Santa Cruz Neighbors named Chamber of Commerce group of the year

Id like to see future City Council candidates emerge from their ranks with only one little caveat: Let's see some more political diversity in the way of ideology - just like our greater community exhibits.

A buncha nut cases....

Lynn Robinson helped start this group, got elected, and then did nothing. Ever.

Santa Cruz Neighbors has worked very hard organize and educate our neighborhoods. Kudos for all of their hard work!

These people are self-serving yuppies. Lynn Robinson used Neighborhood Watch meetings as campaign stops. They are no help with real problems. They just want to raise their own property values and pad their resumes.

You do not need these people to introduce yourself to your own neighbors. Just do it. Take a walk, say hi. Keep an eye on things and ask questions as needed.

Eating wrote:

Lynn Robinson helped start this group, got elected, and then did nothing. Ever.

There is value in helping to start something, even if you have to move on.

Anyone have any direct experience with the "Group of the Year", it's my understanding that the City Council is just using this group as a buffer between themselves and the community.
Tired of transient bums sleeping in your parks, talk to the Santa Cruz Neighbors.
Tired of transient bums pilfering through your recycling to raise money for meth, talk to the Santa Cruz Neighbors.
But if someone has any direct experience with the group please post it.
We need new leadership in Santa Cruz, the current city council is unable to administer tough love. Change - Yes We Can!

SC Neighbors works very hard and is constantly improving the community . . . unlike a lot of folks who can't be bothered to get involved and improve things, like the pathethic whiners on this forum. Keep up the good work neighbors

Be very careful of ANY Chamber of Commerce. They will sell you down the drain in a second for bigger profits.

Kudos wrote:

SC Neighbors works very hard and is constantly improving the community ... unlike a lot of folks who can't be bothered to get involved and improve things, like the pathethic whiners on this forum. Keep up the good work neighbors

Yet here YOU are whining away.

Parker wrote:

<quoted text>
Yet here YOU are whining away.

Not whining. Just pointing out how there is a lot of big talk and no action among the regulars in this forum

This group is a joke, in bed with the city and the developers. Most of those neighborhoods are not part of their group, notice all the email addresses are theirs?

Their "tools" is telling people to have block parties? Citizens of Santa Cruz, you've been duped by this absolutely ineffective group. I have spoken with all three of these people on various occasions and it's very obvious they are clueless. We need a real neighborhood watch program, with background experience, with real tools!

"Board members stressed that Santa Cruz Neighbors does not take advocacy positions but instead helps residents to speak up on their own issues."
Bulltwang! They advocate for Barry Swenson and Slatter Construction which Bethke owns! Non-profits can be very profitable. Pretending to be the voice of the neighborhoods is something they could easily get sued for!

alan wrote:

Their "tools" is telling people to have block parties? Citizens of Santa Cruz, you've been duped by this absolutely ineffective group. I have spoken with all three of these people on various occasions and it's very obvious they are clueless. We need a real neighborhood watch program, with background experience, with real tools!

So Alan are you organizing a city-wide neighborhood watch? Can you give me your home number to give out to neighbors with concerns? Put up or shut up.

Kudos wrote:

<quoted text>
So Alan are you organizing a city-wide neighborhood watch? Can you give me your home number to give out to neighbors with concerns? Put up or shut up.

Yes my neighborhood is already organized and has had block parties for as long back as I cant think. I can't remember the name of the police officer who got us going.

Kudos wrote:

SC Neighbors works very hard and is constantly improving the community ... unlike a lot of folks who can't be bothered to get involved and improve things, like the pathethic whiners on this forum. Keep up the good work neighbors

Can you name even two things they have done they can call their own besides support the party ordinance? One?

self serving wrote:

These people are self-serving yuppies. Lynn Robinson used Neighborhood Watch meetings as campaign stops. They are no help with real problems. They just want to raise their own property values and pad their resumes.
You do not need these people to introduce yourself to your own neighbors. Just do it. Take a walk, say hi. Keep an eye on things and ask questions as needed.

What's wrong with raising property values? You want them to decline?

"Those tools include town hall meetings with public figures, from the chief of police to UCSC chancellor; online resources to track crime statistics in individual neighborhoods; and tips for connecting with neighbors and setting up events, from block parties to barbecues, within smaller Santa Cruz communities. Some town hall meetings have drawn hundreds of residents."

Those tools are not provided by SC Neighbors, but they are quick to take credit for them. Their "town hall meetings" never attract more than 20 people, same people every time.

The neighborhood contact list was last updated in April 2008. I got a bounce-back message saying my message was undeliverable when I sent an email to the one for my neighborhood. If there is no current contact for a given neighborhood then they should delete the obsolete email addresses instead of trying to look larger in scope than they really are.