Monterey Bay Forum

Safeway in Aptos, CA plans removal of movie theater, kitchen tools store, ice cream

Now Safeway plans to expand in the Rancho del Mar shopping center in Aptos, CA. If their plans are approved, Safeway will remove many of the small businesses including Le Chef (cooking tools), the movie theater and a number of other small businesses.

Safeway expansion will wipe out Le Chef in Aptos

“I can attest to Safeway ruining neighborhoods all the way back to the ’70s in Sonoma County where they and Bank of America, under false names, bought up an entire block in Sebastopol.

“They [Safeway] took the art deco theater, a large, family-run nursery, numerous small businesses on that block, plus caused the demise of every business with a two-block radius. They touted “lower prices” because they bought in volume, and then their prices went up.

“The businesses they brought in were no asset to the community. They continued these practices throughout that county [Sebastopol, CA] and just kept going.

“Now, here they are in Santa Cruz. I hope our citizens will be very careful in any plans involving this conglomerate. Letter to Editor, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 4-17, 2012, written by Gloria Sams, Santa Cruz

Readers can Comment on the above post, subscribe to the RSS feed for Monterey Bay Forum or send email to DrCameronJackson@gmail.com and ask it be posted under the categories Anti-Safeway Expansion and Aptos, CA

In my view, Aptos does not need a bigger Safeway. There is currently plenty of parking and a variety of local businesses. It is my understanding that the Planning Commission must approve Safeway’s plans so it’s time that Santa Cruz residents speak up. Use YELP to publicize that we like what we have for small businesses.

Monterey Bay Forum is willing and happy to assist people to connect in opposition to Safeway expansion in Aptos, CA. DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

Send snail mail to: Monterey Bay Forum, P.O. Box 1972, Aptos, CA 95001-1972

Safeway in Aptos, CA plans to double in size

why Safeway to double?

Why? Bigger is not better for the existing Aptos, CA community.

Safeway recently bought the entire Rancho del Mar shopping center.

There’s plenty of parking now and no need for a double decker parking garage. The Rancho del Mar center has the only movie theater and the only ACE hardware store between Watsonville [9 miles south] and 41st Avenue in Capitola [3 miles north] Both the theater and ACE hardware will be eliminated if Safeway expands as planned. As local Aptos users know, ACE is the place for excellent services from the time you enter the door.

It’s likely that many small businesses [a movie theater, a jewelery store, a pharmacy, several restaurants, Ace hardware] will be eliminated if and when Safeway expands from 30,000 to 60,000 square feet.

Susan Houghton is a contact person for Safeway. Per Houghton, it will take about 2 years to get permits and 2 years to build. Several letters to the editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel express concern about the pending changes.

Where and how to speak up: Aptos, CA has a supervisor on the County of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors. And there’s of course the Planning Department. Is there a disgruntled citizens department? You can subscribe to the RSS feed to get updates to this post.

written by DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
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bacon

force pork?

Replace broccoli with pork and see what happens to Krugman’s weak argument.

Dear Mr. Krugman: Do you know that …..

1) Americans overwhelmingly dislike 2 to 1 ObamaCare. It was not popular before and overall it is still unpopular.

2) If the Supreme Court throws ObamaCare out entirely, then Congress gets a fresh slate to make health care reform with bipartisan support. Not one Republican voted for ObamaCare. Any change of such massive proportions requires bipartisan support and public input through hearings. Thus, a fresh start is the best way to go.

3) Americans want health care reform that respects individual freedom of religion per the Bill of Rights. Obama recently Jan 20, 2012 told the Catholic bishops there was no waiver for any church organizations. Under Obama-Care, all organizations must provide for free a wide variety of contraceptive choices including abortion, sterilization and birth control pills. Many organizations are affronted at this lack of respect for individual conscience and by the one size fits all approach taken by Obama and his Health Secretary Sebelius.

4) People want & should be able to get individually tailored plans. A gay man does not need or want pregnancy care whereas a gay woman who plans to give birth may. Health care reform must include tort reform to reduce malpractice costs and allow and encourage competition across state lines.

5) If you Mr. Krrugman don’t like Justice Scalia’s comparison of health care with broccoli then how about comparing health care with the purchase of pork? Say there is just one store and it’s located in the middle of a Jewish neighborhood. And Jews don’t eat pork or bacon or products with pork. How long will the store owner offer pork for sale? As the demand is zero he will stop offering it for sale. So when Jews choose not to buy pork in fact their actions make pork unavailable to the few who do want to buy pork.

6) But what if the government requires all stores to offer pork for sale and requires all shoppers to purchase pork no matter what the individual’s religious or culinary habits? When the government can require all to purchase X then the government can require all to also purchase Y and Z.

6) The essence of a legal contract [based on Western laws] is that both parties enter into it voluntarily. But if one side is forced then there is no lawful contract.

7) You Mr. Krugman have got it flat wrong when you say, “people don’t buy health insurance until they get sick…” Wrong. Most people get health insurance as part of their benefits from their employer. Some individuals that work by the hour and have several children will get health care for their children via Healthy Families and other government paid for programs. And, if in CA, via Medical.

Insurance is based on risk. What is the risk of a 20 year old dying from a heart attack compared to a 70 year old? The risk is far less for the younger person and hence the insurance cost is less.

Yes Mr. Krugman, Americans want health care reform. But they do not want ObamaCare. Americans do not want to be told that they must purchase health care insurance or pork or anything for that matter.

In January, 2008, instead of focusing on the weak economy, creating actual ‘shovel ready’ jobs, the huge homes ‘under water’ Obama and Pelosi and the Democrats focused on creating a one size fits all government health care program for all. The priorities of the working American are — and remain — far different from Obama’s priorities.

And what are Obama’s priorities? Giving Russia what it wants concerning missile defense? Protecting ‘green’ energy and choosing supposed winners and losers? Stopping the Canadian- Gulf oil pipeline? Adding 1 TRILLION to the national debt to be paid by our children and grand-children? Stopping all oil drilling in the Gulf even though his commission said re-open bids?

Americans are far smarter than Obama and apologist Paul Krugman think. And yes, health insurance can be compared to the purchase of broccoli or any product. If the government can force you as an individual to buy health insufance, it can force you to buy all sorts of of things.

Way back in 1775, the individual states agreed to create and give limited powers to the federal government. All powers not given remained with the individual states. All powers over the individual citizen [pay a property tax, get a drivers license, pay sales tax] come from the power of the state where you live.

Up until now — except for conscription into the army and serving on a federal jury — the federal government has only limited, specific powers. It has no police powers over any individual. If the individual mandate of ObamaCare is found by the Supreme Court to be constitutional and legal, then the basic relationship between you and your government changes drastically.

So the answer is yes, if the individual mandate is legal then Obama can force Jewish grocery stores to sell bacon and pork and Obama can force all shoppers to purchase bacon and pork.

drcameronjackson@gmail.com

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