What Next?

What's that saying about the company you keep? Squid's brain, although highly developed for an invertebrate's, is a little squishy sometimes. But never squishy enough to let an anti-growth meeting at development-happy Nick Lombardo's Rancho Cañada Golf Club slip by unnoticed.

The Concerned Citizens for an Informed Electorate (aka the people who don't want Carmel Valley to incorporate) are holding a meeting on Oct. 3 at the aforementioned Golf Club. Member Bob Sinotte says the intent of the meeting is to inform the public about the "fatal flaws" in the recent fiscal analysis of Carmel Valley's proposed incorporation. "My intent is to thoroughly examine the feasibility study before another hundred thousand dollars is spent," Sinotte grumbles, adding that he doesn't like the population-dense sound of "City of Carmel Valley." (Perhaps "Hamlet of Carmel Valley" would be better.) Sinotte uses the same argument against incorporation that would-be city mice use in favor of incorporation: preserving the rural nature of the Valley.

"A city will do just the opposite," he declares. "It's a city, not a town. From low-income housing and the traffic that low-income housing will create, from meeting on top of meeting on top of meeting that will be going on day and night at a city hall, from the traffic and employees coming and going to work at city hall--they won't live in the valley. They won't be able to afford to because the salaries proposed are so low."

Plus, Sinotte adds, "A city will be dependent on growth, and they are going to have to promote tourism, just like the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea does, to survive."

Oh, like that 175-unit hotel next to Rancho Cañada that Lombardo's been itching to build for more than 20 years? Whose side are these no-growthers on, anyway?

Roll With It...

Squid has confessed a propensity toward geekdom in the past. If there's nothing else lying around, Squid the Nerd is happily entertained by a phone book or the dictionary. The same goes for watching C-SPAN, the national public affairs channel. Watching unedited feed of American politics is a thrill only to be outdone by observing those cheeky lawmakers in Britain's House of Commons.

That said, C-SPAN disappointed this week. Its series "American Writers: A Journey through History" promised an episode on our region's most famous scribbler, John Steinbeck. Local lawmaker-turned-White House-brass-hat-turned -seminar host Leon Panetta was due to appear. But on Monday, Squid was crushed to find out that the entire series has been rainchecked until spring. According to a letter, the postponement was due to "unfolding events in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks."

At first Squid was angry that a seemingly harmless program would duck and run so fast. What were the writers afraid of, exploding pens? But no. C-SPAN bailed out because the program sucks up eight camera crews and a lot of time. The honchos at the station decided to dedicate coverage to war matters, which the Squid won't dispute.

But with all those resources, maybe C-SPAN should go for it. Take one of those camera crews and parachute it into Northern Afghanistan, which is where the networks have been sending their people in anticipation of combat footage. Rather than have some expensive "SCUD Stud" on the scene interpreting what we're seeing, why not do what C-SPAN does best? When the action starts, just turn on the cameras and let 'em roll.

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