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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-01-25 - AGENDA REPORTS - SISTER CITY (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT UNFINISHED BUSINESS City Manager Approv Item to be presented by: Ken Pulskamu DATE: January 25, 2000 SUBJECT: SISTER CITY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM DEPARTMENT: City Manager RECOMMENDED ACTION Readdress the selection of Navi Mumbai, India as a sister city to the City of Santa Clarita. BACKGROUND On September 28, 1999 the City Council authorized the Mayor to sign a letter to the Mayor of Navi Mumbai, India, inviting a delegation to visit Santa Clarita in association with the Sister City International Program. Since then, information opposing Navi Mumbai, India as a sister city has been presented. Therefore, it is requested that City Council readdress the selection of Navi Mumbai, India as a sister city. It is desired that any selected sister city would be beneficial to the City of Santa Clarita. Information presented includes: • City's health situation such as existence of a heavy malarial problem and leprosy as a major health and social problem. • In 1991 there were almost 1.6 million new tuberculosis cases detected. • High infant mortality linked to inadequate sewage disposal and lack of safe drinking water. • Approximately 50% of all illness are attributed to poor sanitation. ALTERNATIVE ACTION 1. Continue with the selection of Navi Mumbai, India as a sister city. 2. Reconsider the selection of Navi Mumbai, India as a sister city. 3. Other action as determined by the City Council. ATTACHMENT Opposing Letter to Navi Mumbai, India from Arnold Mann to Mayor Darcy Statistics on Navi Mumbai, India Letter from Honorary Chairman Carl Boyer to Mayor Darcy S:\MS\EG\SISTERCITY\1-25agda.d" Continued To:1 ,,? 9 Item;.., Arnold Hann 26503 Chiffc aff Court Valencia, CA 91355 (661) 254-5355 ;ovember 3, ? 999 ` '_cavo= „oan ne Darcy. V a^; writing 50 you i:? follow up LO our phone conversation earlier Weer: regarding plans t*_ccntact Nabi Yuynbai as a sister city, concerns led me to a .:loon by the Federal Research Division .lied "India, a Country Study published in 1995. p. 63 population (in 1993) was approximately 545.3 "India's � -. \_� million. Accounting for only 2.4 percent of the world's landmass, India is home to 16 percent oma. :e world's population.''^p, 94 "...less than 15 percent of the population Was adequately nourished..." (according ZO a 1989 repCrt) A number or P..nde:T.lC communicable diseases present a serious public health hazard in India". `4of "India __ma_." one _ ,he most. heavy malarial cou.nzrieS in the world. in the early -9903 about 389 million people were at risk of infection from filaria parasites... :leprosy, a major public health and; social problem i5 endemic, with all the stapes and unison territories reporting cases." p. 96 India is subject to outbreak; of Various diseases. Among ..reg, is pneumonic plague... During 199 nearly 1.5 million new tuberculosis cases Were detected. There are 170 ...__lion people whoair', exposed iodine deficiency disorders. - a million y -' diseases caused by V'i'n. and deficiencies-be_ibe " scurvy asteomalacia and rickets- and a .pig"' incidence of parasitic infection. Diarrhea! diseases the primary cause of early childhood mortality, are linked to inadequate sewage disposal andlack of safe drinking water. Roughly 50 percent of all illness is attributed Ztributd to poor sanitationirural areas , about 80 percent Of , • n y a._ chi 1dren are infected by parasitic worms. ...only about 30 percent of urban populations had adequate sewage disposa . ':' scarcely any population outside cities di`., in. the mid 1990s, _ .,.�___iJpeople Gin, each year of diseases associated wit:! dla"rrhea.' �p. 9c ...it. was projected .-raj. by 1995 :.^.dna Would nave more ..2V and AIDS cases ,.ran any other country in the world. in Bombay, a city of 12.6 million inhabitants in _991. the ._IV infection rate among the estimated 80,000 prostitutes jumped from 1 Percent in 198; to 30 _percent in 1991 to 53 percent in 1993." p. 99 "India's 'blood supply, despite official blood screening eff0'.ts continues to become infected. Reuse of improperly sterilized needles in health Care and blood collection is also a factor. p. 266 ...nowhere else in the world has .. :2C".i.2i:. ..:7 ..EeT. So elaborately constructed as in the Indian i nstitutior of caste. 257 "Fano lower -caste people live in conditions of great poverty and social disadvantage.'' a. 2°6 "Accident rates are ._high (; ,d'aIs Sata!"WtV rate from road accidents, ".^_e most common cause Of accidentaLeath, 1S said to be twenty imes ._igrer .Wan :Wiled States _aces)...'". iVav= M,-,�mbai (New Bombay) is abo —_ GJ kilometers from; ., ...;":bdy. It .S a sma city :1dS a`Ju:.:t .. ., uv peon E _iv:_ gK _.. Hodgepodge u _ story bui rgs. two c - . J:'` car., take t _' ree :Ours to d ive from 6.0w ntown 3oT:3ay to , avi `!usbai . it would not fit -.-e descr=':>`i On Of a sul urb due to i,,., ce":gesti0^ and overOopul at:.,,_.."r i iS _ast G;.;Ote LrOm. an executive 0: an .WCi a_, ,-cpO rt_ng ti Y'm nc'rE in Los _eS _,te .i�OtIOT +.WE is t..a, I t:inx we ::C__d ..W OGSe a .lett E'_" C '"'�� Oi.._try to __ tiate a Sister City relationship. _'_ease cd'_: me _- yo -u would _i,e to review any of the above issues in greater detaz.;. am enol OS 1 n 9 a co_Jy 0L M i et to to th EEdit � 0i' O_ {_ l e iia:4 News as we==. •umb a i JEr" _ly VO::rS� i i ArWGld .'?ail,^. --- DA O' NtNS /MONDAY, OCTOBER 18. 1999 / SANTA CLARITA VALLEY _ 3 Se curity must stop Hith age. raid rust :rust city lay, d to that ro m ,vho the eral )ro- rity nds lese hey ms. coal tits 30 an :nd for tm- nns' ga the 'es - nal 'ms ;is - hat :ial r. in :he , is me lur .gh :he he )w nd he us to is ng ial years, I am in a position to view the changes in the delivery of health care. I was dismayed by the deterioration of the doctor - patient relationship that has occurred because of the inter- ference by business -oriented third parties. The Dingell -Norwood bill just passed by Congress is an important step forward in pro- tecting the quality of health care for individual Americans. The paisage of the bill shows us that members of Congress when — Bob Lathrop crossing party lines can do the NeNhaly right thing for their constituents. 1`10 real `Sister; rX� Therefore, i am concerned by What is it with Carl Boyer? The the position taken by Rep.. lasttimelreadabouthim,hewas McKeon in opposing this legis- espousing a renumbering of lotion, which offers an opportu- Santa Clarita addresses. Now he a med cal acture vaspatt whonts' has beens. As is advocating an alliance with a medical activist who has been Navi Mumbai, a city in India, involved in quality improvement through the Sister City and assessment, I am intimately Committee. familiar with both the needs of Of all places inthe world, the doctors and of their patients. Boyer chose one in the filthiest This urgent issue is one more and most disease -ridden, over - reason why I have chosen to seek populated and poverty -ridden office. As a congressman, I will countries in the world — this, continue the fight to protect because a few residents have patients' rights and put people expressed interest. Yes, let us first. have "people traveling abroad and staying in people's homes," as Boyer is quoted as suggesting in a front-page story by Angela M. Lemire in the Dally News on. Oct. 2. Yes, like no other city in the country, let us foster immi- gration from India, he implies without realizing it. One gets a picture of a large bird with its head in the sand. Boyer actually thinks that our city planners can learn a lot from this involvement. He feels that this Indian city of 850,000 peo. pie "could serve as a model for planning municipal services with population growth." Boyer seems continuously to IO llow a fool's path in his over- zealous and off -kilter attempt to do good. I nominate him for a five-year stint as ambassador to Navf Mumbai, where his first project could be the renumbering of all street addresses. la am cer- tain that the Indian city fathers will welcome his expertise. — Arnold Mann Valencia amendment would be "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of militia members to keep and bear arms for service in the militia shall not be abridged." This would be quite different from the interpretation that allows, even encourages, virtu- ally everyone to have a weapon capable of killing his neighbor. It seems surprising that the courts have not reasonably defined the second clause of the Second Amendment to apply to members of the militia — i.e. the National Guard — much as the Swiss do. Sid Gold Candidate for U.S. Representative 25th District Arms law misconstrued In 1791, when the Second Amendment to the Constitution was adopted, the individual states were much concerned that the central government might, by raising a large army or limiting the state militia, potentially overpower the individual states. The intent of the Constitution was for the state militia to be the principal armed force .during peace time and for it to be nationalized in time of war. The Second Amendment con- sists of two clauses that read "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." It seems clearthat the intent of the second clause is modified by the first, so that n reasonable interpretation of the 1144,1111k r TODAY Senior Center, 22900 Market St.. Friends of the Libraries of the Newhall. Cost seniors $2, non - Santa Clarita Valley will hold a book seniors $3. Call (661) 259.9444. sate 1-7 p.m. at the Valencia Library, A support group for parents of 23743 Valencia Blvd. children with diabetes will meet at Cocaine Anonymous will host a 7 p.m. in the adult day health care men's meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Our building at Henry Mayo Newhall LadyofPerpetualHelpSchool,Room Memorial Hospital, 25727 McBean 6, 23325 Lyons Ave., Newhall. Call Parkway. Call (661) 259-8200. (818) 760.8402. Barbershop singerswill rehearse Narcotics Anonymous will meet at 7:30 p.m. at 24700 Valley St., at 8p.m. at First Presbyterian Newhall. Singing visitors are wel- Chumh, . 24317 NewhallAve., come. Call (661) 259-6109 or (661) Newhall. Cali (661)947-1015. 296-6533. The SCV Lions Club will meet at The Sunrise Rotary Club will 7 p.m. at Cafe Bouquet, 27600 meet at 7:10 a.m. at the International Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus. Call House of Pancakes in Newhall. Call (661)255-5466. (661) 253 1496. Take Offpounds Sensibly, Narcotics Anonymous will meet No. 515, will meet at 7:30 p.m. at at8 p.m.attheCouncil onAlcoholism Emblem Elementary School, 22635 and Drug Dependency, 26147 Wal - Espuella Drive, Saugus. Call (661) nut St., Newhall, and at 7:30 p.m. at 296-5251 before 4 p.m. 17746 Sierra Highway, Canyon Senior citizen lunches will be Country. Call (661) 947-1015. served at 11:30 a.m. at the Santa Clanta Valley Senior Center, 22900 A women's Alcoholics Anonymous group will meet a! Market St.,Newhall, The Costis$2. Henry' MMeeting Compulsive Eaters Anonymous/ ayo alll Memora HOW will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Hospital, 23845 W. McBean Park - Village Church annex, 24802 Aider- 661 wa , Va Call 253-8989. y ( ) (lencia. brook Drive, Newhall. Call 661 263-9370 or (661) 263-0609. ) ` Friends and Families or Alcoholics will meet at the Cocoor Room, 17746 Sierra Highway. Canyon Country. Call (661' TUESDAY 251-9811. Emotions Emotions Anonymous, for those Friends of the Libraries of the' who suffer from panic, ani Santa Clarfta Valley will hold a book depression or other emotiona sale 1-4 p.m. at the Valencia Library, problems, will meet at 6:45 p.m. in 23743 Valencia Blvd. Room 7atOurLadyof Perpetual Help A class in t'ai chi ch'uan will meet School in Newhall. Call (661) at 3 p.m. at the Santa Clar to Valley 298.8809. Daily News The $arch Oari a valley Edri of ft Day News b Wbl'dhad men Gaya a week SuOurMn Editor Pau+aa PWAAidem Santa Clarila valley Maiiing Address 24800 Ayenue BxkeNllar, Velencu, CA 9136$ Banta Clank Vellay Phone Numhera News. Sports. Kusa ess 80585]5250 Clatified Ad er4sing 80013466797, ea. 3393 OVay Advertising 8051257sVi 81 Main OMee Mailing Addnv P.O. Box 4200 Woodland Hills, CA 913654200 Horne De9ve11, Service Medo Desk C1800/Zii m begincomeni"home Mt Traffic S delivery m lar 4X=Mer service. D*sennta:$2.85 Per week. Weekend service Newsline nduding Friday. Sunday, MmWay and selected weakdaYS: $1.62 per week. Sunday Doty seance induding Sunday aM.1i weekdays: 51.62 per weep bscnpeon razes mdude A, aackable state sales W. For a'a laMrXrft copy tail before t0 am. Far subscnber b,& g inlormalipn='We N232ti797 OOPynght 1999, Daily News of Los Mgeles. IAS A'r.i nvlu Nuc Photo 818r/1JJ780 Sports 81&]13-3600 Sports Scares 818]713-3626 Buainass and news execut s an listed on me main odhorial page. Facts culled from `95 book "India, A Country Study" and input from Arnold Mann. Population (`93) 846.3 million - "accounts for only 2.4% of world's landmass but houses 16% of the world's population." page 63. City health situation (page 94) "Less than 15% was adequately nourished per a 1989 report --- many endemic communicable diseases present a serious public health hazard in India." Has heavy malarial problem, leprosy is a major health and social problem, has outbreaks of various diseases. In `91 there were (almost) 1.6 million new TB cases detected. There are 170 million people exposed to iodine deficiency disorders. Vitamin deficiency accounts for beri-beri, scurvy, osteomalacia and rickets. High infant mortality linked to inadequate sewage disposal and lack of safe drinking water. Approximately 50% of all illness attributed to poor sanitation and about 80% of all children are infected by parasitic worms (page 96). "In `95 it was projected that India would have more HIV and AIDS cases than any other country in the world." The HIV infection rate among approximately 80K jumped from 1% in `87 to 53% in 1993. These and many other reasons must be carefully analyzed before consenting to making this city a "Sister City of Santa Clarita." CARL BOYER, 3RD P.O. Boa 220333 Santa Clarita, CA 91322-0333 (661) 259-3154 - cboyer@sosinet.net Jo Anne Darcy, Mayor City of Santa Clarita 23920 West Valencia Blvd., Suite 300 Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Dear Jo Anne, RECEIVED DEC 2 91999 CITY COUNCIL. "ITY OF SANTA CLARITA December 26, 1999 I apologize for my late response, and thank you for sending me the material concerning Arnold Mann's protest. First let me say that I was delighted with the solution resulting in your serving another term as Mayor. While I sympathize to some extent with slowing rampant growth, I see certain anti -growth stances as being very dangerous to the core idea in that people believe they have effective representation for the concept when in reality it is such poor representation as to be totally ineffective. I have done some checking on the Federal Research Division, -a branch of the U.S. Library of Congress, and -the statistics in Arnold Mann's letter as well as the one page typed summary. The primary. problem with the summary is the omission -of the word "prostitutes" from the data on the 80K sample. Indeed, India suffers serious problems, and I would suggest that anyone traveling to India seek medical advice, as I did before my trip in 1998, and take medicine to combat malaria. I was also very concerned about the water supply but found it impossible to drink only bottled water from bottles I had opened. I was served water in good restaurants by the glass, and at a Sikh temple out of a pan, which I drank. At no time did I get sick. Indeed I felt I was enjoying the most excellent health in a long time, in spite of the grueling forty-four hour trip to get to India by the cheapest possible ticket (which involved six segments on three airlines). However, the situation is improving rapidly. While good water is a major unmet priority, communal toilets are being built at a rapid pace to help resolve the sewage disposal problem. Many of the problems of health will be of no concern to Americans, since they are due to poor diet among India's poorest. My most expensive meal in India cost less than $6.00, and was excellent. Americans will not suffer a poor diet. . I never stayed in American -type hotels.India has a rapidly growing middle class and the facilities to provide good rooms and restaurants. I would be careful about staying in villages, and do not consort with prostitutes. First rate medical facilities are available in India. Yes, local clinics will experience problems with infections, improperly sterilized needles and blood supply. In a major city like Bombay one can find excellent medical care. Arnold Mann, in my opinion, is a man with little vision. I do not know what his other agendas are. He misquotes, or quotes misquotes, for I have never said that we can learn about planning from a relationship with Navi Mumbai. However, I do believe we can learn much about a country with a rapidly growing economy which will soon be the largest country in the world in terms of population, a nation with a rapidly developing middle class. Mr. Mann does not like Hinduism, or the caste system. Does this mean that I do? Change will come about with cultural contacts and trade, and if Santa Clarita is in the forefront of this growing trade we will only benefit economically. The council voted unanimously for this relationship. If you cannot sign the letter to get it started I would respectfully suggest that you turn this duty over to Laurene or move to reconsider the issue. It is certainly not proper to put the matter on hold do to the objection of one man, who reacted after the fact, without bringing it back to council. Jo Anne, I wish you well. I know it is no picnic continuing to serve on the council. This is a major reason why I•have decided not to run myself. Sincerely, Carl Boyer