Even from South Florida, Sierra Foothills Report gets you the scoop. Though Todd Juvinall is mum tonight, except for bashing liberal “Marinites,” there is a new executive director of CABPRO.
“I have been appointed the New Executive director of CABPRO because of my strong concerns about Local Food and Farmers rights,” Penn Valley resident Chuck Shea said in an email sent to me tonight.
He included an invite to an upcoming CABPRO dinner, where Sheriff Keith Royal is speaking about marijuana. The CABPRO dinner is April 17 and a new board will be introduced, according to the flyer.
Todd had been CABPRO’s executive director since the New Year, he announced on his blog, Sierra Dragon Breathe (sic). Todd is a former county supervisor.
Chuck runs The Parsonage B&B in Nevada City and sells chickens and turkeys from his ranch in Penn Valley.
We enjoy some nonpartisan activities with Chuck: buying chickens and his carriage rides in Nevada City. He brings the chickens by the house and we visit.
Chuck can have an intellectual discussion and agree to disagree without getting personal and calling you names, often an achievement around here. He has riled people regarding the Nevada City BID (now defunct) in the past, though.
After the likes of executive directors like Todd and Martin Light, and their negative dialogue, CABPRO could use a new image. The “food and farmers rights” issue is a good one for CABPRO because it has supporters on the left and the right.
People in the middle don’t mind some reasonable regulation around food, however.
As for other issues, I doubt CABPRO will change much. But perhaps the discourse will be more civil.
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Funny, I asked about two weeks ago why Todd was not posting on their blog anymore and got no response. I thought something like this might be up. But then I don’t necessarily think anything will change, but hope springs eternal.
I have to wonder how Sheriff Royal will try to justify an ordinance (that will control land usage) which will directly affect specific land owner right to specific group that devoted to land rights for property owners?
Please Todd, in the memory of one of your former members (who asked you the same question), how are you going to answer that question?
Chuck sent this follow-up email:
“Todd stepped down,,,. I agreed to come on board and help redirect.that was yesterday!”
It must be hell living in these parts being old school, far right types. What drives them to STAT in a place that clearly drives them nuts. Just asking.
I hope that Mr. Shea handles the position more efficiently and with transparency. For an organization who “claims” to be all about property rights, why haven’t they answered the question that has been asked multiple times about property rights in Alta Sierra? The outgoing director, usually extremely vocal on many issues, was very mum (or turned a deaf ear) on that question.
I hope Sheriff Royal reads George Will’s column on drugs before making his presentation. In fact, go back to Wm. Buckely, for intelligent, conservative opinions. I’m always befuddled when those that know the least about a subject are touted as experts and asked to give presentations. Two of my three parents would have added many, many years to their lives if they’d had a few hits every day instead of uncapping the bottle of bourbon at noon. Dying from cirrhosis is an ugly, long, horrible experience for all involved. But our society continues to pay the price of Nixon’s idiocy.
Speaking of Todd, in response to his vitriolic piece on race baiting in the Martin/Zimmerman case, I invited him to my house–since I’m mostly house bound–to debate world issues civilly– w/o citing partisan Internet sites as sources which I don’t accept. I’m old school and my eclectic library, although thinned considerably by many moves, remains a valuable resource.
I wish Chuck the best of luck. He’s often successful leading people toward consensus when no apparent consensus exists, and that’s a rare quality.
Frankly. I would love to see a thoughtful, collaborative and pragmatic organization that represents the resource owning community in Nevada County. I think the Caiforna Forestry Association does tht in their industry. In the long run good resource management benefits the entire community and there is plenty of room for cooperation between unlikely partners in our region. I wish Chuck Shea the best of luck.
Ed
Law enforcement never did endorse the 21st Amendment ending prohibition. If they had it their way it would still be illegal to have a beer while watching football on TV or having a glass of wine with dinner.
Nor are they likely to ever endorse or stop their untruthful rants against pot. Like I heard on a TV show, keeping even that widespread weed illegal keeps them busy, justify large budgets, pensions,etc. No one wants kids doing it. of course, but like many, I first ried it in Vietnam, but ony biefly. I do, however, give pot much credit for helping to maintain a good attitude after the prognosis of my first cancer in 1970, a simple “I’m sorry.” Not a sob story, but I had shrunk from 165 lbs to 115 lbs, the cancer had spread into lower spine, hip and left femur, spleen and all through lymph systhem; constant night sweats and daily fevers up to 104 degrees and excruciating pain in back and legs. All the symptoms of end stage Hodgkins Disease IVB, with no money, no insurance and no oarents. I’m convinced that pot helped me recover when nobody who knew me then and saw me before I was dropped of at the VA hospital next to Yale New Haven Hospital ever thought I was coming out again. But ten days later, I lied to the nurses, said I had a ride back to Port Chester, New York, but hitch hiked, just after they took the stitches out of my stomach, It was a cold October day, but nothing could stop me back in those days when I’d decided to do something. And now, with my 4th cancer, this very rare form of leukemia, which I have to go to Maher to be followed as the local cancer center guys say they never heard of it (LGL), the doctor just shakes his head in amazement after reviewing my chart, that I’m even here and walking through the door. I have a script, but use pot only for sleep, as the pain from the collapsed vertebrae damaged by the cancer infiltrattion years ago just gets worse as I age. And despite all these four cancers being provably service connected, the VA is still trying to take away my 100% disability rating. And I haven’t even gone into numerous other, serious conditions. I keep telling people that if I write another book, it will be about my experiences with the VA and titled, The Veteran is Always Wrong. I feel sorry for all the home coming vets who are going to need the services of the VA because their in for a long battle, and this time they’re the enemy and they don’t even know it. It is an adversarial situation and it’s a national disgrace. I’ve got 42 years dealing, observing, noting, analyzing. But once you get past the low level eople and the red tape, you do get excellent care. I’ve got so many scars from operations, biopsies and stories to fill pages for a booik. I in fact did start it while on medical leave for cancer #3, B-Cell lymphoma in 2004, but half way into R-CHOP chemotherapy I hit a wall and never got back to it. Hell, I’ve even lost ten or teeth since my last round of chemo, saw anothern dentist yesterday but nobody seems to know how to fix me up because ofthe radiation a dry mouth from the frying of my salivary glands in 1971.
As usual,I’ve run on too long. But it annoys me when people who I bet have nevet even taken a hit of pot, get up and play the expert. To me, it’s like a priest or a nun explaining what the pleasure of sexual intercourse feels like, because they read Lady Chatterlly’s Lover, though never did the deed.
Great story Ed, you are an inspiration! I hope you get to write that book…
Makes me very grateful for my comparatively lemon free body, and renew energy to allow for private clubs for consenting adults to grow and consume that which eases life’s unfair distribution of pain. Even the leader of the 700 Club has finally, “seen the light.”
Yes, Douglas, Pat Robertsons blessings upon the devil weed were unexpected. At any rate, the days of being a Corretional Educator are over and I don’t have to listen to people blabblering on with patently false statements, like “pot is even worse than heroin”, and such incredible nonsense. All that kind of b.s. does is make students less likely to believe adults, because they know better. That aside, I just go with the flow, sometimes I’ve had to run, a read as much as I can. I do regret, however, having to give up Tai Chi after I moved up here. Even studied went to the Shaolin Temple in China and studied with a master in one of the nearby schools. Now that’s a relaxing form of exercise, and good for arthritis, too.
Outside the declared mission statement of CABPRO what do they do publicly in Nevada County? I think it was RL Crabb that made the statement that most people in Nevada County if asked about CABPRO would guess it is a taxi cab company. Outside of SFR I have never heard of the group, anywhere. I guess that fits typical groups who know they are pursuing interests of a small few, behind closed door/ non transparent/ anti democratic decision making. CABPRO is a very small weak version of American Legislative Exchange Council.
http://alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed
And, Thanks Michael. Perhaps, one day I will write that book. Actually, I have letters written but unsent, to Boxer, Fienstien, Shiniskei, and my older sister–like a good older sister, more outraged than me–os very experienced with press releases and such things, having run all of Polaroids domestic and international relations with Museums, photographers, etc. for years–until they went, kinda, the way of Enron, with the big shots maing out OK, but people like my sister losing tremendous amounts after nearly 40 years with them. The last CEO is now in Federal Prison. I’ll see what the VA does in the next couple of weeks. If I ha one of those video camera/voice recorders available these days with me all these last forty years, then I could prove/document a lot more than I can now, and I have a lot of files.
BTW, the line I used from a TV program was a highly intellectual program–it came from a Matlock rerun.
I met with Todd this past weekend, and I must say that the “online persona” that most of you associate with him is unfounded.
I found him to be a very knowledgeable, intelligent person, and he has many of the same interests as most of us. I don’t know of anyone who does not want their government to run much more efficiently, and for us to not have to live with rule after rule.
I do not want my government telling me what I can and cannot do on my property (as long as I meet existing State Laws).
I think that many times the messenger is labeled (and in this case incorrectly) and because of that people try to associate that person with views that they do not deserve.
I urge anyone of you to try to sit down with Todd, as I found him to be a very reasonible guy.
I admit, when I invited Todd to my house to debate issues, w/o the use of computers to cite partisans sites as sources, his reply was certainly more civil than responses on his blog. And before I ever posted on his blog, I had read many of the past blogs to get a feel for the tone of the dialogue.
That said and not doubting a word of what you say, Brad, when it comes November and time to vote, we can expect Todd to vote the way he talks. This means his heart and mind is solidly with the likes of the Perry’s, Gingrich’s, Romney’s, Santorum’s,Bushes and obviously the Evangelicals, whom, until Obama won, were in contol of this country. And now, IMO, this bloc has turned its energy inward, directing it toward smashing what’s left of the labor movement–mostly in the public sector–attacking teachers, state workers, freely labeling Obama a socialist, communist and worse. The gains in wages, working conditions, etc.made by those brave enough to stand up to the company owners in the past, at the price of their lives, often beaten bloody before finally winning small victories, is vanishing before our eyes, crumbling under the weight of ALEC, KOCH, Citizens United and income inequalities so vast and top heavey the entire ship of state could founder upon hitting the next gust of wind.
I’ve become estranged from some of my longest, closest friends over what the US has become. One, a guy, now in Texas, but Jewish and not a good ole boy, whole lived in a three room apt. in a slummy building in the poor section of town, but worked all the time and made his fortune with Jelly shoes. Your wives probably had a few back in the ’90s. His factory was in China. Made untold millions, then retired. Another, a guy from the poor part of town. We worked together when I was 16. First week he hit me with a shot to the chin and I picked him up and threw on the ground. After that we became great friends, were in Nam at the same time, not far apart, he in the air wing, me a grunt. Now he’s retired, a corporate pilot after being head of YUM’s aviation wing. YUM is Pepsi, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, etc. But neither of these guys were ever into education or reading or politics, but once they made it big and had money–I see this all the time–they think they’re experts on everything, including the very things I’ve been studying all my life, since before I was ten, formally and informally. Reasonable and nice, of course. I was best man and godfather to 2nd son of my Nam buddy. But they will vote to perpetuate the people who give us ALEC, the KOCH’s, Citizens United and all the other laws and policies undermining and rotting the framework of what America is supposed to be. Money, Money, Money.
As I was telling my other Texas millionaire friend/brother on the phone this last weekend, I don’t care if other people have more money than me; they just can’t have everything, there’s got to be a limit. He didn’t disagree. And the guy with the Jellyshoes, he’ll always be a friend–hell, he lost 12 family members in the Holocost and when some dude hit him, I charged a bunch of dudes, throwing one guy under a passing car–in high school. But money skews friendships and political structures. And civility can be maintained over a cup of coffee and donuts, but when things of importance are on the menu, fissures can soon appear, deepening and widening, turning ugly and destructive.
I can’t help but thinking of the last time this country lost it’s ability to compromise. Of course I’m talking about the Civil War era. When it comes to politics, I’ve seen absolutely no compromise willingness from the Republicans and those tea people. And with every move they make, they re-enfore this notion. They are the Knights Templar of our era, led by blood thirsty, fanatical reincarnations of Reynald of Chatillon and Guy of Lusignan, mere mafiosa like petty noblemen, disguising their evil intent behind the red cross, who with a bravado born of hubris, blundered into death and oblivion at the hands of Sala-ah-din’s armies at Kerak then Hattin opening the gates for the fall of Jeruselum and hundreds of years of conflict that haunt us to this day. (An issue which the envangelicals push, for they clearly cherish the coming of the End of Days.)
I am one that has always prefered to talk things out and reach common ground. Isn’t this called diplomacy. I was voted most sincere in my graduating class (I know, big deal) but that does say something about how others viewed me. Even during the Cold War, politeness was possible at the Summit meetings. Also true, when Stalin, Chruchill and FDR meet during WWII, although subtle jabs were also frequent and Stalin’s politeness to those two, and his cronies, often was the prelude to their destruction. Talks are merely talks; and the opposing parties continue on the path of what they consider to be in their self interest. Only when goals they deem necessary for their own good are deemed attainable will they lower their fists.
Anyway, that’s the way I see it. It’s like who would you rather have a glass of beer with; Dubya or Kerry. Dubya won that question easily, but he needed the Supreme Court to give him the Presidency.
Brad,
I think we have plenty of reason to dislike Todd’s online persona. He is seriously the only person online that I am rude and disrespectful towards, which tells me something. I try not to engage with him because I don’t like to be rude and disrespectful.
OFF TOPIC– In a rush, but just discovered, once agin, I ordered duplicates of a book from that clearing house in CT. I have a copy of A Well Regulate Milita, by Saul Cornell, Ohio St. and Director of the 2nd Amendment Research Center at the John Glenn Institute free to anyone from this blog who wants it. Premise is 2nd amendment does not grant right to bear arms for individual defence, that @nd amendment was inserted by anti-federalists to protect states against an all powerful central government’s ability to disarm their militia’s. It arguments from this book I was using, when called all the usual names, simpleton, out of my league, etc. by the above mentioned person and his allies on Steele’s blog. Cornell mentions how the interpretation began to change under Jackson, then really changed after civil war and militas in South contained many blacks, who were then murdered at night by resentful whites. Excellent read.
Hey Ed, I’ll trade you for a book I have and have read. e-mail me at sfrisch@sbcouncil.org with topics of interest and I will provide you with a list to choose from. Cheers
Brad, I met Todd when he was starting up CABPRO and he did appear as a nice, intelligent, personable individual. A short while later I noticed a veil of arrogance about him. If he would continually behave in the manner as you and I (first) encountered, rather than his Limbaugh-like on-line persona, the possibilities of making this county the best in the state would be staggering.