Sweden is socialist. No question. But in one area they have learned from Milton Friedman — education. Sweden has a radical voucher program, where the student receives the cost of the public eduation in his district, and can spend it on any school — including religious and for-profit schools. While this was controversial in 1993 when Sweden adopted this program, …
Four-fold increase in CA business departures
The numbers are in. Our departure rate for California businesses QUADRUPLED in 2010, compared to 2009. And there’s little sign of this trend reversing. Below is a brief summation from the Carpe Diem website. I strongly recommend you get their free daily email update. In the short Carpe Diem article below is a link to the more detailed story. — …
A Technical Foul?
Third District County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price received a special gift from a member of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association last week… It was a ticket for talking on her cell phone while driving. The curious part is that she’s well known for bragging about driving a Prius; and even old models of the Prius were equipped with “Blue Tooth” for wireless cell phone communication. …
Great Reading (And Listening) With SD CityBeat
Dave Maass has a nice trifecta in the current issue of SD CityBeat — profiles of three local San Diego Tea Party activists. It’s well worth reading. Maass also appeared on Mike Slater’s new show on KFMB 760 radio . (MP3 podcast) Maass discussed the Filner/Popaditch intimidation issue, uncivil rhetoric, and the Mt. Soledad cross issue, both with great perspective …
Faulconer: We need immediate action on important redevelopment projects
From SD City Councilman Kevin Faulconer to Rostra yesterday… Jan. 28 2011 I issued a memo this morning calling for immediate action on four key redevelopment projects. The memo is linked to this blog post. It comes on the heels of the resolution I wrote opposing the governor’s plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies across the state. The City Council approved that …
There’s Joy on Rostra – It’s Caption Contest Time!
THIS JUST IN (Jan 25, 9:30 p.m.): Lani Lutar and the San Diego County Taxpayers Association have kicked in a ticket to its annual “Golden Fleece Awards” dinner as the prize for the winner of this contest. We thank Lani and SDCTA for this generous donation! Value of the ticket is $150. This dinner is THE not-to-be-missed event of the …
Supervisor Slater and Her County Slush Fund
Every Supervisor in the County of San Diego gets a large “slush fund” that has ranged over the years, I believe, from half a million to a million taxpayer dollars. Basically, the Supervisors get to dole this money out to whatever nonprofits or projects they see fit. Over the years Supervisor Pam Slater has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer …
Employers exit as Sacramento fiddles
Employers exit as Sacramento fiddles San Diego Union Tribune By Brian Jones Thursday, January 27, 2011 Earlier this month, officials in the state of Mississippi took swift action to lure a California company to the Magnolia State. Members of the Mississippi Legislature – Democrat and Republican alike – set aside partisan differences and joined together to pass a $75 million …
Drug cartels ambush American photographer south of Nogales
On January 25, an American photographer narrowly escaped death when he was ambushed by cartel members and led the henchmen on a high-speed chase to the International Border Zone, just south of Nogales, Arizona. Matthew Besinger, a Los Angeles-based photographer was working on a photograph book about the Sonoran desert when he was ambushed by four young men. His vehicle …
San Diego City Hall – Reading the Tea Leaves
Two articles in today’s U-T point to the growing realization by the City Council that the issues of fiscal responsibility raised by the Tea Party are the new reality. Item 1. The council appears poised to rescind the big box economic analysis law in the face of Walmart’s successful petition drive. Key swing vote, Tony Young, council President is quoted …
HELP WANTED: Media Coach for GOP
The GOP doesn’t get the media and really, the feeling seems mutual. So listen up, there’s an elephant in the room and he doesn’t know how to look good on TV. During the State of the Union Address last night, I watched the speeches as if I were critiquing and assessing candidates of my own. Overall, the Democrats and Republicans …
Tony Krvaric on the ‘State of the Union’ Spending theme— “Hit the Brakes, not Cruise Control, Mr. President.”
Tony Krvaric, Head Coach of San Diego’s Republican Team, watched President Obama’s State of the Union address before Congress, and offers these reflections on its content: “The President tried to rebrand himself as a fiscal conservative tonight, after a two year spending spree of unprecedented proportions, to position himself for re-election in 2012. Tax simplification, earmark bans, and budget freezes …
Representative Issa’s PR machine hits a snag known as “The New Yorker”
Presumably The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza told Darrell Issa that he was going to do an article about him, with or without him… or at least implied as much. Issa would have been better off going the “without” route. In an article ironically titled “Don’t Look Back“, writer Ryan Lizza does nothing but look back. Now that Issa is the …
FLASH! Walmart ban to be repealed next week
http://open.salon.com/blog/richard_rider/2011/01/25/sd_walmart_superstore_ban_is_being_repealed_by_our_cc FLASH!! City of San Diego Walmart superstore ban will be repealed by our city council next week — by Richard Rider It looks like — as I predicted in December — one or more of the San Diego city council labor union toadies will vote to repeal the Walmart ban, rather than risk another crushing “Prop D”-like defeat in …
Larry Stirling’s brief History of Monopoly Water Rate Hikes — And how the City of S.D. Can Change course — If it has the Will
Rostra Exclusive…. In plain English, here’s why San Diego Consumers pay more for water, even as they reduce their consumption. Larry Stirling says the answer is “Monopoly” and he has eyewitness testimony on where we went wrong, and how to return to a rational and fair system. _____________________________________________________________ In 1969, fresh off of active Army duty, I was honored to …
Lead, don’t follow
The San Diego City Council yesterday adopted a resolution in opposition to Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to get rid of local redevelopment agencies. A real shocker of a news story there, that San Diego, or any city would be opposed to such a move by the State. The only surprise is that Councilmember Sherri Lightner opposed the resolution, apparently needing …
The State of Predictions
Here is my prediction regarding Obama’s State of the Union address tonight. First of all; (Now hold on to your seats) We will hear that the State of the Union is good! Whew! What a relief! While watching the Republicans bite their lips in an attempt to hold in the laughter at such an assessment and avoid a glaring New …
Poway Patch: One on One with Public Relations Superstar Gayle Lynn Falkenthal
She is a superstar. And, she’s Rostra’s. Some excerpts from yesterday in the Poway Patch… Down Home Marketing by Alyson Rybar Each week I select a public relations or marketing topic to educate readers on and this week my goal is to do something a little different. Instead of providing marketing tips, I’d like to give readers an opportunity to …
Rider on KUSI pans Brown’s tax increases
Friday (1/21/11) at o’dark thirty I did a lively 6 minute KUSI TV interview panning Governor Brown’s planned tax increases — well, the special election he wants to raise taxes later this year. I think the interview went well, do I’m putting it out for Internet viewing. I think you’ll like it. Or perhaps hate it. Depending on who “you” …
DeMaio Makes Final Push to Stop Water Rate Hike
Asks Residents to Return Prop. 218 Notices and Contact Their Elected Officials to Oppose Increase on Eve of Vote Releases Eight Point Plan as an Alternative to Rate Hike Councilmember Carl DeMaio, community leaders and residents gathered Sunday to urge San Diegans to return their Prop 218 protest forms to City Hall and contact the Mayor and City Council to …
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