Category Archive

In California, exceptionally high firefighter pay and benefits makes “firehouse” firefighter positions coveted slots, with few openings and huge applicant interest. Couple that with a strong desire by existing firefighters to get their offspring and relatives hired (a.k.a. nepotism), and it’s a scenario ripe for corruption. Here’s one of the more amazing examples.  In 2007 the Oakland Fire Department unwisely …

Good news!  California’s unemployment rate dropped significantly in September, from 6.1% to 5.9% — while the nation’s unemployment rate remained stable at 5.1%.  The bad news?  No increase in the number of CA jobs. Okay, okay — I exaggerated a bit to make a point.  Actually the number of CA jobs DID increase in September — but by only 8,200 …

Fire departments are rated for the insurance industry as to their fire suppression efficiency.  The lower the rating, the better.  These ratings ARE important, as they are considered by the companies that issue fire insurance.  Higher ratings translate into more costly fire insurance.  The certifying outfit is the Insurance Services Office, and so it’s called the ISO rating. VERY few …

Just when you think things can’t get any worse in California, it gets worse.  A bill was just signed into law by Governor Brown that will register maybe 6 million low information people to vote. People who go to the DMV (supposedly limited to citizens, but no one will check) for licensing or ID will be AUTOMATICALLY registered to vote …

CA state and local governments deem inmate brush firefighters a valuable asset that makes good sense. But the idea of forming CIVILIAN VOLUNTEER brush firefighting brigades to fight the fires and protect homes when these fires approach housing areas is somehow not safe — for union firefighters. Few people realize how big our California prisoner firefighting effort is.  There are …

by Richard Rider Jaded cynic that I am, still I was stunned by the biased “news” story today in the nominally centrist SAN DIEGO U-T. It’s an awesome demonstration of how liberal bias in media is so strong that the reporters and editors don’t even think of it as bias. The “news” story below is an ode to Pop Francis …

Here’s one of the ways our media fails to accurately report a story.   Indeed, in this government “charity” category, this misrepresentation is more the rule than the exception. Granted, it’s not a big story.  It’s a feel-good episode that might have raised some interesting points, but didn’t. HEADLINE:    [Chula Vista] Police Dept. outfits kids with new shoes, socks …

One type of business has a special affinity for California — Asian businesses. They have substantial ethnic communities built up, and are comfortable being on a Pacific Rim state. But oddly enough, these Asian business people seem to have an interest in maximizing profits — or at least staying in business. Of course, all California businessmen have the same desires, …

RIDER COMMENT:  This year there’s certainly a war of words against cops, fueled by the press and social media. Maybe it will soon change into a significant war of bullets.  But not yet. Indeed, latest stats indicate that 2015 will be one of the safest years for cops on record. Sadly, the press has ignored this reality, preferring hype and …

Evidence of the liberal bias of MSM is overwhelming. But sometimes the best examples is what these networks and newspapers DON’T report. Consider this example. The media gave the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina extensive play last month. Naturally there was heavy emphasis on the failure of FEMA, with a generous amount of blame dumped on hapless George Bush (none …

Buried in our California water bills are the inflated salaries and benefits of our public water works “public servants.”  The examples in the article below are instructive — and not that unusual. It includes a chart that compares the pay of water department employees with the average pay for such work.  BTW, included in that average are our government workers, …

From Breitbart.com… Should billionaire and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump win the Republican primary in 2016—as he certainly wants to do—he expects he will face Vice President Joe Biden in the general election since he thinks the current email scandal plaguing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will eventually knock her out of the race. Read it all.

The California public employee labor unions have a set of talking points they go to whenever the subject of reforming our taxpayer-backed pensions comes up. One major point they love to present boils down to this:  “Employees can’t invest money as smartly as CalPERS [or other pension agencies] can. CalPERS will make a higher return, and will do it for …

In California, we fiscal reformers will always be swimming vertically up Niagara Falls until we break the back of public employee labor unions. We can do it, but only through the initiative process. NEVER will we achieve success through the legislature. “Paycheck protection” — ending government payroll deduction of union dues — is is an initiative that should be put before …

I was asked to write the following column for the “Fox and Hounds” website as a rebuttal to some nonsense published by a CalPERS booster who claimed we all profit from the stimulus of government pensions.  My column wrote itself in a record 65 minutes — I just did the typing.   Government Pensions as Economic Stimulus? Even Breaking Windows …

Last night my wife and I watched two coyotes in our back yard, diligently sniffing and pacing, looking for something to eat.  It immediately caused me to think of the Spanos family — owners of the San Diego Chargers.  But not for the reasons you’d think. This morning (Sunday, 9 August, 2015) there’s an insightful op-ed in the SAN DIEGO …

Even when accounting for the broader societal benefits of energy efficiency investments, the costs still substantially outweigh the benefits; the average rate of return is approximately -9.5% annually.

A 2015 U-T survey of home water bills for the 30 largest U.S. cities found that for 200 gallons a day usage, San Diego has the 3rd highest cost – 73.7% higher than the median city surveyed. At 600 gal/day, San Diego was again 3rd highest – 81.7% higher than the median city. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/27/drought-water-prices-rise/

  (Oceanside) – Oceanside Councilmember Jerry Kern has announced that he has raised more than $100,000 during the first campaign finance reporting period, providing yet another indicator that his race for the 76th Assembly District is off to a strong start. “The show of community support for my campaign has been humbling,” said Kern. “Whether it’s the endorsements of well-respected …