Comments by Mike Ferreira

Picture: Another view of Beachwood

July 01, 2009
Like I said, the applicant(s) didn't inform the City that the subject wetlands were there when applications were filed.

Picture: Another view of Beachwood

July 01, 2009
Just part of the absurdity was the claim that the City created the wetlands with the installation of the drainage system in 1984. Yes, a drainage system. Yes, 1984. Think it through. If that was the case why didn't the applicant's environmental paperwork submissions in 1989 and 1998 reflect it as so? As to your claim that "no one has spoken poorly about this federal judge and his ruling" I would say you must be wearing selective cognitive blinders to make that statement. California Lawyer magazine…

Picture: Another view of Beachwood

July 01, 2009
An absurd $41 million decision remains absurd when it's reduced to $18 million. An appeal would have taken it to zero and the $1 million cost of an appeal would have been reimbursed by ABAG. It is not known if the more than $1 million spent in lobbying for AB1991 will be reimbursed.

Picture: Another view of Beachwood

June 30, 2009
The Beachwood Settlement was the biggest blunder in the City's history. The City Attorney publicly urged an appeal, The appellate attorney, Knox, publicly stated that the City's chances of prevailing were very good (and why not when the Judge was the most overturned on the Ninth Circuit?), but the Mayor stated publicly that "Settlement is the first priority". Well, the Council majority achieved their first priority, alright - an $18 million dollar anchor around the necks of the people of Half Moon…

Moss Beach Park bathroom one big step closer

June 19, 2009
Well done, Scott. I know this has been one of your priorities to resolve and I'm glad you were able to do so, because resolution was by no means certain. Good and clever solution.

Letter: Science takes a hit in San Francisco’s rush to dump Sharp Park

May 08, 2009
If you're accusing someone of making false statements you should at least identify those statements you consider to be false. Your posting fails to do that. Your statement that: "Environmentalists have been consistent in their message: use the best available science to consider restoration alternatives at Sharp Park before political deals are cut about the future of the land." is a statement that I believe Ken would agree with wholeheartedly. In fact, I would say that that is the very reason Ken…

Letter: Contrary to claims, Sharp Park is economically viable

May 05, 2009
Ken King correctly notes that the supervisorial proposal is changing. It is morphing from a narrowly confined "study" with an arguably predetermined outcome to a formal alternatives analysis within a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process. This is a much better path as it will create some definition for the much promoted but loosely defined "restoration". This will allow federal, state, and local oversight agencies to formally comment on the science,…

Yee announces bill to get HMB $10 million in parks money for Beachwood

March 28, 2009
No, it would have gone to zero damages at the Appeals Court for the same reasons the Pacifica case went to zero. And the probability that an appeal from that result would have gone to the Supreme Court was/is very low. Of all of the Appeals Court decisions that are appealed to the Supreme Court every year less than 1% are accepted for review. We're not supposed to quiver like jello when the odds are 100 to 1 in our favor.

Yee announces bill to get HMB $10 million in parks money for Beachwood

March 28, 2009
Sounds like you've been listening to the PLF propagandists on Talkabout. Try reading the decision, instead. Walker "found" that the City created - in 1984 - the conditions leading to wetland formation. That's 1984 - nineteen eighty four - a number which is inconvenient to the propagandists because their bunch was in control then. The 41 million dollar judgement was the product of an ill-tempered judge who distorted the facts to get there. He would have been overturned - as he so often has been overturned…

Yee announces bill to get HMB $10 million in parks money for Beachwood

March 27, 2009
Walker's damage calculations would have been the easiest part of the decision to overturn on appeal. Less than two months after the April Fool's Settlement the City of Pacifica won an appeal in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in which the Court held "There can be no compensatory damages attributable to the provision in any event, because the developer still has not obtained the requisite approval from the Coastal Commission." There are plenty of other reasons why the Appeals Court would have shredded…

Supervisor Gordon will be at MCC to speak on Midcoast representation, Weds

January 17, 2009
In my opinion, the speaker who offered the most constructive proposal was Darin Boville, who recommended giving the MCC some level of empowerment beyond "advisory". I saw folks in the audience who come from both sides of our political divide vigorously nodding their heads when Darin spoke to this. Making that change would not only bring the "incompatibility of office doctrine" into play it would make the Council more interesting and attractive to potential citizen candidates. I've spoken with several…

Supervisor Gordon will be at MCC to speak on Midcoast representation, Weds

January 12, 2009
In what respect does the MCC not "adhere to conflict-of-interest laws"? I think the issue might better be described as the Supervisors trying to craft an advisory council that doesn't include elected members of other government agencies. It's more of a "purity-of-advice" issue than a "conflict-of-interest".

Video: Supervisor’s legislative aide lowers the boom on MCC over letter to LAFCO

January 12, 2009
I think, Darin, that a board can be "more than just advisory"and still not reach the "public office" or "sovereign power of the state" threshold that would trigger the "incompatibility of office doctrine".

Video: School board candidates debate

October 17, 2008
Nothing Mr. Gardner says above regarding Beachwood reduces the ignorance of his attempt to blame the mess on "Kevin and friends". And Mr. Gardner's support of the bizarre and costly settlement orchestrated by his "friends" on the City Council is illustrative of how he would perform if the CUSD had to deal with major litigation.

Video: School board candidates debate

October 17, 2008
Mr. Gardner should read the Walker decision before he makes statements such as "I’m going to leave the past in the past as far as the mess Kevin and friends caused at Beechwood." The "mess" Mr. Gardner tries to lay off onto "Kevin and friends" was created - according to Walker - in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Mr. Gardner's "friends" were in control of city government. It was those "friends" who Walker faults for creating wetlands on Beachwood by messing up the TAAD drainage project. I don't…

Quiz: What was the HMB city council majority’s biggest mistake?

September 03, 2008
When is Steve going to read the Walker decision?

Editorial: Senator Yee’s SB863 gets it right

September 01, 2008
SB863 didn't make it through the legislative logjam at the Assembly Appropriation Committee. http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_10357009 The settlement gamble looks worse than ever.

Editorial: Senator Yee’s SB863 gets it right

September 01, 2008
Your first paragraph indicates that you have very little knowledge of the basic facts in the case. The city not only had the permission of the landowner, the landowner actually paid for the work to be done. No wonder you are so far off the track.

Editorial: Senator Yee’s SB863 gets it right

September 01, 2008
What you put in quotation marks is not what I said. Perhaps it is what you filtered. Bizarre judicial decisions need to be appealed. The failure to do so is proving very costly to the city.

Editorial: Senator Yee’s SB863 gets it right

September 01, 2008
Your first 4 sentences are all absurd. You obviously read what my comments through some sort of filter that precludes cognition. There is a huge difference between draining a wetland and creating a wetland. An appeal would have gotten us out of this mess. Those who fell in love with Walker's bizarre decision pushed the current council into this disastrous settlement in order to preserve a decision that will eventually be vacated by some other city's appeal. Half Moon Bay will have made this sacrifice…

Page 2 of 8 pages  < 1 2 3 4 >  Last ›