Comments by marcmcginnes
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3 of 7 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on January 7 at 6:01 p.m.
Thank you, TTM for letting us know that
"The TV series "Crash" on Starz had a recent episode where a character allegedly committed suicide from the Cold Springs Bridge. The series takes place in Los Angeles but the character drove up to Santa Barbara."
It is well known that publicity of this kind inevitably contributes to increased suicidal behavior at depicted locations. For that reason, Friends of the Bridge continues to request that media of all kinds refrain from providing such copy-cat inducing publicity.
Friends of the Bridge is concerned about suicide at this location and has proposed to Caltrans and local officials a suicide prevention solution that would preserve the unique grace and beauty of the bridge and that would not require the installation on it of ugly 10' high fencing barrierst, as Caltrans proposes to do if it can get away with spending $3.3 million in public funds to do so.
The Friends of the Bridge proposal could have been implemented months ago and would now be in operation at a fraction of the money Caltrans wants to spend on its misguided fencing barriers scheme.
Information about the superior suicide prevention solution proposed by Friends of the Bridge and what citizens can do to support it can be found at www.cscbfriends.com
0 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 12 at 7:39 p.m.
Sevensnugports or Whatever,
I am moving on from here to better uses of my time, so you may be the only one still attending to this chain-- you and such fictitious alter-egos as you have concocted for your anonymous blogger-self.
I hope that we can count on one of you to turn out the lights.
Marc McGinnes
0 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 12 at 10:12 a.m.
In light of the fact that "power never concedes" (B. Obama 2008), it should be obvious that litigation is absolutely necessary at times in order to prevent those in power from unlawfully abusing their powers.
In this case, we have pointed out over the past 16 months that Caltrans-- a powerful state agency-- is trying to exercise its powers in an unlawful manner, and we have backed up our assertions with clear and unambiguous evidence (see cscbfriends.com)
We oppose fencing barriers on the Cold Spring Bridge for several reasons, including the fact that such barriers are an inferior suicide prevention (not merely suicide diversion) approach than the "human barriers" plan we asked Caltrans several months ago to evaluate and implement promptly (again, see cscbfriends.com).
The Sheriff is deploying all the considerable political muscle of that office in order to aid and abet Caltrans' unlawful abuse of its powers.
In a situation such as this one, litigation is a necessity rather than an option.
Marc McGinnes
1 of 2 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 11 at 9:16 a.m.
Like any proponent of a project in California involving the expenditure of public funds and significant adverse environmental impacts, Caltrans is legally obligated to meet a BURDEN OF PROOF that its fencing barriers proposal is firmly based upon sound factual evidence of its purported justification and careful analysis by it of less impactful alternatives.
The record in this case clearly shows that Caltrans has failed to meet its burden of proof in both of these respects, and so if Caltrans does not alter its present course, litigation will become necessary to uphold California law.
Such litigation will not involve putting witnesses on the stand and taking testimony under oath. Rather, the courts (trial and appellate) will base their decisions on their reasoned consideration of the statements and submissions of Caltrans and others that comprise the administrative record of the case.
Politically, this matter has played out so far as one would expect, given the teeth-gnashing commitment to it by political fixers in both parties (Nava, Firestone, etc.).
Legally, the matter is far from over. Sooner or later, we will all learn how judges view the evidence and render judgment on how Caltrans has chosen to address the problem of occasional suicidal behavior on the Cold Spring Bridge.
In the meantime, lamentably, the predictable "copy-cat" effect appears to be occurring due in large measure to the way in which the Sheriff-- a member of the Caltrans fencing barriers Project Development Team-- continues to draw special attention to suicidal behavior on the bridge in the face of requests to stop doing so from Friends of the Bridge and other supporters of the superior "human barriers" alternative plan presented to Caltrans several months ago.
Marc McGinnes
0 of 2 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on October 20 at 2:43 p.m.
Dear Holly,
Please do not despair too much, and please do not give up-- ever-- in working for this and other causes in which you believe.
The effort to stop the Caltrans bridge barriers boondoggle is far from over. Keep your focus on the grace and beauty that you wish to preserve, and renew your commitment to it.
Take strength from your anger, and do not be deflected by it from your worthy work.
Thank you for your words. They help me to see clearly what else is at stake beyond the particulars of this case.
In gratitude,
Marc McGinnes
Posted on August 13 at 9:15 a.m.
What an absolutely stunning picture of this beautiful bridge that is being threatened by Caltrans' deeply flawed and fiscally irresponsible barriers proposal.
Hats off to you, Paul Wellman!
What an eye!
On Caltrans Insists Funding Exists for Cold Spring Bridge Project
Posted on June 11 at 5:25 p.m.
Dear Sev' (commenter above at 2:57pm)--
Thank you for making it perfectly plain that you are merely (and madly) attempting to obfuscate the facts of this matter rather than to come to grips honestly with them.
On Caltrans Gives Public Glimpse of Cold Spring Suicide Barrier
Posted on June 5 at 8:37 p.m.
Fact:
These civic groups oppose the barriers boondoggle:
Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association
Santa Barbara County Action Network
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club
Womens Environmental Watch
Citizens Planning Association South County Land Use Committee
Santa Ynez Valley Alliance
Pearl Chase Society
Los Padres ForestWatch
Friends of the Bridge
Fantasy:
That these folks look like they overuse controlled substances (see comment above).
And so it goes.
Posted on June 4 at 12:55 p.m.
The opposition to the Caltrans bridge barriers boondoggle is widespread and increasing as the public finds out what elected officials such as Pedro Nava, Brooks Firestone, Salud Carbajal, and Janet Wolf are trying like mad to conceal.
My fight? Hardly. I am merely a spokesperson for Friends of the Bridge.
This story should have reported the fact that the following community organizations also oppose the barriers boondoggle:
Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association
Santa Barbara County Action Network
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club
Womens Environmental Watch
Citizens Planning Association South County Land Use Committee
Santa Ynez Valley Alliance
Pearl Chase Society
Los Padres ForestWatch
In the weeks and months to come several other civic groups can be expected to join the fight against this blatantly flawed and wasteful proposal. This issue will not be decided finally until well past the November election when Caltrans hopes to see Measure A approved so that it and its elected lobby will have hundreds upon hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars to do with what they please in years to come.
It seems that Caltrans, Nava, Firestone, Carbajal, and Wolfe take their constituents for fools. Friends of the Bridge does not, and so we and other civic organizations will not give up this fight.
It is truly a shame that Caltrans, Nava, Firestone, Carbajal and Wolfe will not even allow a fair public hearing to consider the merits of the far less costly and more effective suicide prevention plan that was presented to Caltrans months ago. Unlike the barriers boondoggle, the alternative no-barriers plan was designed by a qualified expert in the field of suicide prevention on bridges.
For facts about the alternative plan and about all other aspects of this issue please go to www.cscbfriends.com
And then make the fight against the barriers boondoggle your fight too.
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Posted on November 16 at 8:17 p.m.
In fact, sbsleuth99 and others, this account pretty much tells the whole story as it actually occurred (not accounting for the fear and loathing in the minds of certain folks who accordingly reported seeing things in a different and far darker light). The so-called investigation and the revocation proceedings are farcical reminders of why Shakespere and other great minds remind us that we should give to the law and legal officials all the respect that it and they deserve, and no more.
On Teacher on Trial