"Orange Juice! Politics For The Rest Of Us." - 12 new articles
The Left Is As Mad As Madame DeFarge…So the left made themselves hysterical over the Tea Parties. One more party they won’t be invited to join. Running for Miss America is out, running for Governor is out - if you follow the candidates - and pretty soon anybody who is left of center won’t have a friend who doesnt sound just like them. Thats because they are just plain angry these days. All left over from a long political campaign and nothing to gripe about except nothing to gripe about. US News and World Report Online asked “Why is the left so angry?” I ask, why is the Left so MAD? When talking about the Tea Parties, they throw in references to anti-Muslim rhetoric, swastikas, and rising gun sales as well. I’ve never seen so much evidence that something “insubstantial” and “hooey” was clearly very substantial and a big problem. So, those who have a stake in bigger government, higher taxes and higher spending, felt threatened.
The sad fact is, those people were expressing the classic impulse in this society. Less. That was the impulse that drove the founders. Conservation. Conserving impulses. Conserving resources. Conserving freedom. Today, there isn’t a cause a BIG GOVERNMENT person cant find that they dont want MORE of YOUR resources FOR. And the secret is, they are Democrats AND Republicans. I am A CONSERVATIONIST. No more Conservative. No more Left and Right. This is about POWER. And on the Left and the RIght, the people who seek power are the people who want government to do more and more and more. And the people losing power are the people who want government to do less. Now, its clear from the talk that the Madam DeFarges of the modern era want to see their enemies not just beaten, but destroyed and humiliated. They have no trouble rendering “verdict first, trial later”. They want to see them walked from the gallows to the guillotine. I am going to write about this very specifically in my next column but my short answer is: BRING IT ON. The Madam DeFarges always forget they end up eating their own. One should not forget Mr Obama’s answer when asked a hypothetical about the use of strenuous interrogation techniques. The man who has made it cool to act like America ain’t so cool has put those techniques on the OK list, under certain circumstances. Once the Madam DeFarges are done with each other they pluck out their eyes with their knitting needles to keep from seeing what they dont want to see. And they are never, never, the last ones standing. AB 637 changes to housing within California redevelopment lawIn conducting research for a new story on redevelopment I came across the following information that may be of interest to Juice readers. New legislation, AB 637, created significant changes to housing within the California Redevelopment Law. The new laws are effective as of January 1, 2002 and will require that the Agency monitor and address the new requirements. The implementation time frame for compliance for the new affordable housing requirements of AB 637 is a 10 year cycle. Many of the AB 637 requirements will likely cause higher per unit costs for affordable housing development and therefore possibly fewer total units being produced over the life of a redevelopment plan. For example, the longer affordability covenants can significantly add to costs. A summary of the key changes created by AB 637 are as follows: 1. AFFORDABILITY LEVELS - Low to Moderate Income Housing (LMIH) set-aside funds must be used in at least the same proportion as needs for each income group, i.e., very low, low, and moderate. The proportional needs are determined by the Housing Element of the city’s General Plan in accordance with the Regional Housing Needs Allocations by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). I intend to provide Mission Viejo’s Housing Element proportions for very low, low, and moderate income. Readers can add their own city figures which should be easily available under a Public Records request. 2. AGE RESTRICTED UNITS - LMIH funds can only be expended in proportion to the age of the population for the city as determined by the U.S. Census, particularly for seniors defined as 65 and over. Mission Viejo’s 65 and over population is 23.9% per the 2000 census, therefore affordable housing project expenditures for senior/age restricted units cannot exceed 23.9% of the total set-aside funds. 3. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS - LMIH financial assistance towards on- or off-site public improvements can only be used in directly benefiting the affordable housing units in a project and only in proportionate share to the percentage of the affordable units in the project. 4. SUBSTITUTION OF HOUSING FUNDS FOR OTHER AVAILABLE MONEYS - If LMIH funds are used for 50% or more of the cost of a project then all reasonable means of private financing must be utilized. This is to maximize leverage of public funds and to minimize unnecessary public subsidies. 5. REPLACEMENT HOUSING - 100% (versus 75%) of replacement units must be affordable to persons at the same or lower income level category as the displaced persons. 6. HOUSING PRODUCTION OBLIGATIONS - Only agency assisted new or rehabilitated units may satisfy production requirements. Housing production requirements can be satisfied by constructing units outside a project area on a 1 to 2 credit basis; AB 637 made this a permanent provision that previously had a sunset date. 7. AFFORDABILITY COVENANTS - Any Agency assisted housing or replacement housing must have affordability covenants for 55 (versus 15) years for rental units and 45 (versus 10) years for owner occupied units. 8. PRIORITY OCCUPANCY FOR DISPLACED PERSONS - Persons and families displaced by redevelopment activities must be given priority for any agency assisted or required replacement units. California Democratic Party Convention fails to endorse Prop 1AJust received from the The Sac Bee. April 26, 2009 Delegates at the California Democratic Party convention on Sunday failed to endorse Proposition 1A, the measure Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have sold as the lynchpin of the May 19 special election budget package. The delegates voted 58 percent in favor of endorsing the measure, which would extend tax hikes and constrain future state spending. The measure fell short of the 60 percent needed for passage, after the party’s resolutions committee had recommended support for the measure on Friday.The vote came after heated debate all weekend, as union groups mobilized delegates against the measure and the legislative leadership pressed for support. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, in a speech on the convention floor on Sunday, urged support for Proposition 1A. “Do not let the Democratic Party join forces with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association,” Steinberg said, citing the anti-tax group that is also opposed to the measure. Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association, argued for its defeat, calling it a “horrible policy.” Willie Pelote, the political director of AFSCME, gave an impassioned closing speech calling 1A the “most dangerous thing that I’ve ever seen.” “We need to stand against Republican tyranny,” said Pelote, blasting the concessions Republican lawmakers extracted during budget negotiations. California is one of several states to require a two-thirds majority to pass a budget. After the vote, Steinberg still said he was “happy” with the outcome. “The convention rules are a little odd, but I’m very pleased that 58 percent of the convention supports Proposition 1A,” Steinberg said. “The majority of folks recognized that there are billions of dollars in public investments at stake. “Mike Roth, a spokesman for the No on 1A campaign, countered that, “The party spoke loudly and clearly that Proposition 1A is fatally flawed. They refused to put the party seal on a Republican plan that would do nothing to solve the budget crisis and would only make things worse.” All told, there are six measures on the May 19 ballot. Gilbert commentary: A “Republican Plan?” Help me out here. The entire story can be found at the following link: Vote NO on all six measures Emergency Alerts in OC, CA!Get Notified of an Emergency by EMAIL, cell phone, pager MISSION "Provide notification to citizens of local, regional, national and international emergencies utilizing the Internet and electronic mail (email) in a secure and expedient manner."
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The Sunday Drive ( a break from everything else)
The canopies of trees hold the city together The other day, while driving along Chapman, I was struck by the scrawny Bottle brush trees pruned to the point of embarrassment and disgrace. I've seen some of the worst examples of improper pruning of both trees and shrubs in Fullerton –both along boulevards and at private homes. Who are these morons with saws? I thought I'd share some of what I look forward to seeing when I go back to: Click here to read more. Do we need to be worried about the Swine Flu outbreak?
UPDATE: “Federal officials today declared a public health emergency involving human swine flu, warning Americans to prepare for widespread outbreaks now or in the future, yet urging them not to panic,” according to the L.A. Times. After years of worrying about Avian Flu, we are now facing a Swine Flu outbreak. This doesn’t surprise me as all the flu viruses replicate via RNA instead of DNA. This means they mutate easily. In this case a disease that normally is specific to pigs has now crossed over to humans. I have spent years studying such diseases. Last year I helped start a biohazard recovery unit at a restoration company. I am a hazardous waste operations trainer and in 2007, I spoke at the National Safety Council’s Safety Congress, in Chicago, regarding the threat of infectious disease outbreaks. I know enough not to panic, but yes we do have a problem here - and these outbreaks can be impossible to contain. Here in Santa Ana we are at particular risk. We have a major airport within close proximity and a population heavy with immigrants - some who have almost certainly traveled to and from Mexico in recent weeks - and that unfortunate country seems to be the epicenter of this outbreak. While we should not be in a full-blown panic, we do need to read up on this disease and prepare ourselves accordingly As such, here are recommendations specific to residents of affected states, including California, from the CDC (Center for Disease Control): CDC has identified human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in people in the U.S. CDC is working with local and state health agencies to investigate these cases. We have determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, we have not determined how easily the virus spreads between people. As with any infectious disease, we are recommending precautionary measures for people residing in these areas.
There is no vaccine available at this time, so it is important for people living in these areas to take steps to prevent spreading the virus to others. If people are ill, they should attempt to stay at home and limit contact with others. Healthy residents living in these areas should take everyday preventive actions. People who live in these areas who develop an illness with fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, should contact their health care provider. Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing is needed. Click here to read more about this outbreak, from the CDC, and click here to read about what the Orange County Department of Public Health has to say about this outbreak. Also, it is important to note that while there is no vaccine against this disease, there are some medicines available that can help: CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). So what do you do if you get sick? Here is what the CDC is recommending: If you live in San Diego County or Imperial County California or Guadalupe County, Texas and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed. If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care. In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado?
Abel Maldonado just might come out on top after all. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Maldonado just might end up getting appointed to replace John Garamendi as our Lt. Governor. It is actually a very plausible scenario:
This is bound to drive poor Matt “Jerbal” Cunningham nuts, as he is trying to recall Maldonado. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like it when Maldonado voted for the budget either, but if the Republicans are that upset, why is GOP Assembly Leader Mike Villines still in power? Obviously Jerbal has an issue with Latino Republicans, otherwise he would be going after Villines too. Not to mention Anthony Adams… As for Maldonado, wow, what an interesting turn of events… Angry Republicans intent on driving off a cliff
Bill Maher wrote in a recent L.A. Times op-ed column that “If conservatives don’t want to be seen as bitter people who cling to their guns and religion and anti-immigrant sentiments, they should stop being bitter and clinging to their guns, religion and anti-immigrant sentiments.” You expect that from Maher, but there’s more to the story, courtesy of Politico.com, “Sen. John McCain’s daughter and his campaign manager who last week demanded that their fellow Republicans embrace same-sex marriage. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman – the most devoted modernizer among the party’s 2012 hopefuls – won approving words from New York Times columnist Frank Rich for his call to downplay divisive values issues. The party's top elected leaders in Congress, meanwhile, spooked by being attacked as the "party of no," were recasting themselves as a constructive, respectful opposition to a popular president.” However there is a disconnect between party leaders and the party base, “Rank-and-file Republicans remain, by all indications, staunchly conservative, and they appear to have no desire to moderate their views. GOP activists and operatives say they hear intense anger at the White House and at the party's own leaders on familiar issues – taxes, homosexuality, and immigration. Within the party, conservative groups have grown stronger absent the emergence of any organized moderate faction.” I am OK with fighting taxes, but these continued attacks by red-faced Republicans on immigrants and gays are counter-productive. Again, Bill Maher, “t’s been a week now, and I still don’t know what those “tea bag” protests were about. I saw signs protesting abortion, illegal immigrants, the bank bailout and that gay guy who’s going to win “American Idol.” But it wasn’t tax day that made them crazy; it was election day. Because that’s when Republicans became what they fear most: a minority. And one more excerpt from Maher, “And here’s the list of Republican obsessions since President Obama took office: that his birth certificate is supposedly fake, he uses a teleprompter too much, he bowed to a Saudi guy, Europeans like him, he gives inappropriate gifts, his wife shamelessly flaunts her upper arms, and he shook hands with Hugo Chavez and slipped him the nuclear launch codes.” Funny guy that Maher! So what will be the last gasp of the Talibani Republicans? How about this, from Politico.com, “In Arizona, Chris Simcox, the founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Project, a group that mounted armed opposition to illegal immigration at the border, announced this week that he's running against McCain.” Good grief! Pension spike stuffed O.C. firefighters’ wallets
Kudos to the O.C. Register for their latest investigative effort. They have dug up startling information about how much money our O.C. firefighters are making, thanks in great part to the ridiculous pension spike that our previous O.C. Board of Supervisors approved. That pension spike was approved by pro-union Republicans Jim Silva, Todd Spitzer, Cynthia Coad, Chuck Smith and Tom Wilson. I helped Supervisor Chris Norby to unseat Coad. Spitzer now works for O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, and is the presumed heir to T-Rack, and Silva got the support of most of the OC GOP machine when he later ran for the State Assembly. Remember these names - these bad Republicans may yet bankrupt our county again. Here are a few excerpts from the Register’s article:
Vote Early….Avoid the rush later!Most people have already received their voter booklet for the May 19th State Election Initiatives. Being that this is just a “Special Election”….put on by the State of California…..they are not budgeted for “Early Voting” locations….with the exception of the Santa Ana Registrar of Voters offices. Having called the Registrar on Friday…..the nice person on the other end suggested that “The Registrar will be open 8AM to 5PM, Monday through Friday through May 19th, 2009. They give you your voting materials there and hand them directly in to the Registrar. For those of us who don’t like “Absentee” and also don’t like having to show up on any given Election Day….this is the perfect alternative. For those that haven’t been to the Registrar’s Office…the location and web address is: www.oc.ca.gov 1300 S Grand Ave # C *Vote Early…and avoid the rush later……All “NO” except “F”… but that’s just our opinion. The Good Wife’s Guide, May 1955
For those of us who long for the old days when men were men and women were obedient wives, here is look back to May 1955, Courtesy of Housekeeping Monthly. There are 18 guiding suggestions for the perfect wife. I’ve listed a few of them here and more can be found at the link.
With so many husbands being out of work in the current economy, I wonder if a revised set of guidelines would be taken on with nostalgic enthusiasm by the hubsters? Wives addressing their mates at the end of the work day, “Honey, arrange my pillows, remove my shoes and speak to me in a low, soothing and pleasant voice. You have no idea of what I’ve been through today. Oh, and that little bow in your hair? Nice touch.” City of Santa Ana overcharging up to 842% for water!
One of our readers, Michael Witzigman, found out the city of Santa Ana is charged by Orange County Water District (OCWD) to extract the ground water from aquifers, since the county owns the water rights. They charge the city $124.50 per acre feet or 325,850 gallons. This converts to $0.286 per 1ccf or 748 gallons. Thus the city is marking up the water they sell from 699% to 842% depending on the ccf usage. That sure is a good profit margin isn't it? Yes it is! Why is the City of Santa Ana totally ripping us off with regard to water rates? And why isn’t this a bigger issue for residents, who are going to be asked in June to pay yet another water rate increase? Lastly, Santa Ana spends more money on administration than just about any other water district in Orange County! What is up at City Hall? |
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