Comments by Jonathan Lundell

Help create an open source map of the Coastside, Sat, Aug 14

That’s pretty cute. I don’t see a way to refine their street numbering, though.

Supervisors reject vote on district elections

The charter review folks weren’t exactly impartial—they had definite views on the question, not so far removed from the supes. But they had the sense to recommend a popular vote anyway.

Perhaps we should look at it from the supes’ point of view, though: how could any system that had the good sense to anoint these noble fellows our leaders be anything less that ideal?

Supervisors reject vote on district elections

“Arrogance” is the word that comes to mind, watching the supes sitting there congratulating themselves on how well they represent all of us.

A proportional representation system would be fairer and more democratic than single-member districts, but the current at-large system is the worst.

http://coastsider.com/index.php/site/news/proportional_representation_would_make_the_board_of_supervisors_more_repres/

Proportional representation would make the Board of Supervisors more representative

For more on the subject of proportional representation (PR), see my PR Foundation site.

Measure E passes with 70.7% of vote

I rather like the idea of small, local schools like Kings Mnt. Under the current circumstances, though, I don’t see how the district can justify extracting an extra quarter of a million dollars (their figure) from the other sites to subsidize it. It should really be a charter, perhaps associated with Woodside if CUSD won’t have it.

WRT CSR, I’d like to see classes of maybe 12-15 students, but that’s obviously a pipe dream. If there were better evidence that 20 had an academic payoff, then CSR generally would be more attractive, but as it is, I can’t see prioritizing CSR over, say, counselors.

Measure E passes with 70.7% of vote

I voted for E, somewhat reluctantly, given my general dislike of parcel taxes <http://pragmatos.net/2006/08/09/school-parcel-taxes-are-bad-public-policy>.

I agree with Carl to this extent: it seems to me that CUSD’s budget priorities are not tied very tightly to academic performance concerns. According to the district’s numbers, it spends twice as much per student at Kings Mountain as at the other K-5 sites, which strikes me as indefensible. Yet Kings Mountain wasn’t on the table. (It seems to me that if Kings Mountain is to remain open, it should do so as a charter school.)

Likewise, K-3 class-size reduction is politically popular, even though it’s expensive and there’s no convincing evidence that it contributes to better academic outcomes. (What evidence there is suggests that, to be effective, CSR requires classes considerably smaller than the current 20.)

Even so, I voted for E because there doesn’t appear to be any other means of shoring up the budget in the foreseeable future, and in the faint hope that future budget choices will be accompanied by explicit evaluations of their impact on academic performance rather than political expediency. After the school board election, perhaps?

Advertise on Coastsider

Good to know….

Coastsider adds current traffic conditions

Kevin imagines that because there’s one way of collecting data from cell phones (Google Maps) it must be the only one.

Nah. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS140402+23-Mar-2009+BW20090323

Coastsider adds current traffic conditions

BTW, Lee, if you’re concerned about being tracked (and I’m not unsympathetic with that concern), you might want to turn off your cell phone when you drive. A private outfit is tracking your phone’s continuously broadcast unique ID and selling the data commercially. That’s how Google Maps shows traffic data on Hwy 1 south of 92, on Hwy 84, El Camino, etc.

Of course, we’d all be safer if we all turned off our phones while driving, so maybe it’s not that big a deal.

Coastsider adds current traffic conditions

I"ve been using the graphs for a long time now (as well as 511.org) and they’re pretty good. The main limitation is that they measure end-to-end transit time, no actual vehicle speed, so there’s a lag between a traffic blockage and when it gets ‘seen’ by the system. There’s a surprising number of transponders going over the hill, it appears.

Coastsider adds current traffic conditions

Lee: you did, when you accepted the privacy notice: http://www.511.org/privacy.asp

Where are wildflowers on the coast?

The Coastside Land Trust has a wildflower workshop and tour this Saturday: http://coastsidelandtrust.org/newandevents/current.html

Civil rights group to speak on legality of county’s at-large elections, Weds Apr 7

Speaking of winner-take-all, I’ve been working on a new website aimed at education on the subject of proportional representation. It’s a work in progress, but I invite you to have a look: http://prfound.org

Civil rights group to speak on legality of county’s at-large elections, Weds Apr 7

If winner-take-all is unfair at the state level, it’s just as unfair at the congressional district level; you’re just disenfranchising a different set of voters.

The NPV looks like the best shot we have at a solution, barring a constitutional amendment.

Consultants’ plan for Hwy 1 lacks awareness of our environment and community

I’ve had essentially the same experience as Tim, driving in rural and semi-rural Sweden. Small-scale roundabouts are a blessing, and I’d much rather encounter one than a conventional intersection.

Large-scale roundabouts (I’m thinking Charles de Gaulle-étoile, which has pedestrian underpasses btw) can be a little scary. But I’d expect to get used to them pretty quickly.

Tsunami advisory issued for California coast

NWS at 11 (more detail; no real change).

Tsunami Warning center. Biggest concern will be south to southwest facing beaches. Outside of our area the latest model runs show a 4.6 foot wave at Pismo Beach in San Luis Obispo County. No real change in wave arrival times with 12:31pm at Santa Barbara and 1:26pm at San Francisco. Forecast wave heights still 3.3 feet for Half Moon Bay and 0.7 feet for San Francisco. Local areas of increased concern would be north side of Monterey Bay in the vicinity of Santa Cruz/Capitola. Also San Mateo coast and Half Moon Bay as well as the Marin coast. Hopefully the fresh images of the Mavericks wave event will help to keep people clear of the area beaches. Even though intitial waves will arrive after midday… the peak wave action may be delayed several hours. Best course of action will be to stay away from the coast the rest of today… including surfers. Please help local officials by taking this tsuanmi advisory seriously and resist the urge to visit the beaches/coast. Coast guard and other agencies are already swamped. More information as it becomes available.

Tsunami advisory issued for California coast

NWS at 10:10: “Latest intel from the Tsunami Warning center brings initial waves into Santa Barbara at 12:31pm this afternoon… reaching San Francisco around 1:26pm. Forecast wave heights along the California coast include 4.6 feet at Pismo Beach… 3.3 feet at Half Moon Bay and 0.7 feet at San Francisco.”

Brown pelicans are still imperiled in mysterious die-off

Oh, and the spelling:

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican,
He can take in his beak
Enough food for a week
But I’m damned if I see how the helican!

Brown pelicans are still imperiled in mysterious die-off

Poetry credit to Dixon Lanier Merritt, 1910.

CUSD will seek $150 parcel tax

This list is obviously not meant to be taken seriously. Or, if it is, it does its audience a disservice.

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