"Orange Juice! Politics For The Rest Of Us." - 11 new articles
Did you feel that earthquake?
UPDATE: Click here to read about the two earthquakes that have followed this larger one. Both were smaller and also in the Hawthorne/El Segundo area. You may have felt the 5.0 quake that just hit us. I looked it up at the Southern California Earthquake Center, and found that the epicenter was the City of Hawthorne, in Los Angeles County. Keep a flashlight and shoes by your bed tonight. And be sure to have extra food and water on hand. No need to panic, but this could be a precursor to something bigger. Remember, if there is a big quake, don’t panic. Stay indoors and shelter in place until it passes. Do not go running into the street. You want to avoid glass windows, heavy objects, and overhead power lines. Be sure to talk to your kids and have a plan in place. Just in case. Click here to visit the American Red Cross Earthquake Preparedness page. Why is the Republican Red Klownty blog shilling for Democrat Jose Solorio?
This story ought to make you sick - particularly if you happen to be one of the few remaining Republicans left in Orange County. Democrat Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) recently sent out a press release touting his appointment to a state legislative water committee. His press release stated that Solorio was appointed “to chair a new select committee on “Regional Approaches to Addressing the State’s Water Crisis.” Here is the weird part. Matt “Jerbal” Cunningham, over at the Republican blog Red Klownty, posted this item with no comment - and then GOP lobbyist Steve Sheldon absolutely gushed about this appointment:
We didn’t post this story because quite frankly, who the Hell cares? What is Solorio going to do about our state’s water problems when he is part of the reason that the City of Santa Ana charges the highest water rates in Orange County? That’s right - Solorio was on the Santa Ana City Council for years. And during that time he continued a tradition of ignoring our infrastructure until it falls apart. That is one of the reasons that the City of Santa Ana keeps raising our water rates - they are way behind in maintenance. The rest of the story is that Santa Ana has the highest administrative fees to administer our city’s water budget, compared to other similar sized water districts. So what exactly is the union shill Solorio going to do about our state’s water problems when he screwed up so royally as a Santa Ana City Councilman? I guess he might point to the fact that he served on the board of the Orange County Water District when he was on the Santa Ana City Council. So what? That is unimpressive. Santa Ana has the highest water rates, the highest property taxes, the highest business license fees, and the most violent crime in Orange County. That isn’t exactly a legacy that Solorio should be proud of. What a joke. Shame on Jerbal and his boy Sheldon for shilling for a Democrat who has been rather useless. What is the point of a Republican blog that gushes about ridiculous Democrats? I don’t get it. Then again, Solorio last year endorsed and supported two local Republicans - Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante and SAUSD School Board Member Rob Richardson. So I guess that Jerbal and company are just repaying the favor…and of course Solorio was the one who asked Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido to shut down a Vietnamese art exhibit in Santa Ana - because GOP Assemblyman Van Tran and his crazed followers were upset about it. I imagine Jerbal and company found that act of outrageous censorship to be praiseworthy too! This “bromance” between Jerbal, Sheldon and Solorio is simply disgusting… The Sunday Drive: A break from everything else
Gin, A Travel Story NAWALGARGH, INDIA Not even Winston Churchill's memoirs about India could prepare me for the enthusiasm of my host to get thedivinemissk drunk. I was at a wedding in Delhi. The Brigadier General from the Indian Army stood before me, pointing at my half-empty glass. "Drink! Enjoy! " he said, filling it again. During the week long round of endless marital rites, I'd learned to stave the inevitable drunkeness by sipping as long as I could. But with the nuptials concluded and a change in venue to the desert of Rajasthan, the former practice was moot. Instead, my concern was malaria. So each night, I drank not one, but several gin and tonics. Afterall, my nightly intake was medicinal. Click here to read more. Over 5,000 gathered at Tax Revolt protest in Corona yesterday“Several thousand people turned out at a rally Saturday hosted by KFI’s "The John and Ken Show" to protest proposed state tax increases,” according to the O.C. Register. “Thousands of people crowded Tom's Farms, backing up traffic for more than a mile,” according to an Inland Empire blog. You can see some of this in the video above. KFI’s John and Ken estimated that the crowd numbered over 5,000.
John and Ken also used the event to promote a bunch of recalls against lame Republican politicians:
It sure looks like all of Schwarzenegger’s ballot measures are doomed! Santa Ana residents and students resort to raising their own money
(Santa Ana College student body President Alex Flores, center, tries to get students to contribute funds. Picture courtesy of the L.A. Times) Are Santa Ana’s residents becoming Libertarians? About 500 residents got together yesterday to raise money for “the construction of the Latino Health Access Community Center and Park, which is slated to be built on a half-acre at 450 E. Fourth St. in an area surrounded by aging homes, an industrial zone and a condominium complex that’s home to about 1,000,” according to the O.C. Register. Not to be outdone by the residents, “For the last few months, members of the Santa Ana College student government and the Phi Theta Kappa honors society have mobilized by holding rallies and barbecue fundraisers on the campus’ busy quadrangle, peddling hot dogs, candy and soda and hitting up professors and community leaders for donations,” according to the L.A. Times. The money raised by the students is being used to help pay for classes that were cut due to budget problems. Santa Ana has perhaps the worst politicians in Orange County - at every level. At last the people are realizing that they cannot rely on the government. They have to do for themselves. And that is a very Libertarian concept indeed! How Much $$$ Will CA Gov Arnie Take From OC?
Click here to see how much he can take from OC if the Props fail! <–click here Arnold Schwarzenegger Arrives <–click for video A Message from Arnie <–click here Why did Santa Ana spend most of their CDBG money on an SAPD helicopter?
Every year the City of Santa Ana goes through a lengthy process to determine how to allocate federal “Community Development Block Grant,” or “CDBG” money. This year was no different. But check out where this money went, according to the City of Santa Ana:
Santa Ana is the youngest city in Orange County, per capita. But most of the CDBG money went to the police department and to seniors. Do you think seniors vote in Santa Ana? Hmmm…. To be fair, the money for the Library and for Project Pride does target our youth. However, ultimately, almost 60% of the CDBG money was used to buy an SAPD helicopter. Here is what the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has to say about their CDBG grants:
Considering this statement, am I the only one who is wondering why so much of Santa Ana’s CDBG money was spent on a helicopter? Shouldn’t that be paid for out of the SAPD budget? Or did they waste too much money on overtime and lawsuits this year? So how do other area cities spend their CDBG money? Anaheim has not yet announced their grants, but they have this to say about how they distribute CDBG funds, “Funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, infrastructure development, and jobs for low- and moderate-income persons. ”
How about Westminster? Click here to read their 2009 CDBG report. Or take a look at the graphic above. Interesting how they found so many good ways to spend THEIR CDBG money. How about Long Beach? Here is how they spend their CDBG money:
Is it just me or does something stink in Santa Ana - again? Chu versus Cedillo contest is getting ugly!
Did Judy Chu and Emanuel Pleitez (pictured above on the left) conspire to bring down Gil Cedillo (pictured above on the right)? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. The contest between Judy Chu and Gil Cedillo, for the 32nd congressional district seat, in East Los Angeles, has taken a turn for the nasty. According to Calitics, a liberal blog, Cedillo has launched an attack against another Latino candidate, Emanuel Pleitez, “using Facebook photos to build a narrative of Pleitez as a scary drunken gang-lover who parties with white women.” To make matters worse, Cedillo has accused Pleitez of throwing gang signs at an event - but it turns out that Pleitez was at a “Voto Latino” event and the sign he threw, along with actress Rosario Dawson, was the “Voto Latino” hand signal. So Cedillo accused Pleitez of acting like a gang banger, even though Pleitez was at an event trying to register young Latinos to vote. But wait, there is more to the story. It turns out that Pleitez’ campaign manager is pals with Chu’s campaign manager - so the theory is that Pleitez entered this race in order to split the Latino vote and hurt Cedillo so that Chu can prevail. But Cedillo may have done something similar, as Betty Tom Chu, a Republican Monterey Park City Councilwoman, entered the race late, according to Calitics, and no doubt she will cause some confusion as she has the same last name as Judy Chu. Maybe the voters in that district should forget about all these crooked politicos and vote for the Libertarian, Chris Agrella? Agrella’s message sure makes sense - Lower Taxes, Controlled Spending, Personal Choice. I doubt Chu and Cedillo would agree with that platform. One anon commenter had this to say about Agrella over at the Calitics blog:
UPDATE: Nativo Lopez sent a mass email supporting Cedillo to his MAPA (Mexican American Political Association) list today. Here is his message: May 16, 2009 Greetings! Senator Gil Cedillo for Congress We spend many months persuading the Latino community for their vote in the upcoming elections of May 19. This is the last week for that election. All of our forces will be put to use in the 32nd congressional district, the candidates are Senator Gil Cedillo and Judy Chu. Our goal is to sing up 100 to 150 volunteers (members, family, friends) to help mobilized the Latino voters during the last three days before the may 19 (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday). These are the schedule dates, time, and place. All the people that confirm to be in the campaign for Senator Gil Cedillo will work from 9:30 to 2:00 pm in the 10808 Valley Mall El Monte, CA 91731, 626-454- 2601 Please report with Nativo Lopez as soon as you arrive in the office. We need to provide you with a MAPA name tag. Nativo Lopez-Vigil Quirk Could Switch Vote on $6 Million McDonald's MoveCredible community sources report that Councilwoman Sharon Quirk has second thoughts about her vote to commit $6 million in redevelopment funds to move McDonald's 150 feet east—right across the street from her alma mater, Fullerton High School. Click here to read more. Ripoff: Social Security and CA Teachers, Firefighters, Police
Over a million public employees in California who qualify for Social Security –directly or indirectly through their spouses – won't get the benefits when they retire. They include firefighters, police officers and school teachers. Years ago, Congress voted to keep pensioners from double dipping. But the decision wound up penalizing civil servants across the country. No Double Dipping even if you paid into it! You cannot have both! Your pension will be reduced. Please read! First, read this: If you receive a pension from a federal, state or local government based on work where you did not pay Social Security taxes, your Social Security spouse's or widow's or widower's benefits may be reduced. The bill (H.R. 235), introduced by Reps. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Howard (Buck) McKeon, R-Calif., would repeal two provisions in Social Security law — the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision — that reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for federal employees who entered the government before 1984 and are covered by the Civil Service Retirement System. Employees in CSRS do not pay into Social Security and receive a government pension instead. The Government Pension Offset law cuts the Social Security benefits that some employees — including widows and widowers — would have received from their spouses, while the Windfall Elimination Provision reduces benefits for public employees who also worked in private sector jobs where they paid into the Social Security system. The Social Security Administration estimates that 465,000 beneficiaries are affected by the pension offset. Seventy-seven percent are women, 43 percent are widowed and 75 percent have lost their entire Social Security spousal benefit. SSA data also indicates that about 972,000 beneficiaries are affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision. Various legislators have introduced bills to repeal or modify the two laws with little success, largely because lawmakers have been unable to find a solution to offset the estimated $81 billion price tag of a full repeal. The bill’s swift reintroduction drew praise from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, which has lobbied for more than 25 years to repeal the two provisions. The group pledged to work with lawmakers to ensure action on the bill in the 111th Congress. _____________________________________________________________ The next article is courtsey of NBC4 LA:
Mark Sobel, a rabbi in Burbank, pays part of his salary into Social Security, but when he retires he won't see a penny of it. “I would like to earn back what I put in,” he told NBC4, “which I think is the American way. It smacks of taxation without representation.” Brad Jackson worked for Ralph's grocery stores for 25 years and paid part of his salary into Social Security. But he and his family are denied the full benefits. “My children couldn't benefit from it, ” he said, “there are no survivor benefits.” Why this apparent injustice? Simple. At some point both men decided to take up a second career: the noble profession of teaching. Rabbi Sobel doubles as a history instructor in Sherman Oaks, California. Jackson quit Ralph's to become a computer science teacher at the same high school. Once they entered academe, they forfeited the right to collect the Social Security benefits they'd earned in the private sector. So did their survivors, their spouses and children. “If I pass away my wife will not get my Social Security benefits even though she was not a teacher. All the survivor's benefits: child, spouse – it's gone!” Sobel said. Up until 1983, retired teachers in California could collect a state pension and the Social Security benefits earned from outside work. But then Congress voted to veto this so-called “double dipping.” Teachers in 14 states –including California—who had opted for state pensions were denied Social Security benefits even if they'd paid into the fund while working in non-teacher jobs. “Anyone that's worked before retirement and then becomes a teacher, ” Sobel said, ” they lose all those benefits.” In every state there are other groups of civil servants such as police officers and firefighters who are similarly handicapped. They can collect state retirement benefits, but not Social Security earned in private employment. Brad Jackson told NBC4 he was not aware of this Catch-22 when he became a teacher. Both Jackson and Sobel said no one ever told them they'd lose Social Security upon becoming teachers. They feel discriminated against. “If I'd worked at another job in the state of California—not as a teacher,” Sobel said, ” I would draw Social Security and whatever pension of the company I worked for would be and I would have two pensions.” Worst of all, both said, the one-dip policy contributes to a shortage of teachers. Congressman Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys) agrees. “It makes no sense,” he told NBC4. “It discourages getting mid-career people to come into teaching. He is outraged at the current policy. So is Bill Lambert, a former lobbyist for UTLA, the Los Angeles teachers' union. Lambert told NBC4 he vividly recalls a retired teacher who was devastated to learn she couldn't collect the Social Security benefits of her recently deceased husband, a non-teacher. “She's in tears,” Lambert said, “I started looking into it some more and I discovered, it's really interesting. Nobody seems to know about this.” Lambert and Congressman Berman have teamed up with other lawmakers to try to get the law changed. Lambert called it a matter of equity. But Berman says the chief stumbling block is money. “To rectify it,” he said, “it will probably cost eighty billion to eighty-five billion dollars over ten years.” Rabbi Sobel agreed that restoring his benefits and others' will cut into Social Security reserves, but he added, “It's my money. I want my money, this stuff I paid. I teach inclusion. I want to be included like everybody else.” U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has joined Berman in his crusade to change the law. But Berman told NBC4, “Don't expect much until Congress dares to fix the broken Social Security system.” Meantime, teachers considering early retirement may find they're poorer than they think. For additional information contact the Social Security Administration or the California Retired Teachers Association. _____________________________________________________________ Below (Provided by Jill Puich)
Links of Interest:
Disclaimer: Jill Puich is not a financial expert. I do the research and use the web and provide you with the information. It is YOUR choice to take what I have given you and apply it to your own life. I am simply reporting the information is all. You may or may not be a fan of the Windfall Elimination Act…please refrain from blasting me because I am simply reporting the basics of it and I am NOT the author of any these bills. (see first post Pat Phelan) I will do research on Medicare and report it (thanks Pat Phelan) for making this point. _____________________________________________________________ What do school districts really spend money on? Lawsuits!
I encourage you to try these searches as well
School districts are firing teachers and classified employees this month. They are constantly reporting that they need to make “cuts” and they want you to vote YES on the propositions to bring in more money to them. Why so many cuts? You be the judge. If you want to find out just how much your school district in Orange County paid out while many are being fired and let go, then all you have to do is click on the banner and follow the directions. Just maybe you are losing your job because of all of the lawsuits that they have to pay out.
Yes, this may have happened in 2007, but the district lost a lot of money that could’ve kept employees jobs this year. Remember, it is trickle down economics.
Links of Interest:
I would like to thank Art Pedroza and “Red Vixen” who are making all of this possible. Without those two individuals, none of this would be possible. We are now informed and have a say. THANK YOU!!!! Disclaimer: This blog is the opinion of Jill Puich and all lawsuits are alleged until found guilty in a court of law. These are PUBLIC officials working for you. My name was also published in the OCRegister for being one of the teachers who will be losing my job. (We are PUBLIC) employees therefore the public has the right to know. Please note: This is public information and the Orangejuiceblog is not responsible for any of the cases. We have to send you to the link because there is a disclaimer that each person must click on first. More coming…. |
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