Denial of personal mortality and the denial of planetary doom

The single-mindedness of human intervention in the global ecology - altering air, water, earth and life span with inadequate attention to the long term – seems parallel to the inattention to human mortality. Placing natural cycles of decay and change and growth in the background, while we continually build, improve, extend, grow … - my images are of block towers toppling over, trajectories speeding out of orbit, infrastructures decaying, systems imploding from their own weight.

75 River St Talking Points

2012 - Jubilee Year - 2012

2012 – Jubilee year - 2012

After each dramatic change in governance, new rulers clear the slate, forgive debt, impose new taxes. Today, instead of reining in corporations directly, we can forgive all personal debt by fiat, and let that comprehensive rebalancing lead to system changes and tax code revisions.

I see appeal in these ideas for fundamentalists and liberals and pragmatists and debtors. The Old Testament mandates a sabbath day every seven days, a sabbatical year every seven years, and a Jubilee, every seven seven years, when fields rest and slaves are freed, and indentured and other debt is rebalanced. Thomas Jefferson proposed canceling all debts every 19 years, and David Graeber in Debt's conclusion, suggests forgiveness now as a way out of the global mess we are in.

action is speech

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that money is speech. It follows that for those without money, action must substitute and is speech.

Our country was founded by direct action – what our law now calls trespass and vandalism - dumping the East India company's tea into Boston's harbor.

Entering 75 River St was an action similar to donating money to a campaign, an attempt to put forth an idea, to educate and to win minds. How can that become a felony?

Do not disadvantage those without money, without power, those from whom action must become voice.

True, there's no excuse for damaging the property of another. Just as there's no excuse for damaging the commons. But we are not even slapping the wrists of big banks; instead we are bailing them out.

So it seems unbalanced to press criminal charges on those who chose an unsubtle way to bring these ideas to local attention.

Why do we feel the way we do about these occupiers? Some feel violated, some vindicated, some feel as if they are family, … Regardless, felony charges stray from a just result.

The eyes of many are on Santa Cruz.   We must let mercy shine.

prison terms for social protest

"People first, then money, then things" is the tag line of popular television personality and finance whiz Suze Orman. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney's felony charges for entering a long vacant commercial building have reversed this order: first things and property, then money and clean-up costs, and last, people - urging prison terms for social protest.

Focus: 75 River Street

The rave occupation at 75 River St has had consequences. More are aware of local economic disparities. Occupy Santa Cruz has lost some centrist support. District Attorney Bob Lee has selected harsh and costly actions. The Occupy Santa Cruz supporters, law enforcement, and our electeds have seen the consequences of this three day autonomous action. Now we must set an example of moderation and restraint. Now we must not not turn away our hearts.  It's time to absorb what we've learned, dismiss the charges and agree on a settlement, and focus again on the budget shortfalls, unemployment, foreclosures and poverty in Santa Cruz County.

Related Facts, Hearsay, and Opinion:

•  
• Rave: An all-night dance party, especially one where techno, house, or other electronically synthesized music is played.
• The rave was spontaneous, fluid, leaderless.
• 75 River St was unused, vacant.
• Some say 75 River St was not posted against trespass.
• Felonies have been charged. Only misdemeanors could have been charged. Fines could have been chosen.
• What are the anticipated aggregate county costs for the 22 felonies and 44 misdemeanor charges, arraignments, prelims, jury trials, incarcerations?
• Wells Fargo CEO 2011 compensation $19,000,000
  
• After Wells Fargo fails to recoup by punishing individuals, the insurer will absorb the clean-up costs.
• UCSC, in an analogous occupation (Kerr Hall), levied $1000 fines.
• Over 100 people were inside or beside the property from Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2011.
• Unused, un-repurposed private property is a trespass on the commons.
•  
 

Who owns 75 River St, 95060?

75 River St belonged to Washington Mutual, then to WMRP Delaware, a Washington Mutual, Inc. subsidiary, and on 10/05/1999 became the property of Barry Swenson, Associates 1, 701 North First St, San Jose, CA 95112.

http://clerkrecorder.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/RealEstate/SearchResults.aspx

On the assessor's forms, taxes are to be paid by Thomson Property Tax Services which has an address in Carlsbad, CA and which seems to now be this company

http://fasttax.thomson.com/solutions/property-tax/property-tax-us/ . 

The Treasurer's office staff says tax payee is Realty Associates 1, Houston, TX – I have no information on them – this could be verified, explored.

Last year's taxes were $40K. Current assessment is $3.4 M

http://sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/ASR/asrval.asp?apn=005-052-32

Instrument # 1999-0064936

http://clerkrecorder.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/RealEstate/SearchResults.aspx

(APN = Assessor's Parcel Number)

Green Valley Corporation (doing business as Barry Swenson) 

http://www.clerkrecordersearch.org/

777 N First St 5th Fl , Lee Ann Woodard is contact name

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=37622615

Estimates show Barry Swenson Builder employs 100 to 249 people and has an annual revenue of $20 to 50 million

http://www.manta.com/g/mtkjs75/lee-ann-woodard

C Barron Swenson

http://www.corporationwiki.com/California/San-Jose/green-valley-corporation/39657754.aspx

Google finds nothing on Associates 1, the assessors office records are not properly synchronized – search for 'associate' - 1 and lower case i and neither are all connected in the files

http://clerkrecorder.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/RealEstate/SearchResults.aspx

Paul C, at the 2/26 GA, described to me how Coast Commercial was absorbed eventually by Wells Fargo. So far I've not been able to verify that Swenson leased this space to Coast Commercial. And I don't understand then the connection to WA Mutual between 82 and 99 and then when Swenson purchased, between 99 and 2004?

Coast Commercial Bank, was founded locally in February of 1982. Coast Commercial Bank merged with Greater Bay Bank on February 24, 2004. The new owners allowed Coast Commercial Bank to keep the same sign and letterhead. Hence, not many people noticed the change.

Greater Bay Bank
With the purchase of Coast Commercial Bank, the total number of branches for Greater Bay Bank rose to 41. Greater Bay Bank operated as Coast Commercial Bank in Santa Cruz County. Greater Bay Bank operated under other names such as Mid-Peninsula Bank, Bank of Petaluma, Golden Gate Bank, Peninsula Bank of Commerce, Mount Diablo National Bank and Santa Clara Valley National Bank.

Greater Bay Bank merged with Wells Fargo Bank on March 15, 2008. https://www.wellsfargo.com/jump/greaterbaybank
The Coast Commercial Bank branches were to become branches of Wells Fargo Bank. Where there was a nearby branch of Wells Fargo Bank, (Aptos, Capitola and Downtown Santa Cruz) they sold the Coast Commercial Bank location.

75 River St has been the home for six different financial companies from 1966-2008.

http://www.scruzwiki.org/Coast_Commercial_Bank

 

Would a title search show more information?

Barry Swenson is a private company, so I don't think the original lease arrangement between him and Coast Commercial is public.

But Wells Fargo is a public company so when they took over the lease, the information becomes public, at least to their investors. NYSE:WFC. Their annual reports are online, they have some long term leases, about 1% of their operations. http://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDFArchive/wfc2010.pdf

Wells Fargo home office is in San Francisco, a shareholder could probably go there in person and research. It would help to have an accountant who knew what to look for. At this point I think the impact on Wells Fargo's balance sheet is small and pursuing this avenue might not be fruitful for us locally.

I do wonder if the lessor has standing in the context of damages, that might even be in the lease, and maybe the lease agreement is something to be asked for in relation to the court cases.

Local Wells Fargo officials have stated that Wells Fargo leases this building and has full control and responsibility for the property and building. The damage assessment estimate was made by an employee of Wells Fargo, a local property manager.  (There is a source for this; I don't yet know if that document is public.)

Also who is the insurer, what is the amount of the claim, who documents the damage …  It's likely that the tenant is financially responsible for
all maintenance and damage repair for the term of the lease.  Is it possible that the insurer requires that the insuree pursue all paths to recoup losses before the insurer will pay?  Is it possible that is why the Wells Fargo personnel are insistent that charges be filed?  Is it possible that the insurer links back to AIG, banks, bailouts?  Is there a way to follow that up?  A link between tax dollars via bailout and tax dollars via zealous and expensive law enforcement - all this out of local pockets?

Does it matter who pays the utilities? Is that information available from PG&E?

And I haven't connected the company that actually paid the property taxes back to anyone.

I don't know how to find out how long the building has been vacant, what attempts have been made to repurpose it, what the tax consequences are to the current status.

Do fact check.
Please comment.
And please attribute when you share.
Thanks,
Sylvia