Re: Urgent Garden update -How to Testify At Hearings

**A*@aol.com**

Friends,

While it is extremely likely that the fix is already in on the California 
financing of this out-of-state developer's project, that will destroy Ron 
Mandella Garden in its creation, it is very important that the people who show up in 
opposition find out:

1) When, if any time during the hearings neighborhood people are to be heard. 

2) If people have to sign up in advance to get their time at the mike, 
prepare copies for all of the members of the committee and the record keeper, 

3) If the press usually covers these hearings or not.  It is most likely that 
the larger mainstream press doesn't, because this is business as usual.  
However, it might be a good thing to prepare a professional press release on the 
hearing from the most mainstream of your umbrella organizing groups and get it 
to your local electronic and print media outlets.  Then, of course, notify the 
Sacramento Bee, the Pacifica radio affiliate in your area, and plan to get as 
many people as you can to the hearing. 

4) This may sound cynical, but in media real-politik, it will be a good thing 
to get seniors and mothers with children, hopefully those who can cry on the 
drop of a hat, to the hearing and make sure that they have two or three one 
sentence statements on hand that will make good sound bites

5) It will be extraorinarily helpful if those of you who can "clean up" and 
own business attire, show up and express the views of the pro-garden coalition 
in clear, budgetary and mainstream terms.  The people on the committee tend to 
listen best to people who look and sound like themselves - I don't like this, 
but that's reality.  Put as many of these arguments in budgetary terms, in 
the light of the value that the volunteer work of the Ron Mandela Garden has 
done over time and use the phrase - "using our tax dollars to support an 
out-of-state developer who shows such disregard for years of valuable community 
volunteer work."

6. If you have a politician who owes you or your coalition a favor in your 
area (if, for example, you have done political work for them, or can deliver 
votes to them) , it might be a very good thing to write up the main arguing 
points for them, hand it to an aide, and persuade them to testify at the meeting on 
your behalf.  

7. Fill the room, have signs, get "cleaned up" and/or professionally dressed 
and make sure your representatives can speak at the hearing.  It is very 
important that your speakers understand the way CDLAC works and don't get tripped 
up in the process.  

Best wishes, from a long time governmental testifier, 

Adam Honigman

<< Subj:     [cg] Urgent Garden update!!!
 Date:  7/3/03 2:01:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time
 From:  kochism@csus.edu (Maria Kochis)
 Sender:    community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
 To:    community_garden@mallorn.com
 CC:    bMaynard@WoodRodgers.com ('Bill Maynard')

 Hey folks,
 Please distribute this to any list you have access to or people you think 
 might be interested. If we are successful at this I think it will stop CADA 
 and the developers dead in their tracks.
 Evan

 On July 9th CADA picked portland developer HGW will go before the California

 Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) to request tax-exempt bonds for the 
 Fremont Mews project. The current design of the Fremont Mews project calls 
 for the destruction of the Ron Mandella Community Garden and should not be 
 sudsidized. A wealthy out of state developer, who has not paid taxes in 
 California, will be building Fremont Mews. No more state subsidies should go

 to companies that haven't payed into the system. If the tax-exempt bonds are

 awarded to the Fremont Mews project the developers will exploit a loophole 
 in the law so they don't have to pay construction workers the prevailing 
 wage.  Don't let CADA and the developers destroy the Mandella Garden, rip 
 off workers and rip off taxpayers. If the developers are prevented from 
 getting this bond financing it is highly unlikely that they will be able to 
 finance their project and destroy the garden.

 We need as many people as possible to come out to the CDLAC hearing and 
 voice their opposition to tax-exempt bonds being awarded to the Fremont Mews

 project. The hearing is Wednesday July 9th at 1:00 pm in the auditorium of 
 the Secretary of State building at 1500 11th Street.

 Write CDLAC and let them know you oppose tax-exempt bonds being awarded to 
 Fremont Mews.
 California Debt Limit Allocation Committee
 Laurie Weir, Executive Director
 915 Capitol Mall Room 311
 Sacramento, CA 95814
 For more info about the Mandella Garden visit www.savethegarden.org >>

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