Comments on: Push to overhaul CEQA law divides Democrats

By: Terry

Terry — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:14:12 +0000

You know sometimes its tough reading these posts because they contain so many errors by whack-jobs that look at EVERYTHING through the lens of conspiracy and Agenda this or that.

But, every once in awhile there is a gem. @Boethius hit the nail right on the head.

Ms. Evans, or those that agree with her position on CEQA, please read boethius’s post and tell me that you would have wanted to add an additional layer to CEQA that would have required Lucasfilms to pay an additional large sum of money and wasted time to do a “study” of the social justice merits of the Grady Ranch project.

Give me a thumbs down if you would have liked to have seen this additional study?

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By: John Pendergast

John Pendergast — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 17:19:02 +0000

What is CEQA really? It’s a tool to limit housing and keep rents much higher than they ordinarily would be. This has very little to do with the environment, it used to 30 years ago.

It’s now a social engineering tool used by left wing waspish old money to limit the Hispanic population in certain areas like Sonoma County. More housing means more brown people. Of course this comment will probably be moderated because I’m accusing white liberals of being closet racists, or at least ethnocentric.

I would much prefer more development so we can have cool businesses moving in and not be so bored in this county. You can only go to so many wine tastings.

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By: boethius

boethius — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 23:56:54 +0000

CEQA was used specifically to stonewall Lucasfilm’s Grady Ranch project for roughly 20 years, which they famously threw back in the face of Marin County and permanently ended the project, giving it back over to the community for low-income housing. Yet another example of how it was wielded by an HOA of a community that was not even there when Lucas bought the Grady Ranch property as a job killer. No matter that Lucas has almost universally shown himself to be a very good steward of the land and of course an economic engine of the community. It’s not like he was intending to build a strip mall or a gas station. He was going to build a world-class movie studio that had a very light footprint on the land. Ugh.

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By: GAJ

GAJ — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 21:05:36 +0000

Good point Lee; the ADA was well intentioned but has become a nightmare in California due them adding a layer called the Unruh Act which has essentially made it legal for “activists” and their lawyers to blackmail small businesses…sometimes into bankruptcy.

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By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:32:53 +0000

You can’t change the use of (or build or augment) ANY building without running into these three small business killers:

CEQA
ADA
The Fire Sprinkler racket

I’ve had several small, viable projects which would have created jobs killed by some combination of the abuse of the well meaning regulations.

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By: Terry

Terry — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:45:46 +0000

CEQA has and will continue to protect our environment, however unfortunate, it also has been misused by attorneys and “activist” organizations that make their living solely in using the court system to extort others under CEQA. CEQA needs reform so that it can do what it was intended to do while not allowing abuse. Ms. Evans apparently has never had a real job, nor has ever built anything.

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By: James Bennett

James Bennett — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:15:40 +0000

The Calif. Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a two edge sword.

It’s a means to thwart our actions (which largely defines Agenda 21). However the process can be absolutely molested when our local government wants to do something.

The ultimate local example being The One Bay Area “visioning meetings.”
This “process” is outlined in the cover story of The North Bay Independent (.org). Although the site is only hours old, for now it just mirrors the print version.

MTC and ABAG skirted with the public input component of CEQA. In an obvious deference to ram the Plan through and not genuinely measure support. It was sickening.
http://arccopy.com/nbi/

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By: GAJ

GAJ — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:54:07 +0000

Well, if it can be used to stop the High Speed Rail White Elephant then I’m 100% on board with Ms. Evans.

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