Measure O is deceptive and its proponents have peddled in untruths to gain community support, write Janis O’Driscoll, Edward Estrada and Matt Farrell. They laud the City of Santa Cruz’s new library/housing project and insist Measure O, if passed, would torpedo the community’s chance to get a cutting-edge library and 124 affordable housing units in the heart of downtown. They unpack what they consider Measure O’s untruths here and explain why no is the best vote.
Election 2022
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Westside divide: In District 6, Renée Golder and Sean Maxwell differ in tactics to solve the day’s problems
As Santa Cruz’s Westside gets its own city council seat, a carpenter and a school principal square off. “If we had to move tomorrow, I don’t know if we would be able to live here,” says Sean Maxwell, a planning commissioner who pushes for more affordability. Renée Golder sees public safety as her foundational issue. “If you’re not safe, you can’t really do anything else. Everybody deserves to live and thrive wherever they are,” she says. Their race mirrors much of our local politics today.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Greg, Hector and Scott for District 4: A new face for a quickly changing district
Santa Cruz City Council’s new District 4 will greet a novice officeholder after November’s election. Greg Hyver, Hector Marin and Scott Newsome bring varying levels of knowledge on the issues, and bring both commonly held and unusual solutions to the table. They will debate as part of Lookout’s next candidate forum, slated for Monday at 6 p.m.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Measure N offers empty promises and invasive oversight: It’s not Santa Cruz’s answer to affordable housing
Measure N, the empty homes tax, is a cruel empty promise, argues Lynn Renshaw, a founder of Santa Cruz Together. She writes that Measure N is not the answer we seek for affordable housing in our community. It creates what she calls “an unelected and intrusive bureaucracy” that requires residents to report how often they live in their homes or face criminal penalties and fines. It distracts from more practical solutions to our real housing challenges. It’s unworkable and wrong, she says, insisting, “we should be able to come and go freely from our property without city government monitoring or control.” Santa Cruz, she believes, deserves better.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Vote yes on N if you care about our community: It’s our ticket to affordable housing in Santa Cruz
Measure N will help fund affordable housing by taxing those who don’t use their homes more than eight months a year, argues Cyndi Dawson, chair of the City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission and campaign manager for Measure N. At a minimum, she writes, the city estimates taxing empty homes will generate $2.5-$4 million to support housing for the community and help keep our teachers, child care, health care and service workers from moving away. Santa Cruz has a history of supporting tax measures and Dawson thinks residents need to step up and support this measure.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Like ‘two separate elections’: How abortion and inflation have taken over California political ads
In California election ads, Democrats running for Congress spotlight abortion access after Roe vs. Wade’s overturn; Republicans focus on inflation.
Posted inK-12 Education
The five biggest issues confronting public education in Santa Cruz County
As voters head to the polls to decide on school board candidates and school bonds, what are the concerns those in the school system — students, teachers, administrators and parents — have? We talked to more than two dozen of them.
