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| Greetings from Glendale |
The quiet village of Sierra Madre lately has become a hub of development activity. Long anticipated projects that have been looming for years, such as "Stonegate" (the controversial 1 Carter development) has started the production of homes. Other less controversial projects such as the remodeled medical facility on Sierra Madre Blvd are near completion. The sounds, sights, and dust of construction can be seen all over town.
Susan managed to somehow leave out a Sierra Madre Boulevard condo project or two, along with the Kensington, by far the most gargantuan construction project this City has seen to date (and, in my opinion, one few will remember voting for once it gets under way), but I'm sure you see her point. For perhaps the first time in Sierra Madre history it is possible to get the sense that development and its advocates are in utter control of this city's future, and that there are only a few left who are truly concerned about what had been the once dominant "slow growth" sentiment in town.
Our City Council has but two slow growth advocates. While this has not been unusual here the planets have strongly aligned in favor of those who oppose the preservation of our community. Josh Moran, Nancy Walsh and John Harabedian have all gladly filled the traditional pro-development roles their handlers expected of them. Pro-public service union, pro-BIA and pro-Realtor, all of them L.A. County ideologically aligned machine Democrats, these three folks are more than eager to consider the Federally mandated and centrally planned brands of development that have turned so much of this country into a kind of "United States of Generica." They also seem willing to accept the rather Orwellian notion that somehow this kind of high density development is "green," and that we can somehow assist the world in building our way out of global warming. The promise of large quantities of grant money for those who play along easily causing this kind of delusional behavior in those prone to selling this town out for the right price.
Where this has all now become particularly evident is in the City Council majority's support for ignoring the decision of the voters on Measure 12-1 last April, and instead pushing forward with plans for a do-over renewal of our Utility User Tax at the current state record setting rate of 10%. City Hall would be incapable of functioning as the engine of development it is now without staffing made possible by so high a level of funding. These three members of our City Council apparently recognize this, and are more than willing to let resident tax money work against the known interests of those who pay it.
Something that is, in my opinion, the moral equivalent of purse snatching.
One of the reasons why property values are as strong as they are in Sierra Madre is that many people would give their eye teeth to live here. But I don't think it is the prospect of being able to buy a Subway sandwich on Sierra Madre Boulevard, or getting their ears cleaned at a spacious new medical facility, that is bringing them here. Rather it is the low density and ecologically reflective style of our town, something that makes us unique to the area. Perhaps the most desirable place to live in the entire San Gabriel Valley.
How shocked would our potential new neighbors be were they to discover just how at-risk all of that is right now. Or how carelessly those who run this town would squander our birthright for a couple of government development grants and a car ride with a friendly Assemblyman.
No PUSD Vote for Sierra Madre - Part II
They Pasadena Unified Board of Education has decided that they are not going to put the now vacated "at-large" seat on the ballot. The reason given is that it would cost half a million or so dollars. There is no estimate given for what a mail-in ballot would set them back, but I am sure you get the point. They want to personally select someone for that seat. I just hope they haven't already decided who this person is and that the entire procedure described in the attached document (click here) isn't just for some dog and pony show.
There is also this. If they had put this at-large seat on the ballot during the March election, it wouldn't now cost anything extra. And, of course, they could have put our district seat on the ballot just as cheaply. Instead they'll have to pay some similar huge amount to hold an election in 2015.
Of course, that would have meant we would have been represented someone on the Board of Ed while they're spending all the remaining Measure TT swag. The Pyongyang delegation that dominates the BOE apparently wouldn't have dug that.
The one silver lining here is that if you click on that attachment you'll find the documents necessary to put your name up for consideration. The Tattler is proudly endorsing the candidacy of Sierra Madre resident Tony Brandenburg for that seat, but if you're thinking of filing we'd be glad to hear from you.
http://sierramadretattler.blogspot.com