CHANGES

It appears I got my park, but I never expected it to arrive as it has, cram-packed full of junk, including a submarine sail, whatever that is (I thought they go under-water), and heaps of tchotchkes they call sculpture, a questionable judgement in Vallejo.  I feel like I’ve bought the wrong ticket for the right place, or the right ticket for the wrong place.

What the heck is History Arts?  It doesn’t sound like anything I want in my park.  

Will someone please tell me who’s behind this?  Participatory Budgeting, who, incidentally, pay more than $500,000 - aka ‘administrative welfare’ - to city employees for assistance on these projects, guards its secrets well, and so far my simple question has gotten no answer.  I’m not supposed to know who on PB worked on it.  Top secret.  Is it Isis?

Why should the city pay for this park?  The rumor is a certain Mr. Callahan is supposed to clean up and beautify that park as part of his deal with the city in return for the development of a parcel of waterfront land nearby that he’s clearly in no hurry to do.  City staff, working hand in hand with PB, surely know about the deal with Mr. Callahan, who, no doubt wakes up each morning with a big smile on his face, knowing that we the people are going to fix the park for him and pay for the privilege out of our own pockets, and he doesn’t have to do a darned thing.  We must be so rich.

I feel guilty that so many people who signed my petition and supported my project voted for the PB Park thinking it was the same park.  Someone should have told me before it was put on the ballot.  I should have been included.  If I had my way it’d be just me and the Mayor making that park, our way, without the city. Yes, I said that! 

But, don’t worry about me.  I consider this development a windfall and intend to make the most of it.  I’m looking at it now as an opportunity to join with others, whoever they may be, to work on the design of the park, with the needs and desires of those who live beside it, foremost on my agenda.  We want a peaceful quiet place, with nothing that will spoil our view, no junk, and nothing noisy.  Please.

Will the city approve it on December 8th?  They know all about Callahan – better than I do, and they know about my petition and have heard about the Topher Delaney design I submitted.  T’will be interesting to see how they deal with it.   

Did anyone else hear what I heard last night at the City Council meeting?  Council member Katy Miessner warned us not underestimate the effects of drought on world politics.  I don’t recall her exact words, she said them so quickly, but the gist was that an important reason for the problems in Syria started with a drought, bringing on the subsequent troubles we now witness with horror in that country, as well as those manifested in Paris, Beirut, etc. 

 

Basically, as I understood her, Katy blames terrorism on the drought, ultimately, which she cautions us to take seriously.  Presumably, our drought will turn us into terrorists if we don’t.  I like the theory that weather is to blame for the problems of the world.  Why not?  We wouldn’t need armies to fight it.  We could use our brains.