Will the Palm Springs vacation rentals ballot fight have 'coattails'?
Election issues topics of Desert Sun letter to the editor for June 3, 2018.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The deadline for letters to the editor related to the June 5 ballot was 5 p.m. Friday. No additional letters related to candidates or issues on the June 5 primary ballot will be published.
I have two wishes for Palm Springs.
2. During the next several election cycles, each present sitting council member is voted out of office.
Despite recent misleading comments, the hotel industry supports efforts by Palm Springs residents to enact Measure C to reduce the negative impacts of illegal short-term rentals in the city's neighborhoods.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association, the nationwide voice representing every segment of the hotel industry — including major chains, independent hotels, management companies, REIT's, bed and breakfasts — supports Measure C in Palm Springs because short-term rentals, which started out as way for home owners to make some extra income, have transformed into a multibillion dollar "black market" for commercial interests to buy up residential homes and turn them into illegal hotels without any safety regulations, transparent taxation or respect for the residential character of communities.
The hotel industry strongly believes that communities in Palm Springs are being infiltrated by these illegal hotels due to the rise of short-term rental platforms being exploited by commercial interests, and we applaud the proponents of Measure C for taking a stand to save their single-family neighborhoods from illegal commercial operators.
I have lived in Palm Springs for 23-plus years. I've never experienced a raging battle like the one I see primarily as between the Palm Springs real estate industry that favors short-term rentals and residents who prefer peace and tranquility in our neighborhoods.
The community has been bombarded with mailers, brochures, and TV ads. The "No on C" side funded these activities with significant financial support from outside organizations like Airbnb and Expedia's HomeAway. Communications are negative and misleading.
If Measure C passes, its critics state there will be $10.5 million cut from the city's upcoming city budgets. One mailer is organized in a "High $" to "Low $" sequence that emphasizes "heart string" issues of residents.
This slick mailer is biased. It presents "worst case" scenarios that I believe are not supported by verified facts, explanations, or assumptions.
SUGGESTION: Log into YouTube and type "CNBC Unwelcome guests" in the search line. Watch the video.
THINK: Draw your conclusions regarding plans developed by the real estate industry, Airbnb, HomeAway, and others for Palm Springs. Are they working in our best interests or theirs?
Don't be bullied! Vote 'yes' on Measure C.
Jan Harnik was picked by former Supervisor John Benoit to take his place after he passed away.
Jan has done a wonderful job with the city of Palm Desert and I am proud to say that I VOTED FOR JAN!
We have all reached saturation point with arguments from both sides of the issue, but I wonder why the well-managed homes are being thrown under the bus with owners who are not so conscientious?
My small company has managed vacation rentals here for over 32 years. There are many homeowners creating zero problems for their neighbors, while sharing their pristine homes with respectful visitors drawn to the beauty of our Valley, including religious women who cannot swim in public pools and need private homes. Some of these visitors become residents.
Compliance rules to control the poorly managed homes have been my company's rules for decades. I know they work and promise peace will be restored.
Stronger enforcement was absolutely needed for some rental houses, but I remind myself every community grapples with noisy neighbors, barking dogs, increased air and street traffic as a normal part of modern city life. Our once-sleepy village is bursting at its seams and quickly becoming a big, modern city. We cannot deny this is happening. The new sound and light pollution will not disappear if rentals are banned. We are already adapting to a new normal.
Please, vote "no" on Measure C.
Before we saw the flurry of political mailers of the past couple of weeks, we debated whether Jan Harnik's position on the issues was correct. Now our question is, "Are these the actions of a sane woman?"
I'm the chair of the Neighborhood Watch (NW) in my neighborhood. However, I'm not writing this as a neighborhood representative.
As part of NW, we have block captains keeping their eyes and ears open.
Who's going to watch those STR homes, for things like utility door hangers, flyers and phone books that make a house look empty and attracts suspicious people looking for an easy house to break into? In one instance with an STR, a woman put a bucket and broom by the front porch, pretending she was the cleaning person. She was actually stealing items from the home, the police were called and she was arrested.
The number of STRs in our neighborhood is overwhelming and our neighborhood is inundated. In 357 residences we have 57 STRs (16 percent). Four neighbors have STRs on both sides and across the street. One four-block street has 13 STRs or 30 percent. That's too many.
The main issue for residents is density. If the City Council had properly addressed the density issue, we would not be facing a divisive issue Measure C. Instead, the City Council is supporting the home rental industry rather than the residents of Palm Springs.
Generally, local elections are best left with locals. But occasionally decisions made at a local level have an impact on our entire valley.
Our regional convention and visitors bureau, with significant help from the city of Palm Springs and our other valley cities and business partners, has built our valley's tourism industry into a thriving economic engine. According to their recent study, visitor spending in Greater Palm Springs has increased to $5.5 billion, and one in every four jobs is sustained by the tourism industry.
Would enacting Measure C cause the valley's tourism industry to crash? Probably not, but it would represent a dangerous step backwards. While the measure itself would remove a considerable amount of bed inventory from our supply chain, the bigger concern is where does the next Measure C turn up? What happens if other cities enact their own Measure C?
When it comes to our tourism industry, Palm Springs has always proudly led the way for our entire valley. On behalf of all the small-business owners and families from across our valley that have benefited from it, we are asking you to once again lead for all of us by voting "no" on Measure C.
TV ads currently saturating the airwaves claim that enforcing long-established zoning codes in Palm Springs is "extreme." Really?
I find it extreme that the ads conveniently confuse R-1 revenue with all rental income in the city. Extreme that passing Measure C and funding city initiatives are at all related. Extreme that decisions regarding our neighborhoods can be bought and sold to the highest bidder.
But this vote is about more than allowing businesses to operate in every R-1 neighborhood in Palm Springs. Rejecting C means that we surrender our decision-making voice regarding our neighborhoods. A powerful precedent will have been set.
Zoning codes protect the safety and peaceful enjoyment of our neighborhoods. But R-1 zoning will become meaningless if outside interests can persuade local politicians to alter those codes, or if they can purchase unlimited access to media so they can barrage us with overstated, misleading claims.
If we reject Measure C our neighborhoods might not instantly morph into a Disneyesque wonderland of the real estate industry, but our lack of a voice about what happens on our streets will already be a reality.
Vote "yes" on Measure C, or say hello to your extreme, new neighborhood.
I have been collecting flyers that make voting recommendations, e.g.; CAL GOP, Save Prop 13, Conservative Voter Guide, etc.
There was one sleazy flyer with the title of "June 5 Voter Guide Attention: Palm Desert Republicans." Highlighted in red are two Republican candidates COX for Governor and CONLON for Treasurer along with other Republicans that are listed. However, mixed in with their names is Ed Hernandez (Democrat) for Lt. Governor.
On the other side are pictures of seven Republicans candidates along with Ed Hernandez. But on the picture side he isn't identified as a Democrat. Also on this list are Manuel Perez and Miguel Garcia, both Democrats. Which by the way they are not identified as such. They also list Dan Ball and Jonathan Reiss, who are lesser Republican candidates, I believe, in an effort to reduce the vote count for the recommended Republican candidates.
Democrats, who I suspect are behind this, never cease to amaze.
It was with honor past President Peggy Bakke accepted this proclamation.
The Desert Rose Society was started in 1985 with a few dedicated rose lovers. We now number more than 130 members actively growing, showing and sharing our love for the rose. We have monthly meetings; an e-newsletter is published nine months of the year; and we have a Rose Show open free to the public in November.
Our pride and joy is the beautiful memorial rose garden at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park. It is this garden that brings recognition to our members for their dedication to cultivate, prune, deadhead and groom the 100-plus rose bushes. Please visit our website, desertrosesociety.com.
We invite those visiting the park to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of the beautiful rose garden. It enriches our city, our environment and our lives. It is not every day a society has a day named to honor the love and care we have for the rose.
Thank you from the Desert Rose Society.
Leave it to columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. to use Memorial Day as an excuse to make a political statement.
The dust-up over some NFL players refusing to stand during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner has nothing to do with a day set aside to honor those who have given their lives in service to our country. The controversy is about a lack of common decency, respect and failure to fulfill obligations as role models.
The NFL owners did not "capitulate to (President Trump's) divisive propaganda." Like my father, a World War II veteran, and mother who would scold me for not paying proper respect to the American flag and national anthem, the NFL owners are correcting the discourteous behavior of players who have mired the league in controversy and insulted mainstream Americans (including NFL football fans) who understand that there is a proper time and place for political dissent.
A sporting field is not such a place. And, Mr. Dionne, Memorial Day is not an appropriate time to conflate bad behavior and freedom.
I remember so well the uproar in the city of Palm Springs when, years ago, the Spa Casino installed an enormous electronic digital billboard on Indian Canyon Drive.
When dog walking on Ramon Road this past week, I was shocked to see the towering new digital billboard that was just installed adjacent to the sidewalk at the Palm Springs High School, between Farrell Drive and Ramon. It's about two stories tall, perched on a brightly red painted post.
I would like to know the folks at City Hall that got that approved and hope that's not just one of more to come around town. It really blends so nicely with the historic Spanish architecture of the school and the nicely desert scape residential homes across the street … not!
Regarding the recent NFL rule on kneeling during the national anthem.
Item No. 1: The players are kneeling during the presentation of the colors and the national anthem to protest social injustice. Got it.
Item No. 2: Kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful to the American flag and what it stands for, and millions of people feel that way.
What we hear in the media is all item No. 1 and I have been informed that it is so because there is no intent on the part of the players to be disrespectful. That is, at best, disingenuous, given item No. 2.
I'm not writing this to mourn that loss of objectivity here, but to wish that the media (including The Desert Sun) could for just that one day of the year that honors the flag and the veterans that came home under it by ceasing the dialogue. Just one day.


Again, I am two months late posting this article. Busy...! a sort of... but maybe not the real reason. I just forgot it many times. Since I took the photo on my mobile phone and the thought that I forgot to upload on our computer that neglected not in purpose so I got late on posting.
It was my wife's desire to buy for Jaden a small bike on Christmas season. I think it's time for him to start to learn how to ride a bike. He was so excited when he saw the new bike my wife carried home from the store. Fortunately, or I would say God's blessing for our little son that a friend of ours came to visit us that day to spend the holiday with us, so she gave bought this to Jaden. Praises and thanksgiving to God for His faithfulness in our family.


The Circle is the first in a supernatural trilogy by Swedish authors Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandsberg. The novel follows a group of teens who develop magical abilities following the death of a classmate. Elfgren and Strandsberg put a supernatural twist on the trope of strangers banding together to overcome insurmountable odds, in this case, a demon trying to bring about the end of the world.
I enjoyed The Circle because the authors successfully took the familiar (high school, teenage rivalries, sexual orientation) and made it strange and frightening. There were some instances where I felt some of the effectiveness of the prose was lost in the English translation, but overall the dialogue and descriptions were strong.
The thing I found most interesting about The Circle was that it didn't feel like a story written by two authors. The characters' voices remained consistent throughout the novel. Written in present tense, with a third person limited point-of-view, the narration switches back and forth between some (but not all) of the main characters. I found it very interesting that Elfgren and Strandsberg chose to narrate from the point of view of a character up until the moment of that character's death, as was the case with Elias and Rebecca. Overall, I believe Minoo is the novel's true protagonist; her story seemed to be the core which the other characters connected to. Also, the origin of her power remained a mystery even at the end of the novel.
Prepare to feel unsatisfied by the cliff-hanger ending. Readers will be chomping at the bit until the second novel is translated into English (or you learn to read Swedish).


Exercise: on a piece of paper write the 7 days of the week Sunday- Saturday (or start with today). Take another piece of paper and tear it into 7 pieces. Write one of each of the Arch Angels names on these pieces of paper. The names are; Michael, Raphael,Gabriel, Chamuel, Uriel, Zadkiel, and Jophiel. Randomly pick up the names and place each name by a day of the week. You now know which Angel wishes to be focused on which day of the week. You may also pick one Angel for an entire week, this process will be complete in 7 weeks. Enjoy!


text:
uw.partners/keith.bassi
keith@bassi.org.uk
Little Dunks farm Oast, Cuckoo Lane
Brenchley
TN12 7HX
Keith Bassi
Utility Warehouse
"I was a furniture restorer and a part time fireman when someone came along and showed me how to save some money on my phone bills, he said every time I give him a referral he'll give me a bottle of wine, I thought – that sounds good! I went to the fire station, got six referrals and he gave me six bottles of wine!
I was looking for a redirection in my life so I asked him if he was taking anyone on, he told me it didn't work like that as it was a network marketing business where you go out and find people, save them money and then you get a percentage of their bills every month. I worked consistently part-time building up my client base. I've now got over 16500 group customer partners and over 500 personal customers. I love the fact that I can go to people and offer them a service that makes their lives nice and simple and help them save money"
Utility Warehouse is operated by Telecom Plus PLC, a major British company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. Telecom Plus was named 'Company of the Year' at the PLC Awards in 2009 and was also named Best Telecommunications PLC at the UK Stock Market Awards in 2011, 2012 and 2014. The company has received glowing endorsements in the national press and consistent praise from the UK's leading independent consumer magazine.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl