Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

The elections are over, but our angry right-wing blogging contingent is as busy as the “energizer bunny.” I don’t see much sign of compromise from this hard right group, do you?

•Russ Steele still hasn’t removed the “Yes on 23″ icon on his blog. “Unsustainable green jobs,” “Is reality setting in with recognition that alternative energy is not the only answer?” are some headlines. (BTW, who said it was *the* only answer).

•George Rebane comments on Russ’ blog: “California is not the only state on the rocks or soon to be there. This, after all, is the perfect storm to bring down capitalism and consolidate central power (‘of the people’) that Marx described over a 150 years ago. Washington will not hesitate to paper over every state with freshly printed dollars each with its own user’s manual. That will be the final nail in the coffin for states’ rights, and also what federalization is all about.”

George also seems puzzled that local gadfly Steve Enos has backed the winner of the prominent local races by 4-to-1 margin (Vernon, No on Prop. 23, Lamphier and Diaz) over CABPRO and its supporters (who took the opposite side). Some supervisors took a stand on Prop. 23, making it “local.” Perhaps George will finally get it the next time around when local candidates avoid the CABPRO endorsement as if it was a swarm of locusts.

•Todd Juvinall on Rebane’s blog: “I have heard Karl (Rove) on C-SPAN speaking to AEI and others over the years. He has great stories and great advice. I especially like that he engineered the defeat of many democrats and took out Gore and Kerry, two worthless pieces of C***.”

•Barry Pruett: ” It appears that the liberals just do not get it. And before some starts typing about California being liberal, remember the correct order of things…God before country, country before California.”

I don’t think we can expect any of them to stop talking and get out of our way, so perhaps we can just step around them. Or is it already happening?

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The Sierra’s first major snowfall of the season occurred this weekend, exciting skiers. Boreal Mountain Resort got a foot of new snow. Here’s a video of the fresh snowfall this weekend at Homewood Ski resort in Tahoe:

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The Grass Valley City Council on Tuesday is expected to set Nov. 30 or other appropriate date for a study session on economic development issues.

It comes as Grass Valley, among other cities, faces a severe revenue squeeze that has led to cutbacks. At one time, Grass Valley had a plethora of projects to consider. Now it’s “slim pickin’s,” with the closure of the Chevy car dealership and several stalled housing projects.

“Over the past several months the City County and Redevelopment Agency (RDA) has discussed a number of projects and conducted one town hall meeting related to economic development,” according to a city staff memo. “More recently this has included the adoption of the Idaho-Maryland Road / East Main Street Redevelopment Study, the Glenbrook Basin Redevelopment Infill Study, and the expansion plan for the RDA. The City and the RDA continue to partner with the Downtown Association, Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Resource Council on economic development issues as well.”

The agenda for Grass Valley’s council meeting is here.

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No word in the local press, but Gil Mathew, the former chief of the county Economic Resource Council, has bought a major stake in Sierra Solar Systems, one of our area’s oldest solar producers.

At the same time, Gil said the ERC board hopes to pick a successor by Thanksgiving from a stack of more than two dozen resumes. The ERC faces steep funding cuts from the county, as I’ve reported previously.

Gil plans to help the business expand nationally. Sierra Solar started back in 1980.

At the time, Sierra Solar’s founders lived on a remote 20-acre piece of land 2-1/2 miles from the pavement and electricity, on the San Juan Ridge. A high quote from PG&E prompted them to find an alternative source — now a familiar tale.

I applaud Gil for recognizing the potential that alternative energy companies can play in our local economy —including “exporting” technology from here — with a staff of about 10 people.

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The Nevada City Council will hold a hearing on Wednesday to consider water rate hikes.

The hearing is part of the council meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Proposed rates are:

5/8 inch meter size:
$19.17 effective Jan. 1, 2011
$22.29 effective Jan. 1 2012
$25.39 effective Jan 1, 2013

3/4 inch meter size:
$28.76 effective Jan. 1, 2011
$33.44 effective Jan. 1, 2012
$38.09 effective Jan 1, 2013

Rate hikes for larger sized meters are proposed as well, because “the city’s water rate fees have not been and will not be sufficient to meet operations and maintenance costs.”

As readers have stated on this blog: “I support the notion that fees should be based on a ‘pay as you go’ plan, with a base fee for water (and sewer) that is enough to cover the costs to keep the water and sewer plant infrastructure at the level needed to supply the needs of the town at present. A price per gallon charge seems to be the most fair.

But I don’t understand the logic of paying more based on the size of the meter. A larger meter can put out more gallons per minute, but with a volumetric fee structure you are paying for what you use not how fast you can use it.”

The Nevada City agenda is here.

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Wonder why people don’t like government?

The city councils of Nevada City and Grass Valley this week are expected to approve increasing both cities’ parking violation citation fees by $3 per citation to fund trial court operations.

Here’s the irony: The fee increase comes as discussions are underway to move the county courthouse in downtown Nevada City up to the Rood Center. The courthouse, as I’ve written before, is an “economic lifeblood” of the downtown, providing jobs and foot traffic for the mechants.

“Senate Bill 857 mandated an increase in the amount the state will collect on each parking citation by $3.00 to fund trial court operations,” as a memo explains. “If we do not increase our parking fee schedule, then we would pay for this mandated increase.”

How’s that for a “government for the people”? LOL.

The agenda for Grass Valley’s council meeting is here.

The Nevada City agenda is here.

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A “Made in Nevada County Day” is set for Nov. 15, according to government agendas for Grass Valley, Nevada City and the county this week.

The county’s Economic Resource Council has helped spearhead the effort. A list of industries is here.

“Export manufacturers and service providers represent a large portion of the employment base with employment in excess of 10,000 jobs over a wide range of skill sets,” according to the proclamation.

Kudos for “Made in Nevada County Day,” shining a light on entrepreneurship around here.

The proclamation is Madehere

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During the weekend, the left-leaning citizens who comment here — Steve Frisch, Don Pelton, Tony Waters and and others — had a productive dialogue with the right-leaning ones — John Stoos, Chris Howard and others — on reaching compromise. The discussion is in the comments section here.

It was fact-based, detailed and without the high-pitched rhetoric you read elsewhere. There were suggestions about cutting the budget deficit — from both side. All told, there are more than 100 comments

“I have always thought that conservatives and liberals should be able to talk and learn a few things,” said Stoos, a big McClintock supporter and former staff member when he was Senator. (I don’t always agree with John but I always find his comments civil and coherent — something missing from The Union or the right-wing blogging contingent.) “I bet Jeff never thought this post would draw a hundred comments when he threw it up!”

Some other highlights:

•”I also saw Rand Paul say we need to cut the military . . . that is so dead on right I can’t believe it,” said Frisch.

•”I was surprised to find that I agreed with Paul about anything at all (cutting the military),” said Pelton.

•”(Steve Frisch), it is too bad that you did not get elected to Congress somewhere. The Republicans would have someone to negotiate with! This is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that both sides are going to have to do if we are going to solve this mess,” Stoos.

As Frisch summed up: “Just remember that people are never any one thing.”

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“It’s a tough state, and you need good candidates. The Republicans have got to keep fighting.”

So said Karl Rove in explaining why the GOP wave stopped at California at a fundraiser with Dan Logue in Sutter on the weekend. (Rove also sold copies of his book).

The write-up — including Rove’s comments on Obama and the GOP — were in an article in the Marysville Appeal-Democrat. It is here.

On the GOP: “The Republican Party is on probation. (Republicans) have to do in office what they said they’d be doing on the campaign trail.”

On Obama: “Obama came in with goodwill. And instead he’s been very partisan, very negative.”

Exit Question: Who’s been more negative? President Obama or the tea party.

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