While I whole-heartedly support the Felton citizen's struggle for local control of water resources, I must ask, can you pick a different day for this!?!?

There is a scheduled execution in California that night, hence a vigil from the local Death Penalty Focus. There's also an important public hearing on redevelopment in Santa Cruz.

As a general statement, I wish there was more solidarity, and better planning and coordination among people working on different issues. If planned right, instead of an avalanche of activities in one night, we can spread it around to support each other's struggles.

Besides, more people will be out for your film on another night...

Look, The Man will always be throwing more stumbling blocks in our path to freedom. That's what he does! Unite with us and fight for our common future. I am sorry that things cannot be more convenient for you, but think globally then act LOCALLY! Water rights are a local issue that impacts your community direclty here and now. There will always be death that we cannot stop, but fighting forwwater is to give life a chance.

"Water rights are a local issue that impacts your community direclty here and now."

I agree. Like I said, I support your fight against RWE, more than you probably realize. But I live in Santa Cruz, not Felton. On Jan 19 I'll be going to a public hearing, to go speak out against a redevelopment project that the city council wants to ram down our throats. RWE already owns the water in Felton, and getting together a bunch of folks for a movie on Wednesday isn't going to change that. However, getting together a bunch of folks to go speak out against the Coast Hotel project, COULD actually prevent them from going through with it.

Likewise, a man's life is hanging in the balance. Between now and Jan 19, if enough people acted, rather than give up so easily (to quote Aunt Flow: "There will always be death that we cannot stop...") maybe "The Man" won't execute him.

Its about priorities I suppose. So, I ask again, why don't you have your movie on a different night?

Hey, here's an idea for you both.

Why not go to the hearing *and* the Flow Benefit. Is the vigil out of town? If so, then that won't work, but it certainly might be possible to do all of them. Maybe you, "bad timing," could eat at the hearing and maybe "Aunt Flow" might be able to start the film a little later. Just a thought.

A suggestion for "bad timing": you've identified a problem inherent in communication between progressive groups in the area. Why not share your email address or join a local progressive listserv? I think there is a good local progressive S.C. listserv.

****************************************************************
"What's so funny about Peace, Love and Understanding?" -Elvis Costello

Here we have the Santa Cruz Indymedia Calendar

and here is the Santa Cruz Progressive Email List. Here is the sign up page.

These are two great resources for getting the word out and for picking a time and date to have event. Thanks for organizing!

"getting together a bunch of folks for a movie on Wednesday isn't going to change that"
Thats nice. cram your issue down our throats with cynisisms. maybe you could offer solutions? rather than defeatism. or dont your German bosses at RWE allow that?
we have no community without UNITY, come and see what UNITY means.

can we agree that all three issues are very important? they all need the support of many people.

we will wear ourselves thin if we make it seem like there is soooo much to do and that our efforts are never enough.

we need to make people at all three events understand how seemingly seperate issues are all related to the struggle for freedom from the corporate masters.

they want a fancy, 5 story hotel on the water in santa cruz.
they sell us our own water in felton.
they kill us at will under the guise of justice.

Why, oh why, must this always break down to Bickermedia? Grow up all three of you and let's get to work! The work of peace and justice for all our people!

"maybe you could offer solutions?"

I did. I asked you TWICE to simply move your event to a different night. Then I, and propbably others
might come find out what FLOW is doing to restore local control of water.

"or dont your German bosses at RWE allow that?"

You don't really think I work for RWE. That was a snipe, but I'll overlook it this time...

"we have no community without UNITY, come and see what UNITY means."

I said I'd go to this event if its on another night. Why don't YOU run around town next week to all these events. I don't have a car and must prioritize MY issues. IMHO, yes, its more important for people to be at the Civic on Wednesday for the public hearing.

You want unity on YOUR issues, but not mine? Doesn't really sound like we're united at all.

Good luck in your struggle against RWE. I'll be right behind you again on Thursday...

please stop fighting

If you are even mildly concerned, about water rights for people locally and globally, then it is critical you see this film. It explores water rights around the globe and focuses on what happens when water rights are privatized. If a documentary can be "life changing," this was certainly that for me. Clean water access is a human right!

Yes, you should see this film. I have seen it. It opens the window to the global water struggle. But if you live in Santa Cruz, please come to the Civic and speak out against the Coast Hotel Project, on January 19. It is imperative that we mobilize citizens to STOP THE COAST HOTEL PROJECT. You can see the film ANOTHER night.

I want to stress that my hope is the organizers from FLOW will see how important it is that Santa Cruz citizens prevent the Coast Hotel Project, and simply show the film on a different day. It really is the same struggle.

Maybe guerilla drive-in can organize a showing of Thirst, so that all of us who go to th Civic on Wednesday,, will have another chance to see the film.

Maybe Mr. Bad Attitude can stop trying to block our critical public outreach event with his little real estate squabble? Who cares about some tourist hotel! Were fighting for our lives (water) here, with over 2,000 residents mostly low-income and fixed-income being robbed by RWEs extortionist water rates. But Mr. Bad Timing thinks a new stairway to his favorite surf spot is more important than a grass roots struggle for a resource critical to basic survival. This community is by the people FOR the people, but clearlu you sir are not FOR the people.

Join us for a screening of THIRST to Benefit FLOW and hear from Gary Patton on this vital issue of locally owned water.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Friends Meeting House 225 Rooney St. over Highway 1 on Morrisey Ave in Santa Cruz at the Quaker Meeting House.

Fuck you RICO. I'm not trying to block anything, as a matter of fact, I've probably done alot more for your issue than you realize.

I hate when the left assumes the worst of anyone who raises a VALID issue.

How do you know the annual incomes of at least 2,000 Felton water-rate payers?

Do you REALLY care about communities being robbed, or just your so-called community?

You are asking for community support, yet unwilling to support any other issue.

Why don't you ask your speaker, Gary Patton, if HE "Cares about some tourist hotel!"

you say you are fighting for your lives, but really this is about cheaper water bills for Felton residents. Face it, if the rates were FAIR, most Felton residents wouldn't give a shit who they paid their bills too....

water is a miraculous building block of life in the hands of mother nature Herself(Gaia)respect the mother of all mothers who brought you into this world she can take you out

I do give a SH?? as you say Mister where our money goes becaose it is being "out sourced" to another country with our water and ouir jobs!!!

How can yoi be so insenstive? I ts fine for you to fight for or against hotels on the beach but while you aruge with city counciil about some new hotel we your good neighbors woo stand beside you are now kicked to the curb when we need help? Thank you for your loyalty and mybe when you needed a friend we we got your back but you wont do the same that is nice.FF

mutual aid: look it up in the @ dictionary, FF.

Found this commentary by Gary Patton on KUSP.org
-BT
Wednesday, October 6, 2004 – Coast Hotel Project
Deciding in haste, and repenting at leisure, is something that happens all too frequently in the land use arena. Residents of the City of Santa Cruz might well be advised to start focusing some attention on a very large and significant development now under discussion in the City. The proposal is to knock down the existing Coast Hotel, the former Dream Inn, replacing it with a much larger hotel and convention center complex that would extend across West Cliff Drive. Until last week, the City was proposing to have only one public hearing, a combined City Council – Planning Commission meeting scheduled on October 26th, just days before the City Council elections on November 2nd. I’m happy to report that this unprecedented procedure has apparently been scrapped.

The visual impacts and traffic impacts of the proposed project are undoubtedly significant. Turning Bay Street into something a little more like Mission Street is one of the possible outcomes. Impacts on the bluffs along West Cliff Drive are a potential problem identified by the Coastal Commission. The financial arrangements for the project are also of importance, since the proposed development would be partly funded by the City itself. Finally, this proposed project would have a major effect on the residential neighborhoods of the Lighthouse Point area, and the long term implications of that are really of citywide concern.

This proposed project should receive lots of public review. It’s a good time to get involved.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.