We won’t have final election results for at least a few more days, but I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect.

The question at the forefront of my mind today is, “Did our actions align with our values?”

Great article on the crisis in affordable housing from the Chico ER.

“According to the report, gaps in inequality that already existed in Butte County before the fire demonstrated that a very low housing inventory combined with little availability had already created a housing crisis…”

Th𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭-𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐀𝐂 𝐁𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥

A quick update on the astonishing amount of money the right-wing PAC has already poured into the Chico City Council election. So far they have spent well over $90,000. Why does this matter?

During the last Chico City Council election, the largest PAC, also conservative, spent approximately $36,000 during the whole election cycle…

The county is reporting that early returns are high, and that’s great news, except…this is a “vote by mail” election. And as of yesterday, only about 55% of the ballots have been returned city-wide.

In some districts, there have been markedly fewer ballots returned; in District 5, for instance, only 45% have been returned, and worryingly, only 37% of have come in from those between the ages of 18 and 34. The returns are even more dismal for Latinos, at 34%, and not much better for Asians (38%) and African Americans (39%)…

The single most important thing you can do in the next 6 days is VOTE. The second most important thing is to remind your friends and family to vote…plus locations.

Rich Ober has a long history of community service; he served on the Chico Park’s Commission for 10 years, 3 of those as Chair; he has served meals at the Torres Shelter for many years, and served on the Board of Directors, including 2 years as Chair. His deep knowledge of the district, hands-on involvement in a variety of community initiatives, and focus on homelessness and housing creation will all be critical in coming years….

Curtis Pahlka is a longtime resident who brings a wealth of local knowledge, as well as being the only candidate with any law enforcement experience. He ran because he was concerned, as are we, about the divisiveness and ugliness in the community. He spent 10 years in law enforcement doing dispatch and evidence management, and now serves as the Director of Clery & Compliance Training at CSUC…

With the departure of Karl Ory, Randall Stone has the deepest knowledge of housing, has consistently pushed for inclusionary zoning, and excellent working relationships with a variety of organizations throughout the state. He sits on the Board of Directors for the League of California cities, and connections like this help to ensure that he brings forward up-to-date solutions that are in alignment with best practices for the state…

We struggled in a few cases making decisions on endorsements for Chico City Council. We are very enthusiastic about some of the candidates and have some reservations about others; with that in mind we believe a nuanced discussion is important. Click on the links on candidates names for more in-depth conversations about endorsements…

We appreciate Ann’s focus on the creation of housing and her commitment to protecting our greenways and parklands. She brings knowledge and experience in working with city staff and the council on these issues, and with the influx of funding to create housing these things will be particularly important.

However, Ann has been a disappointment on the council in recent years…