Might be nice if someone raised issues blacked out by local media (other than Free Radio and Indymedia) such as
**** Santa Cruz's Medical Marijuana law which effectively excludes medical marijuana clubs in Santa Cruz and has for five years. It was created, voted in, and supported by the City Council (which still includes Mayor Rotkin, Cynthia Matthews, and Tim Fitzmaurice). Yet "sunny" Sarah Phelan of the Metro, Good Times "good vibes" writers, City on a Hill, Fish Wrap Live, and, of course, the Scent-Anal and the Mercury-News haven't written a word about it.
****regular Brown Act violations at City Council such as Ann ("a new branch for our staff; less facilities for our readers in Felton) Turner has run afoul of. Such violations include excluding critics and arresting peaceful critics, arranging agendas to exclude public comment, threatening and interrupting speakers there, etc. An ongoing lawsuit in Federal Court in San Jose goes to a status hearing tomorrow at 10:30 AM (Norse v. City of Santa Cruz).
*****Mayor Rotkin's failure to comply with the Sunshine Initiative voted in last November by California voters and let the public know (a) his forthcoming schedule of public appearances, and (b) the lobbyists he has met with.
****Mayor Rotkin's new use of "secret e-mails" to remove from the public records every single e-mail he has ever sent or gotten, by routing those e-mails directly to his house. (Don't believe me? Call City Council officers at 420-5020).
****Mayor Rotkin's refusal to release police department records on the use of taisers, pepper spray, display of weapons, etc. (Check with Mayor Rotkin directly for confirmation: 420-5023).