Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Can't Contain The Excitement or Is That Contempt?


The wait looks to be over for the General Plan Committee (GPAC). Sitting on their hands for the last nine months has given birth to ta da....a draft of the "new" general plan...but wait that sounds like immaculate conception. I know the question on the tip of your tongue - wasn't the idea of a community committee with diverse view points appointed for this data review. Gather, sift thru and prepare the rough draft that leads to ahem...a final rough draft. Cut straight to the final draft! Magically, as if a magic wand was waved and Poof- no muss no fuss. This draft is available for review and public comment until March 19th when public comments will end.
Huh? My thinly veiled contempt for the process is still an angst to be worked out, so here again I subscribe to the RX dose of what's good for you. Information.
Except information isn't easily disseminated in this supposedly transparent process of collecting data, community member weighing in (where GPAC comes in, in theory of course.) Not to be secret squirrel but another bright, articulate community member shared her angst with me recently about the wasted opportunity and abilities of the community demographic that I like to call kids, furniture, and big mortgage (KFBM)

Wonders of all wonders- GPAC meets, not really, no teasing. They will review this "draft" of which they had very little if any contribution on Friday the 5th..Two days away!

For the community to move ahead, it can't remain the high school musical that best describes the social variety I have come to loath here. The breadth of knowledge that GPAC represents equates to a loss of opportunity. To really embrace change, and give a critical eye to things that need objective. Window dressing aside, GPAC should be allowed to take the reins on this uber important task of General Plan Update...The "draft" prepared by staff that will be discussed needs more that two weeks of public review.

Baa aah bah bah. Are we sheep? Seems like our town government sure thinks so. Let's not let them try to pull the wool over our eyes. Contempt should be a community value in this instance.

Please chime in on this important process.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was involved the last go around of the GP a few years ago. Community involvement made the project, I guess the town prefers it's own path. Sounds like we get to like it or lump it?

Anonymous said...

This is beyond frustrating! I've talked to people on this committee and they seem mystified by what they were supposedly doing these past several months. As a citizen of this town, I had faith in the fact that a diverse group of fellow Los Gatans were collaborating on a revision of this plan and that it would reflect their input. Surprise! Baaaaa baaa! More superficiality in town? Is it possible? Thanks for really bringing this to light.