THE RANT

Santa Cruz is under siege!  It may not look like our county is changing “too much” or “too fast” on the surface (especially from a farmhouse in Corralitos or a tent in Bonny Doon - two of my former residences) but there is a strong undertow that has been gaining momentum since the tech giants chose to build their empire in our neighboring valley to the north.  By the time the majority of folks who call the Santa Cruz mountains and coastline their home come to know the true magnitude of the shift, the deals (mostly in real estate) will have already been signed, sealed, and delivered- -and not in favor of the residents of this county.  But alas, money is king and progress is progress.  We live in a desirable and commutable area, so the shift is inevitable right? Wrong!! Santa Cruz may have a reputation for recreational marijuana use but we are NOT sleepyheads! We are ACTIVE-ists!  We don’t back down from a challenge.  Especially not one that threatens to tear apart the social fabric we have so meticulously hand dyed and woven into our own eclectic tapestry.  And although we as a community are far from perfect, I doubt that any of us truly want to stand idly by and watch it all unravel.  Not even the anarchists. 

   Now is not the time to be apathetic, unregistered, careless.  We can’t afford it. Literally.  Now is the time to get our sh*t together.  MEFORMAYOR is a tagline, a conversation, a band, a campaign(?), and an odd, if not overtly self righteous, manifestation of a sentiment that I can no longer suppress. 

   MUSIC has the power to transcend oppressive social constructs and speak to the heart.  It can unite, communicate, and inspire.  And it may be our best chance at combatting the capitalistic swells and marketplace homogeny threatening our community’s livelihood. Or, it may, in the least, convince a few folks to vote.

We are making music out of necessity.  The conversation has become too heated for dinner parties and to depressing for fireside chats.  The writing’s on the wall. Things are looking bad for Santa Cruz. The wrecking ball  has swung and now we must consider what role we will play in the re-invention of Santa Cruz County.  But while the band is off crying over spent rubble, kicking rocks and writing album worthy thoughts, it’s YOUR job to get yourself up to speed.  In case you‘ve mistaken us for angsty youth, we’ve included a reading list below with relevant articles written by other grown ups.  And if you haven’t picked up a book since Mad Libs, here’s something for you:

Rage _______ the Machine, NoFX, and Yolandi walk into a ___ and ___ for the ____.   Some ___ mumbles something about ___.  “Not again. I can’t ____ you folks anywhere”, Jennifer Lawrence proclaims as a bar fight erupts between ____ and ____ over ____.  Everyone turns to see what all the fuss is about.  The bartender tells the crowd to pay no mind as this sort of thing has become commonplace. ____are tough all over.