Mayor Bauters Attempts Long Standing Train Noise Fix
Public Invited to Help
Blog Drives Public Policy Using Facts as a Foil Against
E'Ville Eye Hyperbole
It is the latest from Councilman John Bauters who has been a whirlwind of activism on the public's behalf since he took office starting with his prodigious blog he began shortly after being elected to office in November of 2016. The no nonsense John Bauters' Blog has been used effectively to impart valuable information for residents and has stood above the blog sites other Emeryville City Council members have edited over the years not least in its rigorous density of information.
A recent January 1st blog entry, Closing out 2017: Progress on Priorities is especially impressive with its plenary list of footnotes and links that will long serve as a central repository of factual information on Emeryville's progress moving forward with the City's priorities up through 2017.
Also impressive is how Mr Bauters' March 2017 blog entry Information on the Halleck/Beach Dog Park, effectively used his blog to shut down a politicized issue of a dog park across the border in Oakland proposed by local blogger Rob Arias who sought to use it to keep homeless people out of his Park Avenue neighborhood. Animating Mr Arias was a not-so-hidden attempt to increase his standing and that of his monetized blog The E'Ville Eye in the eye of the public by huckstering his dog park idea, PT Barnum style. Councilman Bauters was viciously attacked by a hurt Rob Arias after the Councilman led a drive to kill the ill-advised dog park; a return to rationality after Mr Arias' self promotional foray into what should be public public policy. Mr Bauters' blog post defending his Halleck/Beach Dog Park action was a non-political tour de force of purely rational public policy featuring a total lack of hyperventilating bombast to serve as a counterweight to the poisonous E'Ville Eye missives.
Now, Mayor Bauters is using his blog to remind us the train noise issue looms with a deadline of January 25th and he urges residents to help write emails to secure the funding to finally do something about this vexing problem for Emeryville residents.
Mr Bauters submitted the following letter to the Tattler to help towards that end:
Dear Neighbor,
The City Council is actively pursuing a competitive grant that would bring us the funding necessary to install infrastructure at the 65th, 66th and 67th Street railroad crossing that would allow us to create Quiet Zones that silence the Amtrak train horn.
I am working with city staff to pull together an application and we need your help!
Attached to this email are two letters. The first letter is a letter I am submitting on behalf of the city council with our grant application.
The second is a draft letter we wish to submit from you, the residents and community members who stand to benefit from winning this grant award.
We would like to sign as many resident names onto this letter as possible to show how much the community supports the city's efforts to bring Quiet Zones to Emeryville. You can help us by doing the following easy steps:
(1) Read both of the short letters attached to this email.
(2) If you are willing to sign on in support of this request, please send an email addressed to both:
roconnell@emeryville.org
jbauters@emeryville.org
(3) In the subject line of your email please write: "Quiet Zones"
(4) In the body of your email please provide only the following information:
- Names of any adults in the household who wish to sign on to the letter
- List whether you are a resident, business owner or employee
- Your physical street address (we will not publish this, it is only to confirm for the grant review team that those signing the letter are from Emeryville if we are asked to provide proof)
Only your name and affiliation to our city (resident, employee) will be listed at the bottom of the letter.
(5) Once you have sent us your sign-on, please forward this email to your neighbors and ask them to sign on as well.
We must submit the application on January 25th.
I will post a final copy of the letter we submit on my blog site after we file the application. You can find my blog site at www.johnbauters.wordpress.com.
Cheers,
John
Rob Arias can't drop it. All he does now is go after John Bauters. Were they lovers? When Rob is attacking a council man for doing something like helping with getting money to bring down the sound level of these obnoxious trains thats an indication there's something going on with Rob that's not right. Bruised ego maybe? John Bauters is doing a good job for us and that's clear to everyone but Rob.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor was at a council meeting last month and said Rob shook a jar of needles at the council members, yelled at them and then left the jar of needles there in a fit of rage. It shocked her and some of the people sitting near her. She said the mayor calmly continued the meeting even though a couple members of the city staff appeared to be shaken up by the whole thing. I don't know if his actions are as much those of a jilted lover as they are a mentally unstable person at this point.
DeleteYes, the Tattler is going to do a story on that episode. The video apparently isn't as creepy as it was to people at the meeting who have all reported as you have. We do hope Mr Arias isn't losing it. His blog, with its right wing pro-business perspective, actually serves an important function in town, for all its bloviating depravity. The restaurant reviews are good as are the reports on new business start ups in town. An occasional true investigation of a newsworthy item slips through that he doesn't run through his right wing ideological check list. The rest is mostly throw away. Having said that, it's good to have at least two perspectives in our town.
DeleteThe dog park thing was a little weird. My take away is that Rob was pretty passionate about it, but there wasn't a compelling case for the City of Emeryville to throw money at it as John Bauters thoughtfully explained. Rob should have disclosed his personal stake/interest in it if he intends to be taken seriously as a journalist.
DeleteBut I don't count it against him that he is trying to make money from his site, the same way I don't blame the New York times or Washington Post for seeking paid subscribers. Good journalism takes time and money.
but the thing I don't understand is why if somebody has a personal grudge against Bauters, they would then oppose something as common sense as silencing train horns that are clearly in the best interest of everybody. That doesn't work to his credit.
Except Rob isn't doing 'good journalism'. He's doing lazy reporting (and furthering right wing propaganda).
DeleteHe's copying and pasting stories from the EPD and City Hall as one of my readers noted. His idea of journalism is to give the Superintendent of the schools a microphone so he can defend himself against Tattler exposes on that failed public servant. That's not holding the powerful to account as journalists do...that's the opposite of that. And a journalist doesn't freeze out stories that don't fit his political narrative like Rob did when he refused to report on the Minimum Wage Business Study the City conducted (that Rob insisted on). After the study was released and he realized it didn't show the mass business disruption Rob predicted the Minimum Wage Ordinance would do, he did a Fox New like black out on the study. That ain't journalism...that's just right wing propaganda. I could go on...
I saw the video of that meeting. Rob was clearly angry. He read a report that said (I'm assuming you Brian) came to his son's daycare and terrorized a staff member and then came back and aggressively banged on the door and yelled at her. Maybe Rob has a right to be angry if you're going after his family. You have no class man.
DeleteThere are two groups of classless people; those who criminally attack children and families and those who lie about people who don’t do that, claiming they do. You’ve decided I’m the one without class that’s attacking Rob’s family as opposed to a classless Rob Arias who makes baseless allegations of criminal behavior. What’s that make you? Before you answer, maybe you should give the Emeryville Police Department more time to arrest and convict me for all the crimes Rob says I’ve committed. The arrest should come any day now, right? Otherwise you’ll be thrown into the latter group of classless people. You’ll be revealed to be a person with no class man.
DeleteA lying politician used to be bread & butter Tattler content. Now when a politician lies you report it as “public policy.” What happened to the Brian we used to admire? Instead of challenging politicians, you gush over them. I lost respect for you long ago but I’m happy you and John have joined forces. You should form a superblog and call it “BullyandtheBowTie.com”
DeleteLying politicians you say? That, sir IS our bread and butter as you call it. Please tell us what lies and what politician and if it checks out, as long as it’s an Emeryville politician or one directly connected to Emeryville, we’ll do a story on it.
DeleteRE; ‘joining forces with Mayor Bauters’, sure, the Tattler will always join forces with those forwarding a pro-resident polity, especially including politicians. Along with that proviso is the corollary; the Tattler will also hold accountable or reveal any (politicians) who work against resident’s interests as we become aware. So as you can see, the Tattler is a bad place to go if you’re looking for loyalty to anything or anyone beyond the public commons here. We can support you one minute and come back around and bite you in the ass the next, depending on what is revealed about you. We don’t form alliances like your alluding to; we support politicians and condemn them sometimes even simultaneously as they weave in and out of our crosshairs. Take Council member Donahue: we strongly support his vote on our progressive Minimum Wage Ordinance but we strongly condemn his vote against Level Four traffic calming on Horton Street. That combination of supporting and condemning is common for all five Council members you’ll note if you read the Tattler.
That’s what you get with the Tattler and if you’re looking for us to hold true to any of them, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
RE; ‘bully’, what bully are you referring to? Before you answer, remember, here’s the definition of bully:
bul·ly
noun
1. A person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.
Agreed, Rob is pretty ruthless with John especially when he breaks campaign promises, but when did he attack John for his stance on train noise? He posted a piece yesterday that objectively outlined the pros & cons of this initiative a hundred times better than this tabloid piece. I guess readers of the Tattler are as crazy and misinformed as Brian is.
Deletehttps://evilleeye.com/news-commentary/petition-for-railroad-quiet-zones-in-northern-emeryville-sparks-resident-debate/
Rob, I keep telling you to stop using anonymous when you respond to Tattler stories…it’s unseemly.
DeleteTo answer your question, here’s what you said on Nextdoor: “John is doing this [the train noise issue] because he really wants media exposure like he did with the lead paint initiative.”
Oh and please elaborate; where am I “misinformed”? “Crazy” is your non-professional opinion so I won’t ask you to prove that but the misinformed allegation, you’re going to have to back that up. And to repeat, any mistakes found in the Tattler will bring a correction and an apology.
Also, please inform us about any campaign promises Council member Bauters made that he has broken and if they check out and if they're substantial, the Tattler will report it.
Waiting for your reply.
Yes, we know. You’ve never, ever lied, you’re not a bully and everyone that disagrees with you is “Rob”.
DeleteYou wrote this piece on 1/21 and the reply Rob wrote is a day later (1/22). So how could you have written a post in anticipation of Rob’s reply? ESP I suppose. And how would you know what Rob wrote this since you’ve been removed from Nextdoor? Unless Rob’s accusation that you opened an account under your wife’s name is correct? Hmm …
You asked me when did you attack John Bauters for his stance on train noise and I gave you your answer. That goes unacknowledged but instead you raise some non sequitur. You’re not making any sense now Rob. I wrote the Tattler story and you made a reply in Nextdoor later. Nothing was written in anticipation of your reply. Please use quotes and dates to “prove” your point.
DeleteI think it’s reprehensible to bring someone’s family into your trash talking like you’re fond of doing but I’ll say this: wives and husbands are commonly friendly towards each other. Often they confide in each other. That’s why they can’t be used against each other in courts of law so you know. I’m not sure why this concept is foreign to you.
Tattler “lies”: again, point one out and if you’re found to be correct, you’ll get a retraction and an apology. But first you have to identify one Rob. Bully: that’s ‘a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker’, so again, you’ll have to show where that’s happened. Baseless charges are just that; baseless.
Lastly Rob, I understand it’s probably frustrating when you get called out in the Tattler comments when you’re hoping to remain anonymous. But if you want to stay under the radar as it appears that you do, you should work on being a little less obvious. I do think you should just sign your name to your work but I guess you don’t roll that way. Anonymous or not, I’ll still post your comments and everyone else’s (unlike how you censor comments in your blog). Haters are always welcome at the Tattler.
Well, one thing is for certain: There's an insane blogger obsessed with Rob.
DeleteTo my Tattler readers:
DeleteWhen Rob Arias speaks, I listen. Why? Because like it or not, Rob is the lead representative for the business sector, a major political force in Emeryville. While it’s true he’s also clearly unhinged, he’s the only thing the business community has; he is their voice in our town. His blog is dedicated to forwarding their interests and that makes him newsworthy. I was thinking or putting an ongoing column in the Tattler side bar with exclusive coverage of his blog called “E’Ville Eye Eye…we read the E’Ville Eye so you don’t have to”…I might still do it. But having said that, I respect Rob Arias and that’s rational, not obsessive. When he makes an ass of himself, that’s the businesses community talking and that goes in the Tattler. Also, even though he can get really ugly, Rob is fun to watch, I can’t deny it
Brian, I like your blog as an niche alternative blog to The E'ville Eye but you write a piece about the guy every week now it seems. It almost seems like the entire basis of the Tattler now is to serve as a counter to him and it does seem borderline obsessive. I don't remember reading a word about you in his publication in years. It's kind of pathetic and your credibility is really suffering. My recommendation is to go back to doing what you used to be good at before The E'ville Eye.
DeleteA story every week mentioning Rob Arias in the Tattler? Wow. That would be a lot. Maybe it seems to you like it's once a week because Rob is so revolting to you. Because the real numbers are quite different from your recollection.
DeleteI went back and checked and I found Rob mentioned in only one of the last 25 stories. No mention of Rob or the E'Ville Eye for 24 consecutive stories (and more after 25). Then I used the search bar and searched 'Rob Arias', 'Rob' and 'E'Ville Eye' and I found only two stories in all of 2017 where he or his blog is mentioned. The last time he is mentioned is May 2017. You can check all of this for yourself.
But your observation got me to thinking; I think the Tattler doesn't cover Rob Arias enough actually. Only two mentions per year for the voice of the business community is probably not enough coverage. Thanks for the heads up and look for (a little) more Rob Arias coverage in the Tattler. I'll try not to make you TOO sick to your stomach if in fact he is revolting to you.
People need to know what he's working on...what he's got in store for us and the Tattler is the one to expose it.
The Emeryville Tattler; Now with more Rob coverage than ever!
Thanks for your comment.
So the 'business community' that overwhelming supports the services our well-funded city enjoys is the enemy of the tattler — but the thieves & junkies that are turning this place into a shit hole that this blog seems to gloss over are your allies?
DeleteSo I guess what you want us to take from your hyperbolic comment is that you’re a sociopath and you’re proud of it. That being the case, consider that message received and understood. Thanks for sharing your opinion.
DeleteHere at the Tattler however we aren’t sociopaths so we don’t consider opioid addicts the enemy for instance. Thieves on the other hand, we’re not too fond of. But your assessment of our view of the business community you’ve really missed the mark on (perhaps your what shall we call it…’condition’, intervenes and constricts your ability for rational thinking on this). Businesses do pay the bills at City Hall, it’s true. Not the residents…they actually cost the City money, generally paying in less than they receive in services. But the businesses can’t vote here…they aren’t people living in Emeryville (some small business exceptions). So what do we owe them? Nothing short of what the Constitution requires of us. And what should we extract from them as they seek permission to operate in our town? Everything we legally can is the answer. We should sell our city for what the market will bear. That’s a language they understand, isn’t it? So that means no more give-a-ways. This is not something the business community likes to hear even though they understand it. So it’s all ’make ‘em pay’ from the Tattler. That doesn’t make them enemies…more like business partners who are mutually and understandably looking out for their own respective interests. That means, among other things, we assume business owners will lie as they seek favor from City Hall, at least as long as it’s legal for them to lie and if by getting caught there are little negative repercussions for them. They want to take a piece of the commons but we don’t let them. We give away the commons for the price they’re actually worth in the open market. We’re not going to give away the store to the business community anymore in Emeryville. Those days are thankfully gone. You had your turn Mr right-winger, now it’s our turn and we’re going to protect the commons here. The enemies are those who would give away the commons for less than what they’re worth.
Hard to tell if this article is about train noise, or a hit piece on Rob Arias...
ReplyDeleteIt IS a bit confusing but the way I imagine it is:
Delete1) Train noise
2) Mr Bauters' blog
3) Hit on Rob Arias
I wanted to focus on the Mayor's blog, how it's become an influential thing but I also wanted to forward the train noise story because it's so time sensitive. The Rob hit is somewhat tangential to the story and comes in a distant third (not that it's not important). Mr Bauters, whom Rob has devoted a huge amount of electronic ink to bringing down, seems to be Rob's opposite when their respective blogs are compared.
This is a hilarious exchange and I think everyone can read what's going on here. Brian's little blog used to actually have some relevance in this city until Rob came along and destroyed his credibility and stole his audience. Now we're left with a bitter, bloviating blogger. Brian, time to go back to work and find a new hobby.
DeleteWell then Mr “Anonymous”, it sounds like this isn’t the news site for you then. It sounds like a little lighter faire would be more in line with your liking. Perhaps a little copy and pasting from the Police Department’s crime blotter or news from the latest ramen shop opening or you can check on how your condo investment is doing with a copy and pasted real estate report. How about some feel good news from the Superintendent of Emery schools who will assure you all is well over there. How’s that sound, chipper enough for you? You can ignore all the ads and constant grubbing for money easy enough. May I suggest the E’Ville Eye? Our “audience” here is just fine without you so no need to worry. Off you go then.
DeleteYou won't hear me complaining about calling out the Eville Eye and Rob Arias. If I do it will be more like what took you so long? Rarely have a met a person more full of himself as Rob Arias. You got the motive for the anger at the mayor just right. So transparent. The blog doesn't engage in journalism. All he does is re-print stuff from the police dept and city hall and complain about John Bauters and the minimum wage to his business owner buddies. Its there to make Rob money. He said it himself.
ReplyDeleteBelow is Rob’s response on Nextdoor where according to him, you created an account under your wife’s name to post links to your stories (he shared this with 1000’s of people so I suspect he’d be OK with me sharing it here).
ReplyDeleteDo you dispute any of what he is accusing you of? If so, you might have a case against him but based on what I’ve heard about you, I suspect it’s all true. So I guess you and the mayor are like-minded and good buddies?
……………
Folks, “Karen” I strongly suspect is a bogus account being used by her husband Brian Donahue. Donahue, if you haven’t crossed paths with yet, is the editor of the opinion blog The Emeryville Tattler and the brother of councilmember Scott Donahue
About two years ago, Brian began using Nextdoor to attack and slander me and other neighbors. He was subsequently removed by our Nextdoor leads. Shortly after, an account under his young daughter’s name surfaced that began posting links to his stories. This account was subsequently removed. Barbara Inch (An elected school board official married to Councilmember Christian Patz and who is part of Brian’s inner political circle called “RULE”) then began posting links to his stories. After I called her out on it, she ceased. Now “Karen” is posting links to Brian’s stories. Brian appears desperate to get his fake news opinion stories on Nextdoor and pass them off as actual “news”.
Mr. Donahue’s behavior toward me has become borderline ’stalkerish” lately. He’s been told not to come in my building after distributing political literature in our mail boxes and antagonizing neighbors. He recently charged my family at a community event and tried to snap photos of us before the police got involved. He had to restrain his vicious dog from charging after me and my family while walking in our neighborhood. I finally took police action against him when he came to my son’s daycare and intimidated my wife and a member of their staff. He scurried off when the police were called.
Of course I dispute it. I dispute everything Rob Arias says. Now I'm "charging his family" (and other new allegations) he says ...that sounds like a crime. I'm attacking and slandering Rob Arias on Nextdoor? That's interesting. What's HE doing?
DeleteRob is a pro-business conservative who longs for the days when the business community ran City Hall before RULE and the people of Emeryville took over. He wants to see businesses run this town again and he’s using his blog towards that end. He doesn’t feel constrained by the truth as he seeks that goal. The Tattler is a nightmare for Rob and he feels he needs to discredit me not with persuasion but with base criminal allegations against me. As time goes on and people forget, he periodically adds to the list of crimes he says I’m committing. He’s charged me with committing sundry felonies and a long list of misdemeanors. If you believe Rob, the editor of the Tattler is a criminal. But have you noticed Rob is never able to report that I’ve been arrested for any crime, much less found guilty of a crime? He’s hoping you haven’t noticed that. It says a lot about the ineptitude of the Emeryville Police Department doesn’t it? They can’t get a criminal that’s been operating for years right under their noses. Not only can they not get the criminal, they can’t even SEE the criminal. Only Rob Arias can see the criminal. Welcome to Rob’s world.