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A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Candidate Kickoffs: Part 2You can often tell who a candidate aligns with as soon as you arrive. Also the speeches--introductions and the candidate's speech--have very different styles. The...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Oct. 3, 2016Last comment by Curious, on Oct 5, 2016 at 10:31 am | 6 comments | 11971 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
A manipulative candidate questionnaireThe severe limitations of multiple-choice exams are well known, and I expect that all of you have your own horror stories.(foot#1) Despite this, the local advocacy...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Sep. 8, 2016Last comment by Pa Ford, on Sep 14, 2016 at 11:10 pm | 24 comments | 11659 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Nonstarter killed after 2 decadesThe Matadero Creek Bikeway proposal is an example of why it is so hard to get things done in Palo Alto. It was proposed in the early 1990s as part of the Comprehensive...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Jun. 28, 2016Last comment by Douglas Moran, on Sep 13, 2016 at 2:55 am | 21 comments | 15656 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Candidate kickoffs: First weekendThere were five candidate kickoff events this weekend and I attended four--the one I missed was Greg Tanaka's because it conflicted with two of the others. The events...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Aug. 30, 2016Last comment by Former PA resident, on Sep 2, 2016 at 12:32 pm | 12 comments | 14161 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Candidate Kickoff Events: Public, not just for supportersKickoff events for the campaigns for the candidates for Palo Alto City Council and the School Board begin next week and extend into mid-September. While there will...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Aug. 20, 2016Last comment by How were they?, on Aug 29, 2016 at 1:30 pm | 5 comments | 9659 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Community, Extended-stay Hotel or ...? Part 2What goes into creating and maintaining a community is covered in the
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Aug. 9, 2016Last comment by SEA_SEELAM REDDY, on Aug 12, 2016 at 9:17 pm | 5 comments | 7464 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Community, Extended-stay Hotel or ...? Part 1The character of a city is a complex interplay between the people, its facilities--public and private--and its institutions, and it evolves over time. People are...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Aug. 4, 2016Last comment by I work in PA, on Aug 8, 2016 at 5:05 pm | 17 comments | 8708 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Abusing the ADA & Compromising safety of others for the convenience of bicyclistsFalse claims about ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)? Unsupported claims about bicycle safety problems? Merely City Hall's rationales for a dubious project that...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Jul. 11, 2016Last comment by WhatsReality, on Jul 30, 2016 at 2:12 pm | 21 comments | 9606 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Amnesia at City HallA repeated theme of this blog has been the persistent problems with public participation and input, from major policy decisions down to the practical details that...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Jun. 14, 2016Last comment by Douglas Moran, on Jul 6, 2016 at 1:40 am | 4 comments | 9519 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Rethinking High School Curriculum: ChemistryQ: For cleaning and disinfecting, what are the differences between soap, household ammonia, alcohol and chlorine bleach? Explain in terms of how they work. I...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on May. 22, 2016Last comment by Isabella Cohen, on Jun 8, 2016 at 6:17 am | 11 comments | 17222 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
City Council & School Board: Leaders, Overseers, Technocrats or Advocates?Candidates are starting to declare for the School Board and City Council. Although the public campaigning typically doesn't begin until September, between now and...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on May. 5, 2016Last comment by Sea Reddy, on May 11, 2016 at 1:56 pm | 2 comments | 9428 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Misuse of Mixed-use DevelopmentMixed-use development is an enticing concept. The notion is that by combining different categories--housing, office, retail--you can make better use...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Apr. 23, 2016Last comment by Rashad, on Apr 27, 2016 at 6:55 pm | 29 comments | 15367 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Anniversary of an unlearned lesson: The Irish Easter Rising and current politicsEaster week 1916 was the beginning of the end of the British Empire. The event was the Easter Rising in Ireland. In...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Apr. 2, 2016Last comment by Douglas Moran, on Apr 11, 2016 at 7:49 pm | 3 comments | 10571 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Retail - basics of public policy"Retail loves retail" is the basic maxim you will hear in a discussion of planning for retail districts. It is analogous to critical mass for...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Mar. 25, 2016Last comment by Douglas Moran, on Mar 29, 2016 at 2:19 pm | 16 comments | 8654 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Another Copenhagen SyndromeVisionaries and dreamers can be major impediments to accomplishing anything useful. They clutter the public discourse and decision-making with ideas that are non-starters...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Mar. 5, 2016Last comment by History Buff, on Mar 23, 2016 at 10:27 am | 19 comments | 9370 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Public Discourse: Inverted Totalitarianism, Threshold Models and Cell PhonesOnline discussions are an important part of public discourse even for people who don't participate directly. Much of what they hear from others may have come from...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Feb. 21, 2016Last comment by sunshine, on Feb 27, 2016 at 8:27 am | 24 comments | 8107 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Pet Hair for the Birds (Nests)The increased chirping of birds signals that nest-building is close at hand. Birds can have problems finding suitable materials in a too-manicured suburban environment....
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Feb. 16, 2016Last comment by Flying Fur, on Feb 22, 2016 at 11:53 pm | 1 comment | 48403 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Flint Michigan disaster: Unusual only in its severityTeaser: The Flint Michigan disaster involves most notably lead poisoning, which causes serious permanent health damages, especially to children. The immediate...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Feb. 14, 2016Last comment by Marie, on Feb 17, 2016 at 5:10 pm | 14 comments | 9056 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
Groundhog Day: Dis-embellishing a Multilevel ProxyThe Groundhog Day folklore provides a useful exercise in separating embellishments from the core of a story, for example...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Feb. 2, 2016Last comment by Sunshine, on Feb 2, 2016 at 9:50 pm | 2 comments | 10341 Views
A PRAGMATIST'S TAKE
How history should be taught: Connections to the presentThe admonition "Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat it" (many variations) is ignored in the traditional teaching...
Original post made by Douglas Moran on Jan. 16, 2016Last comment by Noel82, on Jan 28, 2016 at 7:39 pm | 16 comments | 18110 Views
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