080227_ci_superdel.C

Headline: Superdelegates may play ‘super’ role

Layercake: Local superdelegates weigh in on nomination process

By CHINTAN DESAI

Aggie News Writer

As Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) continues to enjoy a surge of momentum generated by 11 consecutive primary and caucus election victories over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), questions persist over the role Democratic superdelegates will play in determining the party’s eventual nominee.

The approximately 796 unpledged party leaders and elected official delegates (PLEO delegates), who are free to cast their own votes at the Democratic National Convention in August, could play the role of tiebreaker if neither Obama nor Clinton emerges carrying the magic number of 2,025 pledged delegates. Currently, Clinton leads Obama in the superdelegate count, 241-181, according to a recent Associated Press survey.

UC Davis professor emeritus of political science Edmond Costantini said he has never seen a Democratic nominating contest marked by such pronounced deadlock.

“My offhand recollection is [the superdelegates] have never been decisive,” he said.

There has never been a scenario in which a candidate was pushed to the nomination on the strength of superdelegate support alone, he added.

The superdelegate rule was established following the 1980 election in which there was a perception among party leaders that they had largely been left out of deciding the Democratic presidential ticket. This was after changes had been made to allow greater public participation – a response to previous elections which were decided largely by party leaders, Costantini said.

“The notion was, in addition to the primaries and caucuses, we ought to have ex officio positions opened up,” he said. “That’s basically what the superdelegates are all about.”

Not bound in any way to support a candidate even if they make an endorsement announcement, superdelegates normally do not have much difficulty in choosing who they support, Costantini said.

“I think usually the process is one out of which a single candidate emerges as the obvious nominee by the time of the convention. Consequently there is very little angst about how they will vote,” he said.

Theoretically, superdelegates could become involved, and any possibility of a Clinton nomination under the premise that Obama receives more pledge delegates could “cause a stir” in the party, Costantini said.

“The most likely possibility is Obama is the obvious winner once we end the primary and caucus season, at which point the superdelegates will be encouraged to not change the outcome,” he said.

Other more unlikely scenarios include Obama winning the nomination flat out – an event discouraged by the fact that all Democratic primaries allocate delegates proportionately – or Clinton doing well enough in remaining states to declare a virtual tie in pledged delegates, thus validating her claim to be the nominee, Costantini said.

“There might be a clear path to the nomination for Obama, but not for Clinton,” he said.

The superdelegates range from weary to enthusiastic, as a result of public intrigue created around voting anxiety.

“I’m tired of these phone calls,” said Maria Echaveste, former White House deputy chief of staff under the second Clinton administration and current part-time lecturer at the UC Berkeley School of Law. A member on the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee, Echaveste is one of California’s 66 superdelegates.

The superdelegate system is in place because of the need for experienced members of the party to contribute to the election of the nominee, Echaveste said.

“I think it reflects that there are party leaders … that have a breadth of experience that the party wants to be able to tap,” she said.

Echaveste said she has no reservations regarding the legitimacy of a system that could potentially alter the decision of a majority of voters.

Echavaste said she has decided to support Clinton because of what she described as a “depth of experience” that would help her win a general election against the Republican nominee and govern the country in the face of “serious challenges.”

First District Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) is a superdelegate who threw his support behind Clinton on Jan. 14, well before his constituency voted in the state’s Feb. 5 primary election.

“It’s exciting that we have two fantastic and historic candidates who have generated an incredible energy across our country, bringing out millions of new voters,” he said in a statement directed toward his communications director, Anne Warden.

“Our congressional district, like the country, is divided as to which candidate should lead our party in November,” Thompson said. “However, I don’t believe superdelegates will decide the nominee. I will continue to participate in the nomination process and will support our nominee 100 percent.”

Obama ended up receiving more votes than Clinton in Thompson’s district by a margin of less than 1,000 votes (47,597-46,811).

Steven Ybarra, a Sacramento-based superdelegate who heads the voting rights committee of the Democratic National Committee Hispanic Caucus, said he was unenthusiastic about the nominating process as a whole.

Ybarra said he questions the process because of what he saw in the early January Iowa caucus, which often serves as an indicator for which presidential hopefuls are likely to win their party’s nomination.

“This whole nomination process sucks,” he said. “Why is it that 100,000 white people in Iowa get to determine who the nominee is?” While eager to “argue the position of California at the national level,” Ybarra said the superdelegate system would be arcane if there were a primary process in every state, instead of caucuses in some, which limits participation.

As of now, Ybarra said he is uncommitted primarily because “neither candidate has made a commitment as to what they will do with the Latino voter once they get the nomination.”

Specifically, Ybarra said Obama and Clinton would have to make several commitments before receiving his support, including a national voter registration project aimed at the Latino voter and aiding in the citizenship process of Mexican Americans, which would increase the number of registered Latino voters in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Nevada.

As for the issue of whether his assembly of superdelegates may shift the Democratic contest one way or the other, Ybarra said he is ready to influence the outcome.

“I hope it’s me,” he said. “I hope I’m the tiebreaker.”

CHINTAN DESAI can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.XXX

Sparing the air is easy and free in the Sacramento region.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District together are helping reduce ozone pollution by providing an alert system for poor-quality air days. Their alert notifies Sacramento-area counties including Yolo during smog season, May through October.

Days when the air quality index is 150 or above are deemed Spare the Air days. In Yolo County these days mean free public transportation on Yolobus and Unitrans buses.

Each year, Yolobus budgets 15 free-ride days for the Spare the Air program and gets some funding from Sacramento and Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management Districts, said Yolo County Transportation District executive director Terry Bassett.

Funding for the program also comes from the federal government. This summer the Federal Transit Administration gave Yolobus a two-year grant of $62,290 to cover up to 24 free-ride days.

“We feel Spare the Air is a good community service,” Bassett said. “We also give out free water on hot days during peak hours for commuters. You have to put yourself in your riders‘ shoes.“

So far, there have been eight Spare the Air days this year.

“If I had to guess, I’d say there will be at least a few more days. There is usually at least one in September,” said Unitrans assistant general manager Anthony Palmere.

Unitrans has also participated in the Spare the Air program for about eight years, though they do not receive any outside funding, Palmere said.

“We get very little cash fares, so the impact of the free days is relatively small,” he said. “Overall, Spare the Air does not have a negative impact.“

Air quality is of particular concern for the Sacramento region, said Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District spokesperson Lori Kobza.

“Because we’re in a valley, we’re like a bathtub drain,” Kobza said.

Though air quality is not directly correlated with heat, the district is more concerned when there is triple-digit weather, she said.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District’s role is to manage and coordinate everything on behalf of other districts and to determine whether the air quality is poor, Kobza said.

Different districts do have different air qualities, but all counties are united in fighting air pollution, Coulter said.

“All districts are in this together. Pollution doesn’t stop at county lines,” Kobza said.

The Yolo-Solano district also informs the public of Spare the Air days, said public information officer Kathy Coulter.

“The role of the [Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District] is to get the word out that it is a ‘Spare the Air‘ day and to tell people to change their behaviors such as not using lighter fluid or biking instead of driving,” Coulter said.

Even though UC Davis students ride for free on Unitrans and Yolobus regardless of the air quality index, they can receive alerts about poor air quality days. Sign up for free at myairalert.net.

SASHA LEKACH can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com. 

Downtown visitors who want to park in the E Street Plaza parking lot across from Chipotle will have to pay for the privilege starting next week.

The Davis City Council voted in April to implement a paid parking system in the E Street Plaza, and parking pay stations are being installed this week.

Starting Sept. 2, visitors will have to pay a dollar an hour to park in the lot, up to a maximum of four hours at a time. Parking can also be purchased in smaller increments, at 25 cents for every 15 minutes. Currently, visitors are allowed to park for free in the lot, but only up to two hours.

Parking will still be free after 6 p.m. and on Sundays.

The Davis Downtown Business Association, which worked with the city to get the paid parking system implemented, is supporting the program. Its members hope it will benefit visitors to the downtown.

“It stems from many, many requests we’ve had from downtown patrons who want to be able to park for longer downtown,” said DDBA administrator Joy Cohan. “They do not want to have to move their car if they want to eat and shop, or go to a movie.“

Cohan said converting the lot to a fee-based system will open up more spaces for people who really need them and are willing to pay.

“With paid parking, they know they have a place they can park, and we think that’s going to bring more visitors,” she said.

Feelings among downtown customers are mixed.

Sacramento resident Cai Thorman, who was downtown earlier this week picking up her toddler from daycare, said she thought the paid parking system would ultimately be bad for business.

“A lot of people are going to get irritated,” she said.

Davis resident Michael Jackson said he wouldn’t mind paying for longer parking downtown because he’s had to pay for several parking tickets already.

“It’s cheaper than a ticket,” said Jackson, who was also shopping downtown.

Nearby businesses are also ambivalent about whether having a paid lot will help or hurt their bottom lines.

“We’re kind of concerned that it’s going to take away business from us,” said Leia Materin, manager of Outdoor Davis on E Street. “A lot of our traffic is people driving by and seeing us in the corner, and if they can’t park for free they might not stop and come in.“

Nonetheless, the management at Outdoor Davis is waiting to see what happens and hoping for the best, Materin said.

Laura Winton, the manager of Pinkadot Boutiques on E Street, said her customers will benefit from the option of longer, paid parking.

“In the long run it will eliminate the parking tickets,” Winton said. “I think it’s going to be better for those who are coming downtown.“

Though customers will only have to pay a dollar an hour, the cost to the city to implement the pay-to-park system is much greater.

The cost of installing the pay stations is roughly $25,000, and the annual operating costs are estimated at $13,000 per year, said Davis senior civil engineer Roxanne Namazi.

“It’s going to pay for itself,” she said.

Revenue estimates prepared by Namazi and other staff members range from just under $20,000 per year to over $100,000 per year.

The 59 standard parking spaces in the lot represent only two percent of total available parking downtown, said DDBA parking committee chair Janis Lott.

“Davis is one of the few downtowns around that does not have any paid parking, other than employer and employee permits,” said Lott, who co-owns downtown newsstand Newsbeat. “This is the most congested and the most centrally located part of downtown.“

Lott said the demand for more convenient paid parking came from business owners in addition to customers. Realtors who need a place for their customers to park while seeing houses in town and hairstylists who scheduled appointments longer than two hours were among those who wanted paid parking, she said.

According to a city staff report, the parking rates were made similar to university parking rates to prevent students and campus staff from parking downtown and walking to campus.

The paid parking system is a pilot program that will last for one year. After six months, city staff and the Davis City Council will evaluate the program’s success and determine whether to continue it in the future. If feedback is positive and the system is working, Downtown Davis Business Association and the city may consider offering paid parking in other downtown lots as well, Cohan said.

JEREMY OGUL can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com. 

There may be more room for actual garbage in apartment dumpsters this week.

In order to save more reusable items, the Davis Public Works Department is expanding its move-out week waste reduction program. The program, which runs until Sept. 1, is a collaborative project between Public Works and apartment managers to facilitate the reuse of unwanted items.

The program was created 11 years ago to recycle items that typically would be trashed on move-out day. Public works employees set up donation stations with bins for clothing and sections for larger items set apart by caution tape.

Any unwanted but reusable household items – including clothing – can be dropped off in the donation section any time before the Sept. 1.

This year is the program’s biggest.

“The program has grown larger over the years,” Gilbert said. “In 2006 there were 19 apartment properties that participated in the move-out program, in 2007, there were 34 and this year there are 45.“

Some of the apartment complexes have two sites set up on their property, making a total of 67 donation sites set up throughout Davis, Gilbert said.

City staff invite local nonprofits to collect items from the site at no cost. Residents and staff from the apartments are also encouraged to take any donated items they would like. At the end of the week, volunteers collect all donated clothing and distribute it to select nonprofits, according to the written statement from the city.

“Some apartments are setting out boxes to collect nonperishable food for donation from their residents,” said program manager Jennifer Gilbert. The donated food will be picked up by Davis Community Meals.

The sites, however, are only for tenant use. Due to dumping regulations, members of the general public are not allowed to donate using these sites.

Materials left at the donation site are the responsibility of the apartment complex at the end of the program. If non-tenants flood the sites with unwanted donations, a complex may be forced to pay to have the items taken away.

“This is extremely unfair and is in fact considered illegal dumping,” Gilbert said.

For those who want to donate but do not live in a complex with a site, Gilbert suggests visiting davisrecycling.org for a list of places to take items.

“We don‘t want to see good, usable items going to waste,” Gilbert said.

Among those invited to participate this year are Yolo Crisis Nursery, Davis Community Church, Yolo Hospice Thrift Shop, Yolo County SPCA Thrift Store, Yolo Community Care Continuum Inc., Yolo Family Resource Center Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center, Progress Ranch, and All Things Right & Relevant.

All Things Right & Relevant is a consignment store, paired with the thrift store R&R, both of which employ mental health patients and raise funds for 10 local mental health agencies. The store has never participated in the move-out recycling program, but is going to try this year, said store manager Judy deCesare.

“We don’t have a truck for the store,” deCesare said. “But we’re certainly going to try. We’d love to be able to participate if we do find a truck.“

Renee Trevino, owner of independent thrift store Hidden Treasures, is excited for the program this year, saying that she has had great luck in the past.

“We’ve done it for two years now, as long as we’ve been open,” Trevino said. “There’s a lot of good stuff out there, tons of good stuff!”

Though there is no posted list of donation sites, word of mouth does a good job of letting people in on the city’s program.

While the city aims to keep reusable materials out of the dumpsters, not everything is even allowed in trash dumpsters.

Items that are banned from the trash include batteries, fluorescent lamps, electronics, items containing mercury (which include cards that play a song when you open them, or shoes circa the early ’90s that light up when you walk), building materials, paints, chemicals, and some automobile materials, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

For more information on recycling these items, visit davisrecycling.org.

ALI EDNEY can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com. 

Those planning on partying in Davis this Labor Day weekend should be careful – Davis Police Department officials say they are planning heavy enforcement during Labor Day weekend.

Officers will be out Friday night conducting a DUI checkpoint in the area of Richards Boulevard and Olive Drive. The checkpoint will begin at 9 p.m. and end at 3 a.m.

The checkpoint is part of Yolo County’s Avoid the Eight campaign to encourage motorists to avoid arrest by not drinking and driving. The program, a collaboration of several local law enforcement agencies, is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Davis Police Chief Landy Black said in a statement earlier this month that his department would intensify enforcement to prevent drunken drivers from harming others.

“We’ll be especially vigilant during high-risk nighttime hours when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads,” Black said.

Officers working with the program come from local municipal police departments, the UC Davis police department, California Highway Patrol and the Yolo County Sheriff Department.

For more information on the Avoid the Eight program, visit californiaavoid.org. The Davis Police Department can be reached at 747-5400.

–Jeremy Ogul