Holy Cow!
That’s about all I can say after listening to a recorded message for Alameda Mayor Beverly Johnson that our household (and I’m guessing most Alameda Households) received last night.
The message (a robo-call) says that she has an important message on an important issue: Alameda Point. It talks about how planning has been going on for 12 years with public processes along the way. And then she says something that surprised the heck out of me: “A plan has been developed that deserves our support.” And the plan is the SunCal plan!
Having watched a gazillion ARRA and City Council meetings, I would never in a million years have predicted this call. Not because I ever thought the Mayor was against the plan, but because she has played her cards very close to her vest.
Huge amounts of respect go out to the Mayor for getting out in front of this issue and stepping into a big-time leadership role on what she rightfully calls an important issue facing our city.
If anyone doubted the sincerity of our mayor to promote over development on our island, just wait until the word gets out on her promotional phone ad to the residents of Alameda in support of the SunCal plan. In it she suggests it will “insure environmental clean-up” (not true),; that it will provide sports facilities (but there are already more sports facilities there than SunCal will provide),; That it will attract the kind of jobs people of Alameda need (if they can live on retail sales wages); that it will add housing, (perhaps more housing that our gateways can accommodate) , and that it will provide transportation improvements, (but only if you like to wait in long traffic lines to get on and off our island if you need to ever cross the estuary for work.)
It is obvious to me that my vote for her when she was 1st elected was a huge mistake; there are no lengths she will not pursue to run the island into even more excessive debt while dismantling our traditional peaceful neighborhood quality of life in favor promoting the “pyramid scheme” of ever increasing development even though there is no way Alameda can support the traffic or the cost of the additional social burden. She encourages you to disregard the rising sea level, the traffic, the pollution, and to pretend SunCal’s plan is environmentally sustainable growth.
What a desperate and disappointing sham!
Comment by David Kirwin — March 25, 2009 @ 10:05 pm
Bravo for Mayor Johnson, she has not only participated on the BRAG, served on the Commissions considering how the commuity wanted the Base to be re-developed but now as Mayor has the task of leadership. Few people know more about the numerous development proposals, obstacles, and opportunities than she does. I applaud her for taking up the leadership for all who have also spent many hours responding in a constuctive way to the questions about the development of the Point..
It is a shame to see the same nay sayers making up falsehoods and negatives and dragging out red herrings. Where have they been all these years of debate and meetings? What have they contributed to the discussion? Certainly it is easier to be against proposals, than it is to try and find ways to achieve successess for the City. I wonder, have they read the Plan? Have they objectively looked at the benefits that will accrue to all of Alameda?
Try for solutions all ye naysayers vs. seeing what negative thngs you can find or make up – to say about good proposals. There should be a recent lesson gleaned from the City leadership vs. the hysteria surrounding the beautiful – predictably successful addition to Park street… the Alameda Theatre!.
[...] case you missed it, Mayor Johnson stepped out strong on the leadership of Alameda Point on [...]
Guess I got the Jim Crow robocall…I didn’t get the message until tonight.
Then again, maybe it’s because I live on the West End.
I am with Helen Sause on this one.
I would feel much better about the upcoming debates/discussions on amending Measure A for ONLY Alameda Point if I we were not at such a big risk of distortions, personal attacks, the misappropriation and abuse of facts, etc.
We need to have a reasoned, civil, and detailed debate about Suncal’s proposal and the November charter amendment (if it collects sufficient valid signatures). And the tend is not encouraging thus far…
The theater was/is “predictably successful?”
If you think a project not covering its debt service is successful, I’d hate to see what you call failure.