Inside UDJ by Editor K.C. Meadows

I checked the Ukiah Smart Growth site this morning hoping to get their take on the Mendocino Crossing plans made public this weekend in Ukiah. Perhaps since they are against anything DDR came up with on that property they will ignore it completely. Visiting the site did remind me that Jan. 15 was the cutoff for their contest to come up with a good idea for an industrial use for the site. Anyone know when the winner will be announced? I talked to Smart Growther Richard Shoemaker a couple of weeks ago and he said he would have no problem if the disputed asphalt plant went there.
Meanwhile, I notice most of the anti-Mendocino Crossings comments in the TOPIX forum on the Daily Journal site were from people who no longer live in the area.
Last Thursday at Schat's Green Party leader Richard Johnson said he hoped someone - he doesn't have time - would start a recall campaign against outgoing Supervisor Jim Wattenburger. His reasoning was that having such a campaign waged now would put Wattenburger on the defensive and perhaps force him to vote against Mendocino Crossings in order to avoid having a recall on his record. Wattenburger has announced he will not run for reelection and that has people like Johnson worried that he will vote in favor of Mendocino Crossing because he has nothing to lose. We discussed the fact that the recall, even if launched right now wouldn't be on the ballot until November giving Wattenburger most of his remaining time as supervisor to do what he liked. I also pointed out that a recall effort might backfire and instead push Wattenburger into the Mendocino Crossings camp if he was on the fence. There was musing around the table that perhaps a recall effort would frustrate and freak Wattenburger enough to simply resign. Seems like a lot of mental effort going out to one supervisor who has already backed out. It seems like his opponents succeeded in scaring him out of the race, what more do they want? Meanwhile, if the opponents of Mendocino Crossings want to get past Wattenburger to the next 2nd district supervisor, who they undoubtedly believe will be MC opponent John McCowen, (and perhaps to a new 1st District supervisor too) why not convince supervisors David Colfax, Kendall Smith and John Pinches to delay the process until new supervisors are seated. Seems like more opportunity there than in continuing to concentrate efforts on Wattenburger at this point.