CLEAR AS DAVIS WATER … “Clear goals set for city water panel,” said the front-page headline in last Friday’s paper … never mind that the Davis Water Advisory Committee has been meeting for several months now, the City Council finally got around to defining its mission … that mission includes, according to Tom Sakash’s report, making recommendations about the surface water project and possible alternatives, making recommendations about the design-build-operate model and possible alternatives, and making recommendations “on all matters related to rates” … one wonders why these clearly defined goals weren’t laid out by the council before the committee was formed … treading water is never any fun …

A RARE SHOW OF UNANIMITY … I’ll be the first to admit I never thought I’d see the day when all five members of the Davis City Council agreed enough on an issue to pen a nearly full-page op-ed that was signed by those same five council members … but there it was one day last week under the heading ”City has tried to resolve lawsuits over DACHA,” and signed by Joe Krovoza, Rochelle Swanson, Stephen Souza, Dan Wolk and yes, even my friend Sue Greenwald, who is usually on the losing end of 4-1 council votes …

It’s the first 5-0 vote oldtimers can remember since the day in April of 1967 when the council unanimously passed a resolution praising UC Davis students for inviting Carol Doda to ride in a topless convertible in the Picnic Day parade …

TAKEN TO THE WOODSHED … my friend Michael on the Island Street begins his guided missive: “I love ya, bro, and in particular your support for Measure C.” … and why is it I sense a great big “but” is about to follow that faint praise? … “I also share your usual pedantically prescriptive stance on proper grammar and usage.” … glad we see eye to eye … “It is therefore with sorrow that I point out your misuse of ‘begs the question’ in the second paragraph of your celebration of Measure C’s victory.

“Numerous sources — Wikipedia is convenient — patiently explain that the phrase describes a logical fallacy in which the proposition to be proven is assumed in the premise.” … well, let me just say that you can’t do better than Wikipedia … “It does not mean ‘raises the question,’ despite the frequency of misuse. Were you more tolerant of those whom Safire described as ‘round-heeled descriptivists,’ who believe that common usage makes bad grammar/spelling/pronunciation, then I would not have written. But we sticklers need to hang together, so I offer this correction in solidarity and brotherhood.” …

I can feel the love, Michael … tough love, to be sure …

SAVE OUR SCHOOLS, SAVE THE WHALES … Steve at gmail.com, writing about interdistrict transfers into the Davis school system, notes “there is one important aspect that no one has brought up.” … I’m all ears, Steve … “Davis is aiming to become a carbon-neutral city.” … in Steve Souza’s dreams … “What about the unnecessary emissions created by the out-of-district parents driving their children to Davis?” … in many cases, Steve, the parents work here and would be driving into our fair city anyway, but your point is well taken …

“Am I to believe the education of 400 children from communities outside Davis is more important than all the polar bears in the world?” … the state will not provide Davis funds to educate polar bears, no matter in which district they reside …

— Reach Bob Dunning at [email protected]

Comments

comments