BAD FORM … is it just me or does it strike you as odd that the city sent out a detailed, information-packed and presumably expensive brochure explaining all about the proposed water rate increases and failed to include a simple form that could be used by Davis citizens wishing to protest those very same rate increases? … if we’re going to spend this much money “educating” the citizenry, this would have been an excellent opportunity to help those wishing to exercise their right to protest …

Best of all, it wouldn’t have added a dime to the cost of producing this brochure … the fact it wasn’t there proves once again what a number of folks have known all along: The city would much prefer that you simply accept their wisdom and not file a protest …

WATER WISE … while a protest form was not in the brochure, there was abundant room for all sorts of tips on how to “use less water,” which, we’ve already established, will only cause our rates to go even higher since the costs for the new system are fixed … nevertheless, we’re advised to “shorten shower by two minutes,” which is fine unless your current shower is only 90 seconds to begin with … better to join the athletic club and shower there or jump into the Mighty Putah with a bar of soap …

BLISTERING DISSENT … earlier this week, in writing about a River Cats game, I described the sun as “blistering hot.” … this caused my friend Rich to innocently ask “Should it be blisteringly hot?” … actually, Rich, no … as a longtime valley resident, it has to be 120 in the shade before it qualifies as blisteringly hot …

BAGAPALOOZA … showing remarkable restraint, the Natural Resources Commission has postponed its consideration of a plastic bag ban due to the fact that a bag ban in Manhattan Beach faces a legal challenge and a ruling is pending by the California Supreme Court … Davis being a Pro-Choice City, however, means that no matter what the California Supreme Court ultimately decides, residents of our town are free to choose not to use plastic bags …

PAPER OR PLASTIC? … while we wait for the court’s decision, the Davis Downtown Business Association will discuss the bag ban at its monthly brown-bag lunch … among the topics to be discussed is a ban on brown-bag lunches …

BAG IT … I have noticed several recent letters to the editor mocking the Above-Pictured Columnist’s contention that Davis plastic bags don’t generally end up in the Pacific Ocean … to settle this contentious issue once and for all, I propose an ordinance that requires all plastic bags used in Davis to be blue and gold in color and carry the UC Davis Mustang logo … then when a plastic bag is spotted floating in Bodega Bay, we’ll know right away if this is one of our very own Ag Bags or someone else’s …

— Reach Bob Dunning at [email protected] Comment on this column at www.davisenterprise.com

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