ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

Powerful editorial, Todd, your contribution is most welcome.

Thanks, Todd, for your thoughtful analysis. I agree that the council is pursuing a strategy of non action unless it is forced by public action to do something cosmetic and distracting, like promise to come up with their own initiative on chains, while stealing Kenley's ideas and stalling with their own, while giving the appearance of caring and wanting to do something. The real question is why are they acting in this strange way? Most of the council appears to be "caught in the headlights" and doesn't know which way to run, until instructed by their masters. Who are the masters behind the scenes pulling the strings? I have to guess because the council surely isn't going to tell, even if they know. I would guess that the masters here are the same ones, only on a smaller scale, as the ones in Washington: THE FINANCIAL INTERESTS. It is in their interest to maintain control and avoid at all costs, control passing into the hands of the common people. This theory explains much: Frostie, Mallory Way, Jersey Mikes, Subway, water, gravel, Los Arboles, and especially slapping down Jeff's initiatives and suing him and 50 DOES twice. There is an obvious conflict of interest on the council now but that is only the tip of the iceberg. I speculate that the council's actions are driven either by calculating self serving individuals or by really mentally disturbed ones. I don't think it is ignorance or naivete. Our best policy is to keep the heat on and don't get discouraged because with each new incident, more information is revealed. The last council meeting was a case in point. Sue Horgan attacked the opposition, using a bully pulpit and Joe DeVito rambled on about all his accomplishments; both of them revealing more than they realized. We benefit by taking the high ground and keep prodding them just enough so they come out of hiding. Their game is to pull the wagons around the financial interests and hope the Indians will get tired and go back to their teepees. The council members and much of their staff appear to be quite well off, probably home owners, stockholders, drawing or about to draw nice retirement pensions, have nice cars, etc. That means they are well placed in the financial system, and would hardly like to be like me or anyone else on the lower economic rungs. And I'm sure it must send a shiver through their bones to think that I might have the power to make decisions that would impact their pocketbooks. Take Joe DeVito. He just bristles when mention of banker-developer bias is mentioned by me. He gets only $475 as a council member but there are other perks which he takes advantage of, not to mention the status and prestige of a council member. He serves on county boards and appears to like the various "junkets," both city and county that are paid for by taxpayers. Whether these conferences serve any real useful good is debatable. I have a natural affinity for keeping things short so I don't want to end this brief analysis too abruptly but to make a long story short: follow the money. Remember the chinaberry tree at the corner of Politoville? When I go by there, I still see that tree and weep. When our brave leaders drive by, I believe they see a money tree. It's emblematic of their mindset. Their problem is that they can't be honest about how they feel because it is not politically correct. I called their "moratorium" meeting a farce, and a distracting farce at that. Moratorium in the dictionary means "delay." Logic means nothing to money addicts. Empathy means nothing to money addicts. The only thing that means anything to an addict is what feeds the addiction. For moneyists it is money. The council's strange behavior will make sense if we can see it in the correct frame. The money frame explains much. The power frame does too. The sex frame is an interesting angle but a little to abtruse for most minds to follow. Basically, it goes like this. Ojai has a disinctly womamly consciousness; Ojai means "moon" in Chumash; Ojai is a valley; still quite natural and resistant to male power-over-nature values; and the O in Ojai a womam symbol; poetic; artistic; spiritual, etc. The male patriarchy is oblivious to these themes in its drive for "development," which is mostly a compensatory mechanism for arrested development and missing the love which the womam consciousness inherently has. Women have lived under patriarchy for 6000 years so most women today have internalized patriarchy so much that they haven't a clue to what I'm talking about, and I'm in a male body. Oh, well, my point is that money, sex and power are useful concepts in deconstructing patriarchy which impacts on the Ojai council conundrum. I enjoy Todd's analysis, and would enjoy a continuing study of the strange behavior which is the subject of this thread. Well, I wonder if I have exceeded 800 words which Suza pointed out as a reasonable limit for myself. Tyler has not said anything so he probably can afford it; and may not want to give the appearance of censorship. There is a value in staying power and if anyone has stayed with me thus far, let me say that staying power is what we will need to restore sane government to this beleaguered town.

Hey Dennis -

Tyler has not said anything so he probably can afford it; and may not want to give the appearance of censorship.

Well, I don't pay bandwidth by the word. ha! And censorship for me isn't about appearances - free speech is a fundamental and ethical cornerstone of our discourse.

Hey Dennis, for what it's worth, if you want readers to be able to digest and absorb what you've written, once again, I highly recommend that you little by little learn the fine art of editing --even for the Ojai Post, where we all have fun cutting loose one in awhile, when its appropriate to be sponatenous and write wildly and passionately off the top of our head. But, for the long haul, it is an act of kindness to your readers if you learn the art of communicating the most important points in 800 words or less. I myself was dragged kicking and screaming over the years through a rigorous, unrellenting editorial process by over a dozen different editors until I finally realized the value of "being easy to read." And the more serious your topic, the more important that becomes. Namaste.

PS Dennis your post was 908 words. Not bad! But, at great risk of sounding like your English teacher, you gotta learn to stop when you make your point and resist the temptation to pull in the entire cosmos...

The corner Texas Umbrella Tree, or Chinaberry, was near the end of its natural life. It will be replaced by a 72" box Valley Oak; 18 new trees will be planted at the Polito site. (35 words.)

If it is true that the Chinaberry was near the end of its natural life, this should have been explained long ago to the residents of our tree-loving valley. The Ojai Valley News has also published numerous letters fom people who are deeply saddened by the sudden and violent removal of this beloved tree. All the "facts" and justifications should have been made public. So, first of all, I would want to know how old was this tree and what was the expected length of its natural life? When speaking of trees, there are many who with proper care live decades and even hundreds of years beyond the "average" life cycle.

As a former City Council member well acquainted with Ojai's long history of tree controversies, I will take credit for the previous post. I'm now wondering how many other posts show up "anonymous"
simply because people forget to keep their name in the Name box...

Todd, your observations strike me as right on. We have seen already how the recall has caused Joe DeVito to reverse his vote and approve the 45-day moratorium; and Sue Horgan went along as well. This is stark evidence of what it takes to get "client service" as you put it. It should be unacceptable to all of us. We cannot have to initiate recall in order to get our councilmembers to pay attention.

I hope the council is paying attention. Initiatives, recalls, citizen groups to deal with water and trucks, all of these should be signs to council that they are not doing their job. The very least they should do is let the citizens know they will not stand in the way of the efforts of the people; as you say, lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Thanks, Suza and Tyler, for your kind words. I'm working on brevity as the soul of wit.

I looked at the felled chinaberry tree closely, through the "chain" fence. It sure didn't look like it was nearing the end of its life. The inside was exposed clearly and it looked perfectly healthy, in fact super healthy. I've seldom since such a beautiful, rich shade of brown. I'm not an expert but I could not see any sign of disease. Even the leaves looked vibrant, although droopy after a couple of days since the "murder." They seemed to be waving goodby as they sank into oblivion. It was not only the cutting down, which was poorly done, more like hacking down, but the manner in which it was done. No public discussion, no grieving, no memorials, no pictures, no celebration or ceremony. Just a quick killing behind a draped fence, a stab in the back, before anyone could put up a fuss. Then there were the "explanations" leaked to the public. First, that it was diseased. I haven't heard much about that so perhaps that one didn't fly too well. If it was diseased, where is the proof? And anyone connected with city hall need not be taken at his/her word on that point; and unfortunately with their record, on any point. Now we hear that the chinaberry tree was nearing the end of its life. What? Who says so? By that criterion we should cut down half the trees in Ojai. The chinaberry tree, along with Frostie and a few other "symbols" will remain for me signs of what was beautiful with Ojai, and unfortunately, what is ugly. As I said before, the financial interests in this company town never saw a chinaberry tree; they saw a money tree. Anything that gets in the way of money has to go: trees, people, small business, housing, initiatives, whatever. They destroy what is natural and beautiful, and replace it with trees in boxes and money in safe boxes. They can't even think outside the money box, so boxed in are they with their money addiction. The theme of this post is openly political so I can go full bore with my comments while keeping them under 800 words. (I wish this posting system had a word counter.) The main problem we face here is POLITICAL. All the other things we face stem from that one lynchpin. Suza should be the first witness of that since she went through the initation by fire herself. What is perhaps most disturbing is the apathy of most citizens to politics, to the point where they are referred to as "sheeple"; not just blue collar types but wealthy, educated, cultured, artistic types as well. It is understandable because politics is shrouded in mystery and secrecy, designedly so, and to penetrate the smoke and mirrors requires hard work and effort. That type of "character" is rapidly becoming a thing of the past in this age of TV sound bites and fast food. The "heart of darkness" at the political core is indeed uncomfortable and scary to face. Still, there is hope that people can gather on sites like this, build an information and energy base, and confront the darkness and ignorance that exists on all levels of government today. It's a David vs. Goliath task because government, and their corporate sponsors have written the laws so they get the money. Imagine, they get paid for defending the corrupt system while we activists for truth and justice have to do this as a second or third job. I'm lucky being retired, single and bankrupt. I'm free with little to lose. Well, I must be nearing the finish line of the 800 word dash, so if I do not want to lose the race and more of my reputation as a skilled editor of words, I better quit while I'm ahead. Thanks to all, "We brave few," according to Shaekespeare's Henry V.

Here you go, Dennis :)
http://javascriptkit.com/script/script2/countwords.shtml

Thanks, Tyler. I looked at the link but unfortunately, cannot decode the info. I'm afraid to play around with it for fear of losing text. Do I somehow highlight my comment and then type some code? For example, if I wanted to word count this, what would I do? Select it? Then what?

Dennis - simply copy-and-paste the text you want to count, paste it on that other page, and hit Calculate Words.

Very well written article, and supported by fact. Has anyone noticed that the OVN poll is in favor (as of today) of the recall?

Thank you all for your supportive comments. Since many of the comments are focused on Dennis' verbosity, I'll weigh in, as I did not address this issue in my original post. I realize the length of his posts bother some folks, but it is not of particular concern to me. Sometimes I read them in their entirety, sometimes I change the channel and move on. As long as any one person's posts are not compulsory reading, I don't care if they're long. I am more focused on (and thankful for) the fact that we have a blog with this much critical mass to be self-sustaining - unusual for a population as small as Ojai.

662 words Dennis. Your observations on the health of the Chinaberry tree sound all too familiar. If I find out anything more I'll post it here. Allan Thornhill's OVN's letter to the editor from about two weeks ago, expressed very well how many of us feel.

Hi Todd, I deeply appreciate your writing and thank you for it. I want to clarify about my comments concerning the length of posts. It has little to do with whether the length bothers me personally. In Dennis's case, I think he sincerely wants to be an agent for change. Preaching to the choir is one thing but if it takes 20 sentences to get to what you really need to say you risk loosing the very person you're trying to reach. I believe Dennis has many important things to say and if he can catch himself--kindly, gently--when he strays too far from the original point--he will be much more effective. That's all! Thank you for caring so much about Ojai!!!

One more note to Todd: Did you send your "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way" editorial to the OVN's? It deserves to be read widely. This business of council members dismissing certain people as "crackpot" or "fringe element" has gone on way too long!

Has anyone noticed the upswing in activism since the Ojai Post came along?

Information (facts) and a forum in which to organize are essential tools to activism. Thanks Tyler and all the authors and commenters.

Hi Suza. Thank you very much for your kind words. I think we're on the same page regarding Dennis' tomes. There is good stuff in his writing, and he plainly cares deeply for Ojai, but I agree that not all readers have the patience to parse it out.

Coincidentally, the "crackpot" and "fringe element" comment was directed specifically at Dennis and Pete by Sue Horgan during a council meeting regarding the O-Hi Frostie situation. I believe it was my first Ojai Council meeting, and I was floored when I heard it. I could not believe that an elected official could be both so abusive and just plain rude as to publicly dress down two candidates for office in Council chambers. She included the “10 or 12” of the rest of us present in her crackpot comment (there were many more than 10 or 12 present, and obviously many more mourned the loss of the Frostie). You only get one opportunity to make a first impression, and Sue made a poor one on me that evening. The SLAPP suit against Jeff was an encore, which pretty much sealed my impressions of this Council. Though I have tried to express my own feeling regarding this act in my writings in OVN and the Post, I do not think there are adequate words to convey just how plainly outrageous this was. Thankfully, the ACLU’s position appears to be consistent with my own. I am confident that justice will be meted out in time.

I submitted “Lead, Follow…” to OVN early last week. We’ll see if publish it. Thank you again for your kind words and support.

the City's interest is only power and money ...

same when it comes to the trees. last year I was listening in, unobserved, on some city officials looking at a magnificent healthy tree in town ... which they wanted to eliminate for a building expansion ... and heard them jokingly saying "oh it looks unhealthy" and they would call in an 'expert' to start sawing off the limbs, in pretense of saving it. then they would have no arguments when they came in and took the whole thing out, and 'voila', they could go ahead with their construction plans.

if they used that same 'judgement' re: 'health' for the citizens of this Valley, they would have to 'exterminate' 90 percent of us! [making their 'jobs' of 'reaping' the lobbyist dollars less troublesome?]

Heather, I agree completely that The Post has played an invaluable role in the activism we're seeing in Ojai. My heartfelt thanks also to Tyler for bringing us The Post!

Re: "This business of council members dismissing certain people as "crackpot" or "fringe element" has gone on way too long!"

Its not just Sue Horgan. Did anyone else notice Joe DeVito's chastising members of the public at the last council meeting for his perception that "some of you don't even have the gumption to salute the flag"!?!

What a crude and malignant attack.

(And a hypocritical one. Joe DeVito has voted twice to sue a citizen for attempting to exercise the very Constitutional rights that the flag stands for.)

(I've recycled these word froms city council campaign
-hope springs eternal that we as a community
can lead Ojai in civic vision and democratic process)

Ojai would do well to follow a building ordinance adopted by Santa Barbara recently limiting the size of remodels to a certain square footage preventing dimensions that block surrounding views and overshadow modest existing structures. The big buildout of Ojai deminishes charm and liveability and comes with side effects of unsustainable growth - crime, unhealthy air, traffic congestion and general threats to public safety and the quality of life. Oversized homes and commercial buildings subtract from the charm and diversity bringing tourist revenue to a small town that is not yet another suburb. The downtown arcade area is designed for pedestrians with a central plaza business district, not a gateway to decentralized commercial buildings producing traffic congestion.Also as important is providing for the culture-youth, arts, music and creative pursuits, as well as acknowledging the many rich and varied spiritual communities we have for a town this size. It is good to see young people walking and relating to a small town they grew up in and still feel a part of.I like small neighborhood encounters with safe streets for bicycles and walkers and kids and the occasional wayward dog wandering down what it believes is a quiet lane, not a busy thoroughfare. My vision of the quality of life here compliments but not resists a finite valley supporting healthy clean natural resources which have potential for benign clean energies and renewables - solar, wind, and bicycle and electric transportation.

I entered the city council race for reasons somewhat a mystery - the job itself being a long and thankless task with few willing participants. I know now going through the elections process that the community has found it’s voice, or one that I never quite heard before here. I’ve seen the old guard of Ojai awaken, and I’ve seen the newer one sing harmony with not the same old song and dance, but a stirring melody of hope and promise that is every bit as rare and beautiful as this valley surrounded by mountains that filter the light of dawn and dusk.That this place is like no other, that is the essential message and the only one that really matters. Yes it is threatened here, but no It is not too late to change that - it is neither a lost horizon nor a lost cause.
I won’t be singing the melody from a city council seat but will be humming it as I make the rounds on bicycle and on foot to friends I see walking still quiet streets, still healthy small neighborhoods with trees and views and and still open places with pure streams to see and visit. It is still good to live in this place, to know and value it, to be a part of it. To see and hear this song being sung brings feelings of joy and contentment of what remains in this quiet valley of peace.

Re this issue of our present council maligning concerned members of our community as crackpots, fringe elements and bad Americans: I too hope that all of these processes underway can help get us to a place where we have a council that stops namecalling, and starts governing.

But since it is notoriously hard to teach old dogs new tricks, I'd settle for a council that would just get out of the way. After all, sticks and stones may break our bones (and chains and unchecked developers may wreck our town) - but names will never hurt us.

Thanks, Pete and CFO. Pete, you're getting to be quite a poet in describing Nature's Ojai, and I do read your comments no matter what their length. Keep on putting out your views. They help correct the politically correct moneyist versions of Ojai. As for the council, I've written more than most Ojaians can tolerate; but suffice it to say here that I believe the council is in secret sympathy with the BCD complex (Banker, Council, Developer), three men in a money tub; but they cannot openly acknowledge it. Conflict of interest, you know.

June 28, 2007

TO: Chief Law Enforcement Officer Ojai, California
FROM: Carroll Dean Williams, Citizen
SUBJECT: Carroll Dean Williams' Citizen's Arrest of Ojai City Clerk Carlon Strobel for Violation of the Penal Code section 148.5. (a):

The Penal Code sections:
148.5. (a) Every person who reports to any peace officer listed in Section 830.1 or 830.2, or subdivision (a) of Section 830.33, the Attorney General, or a deputy attorney general, or a district attorney, or a deputy district attorney that a felony or misdemeanor has been committed, knowing the report to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
834. An arrest is taking a person into custody, in a case and in the manner authorized by law. An arrest may be made by a peace officer or by a private person.
837. A private person may arrest another: 1. For a public offense committed or attempted in his presence. 2. When the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in his presence. 3. When a felony has been in fact committed, and he has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested to have committed it.
840. An arrest for the commission of a felony may be made on any day and at any time of the day or night. An arrest for the commission of a misdemeanor or an infraction cannot be made between the hours of 10 o'clock p.m. of any day and 6 o'clock a.m. of the succeeding day, unless: (1) The arrest is made without a warrant pursuant to Section 836 or 837. (2) The arrest is made in a public place. (3) The arrest is made when the person is in custody pursuant to another lawful arrest. (4) The arrest is made pursuant to a warrant which, for good cause shown, directs that it may be served at any time of the day or night.
841. The person making the arrest must inform the person to be arrested of the intention to arrest him, of the cause of the arrest, and the authority to make it, except when the person making the arrest has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested is actually engaged in the commission of or an attempt to commit an offense, or the person to be arrested is pursued immediately after its commission, or after an escape. The person making the arrest must, on request of the person he is arresting, inform the latter of the offense for which he is being arrested.