The Burlingame Voice

Fall Tree hugger Post: Early rains fill our creeks

The Japanese maples in town have been spectacular, but we have to mix up our tree hugger species a bit each year.  The early rains have the seven creeks of B'game flowing nicely and the cloudy, rainy days this past week made our gingkoes stand out even more.  Here's a couple on Bayswater and the daylight portion of the creek at Heritage Park that runs through downtown.  We're lucky the rains cleared for Thanksgiving.  Hope you all have a good one.

Sloppy floppy signage

It's one thing to have cheesy plastic signs and bollards all over town; it's another thing to not maintain them.  I particularly dislike these floppy signs that sit in the middle of the street and have a little red Yield sign on them that drivers constantly confuse with an actual stop sign.  They stop for no reason even with no pedestrian around and I watch to see if they get rear-ended.  Here's one on Howard Ave. that broke several months ago and just sits tilted and missing one side.  It's a sad little sight.  At least there is a nice gingko or two on the block to distract tree huggers.

Badges! Badges! We need stinkin' badges!

The sheriff Corpus soap opera continues apace with near daily updates since the last post 10 days ago.  Much of the drip, drip is due to reporters, editors and columnists sifting through the 400-page report from the retired judge than led to the county Supes moves against the sheriff.  The Daily Post is on the case again today with a photo of Chief of Staff Victor Aenlle wearing a badge that looks just like a deputy's badge.  The article states that he is "likely committing a crime by impersonating a police officer".  But wait, there's more.  Aenlle had other badges made up and was passing them out to friends and colleagues at a local non-profit.  Hence the Daily Post headline "Anyone want a sheriff's badge".  Blazing Saddles and The Treasure of Sierra Madre had it right after all.

I had heard from a couple sources that Aenlle is a Burlingamer, but had not made any effort to verify it.  The Post just did the legwork for me by citing his B'gamer status in today's piece.  The second article on changing the code on a rifle storage locker continues the drip, drip as does editor Dave Price's column about trusting sheriff's departments.  I don't see this drip dripping until a March special election.

Free Lunch: CSM pushes "free college"

It was three and a half years ago that the community college Board of Trustees set aside $6.75 million to make college "free".  Of course, very little in life is "free" and unless we are talking about a scenic view or a walk on the beach, being "free" can often diminish the self-perceived value of something as well as one's commitment to apply oneself.  And then there are the perceptions of "fairness".  "You don't have to pay the $50 per credit?"  Here is a look back to 2021 for the origin of "free college".

One also wonders how much advertising is needed for something that is "free"?  Just in the last week, my X feed is absolutely overwhelmed by "CSM is free" ads.  There must be at least a dozen different ones, and they just keep coming.  I'm sure they are not expensive to produce, and the X cost is probably not huge to run them.  The same cannot be said for the glossy mailer that arrived in mailboxes yesterday.  I wonder how much taxpayer money went to print it and mail it?  In the really fine print one reads "Enrollment fee waiver for qualifying San Mateo County residents pursuing a degree certification."  One wonders if the advertising costs exceed the waiver costs?

Gasoline prices: Get ready for more pain

After reading about our Air Resources Board move this month to tighten gasoline "standards" even more I was reminded of this post from 2015.  The California average was $3.22 back then and in February 2017, I noted the price of regular at the Peninsula Ave. Shell was $3.05.  With apologies to composer Mary Hopkin

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and drive forever and a day
We'd buy the fuel we choose
We'd fight and always cruise
For we were young and sure to have our way

Today regular at that Shell station is $4.99, 64% higher than 2017.  And we need to get ready for more pain at the pump as Calmatters writes about the November 8th CARB vote

The new rule’s potential effects on California fuel prices are largely unknown. The air board said today that oil companies typically already pass 8 to 10 cents per gallon of costs on to consumers because of the state’s fuel standard.  Environmentalists and consumer advocates opposed the new rules, warning the changes will boost alternative fuels — such as biofuels made from cow manure or soy beans — that may have limited environmental upsides, and will allow oil companies to stay in business because they can buy credits or switch to producing those fuels.

In an initial assessment released last year, the air board projected that the proposed new standard could potentially raise the per-gallon price of diesel by 59 cents and for gasoline, 47 cents, in 2025. Air board officials have since disavowed that estimate, writing last month that the analysis “should not be misconstrued as a prediction of the future credit price nor as a direct impact on prices at the pump.”

Oh, let's not "misconstrue" anything.  We just won't make any forecast.  Other estimates put the gas increase at 65 cents per gallon or higher.  Meanwhile over in EV world, where CARB would like to push all of us, the WSJ has a piece titled "The Withering Dream of a Cheap American Electric Car".  Tesla has backed-off building a $25,000 car and all the other, non-profitable car companies see no way to succeed making a cost-competitive version either.  The Lucid CEO notes

“That market is notorious because you get into mass manufacture—terrible, low margins,” he said of the low-price EVs. “To install the manufacturing base for millions of these units makes little sense to me.”

Abandoning the idea of a $25,000 car comes as a blow to those who were betting that the electrification of the automobile was on track to happen seemingly overnight—with EVs for every pocketbook replacing the tens of millions of vehicles on the roadways.

Get ready to pay more--probably a lot more--because 12 unelected, activist bureaucrats say so.  By the way, it pays well too for a part-time gig.  CARB Chair Liane Randolph is pulling down $278,876 in pay and benefits.  She's probably buying premium.

Soap Opera at the Sheriff's Office

Some soap operas air weekly, but the one down at the Sheriff's office is running daily at this point and is it ever well-written--if you like soap operas.  Personally, I don't.  Especially when it involves the operation of the largest and perhaps most critical department in the County.  I have had reservations about Sheriff Corpus' management skills from the get-go--two and a half years ago as noted here.  The Daily Post has led the way tracking Corpus' leadership as noted here and in the subsequent comments.  The Daily Journal has focused in on the "chaos" lately here and here as has the SF Chronicle on the front page here.

As various reporters dig into the 400-page investigative report by the retired judge the Supes hired, more details are revealed that caused the Supes to unanimously ask for Corpus' resignation and to abolish her chief of staff's position; right before she showed up at the meeting and promoted him to Assistant Sheriff live during public comment.  As Mark Simon noted in his DJ column opener in the print edition: "It appears that getting rid of a sheriff is going to be a lot more difficult than electing one."  The on-line version relies on poet Dylan Thomas' verse.  There is plenty of nitty-gritty in the column for a civics lesson on the legal wranglings ahead.

One thing that hasn't been noted in the reporting is Corpus' compensation.  Per transparentcalifornia.com, her total pay is $466K per year plus benefits that take total comp to $701K per year.  That is a 42% bump from getting elected sheriff (verses her captain's comp running the Millbrae force that the sheriff's office contracts).  The step up in responsibility and visibility was much higher--as she is now finding out.  With one senior person who was vocal about some of the problems under arrest and two, or is it three, recent resignations, one could question how the ship is being steered at the moment.  It all goes to a key point that a very smart B'game city councilor made years ago when we were considering merging BPD with the San Mateo PD to save money.  She was vehemently opposed to giving up local control and managed to convince the other councilors---a big win for B'game.  It also avoids this mess.

 

"Stove grabbers" get singed in Washington and Berkeley

The natural gas "stove grabbers" had a bad day on Election Day as Washington State passed Initiative 2066 by 3% and Berkeley gave a gas tax a big thumbs down.  Californian politicians like to say we lead the nation in implementing change, but perhaps Washington is leading this time around.  About the initiative, the WSJ noted before the election

Anthony Anton, CEO of the (Washington state) hospitality association, says 84% of the restaurateurs he represents rely on natural gas. Remodeling to go electric is a “massive cost at a time where operators just can’t afford it,” he says. Some say the quality of their product would suffer, as some cooking methods, such as stir-frying, are difficult to perform on lower-heat electrical stoves. Most of the association’s members are very small businesses with substantial debt from Covid lockdowns.

The building association worries the new energy code will raise the state’s already high housing costs, locking out potential buyers. The code requires that new buildings meet a certain environmental “score.” Without the points from an electric heat pump, a builder will have to make up the difference with other green measures that run between $15,000 and $20,000 in a single-family home. “Every time they raise the price $1,000, it prices out another 500 Washington families,” says Greg Lane, the association’s executive vice president.

The Washington State Tree Fruit Association is concerned about rising costs of refrigeration to keep produce fresh. A sudden power outage could be catastrophic for the state’s apple industry. Trade regulations for its top two export markets require that fruit be constantly refrigerated at a specific temperature for as long as 90 days.

The state’s cheapest energy plan would almost double electricity demand in Washington by 2050, putting an unprecedented strain on the grid.

The Seattle Times writes "Initiative 2066 adds provisions to state law that explicitly protect access to natural gas and ensure that local governments and the state’s energy code cannot “prohibit, penalize or discourage the use of gas.”"

And over in Berkeley, they had their own Measure GG which the Comicle notes is going down bigly at 70/30 opposed.  Per the Comicle:

Measure GG would assess a special tax on buildings of 15,000 square feet or more that use gas for heating or other purposes, with exceptions for single-family homes, residential buildings with at least 50% affordable units and government buildings.  The measure required a simple majority to pass, but as of Friday the opposition was winning 68% of votes, with 32% in favor.  The tax would amount to nearly $3 per therm, which is more than double typical natural gas retail prices from Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

There are so many Unintended Consequences and unseen-by-politicians costs to these poorly thought-out initiatives, but voters appear to be figuring some of them out and sending them down in flames.  Hopefully the new B'game city council will leave this issue in the off position.

Attempted abduction-- license plate readers prove out

It's been two and a half years since the B'game city council voted 3-2 to install license plate readers in town.  You can read about Michael Brownrigg's and Emily Beach's opposed votes here.  Now we have stunning evidence of the wisdom of applying this technology in town.  As issued by BPD and repeated here in its entirety:

On Saturday, November 2, 2024, at approximately 3:33 PM, officers from the Burlingame Police Department responded to a report of an attempted kidnapping involving an adult female near the intersection of Burlingame Avenue and Occidental Avenue. It was reported that a male suspect driving a dark-colored SUV approached the victim as she was walking. The suspect exited his vehicle, brandishing a black handgun, and ordered her to get into the SUV.

The victim screamed for help as another vehicle passed which startled the suspect, causing him to flee the scene. A nearby witness heard the commotion and observed the suspect’s vehicle speeding away. This witness was able to provide a partial license plate number. Further investigation utilizing local Automated License Plate Reader cameras yielded photographs of the suspect vehicle and a complete license plate.

At approximately 7:40 PM, with assistance from the Belmont Police Department, the suspect vehicle was located in the 500 block of O'Neill Ave in Belmont. An 18-year-old resident of San Mateo, found in possession of a black BB gun, was arrested and subsequently booked into the San Mateo County Jail for attempted kidnapping.

The Burlingame Police Department urges anyone with additional information regarding this incident to contact the lead investigator, Sergeant Mike Bolanos, at 650-777-4142.

That's four hours from incident to arrest.  What is not mentioned is that this attempt was apparently the second in a week or so by what is believed to be the same perpetrator.  The majority of Californian's have reached the breaking point on crime--small, medium and crazy dangerous like this one.  Prop. 36 is cruising to a win with a 70%+ margin even as our Gavinor claims it doesn't reflect our "California values".  Time for a gut check there.  But the craziness goes on.  Just last month this lawsuit was filed over Flock ALPR use in Virginia:

A federal lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice against the Virginia city of Norfolk, challenging the city’s widespread deployment of Flock Safety Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras.  The lawsuit argues that the city’s installation of more than 170 cameras on public roads constitutes an unconstitutional, warrantless surveillance program that monitors every motorist, raising questions about digital privacy and government overreach.

Some people have a very weird idea of what constitutes justice. 

Sleepless in B'game: The numbers are only part of the story

As we again reenter the ridiculousness of Standard Time tonight, the Merc has an article on sleep deprivation by county and towns in the Bay Area.  The headline has an Oakland ZIP code as the most sleep deprived, and the chart shows San Mateo County is the least sleep deprived county (i.e. averaging less than seven hours per night).  Solano County is the most sleep deprived at 38.1% and San Mateo County the least at 28.7%.

Pulling the covers back a bit, the San Mateo County figure is lulled by Portola Valley at 23.2%.  The other rural towns are also quieter and sleep more.  Dear old B'game is a little better than the county average at 26%, but that may include our shared ZIP code sister, H'borough.  I am skeptical about the metric because the duration of sleep is only part of the story.  When weather conditions are just right--meaning just wrong for sleep--the jet backblast from SFO take-offs may not fully wake you up, but you're not in REM either.  It might also be making us...a bit heavier than need be.

The "Fall back" is not as bad as the "Spring forward", but be careful out there as either change is associated with distracted driving, etc.  We all voted to stay on Daylight Savings time, but the Sacramento gang and Gavin haven't moved on making the change.  Add this to the "Sacramento Stupidity" category.

Increasing 101 Congestion: Who's to blame?

The SF Comicle dove into the effects of the express toll lanes on 101 that opened in March 2023 through B'game. 

The number of drivers using the Bay Area’s newest highway express lanes is rising — but even as those drivers are enjoying speedier rides, traffic in the regular lanes appears to be slowing, a new report says.  The number of drivers using the Bay Area’s newest highway express lanes is rising — but even as those drivers are enjoying speedier rides, traffic in the regular lanes appears to be slowing, a new report says.

Those drivers, the report found, enjoy speeds of at least 45 miles per hour and travel about 11-12 mph faster than those stuck in the regular lanes.  However, the traffic in the general-use lanes slowed — at some times and in some locations — to less than 30 mph, according to the report.

Our very own former councilwoman, Emily Beach, in her new capacity as communications person for the TA was tasked with the official response

Emily Beach, a spokesperson for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, said it’s difficult to draw conclusions about the express lanes, which started full operation in March 2023, and their effect on overall traffic.  “It’s early,” she said. “We have just over a year of data to analyze and that includes the learning period while drivers are getting used to the lanes as well as the increase in the number of people returning to the office.”

And as anyone could have expected, the system ain't perfect especially when it seems to me that no one is enforcing the rules on darkened car windows

But express-lanes officials are aware that some drivers without a sufficient number of passengers simply flip the switch on their FasTrak Flex toll tag to indicate they qualify for a free ride in the fast lane.  Transportation officials who operate express lanes across the Bay Area have identified express lane cheaters as a serious problem. They can be caught only by California Highway Patrol officers who can see how many occupants they’re claiming and compare it with what they see in the car.

In the San Mateo County lanes, roughly 25% of those declaring they have three or more in their cars could be lying, a May “toll leakage” study found.  Those scofflaws could be costing the express lanes $8,000-$12,000 a day during the morning and evening commute hours alone.

 

Let's just run the math on that.  Using just weekdays, of which there are 261 per year, that means toll fraud is somewhere between $2M and $3M and change per year.  If we throw in some busy weekends and why not if only the CHP can do anything about it and many of them are busy bailing out EssEff and Oakland local police per Gavin's direction?  Call it $3.5 million a year.  The next time you bog down in stop and go traffic trying to get from the north to the Broadway exit--which is pretty much every time you try to get from the north to B'way--and then get pummeled by the potholes on El Camino, think about the Law of Unintended Consequences.  Then think all of the new office space planned and being built on the Bayfront.

Fall Fest: Trains, Ponies and the Cybertruck

I strolled through the Howard Ave. Fall Festival yesterday.  I hadn't been in years, but when I saw the horse trailer parked near Isobune I decided to check it out.  The hurricane out in the Pacific made for a humid, partly cloudy stroll, but that didn't seem to diminish the crowd.  It felt as busy as Art on the Ave.  The little train was giving kids rides reminiscent of Rudy Horak's Holiday tree-lighting train.  It's nice to see that tradition continue.  The demonstration Cybertruck was also there like at Art on the Ave, and as if it isn't scary enough already, add skeletons.  But the biggest draw by far was the pony rides.  No need to go all the way over to Lemos Farm when the ponies come to B'game.  The line had to have at least 50 kids waiting patiently.  Kudos to the DBID for keeping tradition alive downtown.

Election 2024: The home stretch

We are in the home stretch of campaign season 2024 with two weeks to go.  It is another district-based election for city council with two of the five districts engaged in competitive races.  (Yet again, one district only has one candidate who wins by default).  As of September 3rd, the number of registered voters in each district is:

District 1        3,889

District 2        3,519

District 3        4,157

District 4        3,597

District 5        3,900

-------------------------

Total                19,062

District 2 is where the action is at for city council with four candidates vying for the seat.  If we assume a couple of hundred additional registrations after 9/3 and 85% turnout, which is common in presidential years, it will probably mean a city council seat can be won with about 30% of the votes cast or about 950 votes.  Such is the effect of district elections foisted upon us by a Malibu lawyer exploiting a loophole provided by Sacramento.  Here's hoping the uncontested seats and small vote counts enlighten the state legislature to change the law.  A minimum population of 100,000 sounds like a reasonable floor.  Get out and vote!