THE MILKMAID AND HER PAIL

 A MILKMAID had been out to milk the cows and was returning from the field with the shining milk pail balanced nicely on her head. As she walked along, her pretty head was busy with plans for the days to come.

"This good, rich milk," she reused, "will give me plenty of cream to churn. The butter I make I will take to market, and with the money I get for it I will buy a lot of eggs for hatching. How nice it will be when they are all hatched and the yard is full of fine young chicks. Then when May day comes I will sell them, and with the money I'll buy a lovely new dress to wear to the fair. All the young men will look at me. They will come and try to make love to me,—but I shall very quickly send them about their business!"

As she thought of how she would settle that matter, she tossed her head scornfully, and down fell the pail of milk to the ground. And all the milk flowed out, and with it vanished butter and eggs and chicks and new dress and all the milkmaid's pride.

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

FABLE: The Wolf, the Nanny-Goat, and The Kid

A Nanny-goat went out to fill her empty milk bag

And graze newly sprung grass, 

She fastened the latch tight,

Warned her Kid saying: 

"Do not, upon your life,

Open the door unless  you are  shown

This sign and told this password: 

'Plague on the wolf and his breed!' "

As she was saying these words,

The Wolf by chance  prowling around,

  Overheard the spoken words

And kept them in his memory.

Nanny-Goat, as one can well believe,

Had not seen the glutton beast.

As soon as she departs, he changes his voice

And in a counterfeit tone 

He asks to be let in, saying: "Plague on the Wolf,"

Believing he'd go right in.

The  canny Kid looks through the crack,

"Show me your white paw, else I'll not open."

He shouted at once. (White paw is a thing

Seldom  seen in wolfdom, as everyone knows.)

This Wolf, aghast  upon hearing these words,

Went  slinking home the same way he had come.

Where would the Kid be now, had he believed

The password, which by chance

Our Wolf had overheard?

Two guarantees are  better than one,

Even a third one would not be extreme.

Better be sure than sorry

The Frog and the Crocodile

Be careful with whom you place your trust.

Once, there was a frog who lived in the middle of a swamp. His entire family had lived in that swamp for generations, but this particular frog decided that he had had quite enough wetness to last him a lifetime. He decided that he was going to find a dry place to live instead.

The only thing that separated him from dry land was a swampy, muddy, swiftly flowing river. But the river was home to all sorts of slippery, slittering snakes that loved nothing better than a good, plump frog for dinner, so Frog didn't dare try to swim across.

So for many days, the frog stayed put, hopping along the bank, trying to think of a way to get across. The snakes hissed and jeered at him, daring him to come closer, but he refused. Occasionally they would slither closer, jaws open to attack, but the frog always leaped out of the way. But no matter how far upstream he searched or how far downstream, the frog wasn't able to find a way across the water. He had felt certain that there would be a bridge, or a place where the banks came together, yet all he found was more reeds and water.

 After a while, even the snakes stopped teasing him and went off in search of easier prey. The frog sighed in frustration and sat to sulk in the rushes. Suddenly, he spotted two big eyes staring at him from the water. The giant log-shaped animal opened its mouth and asked him, "What are you doing, Frog? Surely there are enough flies right there for a meal." The frog croaked in surprise and leaped away from the crocodile. That creature could swallow him whole in a moment without thinking about it!

Once he was a satisfied that he was a safe distance away, he answered. "I'm tired of living in swampy waters, and I want to travel to the other side of the river. But if I swim across, the snakes will eat me."

The crocodile harrumphed in agreement and sat, thinking, for a while. "Well, if you're afraid of the snakes, I could give you a ride across," he suggested. "Oh no, I don't think so,"

Frog answered quickly. "You'd eat me on the way over, or go underwater so the snakes could get me!"

"Now why would I let the snakes get you? I think they're a terrible nuisance with all their hissing and slithering! The river would be much better off without them altogether! Anyway, if you're so worried that I might eat you, you can ride on my tail."

The frog considered his offer. He did want to get to dry ground very badly, and there didn't seem to be any other way across the river. He looked at the crocodile from his short, squat buggy eyes and wondered about the crocodile's motives. But if he rode on the tail, the croc couldn't eat him anyway. And he was right about the snakes--no self-respecting crocodile would give a meal to the snakes.

"Okay, it sounds like a good plan to me. Turn around so I can hop on your tail."

The crocodile flopped his tail into the marshy mud and let the frog climb on, then he waddled out to the river. But he couldn't stick his tail into the water as a rudder because the frog was on it -- and if he put his tail in the water, the snakes would eat the frog.

They clumsily floated downstream for a ways, until the crocodile said, "Hop onto my back so I can steer straight with my tail." The frog moved, and the journey smoothed out. From where he was sitting, the frog couldn't see much except the back of Crocodile's head. "Why don't you hop up on my head so you can see everything around us?" Crocodile invited.

"But I don't want to see anything else," the frog answered, suddenly feeling nervous. "Oh, come now. It's a beautiful view! Surely you don't think that I'm going to eat you after we're halfway across. My home is in the marsh-- what would be the point of swimming across the river full of snakes if I didn't leave you on the other bank?"

  Frog was curious about what the river looked like, so he climbed on top of Crocodile's head. The river looked almost pretty from this view. He watched dragonflies darting over the water and smiled in anticipation as he saw firm ground beyond the cattails. When the crocodile got close enough, the frog would leap off his head towards freedom. He wouldn't give the croc a chance to eat him. 

"My nose tickles," the crocodile complained suddenly, breaking into the frog's train of thought. "I think there might be a fly buzzing around it somewhere, or a piece of cattail fluff swept into it while I was taking you across the river."

"I don't see a fly," the frog said, peering at the crocodile's green snout. It seemed odd that anything could tickle a crocodile through it's thick skin. "Would you go check my nose for a piece of cattail fluff, then?" the crocodile begged, twitching his nose. "I'm afraid I'll sneeze and send you flying. I don't want to feed you to the snakes." A tear seeped out of his eye, as if he was holding back a mighty sneeze.

The bank isn't too far, the frog thought. And it's the least he could do to repay him for bringing him over. So he hopped onto the crocodile's snout and checked the nostrils. Just a little closer, and he could jump... "I don't see--" he began. Just then, with a terrific CHOMP! the frog disappeared. The crocodile licked his lips in satisfaction and gave a tiny half-sneeze. "Good, I feel much better already," he smiled, and turned around to go back home.

Crunch!!!

---

Lisa Grady of Bridge Housing to RWQCB: "We want protection from liability after we buy Marinwood Plaza"

History of Marinwood Plaza in 2014

Renee Silveira was shocked to learn that Bridge Housing wants a guarantee after purchasing Marinwood Plaza that they will not be liable for the toxic waste.* It seems no one wants to be the responsible party to clean up all of the residual toxins that could find its way to the Silveira Ranch water source, poisoning the dairy herd, the residents and potentially thousands of people that drink milk.  

Supervisor Susan Adams called multiple times and Assemblymen Mark Levine called on behalf of the developers and landowners to vacate the toxic waste clean up order and extend the final clean up date  so they may have additional time to get financing and permits.  

Why didn't they consider the risks to PUBLIC HEALTH first?  

Lisa Grady, Marinwood Village, Former Senior Project Manager

See full Board Packet with the Geologica Report responses from Marinwood Plaza, LLC, Bridge Housing and Silveira Ranches HERE

Email sent to the RWQCB on January 8, 2014.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Lisa Grady
To: Aue, Kent@Waterboards
Cc: Tom Graf (tom@grafcon.us)
Subject: Water Board Order Regarding the Marinwood Plaza site
Date: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 4:47:12 PM

Kent:

As you know, BRIDGE intends to develop the site post-remediation and we have assumed
that vapor mitigation in the form of sub-slab ventilation or ventilated flooring will be
necessary for some period of time in the areas currently showing vapors exceeding
allowable concentrations. We want to make sure this is taken into account with regard to
the order.

Additionally, without understanding the constraints and regulations governing the
Waterboard, it would be ideal if staff were able to modify the order with regard to timing.
While we hope this won’t be the case, the entitlements and environmental approvals may be litigated. We were anticipating that the completion of the soil removal would occur once BRIDGE has secured the necessary financing to begin construction. We anticipate that the entitlement and environmental approvals will be secured in 12 to 18 months from today. Once that occurs, and assuming there is no litigation, we would proceed with the completion of the construction documents, financing and building permitting. Typically, that takes about a year’s time. So, the earliest construction start date isn’t likely to be until June of 2016.

The other item I would like to discuss at some point is the Prospective Purchaser document
we need to protect us from liability once we take title. You indicated that the Water Board
no longer issues these but I’d like to understand how we get to an equivalent level of
protection absent that document.

Please give me a call if you have questions. Thanks and Happy New Year.

Lisa

Lisa Grady | Senior Project Manager
BRIDGE Housing Corporation | 345 Spear Street, Suite 700, San Francisco, Ca., 94105
Direct: 415.321.3534
p. 415.989.1111 ext 7514
f. 415.495.4898

lgrady@bridgehousing.com

Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to toxins in the environment.

*Of course, if anyone were to receive such a guarantee, then the public will never be certain that a full cleanup has taken place.  It simply gives the buyer a permanent "get out of jail card" free.

Postscript:  Lisa Grady left employment with Bridge Housing shortly after this letter was discovered and made public.

Apartment Over Crowding in the Canal District

The more the merrier.

From Wikipedia on the Canal District

Demographics and housing

The above two apartment complexes (55 Fairfax and 162 Belvedere St) in the Canal District are owned by Bridge Housing.  see related stories in Apartment Overcrowding

Most of San Rafael's low-income residents live in the Canal Area, along with many affluent residents. There is at least one concern (on Harbor Way) that rents slips for boats that people can live aboard legally.

The more affluent residents live in the houses constructed in the 1960s right on the Canal and in two housing developments in the eastern part of the Canal's residential area: Baypoint Lagoons (constructed in the late 1990s) and Spinnaker Point (constructed earlier). Some real-estate agents refer to these two developments as being in "East San Rafael", to avoid the stigma of the name "Canal Area".

The low-income homes (almost all of which are apartments) are inhabited mainly by immigrants (documented and undocumented), from a variety of countries. Seventy percent are Hispanic, 11 percent Asian, 10 percent Caucasian, 5 percent African-American and 4 percent are of other ethnic groups.^{[citation needed]} This area provides a location for workers who hold low-income jobs that are essential to the functioning of the community to live close to their place of employment.

Although the majority of residents in this area are low-income workers, most of the apartments in which they live are neither subsidized nor less expensive than comparable apartments elsewhare in San Rafael.

 In order to pay the relatively high rents, the residents resort to sharing their dwellings with many roommates, typically at least two persons per bedroom, plus one person in the living room. Often as many as eight or more persons, including children, will occupy a two-bedroom apartment

Stalinist Urbanism

One Bay Area Plan is coming to Marinwood-Lucas Valley 

[Editor's Note: The ideas of Smart Growth and the One Bay Area Plan are similiar to the autocratic land use planning under the Soviet power. The author of this article reaches many of the same conclusions that we have concerning Smart Growth.  Freedom and responsibility under democratic self rule are preferable bureaucratic oppression and tyranny.]

Excerpt from Urbanism under Stalin

Postwar development brought historicism to new extremes in the form of monumental plazas, dramatic statues, and seven famous "wedding cake" high-rises built throughout the city between 1947 and 1953. The largest and perhaps most extravagant is Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), which includes a botanical garden and extensive landscaping connected to the park along the river at Lenin (currently Sparrow) Hills.


MSU today.


Fearful symmetry, 1949.


An earlier design, 1947.


Open land around the new building, 1954.


New development, 1957.


An older house prepared for demolition to accommodate the Universitet neighborhood along Leninsky Prospect, 1957.

Housing for everyday citizens remained terribly insufficient, as elites were given beautiful apartments in the city and cottages in the country. New residential development tended to follow a kvartal model, in which buildings of roughly 5-10 stories were bounded by a city block with shops at street level and shared interior courtyards. Today, at least in the more affluent neighborhoods of Moscow, these structures have aged well. They combine density with pleasant landscaping and easy access to amenities. This model influenced the development of larger apartment blocks in "microdistricts" after Stalin's rule. These places are generally not considered beautiful. Still, there is much to be said for the kvartal idea.


Kvartal-like courtyard at lower-right corner, beside the residential tower at Kudrinskaya Square, 1954.

Stalinist urbanism draws upon a number of ideas raised in the 1920s for the socialist city, including the modernization of infrastructure, communal housing, employment and amenities close to home, ubiquitous public transportation, and the integration of green space. However, basic human needs were neglected in favor of industrial development and an image of grandeur. Human rights were given even less concern. This abuse of power in the name of socialism is an enduring tragedy. Stalin's massive urban modernization projects made it possible for Moscow to accommodate a great influx of people. But I'm not sure if they improved living conditions on the whole, or if the ecological consequences can be justified.

Stalin surveying a construction site, followed by Voroshilov, a removed person, and an unidentified person, mid-1930s.

In some ways Moscow's high-density living, extensive public transportation system, and accessible parks sound like a contemporary planner's dream. However, after reading about Stalin I've become more sympathetic to the flip side of this equation, the suburban house with a small park (ie, yard) of one's own, where we can adapt the environment on a smaller scale without imposing our will on others. Can urban condos and parks meet those kinds of needs?
"Increased public spending on health and physical education," a section from the Second Five Year Plan, 1934.

This might seem like a loss of faith in cities, but the real problem is abusive power. Stalin accomplished many things in Moscow that have proven of enduring value. But process is at least as important as results in this case. Great places can come about through autocratic, democratic, capitalist, and socialist means. But for the good of daily life in cities, a democratic socialism sounds preferable to autocratic socialism or democratic capitalism. Oppression and exploitation must give way to freedom and responsibility.

Once Upon a Time in Marinwood-Lucas Valley

Once upon a time,  when we valued the simple things...

The San Francisco Exodus  

• Gabriel Metcalf
• Oct 14, 2013

My friends keep moving to Oakland. Gone from San Francisco for greener pastures and cheaper rents, because it’s just gotten too hard, by which I really mean too expensive. Their move signals that something has gone terribly wrong in this most progressive of American cities.

In some ways, we came by the problem innocently. San Francisco had the good fortune to be one of the very few 19th century industrial cities to successfully make the transition to a new, post-industrial economic base. It wasn’t just bohemians who set up shop here—all kinds of entrepreneurs and creative business people decided to call San Francisco home. As wave after wave of older industrial jobs moved out of town, new types of work were created to replace them.

At the same time, San Francisco was a great place to live. Partly from historical inheritance and partly from the work of activists who chose to make the city the focus of their activism, the city remained a walkable, urban paradise compared to most of America.

Something has gone terribly wrong in this most progressive of American cities.

A great quality of life and a lot of high-paying professional jobs meant that a lot of people wanted to live here. And they still do.

But the city did not allow its housing supply to keep up with demand. San Francisco was down-zoned (that is, the density of housing or permitted expansion of construction was reduced) to protect the "character" that people loved. It created the most byzantine planning process of any major city in the country. Many outspoken citizens did—and continue to do—everything possible to fight new high-density development or, as they saw it, protecting the city from undesirable change.

Unfortunately, it worked: the city was largely "protected" from change. But in so doing, we put out fire with gasoline. Over the past two decades, San Francisco has produced an average of 1,500 new housing units per year. Compare this with Seattle (another 19th century industrial city that now has a tech economy), which has produced about 3,000 units per year over the same time period (and remember it's starting from a smaller overall population base). While Seattle decided to embrace infill development as a way to save open space at the edge of its region and put more people in neighborhoods where they could walk, San Francisco decided to push regional population growth somewhere else.

Whatever the merits of this strategy might be in terms of preserving the historic fabric of the city, it very clearly accelerated the rise in housing prices. As more people move to the Bay Area, the demand for housing continues to increase far faster than supply.

There’s a lot of housing under construction now, and for the next couple of years, we’ll see more built. But a few years of strong housing production, building out neighborhood plans that the city has worked on for the last two decades, is going to be too little, too late to undo the larger trend. Absent any transformative approaches, new housing construction is likely to return to its normally low levels after the current round of building is finished.

Railing against Google buses, fancy restaurants or new condos—the visible signs of gentrification—will do nothing to stop San Francisco from becoming more expensive. These are not causes of the rising rents; they are symptoms. The root cause is that many people have chosen to live in San Francisco, and we are now all

Wednesday Addams Dance: "Once upon a time in Marinwood-Lucas Valley"

Once upon a time in Lucas Valley,  when we lived in the idyllic neighborhood surrounded by trees and the gentle flowing Miller Creek...

High Affordable Housing Development Costs under Scrutiny

Bridge Housing's latest "affordable housing"development in Emeryville costs $500,000 per unit. The above photo is  another "affordable" development by another LIHTC developer that also costs $500k per unit.

Editor's note: It is entirely likely that a Marinwood Plaza Housing Project will be built for far in excess of the typical square footage cost for a Marinwood/Lucas Valley custom home.  The Marinwood Village project may be worth $40,000,000 financed largely through a Low Income Housing Tax Credit and local residents that will support the development and its residents for up to 55 years. 

High Development Costs Under Scrutiny

How much is too much to spend on building affordable housing?

$100,000 per unit? $200,000? $300,000? $400,000?

The cost of sheltering a community’s neediest residents has been rising and so has the heat surrounding the hefty price tags.

From California to Maine, the amount being spent on low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) and other affordable housing properties is under growing political and public scrutiny.

“Certainly affordable housing costs are perceivedto be out of hand by people who are not in the industry,” said David Smith, chairman of Recap Real Estate Advisors, a Boston-based firm that works with multifamily property developers. “They see foreclosed homes in the Central Valley of California selling for $175,000 or less, and there are thousands of them, when new affordable housing in San Diego can cost $450,000 per unit. To them, that doesn’t add up.”

‘Instead of building new properties, why not just buy vacant homes and rent them to poor people?’

It’s a major political problem, and Smith is surprised more people don’t see it.
“With state and federal budgets under pressure, anything can be cut or zeroed out, it’s very difficult to explain crisply the reasons for LIHTC’s high costs,” he said.“Normal people say, ‘Instead of building new properties, why not just buy vacant homes and rent them to poor people?’ That the existing stock may not be where the jobs are located, or is in some other way unsuitable, is a potential answer, but not a snappy comeback.”
“There’s no question in my mind that cost containment or the perceived above-market costs for LIHTC projects represents a significant political issue and political risk for the program,” Smith says.

Cancer Risk at Marinwood Village and Casa Marinwood

These two testimonies may have been the most important 4 minutes in the EIR meeting. Elizabeth speaks with a heavy accent making it difficult to understand her but she is profoundly outraged. I suspect our new neighbors will be immigrants too. 

Will we hear them when they speak out for their safety? 

Housing low income people on a location with known health risks is racist. It is not compassion.  

 A cleanup order was issued by the RWQCB (regional water quality control board) on February 12, 2014 to Marinwood Plaza LLC to complete the cleanup of the site on both sides of the highway.  Supervisor Susan Adams and Assemblymen Marc Levine called the RWQCB to ask for a DELAY of cleanup so that Bridge housing may find financing despite the increased risk of the public health and water supply.

I want to be a Crony

Google Invests In Homes For Poor People, Gets Massive Tax Cuts In Return

Gregory White

Oct. 6, 2010, 5:02 PM 2,136 

Google has been investing in low-income housing for the massive tax advantages, according to Bloomberg.

Investments in low-income housing are helping Google offset taxes on the company's profits.

The move works like this: Google invests in a low-income housing project and receives a tax credit on its investment. That tax credit is of greater value than the actual investment. So if Google invests $1 million in such projects, they actually make back more than $1 million in tax credits.

Google's investment in the low-income housing market is worth at least $86 million. The company also invested $25 million in a separate deal earlier this year, according to Bloomberg.

This isn't a short term investment for Google, as the tax credits make take some 10 years to sort out. But it may be worth it for yields that could be around 10%.

Editor's Note: Marinwood Village and the huge amount of the low income housing in Marin will be driven by the LIHTC scheme to provide corporate investors and Wall Street financial firms to make huge returns on investment backed by the government.  The COST of these investments is shouldered by the host community like Marinwood-Lucas Valley who must pay for all of the infrastructure improvements, government services, schools, police and fire while receiving almost NO TAXES.  It is a scheme worthy of late night "No Money Down" real estate gurus.  Investors get guaranteed profits while we pay the bill.

School Expansion Costs Estimate $2.5- 3 Million Dollars,

According to Luke McCann, deputy Superintendent Marin County Office of Education, the cost to build a 6000 square foot modular addition is $2.5 - $3 million dollars. It is being built to accomodate the County Community School at the Las Gallinas campus. The school will house 40 students and instructors.  The amount does not include instructors, books, computers or furnishings.   Above is the budgeted cost estimate.  The structure is modular and built on a slab foundation.

The cost of portables can run around $170,000 installed each.  We will need 5-7 portables for a total cost of $1.5 million dollarsl

The Marinwood Village project by Bridge Housing was initially estimated to bring 150 students which will definitely trigger expansion of our schools. Through the  "magic" of statistics they revised their estimates to 60 students.  Bridge Housing "school impact fee" is estimated to be only $200,000 total.  

For this reason alone, the Marinwood Village project should be halted until an equitable financing scheme can be found that will not erode the funding of our Dixie School district.

We must insist that the supervisors get the math right on school funding when planning for non-profit developments. 

Our children's education, our community is not "for sale".

Save Marinwood. Our community. Our future.

Toxic Waste concentration is 2000 times legal limit at Marinwood Village (01:37)

This brief clip is from the full hearing on the Toxic Waste cleanup for former Prosperity Cleaners site at Marinwood Plaza. It is alleged that Prosperity Cleaners dumped Toxic Waste (PCE)  behind their store in Marinwood Plaza, creating a massive environmental problem.  The PCE has migrated through the soil under the 101 Freeway and is heading straight for the water well located on the Silveira Ranch. The well provides drinking water for the for the residents and the dairy herd.  Potentially thousands of people including pregnant women and children could be affected by the toxic contamination of their milk if the site is not cleaned up immediately.

Supervisor Susan Adams and Assemblymen Mark Levine lobbied the RWQCB to remove the current clean up order and extend the date for compliance so that it will fit their financing and construction schedule.  Supervisor Susan Adams has a PHD in Nursing and we are shocked that she would protect the development interests over the public health.  She ran on "Cows not Condos" to protect Marinwood from over development in her initial campaign for Supervisor. She is running for re-election in 2014.

Read more on PCE environmental cleanup HERE

Time is running out. 

Toxic Waste Cleanup of Marinwood Plaza- Renee Silveira speaks

Renee Silveira describes the shock of discovery that a toxic waste spill had spread perilously close to the Silveira Dairy Ranch well water. She did not receive notification until years after the initial discovery of the problem by Hoytt Enterprises.

Will we need a new Fire Ladder Company to fight fires at Marinwood Village ? We will DEFINITELY need one for Grady Ranch at 60 feet tall

Ladder Trucks are recommended for fighting fires in buildings above 35 feet high.
 Marinwood Village is 46 feet high at the highest point according to Bridge Housing plans.  Grady Ranch is 60 feet tall.

Ladder trucks can save lives.  This 4 story apartment fire appears to be a total loss. Imagine the catastrophe awaiting a 6 story apartment building  filled with seniors and disabled citizens. It will be a slow response time with trucks arriving from Novato and San Rafael.  Grady Ranch is 4 1/2 miles from the 101 freeway.

No ladder trucks can be seen in this photo.

Ladder trucks cost millons to buy, maintain, house and operate.



Ladder trucks and trained ladder companies are an enormous expense to the community.

New ladder trucks over a million dollars and they require additional trained fire staff to operate safely.  Marinwood Fire Department will be required to build a new fire station to house the equipment and the additional personnel. 

Our 11 man Marinwood Fire department budget consumes well over half of our 4.2 million dollar annual budget. Marinwood/Lucas Valley/ CSA 13 taxpayers pay some of the highest parcel taxes for fire service in all of Marin

Clearly more high density housing will cost this community dearly and new taxes will be needed for this expansion.  The Marinwood Village low income development will pay little taxes for their 82 units of family housing. According to Brad Wilban, Bridge Housing VP it will be approximately $142 per housing unit or $10,000 per year.  Many of us pay close  $10,000 for ONE HOUSE!!

A financial analysis of our Firefighting readiness and a financial analysis of costs are needed before considering the current Marinwood Village high density housing plans. 

If you question the wisdom of having a 3-4 story apartment building in our community without the fire safety equipment and trained personnel to keep our neighbors safe.  If you are upset that you will need to pay additional taxes to subsidize the Marinwood Village "big box" apartments,  please join "Save Marinwood"  to urge  sensible growth and wise land use.  Our County Supervisors must hear us.

Will residents living on the third floor of Marinwood Village be safe if the closest ladder trucks are miles away in other communities? How about the remote Grady Ranch with six stories?  


For more information see: When should you buy an aerial ladder

Displacement from Public Housing and Private Profits with Bridge Housing

At the Marin City Meeting on May 18, 2015 to discuss the future of the redevelopment  of the Marin City Priority Development Area, a resident is concerned with displacement and the gentrification of their community.  The elimination of public housing in lieu of Private-Public Housing and the gentrification of Marin City is EXACTLY what will be occurring as the response from the "facilitator" indicates.

She tells the resident that since HUD has declining budgets, public housing is trending towards "public-private partnership" schemes. Non profit developers like Bridge Housing sells tax credits to Wall Street Banks and the wealthy 1% and collects huge management fees from the management of the apartments.  I am told these fees often top 60% of rent for each unit for 55 years!    The Non Profit "public private" partnership is a lucrative money making deal for insiders.

It is clear from the residents is all they want is their apartments to be maintained and be left alone.  They do not want gentrification which will raise ALL the rents and push the poorest away from their homes.

While there are many fine people on both sides of the housing debate, we need to pay particular close attention to the COMMUNITY first.  How do we "improve" a community by displacing its residents?  What right does ANY government entity have in a free society to force redevelopment "for our own good"?  Isn't this government imperialism?

An Activist from San Francisco Mission District:

Welcome to your New Family Home at Wonderful Marinwood Village!

The Toxic Avenger from the film The Toxic Avenger

For years and years, it is alleged that the dry cleaner who leased at Marinwood Plaza, dumped toxic waste down his drain and over the fence behind his store.   The Marinwood Plaza site is now contaminated at unacceptable levels according to state laws.  Although some mitigation measures have taken place the toxic waste site is far from clean. According to State regulators the damage is much greater than previously reported.

The "brownfield" contaminated site now extends under the freeway on ramp and clear across to the east side next to the Silveira ranch.  To properly clean the site,  hundreds of cubic yards of soil will need to be cleaned, replaced and sealed to prevent further environmental damage and to make it safe for human habitation. The containment is PCE which breaks down into multiple toxic compounds. It is now illegal for use in California.

The site is also home to two high power microwave transmission towers

on the southeast corner of the property. 

Microwaves are also a known health hazard

All hidden behind a 16 foot soundwall barrier that will reduce traffic noise

but still subject inhabitants to roadway pollutants.

Would you choose to move your family to Marinwood Village?

We MUST insist that Bridge Housing do a full Environmental Review and treat toxic waste to the highest levels of safety.  We will not allow a "negative declaration" to avoid rigorous review.

If you care about the community, you will care about the health of the residents, the quality of Dixie schools and the financial integrity of the Marinwood Village proposal

Speak up for your rights and your community!

Marinwood Village Enviromental CRIME! PCE Risks to You (en espanol )

From the National Library of Medicine

Perchloroethylene (PCE, PERC)

en español

Perchloroethylene is used in dry cleaning. Long-term exposure may affect health.

What is perchloroethylene?

Perchloroethylene is a colorless, nonflammable liquid with a sweet, ether-like odor. It is also called tetrachloroethylene, PCE, or PERC. The chemical formula for perchloroethylene is C₂Cl₄.

Perchloroethylene is a volatile organic compound (VOC). Perchloroethylene is a manufactured chemical that is primarily used for dry cleaning fabrics and degreasing metals. It has also been used to make other chemicals, including chlorofluorocarbons, and rubber coatings; as an insulating fluid and cooling gas in electrical transformers; and as a scouring, sizing, and desizing agent in textiles. It is an ingredient in aerosol products, solvent soaps, printing inks, adhesives, sealants, paint removers, paper coatings, leather treatments, automotive cleaners, polishes, lubricants, and silicones. It is also an ingredient in some consumer products, including typewriter correction fluid, adhesives, spot removers, wood cleaners, and shoe polish.

How might I be exposed to perchloroethylene?

You can be exposed to perchloroethylene if you dry clean your clothes, which will release small amounts of perchloroethylene into the air after they are dry cleaned, or if you use a laundromat that contains dry cleaning machines. You can also be exposed if you use products that contain perchloroethylene, such as fabric finishers, adhesives, spot removers, typewriter correction fluid, shoe polish, and wood cleaners.

Exposure to low levels of perchloroethylene in the air and water can occur because of industrial releases. There is more perchloroethylene in the air in urban and industrial areas than in rural and remote areas. You can be exposed to higher levels if you live or work close to dry cleaning facilities, chemical waste sites, or chemical storage areas where perchloroethylene has been stored.

At work, you can be exposed to perchloroethylene if you work in a dry cleaning, metal degreasing, chemical production, rubber coating, or textile facility.

How can perchloroethylene affect my health?

Short-term exposure to high levels of perchloroethylene can affect the central nervous system and cause unconsciousness and death. 
Perchloroethylene is listed as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" in the Thirteenth Report on Carcinogens published by the National Toxicology Program because long-term exposure to perchloroethylene can cause leukemia and cancer of the skin, colon, lung, larynx, bladder, and urogenital tract.

Long-term exposure may also damage the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys; it can also cause respiratory failure, memory loss, confusion, and dry and cracked skin. If you are pregnant, long-term exposure to perchloroethylene may damage a developing fetus.

Short-term exposure to high levels of perchloroethylene can cause buildup of fluid in the lungs, eye and respiratory irritation, severe shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, sleepiness, confusion, difficulty speaking and walking, and lightheadedness.

Short-term exposure to low levels of perchloroethylene can cause dizziness, inebriation, sleepiness, and irritated eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and respiratory tract. Direct contact with perchloroethylene liquid or vapor can irritate and burn the skin, eyes, nose, and throat.

If you have a disease of the heart, liver, kidneys, or lungs, you will be more susceptible to the health effects of perchloroethylene.

If you think your health has been affected by exposure to perchloroethylene, contact your health care professional.

For poisoning emergencies or questions about possible poisons, please contact your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

This description is based on the information found in the Web links listed with this topic.

More Links
Map of Superfund Hazardous Waste Sites with Perchloroethylene in the United States. TOXMAP (National Library of Medicine) 
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC). ToxFAQs. (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) 
Tetrachloroethylene. Haz-Map (National Library of Medicine) 
Tetrachloroethylene. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (National Library of Medicine) 
Tetrachloroethylene. Household Products Database (National Library of Medicine) 
What is Perchloroethylene (Tetrachloroethylene or PCE)? (Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center) (PDF — 62 KB)