Letter to IJ: Policing

So far unpublished...
Submitted yesterday.

Does Minneapolis have any similarities with towns and cities in California? 

  We need to take this American civilization up a notch on behalf of community well-being and truly become one people. That one people needs to include police officers and the communities they are sworn to protect. Anyone who wishes to wear a uniform and become in the best sense of the word a Peace officer, needs to fulfill a rigorous training and be the caliber of person who brings pride to our communities. At this time of our human history this is a tremendously difficult challenge. Anxiety pervades our communities, hostilities abound between people of the same national origins and cultures not to mention many who have not gotten over their fear and prejudice of ‘the other’ whatever color.

  Thank you to all who have joined this profession who have maintained a high caliber of courage and cool in the course of your daily work. 

   For Governor Newsom, Marin Supervisors, Marin Mayors and local citizens.. Where are we at? What is the state of training in California? What rigorous screening keeps out those who have some ‘issues’ with anger or deep or just plain prejudice? Has that been accomplished in California? If so let’s share the good news. Other states might want to join our success or does that success exist. I think a more rigorous test for anyone who carries a badge and a gun anywhere in America needs to exist.  To graduate to become a cop in America should be to become a true Peace Officer.

   We all need to think about that in our own lives, do I foster a society that blames others for our problems or do I come with a peaceful problem solving attitude. What can we do? We have to try.

Letter unprinted to IJ: Regarding Back to Normal in Marin

  This letter was submitted without enough lead time. Possibly why wasn't printed or it was too

  negative for a subject that makes the city happy getting back to normal .. tax revenue etc...

On Thursday May 14 it was reported that the San Rafael Planning Commission had unanimously approved the development project for the 185 Room Hotel project in the Canal area and unless someone comes in with an appeal is filed by 5PM on this Friday the 22nd it apparently will go forward.

    I respectfully disagree with ‘this good and well thought out project’. 

  The 61 foot tall hotel complex will be one of the largest structure's in San Rafael.  Is it beautiful? Is it ugly? That hardly matters.

   The Environmental Impact of Construction We might consider What is the climate action plan of San Rafael or the Environmental Impact of Construction? Does one hand of our city approve projects that harm our environment while the other hand is engaged in children’s education on what they can do to ‘save’ the planet.

    The Economics of the Planet have shifted… ’to roll the dice with other people’s money’

 Is fine for speculators. For a community we have the next generation to be responsible to. 

  There now may be no ‘going back’ to the way things used to be only going forward.

  With this project will the state have a new dormitory to house the homeless?  Our state like the 

  Federal government seems to be shoveling out money without worrying about where

  it comes from.

     1918 seems a long way in the past, how about 1906? There’s talk of

   Emergency Preparation in San Rafael, there’s been action, but why build something that 

   may undue your best plans? How will this four or five story building hold up on land fill at 

   the edges of SF Bay? How many fire trucks and emergency vehicles get dedicated to

   this address but not someone else’s in the next ’surprise’ event?

      We are at the beginning of a very necessary change of strategy and design for our civilization. 

   That's a good thing.