Ironically, this year’s presidential inauguration on Martin Luther King Day precipitated a Santa Cruz community organizer to set himself ablaze atop the Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Santa Cruz. This disturbing event exemplifies the desperation and rage many disenfranchised people feel as their hard-fought civil liberties are under attack. Voter suppression is a well-constructed movement, as statistically proven in the article, Jan. 24, 2025, “Trump Lost, Voter Suppression Won,” by Greg Palast, a forensic economist and data journalist (https://hartmannreport.com/p/trump-lost-vote-suppression-won-c6f). Palast’s research dives into the tactics that systematically curtail voter participation as his study reveals what percentage of voters were denied their rightful participation.

Palast, also the author of the New York Times best-seller “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: A Tale of Billionaires and Ballot Bandits,” illuminates how billionaires have set the stage to wreak havoc within institutions. Meanwhile, Trump’s celebrity status harnesses these forces to control wealth and resource distribution.

An in-depth Mercury News report, “Developers Making Millions,” published Dec. 31, 2024, by Kate Talerico details the money made by developers and bankers who spent hundreds of thousands on lobbying and campaign donations to keep California lawmakers from imposing regulations. Their efforts found the means to be exempt from property taxes while collecting fees and interest on bond payments and still profiting from an affordable housing program for middle-income renters with little to no discounts for the renters.

Locally, deep-pocket developers have partnered with city officials to expand overdevelopment in the South of Laurel Area. A link to the draft Downtown Plan Expansion, is below. While the city promotes the benefits of its vision, the draft environmental impact report does not address grave concerns.

The 100% stackable density bonus provisions in state law AB 1287 are missing in the city analysis. The plan involves raising the height limits from 35-48 feet to 85 feet, while a portion would have 50–70-foot height limits before the 100% bonus.

This type of architecture is strikingly inappropriate for Santa Cruz, whose appeal comes from its exceptionally diverse beauty and mountainous skyline overlooking the bay. However, the city insists on managing growth with boxlike, commoditized rental buildings because wealthy investors have overly influenced policy platforms. The downtown plan ignores alternatives to build less intrusively and conducive to neighborhood sustainability, even knowing Santa Cruz can meet its state-mandated requirements without upzoning.

The environmental report fails to evaluate the proposal to insert large amounts of earthen infill at the levee’s floodplain, which will likely displace floodwater. It does not evaluate unappealing colder climates and wind chill from tall buildings, the burdens of traffic congestion, costly infrastructure, and additional city services.

The future water demand is inadequately addressed in the environmental report using a faulty drought scenario to mistakenly determine the 1,600 envisioned units, plus hotels and commercial space.

Where is the common sense? We can work locally by adding comments to the draft environmental report. Communicating with representatives and giving time to organizations like Our Neighborhood Voices, Catalyst California and Indivisible is empowering. Without our intervention, our town will be overbuilt and uncomfortably congested, losing its unique, charming characteristics to history.

Send comments to the city by Feb. 21 at: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/planning-and-community-development/long-range-policy-planning/ordinance-policy- updates/downtown-plan-expansion.

Laura Carol Lee has lived in Santa Cruz since 1981. Now retired, Laura taught in both the public and corporate sectors. Presently, she loves coaching others for personal development, and donating time to make Santa Cruz a sustainable and just city.