Measure D is the best chance Santa Cruz County has to build a safe and transit-oriented trail from Watsonville to Davenport. We dismiss the “deceptive” campaign slogans of our opponents and explain the facts and objective reports supporting our view. Greenway pits grassroots citizen activists against those who have held power and been wrong about the rail corridor for 35 years.
Local elections
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure B: County Transient Occupancy Tax explained
Proponents view the measure as an opportunity to use Santa Cruz County’s large tourism revenue stream to fund essential services vital to the community’s well being, but some in the hospitality industry see the industry split as unfair.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure E: Santa Cruz City District Elections explained
Some see the potential change as a means for leadership that represents the whole community in a four-year mayor; others are too worried about the implications of the chosen redistricting maps to approve of the measure.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Life, death and Measure D: A lose-lose proposition for us all
Ryan Coonerty dreams of getting hit by a meteor rather than face another discussion about Measure D. The 3rd District Supervisor says the intensity of debate around Measure D is pointless given one stark political reality: No matter how the vote goes, without compromises, Santa Cruz County won’t build anything for decades.
Posted inCoast Life
A train runs through us: Why the polarizing rail trail issue has divided us in a time that demands unity
What’s wrong with the rail trail debate is what’s wrong with American democracy in 2022, Wallace Baine writes. Why isn’t “Maybe,” or “It’s Complicated,” or “This Is Not My Field,” or “Whatever, Dude” one of the answers to a profound question of how we live our lives, recreate and commute in Santa Cruz County?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure C: County Disposable Cup Tax explained
As Santa Cruz County follows the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville in levying a new single-use cup charge, voters get to decide how to divvy up the estimated $700,000 in new revenue.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
District 3 forum fireworks: Sparks fly as Kalantari-Johnson, Cummings spar on homelessness, districting
As the June 7 election nears, the three candidates vying for the county supervisor seat that covers most of Santa Cruz and the North Coast — Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson, Justin Cummings and Ami Chen Mills — engaged in a spirited, pointed back-and-forth Thursday night. Meanwhile, four candidates — Liz Lawler, Gail Pellerin, Rob Rennie and Joe Thompson — for the newly redrawn State Assembly District 28 talked through a wide range of state-meets-local topics, and on where to spend California’s $68 billion surplus.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
NORTH COUNTY SUPES PART 1: How would they lead, make a difference and build community?
With longtime politico Ryan Coonerty bowing out from his duties overseeing most of Santa Cruz and areas north such as Bonny Doon and Davenport, three new, diverse faces are vying for the chance to replace them. Lookout asked them to respond to a wide-ranging set of questions, so you can compare them as we go to the polls on June 7. In Part 1, the three candidates for the District 3 Supervisor seat talk about their leadership skills.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Joe Thompson for Assembly District 28: We need to empower young people to vote
Joe Thompson is the youngest candidate ever to run for a California Assembly seat. They are 37-40 years younger than their opponents and say the legislature is bogged down with old-fashioned thinking and ideas. They say they’re a voice of change and youth, and the right person to combat climate change and big business. They’ve fought to unionize a Santa Cruz Starbucks shop, where they work as a barista, and are ready to take on bigger issues in Sacramento.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Rob Rennie for Assembly District 28: We need a proven, experienced leader
Rob Rennie believes his experience as a Santa Clara County leader, including as Los Gatos mayor, and his background in engineering and environmentalism make him the best candidate for California’s 28th Assembly District seat. He says he will bring expertise and the mind of a problem-solver to the state’s toughest issues, including COVID-19 recovery, homelessness, affordable housing and climate change.