Archive for the ‘Poway Roger’ Category
Sad thoughts on the “Fiscal Cliff” deal
Happy New Year to my fellow Rostrafarians!!!
I bring my sad thoughts on this pending “Fiscal Cliff” deal.
To all of us, do we really realize this is the result of our own actions? I’m not talking about those we elected, but what we expect from government and our own personal actions.
First of all, we like consumer debt. What does that mean? We like to buy now and pay later, which might mean sacrifices in the future, but we tend to forget that, or assume we can always wipe the slate clean by bankruptcy in the worst case.
It is time for real voter reform to ensure honest elections
I, along with what I hope is many others, want honest elections. The appearance of fraud and corruption in our voting process make us appear like just a second rate country. Is it just a “pipedream” to want and to demand reform in the voting process?
Why do we as a society, as Americans, allow such deception to occur? We used to pride ourselves on our elections and had the belief the process is part of what makes America great. Aside, of course, from what used to be certain areas of the country — Chicago, New York, Boston — where the local “machine” would ensure victory by almost any means, which was something we would joke about. But it is no longer a joke.
The spike in fuel and my letter to Governor Brown
Like most of you, I am disgusted with the latest spike in fuel prices (okay, I understand that some of you more green-minded readers probably relish the spike in fuel costs).
Each time there is a fire, mechanical closure or whatever at any of the refineries in California, I scream and shoot off an email to our elected officials in Sacramento — I believe it is mainly due to the Democratic politicians that we are in this mess.
I urge a “Yes” vote on Proposition 31
The New York Post recently noted the exact problem with California’s state budget — the rate of growth is higher than rate of inflation, for some years (1991 to 2009) even double the rate of inflation.
Since our elected officials in Sacramento have shown they can’t balance a budget and need some guidance, Proposition 31 gives it to them. Among other things, the measure prohibits creating expenditures of over $25 million unless offsetting revenue or spending cuts are identified, requires performance reviews of all state programs and requires the publication of bills at least three days prior to a vote. These are just three of the items that I believe make it worth a “Yes” vote. This proposition will provide some of the needed guidance to the Governor and legislature.
Why I urge a “no” vote on Propositions 30 and 38
Are you tired of the failure on the part of our representatives in Sacramento to create a real balanced budget without the usual “smoke and mirror” approach, or using overly optimistic revenue projections that are never reached (or even end up close)?
Are you tired of the “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today” approach? Are you sick of hearing Governor Jerry Brown threatening to cut education if Proposition 30 is not passed?
These “tricks” of the Governor and legislature are old. Sacramento politicians need to balance a budget without gimmicks.
Handicapping the Poway City Council race
There are two spots available in the November election for Poway City Council. One seat is currently held by Jim Cunningham and the other is open due to Councilmember Merrilee Boyack’s decision to not seek reelection.
Cunnigham has shown himself as a capable member of the Council. I believe he will win reelection easily. That leaves Boyack’s seat, with three trying to fill the position, Steve Vaus, Jeff Mangum and Gary Vineyard.
Of the four candidates including the incumbent, Vineyard is the only one NOT living in the northern section of Poway called “Green Valley.” This area has the distinction of being where the influence is in Poway due to its relative wealth.
Randy Newman sings the race card for the left
It is very sad the left has decided the only way to win this presidential election is to play the race card. I’ve mentioned this in a previous post.
But what got me going today is the new Randy Newman song, “I’m Dreaming”– where he sings of voting for a “white” president.
Are they ignorant racists or do they want us to believe their lie?
Critics smear GOP star Mia Love as an ‘Aunt Tom’…
http://times247.com/articles/critics-smear-gop-star-aunt-tom-on-wikipedia
When I see such ignorant comments as in the article linked above I get angry, but then as I start to calm down it dawns on me that those on the left making the comments are the real bigots … or they are trying to influence voters with another lie. They apparently have a stereotype of what a black or Hispanic (or fill in the blank with any non-white group) should be and believe. If a person doesn’t follow the stereotype, the left decides to call names.
It’s time to restore Hetch Hetchy
A recent article in “California Watch” got me thinking once again about the worthwhile struggle to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite by removing O’Shaughnessy Dam.
What saddens me the most is the lack of support from environmentalists to remove this dam. Could it be that the home of the Sierra Club and the bastion of liberalism in California (if you haven’t guess, I’m talking San Francisco) doesn’t want to make the sacrifices to control their water usage that would make this dream a reality?
How many other government agencies have “hidden” surpluses?
Sacramento doesn’t have the leadership to solve the deficit without a tax increase. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to raise taxes without showing any way to make sure past mistakes aren’t repeated. I love the comment that California State Senator Noreen Evans (D) made in reference to the State Parks hidden surplus: “If one department can hoard $54 million for 12 years, who else is playing the same tricks of deceit and thievery?” I think a lot of us would agree with her.
Not only does the Legislature need to “Man up,” so does Governor Brown
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jerry-brown-20120414,0,7914862.story
Is Governor Brown for real? He signed a budget that was based on overly optimistic revenue projections that everyone knew would not be met. If he was a leader, he would NOT have signed the current budget last summer. If he really cared for California, he would have said “NO” and forced the legislature to work out a realistic budget (with no pay in the meantime).
I don’t know about you, but for me, a budget using the usual “smoke and mirrors” approach that just passes the problem to the next year and beyond isn’t realistic, nor does it show any leadership. Brown’s failure to provide the leadership expected as Governor regarding the budget has hurt the state even more.
“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today”
Alyssia Finley, quoted in the OC Register…
“The fate of California Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative depends on whether voters buy his sales pitch that the new revenues will benefit schools. They won’t… About half of all new revenues will actually go to teachers’ pensions.”
Of course the issue here is the pensions. They need to be funded, but why put the blame on the pension system? The real blame goes to the bureaucrats that recommended the contracts and the politicians that approved them. If these “leaders” exemplified real leadership they would have explained to the public and the unions that we really can’t afford these deals, but no they didn’t (reelection is SO important!!!).
Salaries for College Coaches and Presidents
See these articles:
10 of the highest paid basketball coaches
CSU raises pay for presidents, plans to cut enrollment
Universities will state that they need to pay such huge salaries to bring in talent. Personally, I don’t care what the private colleges pay their presidents and coaches, but I do when it is a government operated school.
College presidents’ salaries go up and enrollment gets cut. I thought the mission was supposed to educate?
The top pay of any government bureaucrat (or in this case, coach or president) should not to be more than the top pay of that government’s CEO (in California’s case, the Governor).
Are we really going to save money if we close some of our State Parks?
I’m a lover of our Parks and it’s not because I’ve been a National and County Park Ranger, but because of how I grew up. My parents, teachers, friends and scout leaders helped in nurturing that love of Parks in me. I will also say that some Parks were created because of political pressure and really shouldn’t be in a Park system (this mainly applies to the National Parks).
Lungren, Feinstein spar over Hetch Hetchy Valley restoration
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tuolumne-20111213,0,7382453.story
I’ve been a supporter of the proposed restoration of Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite Valley for years. I have to laugh that whenever this subject is brought up in politics, it’s the liberal enclave of San Francisco, the home of the Sierra Club, which fights the proposal because it is where a lot of their water is stored. It doesn’t matter that Hetch Hetchy was said to rival Yosemite Valley in grander, nor does it matter that studies have been made to show that water savings and the enlarging of other dams here would make up for the loss of Hetch Hetchy water.
Governor Brown’s proposal to raise our taxes without any spending controls
Regarding Governor’s Brown proposal for a ballot measure to bring in more revenue by increasing taxes, Steve Greenhut’s take is worth reading.
Arguments about whether this is truly needed aside, I don’t see any safeguards in the measure that would control spending. First, as we know, salaries are the biggest drain on the budget. How will this measure control the amount of benefits and raises offered to employees? (Yes, I am a government worker, and I do prefer raises, but I tend to look at the bigger picture.) My biggest complaint is the lack of restrictions on the pay of bureaucrats. For example, look at the salaries given to the leadership of our public universities. That keeps going higher and higher when fees are raised for students. Shouldn’t we control public employee compensation with safeguards first?
County Parks and Rec Wins National Accreditation
http://www.countynewscenter.com/news/county-parks-and-recreation-wins-national-accreditation
In the last few years, like so many other government agencies, San Diego County Parks and Recreation (DPR) have seen cuts in funding and staff. However, even with those cuts, they recently gained National Accreditation with the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. They are the first County in California to gain it, and one of only 13 Counties in the nation.
So please read the article and learn about the accreditation process, and next time you’re visiting one of your County Parks, just remember that you are visiting one of the nation’s best.
Closing schools? The bigger issue is Sacramento
Regarding San Diego Unified, see the UT’s “School closure plan draws ire, skepticism“…
So what do you do when the population gradually moves out of an area? The district has avoided this topic for years and it looks like it is finally forced to act. The issue could have been addressed a long time prior, but decision-makers were afraid. Think of the money savings over time if the district had closed some of these schools years ago.
What??? Occupy Portland: Protesters Sing F*ck the USA???
I see them using electric guitars, which are either being powered by generators that are run by fuel from big oil, or power from Portland Electric. I doubt they would have enough solar panels to run their equipment. They would have more credence if they were using non-electric acoustic guitars. Probably more credence if they were all wearing clothing which they made from stuff that they grew. It’s amazing how much we rely on these evil corporations.
If I used the same logic many in the media and Democratic leadership have used about the Tea Party (based upon comments made by by a very small minority of Tea Party “members”), that means all members of the OCCUPY-whatever are very disrespectful towards members of the military.
Using a very, very small sampling to then label all in that group because of the actions of a very few. It’s not right. But, isn’t that what the media are doing to the Tea Party?
S.D. Unified refuses to release tentative full list of targeted campuses
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/oct/06/school-closure-plan-trickling-out/
I worked for this district for 25 years, so I know something about the history. I’ve seen the district cut and reorganize several times, claiming each time that now it’s a mean and lean machine, then gradually bringing office and bureaucratic positions back to the prior point. The district justifies the huge salaries to the bureaucrats that tend to make things worse, but has no problem in cutting the actual workers.
OccupyWallStreet, but there is more to it
Regarding Occupy Wall Street…
I happened to know a person arrested during their efforts to occupy the Brooklyn Bridge, which got me thinking and hence my comments.
There is much more to this issue that these idealists fail to realize. Corporate greed (which they state as the reason for their actions) is not the sole issue here. You also have labor union greed (they want higher wages and benefits now, but fail to see the long range consequences of their actions) and politician greed (they must promise the world — and deliver — to get elected and reelected).
I’m confused. Who is the racist here?
See Real Clear Politics article.
So it’s okay for members of the Democratic leadership to call Tea Party people “racists,” and when you have Herman Cain, an African-American, use the term “brainwashed” regarding blacks who support Obama, you get a Democratic strategist state that Cain is a “racist, bigot,” and that a double standard exists with Cain.
My friends that are Obama supporters, wake up and get some backbone and tell the Democratic leadership this kind of stuff is totally unacceptable. Just another reason why one term is enough for Obama.
Teacher pension fund joins California auditor’s risk list
Mercury News: Teacher pension fund joins California auditor’s risk list
Apparently another thing you can thank our “fine” elected officials in Sacramento for, since “… changes to CalSTRS funding require action by the state Legislature.” The gutless wonders in Sacramento can’t balance a budget unless they use overly optimistic revenue projections and a lot of smoke and mirrors. I don’t see them solving this pension problem soon either.
Is apathy in America our real problem??
What amazes me about America right now is the apathy regarding this hole that Washington politicians have dug us into in their way of assuring reelection (promising everything to all, which we can’t afford and is really coming to bite us now). Why are we putting up with this? Do we all have the attitude of politicians, short term solutions only and letting our kids and grandkids pay for it later??
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