Shooting aftermath: Do we need to reconsider our relationship with politics?

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 5 Comments

Yesterday, following the shooting in the DC area, a “friend” posted on Facebook, “I guess that’s one way to open Republican seats…” I assume he thought his comment was both humorous and somehow appropriate. Therein lies at least some of the tragedy. Can you imagine following the 2012 Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting, anyone making a “joke” about that being …

In Honor of MLK

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“So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three …

Chargers gone?

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From Adam Schefter on Twitter ‏@AdamSchefter (Thanks Hylton Lonstein, for the heads up) “A stunner: Chargers plan to announce as early as Thursday they are moving to LA, ending 55-year stint with SD, league sources tell ESPN.” 6:52 PM – 11 Jan 2017

Mike Fredenburg in National Review: Mr. President, Cancel the F-35

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Many area conservatives remember Mike Fredenburg as the founder of the Adam Smith Institute several years ago. The local author has made quite a name for himself the last couple of years writing about military affairs for National Review. In Fredenburg’s latest, he urges Donald Trump to continue boldly challenging the status quo and a crony-capitalist procurement system by cancelling …

The 2,000-year-old blog

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 2 Comments

As is my custom for about a decade on this eve… And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, …

Dave Roberts concedes to Kristin Gaspar in Supe race

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 3 Comments

“Needing more than 60 percent of whatever ballots remain in D3,” I wrote Friday night, “if Roberts doesn’t concede the race within the next few days, he is simply in denial.” County Supervisor Roberts today faced the reality of being up by about 2,200 votes in early returns on election night, then watching the lead evaporate day by day as …

Weekend Reads

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Some worthwhile reading from the last few days… Measure A lost. Here’s what SANDAG opponents want us to do now. by Barrett Tetlow in the SDUT “In the aftermath of Measure A’s defeat, SANDAG elites are asking the question “What happened?” The answer is they were completely tone-deaf. They have an opportunity to learn the right lessons from this election …

Gaspar-Roberts Update: The fork is rusting

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Update to the below prior posts, for Saturday evening (Nov. 26): Kristin Gaspar again increased her lead over incumbent Supervisor Dave Roberts, to 1,247 votes… Gaspar 113,594 50.28% Roberts 112,347 49.72% There are about 60,000 ballots left countywide. Yawn, at this point. Update to the below post, for Friday evening (Nov. 25): The Registrar’s office waded thru only about 10,000 …

Gaspar jumps far ahead, she can start measuring for drapes

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 1 Comment

Update to the post below, for Tuesday evening (Nov 22): Gaspar’s lead jumps to 659 votes… Gaspar 107,893 50.15% Roberts 107,234 49.85% Gaspar received 51.5 percent of the 9,687 additional votes. About 106,000 ballots remain to tally across the county. Before today’s count, the Registrar estimated about 17,000 remaining provisional ballots in District 3. If that number is accurate, there …

Prediction: County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 3 Comments

Each Ballot count update since the original post is at the bottom, along with the related trend. Gaspar was behind by 560 votes when I first posted after Thursday’s tally, then led by 15 on Friday evening, 218 on Saturday, 296 on Sunday, and 368 following Monday’s counts. _____ I was out of state last week for the election — …

Random Thoughts

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 4 Comments

When over, the 2016 presidential election will go in the history books as this: A bunch of Jerks in Congress, elected by the People, created an atmosphere in which the People believed the best solution was to nominate a total Jerk, which only served to ensure the People elected a total Jerk as President. — The Chargers’ measure, Prop C, …

The Chargers and hurt feelings

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San Diego County Taxpayers Association to San Diego Chargers: “Please attend our meeting. Help us understand how you arrived at your assumptions. Share your data. Make your report public.” Chargers response: “You guys are really mean. Tony is really, really mean. Leave us alone!” Kinda reminds me of this:

Cruz lives up to his commitment

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 10 Comments

Let’s face facts. Ted Cruz screwed up big time. When Cruz committed to support the eventual Republican nominee, that’s the only thing he said. He apparently left some things out. A big mistake. Cruz did NOT say, “I will endorse the nominee, just as long as the nominee doesn’t make disparaging comments about my wife and suggest my dad was …

An Ode to Mother’s Day Political Fundraising

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Dear family member of candidate, I appreciate your email to me. I have no doubt your family member is a fantastic mom. Yet, on Mother’s Day I’m going to spend the time thinking about my mom in heaven, and giving thanks to my wife and the great mother she is to our daughter. I’ll also give thanks for all the …

Republican Disenchantment

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 13 Comments

  I’m disenchanted with the GOP, not because Republicans are nominating Donald Trump; but because the country’s Republican leaders are so out of touch with the electorate that — through their own ineptitude — they unwittingly created an environment accepting of him.

Pete Kanelos, RIP

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 16 Comments

The worst, or maybe the best thing about being Pete Kanelos’ friend was his dedication to the Raiders. Sure, I’ve had other friends who like that team, but in Pete’s case it was a personal badge of pride and honor. Almost as if being able to shove it in his friends’ faces was the real motivation, not so much a …

The copy desk is officially gone

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 6 Comments

The last bastion of credible journalism no longer exists. The famed copy desk, the last defense before going to print — once known at major metropolitan and many smaller newsrooms as having “the greatest knowledge in the world” sitting around it in the form of intelligent, questioning, incredulous editors — has long been dwindling with the decline of print media. …

San Diegans announce effort to establish a new Trump Party

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 13 Comments

Named for presidential candidate, new political party said to ‘trump’ the failures of Republicans and Democrats Claiming they are sick and tired of politics as usual, a group of disenchanted local Republicans and Independents, as well as a few Democrats, released plans today to establish a new political party named after Donald Trump. Under the banner, “Make America Great Again,” …

RIP, Justice Scalia

Barry Jantz Barry Jantz 5 Comments

A sad day for the nation. 1986 Nomination: Antonin Scalia, Ronald Reagan, William Rehnquist Despite the rhetoric that will undoubtedly follow, it’s always good to see philosophical opponents provide praise. Scott Lay does so and provides an excellent summation of the future: “It’s with a sad heart I report the natural-cause death of Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia. “Honestly, I …