thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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Commission of the Californias
Anyone know what the current status of the Commission might be?
In 1979 Lt. Gov. Mike Curb appointed me as a delegate member and I served for several years, attended meetings in La Paz, San Felipe, Cabo, TJ, Santa
Barbara, and more that I have forgotten.
Then it sort of disappeared from the radar screen and nothing has been said or heard in a very long time.
I found a site on the web that says it was revived a couple years ago and Gov. Davis is the California delegation head. (this had previously been a
Lt. Gov. function)
The web lists a San Diego contact, Moises Aguirre.
Any comments or thoughts on this from the members of Nomad?
(I arrived at the San Felipe meeting after driving the first leg of the Baja 1000, got out of the truck, turned it over to my relief driver, our pit
crew dropped me at the hotel, I checked in wearing my dusty Nomex driving suit, helmet under my arm. Perhaps this is why they stopped contacting
me.... hmmmm.)
Baja Arriba!!
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Anonymous
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From:
http://tinyurl.com/u9gf
The Commission of the Californias (COMCAL) was established on June 25, 1964, by mutual agreement between Governor Ing. Eligio Esquivel Mendez of Baja
California, and Governor Edmund G. Brown of California.
In January 1967, Baja California Sur was invited to join the commission, and was recognized at a General Assembly meeting on February 3, 1968, in La
Paz. The three attending governors were Ronald Reagan (CA), Ing. Raul Sanchez Diaz (B.C.), and Lic. Hugo Cervantes del Rio (B.C.S.)
On September 20, 1982, recommendations were drawn up to make the Commission a more focused, results-oriented body. These were ratified in 1994.
However, only two meetings followed this "restructuring" before the Commission of the Californias effectively dissolved.
Under the leadership of three new governors, Governor Gray Davis of California, Governor Gonzalez Alcocer of Baja California, and Governor Cota
Montano of Baja California Sur, the Commission of the Californias was reinstated in August 1999. The three appointed directors, Rudy Murillo (CA),
Lic. Yolanda Jimenez Jarquin (B.C.) and Lic. Graziella Sanchez-Mota (B.C.S.), initiated work on a number of specific projects, including the Mission
Links program, the Young Ambassadors Program, and the Orchestra of the Californias. The goals of the 1982 restructuring were revived -- through
coordinated and cooperative planning, action, and follow-through.
The first Executive Board Meeting was held in La Paz, Mexico, on April 27, 2000, and committee assignments were reached as follows: Committee on
Education and Culture: B.C.S; Committee on Economic Development, B.C.; and Committee on Health and Environment, California.
On February 7, 2002, general meetings of the Commission of the Californias were held at La Caimancito in La Paz. Delegates from the three Californias
convened to discuss economic, education, environmental and cultural initiatives. The conference concluded with public performances by Cuarteto
Latinoamericano and the Orchestra of the Californias.
The California delegation of the COMCAL is comprised of the Governor of California, who serves as chair, five members of the State Senate appointed by
the President Pro Tempore, five members of the State Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, and seven public commissioners appointed by
the Governor.
Contact:
Moises Aguirre
Deputy Director
Commission of the Californias
750 B Street. Suite 1620
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 645-2544
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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Commission status
Yeah, found that site earlier from Google.
Big deal, one exec meeting in 2000 and one general meeting in 2002.... whoopee!
Maybe with Gov. Doofus gone we can see some light on this very strategic opportunity.
When I was a delegate we had several years of extremely positive and powerful contact between the three states. We met three times a year, once in
each state, got lots and lots of communciation and awareness of our close knit common roots.
If Baja aficionados realized the importance of what this Commission can mean to the 3 state relationship they would be howling for its reinstatement
and revitalization.
Maybe Arnold.... nah, somehow I doubt that this will be much of a blip on his radar screen.
But all good Baja fans should clamor for its return.
Baja Arriba!!
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Anonymous
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So what's the status now? What is proposed as to meetings, projects, etc.? There are committees in place, but they're doing nothing? You have an
office but nothing happening? What gives? Where is funding coming from? Is it all spent on administration and no action?
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy amable
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status- who knows?
My guess is that there is absolutely no interest on the part of GrayDufus to further this Commission and its work. I can only hope that Arnold might
see it in a better light.
One of the strengths 20 years ago when I was involved was that this was headed by the Lt. Gov., not the Governor. This was one of only a couple that
the LG had to administer and he could give it full attention. Also, Mike Curb had a Mexican grandparent, as I recall, and so had a vested interest in
furthering this relationship with our two "Southern States"
The lack of comment on this board indicates that there is not much awareness of the value of this Commission to the Baja we love.
For the record, each state appointed several official "Commissioners" and then added on a number of delegates. The delegate status was not subject to
higher confirmation. I was a delegate, not a commissioner. Sounds like it has almost totally languished.
Perhaps I will contact the San Diego office and inquire as to the future of this commission.
Baja Arriba!!
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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I'm assuming that the purpose of this was to promote issues of interest to California, Baja California and Baja California Sur. Is that correct? If
so, it seems like a great way of balancing our mutual interests.
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Ski Baja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 652
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: Rosarito Beach
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Last post deleted
because it was posted in anger. That was wrong.
What exactly are the mutual interests as far as Baja and California? Tourism ? Development?, an Open Border so the wealthy, huge corporations and
developers have workers? Protection of threatened geography and species through publicity?
Which of these things will either of these governments look into first. Apparently, the Escalera Nautica project answers that question from this
side.
How is the government of California going to assist in mutual interests as far as that goes. Stop the negative media regarding Mexico for starters.
Tell the boaters it's OK to go down there. Then come the developers, then the natural beauty of Baja disappears, which is why it is such a valuable,
unique place on the planet. Same as most of California was a few years back.
And then there's the north side. Those that haven't been scared by the nonsense the U.S. media says about Mexico already have vacation homes here.
And the U.S. and Canadian developers are already mowing down acres upon acres for more population and golf courses.
I don't have all the answers or remedies for what will probably happen but, it seems to me that since we all love Baja for what it is, we should do
everything in our power to keep it that way.
This is the way the people feel that have lived here the longest. Unfortunately, they don't have the resources to stop the development from
happening. And who turns down the American dollars ?
This is the way the people that have lived in California the longest felt too.
Baja has more to offer naturally, in it's own specific way than most anywhere on the planet . This should be preserved at all costs for the future
generations. There are so very few places like this, why on earth ruin it with development?
Where will our grandchildren go when California stretches all the way to Cabo San Lucas and on to Mazatlan?
If the Comission of the Californias is concerned with preserving rather than developing what's left of Baja before it's too late, then I would like
to know more about them and spread the word.
And for those of you that think "it's not going to happen in my lifetime", ( which is a pretty greedy way to look at things), I watched Southern
California disappear under homes and factories in basically, the blink of an eye. Same with Rosarito.
I am not a tree hugger and most of you know how I feel about politicians. Am I too far off in wanting to preserve the few remaining wild areas left
on the planet?
And, Mike, I am not trying to be anti American, negative or showing that I don't have a good heart, I am trying to make some sense to you people.
Your kids will be the ones saying "Wow, look what happened". Same as many people did in California, Rosarito, Los Cabos, the East Cape region, and
everywhere else develpoment is happens.
I am all for any professionally and honestly run commissions, agencies, or organizations that are truly in it for the benefit of all rather than
their paid vacations and salaries. I hope this is a good one, because I haven't seen many that are.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy amable
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Comm of the Californias
Whoa, lots of angry people on board all of a sudden.
Not sure why you are so ticked at our long lost Commission. Perhaps you do not have a sense of what we tried to accomplish.
Or maybe you are one of those folks who wants to build a big fence and keep "everyone else" out of the sand box.
(Being a real estate developer I understand the mentality, as soon as a guy buys a house he is a "no growth" advocate. As soon as a guy discovers
Baja it is time to keep everyone else out)
Well, the Commission was really in place to try and make communication between the three states more effective as well as encourage more economic
enrichment (gulp) for our Southern hermanos.
We were doing a great job under Mike Curb, then it just died and went away.
I could go on for page after page of the positive things we were working on, from cultural to economic to immigration to border issues to unjust
incarcerations to.... you know the issues.
As a total aside, but for all you "Real Baja" fans.....
One real sticking point for our Mexican friends is the fact that we call their states "Baja." Hello!!!! Did you know that? They are about as
enthused with this appellation as San Franciscans are to hear their city referred to as Frisco (a concept no doubt unfelt in most of sunny SoCal)
It was a major effort on the part of leaders of Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur to have the bretheren (and sisters) of Baja California
Alta to not shorten the name.
Ever hear that before?
Does anyone care??
Anyway, food for thought,
cheer up on our Commission efforts if you really do love Baja (California)
Baja Arriba!!
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Ski Baja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 652
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
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""If the Comission of the Californias is concerned with preserving rather than developing what's left of Baja before it's too late, then I would like
to know more about them and spread the word""
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