up because there are a lot of efforts that are going forward. And thank you for coming and speaking though, appreciate it.

Brown: I want to talk about the claim that this county has done nothing to help people. This County has worked very hard. We had county staff that put in hours that are unbelievable. To me that statement was just not necessary.

Supervisor John McCowen: The board actually has been and county staff has been focused on doing quite a lot. We live in an imperfect world. Every individual situation is going to depend on a separate set of facts that go with it so we are not in a position to respond to see your to your specific comments but by direction of this Board the administrative permit for the trailer that you've been living in was waived so there was no cost for that. By direction of this board other fees associated with rebuilding can be deferred. The question of how much are they — that's up for discussion but you should inquire of the department what's the process for deferring those fees so that you can get going with your building without having to lay out that cash up front. That option should be available. The county was instrumental in seeking relief for people who were victims of the over excavations on dozens of properties. The county was able to get relief by pushing hard for that. The county with Supervisor Brown and [state senator] Mike McGuire and our CEO and Tammy Moss Chandler is pushing hard to secure significant funding to rebuild the water system in Redwood Valley to be something that was better than it had ever been. We all regret that you are not having a good experience at the present time. But it's a gross overstatement to say that the county has done nothing.

Escobar: But —

McCowen: We are not going to engage in debate but there's two sides to this story.

Escobar: That's right, but I did have to install a temporary power pole and—

Hamburg: Thank you.

Escobar: And I —

Hamburg: I'm sorry, I'm sorry we cannot engage in debate.

Escobar: I'm not debating with you. I'm just saying that OES did come —

Hamburg: I'm sorry, you are out of order.

Escobar: You guys can pat yourself on the back all you want, but you are losing all this money —

Hamburg: We are not patting ourselves on the back.

Escobar: Yes you are!

(Hamburg moved on to the next speaker.)

* * *

Mark Scaramella notes: It seems Ms. Escobar's primary complaint was the permit fees, apart from her obvious unhappiness with various local government offices. If, as Supervisor McCowen said, the $6000 permit fees are “up for discussion” why didn’t he propose that they be agendized and discussed? Because they seem ridiculously high for people who can show that their houses burned down in the fire.

JAMES MARMON COMMENTS on this week's Supe's meeting:

I really enjoyed the Board of Supe's meeting Tuesday. Allman was precious. You should have seen the looks on everyone's faces (Angelo, Ross, McGourty and other Allman tax committee members) when Allman announced that the committee would use Kemper's facts, but shit can his recommendations. Schraeder, like she always does, threatened to walk away if she doesn't get her way (Orchard St Project). Allman is on the hot seat, next month marks 11 months and no recommendations have been made to the BOS. Angelo was so red face I thought she might require medical attention. What a mess, LOL. Allman wants to start the 15 million dollar Howard Memorial Hospital project, screw everything else. Schraeder is shitting "bricks and mortar" after buying the Orchard Ave property and not having the money to build. It’s starting to get interesting.

LITTLE DOG SAYS, “Rough times for this little dog. Just back from the vet. They knocked me out and did all kinds of undignified invasives on me then, sent me home with this goddam megaphone thing on my head. Skrag's been laughing his ass off all afternoon.”

MEETING OF THE MINDS

by Flynn Washburne

“Bring a large piece of uncooked meat with you when you come,” said the gruff voice on the phone. I thought it a rather odd and nonspecific request for a luncheon date but acceded, thinking perhaps it was to be some kind of open-fire male-bonding paleo ritual. I picked up a joint of mutton at the specialty butcher’s and headed over to Tom Hines’s house — Tommy Wayne Kramer is the nom de plume/guerre under which he needles the soft-shelled crabs of Mendocino County — and straightaway discovered that the meat was not for our consumption but to distract the crocodiles patrolling the moat. I chunked the leg as far as I could and hoofed it across the low footbridge to the checkpoint beneath the gun emplacements, where after biometric scanning and a very polite yet thorough strip/cavity search, I was permitted entry into the sanctum santorum of one of the county’s most notoriously irascible aristarchs and a man who generates more negative ink than a tankful of angry squid.

TWK appears regularly in the Ukiah Daily Journal, a vestigial organ and nearly completely useless, save for their (probably accidental) wisdom in featuring his column and excellent fish-wrapping and puppy-training qualities. Tommy has a long history of telling the world exactly how he feels about a lot of things (spoiler alert — he’s not usually pleased), and he does it with caustic, colorful humor and pointed savagery, deflating and disemboweling shibboleths and sacred cows gleefully and without regard for “correctness,” political or otherwise. In doing so he generates a lot of hurt feelers and has garnered such epithets as “reactionary,” “thug,” “Nazi,” and “monster.”

Actually, Tom’s home, and my reception there, was warm and welcoming. When I arrived the door was open in the manner of a trusting community member expecting company as he bustled about in the kitchen preparing our repast of grilled sausages, veggie burgers, and an absolutely ambrosial potato salad accented with capers and bacon. We chewed the fat out on the deck as we waited for the third member of our party, Bruce Anderson — infamous rogue of local journalism and the HMFWIC of this very sheet.

Bruce has been conducting the business of the AVA since 1984 where he has acted as the conscience of Mendocino County and a burr under the blanket of local government, public radio, the judiciary, the legal system, cops, crooks, and anyone else who falls within range of his gimlet eye. He fearlessly and without prejudice points out waste, idiocy, and incompetence, and, like Tom, whips up much controversy and negative blowback, on which he thrives. I asked them both how they felt about all the skin they get under and I honestly can’t remember ever witnessing such a pair of eloquent, definitive shrugs.

So what, you may wonder, was I doing there, the odd man out? After all, not only did I spend a lot of years as a participant in the sort of destructive social pathology regularly addressed by these two, but people seem to like me. I haven’t generated any hate mail that I’m aware of and when people do address me and my work it’s appreciative and laudatory. Not that Tom and Bruce don’t receive their share of plaudits, but they are well-tempered by regular shitstorms of venom and outrage. But the editor thought it would be fun, and it was.

We discussed a lot of things, we three towering figures of local journalism, including politics both local and national, the judiciary and legal community of Mendocino County, the homeless problem, pet murder cases (Tom being a longtime investigator for the public defender’s office, among others, and Bruce an at-large defender of truth and justice), and Covelo’s wildly disproportionate degree of mayhem and mischief. Turned out we agreed on quite a lot, though there was one subject on which I had to bite my tongue in the interest of harmony and brotherhood.

It’s no secret that I’m an Obama man through and through, and I contend that not only did Barack hang the moon but shit the very stars from his well-rounded butt. I believe that his election and administration was the high-water mark of American political history and the fact that the electorate voted in not only a man of color but one of intelligence, wit, strength, competence, and substance is one of the indicators that this country’s head is not always shoved firmly up its own butt, which sometimes seems the case. I will generally defend this position warmly and vigorously when confronted with detractors, but this time opted for polite silence as Bruce summed him up with “meh” and Tom with slightly stronger language. I also wisely remained mum regarding my position on Hilary Clinton, who I believe would’ve made a fine president and is completely undeserving of all the slanderous vitriol that gets dumped on her. I might feel safe expressing that opinion at the Co-op or Ukiah Brewing Company, but not in the presence of a fierce libertarian and an incendiary conservative.

I believe you can tell a lot about a person by the president they most respect and identify with, and my guess that Anderson would be a Roosevelt man and Hine, Eisenhower, proved right on target, which I found reassuring as I consider both men in the top five of my Presidential Hit Parade (Obama, Clinton, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Lincoln, with T.R. and Jimmy Carter getting honorable mention).

Here a few of the other things we discussed and agreed upon.

1. Linda Thompson is a blight on the landscape and the legal profession and steps need to be taken to develop a vaccine preventing her. She has done more to contribute to prison overcrowding than crack cocaine, which might be understandable if she was with the prosecution but she’s supposed to be defending people, for cripe’s sake, not tossing them under busses and then shipping them on those very busses down to the penitentiary. The public defender’s office of this county needs a housecleaning and retooling so the occasional bright spots like Keith Faulder will stick around for awhile instead of moving on to bigger and better things, but you can’t blame him for not wanting to be tarred with the brush of incompetence and tomfoolery that colors the denizens of that nest of bush-leaguers.

2. The idea of a journalism school producing a journalist is about as likely as an infantry school churning out infants. You become a journalist by doing journalism, period.

3. Something needs to be done about the fragrant teeming horde out there infesting the streets and byways. There’s nary a sheltered spot that some unfortunate hasn’t claimed as his domicile and few outdoor public spaces unsullied by their leavings. At work, a policy has been instituted stating no one is to make a trash run alone, for (a realistic) fear of attacks from people posted up in the dumpster pen, where they go to have sex and shoot dope and God knows what else. That enclosure is about as filthy and smelly a place as you can imagine, which gives you an idea of just how much these people do not give AF. That, I think, is the root of our distinction, the divide between Us and Them—they’re beyond caring about anything, be it themselves or their environment. Those of us who do have difficulty grasping the idea, but I think we’re all agreed that something needs to be done. Bruce feels reinstituting the state hospitals is the answer, and I agree that would go a long way toward solving the problem. The old county farm system was discussed, for those who are capable of working and maintaining in a communal social atmosphere. Tom suggested the old-school method of simply driving them to the county line and bidding them farewell with a well-placed boot to the ass, but sheer numbers and constant turnover would render that a Sisyphean endeavor. I feel that whatever is done should be done with compassion and recognition that these people are in fact human beings and not just a “problem,” but one thing we all agreed on is that throwing money at ineffective, bloated agencies whose services do nothing to address the issue beyond temporary amelioration of situational difficulties is not the answer.

4. Journalism in general has come to a pretty pass and it’s only firebrands and iconoclasts like us that give it any flavor and appeal at all.

There was more and I thought I was recording the whole thing, but I either hit the wrong button or accidentally erased it.

START THE FAIR EARLY with the Boonville Quiz!

Yes, the first (unofficial) event of Fair Weekend is the 2nd Thursday General Knowledge and Trivia Quiz at Lauren’s Restaurant - that’s tomorrow, 13th September.

We start at 7pm prompt. I hope to see you there.

Cheers,

Steve Sparks, The Quiz Master

FICTIONAL BOOK WRITTEN ON THE ‘SAN JUAN’

Coast Photog Judy Valadao Gets Back Cover!

(via MSP)

We talked to Judy who said, “The name of the book is ‘Soul of the Sea’ by David G. Sime. When I met him it sounded as though he was writing a book telling the history of the San Juan. Not what I expected when he sent me a copy. Small 76 page book about fictional people. He's an elderly gentleman.”

DEAD MAN ON BELL SPRINGS IDENTIFIED

The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has identified the body of a man located deceased on Bell Springs Road September 2 as that of 54-year-old Ricardo Galvez-Calleja of Mexico.

An autopsy of Galvez-Calleja’s body was conducted on September 8. No immediate cause of death was observed and an official cause of death is pending further analysis.

This case is under investigation. Humboldt County Sheriff’s Investigators ask that anyone who may have known or was associated with Galvez-Calleja while he was in Humboldt County to please contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.

(Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office)

MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION INVITES APPLICANTS TO FILL BOARD VACANCY

The Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools recently invited qualified members of the public interested in promoting excellence in education to apply for a vacancy on the County Board of Education in Trustee Area 1, which encompasses the Calpella, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Talmage and Eastern Ukiah areas.

The Mendocino County Office of Education (MCOE) serves as the local office for the California Department of Education. It provides educational leadership, resources, and services to schools to ensure an array of educational opportunities for all students through collaborative efforts with local communities and agencies.

The Board of Education trustees oversee these efforts by ensuring compliance with board policies, responding to petitions, conducting public hearings, developing and releasing information, and analyzing proposals. It also promotes the implementation of research-based strategies in MCOE programs such as Alternative Education, Workforce Development and Special Education. The Board of Education generally meets the second Monday of each month with additional workshops or committee work as needed.

Applicants for the Area 1 Trustee must be registered Mendocino County voters who reside within Trustee Area 1. They may not be employed by the Mendocino County Office of Education or by a school district within the jurisdiction of the Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools.

Anyone residing in Trustee Area 1 who is interested in becoming a candidate for this position should complete the application posted on the MCOE website at www.mcoe.us. Applications are also available at the MCOE office at 2240 Old River Road in Ukiah. Contact contacting Katie Pearson for more information at katiep@mcoe.us or (707) 467-5033. The deadline for submitting letters of intent and questionnaires is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 28.

The Board will interview qualified candidates and share recommendations at their regularly scheduled meeting on October 8 at Laytonville Unified School District. The new board member will be sworn in and attend their first meeting on December 10. The trustee’s term ends December 2, 2022

(The Mendocino County Office of Education is a public agency whose primary purpose is to provide educational leadership, resources and services to schools to ensure wide-ranging educational opportunities for all students.)

YOU ARE GETTING TO BE AN ANDERSON VALLEY OLD-TIMER IF...

…You remember the Burma Shave signs on Highway 128 just south of Yorkville Ranch.

…You attended the dedication of Hendy Woods State Park, which included a performance by blues singer (and actress) Ethel Waters.

Best,

Marshall Newman

CATCH OF THE DAY, September 12, 2018

WILLIAM BARRY, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, disorderly conduct-lodging without owner’s consent, failure to appear. (Frequent flyer.)

ALVARO BRICENO, Ukiah. Paraphernalia, resisting, probation revocation.

MICHAEL COMMESSO, Arcata/Ukiah. DUI.

WAYNE GARLAND, Willits. Probation revocation.

DUSTIN GOLYER, Ukiah. Burglary.

KYLE HASTEROK, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. County parole violation.

DEVIN KESTER-TYLER, Ukiah. Burglary, vandalism, conspiracy, probation revocation.

AMBER KING, Fort Bragg. Domestic battery.

JAMES MARTIN, Kelseyville/Ukiah. Fugitive from justice.

JAMIE WEAVERFRYER, Box Springs, Georgia/Ukiah. Fugitive from justice.

THE TIDE IS GOING OUT

“You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.”

—Warren Buffett

LOST MEANING

Editor,

Did you know that the first Labor Day was on a Tuesday — Sept. 5, 1882 — in New York? The day was celebrated with a picnic, concert and speeches. Ten thousand workers marched in a parade honoring those who labored to make a paycheck but also who helped to build and maintain America. We the people.

As a child growing up along the Hudson River, I recall that businesses closed. Gas stations only opened until noon, along with bakeries and small grocery stores. What happened?

Now it’s like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Christmas and Thanksgiving have become — commercialized by greed. Yes, greed. Businesses no longer close so employees can spend the day fully with their families and friends. We have lost something that was once so dear to us all — being with loved ones. Not shop ’til you drop.

At least a generation has been raised without knowing how important Labor Day is to all of us. It was the hardworking men and women who helped build this nation up from nothing. It’s not about socialism or communism, but about we all. Whether you are a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution or a new immigrant, we need to return to having stores closed so we can be home and free.

Helen Blas-Wilson

Petaluma

GONZO WAS RIGHT

When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, no one knew exactly what the future would hold.

However, writer Hunter S. Thompson turned out to be amazingly prescient.

Shortly after the tragedy, the famed gonzo journalist wrote an essay for ESPN.com where he laid out his thoughts on what could happen in this new era.

Sixteen years later, his remarks are still chillingly accurate:

“Boom! Boom! Just like that. The towers are gone now, reduced to bloody rubble, along with all hopes for Peace in Our Time, in the United States or any other country.

“Make no mistake about it: We are At War now ― with somebody ― and we will stay At War with that mysterious Enemy for the rest of our lives. It will be a Religious War, a sort of Christian Jihad, fueled by religious hatred and led by merciless fanatics on both sides. It will be guerilla warfare on a global scale, with no front lines and no identifiable enemy.”

Writer Hunter S. Thompson predicted “guerilla warfare on a global scale, with no front lines and no identifiable enemy” after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Thompson wrote that the United States is “going to punish somebody for this attack, but just who or what will be blown to smithereens for it is hard to say.”

He continued:

“Maybe Afghanistan, maybe Pakistan or Iraq, or possibly all three at once. Who knows? Not even the Generals in what remains of the Pentagon or the New York papers calling for WAR seem to know who did it or where to look for them.”

Thompson, who died in 2005 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, also laid out how then-President George W. Bush would react to the attack and how his decisions would affect the lives of everyday Americans.

“This is going to be a very expensive war, and Victory is not guaranteed ― for anyone, and certainly not for anyone as baffled as George W. Bush. All he knows is that his father started the war a long time ago, and that he, the goofy child-President, has been chosen by Fate and the global Oil industry to finish it Now.

“He will declare a National Security Emergency and clamp down Hard on Everybody, no matter where they live or why. If the guilty won’t hold up their hands and confess, he and the Generals will ferret them out by force. Good luck. He is in for a profoundly difficult job ― armed as he is with no credible Military Intelligence, no witnesses and only the ghost of Bin Laden to blame for the tragedy.”

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Our Thelma and Louise moment is rapidly arriving. I wonder if it will be a “glorious death,” a la Legends of the Fall, or more of a slow, grinding, and ominous Road to Perdition kind of thing? I’ve always wondered what that first second or two of free fall feels like when you know there’s no parachute to save you. Exhilarating and terrifying all at once is how I imagine it.

PECKERWOOD & POISON OAK

FILL OUT THE NORTH BAY WORKFORCE HOUSING SURVEY!

This survey includes Mendocino and Lake Counties and is in English and Spanish. The survey takes about 10 minutes and addresses both housing and transportation. Please share the survey so they can get as many responses from all demographics as possible.

https://tinyurl.com/yav78f3y

FALL PLANT SALE at Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

September 15 through September 23, 2018: Each day during the Gardens' normal operating hours...

gardenbythesea.org/calendar/fall-plant-sale/

HOW TO....

Nancy Crampton Brophy seemed to have a knack for writing about the murder of spouses.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/09/12/novelist-who-wrote-about-how-to-murder-your-husband-charged-with-murdering-her-husband/

AUDITIONS FOR HOLIDAY SHOW!

Auditions for the Mendocino Theatre Company's production of Lux Radio’s Miracle On 34th Street, directed by Lynn Sotos, with musical direction by Kim Bratton, are scheduled for Monday, September 17 and Tuesday, September 18 at 6:30 pm in the rehearsal room at the Community Center of Mendocino. Actors of all ages are needed for this classic 1940’s radio show! The production is a fundraiser for the Mendocino Theatre Company and the Mendocino Choir Boosters. For more information, click HERE, or phone Pamela at 707-937-2718.

GEORGE DORNER WRITES: a pretty good thread on https://www.theava.com/archives/250

AN AVALANCHE OF SPEECH CAN BURY DEMOCRACY

by Zeynep Tufekci

Go back a decade and imagine your response to the question: “What would a threat to truth look like?” You might have thought of censorship—perhaps the Fahrenheit 451 version, in which books are piled up and burned, or the 1984 nightmare of a regime with total information control. Or perhaps you would have worried about the limits and biases of the mainstream media.

But in the digital age, when speech can exist mostly unfettered, the big threat to truth looks very different. It’s not just censorship, but an avalanche of undistinguished speech—some true, some false, some fake, some important, some trivial, much of it out-of-context, all burying us.

For the longest time, we thought that as speech became more democratized, democracy itself would flourish. As more and more people could broadcast their words and opinions, there would be an ever-fiercer battle of ideas—with truth emerging as the winner, stronger from the fight. But in 2018, it is increasingly clear that more speech can in fact threaten democracy. The glut of information we now face, made possible by digital tools and social media platforms, can bury what is true, greatly elevate and amplify misinformation and distract from what is important.

Deluged by apparent facts, arguments and counterarguments, our brains resort to the most obvious filter, the easiest cognitive shortcut for a social animal: We look to our peers, see what they believe and cheer along. As a result, open and participatory speech has turned into its opposite. Important voices are silenced by mobs of trolls using open platforms to hurl abuse and threats. Bogus news shared from one friend or follower to the next becomes received wisdom. Crucial pieces of information drown in so much irrelevance that they are lost. If books were burned in the street, we would be alarmed. Now, we are simply exhausted.

It’s not speech per se that allows democracies to function, but the ability to agree—eventually, at least some of the time—on what is true, what is important and what serves the public good. This doesn’t mean everyone must agree on every fact, or that our priorities are necessarily uniform. But democracy can’t operate completely unmoored from a common ground, and certainly not in a sea of distractions.

How can we get back to that common ground? We need new mechanisms—suited to the digital age—that allow for a shared understanding of facts and that focus our collective attention on the most important problems. That might sound nebulous or difficult or even impossible in the current chaos. But consider that the modern state or today’s public health systems also seemed difficult or impossible at many points in human history. In a time of information avalanche, focusing on what is true and important can be a revolutionary act.

(Politico, September 5, 2018)