Light on Nevada County

Obama wants to outlaw guns in 2nd term

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Washington, DC, NRA (National Rifle Association) Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre gave a rousing heads-up speech warning what's next on Obama's agenda after Obamacare and the most recent attack on religious freedom. He said:

"We see the president's strategy crystal clear: Get re-elected and, with no more elections to worry about, get busy dismantling and destroying our firearms' freedom, erase the Second Amendment from the Bill of Rights and excise it from the U.S. Constitution."

Think about it. Go back into recent history. What's been happening these past few years? Our Constitution, the Constitution given to us by the Founders has been under assault by the extremists of the Democratic Left from the freedom of speech, right to bear arms, religion, states rights and the list goes on.

Here's an article in today's Washington Times for the rest of the story.

And, then go to the NRA website (here) and join. Your rights are at stake.

The Chevy VOLT ~ 'nuf said.....

2012-02-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

Déjà Vu 1949

2012-02-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

There are times in life when history repeats itself and this is one of them. Not much has changed between 1949 and today.

Who are the Real America?

2012-02-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

The American Thinker online today has a terrific piece about the Poll Masters and their art of manipulation but when it comes down to the facts it is the Conservatives who are the Real America. This interesting short read can be found HERE.

Right On!!

The data is consistent, overwhelming, and clear. Conservatives are the Real America. Leftists are colonial governors, small in number, controlling through fear and intimidation from heavily guarded forts at the chokepoints of society, unable to persuade more than a slim minority of Americans to follow them, and protected from the destruction of their own administration. Our campaign against the left is nothing more or less than a national liberation movement. We, not they, are America.

Happy Birthday

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Ronald Reagan ~ 40th President of the United States

February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004

California's Not Dreamin': This Is the Nightmare of an Obama Second Term

2012-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

This came in over the transom today from a like minded friend..... it's a real eye-opener how California got to where it is today.... pretty screwed up! It won't get better until it gets worse is the general belief amongst small business.

I live in California . If you were wondering what living in Obama's second term would be like, wonder no longer. We in California are living there now.

California is a one-party state dominated by a virulent Democratic Left enabled by a complicit media where every agency of local, county, and state government is run by and for the public employee unions. The unemployment rate is 12%.

California has more folks on food stamps than any other state and has added so many benefits and higher rates to Medicaid that we call it "Medi-Cal." Our K-12 schools have more administrators than teachers, and smaller classes but lower test scores and higher dropout rates with twice the per-student budget of 15 years ago. Good job, Brownie.

This week, the once and current Gov. Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown had to confess that the "balanced" state budget adopted five months ago was billions in the red because actual tax revenues were billions lower than the airy-fairy revenue estimates on which the balance was predicated.

After trimming legislators' perks and reducing the number of cell phones provided to state civil servants, the governor intoned that drastic budget reductions had already hollowed out state programs for the needy, law enforcement and our school children. California government needed more money.

Echoing the Occupy movement, the governor proclaimed the rich must pay their fair share. Fair share? The top 1% of California income earners currently pays 50% of the state's income tax.

California has seven income tax brackets. The top income tax rate is 9.3%, which is slapped on the greedy rich earning at least $47,056 a year. Income of more than $1 million pays the "millionaires' and billionaires'" surcharge tax rate of 10.3%.

Brown's proposal would add 2% for income over $250,000. A million-dollar income would then be taxed at 12.3%. And that's just for the state.

Brown also proposed a one-half-cent sales tax increase, which would bring sales taxes (which vary by county) to 7.75% to 10%. Both tax increases would be on the ballot in 2012.

The sales tax increase proposal immediately brought howls of protest from the Left (of Brown!). Charlie Eaton, a sociology grad student at UC Berkeley and leader of the UC Student-Workers Union, said, "We've paid enough. It's time for millionaires to pay."

At least five other ballot measures to raise taxes are circulating for signatures to get on the 2012 ballot in California . The governor's proposals are the most conservative.

The Obama way doesn't end with taxes.

The governor and the state legislature continue to applaud the efforts of the California High Speed Rail Authority to build a train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco . Even though the budget is three times the voter-approved amount the first segment will only connect two small towns in the agricultural Central Valley . But hey, if we build it, they will ride.

And we don't want to turn down the Obama bullet-train bucks Florida and other states rejected because the operating costs would bankrupt them. Can't happen here—we're already insolvent.

If we get into real trouble with the train, we'll just bring in the Chinese. It worked with the Bay Bridge reconstruction. After the 1989 earthquake, the bridge connecting Oakland and San Francisco was rebuilt with steel made in China . Many workers came from China too. And it was paid for with money borrowed from China …Makes perfect sense.

In California , we hate the evil, greedy rich (except the rich in Hollywood and in sports, and in drug dealing). But we love people who have broken into California to eat the bounty created by the productive rich.

Illegals get benefits from various generous welfare programs, free medical care, free schools for their kids, including meals, and of course, instate tuition rates and scholarships too. Governor Perry , California has a heart. Nothing's too good for our guests.

To erase even a hint of criticism of illegal immigration, the California Legislature is considering a unilateral state amnesty. Democrat State Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes has proposed an initiative that would bar deportation of illegals from California .

This is an interesting dilemma for Obama. If immigration is exclusively a federal matter, and Obama has sued four states for trying to enforce federal immigration laws he won't enforce, what will the President do to a California law that exempts California from federal immigration law?

California is also near fulfilling the environmentalist dream of deindustrialization.

After driving out the old industrial base (auto and airplane assembly, for example), air and water regulators and tax policies are now driving out the high-tech, biotech and even Internet-based companies that were supposed to be California's future.

The California cap-and-trade tax on business in the name of reducing CO2 makes our state the leader in wacky environmentalism and guarantees a further job exodus from the state.

Even green energy companies can't do business in California . Solyndra went under, taking its taxpayer loan guarantee with it.

No job is too small to escape the regulators. The state has even banned weekend amateur gold miners from the historic gold mining streams in the Sierra Nevada Mountains .

In fact, more and more of California ’s public land are off-limits to recreation by the people who paid for that land…Unless you're illegal. Then you can clear the land, set up marijuana plantations at will, bring in fertilizers that legal farmers can no longer use, exploit illegal farm workers who live in hovels with no running water or sanitation, and protect your investment with armed illegals carrying guns no California citizen is allowed to own.

The rest of us only found out about these plantations when the workers' open campfire started one of those devastating fires that have killed hundreds of people and burned out thousands of homes in California over the last decade.

It was said after California ’s Proposition 13 in 1978 cut property tax rates and was copied in other states, that whatever happened in California would soon happen in your state.

You'd better hope that's wrong.

Send Obama Your Resume

2012-02-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

Send Obama Your Resume <here>

Hard to find good news reporting these days....

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's becoming increasingly more difficult to find a decent local or national television network that doesn't try to gin up or hype the news. The news reporting business has become more entertainment oriented than simply presenting the facts i.e., the who, what, where and when... without embellishing or coloring the story to keep the audience's interest.

Recently I came across this video clip of a field reporter wondering why he'd been sent on a mission to a place where there was no story.

This guy should receive an Academy Award for telling it like it is. LOL...

State of the dead cat bounce

2012-01-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2012 by Don Surber

Lucianne Goldberg calls it the dead cat bounce when reaction to a political event is nil. The president gave his fourth State of the Union speech (officially it is three as for some reason the first one is always considered an address to Congress) and the crowd went mild. Let us go to the charts:

The Gallup    Approve Disapprove
Pre-SOTU        44%       46%
Post-SOTU       43%       49%

Rasmussen    Approve Disapprove
Pre-SOTU        48%       51%
Post-SOTU       46%       52%

As readers can see, the changes are all within the margin of error. If anything, his support softened. The more The Won speaks, the less support there is for him. The RNC should immediately sponsor a series of Democratic Presidential Debates between Barack Obama and a mirror. He cannot resist a mirror.

Same Old Broken Record Year after Year

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Can you afford this?

2012-01-25T05:05:00.000-08:00

Where's the outrage? Click on the below, let it soak in and then ask youself if you can afford another 4 years of this regime. Can you?

Under Obama, Price of Gas Has Jumped 83 Percent, Ground Beef 24 Percent, Bacon 22 Percent

The Dead Do Vote....

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

This happens all over the USA and maybe even here in Nevada County. Just how are the deceased taken off the voter roles? By reading the obits?? And, what if not every deceased appears in the obits? Or, if the obituary is delayed? And, when no current photo ID is required of living breathing prospective voter? A better way must be implemented now otherwise dead people are an easy target for voter fraud.

Update January 22, 2012:

South Carolina's Attorney General detects voter fraud during primaries

Elitist Media Got Skewered

2012-01-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

We stopped watching the so called "debates" a couple of episodes ago after seeing that they were nothing other than opportunities for the Elitist Mainstream Media to practice its art of yellow journalism. Last night was no different as we chose to watch a DVD. I think we'll start paying more attention after seeing this video clip of Newt G. skewering the CNN yellow journalist. WOW!! Newt sure has a way of telling it like it is. I'd pay money to see a real debate between Newt and Obama.

Check it out:

Gingrich delivers show-stopper at beginning of South Carolina debate

Why Martin Luther King Was Republican

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article I like rereading every year on this day commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. It clearly lays out the truths which today's Liberal Progressive Democratic Party doesn't want seen in the light of day ~ that MLK, Jr. was a Republican as were most Black Americans of his era and that the Demorat Party founded the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and that it is in fact the antithesis of civil rights.

Why Martin Luther King Was Republican

Read, then share the above with your Liberal Prog friends with Hope that they will wake up and Change.

Moore on 50% income tax rate, etc.

2012-01-14T07:27:00.000-08:00

Moore on 50% income tax rate, donating to the U.S. Treasury and other hypocrisies.....

What self-serving hogwash straight from the mouth of pure liberalism. Let them eat pie.

How the Post Office Went Bankrupt

2012-01-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

After viewing this video think about any other business in history which survived after continually raising the price for its services while decreasing or limiting access to those same services. When I was a kid First Class stamps cost $.05 compared to the $.45 per letter after postal rates again increase this January 22nd. And those little old fashioned postcards are to go up to $.32 from the present of $.29. USPS offices stopped being open on Saturdays a couple years ago and now the bureaucrats at the top want authorization from Congress to decrease the number of delivery days per week.

It makes a lot of sense to just let the USPS be outsourced to private professional experts like FedEx, UPS and others.

Think about it.

How the Post Office Went Bankrupt

Republican Presidential Debate ~ 01/07/12

2012-01-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

Having watched another <groan> republican presidential debate tonight we saw the ABC News handlers aka state controlled media begin the discussion with the latest December unemployment numbers according to an ABC News article appearing here today. What's missing from this AP article and tonight's discussion is that the December employment spike is historically a result of holiday short term seasonal hires. Think about it.

Fuzzy thinking is only going to get worse as the state controlled media amps up as we move further into 2012 towards November.

Watch who the liberal MSM (mainstream media) begins rallying around and reflect back to the 2008 McCain days.

May be all about misdirection.

An Obamaian Winter

2012-01-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

As we begin 2012, an election year, it is important for those having had buyers remorse following 2008 to be reminded of what made them disappointed and feeling so let down.....

An Obamaian Winter

Buyer's remorse

2010-07-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

As a public service to all those having Buyer's remorse since the November 2008 elections I offer the following solution.

YUBA Fire

2009-08-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

Taken from our deck on August 15, 2008 @ 4:00 PM

Let it snow...and watch “Wall Street”...

2009-02-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

Here it is February 11th in Nevada County’s “frontier” and it’s snowed enough this evening to knock out both satellite dishes. The electricity is on and the wood stove is blazing so what else to do? We decided to watch one of our favorite DVD’s...”Wall Street” given today’s report about the ineptness of Sacramento and Washington, DC. Could the pre-election financial crisis of September have been manufactured to manipulate the outcome of the November 2008 election? ..........Let it snow.

Nevada County Priorities?

2009-01-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

An article, County attacks Scotch broom, appeared in the local newspaper last Thursday the 29th about Nevada County's Agricultural Commissioner intent to send a letter to California's Food and Agricultural Department asking for help in getting rid of Scotch broom. A noble cause but with so many businesses closing down (Weaver Auto, Heidman's, etc.) or leaving (GV Ford Lincoln, Thomson?) shouldn't all efforts be directed towards development instead of pursuing grant money from a state that's billions of dollars in the hole? Doesn't it make sense for County officials to publicly get behind projects like the Idaho-Maryland Mine and similar job creating efforts than spinning their wheels seeking grant money that isn't there?

We Want a Divorce

2009-01-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

I received the following from a good friend and thought others would enjoy it:

We Want a Divorce.

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists, Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950s, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile, chalk it up to irreconcilable differences, and go our own ways.

Here is a model dissolution agreement. Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by land mass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes. We don't like re-distributive taxes so you can keep them. You are alsowelcome to keep the liberal judges and the ACLU.

Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA, and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore, and Rosie O'Donnell (you are however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move them). We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart, and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies, and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan Hockey Moms, greedy CEOs, and Rednecks.

We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .

You can make nice with Iran, Palestine, and France, and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or way of life are under assault, we'll protect them militarily.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian Values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, and Shirley McClain. You can have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill. We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks, and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volvo, Subaru and Yugo you can find. You can give everyone healthcare, that is if you can find any practicing doctors (that is“practicing”, Howard Dean) who will follow to your turf. We'll continue to believe health care is a luxury and not a right.

We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and The National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach The World To Sing, Kum Ba Ya, or We Are the World.

We'll practice trickle down economics, and you can give trickle up poverty its best shot. Since it often so offends you. we'll also keep our History, our Name, and our Flag.

Would you agree to this? In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR on who will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall, American Law Student

More sales tax revenue leaving Grass Valley

2008-11-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

Heard around town today that Grass Valley Ford Lincoln - Mercury will probably be relocating to Auburn after the first of the year. Staff are going to be let go but can reapply 'down there'. Seems like a great business opportunity for GV Ford since Maita's sudden closure in September and with the next closest Ford dealer being in Roseville.

With Jim Kiel Chevrolet closing two years ago and the Weaver Dealership last Friday how prepared is Grass Valley City for another major sales tax revenue loss?

On Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama

2008-10-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, former Chief of Staff, a life long Republican and an African American endorses Obama who lacks leadership experience in military and foreign affairs. Think about it. Contrary to the spin of the media, it's not about Powell and Obama being black or that he really thinks Obama is qualified but about Powell being the opportunist hoping to garner a position of power and authority in the inexperienced Obama Administration should it win on November 4th. He sold himself out.

Globull Warming

2008-07-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

Serious wisdom from George Carlin on "Globull Warming" found here puts all the hysteria in perspective. Enjoy!!

Hospitals won’t be paid for “preventable errors”

2008-07-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

Since the mainstream media doesn’t pick up on such newsy items I must share this with you.

According to the Kansas City Business Journal in an article of last Wednesday, July 16:

As of Oct. 1, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City no longer will reimburse hospitals for complications resulting from certain preventable medical errors.

The news, which the insurer released Wednesday, comes in the wake of a similar announcement last year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS said that beginning Oct. 1, it will stop paying for eight so-called never events, which it defined as “serious and costly errors in the provision of health care services that should never happen.”

Blue Cross said it no longer will reimburse hospitals for complications resulting from the following serious preventable medical events:
• Sudden artery blockage, or embolism, from air bubbles introduced during surgery.
• Objects left inside a patient during surgery.
• Use of the wrong blood type during transfusions.
• Urinary tract infections associated with catheters.
• Pressure ulcers (bed sores).
• Infections from central vein catheters.
• Mediastinitis, an often fatal surgical-site infection of lung tissue.
• Hospital-acquired injuries, such as fractures, dislocations, head and crushing injuries, and burns.

And, all these years, I had been under the impression that the insurance companies and those in charge of the Medicare and Medicaid entitlement programs had had the business sense to not pay for obvious shoddy work. Good Grief!

Makes one wonder what California insurance companies and the bureaucrats in Sacramento are doing.

Lipitor for 8 year olds?

2008-07-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

Fox News ran a story this morning about the American Pediatric Association's recommendation that the cholesterol drug Lipitor should be given to children as young as 8-years old. Wrong solution for a problem caused by poor diets and the lack of exercise. Instead, the junk food should be replaced by a healthy diet in conjunction with unplugging the computer games and pushing the children outdoors to play like we did as kids. It's a sign of the times we live in today.

Tattoo Muses

2008-07-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

While waiting in check out lines at our local shops I people watch. Today it seems that everyone except those of us over 50 and young children have tattoos. While growing up in the Midwest in the 1950s I remember that the only people sporting tattoos back then were most likely World War II veterans or members of motorcycle gangs.

Yesterday, at the Grass Valley Post Office, I saw a woman with a couple of half moons tattooed on the back of her heels. And, a few weeks ago at a grocery self checkout counter another gal had what appeared to be a bar code on her forehead which might be her way of telling us that we’re all ‘just a number’ in today’s world.

It seems that everyone who is “hip” today from the young first time mothers to their “early” grandparents has a tattoo. And, not much of the artwork is original or of very good quality.

Do any of these people think about what their artwork will look like in a few short years as their body ages? What will they think when their children look at them someday and ask them what statement they were trying to make?

There seems to be a lot of followers and not many leaders today.

The Union and Mother’s Day 2008

2008-05-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

High compliments to The Union newspaper for celebrating Mother’s Day by honoring Nevada County’s Blue Star Mothers in today’s edition which can be found here and also on the editorial page which does not have links. What a difference a year makes. Last Mother’s Day I took issue with the way The Union honored Nevada County’s Mothers which can be found here. After a few days of email discussions at that time with Editor Pelline a promise was made and kept which appears in today’s paper. Thank you Jeff and The Union staff.

Used Bookstores and Hillary

2008-03-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we spent quality time at Used Bookstores and brought home a large bag of treasures for our ever expanding library. Amongst my purchases was a copy of Dick Morris' Because He Could about "who is the real Bill Clinton". Upfront in the book is Morris' candid review of President Bill Clinton's book My Life which is chock full of stories from Bill and Hillary Clinton. According to Morris The Clinton's very much enjoy using storytelling techniques as a way of bonding with 'the people'. Hillary's current problems at being caught embellishing upon what really happened during her visit to Bosnia in the mid-1999s so closely follows Morris' claim. The Clinton's truly seem to love storytelling to pump up her credentials to be President. Is she really qualified to lead?

Help the Nevada County Library

2008-03-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Today’s article, “Bookmobile grinds to halt” , in The Sacramento Bee made me think that, although the circumstances are different, when Nevada County falls on hard financial times someday one of the first services enjoyed by the public that may be impacted by budget cuts might be our Library. Anyone in business or government knows that information can be a wonderful tool for charting future strategic directions. The below request by County Executive Officer, Rick Haffey, is one I believe is important for us to give a helping hand with. Please take a moment to complete the survey mentioned in his request. Nevada County’s Library is a needed community resource now and in the future.

The California State Library in Sacramento is asking library jurisdictions across the state to participate in an online survey of our citizens to better understand information needs. Many of us use the Internet to answer a myriad of questions related to work, school or personal interest. Many of us also use local libraries to supplement what we find on the Internet or ask reference questions of librarians who gather information from a variety of sources.

The State Library would like to understand the steps we now use to find the information we want. In so doing State resources can be put to better use. During the month of March, go to www.mynevadacounty.com/library and click under “How Do You Use Your Library”. If more than 75 individuals respond to our link. Nevada County Library will receive the local data gathered. This will help us better understand our local needs. If you have any questions, contact County Librarian, Mary Ann Trygg at (530) 265-7078.

2008 Presidential Candidates on Healthcare

2008-03-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

Everyone in Nevada County needs to informed as to where each of the Presidential candidates stand on the issue of Healthcare before November 4th. Healthcare has been a frontline topic of debate nationally for over 30 years as the cost of it continues to rise, accessibility seems more problematic for some and life expectancy edges to an average age of 78 years. Each of the candidates, Clinton, Obama and McCain has their own views and solutions.

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog had a nice piece February 27th, Clinton & Obama Skirt Health Costs, Debate Mandates. It is not surprising that neither of the Democratic candidates want to reduce the cost of healthcare or rein in the ambulance chasing legal industry that only makes the lawyers rich. McCain’s view of solving the healthcare problem involves increasing competition and making healthcare insurance more affordable. Their positions and approaches are polar opposites with one view involving bigger government and the other not. Regardless, it should be a lively and revealing debate, as we get closer to Election Day.

Nanny Government: Woodstove ‘Spare the Air' nights

2008-03-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

Today’s San Jose Mercury had an article, "Regulators want to ban fireplace blazes on Spare the Air nights" , outlining the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s intent to ban the use of wood burning fireplaces/woodstoves in the estimated 1.7 million homes in the nine counties it covers. According to quoted government statistics wood burning fireplaces and stoves create 22% of the bad air problem in the San Francisco Bay Area. The article also mentions similar measures having been implemented by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley air districts last year. Inspectors would drive around looking for smoking chimneys and neighbors would be encouraged to call an 800 number to anonymously turn each other in. Initially violators would be warned with habitual offenders being fined $50, $100 and so, if they continued with their “criminal” behavior. Certain violators would be allowed to attend a two-hour class on the health risks of wood smoke in an effort to “rehabilitate” themselves and change their ways.

Given the bad air that blows up from the Valley and the Bay Area on certain summer days I initially thought it was a great idea until I realized it would only be a matter of time before our own local air quality board attempts to implement the same restrictions.

Do these bureaucrats ever look at the potential consequences of their proposed regulations? For example, that:

• An army of chimney smoke police/inspectors will create 'large carbon footprints'.
• Law enforcement and the courts will see a dramatic increase in violent crimes.
• The price of firewood will increase and become unaffordable for the poor and elderly.
• Demand for other heating fuels will cause prices to increase and become unaffordable.
• The size of government will increase in order to police chimneys and punish violators.
• Government entitlement programs will be needed for the poor/elderly to stay warm.
• Health problems relating to exposure to cold temperatures will increase.
• ‘Spare the Air days’ will become year around.

The Answer is: No, they don’t, because their self-appointed mission is to regulate our lives.

Isn’t it time that we elect people to public office who are to work for us and for less regulation? We need smart people on the public payroll who see the big picture, the consequences of being over-regulated and overtaxed and as a result have the guts to not implement more nanny government rules and regulations.

Super Tuesday in Nevada County

2008-02-05T22:02:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I took our ballots to new Elections Office at The Rood Center for dropping off. The signage pointing voters to the 2nd Floor new digs was clear and easily seen from the entrance of the building upstairs. Once there, I was stunned somewhat by the number of people waiting at the counter to vote. There must have been 15 people. Excusing my way through the waiting crowd I was also surprised to see a lack of security surrounding the "ballot box". In the past when I/we have taken in our ballots to the Elections Office at the former HEW Building we were challenged and asked for identification. Given the crowd this afternoon at the new Rood Center Election Office digs I'd like to see more of a presence of elections staff at the counter and better security of the ballot box. June elections are only a few months away and this was a good trial run.

"Flap" over DA's Office Move...

2008-01-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

When I read the Tuesday, January 22nd Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda last Monday I was intrigued by the action item to approve the leasing of space to house the DA’s staff because of my own personal experiences. After making a phone call and sending a couple emails it was confirmed that the only logical decision was for the Board to approve the lease option. Nothing had changed to improve the cramped working space of the District Attorney’s Office since I was interviewed by the DA and his investigators a few years ago regarding the North San Juan Fire Protection District’s financial irregularities fiasco involving board and office staff. At that time I was appalled at the lack of space for staff as well as for confidential meetings and conferences with the DA and the investigators. I am surprised that the Nevada County Grand Jury has not investigated such deplorable working conditions, which could potentially impact the quality and outcome of cases. The work space problems have been widely known for years.

During my brief research I also learned that the state's Administration of Courts (AOC) is taking over responsibilities of trial court buildings throughout the state as initiated by the Lockyer-Isenberg Trial Court Funding Act of 1997 (Assembly Bill 233). Prior to then the courts had a dual county and state funding system that was unstable and inconsistent. So, the Board of Supervisors instead of making a bad financial decision to pour money into facilities the County won’t be responsible for in the near futur decided on reinvesting in the community. Russ in his NC Media Watch article yesterday raised many great points on the issue especially the one about how close the future DA’s Office will be to the courtrooms. Walking between these facilities will decrease the County’s carbon footprint as well as make the staff healthier. Besides having the DA’s Office across the street from Callahan Park should help make the area more of a pleasant place for citizens, families and tourists to visit. It was a win, win situation all around.

Russ was also right on about the Board of Supervisors decision to hold next week’s annual planning session meeting at the Holiday Inn Express. Who can argue about holding a meeting in a neutral location accessible to a majority of taxpayers while supporting the local economy vs. previous Boards that seemed to prefer meeting in remote locations as a way to exclude the public. On a side note I suggest you to read the exchange of comments published in The Union following the Editor’s Op-Ed piece yesterday, Saturday. Some writers of comments seem to be one in the same person. Is it possible that an anonymous writer or two with many aliases registered at The Union write volumes of emotional comments to convince us that Nevada County is up in arms about the Board?

Transparent Government via live & on-demand streaming

2008-01-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today’s Union Newspaper had a people piece on a couple of 1993 Nevada Union graduates who have a company, Granicus, Inc., based in San Francisco that provides audio and video of government meetings. What intrigues me about the concept is that you don’t have take time off from work to stay informed as to what local government is doing. It appears that the technology is now available which allows us to view proceedings "when and where we want". Imagine being able to view video of an agenda item, a staff report or simply seeing those you elected/appointed conduct business. Meetings of the Board of Supervisors, the GV and NC City Councils and the countless numbers of Special Districts are generally held at inconvenient times like when we're all at work or at night after a hard day’s work. The Granicus, Inc. website can be found here. What a break through in opening up government!

Board of Supervisors Chairman Ted Owens mentioned to me at the January 8 meeting that Nevada County was looking into this type of technology. When will it be in place and available to Nevada County taxpayers? And, will Grass Valley City, Nevada City and the nearly infinite number of Special Districts follow suit?

1/27/08 Update: Nevada County Television started NCTV-G (Channel 17) the new government channel on December 17, 2007. Board of Supervisor, Grass Valley City and Nevada City Council meetings will be available to Comcast cable subscribers in Grass Valley and Nevada City. It makes sense for the County to put a link on the County's "MyNevadaCounty" website for everyone who has access to the Internet to access County meetings at will now that the technology is available.

Wild 'n Wacko dim view

2008-01-18T09:06:00.001-08:00

Today The Union newspaper printed an Other Voices Op-Ed piece (found here) from a fellow whining for tougher regulations by Grass Valley City to dim the lights of businesses that create jobs and generate sales taxes which fund city services. Although claiming to live in Grass Valley it appears that the writer lives closer to Alta Sierra and further away from the businesses he complains are destroying the nighttime starry view from downtown Grass Valley. I love it when folks move from coastal and valley cities to the foothills and immediately start groaning about their quality of life after only having lived here for a few years. There are reasons businesses have certain types of lighting on from sunset to sunrise and most often it is for safety and security as well as to possibly showcase the products for sale. Businesses are already over regulated in some areas but the Wild 'n Wacko's still figure harassing them is a great way of restricting future growth. Don't think so.

Congressman Doolittle's Retirement

2008-01-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

I see that the “drive-by” media is celebrating today's announcement by Congressman John Doolittle that he will not be seeking reelection in November. Congressman Doolittle has done well representing us in Washington these past 17 years, which hasn’t been an easy job. We owe him and his wife, Julie, a special thank you for their service. I met Congressman Doolittle and heard him speak about values of country and family to which he has sincerely dedicated himself to. Those that criticize the length of service of elected officials like Congressman Doolittle should also cast a similar critical eye at those Senators and Congressman holdovers from the 60s and 70s who haven’t held "a real job" since in contrast to the rest of us taxpayers. Thank you Congressman Doolittle and Mrs. Doolittle for your 17 years of service. We wish you and your family well and look forward to seeing you at future gatherings in Northern California.

Nevada County Board of Supervisors 1/8/08 Fire Plan Public Comment

2008-01-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

Today, during a Nevada County winter snowstorm (for what it was ~ flurries), I attended the Nevada County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting to comment about the new Fire Plan Draft #3. My comments were initially to request an extension to the 30-day public review period given that County Staff had made it available to the Public just prior to the Christmas Holidays on December 21st. However, because the extension had been placed on the agenda at the last minute, I did not read paragraph 2 into the record. Other points noted below in my prepared comment were read and presented to the Board.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Good Morning,

My name is Martin Light and I live in the Birchville Area of North San Juan. I am here today to share a few observations after having read the Nevada County Fire Plan Draft #3 and will get straight to the point:

(Not read into record: The period of time allowed for public review and comment is inappropriate given the size and complexity of the Fire Plan document and the fact that the Christmas and New Year Holidays consumed nearly half of the 30-day period. I request that the public be given an additional 30 days for review and comment.)

It is unclear to me what items within Appendices B and C are trickle down requirements mandated by the State and Federal Governments or are new suggestions, recommendations or proposed ordinances of local government or self-serving activist groups. I request that the document be edited into a more manageable one that separates out and clearly identifies the existing mandates from the proposed suggestions, recommendations and other property restrictions.

The Fire Plan outlines varying approaches to property management with suggestions for technical assistance and funding assistance however, I ask the Supervisors not to forget that the demographics of Nevada County aren’t getting any younger and that thousands who are living on retirement pensions and social security fixed incomes are not in the position to successfully implement what is proposed within the Fire Plan.

The Fire Plan document references the historical and present day firefighting capabilities of our local, State and Federal governments however it is recognized as a patchwork of personalities dependent on varying priorities, agendas and volunteer and paid resources. Following the devastating October fires in San Diego County many wondered how such disasters could be better handled in the future. Congressmen Darrell Issa of Vista and Brian Bilbray of Solana listened to testimony from local and state officials during hearings early last month regarding the response to the San Diego fires which devoured more than 300,000 acres, more than 1,000 homes and at least 10 lives. One recommendation forthcoming from the hearings was for the establishment of a regional fire authority with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department as the centerpiece. U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein convened the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee for hours of opinion on subjects ranging from staffing and equipment readiness, to land-use planning, and to potential fallout in the insurance industry. A former San Diego fire chief testified that bureaucracy and weak leadership prevented the county from capitalizing on what experts already know about how to prevent and fight fires. The fire chief stated: “Volunteer agencies do a great job, but they are volunteers, they are not adequately staffed to handle any kind of major event.” Our situation here in Nevada County today has not changed much since the 49er Fire of nearly 20 years ago. As noted in the draft Fire Plan, Nevada County is protected by multiple fire agencies, which consists of eight local fire districts, two city departments, one water district that provides fire protection services, CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service and the BLM. Most of the districts are volunteer departments or utilize volunteers to support full-time staff. Five local fire districts also assume fire marshal duties to interpret and enforce the county fire safety codes whereas the balance utilizes the services of the Nevada County Fire Marshal. Where does it end ~ how many levels of bureaucracy are required to protect us and to put fire out? The North San Juan Fire Protection District, for example, pays $56,000 of it’s $200,000 annual budget to 3 administrative staff whose duties are unrelated to those who are doing the heavy lifting but only receiving $8,000 which is spread amongst a dozen firefighters as “Call-Pay Reimbursement”. The NSJ Fire Board also voted last month to hire a Wildland Fire Prevention Officer at $25.00 per hour to inspect properties. Nevada County in cooperation with CAL FIRE already has staff responsible for inspection and enforcement purposes. All the unnecessary dollars being spent behind the scenes on administration for these individual districts could be spent on consolidated operations to make a difference on the front lines.

I believe the citizens and taxpayers of Nevada County would be best served by one, unified and consolidated fire-rescue agency to work in conjunction with the state and federal agencies. Therefore, in addition to my previous requests, I ask that the Board of Supervisors incorporate within the Fire Plan the need and steps for consolidation and begin working with the independent fire agencies within your districts to start taking the logical steps towards consolidation.

Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate the time that you have given me to speak.

To Heck With Free Speech!

2008-01-04T19:52:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful OpEd by Charlotte Germane in today’s Union newspaper in which she says “Stop running syndicated columnist Mike Reagan”…because….”his column of Dec. 31, 2007, was factually incorrect and outrageously offensive.” The rest of Charlotte’s call for free speech censorship can be found here compliments of The Union.

Let's not forget that the Nazi and Communist regimes of the 20th Century along with today’s radical Muslims also have called for censorship.

Charlotte doesn’t seem to get it … free speech is something guaranteed by Our Constitution. If she doesn’t like it in the U.S.A. she should purchase the appropriate Middle Eastern clothing for women, a plane ticket to go with it and wave goodbye to the safety and security of Nevada County.

It’s all about Democracy and our freedoms ~ nothing less.

New Year’s Indulgences on Sale Now

2008-01-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to All!!

As we ease into 2008 many of us are penciling out a list of New Year’s Resolutions, which over time will get lost under stacks of other paper as the days, weeks and months of this year pass. Some people may have at the top of their list a promise to decrease their ‘carbon footprint’ as their way of addressing the guilt trip imposed upon them by their Global Warming beliefs. One of my own resolutions for 2008 is to help others who are less fortunate and in need of help. So, beginning immediately, I am offering “Indulgences” for sale to those wishing to feel better about themselves and their oversized carbon footprint.

For the modestly low price of $29.95 (plus shipping & handling) we will send to you a framed certificate in your name in the amount of 1,000,000 carbon offset indulgences that can be proudly hung in an office, living room, den or smack dab on that garage wall in front of the SUV or family van. And, for only $10.00 more at the bargain price of $39.95 (plus shipping & handling) we will also enter your name on our Internet Indulgences Registry™ so that others will notice you forever. It is true, as many claim, that “What Posts on the Internet, Stays on the Internet Forever”.

If you want to feel guilt free about your carbon footprint then contact us now at dotellmemore@mac.com and we’ll rush your order to you. We accept most major credit cards (American Express, VISA, MasterCard) for your convenience.

Feel better about yourself. The 1,000,000 Carbon Offset Indulgences Certificate makes a great birthday, Earth Day or other all occasion gift. Order today!

Disclaimer: We will do nothing more than what has been promised above. No trees will be planted, windmill farms erected, flyers printed, educational seminars held or anything else.

So.... who’s working for whom?

2007-12-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

This past week, in conversations with friends and readers of this weblog, I’ve picked up on several comments that our government, at many if not all levels, seems to forget “who’s working for whom.”

Here is a comment received via email today that pushes forward the above point:

“I have been overly concerned about the fact that many of our local elected bodies of late seem to make decisions (in large part) based on who shows up at the meeting. You get a very vocal small group making impassioned presentations about a project and the electeds vote their way. When I look at that I see them representing the "minority". I think that the electeds job is to keep the big picture in focus and try to represent the majority of our community. Isn't that democracy? Sure, we always need to listen to what everyone has to say, and then we decide. When I read a letter to the editor in the local paper the other day the author refered to the majority as a "Mob". What a wonderful thing, demonize the majority and make it so the minority is a good thing. That is what's happening - for those that let go of the "big picture" i.e., Grass Valley City Council and (much longer held) Nevada City Council. Am I off base here? Isn't democracy about the majority?”

Another reader related a personal experience that had an important observation, which is best paraphrased as:

“How difficult is it for our elected/non-elected officials to offer a simple smile and a “hello” to all constituents/taxpayers when they cross paths ~ out of courtesy? Seems that too many public servants ‘circle the wagons’ more than is necessary when they encounter a person who disagrees with them.”

Doesn’t this make you wonder, “who’s working for whom?”

As I remember from high school civics class a democracy protects everyone's right to speak out and to cast their vote accordingly; with the majority ruling.

“Our residents did not fall off the turnip truck”

2007-12-02T11:15:00.001-08:00

Yesterday The Union’s editor, Jeff Pelline, wrote an Op/Ed piece Passing the buck at the Rood Center (found here) in which he takes issue with the Board of Supervisors punting a pay raise decision to the civil grand jury for “analysis.” Also, yesterday, Russ Steele in his NC Media Watch article Wasting editorial space at the Union (found here) pointed out that in the past nearly four years the Board of Supervisors has had one raise of 2%.

I have said previously in several articles that I am not a supporter of big public sector raises. And, as of today, I haven’t seen anything as to how much the Board of Supervisors propose to raise their salaries so I can't get too excited about this item just yet.

Editor Pelline appears to be more concerned about the mechanics than the practicalities of the situation. To me the Board of Supervisors were smart in punting to the Nevada County Grand Jury (GJ) because I believe regardless of what happens someone will cry for the GJ to conduct an investigation ~ so get it started now. And, Editor Pelline's suggestion that the GJ does not have access to proper resources or the time to conduct such an investigation appears to be somewhat condescending. Is he suggesting that the GJ cannot be unbiased? If so, then that should be the topic of future articles.

In conjunction with editor Pelline’s Op/Ed piece The Union put a poll question on its website: Should the Board of Supervisors get a raise?

With an obvious biased opinion of the Board of Supervisors how can The Union conduct a poll which is to be taken seriously? A poll, which is not scientifically based? A poll which statistics can be manipulated because the poll is owned and controlled by The Union? To quote Editor Pelline: “Our residents did not fall off the turnip truck.” So, it’s pretty transparent as to what’s going on.

As requested by the Board of Supervisors, I encourage the Nevada County Grand Jury to sink their teeth into this one.

Interim GV top boss to get 13% while permanent heads to get 2-4%?

2007-11-27T08:40:00.001-08:00

Today’s Union front page above the fold article “Top city official in line for 13% raise” (found here) should raise a lot of concern amongst Grass Valley taxpayers. Seems that the interim city administrator of 8 months is going to cost taxpayers (if approved by the city council) many thousands of dollars more than thought when he was hired 8 months ago. It would be interesting to take a peek at the original contact to see if there was an escalation clause or if this is a technique to put Grass Valley between a rock and a hard place with no other decision than to pony up the money. I have never been a fan of excessive double digit raises for public servants. If one chooses a career in the public sector then they must accept that they work for the taxpayers and not Wall Street. In this case however, the interim city administrator is not an employee but a contractor. Pretty sweet!

When all is settled after the hiring of a permanent city administrator in 2008 I suspect the whole experiment, which started with the termination of Grass Valley’s previous administrator, is going to cost the taxpayers close to $400,000 if not more. Think about it: ‘headhunter’ fees, interim administrator contract costs, severance paid to the previous administrator, candidate interviewing costs and then the final incentive package for the new executive to come on board. Big bucks that could go toward other underfunded city services and programs.

Also, what kind of message is this sending to Grass Valley City's employees and department heads who are up for raises?

Sure hope Grass Valley taxpayers show up at tomorrow’s city council meeting to speak out.

Update 11/29/07: So it was a regular "love fest" according to sources. The Mayor pulled it from the consent calendar, stating that "someone" had asked him to do so. The accumulating cost for Mr. Haroldsen's replacement has not been addressed. It’ll be interesting when budget time rolls around. In the end, will the Council be held accountable for spending money by rushing Haroldsen out the door when it could have saved hundreds of thousands by taking a more intelligent and measured approach. There doesn't, appear to be one fiscal conservative on the Grass Valley City Council. No discussion and “in lockstep”. The Union’s perspective of the meeting can be found here.

Another Dumb Study and filler story...

2007-11-25T15:36:00.000-08:00

The Union newspaper had a short article on Page A3 in the Digest Column Study shows pot can lower pain in yesterday's edition with credit that it was from the Associated Press (AP). I'd put a link here but the Digest Column doesn't appear in The Union's On-line Edition so here it is in text:

Study shows pot can lower pain
San Diego - Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, say smoking moderate doses of marijuana can help reduce pain but smoking too much might increase the body's sensitivity.
The new study shows that healthy people who smoked different amounts of cannabis had different responses when injected with capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers spicy.
Pain was unchanged in people who smoked very little of the drug but was reduced in people who smoked a moderate amount. people who smoked more felt more pain.
The study appears in the November issue of the journal Anesthesiology.
- Associated Press

So... the study concluded that if you smoked very little marijuana your pain level was unchanged however, if smoked in moderate amounts the pain level was reduced but if smoked more, people felt more pain.

Who paid for this study? ~ Most likely you, me and other California taxpayers.

Who wrote the headline for the article because it misleadingly tells half of the story? ~ The Union or the AP...one or the other.

Thank You Veterans!

2007-11-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

Whether you served our country during war or during peace time we owe you so much for your sacrifices away from family and often in harms way. America is 'The Land of the Free and of the Brave". Thank you and God Bless You All!!

When is Enough, Enough?

2007-11-09T12:23:00.001-08:00

C-SPAN 2 this morning has a replay of yesterday’s House Homeland Security Committee Hearing, which presented testimony from Directors of the FBI Terrorist Screening Center, Homeland Security Screening Coordination and the Government Accountability Office. The Congressmen wanted a clear understanding of how the Federal Terrorists Watch List is constructed and managed. The List is primarily a tool for use at our airports to screen domestic and international passengers.

Wednesday two dozen illegal immigrants were arrested using fake identification badges to work at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport according to a (found here) FoxNews.com article.

Could it be that these two dozen arrested illegals arrived as passengers on a flight into O’Hare? Or, could they have entered the United States by walking across our southern border where the Federal Terrorists Watch List is not employed to check each person’s identity as they cross the uninhabited deserts and vast ranchlands?

When are our borders going to be secured to control the ease with which undocumented individuals enter and exit?

When and how are we going to know where the hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals are who have overstayed their visas?

How are we, as a country, going to deal with the millions of undocumented foreign nationals who have entered the USA illegally and are being allowed to push their way ahead of the line in front of those who are here legally and waiting for their chance at citizenship?

Last night we had the privilege of hearing Chris Simcox, Co-Founder Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and Russell Pearce, Arizona State Legislator speak about their work and accomplishments to date of raising the national awareness about our porous northern and southern borders. I believe that the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (found here) is accomplishing a mission that the Federal Government at all levels (with the exception of our frontline Border Patrol Agency) has failed at. The lack of Federal enforcement of existing laws makes one wonder why?

Our local and state police agencies are handcuffed, unable to prevent foreign nationals with serious criminal backgrounds from freely walking our streets to do harm to anyone getting in their way. It is estimated that more than 9,000 Americans are killed or murdered annually by illegals.

The only way to take charge and effect change is to demand of our local, state and federal elected public servants that our borders must be controlled and our neighborhoods made safe from people here illegally.

To quote Mr. Simcox “When is enough, enough?”

Kiplinger’s “What you need to know about Carbon Offsets”

2007-11-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Kiplinger’s October “The Green Issue” has another great article “What you need to know about Carbon Offsets” for the guilty amongst us to consider before paying indulgences for their carbon footprint sins. Paraphrasing the six points brought up:

1. Feeling guilty? You’re ripe for a pitch. ~ There are dozens of organizations with carbon calculator website to help you figure out how much your mere existence on Mother Earth is contributing to Global Warming and thereby killing her.
2. Measuring your carbon emissions is squishy science. ~ All of those carbon calculator websites offer different answers as to how big your carbon footprint is. Conclusion: What’s presented as scientific may be anything but.
3. Measuring offsets is even squishier. ~ Each carbon offset calculator website suggests ways they’ll use your donation (indulgence/penance) to reverse Global Warming. But how do you know how much carbon has been reduced by your money?
4. How much does that cost again? ~ The carbon calculator websites offer wide ranges of payments from $5 to $25 per ton or more.
5. Your money may not do much good. ~ Clean Air-Cool Planet, a nonprofit devoted to climate-science education, even reports that “it’s impossible to prove that purchasing offsets will render purchasers carbon neutral.” And, some donations are going towards projects that would already be funded. For what it’s worth the Federal Trade Commission is looking into ways of regulating the carbon offset business but meanwhile read the fine print of the what you’re agreeing to.
6. There are better ways to save the planet. ~ Until the mystery of the carbon offset marketing business clears up anyone concerned about Global Warming should spend their money on a greener house or car or make donations directly to their favorite green charity.

There is so much “going green” these days that it seems to have taken on a whole different meaning than what was originally meant by the movement. Today with all this carbon offset scamming and other “green” products marketing it’s accomplishing little other than making a lot of ivy league university MBA’s or other con artists rich while laughing all the way to their banks.

Green Advice from Kiplinger's

2007-10-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

The October 2007 “Green Issue” of Kiplinger’s Magazine had sage advice for all of us in an article “Charities that deserve your dollars.” The article reports how smart money people do their homework when deciding how and to which environmental charities to donate to. I found the following quotes noteworthy for when we write checks to our favorite charities in the near future:

According to Trent Stamp, president of Charity Navigator which rates nonprofit groups, “With environmental charities, outcomes are hard to quantify.” He recommends looking for organizations that clearly outline their objectives. If you give to a charity dedicated to cleaning up a creek near you, ask how it measures success.

Forget about groups that focus on raising awareness. Instead, look for “charities that are actually doing something, as opposed to telling people the problem exists,” says Stamp.

Much of what you need to gauge a charity’s effectiveness is yours for the asking. Most charities detail their finances with the Internal Revenue Service on a Form 990 and will provide the form or an annual report to prospective donors as well.

Benchmark a charity’s finances against those of similar organizations.

Look for financial weaknesses. Overhead costs are a great place to start. Regardless of the charity, a group should not spend more than 25% of its budget on administrative or fund-raising expenses.

Factor in executive compensation when you vet a charity – especially a green charity.

Learn whether an organization increases the amount it raises and spends on programs each year. “If a charity has good programs, it should be expanding them from year to year, not just socking money in the bank.” says Stamp.

Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) rates more than 5,300 nonprofits on financial efficiency. Its four-star ratings system is clear, and the reports are free.

Cash donations at the checkout counter ~ but....

2007-10-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

Have you been asked the question by the grocery store cash register clerk: "Would you like to make a donation to fight breast cancer?"

We've been asked that question for weeks while paying for our groceries at the Safeway on Brunswick Road in Grass Valley. Yesterday, I asked the clerk where the money goes and she said "to breast cancer research". I pressed further... "to which specific organizations"? She answered "it's all explained on our website". Checking the Safeway.com website (found here) I saw quotes from breast cancer survivor-singer-actor Melissa Etheridge in support of donating to the cause along with a link to her website. No where on the Safeway website or Etheridge's can I find any reference as to where the donations are going. If anyone out there knows what specific cancer research and education organizations are getting these donations please let us know.

Are a portion of the cancer donations collected at the cash register going towards paying for all the pink balloons, decorations and posters hanging in the stores promoting the campaign? After all, those are education tools aren't they? And, aren't there government grants already going to breast cancer research and education which are funded by our tax dollars?

There are many noble causes to donate to but isn't it important to know where the millions of dollars of cash donations are going?

On our way out we put a large bag of nonperishable groceries in the Nevada County Food Bank barrel located inside by the exit door. We know where that donation is going.

Vandalizing Property ~ What about "The River"?

2007-10-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

OK, so here I was driving across the South Fork of the Yuba River along Hwy 49 yesterday (Columbus Day) and came upon a few hundred feet of "cave like chalk drawings" depicting jumping fish accompanied with a scrawling of "please bring them back".

In celebration of Columbus Day a local non-profit organization had a festival as noted in an article "Celebration of culture" on Monday, October 8th in The Union newspaper found here.

There seems to be a connection between the "celebration" noted in The Union article and the "cave like chalk drawings".

My questions: Was the artist who vandalized State of California property (the Hwy 49 Bridge at the South Fork of the Yuba River) in celebration of bringing back the Salmon using "environmentally safe and approved multi-colored chalk"? If not, how will the rains this Winter effect the health and future welfare of the Yuba River as the chalk runs into the beloved Yuba River? Or, is it an opportunity for another future Federal or State grant to study the effects?

UPDATE 10/11/07: Yesterday morning's heavy rains appear to have washed the "cave like" colored chalk drawings off the bridge walls and most likely into the Yuba River. "If" the colored chalk used by the vandals was environmentally safe and not harmful to the river or animals and plants then those supportive of such vandalizing artwork should think about how their cause is perceived by the general public who is not caught up in their joy.

Humans vs. Land/Water/Air in Nevada County

2007-09-27T21:16:00.001-07:00

Here we go again.

Yesterday, The Union local newspaper published another article about a Nevada County nonprofit with a mission of helping people and unable to keep its doors open due to lack of funding. The article is found here. The Gold Country Senior Center at the Nevada County Fair Grounds is scrounging for funds to help keep the doors open in the future. It's been around for some 24 years and has been a major contributor to our community.

Why do "human" oriented nonprofits have a more difficult time surviving financially than other nonprofits focused on saving our water, land and/or air?

Are humans the real "endangered species"?

A point to ponder.

The Green Bomb

2007-09-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

I share the following with you from today's WSJ.com Opinion Journal which speaks volumes:

The Green Bomb

Bad news for actor Leonardo DiCaprio, as FoxNews.com's Roger Friedman reports (found here):

His environmental documentary, "The 11th Hour," has been a total bust at the box office. After 18 days in release, the film has grossed only $417,913 from ticket sales. The 90-minute snore-fest is playing on 111 screens this week, but that number is likely to be reduced this Friday. The film will be sent to DVD heaven after that.

By comparison, Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim's similar but far more engaging "An Inconvenient Truth" had already made $3.5 million by its 18th day of release.

I hesitated to say before "11th Hour" actually opened how mind-numbingly dull it was for fear that I would ruin it for those interested in the subject of global warming. But at Cannes, when the film by Nadia Conners and Leila Conners Petersen was shown to journalists, nearly the entire room fell asleep.

But this is good news for the environment. Just think of all the carbon dioxide people aren't emitting by driving to the theater to see it! "An Inconvenient Truth" has a much bigger carbon footprint. Friedman guesses that this is DiCaprio's "last foray into the documentary world." Maybe there is hope for the planet.

Burning Man’s HUGE Carbon Footprint ~ forgiven by “indulgences”

2007-09-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Union newspaper sent a reporter (described as a virgin burner) to the Burning Man weeklong (August 27 - September 3) event in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to treat us to daily dispatches on the counter culture festival that has been going on for over 20 years. Some 40,000 people from all over the world are expected to gather at this year's Burning Man (found here).

With all the hoopla about global warming I wondered how big was the Burning Man's carbon footprint so I did a search of the Web and found a "green" CoolingMan website (found here) that estimated last year's Burning Man 2006 created 27,000 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Now that's a BIG carbon footprint!! The CoolingMan website also does a pitch (found here) to those guilty attendees wishing to reduce or offset their carbon footprint by donating $10 per ton offset to help CoolingMan fund offsets, climate artwork or CoolingMan operations. Another similar "green" website encourages Burning Man attendees to donate $14 per ton offset for them to use in repairing environmental damages caused by Burning Man 2007. All these "feel good" carbon offset organizations note their non-profit 501(c) 3 status and that your donations are tax deductible. (Someone has got to be laughing all the way to the bank.)

Reach back to the days of the 16th century theologian Martin Luther, who objected to the rich folks paying "indulgences" to the Catholic Church so their sins would be forgiven. In Roman Catholic theology, an “indulgence” is the remission of punishment because a sin already committed has been forgiven; the church grants the indulgence when the sinner confesses and receives absolution. When an indulgence is given, the church is extending merit to a sinner from its Treasure House of Merit, an accumulation of merits it has collected based on the good deeds of the saints. In Martin Luther’s time these merits could be bought and sold however, today that practice no longer applies. More about “indulgences” can be found here at Wikipedia.

Does anyone not see the similarities of today’s “carbon offset donations” with the “buying of indulgences” in the 16th century by rich sinners?

How many struggling species of desert wildness plants and creatures are trampled out of existence under the feet of 40,000 humans?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to not have a Burning Man event if all these people were truly concerned about global warming, endangered species, air quality, a post petroleum society, sustainability, the environment and also the yada/yada/yada?

It’ll be a cover-up when it snows…

2007-08-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

The new layout of the Ridge Road-Zion Street intersection highlighted in The Union’s article “New intersection layout proves confusing” on August 14 (found here) is still challenging many drivers ten days later as reported again in the August 24 Union article “New intersection tip: Stop twice” (found here).

By chance, did any of Nevada City’s leaders think ahead as to how the Ridge Road-Zion Street intersection will appear to drivers when it snows this winter? The complex design one now needs to navigate the intersection will disappear as snow fills in gaps amongst the blacktop, after which the intersection becomes a free-for-all and anarchy prevails.

And, given the high volume of traffic through the heavily painted intersection will require more frequent repainting to maintain the original channeling pattern laid out by LSC Transportation Consultants. Was a routine repainting schedule included in the original project budget ~ and, at several thousands of dollars a pop?

I see more practical solutions like a roundabout or stoplight at the Ridge Road-Zion Street intersection in the not too distance future.

Proliferation of “Nonprofits” ~ to whose benefit?

2007-08-20T06:16:00.001-07:00

We’ve all been enjoying a meal at a favorite restaurant only to have someone at the next table carry on a conversation loud enough for all including those in the kitchen to hear. My latest such experience was that of listening to a couple expound upon the virtues of their recent decision to set up a “nonprofit” corporation. After about a half hour of being tortured by the self-congratulating couple I began to wonder about our local nonprofits.

Some quick research at census bureau and tax-exempt websites produced the following County and Statewide information in the chart to the right. (Click on the chart to read it.)

Why does Nevada County have so many more nonprofits per capita than its neighboring populated counties and California as a whole?

Of the 689 tax-exempt/nonprofit organizations listed in Nevada County, 570 are located in Grass Valley (273), Nevada City (181) and Truckee (116) with a total combined income of $312,904,918 over the years.

A search of The Union newspaper’s archives produced several articles about nonprofits that are in financial trouble and barely able to meet their mission goals to serve the needy. The July 11, 2007 article “Less to go around ~ Food bank sees decline in donations” (found here) and the August 19, 2006 article “Funding not in sight for Sierra Services ~ More nonprofits make it tougher for others” (found here) for example, illustrate the difficulties human services oriented nonprofits encounter in getting financial support. One article even said that recent transplants from the Bay Area to the foothills often don’t think donating to human services causes “fashionable”. Then what is “fashionable” to donate to?

A spin through TaxExemptWorld.com (found here) shows the major tax-exempt/nonprofit organizations in Nevada County were categorized under labels such as: air quality, animal protection, beautification, charitable organizations, churches, community coalitions, conservationist, ecological, educational, environmental protection, fraternal/benevolent societies, fundraising and/or fund distribution, health/human services, labor organizations, land resources, land trusts, natural resources, water resources, etc. What I found most interesting was looking beyond the summary information and at the 990 Forms required to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Now that’s where the real story begins. The BIG money in the past several years has been going to anything related to the environment i.e., air/land/water (fashionable?), which confirms what, had previously been reported in The Union’s articles. It appears that millions of dollars have flowed through Nevada, Placer, Sutter, Yuba and other California counties for years but where has it all gone? Granted, a lot of people are and have been employed by BIG environmental tax-exempt/nonprofits but why are so many apparently based in Nevada County?

Somehow Nevada County has become a magnet for attracting numerous “green” tax-exempt/nonprofit organizations but the money doesn’t seem to be staying here and if it is then where are the tangible results? I’m concerned that the human services nonprofits’ inability to compete with more “fashionable” causes, often staffed with paid fundraisers, will cause them to shrink to the point of extinction. We may end up with prettier rivers and cooler biking/hiking trails, but do Nevada County residents who rely on special services not provided by government programs have their more basic needs met? And how do all these millions of dollars flowing through huge “green” nonprofits to other counties actually help Nevada County sustain itself into the future as far as providing jobs and housing for those of us who are not actually working for these same nonprofits? Could the same be happening in other counties?

Hydraulic Mining ~ those were the good old days!

2007-08-05T18:09:00.001-07:00

From the mid-1850s until1884 hydraulic mining was one of the forms of the California gold mining industry that dominated the best diggings of Nevada, Butte, Yuba and Placer Counties and helped to yield an estimated $100 million in gold which was one third of the total gold produced in all of California during that period of time. By the late 1860s, hydraulic mining had begun to evolve into a business of big capital and wage labor. Well, life must have been real good for a lot of people up here in the Sierra Foothills back in those days. However, the good old days came to an abrupt end when in 1884 federal circuit judge Lorenzo Sawyer issued an injunction against the hydraulic mining industry. It seems that the mountain of silt, sands and other debris that were byproducts of hydraulic mining clogged streams and rivers from the foothills to the mouth of San Francisco Bay thereby causing economic ruin for farmers, ranchers and eventually the fishermen. A history of hydraulic mining can be found here.

Fast-forwarding to today, the problem isn’t hydraulic mining sediment flowing downstream from Sierra Foothill counties anymore but instead ozone and air pollution flowing up from Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area to Nevada County.

The Union newspaper Op/Ed pieces found here could do more than back away from successful hardball solutions of the 1880s. Statements such as the below appear to be more like a willingness to pay extortion money so as not to tick anyone off.

In addition, I don’t think we should lose sight of the reality that most of the problem stems from pollution that blows in from elsewhere. This begs the question: what can we really do, sue them? Oh, sue the same people who we’re courting for tourism? Tough call.

Hey, if it worked back then why not rally our regional leaders to force an injunction against those floating their pollution up here? Shouldn’t we be standing up for ourselves, our principles and for our children’s economic future by showing some spine?

Russ Steele in his NCMedia Watch post of August 3 found here raises excellent questions about those “grass roots” organizations and individuals so warmly embraced in The Union’s Op/Ed pieces. And, how can Grass Valley, the self-appointed summit leader, be heard amongst the herd of other towns and cities? We have county, state and federal elected representatives that must bring all their collective regional muscle to lean on the downwind polluters for us. It’s a “regional” issue but unfortunately the solutions suggested by the local “grass rooters” are for more “local” restrictions “on us” and for killing development projects that bring economic viability and sustainability to our region of California. The more prudent approach seems to be to take a page from the 1880s and take the court route instead of pouring grant money down a bottomless hole, which only gets deeper and less accountable over time.

It’s time for our Board of Supervisors, state and federal representatives to help us on this regional issue.

Sleazy Activism ~ Capturing Grass Valley?

2007-07-30T19:29:00.001-07:00

Check out STAinNC 's strategy to prepare for the July 31, 2007 Grass Valley, CA City Council meeting (found here). According to their words it appears that the Grass Valley City Council is in bed with STAinNC. Hopefully, this Yahoo Groups Message Board won't "disappear" but if so a copy is available.

Has the Grass Valley City Council become a patsy? Captured by outside special interests less than a year after the 2006 elections?

Why is STAinNC targeting Grass Valley? To have Grass Valley be an incubator/anchor for future federal/state grants to fund STAinNC? To kill Nevada County development like Yuba Highlands and other projects in Nevada, Yuba and other surrounding counties?

Special Interests, Grant Money & Grass Valley City

2007-07-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Grass Valley City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 31 has an item on the agenda “Resolution to Address Health Concerns Resulting From Ozone Pollution in Grass Valley and Western Nevada County” (found here). The Union newspaper published three articles on June 21 (found here). June 22 (found here) and on July 25 (found here) about a citizens group, of unknown size, with plans to purchase ozone monitoring equipment along with taking clean air resolutions before local city councils and the county Board of Supervisors. This ozone monitoring equipment, if purchased, will need to be properly calibrated and maintained to standards, which can’t be cheap. Who’s paying for it, really, and, with what scientific benefit?

The articles mention an organization Save The Air in Nevada County or STAinNC for short which was recently founded by Shawn Garvey, the former Executive Director of the South Yuba River Citizens League or SYRCL (found here) and the former Founder and President of The Sierra Fund (found here). The STAinNC website (found here) has a document dated Tuesday, May 15, 2007 written by Shawn Garvey titled “Grass Valley Resolution” which appears to be the basis for the Resolution that the Grass Valley City Council is to pass on Tuesday night. That's 2-3 months ago.........

It seems odd to me that an organization such as STAinNC surfaces in recent months to, for all practical purposes, tackle a public health issue that the county and regional agencies should pursue. An Air Quality Board already exists. It’s a widely accepted fact that Nevada County’s air pollution problem blows in from the Bay Area and Sacramento to our west.

Why is the Grass Valley City Council allowing a special interest group to draft a resolution for it to act upon? What’s really going on here? Could this be about grant money? Could it be another angle at limiting growth? Is Grass Valley being used? Manipulated? Resolutions are “nice” but taking action costs money and does Grass Valley have the financial resources to take on a leadership position in a regional and county driven issue? What about funding for the roads, fire/rescue, police, etc.?

Will the next step be to have a cadre of citizen “air monitor” and “air keeper” volunteers patrolling Grass Valley and western Nevada County with their portable ozone detectors?

Frankly, doesn’t it make sense that Nevada County will carry more clout than the City of Grass Valley and all the special interest groups (water, land and air) combined about air/ozone pollution regional issues?

What say Nevada County Board of Supervisors? Grass Valley City Council? Voters?

Have The Politicians Fund Entitlements

2007-07-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

Democrats and Presidential 2008 candidates John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton are for more “Entitlements”. Maybe we can help.

One good way to reduce the need for program funding is to limit the number of entitlement programs created by special interest groups. Most of us wouldn’t mind how many entitlement programs our politicians implemented if we weren’t expected and ultimately forced to pay for the ones we don’t want and won’t benefit from.

One thought is to let state, congressional and presidential candidates campaign for all the social and corporate welfare programs they like. But instead of allowing the state and federal governments to appropriate our income to pay for a seemingly endless number of special interest entitlements, we should expect these candidates to bankroll their own programs. If a candidate really cares so much about his constituents that he’s willing to spend other people’s money on funding special interest programs, he/she should be willing to spend his/her own money on them too once elected. Past practice says that despite their overwhelming altruistic tendencies and allegiance to the less fortunate most, if not all politicians, would decide not to personally fund those entitlement programs they promoted in order to get elected. Funny thing and I wonder why?

In addition, we could expect the people who vote for special interest entitlement programs to also fund them. The politicians who appeal to the most voters will win and, more importantly, likewise will only be able to make good on the programs they’ve been sent to office to enact. In many respects the politicians will be forced to implement the most worthy of the entitlement programs but also begin operating like a private business. If they exhaust program funding due to their own incompetence, careless decisions or cronyism they’ll either have to abandon their programs or appeal to their supporters for additional sponsorship.

Isn’t it way past time that consideration be given to controlling government support of special interest entitlement programs from taxes we are forced to pay and from which we rarely see any personal benefit for ourselves? Too often it is easier to be charitable with other people’s money, our tax money. Have the politicians pony up some of their own cash and we’ll see funding stop going to worthless projects that show little or no return on investment.

Today’s war is so different than yesterday’s

2007-07-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

My generation, which fought in Vietnam, was drafted to fight.
Our sons’ generation, which is fighting in Iraq and elsewhere in today’s War on Terrorism, are all volunteers.
Back in the Vietnam era the vast majority of those who protested against the war were from my generation.
Today the vast majority of those who are protesting against the war are from my generation. Where is our sons’ generation in this protest?
Why they’re out taking care of our future, their future and their children’s future ~ as volunteers and not as protestors.

There is hope!

Attracting The Wrong Kind Of Business To Nevada County

2007-07-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning around 7 o'clock on our way along Hwy 49 towards Nevada City we encountered several NCSO cruisers and unmarked black SUV's at Independence Trail. Several law enforcement personnel were visible with weapons drawn and one officer with "Police - ICE" clearly marked on his dark blue uniform.

Today's Union newspaper published an article "Officers raid cartel marijuana plantation" (subtitle: "Mexican nationals arrested in bust on federal land") which covered some of the details of what we had seen some 24 hours earlier. It was reported that 19,138 marijuana plants were removed with an unknown street value. High caliber handguns were seized. Some arrested and some escaped presumably armed.

In August 2006, another article appeared in The Union "Cops raid pot plots" about a Mexican national tending his crop but escaping into the brush near the town of Washington. It was reported that 4,190 marijuana plants with a street value estimated to be at $12,000,000 were removed. Guns were seized. Some escaped presumably armed.

Kudos to our local, state and federal enforcement agencies taking down these foreign "cartels" that have found safe haven in Nevada County. But this obviously raises the question as to how Mexican "drug cartels", "nationals", "illegals", etc. are finding it easy to do business in Nevada County? 19,138 marijuana plants that are 4 to 7 feet high take lots of water (source?), acerage and time to grow.

And, how do these Mexican "nationals" set up camp so easily in Nevada County which is some 700 miles from the southern border crossings of El Centro, San Diego and elsewhere? How do they go about their business without getting noticed until getting busted?

I spoke with some friends who live near the Independence Trail area this morning and they said that they were alert and armed all last night.

Is this the future of Nevada County? Alert and armed all night?

Isn't it about time Nevada County follow a no-nonsense approach much like Arizona's Maricopa County by sending a strong message to criminals (domestic and foreign) that they are unwelcome?

There must be more "Mexican cartel" operations around Nevada County given the amount of federal and state land around us. What's up? What's the plan?

I hope that The Union follows this latest Mexican national "cartel" drug bust through the court system to the final outcome.

To Feel Better About Global Warming.....

2007-07-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s DailyMail.co.uk article “Live Earth is promoting green to save the planet – what planet are they on?” is a must read. For those readers unfamiliar with Live Earth, it is nine rock concerts played over 24 hours across seven continents before an audience of two billion to focus attention on saving the world and all being brought to you/us by Al Gore.

According to the article:

“The most conservative assessment of the flights being taken by its superstars is that they are flying an extraordinary 222,623.63 miles between them to get to the various concerts – nearly nine times the circumference of the world. The true environmental cost, as they transport their technicians, dancers and support staff, is likely to be far higher.”

“The total carbon footprint of the event, taking into account the artists’ and spectators’ travel to the concert, and the energy consumption on the day, is likely to be at least 31,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com, who specializses in such calculations.”

“Throw in the television audience and it comes to a staggering 74,500 tonnes. In comparison, the average Briton produces ten tones in a year.”

“The concert will also generate some 1,025 tonnes of waste at the concert stadiums – much of which will go directly into landfill sites.”

The article continues with profiles of the artists/performers and estimates of their annual personal carbon footprints, which moved me so much that I went to FreeCarbonOffsets.com and printed out this certificate as my way of helping them out during this difficult period.

If you also want to support the Live Earth artists/performers and former Vice President (and now Global Warming guru) Al Gore I recommend that you too visit FreeCarbonOffsets.com and print out what you feel you are able to contribute at this time. Unfortunately, I am only able to contribute 1,100,000 carbon offsets right now however I plan to contribute more in the future when I can.

This is really nice. I feel better now.

Happy Independence Day

2007-07-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

On this Independence Day (aka 4th of July) I share these photographs taken at 'Ground Zero' taken during our recent trip to New York City. No words are necessary ~ they speak for themselves.

And, for those of you old enough to remember comedian Red Skelton, who ended each show with wit and wisdom, I encourage you to listen to his Pledge of Allegiance from The Red Skelton Hour, CBS TV, January 14, 1969.

It is a short piece. Listen to the end and you'll hear what he said 38 years ago has nearly come true today ~ compliments of the ACLU.

God Bless America!

When Global Warming Research Is Local ~ Now There's A Story!

2007-07-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

For several months Russ Steele has been reporting at NC Media Watch (and on his Union blog) about assisting Anthony Watts of Watt’s Up With That? in documenting how ill placed NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) weather instruments are screwing up the validity of Global Warming data. They question and then prove that the government’s (NOAA) data collection process, which is forming Global Warming legislation and policy, is faulty. Check out the photos of their research findings at Watt’s Up With That? (here) and NC Media Watch (here). Thorough and fascinating work!

On June 21, 2007 in “Oops: 2006 Not The Hottest Year Ever” Bill Steigerwald of FrontPageMagazine.com (here) reported on Watts’ work.

Investor's Business Daily on June 22nd (here) also covered Watt's work in the editorial "Fiddler on the Roof”.

And, last Thursday, June 28, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh did a one-minute segment on Watt’s investigation for his millions of listeners.

If any major food or drug company attempted to market products based on data collected from faulty instruments and/or process the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)would not approve them for human consumption or sale.

Anthony is just to the north of us in Chico and Russ is here in Nevada County.

Why hasn't The Union and other local media also picked up on the story? Hello?

Nanny Government ~ When is Enough….Enough?

2007-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Federal and state attempts to “modify public behavior” have been around for decades, from Prohibition in the 1920s to seat belt laws enacted in the 1980s along with helmet laws and smoking bans in the 1990s.

Since the beginning of the new millennium seven years ago, lawmakers seem to have focused on food and environmentalism, all of which are further limiting our personal freedom of choices as well as driving businesses from California.

California’s ban on handheld cell phone use while driving goes into effect July 2008, however, it’s my understanding that it’ll still be OK for someone to allow their dog to sit on their lap between them and the steering wheel while driving. And, having the dog in your lap isn’t a distraction? What happens when fido (or princess) plants his/her paw in an uncomfortable spot on the driver’s lap?

Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View, proposed earlier this year to ban spanking of infants and toddlers. Although her proposed bill was withdrawn she has stated she would like to make it a crime to physically punish any minor, or children under 18 years old. Lieber does not have any children of her own which is an indication of the depth and breadth of her experience in creating laws telling parents how to raise their own children.

Assemblyman Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City) proposed a bill in February for Californians to pay as much as $2,500 extra to buy gas-guzzling muscle cars, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. And he wants to use that money to cut the prices of new hybrids and other cars that go farther on a gallon of fuel and pump fewer carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Isn’t that the basis of socialism – the redistribution of wealth? Also, doesn’t Ruskin’s bill discriminate against families of three or more who are required to have their children strapped into car seats up until age 6? Many large families would be required to use two cars instead of their SUV or minivan for family outings and vacations. Does that make sense?

California’s “Nanny Government” also wants to mandate HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine for all sixth grade girls. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that has been known to cause ovarian cancer. If this becomes law, doesn’t this erode parental rights and take away important conversations that parents should have with their children? This is another example of “the State” stepping in to raise our children. In addition, what would be the cost to the taxpayers to vaccinate today’s children and tomorrow’s?

The following are additional examples of some so-called “nanny bills” that are currently working their way through the legislative process in Sacramento:

AB 722 – Would “phase out” the sale of incandescent light bulbs in favor of more energy-efficient florescent bulbs.

The sponsors of AB 722 are totally ignoring the fact that harmful levels of mercury from fluorescent bulbs can add up in landfills, contaminating the soil and making their way into the food supply. In addition, autistic people, people with ADD/ADHD, migraines, seizures, and various mental illnesses often cannot tolerate fluorescent lights, even the new ones with less flicker. Until LED or other lights become readily available, incandescent bulbs MUST remain available. It is an Americans with Disabilities issue. Many children would do better with less Ritalin and incandescent lights in their classrooms, rather than fluorescents. Doesn’t it make sense to use lights that don’t hurt people, rather than drugging our children?

SB 7 – Would ban smoking in a vehicle, moving or stationary, in which there is a minor.

AB 86/AB 90/AB 97/SB 490 – Would restrict the use of trans fats in restaurants and school cafeterias.

SB 120/SB 180 – Would require caloric, trans fat, saturated fat, and sodium content information to be printed on restaurant menus.

AB 1634 – Would require dog and cat owners to spay or neuter their animals by four months of age.

Then there is the recently-passed San Francisco ordinance to reduce littering that requires the city’s larger grocery stores to use recyclable paper bags at an added cost to the customer of 3 to 5 cents apiece or biodegradable plastic bags at 4 to 10 cents apiece instead of the traditional bags at about 1 cent apiece. At the state level, a new California law that takes effect July 1 will require retailers to provide plastic bag recycling containers, print a recycling message on bags, and offer reusable bags for sale. Weren’t plastic grocery bags introduced not too many years ago as a way of appeasing the environmental lobbyists nattering about our disappearing forests?

And, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is preparing to adopt a regulation on May 25 that would require owners to re-equip their off-road diesel machines (everything 25 horsepower and greater) with Tier 3 engines (manufactured in 2006 and later) and/or install particulate matter control equipment starting in 2009 (fleets over 20,000 hp), 2010 (fleets over 1,500 hp) or 2015 (fleets under 1,500 hp). Replacing older engines with new model engines is not an available option for most existing equipment which means small businesses will be required to purchase new equipment roughly four times the cost of re-powering their existing fleets. According to the proposed regulations small businesses by 2020 may be required to replace all this newly purchased equipment with vehicles powered by Tier 4 engines, which haven’t even been invented yet! Who can afford this?? More about the (nanny) California Air Resources Board can be found on the Internet at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm.

Ban parents from spanking their toddlers. Force restaurants to disclose nutrition and calorie information on menus. Forbid school cafeterias from cooking with trans fats. Prohibit smoking on state beaches and in automobiles. Make homeowners switch to energy efficient light bulbs. Make small businesses replace small equipment engines that don’t meet air quality standards based on 1980s and 1990s science. When is all this madness going to end? When is enough…..enough? How do our Legislators know what is best for us??? Maybe California’s Legislators need to go back to being part-timers?

I recommend writing your State Senator and Assemblyman and ask them to introduce a bill cutting their hours in half so they are forced to spend half the year living in the communities they serve to see how their constituents are trying to make a living under their “Nanny Government”. Addresses for your Legislators can be found on the Internet at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Remember the words of David Hume, philosopher and economist:
“ It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once.”

Enough is enough of Nanny Government. Time to give ‘em hell!

A Family Field Trip to The Big Apple

2007-06-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a long visit to New York for family fun and business. New York City has made a major transformation in just a few short years since my last visit. The place was clean, people couldn't have been friendlier and we couldn't have felt any safer. There wasn't a section of the City or nearby New Jersey we didn't visit.

Our base of operations was The Radisson Martinque Hotel in lower Midtown convenient to transportation and wonderful restaurants. A pleasant newly renovated and well appointed hotel with a history dating back to the late 19th Century. The 15 story spiral staircase situated across from the main bank of elevators had millions of impressions worn into the marble from decades of guests feet.

The Empire State Building was adjacent to the Radisson and was our first place to visit as soon as we unpacked. Several other stops included "Ground Zero", the FDNY and NYPD Museums, Wall Street, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, Central Park, Trump Tower, Rockefeller Center, and etc., etc., etc. And, for the benefit of other fans of the HBO series "The Sopranos" we highly recommend that you also take the tour which lasts over 4 hours and stops at nearly ever major shooting location including Satriale's and The Bada Bing. Well worth the ticket price and the time.

Now, a few observations about New York City:

• A strong sense of pride, not arrogance, was in the air.

• People “took responsibility” to keep their storefront and apartment sidewalks swept, hosed and trash free.

• Often, while stopping to get our bearings, someone would offer help.

• Never once were we approached for a 'hand out' as most always happens in San Francisco.

• We encountered only a half dozen bums/homeless/street people in the many days we walked NYC. And, only once did we catch a whiff of street urine ~ hello?… San Francisco?

• The NYPD was seen nearly everywhere we went. (The message being sent to any wannabe terrorists or other lurking low life is that the "NYPD is here".)

• We encountered nannies pushing strollers almost everywhere we went which is an unfortunate but true sign that today’s economy is hot. In many respects I’d rather see fewer nannies and more at-home parents pushing the strollers so the little ones learn from their family than from the hired help. The economy is hot!

• Whenever possible we made a point to make conversation with people. Two particular conversations standout because they were with immigrants who have been here for 13 and 6 years respectively and during which time they had became U.S. citizens. Both had strong opinions about the lack of progress in securing our borders, the failed immigration bills aimed at granting amnesty to those who come here illegally and how important it is for everyone to work hard in order to get ahead in America. I found their views and attitudes fascinating and refreshing ~ get rid of the entitlements they said and the illegal immigration problem will be resolved. Not sure if that’s the only key to the solution but I agree it’ll be a major help.

• Ground Zero left us speechless and humbled.

• And, we saw a large American flag flying from the backboard of every FDNY fire engine, which appeared to be a true statement of patriotism by those not afraid to show it.

For the most part, I recommend a trip to New York City for those interested in seeing a place that is reinventing itself for the better. In contrast to California and its major metropolitan areas NYC has a vision that is practical, with purpose and doable. Hello?…Legislature? …City Councils? Hello?

Freedom Is Not Free

2007-05-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Freedom Is Not Free

By Lt. Cmdr. Kelly Strong, U.S. Coast Guard

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Service man saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He’d stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers’ tears?

How many pilots’ planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers’ graves?
No, freedom isn’t free.

I heard the sound of “Taps” one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That “Taps” had meant “Amen,”
When a flag had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn’t free.

©1981

The Union’s outing slap to Motherhood

2007-05-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Union once again pole-vaulted over the traditional readership to reach out to another nonmainstream element. The story “A woman’s coming out ~ A Mother’s Day tale” (found here) in yesterday's paper was an infomercial for PFLAG and a slap in the face to all the mothers who put their children first instead of themselves. The gal featured in today's "coming out" story moved into the community 5 months ago and is suddenly the lead story for Mother's Day in Nevada County?? This person is to be admired for disrupting the lives of her young preteen and teenage children because she wanted to “come out”? Springing a major life style change on 6 children who are themselves learning about their own sexuality is not to be admired but to be abhorred as dysfunctional. The relationship, which initially caused the family disruption, “fizzled out” must have added to the excruciating pain her children must have felt at the time as well down deep today.

There are so many more uplifting and inspirational stories of mothers in Nevada County who can be held up as role models for today’s youth. Women, who once they became mothers, recognized their responsibilities and put their children first instead of themselves.

Following The Union’s slant on the meaning of Motherhood I wonder what they’re going to put above the fold on the front page in celebration of Father’s Day next month?

CAN YOUR HOME STAND ALONE?

2007-05-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

The following article was written by Chief Tim Fike, Nevada County Consolidated Fire District. Precipitation is below seasonal average for this time of year which bodes for an early and hot fire season. Chief Fire offers great advice for everyone to consider regardless of the acreage or where you live in Nevada County.

CAN YOUR HOME STAND ALONE? by Chief Tim Fike, Nevada County Consolidated Fire District

It’s September 10th at 1400 hours (2:00 p.m.), any given future year. The weather has been typical California fire weather, “Hot and Dry” with a bit of a north wind when red flag conditions are declared. All of us in the fire service become even more nervous and edgy. Suddenly, three beeps hit the airwaves, pagers, radios. Station bells all go off at the same time as we hear two or three fire lookouts all calling: “This is Banner Mountain Lookou! t. We have building gray smoke at 20 degrees for four miles somewhere near Greenhorn Canyon.”
A sinking feeling hits. We all know the outlook is not good. The race is on.

CALFIRE starts their first alarm. Everything is launched: one battalion chief, air attack, two air-tankers, one helicopter, six engines, one dozer, one hand-crew. Nevada County Consolidated starts three engines, one water tender, misc. overhead. Tahoe National Forest starts two engines from White Cloud, one from Camptonville, and their helicopter.

Within minutes Air Attack 230 is over the fire reporting three to five acres on a slope, moderate to rapid rate of spread with short range spotting out in front. They also report multiple structures will be threatened shortly, request additional aircraft and a second alarm. The second alarm assignment is dispatched from CALFIRE, starting three more engines, one more crew, and one more dozer, one more water tender, additional misc. overhead. The Tahoe offers up two Hot Shot crews coming from Camptonville and Foresthill, one water tender and, one more engine. Consolidated starts three more engines and one more water tender…….

So, where am I going with this scenario that literally plays out dozens of times every summer in numerous places in Nevada County? Did you do the math as you read the scenario? This fire is headed up the back side of Banner Mountain where there are hundreds of homes. Did you count the number of engines that have been dispatched so far? If you did, you know that there are 19 engines, four water tenders, two dozers, and four hand-crews headed to this fire in the first ten minutes of the report. But how many homes ar! e threatened – 100, 200, 1,000? Yes, we will activate the OES Strike Team System, ordering many more engines, but they will be coming from distant areas. So during the first critical stages of this raging fire, those first 19 to perhaps 25 local engines will be fighting to protect how many homes? Hundreds did we say?

So, ask yourself, have you done the work on your property for us to safely put a fire engine with a crew of two to four firefighters near your home to protect it from an advancing wildfire? Better yet, have you done the work on your property to stand alone, because we simply don’t have enough engines to go around those first few critical hours?

Last year in the U.S., 24 firefighters died in the line of duty on wildland firefighting missions alone. One billion (with a B) acres burned, a new record, and 800 homes were lost. In 2003, five million acres and 3,000 homes were lost, most of which were lost in the fire siege in southern California.

State law now requires a minimum of 100-feet clearance around your structures; 300 feet or more on the downhill side of your home if you live on a steep slope. Now is the time to act. Take advantage of this spring-like weather and go to work. You are the steward responsible for your land. We strongly urge you to establish an irrigated greenbelt around your home, prune up your tree limbs to reduce the ladder effect, and reduce the amount of brush on your property. The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County offers a number of ways to help you. Visit their website at www.firesafecouncilnevco.com or call them at 272-1122. You can also visit the Nevada County ! Consolidated Fire Dist. website at nccfire.com. This is not an idle warning – the preservation of your lives, the lives of your families and pets, your house, your property, and, yes, your neighbor’s home, depends upon the involvement of a proactive and cooperative community.

In addition, Chief Fike submitted the following two links from other media sources to further illustrate points made within his article: click here for link #1 and here for link #2.

Unscrupulous Fundraisers

2007-05-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I received a telephone call from a young man introducing himself as “Mike from the CHP”. When I asked what the CHP stood for he said the California Highway Patrol. The Caller ID display displayed (905) 390-0163. Area code (905) is listed for Canada.

Last September we received a telephone call from a woman claiming to be soliciting on behalf of the State of California as well as our own Sheriff’s Department. The Caller ID at that time displayed the same Canadian telephone number. At that time I posted an article on September 27, 2007 titled “Law Enforcement Scam” about that encounter which can be found here.

Remembering that earlier telephone solicitation experience I asked “Mike” if I could telephone him back at his area code (905) number and he said no that he is on the telephone a lot or out-of-the-office. When I told him I believed his call was fraudulent he offered a website address as proof that his telephone call was legitimate.

Checking the website given by “Mike” I found and called telephone number on the homepage. A fellow answered and after I explained my concerns that his organization may be misrepresenting itself in solicitation calls to businesses, he explained that his organization doesn’t make the phone calls but that an outside fundraising company is doing it on their behalf. He gave me the name of the company, which I called leaving a message for the manager to return my call. As of the writing of this post I have not received a return phone call from the fundraising company.

Our family and business are great supporters of law enforcement and fire/rescue agencies however, we do not respond to telephone solicitations for money.

Beware of solicitors requesting your help for public safety agencies. If it doesn’t seem to be passing the smell test then document the incident and report it to the proper law enforcement agency for them to pursue. I reported this most recent experience to the CHP (the real California Highway Patrol) and Sheriff Royal.

It’s OK not to be PC – Part 2

2007-04-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Where did the past month go? Hard to believe April's almost over. More PC “stuff” has been backing up in the media airwaves and in print much like that old drain that needs a good plunging. Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” is forever being sold as a foregone conclusion with the word “consensus” sprinkled in and amongst “scientific” press releases on the subject of global warming. I figure Oscar Al must have several highly paid linguistic experts on his staff to stay a step ahead of the real scientists who are debunking his cry of “we are all doomed”. For example, has anyone else noticed that “global warming” has changed to “climate change”? More hurricanes mean “global warming” and fewer hurricanes mean it’s “not news”. The 2006 hurricane season was a bust therefore it’s “climate change”. Those scientists with both feet on the ground continue to remind us of one important concept ~ weather is not climate.

I like words and have always been fascinated with how they can be turned inside out to sell anything to anyone gullible enough to believe the pitch. History is fraught with countless examples. Remember what Hitler did to rally Germany not too many years ago? Today, in the blink of an eye, information can be sent around the world via the Internet (another of Oscar Al’s claims to fame?) to be taken as truth.

Semantics are a powerful tool. Words we understood as meaning one thing when we were growing up are now different and possibly no longer “PC”. The following are a few examples for your consideration as to how far out things have gone (out of control).

"Gay" a Bad Word Now
"When a few classmates razzed Rebekah Rice about her Mormon upbringing with questions such as, "Do you have 10 moms?" she shot back: "That's so gay." Those three words landed the high school freshman in the principal's office and resulted in a lawsuit that raises this question: When do playground insults used every day all over America cross the line into hate speech that must be stamped out? After Rice got a warning and a notation in her file, her parents sued, claiming officials at Santa Rosa's Maria Carillo High violated their daughter's First Amendment rights when they disciplined her for uttering a phrase "which enjoys widespread currency in youth culture," according to court documents. (Source: “‘That’s so gay’ prompts a lawsuit” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17388702/?GT1=9145)

"Alien" a Naughty Word
A Florida state legislator whose district is home to thousands of Caribbean immigrants wants to ban the term "illegal alien" from the state's official documents. "I personally find the word 'alien' offensive when applied to individuals, especially to children," said Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami. "An alien to me is someone from out of space." She has introduced a bill (SB 2154) providing that: "A state agency or official may not use the term 'illegal alien' in an official document of the state." There would be no penalty for using the words. (Source: “Bill would mandate nicer term for illegals” http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770227062)

These are just a couple examples of how self-appointed activist minority groups, the litigious ACLU and some wacko legislators are trying to control our First Amendment rights, the history of our American culture and our daily lives. Political correctness is not really about sensitivity and courtesy, which require mutual respect. Rather, political correctness entails intolerance for some prejudices but impunity for others.

The following shows how terms we knew in our youth as being “OK” are being changed by the “PC Police” so as to not offend anyone.

In the “old” days and then....Today

Criminal....Unsavory Character
Battle Fatigued....Shellshocked
Black Coffee....Coffee Without Milk
Broken Home....Dysfunctional Family
Bum/Hobo....Homeless Person
Censorship....Selective Speech
Cheating....Academic Dishonesty
Computer Illiterate....Technologically Inconvenienced
Deaf People....Persons Who Are Deaf
Dorm....Residence Hall
Drug Addict....Chemically Dependent
Drunk/Junkie....In Recovery/Rehab
Dyslexic Student....Student with Dyslexia
Freshman....First-year Student
Gang....Youth Group
Garbage Man....Sanitation Engineer
Handicap....Disability
Housewife....Domestic Engineer
Illegals....Immigrants
Library....Educational Resource Center
Logger....Tree Slayer
Man-hole....Maintenance Hole
Mankind....Humankind
Meter Maid....Parking Enforcer
Midget/Dwarf....Little Person
Off....Energy-Efficient
Old Person/Elderly....Senior Citizens
Perverted....Sexually Dysfunctional
Policeman....Law Enforcement Officer
Poor....Economically Disadvantaged
Postman....Letter Carrier
Short....Vertically Challenged
Slum....Economic Oppression Zone
Stewardess....Flight Attendant
Stupid....Intellectually Impaired
Terrorists....Insurgents
Tree-Hugger....Environmental Activist
Used Books....Recycled Books
Used Car....Pre-owned
Waiter/Waitress....Food Server

To heck with being PC! When I fly I still like calling them ‘Stewardess’ just to watch ‘em smile. It’s OK not to be PC!!

(Note: This originally appeared in CABPRO News Volume 13, Number 4~April 2007 and is being posted here at the request of the readers.)

Was the Outcome of the 2006 Clerk-Recorder Election Possibly Influenced?

2007-04-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

The June 2006 race for County Clerk-Recorder ended in Kathleen Smith receiving 12,662 votes (52.39%) to that of opponent Gregory Diaz who received 11,399 votes (47.17%). Ms. Smith won the election according to the July 5, 2006 Official Certified Results of the Nevada County Elections Office (found here).

Given Ms. Smith’s apparent mishandling of the moonlighting situation recently with Nevada County would it be prudent for authorities to investigate whether the outcome of the June 2006 election could have been influenced in some way in her favor?

The entire sad episode raises questions as to how an elected county official could have been hired as an employee of a city 100 miles away without any sort of communications. There doesn’t seem to have been any due diligence performed on the part of the City of Rio Vista to verify Ms. Smith’s status of employment.

I would think that not only Nevada County authorities are interested in determining what took place in Ms. Smith’s areas of responsibility but given the unusualness of the circumstances that the California Secretary of State would also become involved.

Smith is out but is Moonlighting still "in"?

2007-04-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I attended a special meeting of the Nevada County Board of Supervisors at which they unanimously voted that Kathleen Smith is officially no longer the Nevada County Clerk-Recorder because she has officially vacated her office. Evidently sometime on or prior to Tuesday Ms. Smith removed her personal items from her Nevada County Office, told her staff she was through and subsequently changed her voter registration from Nevada County to Solano County. Aside from the moving truck crossing the county line it appears that Kathleen Smith has closed a bizarre chapter in Nevada County's history.

It was a noteworthy event seeing the 'who's who' of the elected/appointed officials of Nevada County along with key staff, the local press plus a smattering of us taxpayers seated in the Supervisor's Chambers at the Rood Center.

Bottom-line: Smith is out as Clerk-Recorder. Each Supervisor committed to preventing a repeat of Smith's self-serving blackening of Nevada County's eye in the future. The County will pursue a process of replacing Smith via the usual and customary Human Resources recruitment process. And, County Auditor-Controller Marcia Salter will replace Smith on an interim basis til her replacement takes office. Smart - real smart move having the County Auditor be interim.

Thumbs-up, kudos and high fives to Nevada County's Supervisors!! Eight days after Smith's moonlighting exposure was uncovered by The Union (kudos) it appears the least expensive positive solution has been found. Litigation seems to have been avoided for now unless of course some malfeasance is found at a later date.

OK, now that it appears the Board of Supervisors has successfully managed the bizarre actions of Smith as an elected official will it press onward for a Nevada County policy to eliminate "Moonlighting" during core work hours? Taxpayers have a perception of a return on investment (ROI) regarding their tax dollar. The majority of taxpayers believe that employees of the County must be dedicated to their Nevada County (tax) paid jobs over any and all outside secondary employment or personal home based businesses. There should (must) not be any "Conflicts of Commitment" to Nevada County.

Policy, no Policy or tabled?

Please advise.

Opportunity for Changing Conflicts of Commitment

2007-04-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s Union had an article “Officials call for clerk to leave” (found here) and an OpEd piece “Jeff Pelline: Holding supes' (and voters') feet to the fire” (found here). I see some deflecting as to who is truly responsible for the problem involving Nevada County Clerk-Recorder Kathleen Smith’s moonlighting job with Rio Vista.

Fingers are being pointed at certain Supervisors involved in Ms. Smith’s June 2004 selection process and at today’s “conservative” Board of Supervisors. However, the OpEd piece seems to give a pass to liberal Supervisors Van Zant and Green who were also involved in the decision to hire Smith 3 years ago. Many articles appeared between 2004 and the June 2006 Primary about clerical errors and alleged blunders in the Clerk- Recorders Office but the voters still elected/hired Smith to another four years on the job.

Attempts at linking Republicans to the Smith problem are laughable because the Nevada County Republican Central Committee endorsed Gregory Diaz for County Clerk-Recorder in June 2006 and not Smith which is documented on the voter’s guide.

Ms. Smith is responsible for creating the problem.

Nevada County isn’t the only county to have encountered bad hires, scam artists and employees looking out for themselves over the years. A spin on various Internet search engines produces hundreds of examples of problems other counties have had and how they resolved them.

From this taxpayer's perspective, Nevada County must tighten things up to prevent similar incidents. Implementing a "no moonlighting on County time" policy with serious consequences would be a first start in waking-up public servants involved in potential conflicts of commitment. The key to a successful no moonlighting policy are the words "not on County time during core hours", i.e. 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM or whatever is the public servant’s normal schedule. Ms. Smith isn’t the first public servant in Nevada County to moonlight. Wasn’t the former Chief Administrative Officer, Ted Gaebler, allowed by the “liberal” Board of Supervisors of 2000 to 2002 to conduct an outside personal consulting business requiring national travel for speaking engagements in addition to his county duties? With the advent of new technologies like the Internet are some public servants using the county’s computer system to operate side businesses from the comfort of their offices? Nevada County’s IS Department can monitor such activity can’t it?

In addition, it might not be such a bad idea to set-up an Ethics Committee to review, update and reinforce job performance standards and ethics to prevent others from repeating Ms. Smith’s manipulation of the system. Participants should include a Supervisor or two, top management and a couple of employees.

Having County Council review the County's current legal structure to see if that too needs updating might also be a worthwhile exercise. Nevada County's present structure prevents the government from removing public officials like Ms. Smith from office other than through an expensive recall process which makes us an easy target.

One good thing coming out of this sad event is that Ms. Smith has handed today’s Board of Supervisor’s an opportunity to make change in areas of government that have been neglected for too many years.

Working the System at Our Expense

2007-04-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Kudos and a "thumbs-up" to The Union for today's headline story "Smith Moonlights at Rio Vista"!! (found here)

According to Section 9 on Page 4 of her Employment Agreement of 2/28/07 with the City of Rio Vista published by The Union (found here) Ms. Smith's expected work hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. And, Google Maps shows it's 107 miles (about 2 hours 8 minutes) one way between The Rood Center and the Rio Vista City Hall.

What are Ms. Smith's work hours and obligation to Nevada County until her resignation takes effect June 30? Which of the two positions takes precedence?

"No one knew" that Ms. Smith was working elsewhere until The Union called her at her office in Rio Vista yesterday?

Does Ms. Smith have use of a Nevada County government vehicle as the Clerk/Recorder and if so, was one used by her during her job search commute to/from Rio Vista and/or elsewhere?

How does Ms. Smith know that a Grand Jury investigative report is forthcoming as reported in The Union's story? And, implying that the Grand Jury's report will be positive? Who's got that kind of insider information since the Grand Jury is supposedly a "secretive" process as reported by itself and in OpEd articles written by former members?

What kind of 'checks and balances' does Nevada County have in place to ensure that this doesn't happen again?

What a way to work the system! Unless I'm wrong Ms. Smith, as an elected official (November 2006), can only be recalled and not terminated so maybe all of the above questions are now "mute".

Can't wait to see the next installment of this soap opera.

The new Safeway Store....Bay Area style

2007-04-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

So, today we decided to take the plunge into the new Safeway Store which opened last week at the former Ralph's site. Pretty impressive. Nice mood lighting, cozy and friendly feeling, great produce and friendly staff. A thumbs-up! We learned at the check out that Safeway hired more than 250 local people which should take the fizz out of the "don't Roseville GV (wacko) fringe". While leaving the store we noticed the Starbuck's cubby area complete with small tables, etc. Years ago the Safeway in the Marina Area of San Francisco was "the place for the in crowd (etc.) to meet". Looks like Nevada County's growing up.......

On which side is the grass greener?

2007-03-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Union's Monday, March 26, front page article "APPLE leader inspires others to help planet" piqued my interest.

Senum is the seed of APPLE, the Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy, a grassroots group concerned about high-priced and limited supplies of fuel, global warming and how investments in our local economy can make Nevada County more prosperous and less reliant on big corporations.

State and PG&E grants for the project are finally beginning to surface after Senum supported the project for a year and a half by painting houses on weekends and volunteering all of her hours.

"Less reliant on big corporations"? APPLE and founder Senum seem to have become dependent on grant money from the State of California and the huge corporate giant PG&E. Isn't this a contradiction in principles?

There are many grassroots feel good organizations in Nevada County seeking grants and donations from governments and corporations. One wonders how and if these grassrooters would survive in a "post-petroleum local economy" without the entitlements of big government and corporations.

Could they be more concerned about how green the grass is here/today vs on the other side e.g. tomorrow?

The Great Global Warming Swindle movie

2007-03-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

A British TV station, Channel 4, underwrote a documentary debunking "consensus theories" of Global Warming. Yes, the British!! The movie, The Great Global Warming Swindle, won't be coming to theatres in the USA anytime soon however it can be viewed at Google Video or YouTube here.

How about making this required viewing in all Nevada County schools to offer another opinion for those students forced by their teachers to watch Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth"?

Update: Received a note from a newly elected school board member today/March 30 asking to be removed from the "heads-up" notification. The individual had a problem with my suggestion that The Great Global Warming Swindle British film be offered to our schools as alternative view to Oscar Al's propaganda film. So much for our education/"re-education" system.

It’s OK not to be “PC”

2007-03-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

One of the software programs I use regularly on my laptop (not PC) is Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary. According to it the definition of the term Politically Correct is “conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.” The dictionary says it came into use in 1936 but some say its origins began in World War I. I first noticed Political Correctness (being “PC”) back in the 1970s. Over the years PC has become a restriction of our freedom of expression--particularly any form of dissent.

The "Political Correctness" movement has appeared over the years in different forms, like different strains of a disease. The latest manifestation of "Political Correctness" is the campaign against genetically modified crops. In the 1980s and 1990s there was the Environmental Movement, the Animal Liberation Movement, and the Prisoners' Rights Movement. In the 1970s and 1980s there was the Gay Rights Movement and the Human Rights Movement. In the 1960s and 1970s there was the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, the Womens Lib Movement and the Civil Rights Movement.

All of these movements have a certain amount of merit. For example, the "Animal Liberation" movement is similar to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), in that both seek to prevent cruelty to animals, however the "Animal Liberation" movement seeks to give animals the same rights as humans. If successful the consumption of meat would be banned, and whales and dolphins would have the right to vote, just like intellectually handicapped people. They wouldn't know what they were voting about, but that doesn't matter, as it is their democratic right as intelligent creatures, according to "Animal Liberation.”
No one in Nevada County, I think, wants the spotted owls, golden eagles, northern goshawk, American marten, Pacific fisher, Sierra Nevada snowshoe hare, muledeer and other wildlife species (and let us not forget plants) to become extinct. But these "Politically Correct" movements distort the idea to the point where they do more harm than good. What is the use of having a pristine “natural” environment if you have a low standard of living? If the Greenies' vision of the world came to pass, things would go back to the way they were before Nevada County was settled…. devoid of humans.

"Political Correctness" is an ideology, like Christianity or Marxism. Every human being on the planet has an ideology, even if they don't call it that. It is your ideology that allows you to decide what is right and wrong. Everyday life would be impossible without an ideology. There are three main sources of ideologies:

Popular customs, which are beliefs passed from generation to generation because they seem to make sense.
Philosophers such as Aristotle or Marx who work out what they think would be useful beliefs.
Divine revelations from prophets such as Moses, Buddha or Mohammed who apparently heard God telling them what beliefs they should hold.

People tend to be over-awed by "Politically Correct" ideas because important and respectable people they look up to also support them. For example, Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth,” has moved global warming from scientific theory to dogma by means of the media, which now treats global warming deniers nearly the same as ‘holocaust deniers.’ The jury is still out on the scientific basis of climate change but according to the media anyone questioning it is being very “un-PC.”

Every night on the evening news we hear about the problems of the world: war, starvation, poverty, violence, hatred, disease, etc. "Political Correctness" rules out solutions to these problems because somehow and in someplace someone is going to be offended. To solve the world's problems and to save our own culture, we must get rid of the fear of offending society.

(Note: This originally appeared in CABPRO News Volume 13, Number 3~March 2007 and is being posted here at the request of the readers.)

It’s OK not to be “PC.”

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in our lives

2007-03-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

The term "non-governmental organization" (NGO) came into use with the establishment of the United Nations in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter for a consultative role for organizations that are neither governments nor member states. The vital role of NGOs and other "major groups" in sustainable development was recognized in Chapter 27 of Agenda 21, leading to consultative relationships between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. (Note: Agenda 21 is a program of the UN related to sustainable development. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment. The number 21 refers to the 21st century. Globalization during the 20th century gave rise to the importance of NGOs because it was perceived that many problems could not be solved within a nation. International treaties and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) were perceived as being too centered on the interests of capitalism. In an attempt to counterbalance this trend, NGOs have developed to emphasize humanitarian issues, developmental aid, sustainable development and the natural environment.

NGOs began the long process many years ago of transforming our constitutional democracy into something more to their liking. Whether it's to the liking, or with the consent, of the American people, seems not to rank high among NGO priorities. The activities of NGOs in the United States can accurately be described as "post-constitutional," "post-democratic," and "post-American." They are "post-constitutional" because they appear to favor substituting UN treaty requirements in place of U.S. laws. They are "post-democratic" because the global policies advocated by NGOs would be "impossible to achieve democratically." And they are "post-American" because their political allegiance is clearly not to the existing American constitution, but to a transnational ideology seeking to reconstruct America through global governance.

NGOs exist for a variety of purposes, usually to further the political or social goals of their members or grant-giving agencies. Examples include improving the state of the natural environment, encouraging the observance of human rights, improving the welfare of the disadvantaged, or other altruistic agendas.

In order to survive, non-governmental organizations need healthy relationships with the public to meet their goals and often use sophisticated public relations campaigns to raise funds and employ standard lobbying techniques with governments in order to win large publicly funded grants paid from our taxes. More often than not NGOs seek to mobilize public support for their particular cause through catchy emotional ad campaigns such as “Keep Tahoe Blue” or “Save The Yuba”. Anyone questioning NGO motives through such campaigns becomes the enemy and against clean air or water….. “You don’t like clean air (or water) do you?”

The growth of NGOs locally in the past 10 to 15 years has been phenomenal as has been their influence on public policy regarding the regulation of property rights. A brief Google search found the Sierra Nevada Alliance (Found here), which boasts the following about itself and its membership:

Member Groups are the heart and soul of the Alliance. These groups are part of a network making a difference on issues throughout the Sierra. Founded in 1993, our Alliance is made up of over 80 organizational members – all are working to protect and restore the natural and community values of the Sierra.

All it takes to join us as a member group is to agree to the Sierra Nevada Alliance mission statement, pay an annual membership fee that is on a sliding scale based on the size of your organization's budget, and fill out a membership form. For more detail visit "How To Support Us" at the top of this page.
Bottom line, all these individual efforts are one effort. The Sierra Nevada Alliance mission is to protect and restore the Sierra Nevada and to achieve this mission by strengthening individual efforts and joining together to be a region-wide force. The Sierra faces extreme challenges in terms of climate change, population growth and poor resource management. We believe we must do everything in our power to make local efforts stronger to protect all the Sierra’s special places, while building a network that will be the foundation for future success.

Together we make a difference!

Listed amongst the “over 80 organizational members” of The Alliance are the following with addresses in Auburn, Grass Valley, Nevada City and Truckee most of which have webpages that can be accessed through the above listed Alliance website:

Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local – APPLE (Grass Valley)
Community Action Partners (Grass Valley)
Forest Issues Group (Nevada City)
Friends of Deer Creek (Nevada City)
Mountain Area Preservation Foundation (Truckee)
Protect American River Canyon – PARC (Auburn)
Rural Quality Coalition (Nevada City)
Sierra Club Sierra Nevada Group (Nevada City)
Sierra Foothills Audubon Society (Grass Valley)
Sierra Watch (Nevada City)
Snowlands Network (Nevada City)
South Yuba River Citizens League – SYRCL (Nevada City)
The Sierra Fund (Nevada City)
Truckee Donner Land Trust (Truckee)
Truckee River Watershed Council (Truckee)
Wolf Creek Community Alliance (Grass Valley)

When visiting the websites of these NGOs and reading their “Areas of Interest” I found many using the same common words promoting their organizations’ missions and methods: educating, advocating, negotiating, litigating, and fundraising. (Note: the above 16 NGOs based in Nevada County represent 20% of the Alliance membership). These protectors of The Sierra Nevada are not voted into existence or appointed by the taxpayers. They are self-appointed and affect our daily lives and our future. Isn’t it time to ask our legislators to take a serious look at how these organizations are structured? How they are funded? How theirs finances are commingled? How do they go about their business of influencing (lobbying) public policy changes that impose restrictions on property rights? I would rather have our United States Congress and our California Legislature focus on protecting us than support and fund organizations whose purpose is to impose their values over our rights. There is much more to be written about this subject than this space allows but these are some thoughts to ponder and then take action on. More to follow!

(Note: This originally appeared in CABPRO News Volume 13, Number 2~February 2007 and is being posted here at the request of the readers.)

Patriotism 65 Years Ago And Today

2007-03-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

It was 65 years ago this past December 7th that the United States was attacked and entered World War II. We not only went to war in the Pacific and Europe but we also went to war here, at home, to turn out weapons, aircraft, ships, uniforms, medical and food supplies and everything else needed by the millions of our soldiers, sailors and marines. Citizens and corporations rallied immediately to join the war effort. America had already begun to switch to a war time economy in 1940 when FDR asked Congress for $1 billion to modernize the military, including plans to produce 50,000 aircraft a year. At the beginning of the war military spending was already at $2 billion per month and during the first 6 months of 1942 federal orders for goods and materials reached $100 billion which was more than the American economy had ever risen to in any previous year. The War was primarily responsible for bringing America out of the Great Depression by lowering unemployment from 14.3 percent in 1937 to 1.3 percent in 1943. Labor union memberships increased by more than 4 million during the war years, primarily in the automotive, rubber and steel industries. Farming became more mechanized and fields more productive making it what it is today.

The Federal Government was organized to manage manpower, supplies and financial resources for war through a bureaucratic maze: the Selective Service, War Manpower Commission, Office of Price Administration, the War Labor Board, War Production Board and the Office of War Mobilization to name a few.

Most who read this article and were alive during the war years will remember that consumer items were in very short supply. Automobile factories were retooled to make tanks, airplanes and other weapons. Gasoline was rationed, as were meat, sugar and many other staples. In August 1941, silk was rationed so women went without silk stockings for their legs. Saving string, tin, rubber bands and anything critical to the war effort was a matter of patriotism and duty to end Fascism. And, Christmas presents were most often homemade.

The most popular means of entertainment were the radio, going to the movies and reading. People hungered for information about the war. There were more than 900 radio stations across America and when reporters such as Edward R. Murrow from London, Kaltenborn from New York and Lowell Thomas began to broadcast people stopped everything to listen. Radio listening groups started in America following their great success in Great Britain as a means for people to engage in understanding national and foreign politics. Immediately following Pearl Harbor, Hollywood began churning out patriotic films such as This Is the Army, Since You Went Away, So Proudly We Hail, Bataan, and the famous Casablanca. Big Hollywood stars such as Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable and many others weren’t drafted but instead volunteered for military service. Those not on active duty went about promoting the buying of bonds by the small investor to fund the war effort. Book sales increased over 20 per cent annually after December 7, 1941 due to the public’s interest in history, military tactics and the new technology brought about by the war. War correspondent Ernie Pyle published his bestseller Here Is Your War in 1943.

It was a coming of age for bringing America together like never before. People then recognized that WWII was a contest between totalitarianism and democracy, tyranny and freedom.

And as we begin this New Year, 2007, we once again find ourselves in a long war, the Global War on Terrorism, which threatens our very existence on earth and those that follow us. I hope that we as a nation can maintain our sense of patriotism for America and support for those fighting terrorism in order for us to keep our freedom. Regardless of what the liberal educators, politicians, or media of today try to tell us, it is critical for us to remember that the United States of America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Instead of God Bless America we should say: God, Please Continue to Bless America.

Happy New Year everyone!!

(Note: This originally appeared in CABPRO News Volume 13, Number 1~January 2007 and is being posted here at the request of the readers.)

Time to grow up – Part Deux

2007-03-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

It was only a matter of time before someone snagged my email address to send a response to my February 25 posting “Time to grow up for some”. The e-mailer (unknown gender) told me in no uncertain terms that I was dead wrong in suggesting that some of our “Generation Y’ers” consider the military as a career after high school graduation. S/he ranted on that “since the war in Iraq was obviously manufactured by Bush, as was the Vietnam War by Johnson, that the military recruiters must be banned from our high schools.”

That’s one S/he’s opinion. But, why not make their point as a comment here? Hmmm....

Intrigued, I searched the Internet for our local branch of the Peace Center as noted in the e-mail (but not included here) and found a link to documents (found here) that promote the banning of the military recruiters from offering a career option to high school graduates. Click on community and then on downloads for a look see.

Question: If a young Generation Y’er is uncertain as to what they’d like to do after high school as to colleges, trade schools or specific career paths what does the Peace Center offer as an alternative to what the military has to offer other than to "just hanging out"?

Millions of young soldiers came home after WW II, Korea and Vietnam with leadership and technical skills who contributed to make America the great nation it is today, a democracy that appears to be propping up the rest of the world.

Time to grow up for some

2007-02-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday’s above the fold leading article in The Union “Loitering, drug use plague downtown parking lot” (found here) generated 97 Comments as of this posting. It was interesting that of the four local Generation Y's interviewed two were females (17 and 20 years old) and two were males (20 and 21 years old). Both women were employed by small businesses within the shopping area covered in the article whereas the two men were reported to be unemployed and enjoyed “hanging out”.

The article mentioned the need for a teen activities center. I seem to recall that Grass Valley use to have such a center but that it closed do to a lack of participation. There are several groups that provide teen activities (churches, schools, etc.) that require abstinence from drugs and alcohol during their events, which “certain groups of young people” are not looking for.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they are no longer a teenager but an adult like it or not. Some young adults choose to go to college, some learn a trade or get a job in between, others enter the military and then there are those who choose to hang out blaming the system because they lack the motivation to better themselves.

Nevada County Public Health at Risk

2007-02-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

After reading Russ Steele’s NC Media Watch February 7th posting “What are your flu plans?” seen here. I thought of the scores and scores of grave markers I've seen with dates of November 1918 in so many of Nevada County’s cemeteries visited over the years. The cause of death at that time in history was listed as being from the influenza. The “Spanish Flu” was first identified in early March 1918 in USA troops training at Camp Funston, Kansas, and by October 1918 while World War I was still being fought it had spread to become a world-wide pandemic on all continents. Transportation of troops and refugees in tight packed ocean going steamers and cross-country trains during the war accelerated the spread of the influenza virus. The Spanish Flu was unusually deadly and virulent. It lasted approximately 18 months and killed an estimated 500,000 in the USA and 25-50 million worldwide. Researchers today have identified it as being a type of H1N1 virus of the species Influenza A.

In 1957-58 the “Asian Flu”, identified as H2N2, killed about 70,000 in the USA. It was first identified in China in February 1957 and came to the USA the following June.

The “Hong Kong Flu” of 1968-69 identified as H3N2 killed about 34,000 in the USA. It was first detected in Hong Kong in early 1968 and spread to the USA by end of that year. Variations of Influenza A (H3N2) viruses are still circulating today.

In February 2004 the Avian Influenza virus was detected in birds in Vietnam. What has Public Health officials concerned at all levels of government is that if the Avian Influenza virus combines with a human influenza virus, in a bird or a human, the new subtype created could be both highly contagious and highly lethal in humans. Such a subtype could cause a global influenza pandemic, similar to the previously noted Spanish Flu of 1918, or the less lethal Asian and Hong Kong Flu pandemics. In May 2005, scientists called upon all nations to prepare for a global influenza pandemic that could strike as much as 20% of the world’s population. In October 2005, cases of the Avian Flu H5N1 were identified in Turkey according to the European Union Health Commission. The below February 6, 2007 World Health Organization report shows the cumulative number of confirmed human cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) reported by 12 countries as 272 cases and 161 deaths. These figures, however, are totally dependent on the accuracy of the reporting and the recognition of the symptoms of the H5N1 virus. So far, there have been no known reported cases within the USA.

Russ’ question “What are your flu plans?” in today’s posting is something those responsible for our health, safety and welfare within Nevada County government should focus upon. According to the Federal Government’s Department of Health and Human Services avian and pandemic flu information website PandemicFlu.gov California has already received $6.7MM in phase one funding from the Feds to use for pandemic planning activities of which $2.9MM went to Los Angeles County. Phase two of Federal funding will send another $17.6MM to California of which another $7.0MM will again go to LA. The bottom line for all rural counties and especially us in Nevada County is “be prepared” because we’ll be the last to receive assistance given our sparse populations compared to those mega urban centers.

Here’s how Californian’s dealt with the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 according to comments made by the Honorable Mike Leavitt the Secretary of Health and Human Services on March 30, 2006 which is available at the PandemicFlu.gov website:

"The first few cases were reported in Belvedere and San Gabriel in Los Angeles County in the last days of September 1918. The next week, more than 500 cases were reported. In Los Angeles, local health officials were optimistic. They said, “If ordinary precautions are observed, there is no cause for alarm.” They could not have been more wrong. The disease was exploding around the state. Within two days of issuing that statement, schools and churches were shut down to prevent the spread of the disease. Theaters were closed and sometimes for good as they could not withstand the loss of revenue. Makeshift hospitals were hastily opened to deal with the surge of patients that were overwhelming the health care system. In San Francisco and elsewhere, mandates compelled the wearing of masks in public on penalty of fines or even imprisonment. The San Francisco Chronicle reported, “The man who wears no mask will likely become isolated, suspected, and regarded as a slacker. Like a man of means without a Liberty Loan button, he’ll be shy of friends.”

"A rhyme was used to help people remember the ordinance:
Obey the laws
And wear the gauze
Protect your jaws
From septic paws"

"Though the pandemic began to subside in November, residents still felt its effects through the holiday season. Citizens still asked to do their Christmas shopping by phone rather than to travel to stores in person. Shopkeepers were even asked not to hold holiday sales, as they might draw crowds. When it comes to pandemics, there is no rational basis to believe that the early years of the 21st century will be different than the past. If a pandemic strikes, it will come to California."

We’ll know when the Avian Flu virus has arrived when first signs of influenza outbreaks begin occurring in long-term care facilities according to the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) Pandemic Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan.

Our Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, urgent care center and all available patient beds would be overloaded and as a result the hospital would stop taking in new patients regardless of their condition. Ambulances would be diverted to other facilities but they too would be overloaded and refusing patients. And our family doctor offices would most likely also be closed due to staff and family illness. We all would be in the same boat with serious major health problems and some of us threatened with premature death for our age.

A couple of weeks ago a virus of sorts swept through Nevada County that seemed to only strike the younger generation. Anyone else notice? Several young folks we know of in their late teens and early 20s got it. Symptoms included high fever (101 to 104), chills, cough, congestion, etc. Interesting that those 30 and above didn’t show a sign of the bug. The youngsters are back on the mend. Maybe us older folks had some antibodies left over from something we caught back when we were their age that protected us. Could be.

So what can be done? It seems that Nevada County’s elected and appointed public officials need to put a higher than normal priority towards planning ahead for major public health threats like the Avian Flu pandemic and/or other similar wide spread problems.

Last month Nevada County hired Dr. Joseph Iser as the new Public Health Officer. Dr. Iser is a physician who reportedly has spent the past 24 years with the US Public Health Service working extensively with state and federal government entities on food-borne outbreaks, sexually transmitted infections and other communicable disease programs. Sounds like a good hire. Hopefully Dr. Iser will be at the forefront of developing a workable plan for Nevada County’s defense against any pandemics or similar broad public health threats.

And, Supervisor Sue Horne’s recent election as chairwoman of the Regional Council of Rural Counties for 2007 will hopefully help bring financial and state health program assistance to Nevada County for planning purposes.

Although not readily accessible on the Nevada County government website I was able to find information and planning resources for individuals, families, businesses, schools, churches, etc. by typing in the word “pandemic” in the search window on the county website. Try it. Maybe the County could make the information more readily available somewhere on its website.

Best be prepared.

UPDATE on Friday, February 9, 2007:
The Union ran a story "Flu virus wreaks havoc on FLC" in today's edition which reports that a third of the school's student population is out sick due to influenza. A couple of weeks ago The Union ran a similar story about Nevada Union High School having a 14% absentee on one particular day. These are the young and healthy of our population; not the elderly or middle aged.

Global Warming Spam

2007-02-07T21:00:00.001-08:00

Russ Steele’s “Spamed by Senator Boxer” posting at NC Media Watch this evening is an interesting exposure of creative surveying. See Russ’ posting here.

Former County CAO Follow-up

2007-01-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to share an article appearing in the January 2007 Sacramento Magazine featuring former Nevada County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ted Gaebler. He held that position from January 2000 to December 2002 and was part of the prior Progressive Board of Supervisors' administrative team. He's now the Rancho Cordova City Manager. Interesting that this article appears in the "Special Promotional Section". A paid ad? Could Mr. Gaebler be on the move again?

Nevada County's Veterans & War Memorials

2007-01-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

My December 2nd posting "Where is Nevada City's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial?" following a viewing of the Hallmark Channel's movie "The Christmas Card" (filmed in Nevada City) prompted me to search out Nevada County's Veterans & War Memorials.

The results are:
• World War I Memorial in Grass Valley at Memorial Park on a large monument dedicated in 1921.
• World War II & Korean War Memorial in Grass Valley at Memorial Park.
• Vietnam War Memorial in Grass Valley at Memorial Park dedicated in 1966 and again in 1974.
• Memorial Grove in Nevada City with a plaque and flag pole dedicated in 1946.
• Veterans Memorial Flagstaffs in Grass Valley at the entrances to the Greenwood and Catholic cemeteries dedicated in 1954.
• Korean War Memorial in Nevada City at Pioneer Park dedicated in 1990.
• Vietnam War Memorial in Nevada City at Pioneer Park dedicated in 1992.
• Vietnam Veterans Freeway Memorials located on overcrossings of the Golden Center Freeway (Hwy 20/49) between Nevada City and Grass Valley.

The next time you walk or drive by one of these places stop for a few moments to remember those who served in uniform, some of whom never returned home to Nevada County.

How can Pelosi be supporting Nevada County's Military??

2007-01-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I saw Speaker of The House Nancy Pelosi on camera in Baghdad telling U.S. soldiers how much she appreciates their service to our country and how much she supports them. If her statement is true then how can she and her comrades plan to introduce legislation to "not fund" those 20,000 soldiers President Bush is sending to back-up those already on the frontlines in Iraq? If there is anyone in Nevada County who supports Speaker Pelosi and can give us a rational explanation about her double speak please give a comment.

Union’s “infomercials”

2007-01-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

The Union’s front-page “infomercial” by Dixie Redfearn today was a mite “over-the-top” - as they say.

For several weeks now a significant amount of space has been spent by The Union promoting this past weekend’s environmental film fest.

Are we to become the site of the next Cannes Film or Sundance Films Awards location?

And if so, I wonder when will the “Don’t Cannes/Sundance - Nevada County” bumper stickers start appearing??

How Informed is The Union keeping Taxpayers?

2007-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

On January 2 local radio station KNCO posted a story on its website that “interested members of the media and public are cordially invited to attend the Swearing In Ceremony for Nevada County elected officials, to be held on Monday, January 8, 2007, 12 o’clock noon in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers,…..” A list of who’s who in Nevada County’s politics, courts, public safety, administration, finance, etc. was posted therein. A public record event, as I see it.

The following Tuesday’s (the 9th) edition of The Union had a short story (bottom front page), which, focused on the swearing in of newly elected County DA Clifford Newell complete with a photo of him with outgoing Superior Court Judge Ersel Edwards. Hmmm…nothing further about the others sworn in let alone of State Senator Sam Aanestad’s participation and offering of his sage wisdom.

Wednesday’s front page had a story (bottom) reporting decisions (“Supervisors vote down fee increase”) made at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting along with a photo of newly elected District 4 Supervisor Hank Weston. The balance of the story was pushed to the last page of Section A (page 10) that had an outdated “file photo” of outgoing Chair Nate Beason and incoming Chair John Spencer.

In-depth reporting of who was sworn in last Monday seems pretty newsworthy to me. These civil servants are involved in our daily lives here in Nevada County. Why the sketchy or near absent reporting? Is The Union ….bored? Tired? In need of further change or more competition? Doing subtle editorializing?

We’re being shortchanged, in my opinion by, The Union. An in-depth story about all the people we’ve elected being sworn in last Monday seems more important than some stories on the front pages that have been lingering on life support for days, weeks and months.

John Spencer is now the chair of the Board of Supervisors and Nate Beason is not. What are Spencer’s goals and objectives for this coming year and how do they differ from Beason’s? What about some the other elected officials who seek comfort in obscurity but need to step forward into the public light so folks know who is watching our safety and finances, etc.???

The Union’s readers/subscribers, and let’s not forget those voters/taxpayers, deserve more in-depth, focused and timely reporting by The Union.

Does the BID have a DNR?

2007-01-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

The BID's life support system monitor in the Intensive Care Unit is beginning to show signs that the Nevada City Council will have to make a decision real soon about pulling the plug.

Today’s Letter to the Editor by TD Pittsford “Extortion Tactics” is frank and informative as is Pat Black's Letter to the Editor .

Eileen Jorgensen's January 9 Defending BID letter to the editor in The Union is typical of the “there are dissenters” mantra which is heavily sprinkled with sugar or a cabal (I love using their term) substitute to dilute and deflect from the real issues.

The Union’s January 8 article BID dissidents’ credit not affected – yet was a reality check. The BID “insurgents” must be somewhat relieved to read that there is caution and common sense on the part at the Retailers' Credit Association of Grass Valley Inc. to not move aggressively.

And, the December 20 article Business owners mixed about BID disharmony further exposes the division, the divisiveness, created by the BID “cabal”.

Way past the time to “pull the plug”....isn’t it Nevada City Council???

As The Year 2006 Ends

2006-12-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes!

Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906 :

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.

With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME .

Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 U.S . adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

Dueling Messages Regarding Nevada City’s BID

2006-12-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Other Voices Op/Ed pieces appeared in the Saturday, December 17, edition of The Union by Nevada City’s Mayor Steve Cottrell and the Business Improvement District (BID) chairman Pat Dyer.

Mayor Cottrell made several excellent points. BID’s formed elsewhere were done with the backing of a double-digit majority of affected businesses and not by the slim margin as is the case with this BID. (And, that some businesses were excluded which may have had legitimate rights to vote questions the final results.) The newly formed BID is duplicating many things that the Chamber of Commerce does to promote business development.

BID’s chairman Dyer still does not answer my earlier posted questions: “Where’s the accountability?” How can the BID materially demonstrate that it is developing more business for those being taxed? And, how much?

As I see it the BID is a useless extra layer of local government under Nevada City’s Charter. The method of its formation has been questionable from the very beginning. It duplicates, complicates and confuses what the public perceives the responsibilities of Nevada City as well as that of the local Chamber of Commerce to be. Back in the early days store owners took pride in making their storefronts look clean and respectable by sweeping the sidewalk, etc. Why does it take another layer of government to interfere in what a small business owner needs or wants to do to attract more business? And, the BID is not in accordance with state law.

Bottom-line, the BID is bad for business.

The one point that I disagree with the Mayor about in his Op/Ed is that contrary to his belief this is a war between Nevada City’s government and merchants. The BID operates under the city’s charter and therefore is at odds with the business owners.

For the Nevada City Council to maintain any shred of credibility and not violate state law it needs to dissolve the BID, allow the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce to do what it’s supposed to do and let the shop owners run their own business whatever way they want.

After all, isn’t this the United States of America and not a socialist country??

Beale Air Force Base - our neighbor

2006-12-14T17:54:00.000-08:00

Today I attended the CABPRO holiday luncheon at the Stonehouse Restaurant in Nevada City and listened to a presentation by Brigadier General H. D. Polumbo Jr., who is the Commander, 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base. General Polumbo's presentation was spirited and full of interesting information about how the U.S. Air Force is undergoing change to meet new mission goals given the War on Terror and how Beale is participating. The timing of his presentation for me was perfect because about two weeks ago while driving to Marysville along the base perimeter we had the opportunity of seeing a couple of U-2 aircraft circling close to the ground. Fascinating experience for all. He noted that the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, as part of the 8th Air Force, is responsible for providing national and theater command authorities with timely, reliable, high-quality, high-altitude reconnaissance products. To accomplish this mission, he said the wing is equipped with the nation's fleet of U-2 and RQ-4 (Global Hawks) reconnaissance aircraft which flies missions from Beale to Iraq, Afghanistan and other far away places. Beale employs about 9,000 military personnel and civilians, has a $249MM annual payroll and pumps approximately $451MM into the local (regional) economy. General Polumbo also mentioned that Beale will be participating in National Air Force Week next June by opening the base to visitors. Something to look forward to in 6 months. More information about our good neighbor Beale Air Force Base can be found here and here. Ever grateful for the work that our military are doing in service to our country.

No way to run a business

2006-12-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

This afternoon a group of us spontaneously decided to catch the early bird matinee at the Sierra Cinema Theatres in Grass Valley. Arriving from a morning workout at the gym, Christmas shopping and other errands we gathered one by one in the line outside the doors at Sierra Cinemas. The line grew longer as the parking lot filled. After awhile people from the back of the line began walking up to peer in the front door entrance of the theatre. Our movie was to start at 12:30 but as minutes passed and there was no sign of life (lights inside were not on....it was dark) people began leaving the line back to their cars. It was not until 12:45 or so that owner Barbara Getz appeared saying that the theatre was open however one movie would not be showing because the projectionist got caught up in traffic during the motorcycle toy and food drive. As a result, many other people left the line to go elsewhere. When we finally entered the lobby to buy our tickets both Barbara and Mike Getz were at the cash register selling tickets.

The motorcycle toy and food drive is a well know annual event therefore one would think ahead and plan accordingly to make sure that the place of business, especially a movie theatre, is open to welcome customers (guests) to their establishment. Seems to me that this business is either very comfortable being the "only" theatre group (monopoly) in Western Nevada County or they like running a super laid back business betting that people won't go elsewhere for their movie experience.

I didn't buy the popcorn but did wonder if the staff had had enough time to pop it fresh or just "reheat" the leftovers from last night? If businesses like these expect us to trade locally then they need to open early to welcome their customers accordingly instead of making them stand out in the rain for 20 to 30 minutes while the owners finish their morning coffee or whatever by noon. Running a business on such a thin "time" margin and using the motorcycle toy and food drive traffic delay excuse is pretty lame. Wake up folks; there are alternatives.

Where is Nevada City’s Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial?

2006-12-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

We just finished watching “The Christmas Card” on the Hallmark Channel tonight, which was filmed in and around Nevada City last winter.

That last scene with the two main characters at the South Fork Bridge (where the Yuba River flows beneath the Hwy. 49 Bridge for those non-locals) has a sign dedicating the “new South Fork Bridge” to the Veterans of the Vietnam War.

I only wish it were true.

Veterans who come to visit Nevada City as a result of viewing “The Christmas Card” will be disappointed.

Nevada City B.I.D. Legal?

2006-12-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

Today’s story “Dispute over BID erupts in bookstore” in The Union shows how the situation is degenerating further amongst Nevada City’s businesses. I wish I could have been outside Toad Hall to see and hear what happened and especially to see the reaction of local and tourist shoppers.

For nearly two years the process used in establishing the Nevada City Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) along with its operations has been protested by a large number of city business owners. In my November 8 posting “Nevada City Business Improvement District: Friend or Foe of Business?” I questioned the formation process, lack of due diligence and accountability, potential conflicts of interest. I even noted that the use of brown shirt tactics to destroy business credit ratings was plain wrong. And, what about the use of B.I.D. funds on projects “outside” the business district?

Those non-supporters of the B.I.D. are being wrongly labeled as troublemakers for not going along with the program. You’re either with ‘em or against ‘em. It’s become apparent that the B.I.D. formation process was flawed and that the fees charged businesses were determined without proper representation. Remember the Boston Tea Party and the reasons for the founding of our great nation? Does “Taxation without representation” ring a bell?

It doesn’t seem that the formation and taxation process was gone about in accordance with established State Law. The train left the station with only the supporters on board and a coerced few clinging onto the caboose. Is there an extortion issue to be looked into here?

Outside of the Nevada City Council what higher authority needs to intervene? State? County? Grand Jury? Guess we’ll have to see what the City Council does next or who else steps in…or not.

Threat to rural life

2006-11-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

Heads-up folks!! Part of the recently passed voter approved Proposition 83 requires registered sex offenders to live at least 2,000 feet from a school or park. In the event that California Attorney General Bill Lockyer is successful in having a federal lawsuit thrown out challenging the expansion of Jessica's Law restricting sex offenders we need to be prepared for increasing numbers of these people moving to Nevada County. I voted for Prop 83 as did over 70% of voters on November 7th. As reported on the front page of today’s Sacramento Bee in a headlined “Threat to rural life” story we need to be prepared for the in-migration of many more sex offenders who will feel safer in rural Nevada County living more than 2,000 feet from schools and playgrounds. Our Nevada County Board of Supervisors need to seriously look at that this potential problem and work with Sheriff Royal in preparing realistic budgets that will give him the staffing flexibility to deal with this coming in-migration. And, we need to become even more watchful and aware of how our life is further changing like it or not.