As You See It: July 2, 2009

Trish Ward-

it is silly that the sentinel displays peter boutell's weekly advertisements as genuine information. loan sharks have no scruples and it truly is disingenuous for the sentinel to be associated with this misinformation.

mortgage brokers are scammers and there's no two ways about it.-TAP

Way to go completely overboard and be the ruiner of fun! Maybe you haven't lived here long enough to know but people are going to do it regardless of whether you call the cops or not.
Threatening people only makes it worse.
It's been done for years and will continue.
Welcome to the East Side!

Actually, sometimes practical jokes are not fun.

ARLETTE ABACHERLI OF SANTA CRUZ WRITES: "Are you kidding me? I am appalled. Donald Schmidt rapes and murders a 3-year-old girl and he is going to be paroled? Where is justice? This person should spend, at the very least, the rest of his life behind bars."

BECKY: Schmidt was sentenced in juvenile court. He completed his sentence in 1997. The DA has used a little used provision of the State's Welfare and Institution's code to keep him confined 12 years BEYOND his original sentence. Where is the justice in this?

ARLETTE ABACHERLI OF SANTA CRUZ WRITES: "Pedophiles never change. It has been proven over and over they will prey upon children again."

BECKY: Schmidt is not a pedophile. He has been able to form sustained relationships with women his own age. He committed his crime under the influence of methamphetamine which causes hypersexuality.

ARLETTE ABACHERLI OF SANTA CRUZ WRITES: "As far as spending half his life in the prison system, remember Charlie Manson? He spent most of his life locked up, and was released. Look what happened."

BECKY: Charles Manson was not convicted in a juvenile court. He committed multiple crimes including burglary, forcible rape, and car theft. I am unaware of Manson's current psychiatrists as being willing to testify in a court of law that Manson has --admitted his guilt
--shown remorse
--been rehabilitated

ARLETTE ABACHERLI OF SANTA CRUZ WRITES: "Shame on you William Weigel. I wonder if this was your child if you would be so thrilled about his release."

BECKY: You want to look at this case through the lens of Dec 30, 1988. But this is 2009. Schmidt is not the drunk and meth-crazed individual he was at age 16. Bill Weigel has presented the facts of the case and believes that Schmidt should be released. So do I.

The SHAME belongs with DA's Danner, Lee, and Symons for circumventing Judge Black's sentence.

take another puff wrote:

Trish Ward-
it is silly that the sentinel displays peter boutell's weekly advertisements as genuine information. loan sharks have no scruples and it truly is disingenuous for the sentinel to be associated with this misinformation.
mortgage brokers are scammers and there's no two ways about it.-TAP

I would have to disagree with you puff. Not "all" mortgage brokers are "loan sharks", and just the same, not all borrowers are/were irresponsible. Trish's opinion letter merely points out another side to the issue, which in fact, is a true scenario for those borrowers in SC who can and do pay a larger percentage of their incomes in order to own a home here, and who can and do responsibly manage their finances to do so. While I will agree that Boutell's columns and advice often seem reckless in our current economic state, I also have to remember that there are still people out there for whom the information in his column makes sense and can apply to their financial situations. Basically, let the buyer beware but also "be aware".

LIVING THE DREAM WRITES: "Easy answer to Donald Schmidt, take Singapore's approach and hang him in the city square on a Monday. On Friday, cane the vandals. Problem solved. "

BECKY: Even Singapore doesn't try a person again and again for the same crime. Even Singapore doesn't keep people 12 years past their sentence.

to Gloria Lorenzo wrote:

Way to go completely overboard and be the ruiner of fun! Maybe you haven't lived here long enough to know but people are going to do it regardless of whether you call the cops or not.
Threatening people only makes it worse.
It's been done for years and will continue.
Welcome to the East Side!

I agree with Ms. Lorenzo...it's the illegal fireworks in our neighborhoods that have gone overboard and are ruining the fun. The eastside is the worst place to be over 4th of July...it's become a war zone and no resident is having fun.

Local law enforcement, ticket away this weekend! Let's get revenue from the jerks with illegal fireworks, speeders, stop-sign rollers and everyone visiting our neighborhoods who disregard our civil laws.

X Kyuzmi wrote:

<quoted text>
I would have to disagree with you puff. Not "all" mortgage brokers are "loan sharks", and just the same, not all borrowers are/were irresponsible. Trish's opinion letter merely points out another side to the issue, which in fact, is a true scenario for those borrowers in SC who can and do pay a larger percentage of their incomes in order to own a home here, and who can and do responsibly manage their finances to do so. While I will agree that Boutell's columns and advice often seem reckless in our current economic state, I also have to remember that there are still people out there for whom the information in his column makes sense and can apply to their financial situations. Basically, let the buyer beware but also "be aware".

Trish Ward uses a ridiculous, overly simple example to prove her point. No one earning $30k-$40k is going to be buying a house in this County; however, there were more often than not families earning $75k-$80k being qualified for $600,000 loans. As both Peter and Trish have stated, those loans were made with the pure intention of packaging them up and selling them to investors. There is NO remorse on Peter's part and the fact that the Sentinel continues to give coverage to this clown makes them NEGLIGENT as far as I am concerned.

it has been strangely quiet as far as fireworks go.

I have heard a few random ones over the last few days.

It use to be that things cranked up a week before.

Maybe the police got them all

joker guy wrote:

Next time that dude wiggles a snake or whatever in front of you simply take it and chuck it over the cliff. Or pretend to have a heart attack and freak him out! Or kick his aaaaasssssssssssss!

Hitting someone is assault so go ahead.

"The process used to reach an agreement between the city, county, UC Santa Cruz and CLUE was a good one. This was one of those rare times when all the concerned parties came together to work on a solution. So what are some of the outcomes?

Already, UCSC's water usage is down 27 percent. Traffic is less than it was 10 years ago. More housing units are proposed to house students on campus. Right now, there is a good working relationship between the community and UCSC. This is our springboard to collaborative planning, economic development and improving the quality of our lives. In the spirit of moving forward let's not go back on those agreements many people spent a lot of time and money working on."

Peter Prindle, Santa Cruz

Is this the 4th letter in a row (over several days) that directly or indirectly condems the Patton/Wormhoudt criticism of the "deal".

Whatever your stance on the issue, I can see the Sentinel as infomation gatekeeper at work here again.

Where balanced discussion is concerned, the editors that control our local newspaper are about as subtle as a brick.

I find much better info in the remarks after the article than in the Sentinel's directed efforts that are published.

Can anyone direct us to a balanced discussion of this town-UC thang?

Gary Patton's Land Use Reports
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 – Water Futures in Monterey County

Water supply and land use planning issues are of critical importance in Santa Cruz County. They’re just as important (perhaps even more important) on the Monterey County side of the Bay. As listeners probably know, there is what pretty much amounts to a moratorium on new water connections on the Monterey Peninsula, and the Salinas groundwater basin, and the Pajaro groundwater basin, in North Monterey County, are in conditions of continuing overdraft.

Those concerned about the commitment of what may be the City of Santa Cruz’s last remaining water “surplus” to support major new growth at the UCSC campus, are trying to make sure that the kind of problems already facing Monterey County don’t happen here, and that a new connection moratorium isn’t going to be necessary within the City of Santa Cruz Water Service Area. If such a moratorium were necessary, and there are some signals within the official reports of the City of Santa that it might be, those affected will include not only residents of the City of Santa Cruz, but also residents of Live Oak, Pasatiempo, parts of the City of Capitola, and North Coast farmers. Listeners who want more information should check the transcript of today’s Land Use Report.

http://www.kusp.org/landuse/

"there are some signals within the official reports of the City of Santa that it might be"

MR. PATTON, PLEASE EXPAND ON THIS...

Gary Patton's Land Use Reports
Monday, June 29, 2009 –
Santa Cruz City Water Plans Are Not Transparent

Last Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council got a report on the implementation of its August 2008 settlement agreement with the University of California. The settlement agreement brought an end to multiple lawsuits challenging UCSC growth. The Coalition to Limit University Expansion, or CLUE, which also sued the University, also signed off on the settlement agreement. The report made by City staff focused on the many monetary payments to the City that the settlement agreement has required. CLUE, which also made a presentation, focused on the provisions of the settlement agreement relating to water supply.

The agreement contemplates the construction of over 3,000,000 square feet of new buildings on the UCSC “North Campus” area, and the University wants the City to provide up to 152,000,000 gallons of fresh water each year to support this new construction. The potential problem is that this amount of water may be all the “surplus” water that the City has, which could leave other water users high and dry. Despite promises to CLUE, during the settlement negotiations, that the City would be “neutral” on this commitment of water for UCSC growth, the City is actively sponsoring the effort to commit this water to the University. What’s more, City water users are currently on the hook for all the costs involved in the City’s application process. You can get more information on the KUSP website.

http://www.kusp.org/landuse/

"and the University wants the City to provide up to 152,000,000 gallons of fresh water each year"

152,000,000 GALLONS? DID I READ THIS IN THE SENTINEL? NOT!!!

dON hEICHEL -sOQUEL wrote:

Gary Patton's Land Use Reports
Monday, June 29, 2009 –
Santa Cruz City Water Plans Are Not Transparent

Despite promises to CLUE, during the settlement negotiations, that the City would be “neutral” on this commitment of water for UCSC growth, the City is actively sponsoring the effort to commit this water to the University.

What’s more, City water users are currently on the hook for all the costs involved in the City’s application process.

ON THE HOOK?

Can anyone point to this info in the Sentinel?

Kinda leaves one dangling...ON THE HOOK!

By the bye, found this info on http://www.brattononline.com/index.php

See, I do read the libs...hope you read Samuelson, Sowell and Will to round out your knowledge base.

I love to read the absurdity, anger, and befuddlement of the activities which commonly occur here in Liberal Land! The greatest form of entertainment on the planet! Liberals, you gotta give em credit for the theatre of the absurd!

First try a not so insane handle...
and please calm down.

If seems that you are going to blow a gasket any moment.

Keep in mind that at this time, UCSC like the rest of UC is slowing way down on construction and not admitting as many students.

This is an interesting graph.

http://www.data360.org/temp/dsg757_500_350.jp...

X Kyuzmi- caveat emptor is a valid doctrine to live by, but when the local paper supports such campaigns as the one in question, the general population is fooled into thinking that this is how it is. being that this paper's target market is the general population its actions can propagate careless behavior by the people who rely on it. that's why advertisements like boutell's have got to go!

X Kyuzmi wrote:

<quoted text>.... Basically, let the buyer beware but also "be aware".

Recovering Liberal wrote:

I love to read the absurdity, anger, and befuddlement of the activities which commonly occur here in Liberal Land!

Yeah, I bet it really beats going outside and actually seeing what's going on in the real world.

Neighbors here are conspiring to pinpoint fireworks abusers too! Enough is enough.