http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-parks-california-closing-20120317,0,4470243.story 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Occupy Boston protesters spit on Coast Guard member. Should we use the same logic that the media use with the Tea Party?
http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/occupy-boston-protesters-spit-on-coast-guard-member-20111013 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
The State Budget: Why doesn’t Sacramento get it, or, why do we continue to elect these people???
Wouldn’t it be nice if for once, no matter how hard it might be for them, that a real budget would be approved by Sacramento politicians without any gimmicks and not based on optimistic revenue projections? How about learning to live within your means? I scream whenever I hear the term “optimistic revenue projections” used anytime regarding the budget, because …
Wow! A state budget passed on time! Wow! But what kind of “wow” is it?
Once again we’re left with a “smoke and mirrors” budget that doesn’t solve the problem and just passes the deficit to the next year. SO far Governor Brown has stood behind his campaign pledge and vetoed this budget because of the usual “Smoke and Mirrors,” but how long will he do so? What we need are politicians that instead of …
Why I’m voting no on Proposition 21 (State Parks/Vehicle license fee)
Because Politicians lie and break promises and that is a fact. Let me explain. First of all, I grew up camping throughout the Western US, Canada and Alaska. I strongly support our County, State and National Park Systems, and I believe that our Park Systems are greatly underfunded. So with that in mind, why would I be voting “No” on …
Changing the water tier system in Poway. Do you reward conservation?
Changing the water tier system in Poway. Do you reward conservation? People that know me know that I’m an avid reader and researcher of the water struggles in the Western U.S. I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable on the subject. Most of you realize that we live in an area in which we have to import more than 90 percent of …
Here’s the problem once again-lack of fiscal leadership and responsibility in government
Please read Logan Jenkins article in Sunday’s paper about the Vallecitos Water District Official, who when applying for this executive position, said he would not take the elevated pension, but at the end, took it. If I apply for a job and lie about my qualifications and I am hired and my employer finds out I lied, I can be …
Why aren’t government agencies forced to show the long term obligations of pension deals to the public?
http://open.salon.com/blog/richard_rider/2010/08/06/city_of_bell_scandal_continues_to_grow Why should a city be allowed to pass their obligations to others? It’s obvious that the City of Bell greatly overpaid some of their employees and the pool of cities to which they belong will be forced to pick up the retirement tab. Now let’s look at the proposed San Diego Sales Tax increase. As Council member DeMaio has …
What are the real costs for government pensions?
First of all, my disclaimer. I am a government employee. I hope that someone can answer my questions and clear up my thoughts. We hear about government pensions being underfunded. When these pension plans are calculated, why aren’t the long term costs revealed during contract negotiations? Why shouldn’t the agency that employed the employee be responsible for the full retirement …
Finally something that New York does right, that Sacramento should follow!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/nyregion/22nopay.html How creative! For New York lawmakers, no budget means no pay. Sacramento faces the same issues, but our elected officials in Sacramento continue to get paid when there is no budget. Let us NOT forget that it’s these people that got us in this mess, and are always coming up with no real solution to it (They tend to …
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