Beer has certainty changed. And we own a lot to the homebrewer for this. Many world class craft brewers got their start as homebrewers. And goodness are there a lot of great beers out there days beside the fizzy yellow stuff of the past.
There is a very large distinction between the best beer and the most popular beer. Budweiser sells more beer than all the craft beer brewers in the world combined, and you would have to really be reaching to call this the best beer;
Just a few quick comments here.
There is no question that Measure N was a wedge issue, and a clever one at that. But I was not prepared to "get dirty" even if that is what it takes to win. If that is what the progressives needed in a candidate they will rally behind, then they were backing the wrong person. Even though Security National chose to frame my stand on Measure N (it was a poor way to do zoning, and it was on the ballot so the people can decide) in a negative manner, I spoke the truth. To do otherwise would violate my sense of ethics.To take a "firm stand" just for the sake of politics doesn't seem right to me.
I easily would have won this election except for the presence of a third candidate, and while the odds are long and the hill ahead is steep, all the ballots have not yet been counted.
Finally I agree that "tons of money" plays a big part in this, and I am not sure what you do about that..For sure that phony campaign finance ordinance that was just passed is not going to provide any solution.
Actually I do think I "have a clue" and your use of the term "disingenous [sic] diatribe" to describe my call for public workshops does not change the facts. What was held before were not workshops...they were presentations, where poorly publicized meetings allowed the city to present its rationale for its poorly thought out rate models and answer questions.
The attorney I have heard weigh in on this (the one that wrote Prop 218) said that preferential rates are not illegal unless they are tied to usage measurements, which currently they are not. Can you cite which attorney advised you otherwise?
Finally, sure some seniors are affluent, but many are not, and are just getting by on minimal social security. Whether ore not they should be granted a discount is a public policy question, but to suggest it cannot be legally done is what is disingenuous.
Interesting article and helps to explain a little about why the city feels it needs so much money so fast for fresh water delivery and wastewater disposal and treatment.
But it does not really explain why there is such an uproar over this proposal.
Here are some of the reasons for the outcry.
1) The city sent out a nearly unintelligible letter and rate chart to Parcel Owners and Rate Payers that most people could not understand and many threw away.
2) They eliminated the Senior Sewer Rate unnecessarily
3) They came up with a regressive rate formula that disproportional impacts lower income citizens and encourage waste not conservation.
4) They tied your sewer bill to your water usage negatively impacting those who water lawns or gardens. They claimed that your winter water usage would be used to calculate summer sewer bill but neglected to include this in the proposed rates.
5) They gave renters who do not pay their own water bill no say in the matter.
There is more, but basically this rate increase proposal was poorly done and attempts to do too much too fast at a time when citizens are already reeling from a down economy.
It is good to read the city manager said “the proposed rate hike may yet be negotiable. In fact, City staff may be rethinking its proposal entirely.” Because that is exactly what needs to be done.
This attempt to raise rates under Prop 218 needs to be set aside. Public workshops should be held to gather citizen input into the proposed new rate structure. Money owed the wastewater fund should be repaid, and the long list of future projects should be re-prioritized to lower financial impact. This rate proposal will have to be done over, and due to Prop 218 in much the same manner, but if the rate increase is toned down to a reasonable amount and a more equitable rate structure proposed than this can be something the city council could in good faith approve. But not this one.
Re: “Advice for Backpackers (Novice and Veteran)”
I really appreciated this article and this follow-up. I too have been backpacking all my life (I am 73). I have used stoves of all kinds including the Whisperlight that caused all this trouble, though i switched to a canister stove quite a while ago. My wife is a fanatic about fire safety and has probably kept me out of trouble for which I am grateful. But the message here is you cannot be too careful, and clearing a wide space around your stove is well worth extra safety it brings, no matter what kind of stove you use.