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

See Leary analysis posted elsewhere; it is much more detailed than mine.

I'm pleased there is finally a dialog going on about this issue that will end in a permanent solution. Because of the moratorium, we have the luxury of time (April '08). And because of the initiative we actually have some leverage. We can take the time Kenley mentions above and build consensus. If we aren't listened to, or if the powers that be are unwilling to respond in kind, we can have an election on the initiative that protects all of Ojai. It's that simple. I was unable to attend the meeting last night, but I've read both reports and I have a few comments/questions:

From Dennis' report:

"(Mirk) thinks about nature of government and how the commissioners represent the people; dislikes deciding by initiative."

I'm thinking a refresher course on civics is warranted here. The commissioners are appointed, not elected, so any claims to representation are at best once removed. The initiative process is direct democracy. It is more representative than even the city council. I find it odd that people who seem to take the more hard-line stance always seem to dislike democracy. From Kenley's report it appears that Mr. Mirk sees no problem with chains vis a vis Ojai. I really don't see how that position is tenable.

From Kenley's report it appears that the chair of the commission, Adams, is in favor of a broadened HCD and possibly a hybrid ordinance with the bigger HCD and the regulation process of the initiative. This would be a fairly large ordinance if combined, but I think it would be more effective than the current draft which doesn't protect more than 85% of the city's commercial property. Also, as said before I'm extremely leery of the legality of this HCD zoning. Downtown Ojai isn't Cannery Row. There's not much historical evidence to call the arcade a special historical zone. After all, Libbey's arcade, tower and pergola are less than 100 years old. Further, I think it's a very bad idea to create this new zoning within the the ordinance itself. Like I mentioned before, we have a bit of time here. If they must create an artificial HCD in a town that's all of 3.5 miles long, it should be done separately from the ordinance that will rely on that same zoning. Of course, it would be a whole lot easier to just apply any new ordinance to the entire city like the initiative does.

Finally, from Dennis' report:

"Adams closed by noting the difference between the city ordinance and the citizens; she was all for freedom but wanted a document that could be changed...."

The fact of the matter is that the citizens had to lead the way on this issue because the city refused to. There's no need to go into the whole sordid history of lawsuits and feet dragging here, but suffice it to say that I am very pleased and somewhat amazed that the city is proposing any kind of ordinance to deal with this problem. However, the fact remains, if Chairwoman Adams wants an ordinance that is easily changed and that doesn't require an election to do so, she and her cohorts on the council need to deal with the initiative.

More regulation is needed.

I'm done thinking.

I want to make it easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for chain stores to enter Ojai.

All I want is Kenley's/Leslie's Initiative. I'm done with the debate that is now, with what is to come.

I really thought the City would have worked with Kenley in earnest all this time. I'm disheartened to hear that the City chose not too listen to one, more wise than themselves. It's too late. Dennis hit it dead on, as others, that this draft is a ruse, only sincere in that it is to wrest the decision from the vote of the people, that would put the initiative in concrete, until, the voters should change their minds, by vote of the people, not by a Council meeting and vote after a series of 3 minute citizen comments.

Kenley is a gentleman's gentleman. How He could be so restrained when He comments of the rebuff(lack of respect, my deduction, I feel), the City afforded him, is testament alone as to what an ally they could of had, had they dealt with him.

Alas, this isn't about individual personalities, it's about the personality of Ojai. All personalities mature as has Ojai's. Even a solid personality can change for the worse, as in if we were to allow Ojai to Mainline chain stores to the point of civic convulsion. As with too many Mainline indulgences, you reach a point of no return.

I hope I didn't pop anyone's bubble.

I see Kenley and myself were typing reports about the same time and I didn't know it. This is the information age and I'm excited to see how the information here swirls and connects. Something good is happening but I'm not sure what it is. Seems a bit chaotic right now. But here's the thing which I believe Sean nailed above. The citizens are taking the initiative, quite literally. It started with Jeff and scared the bejeesus out of the cabal (I want to follow up on anonymous' thoughts on that but not now). We saw it again last night. The status quo just does not know what to do when citizens take the lead. It's like they are DOES (remember that infamous scene?) frozen in the headlights. The light is shining. - The structure is afraid of Kenley's initiative; you can see that from the comments made and by reading between the lines; probably because it can't be controlled in the usual way; suing didn't work and now subverting it with their own initiative doesn't seem to be working either. What to do? Well, as usual, delay and take it back to the drawing board. The way it's going, the city will be lucky to have a final draft ready by the time the moratorium expires. - The Camel indeed does have its nose under the tent but we have been very successful in making it withdraw for now. - The solution is so damn simple and clear that those blinded by the headlights of political enlightenment can't see it. Kenley said it last night ever so kindly and sweetly: "I offered to work with you but my offer was not taken up." The power complex fears that if it becomes the least bit conciliatory and reasonable, it will lose its grip, and that is intolerable psychically and politically. - The solution is LOVE which was extended liberally (well, probably with the exception of myself who gave them hell). As someone here said we just have to keep engaging and talking and building consensus. But wow! Now I can see it better; it is happening. We are not the fringe element; we are the real leaders and always have been. We just need to solidify that consciousness. The power is with the people. - Here I often get confused, thinking the people is all the people, or the majority, which is a sort of contradiction in democracy. No, the people can be one person; thinking holistically where the whole is contained totally in each part. One person can make a difference, and now we have what? One or two dozen people participating actively, and many more observers on the fringes ready to come in; infact, 600+ just in the city alone. Wow! That's power. And we could have gotten a lot more signatures. I quit gathering because I somehow knew that the city would do what they did, and make gathering more a waste of time. But it turned out perfect; we got our 10% and more. That was so powerful when Kenley talked about all the signatures, and probably 900 if we counted them all; you could just see the wheels turning in the minds of those behind the dias, their eyes widened and I sensed some of them holding their breaths. Rae had her back to me but I would have loved to see her face, knowing she's up for reelection. - Here's the point (why can't I be brief like Kenley?): we have the power and how are we going to use it? - BTW, how do I pull up Kenley's initiative? I punched in a few things to no avail. I want to reread it to see if it is as good as I think it is. - The point is that any rational person who is not so afraid and scared would just talk with Kenley et al and work out something that could be great for Ojai. It could take a week at no cost to the city. What is standing in the way? It think it is FEAR. What else could it be? Fear of the people who might turn out to be one or two, or maybe a dozen. It's crazy. - Anyway, chaos is a prelude to a new order so the chaos we are experiencing is a very good sign. I can just see the old order trembling, beginning to crumble and hanging on and resisting and striking back and all the other vices that follow upon Fear. - Just keep pouring that power of Love into the breach that we have made, "we brave few" as Henry V said at the battle of Agincourt. I really think this battle over the chains is the important issue now, even bigger than the trucks. Both threaten Ojai, one from within and the other from without. And the thing is it's not really about chains but about power, who is going to help chains to understand their proper place in the scheme of things? The people or the cabal or both? - This is exciting. I mean what else should I do? Most people are tied up making a living, as I was until a couple of years ago. Still, the awareness is the thing and that doesn't take that much time. - Man, I have to work on briefness. Anyway, I love this format. It's a better education that I got in all those years of school. Comes down to people just speaking their mind, pro or con. Damn, what do we do to get government to just talk real? Maybe they are starting to. It would be nice if they would chime in here but then there's all that peer pressure, and if they say the wrong thing, they might lose their job, and what would the neighbors think, and gosh, I might make a fool of myself... I found out making a fool of yourself is not so bad. There's a place for fools in any well balanced community. The wisdom comes from the consensus of all. Love, Dennis.

I noticed Alyeska's comment after posting mine. I really resonated with it which was brief and to the point; better expressed than my long ramblings. Also, this: Ojai has a personality; yes she does; you can personify Ojai. I make Ojai a her; just like I think Alyeska is better looking than Dana and possibly smarter. - It's not over yet. Maybe the so called cabal, if it be such, is putting up its last futile resistance before the walls of Jericho coming tumbling down. Remember Joshua circling seven times? I told the story of the hawk circling seven times here on another thread. Womam, I can feel it coming. The power is shifting. We just have to go with the flow because Ojai the person, personality, personification, goddess, godus, spirit, ancestors, whatever, is doing it. We're just going along for the ride, and womam, what a ride it is going to be. Hold on to your hats if you have them, the train is just leaving the station. All aboard! Love, Dennis.

Dennis - you requested the link to the initiative. Go to the Chain Store resource page (accessible from every page on The Ojai Post) in the upper left. Then scroll down to the bottom, and its the first entry under Outside Resources.

Dennis, you've been polishing your wordspeak and it is becoming a pleasure to hear what you have to say. You have become a wordsmith.

Kenley: thanks for your amazing perseverence and diplomacy.

(-:-)

The city soon will find out: Do we listen to what is being said, or can a select few continue to pay attention only to who is saying it?

600 signatures - just a sample of the city's voices, but a strong representative of many more - are saying listen to the people. If our old guard refuses to listen to what is being said, they will find in the not too distant future that they will become the "who" that is no longer listened to at all.