Measure D: Santa Cruz, Paradise Lost?
For the past 6 months, Santa Cruz Works (SCW) has covered Measure D to help our readers make informed decisions for the upcoming midterm elections. We first asked our readers if Measure D should be on the ballot: To Vote or Not to Vote. The majority responded favorably. We then surveyed our readers about how they would vote: Yes, No, or Undecided. Simultaneously, each week we posted an opinion piece by community leaders for each side including Ryan Coonerty, Miles Reiter, Dr. Bruce Sawhill, William Ow, an update by Manu Koneig / vice chair of the RTC, Lloyd Tabb, Ronnie D. Lipschultz, Peggy Dolgenos, and Brian Surgrue. Our criteria for submission acceptance was simple: no deliberate misinformation and be kind.
SCW also invited Yes Greenway and No Way to host tables at our events, to meet with our members, to share their perspectives.
We also offered to publish opinion pieces from local organizations provided they gave their members the opportunity to listen to representatives from both Yes and No on Measure D. The only organizations who qualified were Santa Cruz Local and Lookout Santa Cruz.
The subsequent barrage of hate comments from some No Way proponents has been relentless, verging on fanatical. They included vulgar language and threats of violence to our employees and families for sharing content from both sides of the Measure D issue. Their taunts would be laughable if they were not meant to be harmful. For example:
“SCW is beholden to the Koch Brothers and Bud Colligan.”
“SCW employees are not locals, so get out of town; love it or leave it.”
“SCW is working with obscenely wealthy people whose sycophants help shield them from the consequences of poor decision-making.”
“...not gonna get it let you get away with it… go f***yourself you piece of s***... hope you die sooner than later.”
“...I can scare and bully you you’re a little piece of s*** your whole organization is full of s***”
“I’ve use my drone looked in your yard”
“...you’re acting like charity f****** matters, no one gives a shit how much money you f****** idiot send to people…”
The character attacks by a fractional No Way group are far more reaching than just SCW. They target highly respected community philanthropists including Bud and Rebecca Colligan, William Ow, Lloyd Tabb, Rowland Rebele, and Bill Simpkins. These No Way fanatics chant misinformation that the donations and contributions made to Yes Greenway come from dark and greedy motives. Yet many of these same people and organizations just smile when they receive donations, scholarships for their children, housing for homeless people, cancer and Covid treatments, or even a swim in the Simpkins pool.
While there are good people on both sides of Measure D, it is surprising that the leaders of No Way do not have the integrity to let their constituents know when spurious comments do not represent their platforms, nor the values of their vision.
What has happened to Santa Cruz that caused people to cease constructive communication with others having different opinions? Is this part of a worldwide epidemic caused by Trump? Social Media? The Pandemic?
According to the Pew Research Center, 1 out of 5 Americans get their news from social media. Those who rely on social media for news are less likely to get the facts right, and overall are less knowledgeable than they believe themselves to be. Misinformation on Facebook received 6 times more clicks than factual news during the 2020 election. And with the continued growth of “fake news”, it is not speculation to see how the Santa Cruz midterms are not immune to the misinformation virus.
We at SCW believe that connecting with people face-to-face (or mask-to-mask) is a far more effective means of communication than social media. Instead of throwing spears from behind your keyboard, why not invite the opposition to meet for a walk & talk on west cliff or Pleasure Point; get to know each other, and respect the right for all of us to hold differences of opinions. We believe that the very foundation of democracy gives all of us Americans freedom of written and spoken speech. Everyone has the right to voice their opinions so long as they are not deliberately causing harm to others. Misinformation is harmful. Misinformation degrades democracy. And as many of us believe, when truth is no longer important, when deception and brute can hide behind a keyboard, what will remain of democracy?
Of fellowship I speak
Such as I seek, fit to participate
All rational delight, wherein the brute
Cannot be human consort.
(8.389–392) Milton, Paradise Lost