The San Diego City Council voted unanimously to temporarily close access to Point La Jolla year-round due to dangerous interactions with sea lions by members of the public.
Civic Life
Posted inPolitics & Policy
With growing popularity of tech like ChatGPT, county restricts AI for hiring, requires more public disclosure
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a policy on artificial intelligence aimed at “harnessing the potential but also recognizing some of the risks, in particular on data privacy.” Big decisions will remain in human hands, a spokesperson said, but the county wanted a policy that could allow it to use AI as a tool while acknowledging its blind spots.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Revenue from county’s disposable cup tax falls short as officials struggle with tracking and compliance
Santa Cruz was the first county in the U.S. to tax single-use cups. At the time, it estimated the tax would raise $700,000 a year. But staff now say the tax will likely bring in just $280,000 a year, or about 40% of originally projected revenue, in part because the county has no central way to track the number of businesses giving out disposable cups, nor how many are complying with the program.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Downtown Santa Cruz to hike business assessment fee as city center sees post-pandemic rebound in foot traffic
With a big post-pandemic resurgence underway, the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz wants to hike by nearly 15% what district businesses pay to help support cleaning, safety services, the Downtown Ambassador program and more. A hearing before the city council is set for Sept. 26; if passed, the increase — the first in three decades — would go into effect in January.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
How California lawmakers greenlit ‘any flavor of affordable housing you could possibly want’
A patchwork of bills are giving housing developers and local governments more options to reduce red tape for housing projects.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California Planned Parenthood employees unionize, say they’re overworked as abortions increase
Planned Parenthood clinics in Southern California saw a sharp increase in abortions after the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade. Now, workers at the clinics are creating a union.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Anti-density stances are bad for Santa Cruz — so are ballot initiatives on building heights
Economist Richard McGahey responds to Housing for People activist Susan Monheit’s Sept. 15 Lookout piece. The two have been engaged in a lively public debate about changes to downtown Santa Cruz and the usefulness of a ballot initiative on tall buildings Housing for People is trying to get on the March ballot. McGahey, whose 2023 book on inequitable cities was nominated for a National Book Award, is against the initiative. “Not only do we voters not know enough, but such voting actually is anti-democratic, favoring wealthier people and homeowners,” he says.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz city leaders look to sales tax measure to fund homeless services as state grant set to run out
The Homelessness Response Action Plan has been the City of Santa Cruz’s working policy document on homelessness since March 2022, and has guided its approach to connecting people on the street with services, shelter and permanent housing. However, the plan was largely shaped around a $14 million state grant that will run out next July, leaving funding for one of the region’s more successful homelessness strategies in question just as its momentum is beginning to build.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Controversial parents’ rights group Moms for Liberty participated in an event in Watsonville this weekend. Who are they?
The Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms for Liberty an anti-government extremist group earlier this year. The group participated in a three-hour forum in Watsonville on Sunday that featured a number of speakers who attacked schools’ approach to sex education — particularly LGBTQ+ and transgender topics. Its latest targets are two California Assembly bills that recently made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Posted inHousing & Development
Tenants group crashed Berkeley party for end of eviction moratorium. Then things got ugly
A group of landlords who gathered to celebrate the end of a pandemic eviction moratorium were confronted by an angry tenants group. Fists, chairs and food were thrown.