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Articles by Robb Davis
Skateboarding for the Soul: How Rolling on Four Wheels Can Improve Your Mental Health
Skateboarding isn’t just a sport — it’s therapy on wheels. It might look like just flips, grinds, and ollies to outsiders, but skaters know the deep mental clarity that comes from a good session. Whether you’re carving a bowl or just cruising around, skateboarding can have a powerful effect on your mind, mood, and overall mental well-being. Skateboarding demands presence. You can’t be scrolling your phone or worrying about tomorrow when you’re balancing on a moving board.
Guest Commentary: A Response to the Opponents of Measure Q
Mayor Robb Davis laid out the city’s fiscal position at the State of the City Address in January 2017 As a former mayor of Davis and someone who has always been deeply committed to our City’s fiscal integrity, I would like to respond to the recently published article by the No on Measure Q team (Part 3 in a series). Their article states that Measure Q would “double the extra sales tax from 1% to 2%” (the emphasis is theirs).
Letter: Former Mayor Supports Partida
Date: in: Breaking News, City of Davis, Elections, Opinion 61 Views By Robb Davis I am happy to strongly support Gloria Partida for reelection to the Davis City Council. I understand very well the tremendous challenge Gloria faced in providing leadership for our city during the COVID-19 outbreak. Her tireless engagement with community members, the University, and the business community was instrumental in helping us navigate this unimaginably difficult time.
Commentary: What we wish the D.A. had written
By Robb Davis Special to The Enterprise Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson’s recent interview raised some very challenging questions for our local justice system — including how police, prosecutors and even judges contribute to the over-incarceration of Black people. Ms. Olson correctly noted that 25% of inmates currently housed in Yolo County Prison are Black, even though only 3% of the County population is Black — even though under 8% of California’s population is Black.
Commentary: Support Paul’s Place
By Robb Davis and Marty West Special to The Enterprise Large or small, urban or rural, communities nationwide are striving to address the growing impacts of homelessness on public resources, businesses, neighborhoods, and — most of all — those who are suffering. Unfortunately, Davis is not immune to the human tragedy and complex challenges of people struggling to live with extreme poverty and precarious housing. This crisis has become even more significant during our current virus pandemic.
Commentary: Back this innovate facility to serve people in need
Davis architect Maria Ogrydziak has designed Paul’s Place, a multi-functional structure at 1111 H St. that will have 18 units of permanent supportive micro-housing; 10 single-occupancy units of transitional housing, four emergency shelter beds; and enhanced day services, including expanded shower, restroom and laundry facilities.
Don't Touch My Hair
Barbershops are the most non-unique of locations: male-dominated spaces where, more often than not, the sport of the season is on a screen and discussion routinely centers on things female. It’s visited on you before you have memory.
Lessons From The Queen
I’m continually grateful I’m not a child in the age of Instagram, followers and likes. The 80s, when I was growing up, were a different time. If it were possible then, the eleven-year-old me would’ve definitely been victim to viral videos and retweets. And anxiety over acceptance would surely have gotten the best of me, alongside numerous questionable fashion choices. Instead, the awkwardness of my youth exists primarily in photo albums tucked away at my parents’ house.
Taking care of tomorrow today
We have spent the past four years together on the City Council working to keep Davis livable, workable, enjoyable and perhaps most importantly, fiscally resilient. As we reflect on the past four years and look forward to quieter Tuesday evenings, we would be remiss if we did not broach the oft-talked about subject of public-employee compensation and the City Council’s lengthy and continued efforts in that arena. The city is, first and foremost, a service-driven organization.
Relationship-based programming to address homelessness
Over the past two years several programs to address the challenges of homelessness — especially chronic or long-term homelessness — in Davis have taken shape. Collectively known as “Davis Pathways�
How can we ensure a vibrant downtown?
Public health practitioners have developed “proximate determinants” models for key health outcomes to focus attention on the most critical factors that, together (and often in complex ways) determine or precondition key health outcomes. In the same way, we can use a proximate determinants model to more critically analyze the factors that are most directly responsible for developing and supporting a vibrant downtown.
Hate and hospitality, here and in the Muslim world
One: A dying village on the edge of the Sahara. We arrive late in the day to assess the nutritional status of children. The village well is drying up. They will have to leave soon. They offer us tea. The village is devoid of animals � except for one chicken. They ask “Do you eat chicken?� We say “No � please. We do not eat chicken.� They slaughter the bird — the last. We eat with our heads hung low: honored guests feeling the burden of that honor. Two: A street outside the airport in Islamabad.
The ‘final mile’ of homelessness is a true challenge for Davis
* Editor’s note: The following is adapted from opening remarks at an April 26 Davis Chamber of Commerce-sponsored forum on homelessness. In my 25 years working in maternal and child health in West Africa and the Indian subcontinent — places of extreme poverty and exclusion — we would often talk about the challenge of delivering services to “the final mile.” Reaching the final mile — that place where people are the poorest, where health conditions are the worst — is the costliest.
City must look at ways to rein in its costs
Late last August I presented a “SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis for our city. At that time I noted: Our inability, given current revenue, to pay for the maintenance and replacement of critical city infrastructure is a weakness. Over the past 15 years, total general fund revenue has grown by 95 percent while general fund expenditures have grown by 92 percent. Revenue appears to have kept pace with expenditures.
We stand against those seeking to sow fear
Early Sunday morning, the Davis Islamic Center, a place of worship for members of the UC Davis and Davis Muslim communities, suffered serious vandalism. Six exterior windowpanes were shattered, two bicycles on the property were destroyed, and strips of uncooked bacon were placed on an exterior door handle. The Davis Police Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime. We want to express the disgust, outrage and sadness we feel over this incident.
Undocumented residents can be at peace in Davis
In the past several weeks we have had the opportunity to meet and stand with a broad variety of members of the Davis and Yolo County community who have come together to express concerns about potential outcomes of the recent presidential election. Specifically, we have been asked to describe the commitments the city of Davis has made to its residents as a sanctuary city — something Davis has been for the past 30 years.
Commentary: Fear, Davis values and the recent election
* Note: Following the election there was much concern throughout the community about what this change means. The first response was a candlelight vigil organized quickly by a group of citizens, held in Central Park on Nov. 12, the first Saturday night following the election. With only 3 days’ notice, relying on word of mouth and social media, more than 700 people attended. This is a transcription of remarks by invited speaker Mayor Robb Davis.
Welcome to Davis, Mr. Gandhi
* Editor’s note: Mayor Robb Davis delivered the following remarks at an Oct. 2 dedication ceremony for a statue of Mohandas Gandhi in Central Park. Vocal protesters made it difficult for the mayor to be heard. I would like to address my remarks to the statue. Welcome to Davis, California, Mr. Gandhi. That is “where” you are but I wonder if you know “when” you are — not the exact year (it is 2016) but the “when” in terms of the evolution of society and the evolution of the human heart.
Our strengths, opportunities can help us deal with weaknesses and threats
Organizational strategic-planning exercises often include a “SWOT” analysis examining strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. I offer the following brief SWOT analysis as a start to goal-setting for the coming two years for the city of Davis. Contact me at [email protected] with your thoughts and reactions. A great strength of our community is our vigilance and engagement. We watch over processes and policies and offer recommendations.
City, county make progress on homelessness
The issues facing the homeless in our community are complex. In our roles as Davis mayor pro tem and Yolo County supervisor, we are delighted that our community is making strides to understand and work on this challenging array of needs. We are writing today to share some of the responses thus far and to invite the community to continue to engage on this topic. Throughout this past year, we continue to see the generosity of the Davis community and its commitment to helping individuals in need.
City finances aren’t quite as rosy as described
Last week, our mayor, my colleague, wrote in The Davis Enterprise: “Our budget is balanced and resilient. Due to improved revenues and cost-cutting efforts, our budget is balanced with a healthy 15-percent reserve. Better yet, it is a fiscally resilient one in that we are paying what we need to be for our pension and retiree health obligations and are making substantial investments in our infrastructure. … Yes, there are still long-term challenges.
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