A regular cup of drip coffee has around 145 mg of caffeine in an 8 oz cup, or 18.13 mg/oz. Powershot, which comes in 1 oz portions, has around 100 mg of caffeine in every ounce.

Several years ago I started having an irregular heart patter called PVCs, or premature ventricular contractions. These feel odd because you can't feel a beat of the heart, making it seem like your heart has stopped beating. The heart is beating, but before the chamber fills with blood. They're not normally harmful (which my doctor didn't bother telling me) and are caused by a combination of stress and other environmental factors. One of the recommendations is to stop consuming caffeine. That of course meant no coffee, tea, coca-cola, and chocolate.

I didn't realize how dependent we were on caffeine until I went into a fast food restaurant and tried to get a drink. There's usually only one soft drink offered without caffeine, usually either root beer or Sierra Mist. Even the popular Mountain Dew is loaded with caffeine at 4.58 / mg.

Now people are ending up in hospital emergency rooms from caffeine overdoses, sometimes after consuming just one of these drinks. This is an indicator of the heavy toll this lifestyle is taking on our bodies.

Are we that obsessed with performance, constantly being on the go, never having down time? Moving to California I noticed the good weather allowed people to be outside a lot more often than the colder states I'd lived in. But people were rarely forced to stay inside together as happens during snowstorms in other locales. You could see the difference where people could handle differences by just leaving, rather than being forced to stay together and work out disagreements.

As a society we're spending less time together as we meet online more than in groups, and we're constantly more and more obsessed with productivity. But at some point we need to sit down, relax, and enjoy each other's company.

Thanks to skymondo.com

She doesn't think the public has any right to know about Mayor Gavin Newsom's affair that involved him, his campaign manager, and prior appointment secretary.

I disagree. This goes well beyond a life style choice and may include the violation of law as well. There are some real ugly facts attached to this affair.

Ruby Rippey-Tourk was Newsom's appointment secretary when the affair started according to Ruby. This is a betrayal of the employee/employer relationship and taking advantage of the power a boss holds over an employee, no matter how informal. This could result in charges being brought against Newsom for the violation of city ethics laws.

Ruby is the wife of Alex Tourk, Newsom's deputy chief of staff before becoming his campaign manager in September. So we have another violation of employee trust as well as a close friend and confidant.

If you're a military officer an affair or a relationship with an enlisted person can result in a court martial. If you have a clearance for classified work you can lose it. Obviously many people believe a violation like this, though legal, is an indicator that the person may not be trustworthy in other areas.

When you consider Newsom has responsibility for billions of dollars, the police, and general public trust, one wonders about the person behind this juicy news tidbit.

Certainly San Francisco politics can be strange and what happens may be up to the voters rather than an attorney general. But this is certainly more than yet another salacious affair (YASA).

Those for the change say that since California funds a large part of the election campaign they should be more influential.

Some accuse politicians of wanting to change the voting date so state politicians facing term limit ejections get an early vote so they can run again in November.

Here's a video of liberal Courage Campaign Chair Rick Jacobs on CNN supporting the change.

Now the San Gabriel Valley Tribune is reporting that the FBI is turning up the heat on Rep Miller (R-Brea), contacting current and former city officials in Monrovia and Fontana and reviewing a videotape of a 2000 Monrovia city council meeting. During the meeting Miller is seen asking the council to purchase his 165-acre hillside plot. Miller then avoided capital gains taxes by saying the city forced him to sell the land.

What cost greed? I had someone tell me years ago to just go ahead and pay the taxes. In the end, it's not worth it.

As building in the Central Valley continues it will make any future right-of-ways more expensive. This has all of the foresight of removing the rail lines from Los Angeles so they can be re-installed, at a much higher price, decades later.

I think the Governor is brave in leading a large infrastructure project in the first place. But it would be nice if we could become active, not reactive, as a society.

If we can find $1 billion for a jobs program in Iraq I'd think we could fund a high speed train in California.

I'm still not sure he gets this Internet thing though. His web site is pretty boring, no audio, podcasts, blog, or forum. It's pretty much a straight brochure site. It's something called gohunter08.com, and with a Google Page Rank of 0 will have to mature in to the search engines. It's interesting to see something that Google denies exists, a sandbox, play such an important part of our electorial process.

The sandbox is kind of a purgatory for web sites where they wait until Google decides they're worthy of entry.

Campaign donations are raised through a site called yourpatriot.com, which I'll assume is similar to actblue.com.

You can volunteer to help and all of your information is securely raised. All in all I'm not sure it's a lot different from a web site I put together for Neal Andrews, a Ventura City councilman. I'd think a presidential run would have more, but we'll see. We have at least a year until the primaries as hard as it is to believe.

I've signed up for his newsletter. I wait with bated breath for news.

In the past she's been a staunch big business supporter voting for one-sided trade bills like CAFTA that don't help workers in our country or the countries of the other Central American co-signers.

Now in a move that the LA Daily News says makes here a centrist, she's trying to prevent Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger from regulating the CO2 emissions of state power companies. This seems to make her a centrist only if the other two sides are liberal Arnold and conservative anti-green Senator Inhofe (R-OK).

Says the LA Times article:

Under the clause, power plants would be exempt from any state laws regulating greenhouse gases, including several in New England as well as California. Feinstein said she had removed it for now because "I know the environmentalists have concern."

She's removed the provision for now, but is looking for some way to sneak it back in past fellow California Senator Barbara Boxer.

Her comments at a hearing pointed out that few have paid a personal price for decisions made by this administration.

Barbara Boxer during the hearing: “Who pays the price? I’m not going to pay a personal price. My kids are too old and my grandchild is too young. You’re not going to pay a particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family. So who pays the price? The American military and their families.”

Was Boxer pointing out Rice's infertility or making a valid point that Bushco is callously making decisions that they will never have to pay a personal price for? And even if she is pointing out their insularity, is it a fair point to make?

Bush certainly has a history of making bad decisions that his father has had to bail him out of. From Air Guard duty to oil fields to ball teams, Jr. had never had a real success until he ran for governor.

He's had his successes in politics. He's a shrewd campaigner and assembled a strong team of very dedicated supporters. He'd gotten several initiative through which include the Patriot Act, Medicare Part D, and a carte blanche to go to war with Iraq.

But I don't know that we've ever had such a cabinet with so little personal experience with war. Rumsfeld comes close as a peace time aviator and Bush's stateside off-and-on guard duty is famous. The only person with actual combat experience was Colin Powell, who was completely ignored and treated as an outsider.

Nor have most Americans paid a price. No tax increases, no meatless days, no funny red coins or ration books.

Some around the bases have paid. I've heard of hardships around large Army bases like Ft. Bragg as businesses struggle to stay open.

Certainly Vice President Cheney hasn't paid as his friends at companies like KBR and Halliburton have profiteered on no-bid contracts in Iraq. Even when caught stealing red handed Halliburton has avoided fines. While Cheney has put his stock in trust does anyone not believe he'll be well rewarded when he leaves office?

The only ones to pay a personal price are the military members and their friends and family. Many say the military is all volunteer and have agreed to this lifestyle. But stop-loss orders and the military's decision to trash its 24 month citizen soldier deployment policy have completely changed the rules.

Bush has aged but will no doubt retire to the riches that speeches and honorary positions in the Carlyle Group, heavily financed by the bin Ladens, offer.

So many in this administration have profited from the 8 year presidency of George Jr. but few have had to pay a price for bad decisions. In fact the only way to lose it seems is to speak truth, like the now oft cited General Shinseki or Scott Ritter.

And as for the comment being too personal, we can only balance it with the comments by the First Lady who, when asked how a woman like Dr. Rice would handle the presidency, said, "Dr. Rice, who I think would be a really good candidate, is not interested. Probably because she is single, her parents are no longer living, she's an only child. You need a very supportive family and supportive friends to have this job."

His new team, the L. A. Galaxy had sure better hope so. Salary estimates are for $250 million over 5 years, or almost $1 million a week.

Beckham's star power is only approached by his wife, Victoria. She was once well known as Posh Spice, a nickname given her as a member of the Spice Girls.

During his 11 years at Manchester United, he won four league titles, the F.A. Cup and the prestigious Champions League Cup.He moved to Real Madrid in 2003, which was ranked as 'The 20th Century's Best Club' by FIFA But among so many soccer stars he's found it hard to stand out, under coach Fabio Capello he has started only seven of 25 matches. That and he didn't like Real Madrid infringing on income from his pretty face.

Beckham is more than just another athlete. Beckham is an industry unto himself and is the unofficial "metrosexual" poster boy with a range of cologne for men.  He and Victoria are a mainstay of British gossip rags with accusations of infidelity and other juicy tidbits. And it could be this aspect of him that attracts the Hollywood area Galaxy. In fact the deal was brokered by Simon Fuller, head of 19 Management and the brains behind American Idol.

All of this is sure to generate badly needed publicity to American soccer. Whether or not this will get soccer to be taken seriously by people over 15 is yet to be decided.

This could put a real crimp in the neo-cons mission to save the world by bombing it flat.

(1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States possesses the inherent right to defend itself against imminent or actual attack, as codified in the Charter of the United Nations and embodied in the traditions of international law, but that right does not extend to undertaking military action in the absence of such an imminent or actual attack; and

(2) the House of Representatives disavows the doctrine of preemption because it poses a threat to international law and to the national security interests of the United States.

Do you think we could call off the restarting of the nuclear arms race with Russia and China?

So I'm not sure what to think when Representative Jerry Lewis complains about the Democrats pushing through a bill that implements the 9/11 commission's proposals to check air and sea cargo coming into the US.

Democrat proposals to require 100 percent screening of air and seaborne(sic) cargo will cost tens of billions of dollars in the coming years, and the only way to pay for it will be to dramatically raise fees and taxes, Congressman Jerry Lewis said Tuesday.

I'm not convinced every ship container needs to be checked. But it certainly would be nice to have air cargo checked, especially those containers riding under me on my next flight.

Congressman David Price (NC-04) , the new Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee said "We'll have to find additional resources," he said. "This bill is a critical first step in the process of making real security improvements."

With the military running out of equipment and unable to pay their utility bills, schools in terrible shape, and public highways being sold to the highest bidder so they can be kept up, we need to think deep and hard about where we're spending our money.

So I think Representative Lewis is in some ways right, but I wish he had thought about all of this penny pinching before the Democrats took over.

Then the National Arbor Foundation has redesigned their maps so trees can continue to migrate north (I don't know who will tell the trees).

Now, the National Climatic Data Center has announced that last year was the warmest in the continental United States in the past 112 years.

I know a lot of people like to break records, but can't we find a better one to go after?

Facing an even more antagonistic Democratic Senate Presdent Bush formally withdrew the nomination of former Interior Department solicitor William G. Myers III.

Myers' background includes time as a former lobbyist and lawyer for grazing and mining interests and later a top official at the Interior Department where investigations over Native American and mining policy are ongoing created a sense of distrust among Democratic Senators.

His record as a conservative and hostility to privacy rights also contributed to a long list of organizations coming out against his nomination.

Myers was originally nominated on May 15, 2003 but a full senate vote of July 20, 2004 fell short of votes needed for cloture and his nomination was dropped.

Bush renominated Myers on February 14, 2005, September 5, 2006, and November 15, 2006. The renomination after the 2006 election led many Democrats to declare President Bush still openly hostile in his judicial nomination.

The last blow seems to be a Denver Post article in which Myers was tied to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. This piqued the interest of new Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Patrick Leahy.

I can certainly understand the donations to Governor Schwarzenegger and John Burton. I'm not sure on Los Angeles assemblyman Herb Wesson Jr..

You can also see the bills that the lobby group influences, pro and con.

Nothing really all of that interesting here. They're anti-tax, anti-glassy-winged sharpshooter, and pro pesticide use. It's not so much that there is a scandal, it's that they are an influential group and from looking at the votes of the politicians are pretty good at swaying positions their way.

Like Andrew Sullivan, I've been wondering how I went from conservative to liberal. Or at least from conservative libertarian.

I grew up in Colorado, where even the Democrats had a belief in fiscal responsibility, minimum government, and God & Guns.

Those who accuse PBS of being liberal forget the channel was the only one to carry William F. Buckley Jr, Fred Barnes and Mort Kondracke long before Fox News Channel came along. These programs were a regular staple for me growing up. Okay, Fred Barnes is an absolute idiot. But there were conservatives aplenty. I guess even then I was a bit of a Alex P. Keaton type.

Now there seems to be a new litmus test for conservatives. Big government, foreign activism, and social intervention seem to be the new platform of the Grand Old Party.

And if you don't fully support President George W. Bush you're not one of them.

Conservative libertarians like Bob Barr have left the Republicans. Joe Scarborough is accused of being a liberal. Andrew Sullivan is accused of being a lefty. And somehow I find myself left out on in the cold. At least the Republican position on global warming has made sure I'm comfortable.

On the official test I'm neutral. Moderates are accused of being DINOs and RINOs. I don't know who I'm going to vote for when I go into the booth because neither party represents me. I guess if my name were John Chambers or David Lesar I might feel different. They have private planes, I have a blog.

An Andrew Sullivan reader provides this litmus test for the New Republican.®

First, do you believe that Jesus Christ ordained the US Constitution, and that there is no true understanding of that document except that one first believes in him? Second, do you believe it is America's Christian destiny to save the world from the false religion of Mohammed?

I flunk. But I don't feel like giving away all of my money to the government either. So what do I do? Beats me. And speaking of torture, no, that's not an invitation.

That Lantos, an unapologetic, unwavering supporter of Israeli's conservative government is threatening Iran isn't surprising. But he may be biting off more than he can chew by threatening China.

He's promising to conduct hearings concerning China's National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) investment in Iran.

Iran, who adamantly swears their nuclear programs are solely for domestic power production, has been a constant boogeyman for this administration. Despite most estimates that even if they could it would be at least a decade before they could develop a bomb and creating a reliable delivery device would take even longer.

Since the US has been attacking Iran both Russia and China have been moving in to corner contracts on their oil production. News that their oil infrastructure is failing and Iran will need new partners probably has a lot to do with that.

But since China now holds $1 billion in foreign debt and is one of the main holders of the incredible US foreign debt there's not much we can do that China couldn't counter by dumping dollars. So while Lantos probably sounds good to his constituency, he's mostly a toothless lion in this battle.

And oh yeah, President Bush thanks you for keeping the boogeyman alive.

The state has legalized marijuana use when there's a medical necessity and a doctor is willing to recommend it.

However, marijuana is still illegal according to federal laws. So while the local sheriff won't arrest you, the Drug Enforcement Agency will.

The Feds are so against marijuana use that I've read reports they've stopped medical research facilities except for the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research from getting marijuana to use in testing, just in case it would approve effective. Oddly enough, the CMRC is headquartered in San Diego, CA and run by UC San Diego. It's even come up with standards on smoking.

The "Cued Puff Procedure". Marijuana can be administered using cued-smoking procedure, which has been shown to produce reliable increases in heart-rate and plasma levels of THC (Foltin et al., 1987). Patients are signaled to "light the cigarette" (30 s), "get ready" (5 s), "inhale" (5 s), "hold smoke in lungs" (10 s) and "exhale". The participants take three puffs per cigarette, in this manner, with a 40-s interval between each puff. Participants are instructed that they could signal that they wanted to stop smoking by raising their left hand. Since participants can discriminate THC content by the color of the plant material (Chait and Pierri, 1989), cigarettes were tightly rolled at both ends and were smoked through a hollow plastic cigarette holder so the marijuana was not visible. Cigarettes were stored in an airtight container and humidified 12 to 24 h prior to use.

The problem the feds has is that there are now 170 marijuana dispensaries in the state of California alone, with eight more states having now passed medical marijuana laws.

So far they seem to be letting the dispensaries operate in most cases. But two people have gotten the interest of both the DEA and IRS.

Shon Squier of Hayward and Luke Scarmazzo of Modesto have both had their dispensaries shut down. They've made a good sized fortune operating as angels of mercy and in large part lost the support of the local community.

To add fuel to the fire, Scarmazzo made a video that showed him counting stacks of hundred dollar bills, blowing billows of smoke at the camera and flipping off federal agents.

Lawyers cry foul, that the dispensaries shouldn't be closed just because the operators are pulling out millions of dollars in profits.

The interesting part to me is that the feds left open another less conspicuous facility operating just down the street in Hayward.

Marijuana may cause schizophrenia-like symptoms but it's the feds that are acting schizo. Or you could compare the attitude to similar stances like military homosexuality and Israeli nukes. Don't do anything that gets public attention and we'll leave you alone.

I agree that marijuana use by children is dangerous and should be kept out of schools. I've also seen marijuana work better than anything else on the pain caused by cancer and cancer treatments. Maybe it's time the feds came up with an official policy and regulated marijuana production and dispensing.

As is the current policy isn't serving patients or school anti-drug programs well.

His PAC Peace through Strength has already started ads in North and South Carolina and South Dakota.

So now that this blog is starting to get attention I thought I'd find out more about his candidacy.

I'd have better luck finding out more about the secret CIA prisons or the latest NSA venture. His House web site has no media contact resource and only the warning that if you're not a constituent he'll ignore you. Not very friendly for a presidential candidate.

His only campaign site, hunterforcongress.com, still lists his Congressional campaign.

He's let all of the domain names for duncanhunter and duncanhunter2008 get registered by others. So evidently he doesn't have an Internet savvy manager that he listens to.

So far other than a few conservative web sites and television commercials I've never seen he's not doing much to get his message out. He's been pretty good at getting in front of waiting cameras, at times asking who the camera was for before speaking.

I'd guess this is going to be a whistle stop campaign, maybe even from a real train.

So Congressman Hunter, where ever you are, I'd like to hear your positions or even have a conversation that I can post here. Just let me know.

Many people are waiting for what happens next. I think Republicans as well as Democrats are ready for some house cleaning after this last Congress broke that important rule, don't foul your own nest.

Senator Biden is already threatening to use hearings to intimidate Bush into not escalating forces in Iraq. But what of any real bi-partisan hearings?

I'll be looking to Representative Henry Waxman of California's 30th district for real investigations. Waxman has spent the last 12 years doggedly investigating abuses in government. Now that he has subpoena power he has some real teeth and the ears of a lot of journalists. Everyone enjoys a good scandal.

As well fellow Californian and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi seems to be entrusting a lot of the investigatory work to Waxman for agreeing to stay away from the slippery slope of impeachment.

Looking at his web sites and some of the headlines gives us an idea of what his direction might be.

GAO Finds Millions in Overpayments to Iraq Contractors

GAO Analysis Refutes Industry Myths About Drug Development

Government Reform Leaders Call for Evaluation of Authority to Recover Billions from Oil Companies

Time will tell and we'll see what sins lobby groups and campaign donations cover. I don't expect investigations into AIPAC's handling of classified information or labor unions, but oil companies, Halliburton, and pharmas will be hiring all available white-collar lawyers for a while.

Unfortunately, in time those who write the laws come to believe they are above the law and the cycle will repeat. For now, the people have spoken and Representative Waxman seems ready to act.

Satan came in at 1% as did Vice President DIck Cheney.

Now the head of the BLM Kathleen Clarke has announced her resignation. The good Ms. Clarke is the same person that urged ranchers to sue the BLM so the could continue grazing on sensitive lands. She was accused of pursuing the needs of the special interests over the interests of the government.

She apparently has a long record of being pro-business and helping large companies in leasing resource rich lands for a minimum cost. The Cooperative Research site has some more dirt on Clark.

I have to but wonder if she'll be involved in investigations into the governments reluctance in collecting royalties from oil and mineral mining companies.

Now that the Republicans have suffered huge losses in the elections and the placement of polar bears on the endangered species lists forces them to admit to global warming, will they appoint someone a bit more environmentally friendly to replace her?

Naaah, I didn't think so either.

The program assists low-income files by preparing a tax return with information supplied by employers. These are simple returns with a single employer and no special deductions.

The return is printed and sent to the taxpayer to sign.

Sounds easy right? A government program, making life easier for the poor, and the odd step of making tax season easier.

It seems like tax software powerhouse wasn't satisfied that they weren't getting every drop out of the California market. The poor company barely eeked out a miserly $2 billion dollars out of the 2005 market.

So they along with the Chamber of Commerce used influence and money in the form of campaign donations to get the easily pliable state Legislation to squelch the program.

SB 1355 (Republican Dennis Hollingsworth) repealed the ReadyReturn program as of July 1, 2006.

I'll have to dig out the legalize. But lets just say the good guys won in the end.

Outgoing state Controller Steve Westly and his incoming replacement, John Chiang sought and received a legal opinion allowing the Franchise Tax Board continue on their own.

While not providing free government sevices to average citizens (not related to the oil, war, or pharma industries) is a basic Republican platform, this action by Intuit et al. just seems to be dumb. And makes the Chamber of Commerce, Intuit, and Hollingsworth look greedy.

Okay, I can understand the Carolinas. His ads are crying foul on unfair trade practices that give China uneven advantages. Those states are losing a lot of jobs in the textile industry to China. But South Dakota? I hope this isn't a redux of George Junior's confusion.

Still, after the last election I'm still pretty fed up with political advertising. Unless of course, I can get some of that money. Hey Guys, I got a video camera!

I've known two cancer patients that have used marijuana. One took chemo treatments and an occasional puff helped her deal with the nausea that is part of this treatment.

The other person had an inoperable tumor on her spine. The tumor pinched nerves causing incredible pain. The really interesting thing is that she later took laetrile treatments and is still alive today, 30 years later.

Both of these people used marijuana for short periods and then stopped. They're both socially productive and neither has succombed to the slippery slopes of an occasional joint.

Listen to The Tonight Show or Montel Williams and you can tell very quickly that marijuana has become a regular part of American life.

Like everything, marijuana can affect people both positively and negatively. But that is true with everything. Just read the reports of marathon runners dying from drinking too much water.

It is, however, absolutely unconscionable that so much money is spent stopping marijuana when everyone agreest that methamphetamine is the real enemy.

Sentence minimums and unnecessary prison terms are not the way to deal with the people that have trouble with marijuana. 1 in 32 U.S. adults are in prison, on parole or probation. This is destroying urban families and taking fathers and mothers away when treatment programs would be much more effective.

We need to stop this needless war on marijuana, allow it's use in medical practice, and get real treatment for addicts, not put lots of people in jail to create great statistics for the next election.

However, this can only happen if both sides wage effective campaigns, which the Democrats haven't done in a while. I hope groups like this help raise a new generation of Democratic candidates ready to step up to the plate.

This in from Campaign for a National Majority.

Campaign for a National Majority Endorses John Chiang for State Controller of California

SACRAMENTO, (September 28, 2006) – Being CEO of the sixth largest economy in the world is no simple task. Democrats, therefore, recognize the magnitude of the California State Controller’s race because winning this office creates a real opportunity for progressive reform and management of the California economy. Among the candidates vying for the position, John Chiang stands out as a professional who understands the intricacies and principles of a sound fiscal policy. Today, the Campaign for a National Majority, an innovative, pragmatic political action committee, officially endorses John Chiang for State Controller of California.

“CNM believes that John Chiang’s leadership style and government philosophy serves as proof that probusiness policies and pro-people policies are not mutually exclusive,” said John Sheehan, Director of Research for Campaign for a National Majority. “John Chiang’s message serves as a model not only for Democrats but for any politician committed to the public good.”

Chiang is the fifth endorsement made by Campaign for a National Majority in the 2006 election cycle. The organization began their research looking at over 400 candidates, contacting over 100 journalists, Democratic party officials, and academics and spending nearly 1,200 hours in the process before selecting their 2006 endorsements. With broad-based financial and tax knowledge unrivaled by his opponent, Chiang is the candidate committed to making that knowledge work for everyday Californians as well as private enterprise.

“This is a great endorsement for us”, said Trisha Murakawa, campaign manager for John Chiang. “CNM’s research model is the most thorough in the country of all their peer groups. When an organization like that identifies our candidate, it goes to show not only the tremendous stakes at hand but also that our message is resonating, and that’s something we couldn’t be happier about,” added Murakawa.

About Campaign for a National Majority
Campaign for a National Majority is a pragmatic political action committee that supports Democratic candidates for state executive and mayoral offices across the country. Our candidates are viable in tough races, and show promise as contenders for progressively higher offices. Our goal is to build a “farm team” of Democrats who can win statewide and national elections. It is no secret that governors consistently make the best presidential candidates. Their experience as State Executives prepares them for higher leadership and encourages them to articulate innovative policies and messages. Our research shows us that most governors are typically elected from other State Executive offices, such as lieutenant-governor or attorney-general. CNM is focused on achieving clear results by winning these races for Democrats and building the base for a Democratic national majority.
To learn more about CNM and our above endorsement, please visit us at: www.nationalmajority.org.
###

From the New York Times:

From 2002 until this year, NASA 's mission statement, prominently featured in its budget and planning documents, read: “To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.”

In early February, the statement was quietly altered, with the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet” deleted. In this year's budget and planning documents, the agency's mission is “to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”

We'll see how the war between LAUSD Superintendant Roy Romer and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa affects this.

The success rate on the California High School Exit Exam inched higher in May as an additional 1,759 students in the class of 2006 passed the test.

For California high schools the total pass rate is now 90.8 percent, according to figures released Friday by the state Department of Education.

An excellent quote from Roy Romer.

"It has tremendous consequence for this city because if you indoctrinate — propagandize — a population long enough into a mistruth they believe it," Romer said during his annual state of the schools address.

In the Democrats will complain about anything department.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed a $150 million bridge loan Thursday to California's fledgling stem cell institute, timing the move as a day-after response to President Bush's veto of expanded funding for embryonic stem cell research.

The Republican governor sought to characterize the state-funded loan as a boost to a biotechnology industry potentially deflated by Bush's action.

Opponent Angelides' reply

Phil Angelides, the committee's chairman, took credit Thursday for initiating the $200 million interim funding process last May.

"Today's action is another gubernatorial campaign smokescreen to cloud the memory of California voters that it was Arnold Schwarzenegger who campaigned for President Bush in Ohio and helped put him back into office," Angelides said in a statement. "For the past year, while I was fighting for immediate funding for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the governor failed to lift a finger to stand up to the anti-research activists who thwarted the will of the voters."

And from Arnold Watch.

Arnold's largess with the taxpayer's money came with no controls.

Without rules governing such things as ownership of discoveries and payback to the state firmly in place, the beneficiaries of the loan will be biotech and pharma, not the people of California who were promised the benefits of ground-breaking stem cell research.

That's a good start by Arnold, who is also proposing a new prescription health care policy. But a five year waiting period?

With the governor set to host a symposium on affordable health care Monday, his administration announced Friday that he has a new position on drug discounts for the uninsured.

For the first time, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger favors allowing the state to financially punish drug companies that fail to offer price cuts to needy Californians. But first, he wants to give the pharmaceutical firms five years to comply voluntarily, California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshé s ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=300 Sat, 22 Jul 2006 12:57:43 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=300#cmt The Senate passed HR 810 today, to authorize federally supported research projects to use new embryonic stem cell strains. President George Bush has threatened to veto this bill, which would be the first veto of his presidency.

Actress Mary Tyler Moore appeared with Frist during the day, saying she was very disappointed by Bush's stance.

"This is an intelligent human being with a heart, and I don't see how much longer he can deny those aspects of himself," she said.

I wonder if she meant the aspect of Bush as intelligent, with heart, or both?

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=298 Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:51:00 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=298#cmt

Update: From House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
Americans should not be held hostage by a requirement to sign an agreement to repay transportation costs before evacuation. A nation that can provide more than $300 billion for a war in Iraq can provide the money to get its people out of Lebanon.

“I call upon the President to remove one worry from the minds of stranded American citizens in Lebanon and their families back home by declaring immediately that their country will bear the costs of bringing them to safety.”

At last, some common sense.

Lebanon Situation Update - July 15, 2006

A message to the American citizens in Lebanon:

The Department of State continues to work with the Department of Defense on a plan to help American citizens depart Lebanon. As of the morning of July 15, we are looking at how we might transport Americans to Cyprus. Once in Cyprus, Americans can then board commercial aircraft for onward travel. Commercial airlines provide the safest and most efficient repatriation options to final destinations.

The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of your trip directly handled by the U.S. Government we will ask you to sign a promissory note and we will bill you at a later date. In a subsequent message, when we have specific details about the transporation arrangments, we will inform you about the costs you will incur. We will also work with commercial aircraft to ensure that they have adequate flights to help you depart Cyprus and connect to your final destination.

The Department of State continues to work around the clock and will continue to send updates as appropriate.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=297 Mon, 17 Jul 2006 19:10:44 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=297#cmt The San Jose Mercury has an interesting article today concerning Abel Maldonado's alleged faux pas.

They're talking about how the ambitious state senator may have ruined his fast political career by accusing Arnold and crew with only using him to draw the Latino vote. Once Arnold had used him for his own personal gain the governator abandoned the senator when Maldonado needed a leg up.

And bring the vote Maldonado did. He and representative David Dreier seemed to be all over the place during the recall of governor Gray Davis. Maldonado campaigned tirelessly for Arnold.

When Maldonado was running for state senator the governor did return the favor and endorse the young politician for office. Maldonado then did a quick turn and ran for the state controller's office, but this time the race was too close to call. Neither candidate received the governor's thumbs up.

Between not getting Arnold's endorsement and carrying a bill on minimum wage for the governor that left him embarrassed, Maldonado had had enough. In a phone interview with the LA Times July 11th Maldonado exposed what most voters already know, that politicians are really about themselves. He accused the governor of not caring about Latinos. What he meant is that the governor didn't care about him. I'd guess both is true.

Is their really any shock that politicians use groups as stepping stools to further their own career? Whether it's the Democrats and the black vote, the Republicans and the evangelicals, or the governator and the hispanic vote, politicians are really about getting themselves re-elected and then campaigning for the next higher office in their power career ladder.

The Christian Evangelicals have found that none of their "family friendly" issues have been passed by the Congress. Not that much of anything but gas has been passed by this Congress.

Gerrymandering and pay raises are about the only things that seem to hold politicians interests for more than five minutes.

The one politician that I think really did get left out? Representative David Dreier. Passed over to take Tom Delay's old job, he hasn't gotten much in return for all of his work. But I don't hear him complaining.

Maldonado's complaints couldn't have come at a worse time. The governor is falling behind Angelides in polls and is identified with a party accused of being anti-Mexican. This was a critical blow to the governor's campaign. And it came just hours after Arnold had held a photo-op at a Mexican restaurant.

Howard Dean was the keynote speaker on the second day of a three-day conference called DemocracyFest at San Diego State University last weekend. He continues to get out as part of his "50-state strategy" of enlisting the power of everyday voters. With the advent of the Internet and the ability to get a little participation from a lot of people, rather than a lot of participation from a few people, he's a pioneer in true US democracy.

The much hyped Daily Kos founded by Marcos Moulitsas is a natural evolution of that concept and getting people involved. It's a progressive site that reaches out to moderates and liberals. But so far, even with organizations like this the Democrats are the proverbial herding cats. They're chasing a variety of topics with a variety of opinions. Where Internet blog sites like Free Republic require members to be in lockstep or they get thrown out.

Even their methods of removing people are different. dKos has a convoluted troll rating where any veteran user can vote to remove articles, eventually leading to banning.

Freepers have power users that are the deciders and throw people out based on personal judgment.

The California College Republicans is a web site that I ran across en route. It's not very active, with no new postings in over a month. Guess even Republican collegians are taking the summer off. Or have they already given up on the upcoming elections? I'd ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=296 Mon, 17 Jul 2006 11:35:19 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=296#cmt Valerie Plame and her husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, filed suit against Dick Cheney, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Karl Rove and a host of other White House officials today. I'm not sure if this is about revenge for killing her career or an opportunity to put Rove et al. under oath and ask them some questions about the Whitehouse leaking of CIA operation.s.

It would be nice to see someone held accountable for their actions in this Whitehouse. And in case you say that Valerie wasn't a covert agent, the leak I'm talking about is the exposing of front corporation Brewster Jennings & Associates, key in tracking illegal nuclear alarms and weapons materials.

At least someone in federal government has tried to do something about the new usury techniques of credit card companies. Representative Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed the The Loan Shark Prevention Act. Which was promptly buried in bureaucratic red tape.

The San Diego Democrats are hosting DemocracyFest this weekend at San Diego State University.

Brads Blog discusses his appearance with Monterey County, CA Registrar of Voters Tony Anchundo concerning electronic voting machines and paper audits. When asked how Mr. Anchundo would handle variations in counts between paper and electronic totals, Mr Anchundo said the voter/citizens should trust him to make the right decision. The problem with that? Tony's been charged with 43 counts of criminal charges accusing him of spending more than $70,000 on personal purchases using county-issued credit cards, then trying to cover his tracks. Obviously not too well.

Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach) will chair the new Senate Select Committee on the Integrity of Elections. With some of the irregularites sighted with electronic voting and San Diego sending voting machines home hers is a critical part of our Democracy.

 

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=295 Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:52:37 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=295#cmt Democrats are getting it. Phil Angelides, Jerry McNerney, California Nurses and Gay Activists.

What are they getting? The new YouTube phenomena. They're not only getting their ads on television and radio, but now they're getting them out on the Internet.

Has Arnold and his eminent campaign machine gotten it? Not unless this video of what appears to be the Governor smoking a joint is part of his new "kinder, gentler" campaign.

YouTube.com has taken off with such force that the television networks have thrown in the towel and are now actively contributing to it.

What is YouTube? It's a public site where people can place video clips and others can view them. Clips may be short clips from favorite movies or television shows, but my favorite are often the home produced segments.

With new Digital 8 movie cameras and digital cameras with built-in video capability, a lot of people have become interested in producing their own movies. Faster computers and cheap or free video editing software make it child's play to film, edit, and upload movies to YouTube.

This has created a huge audience of young people and techno-philes. The perfect audience for political campaigners, especially more idealistic, progressive, or liberal campaigners.

I'm sure Howard Dean gets it. He and campaign manager Joe Trippi were pioneers in organizing and fund raising on the Internet. And I think it was the media's clear bias in broadcasting 'Dean's scream' that caused a lot of young voters to lose interest and drop out of the presidential election by November 2004.

But the democratization of the US continues as more and more information and control is distributed into every voter's home through the magic Internet tubes.

So while the Democrats seem to get the new media and Republicans are having trouble getting their email through the tubes, I think we're going to have a couple of interesting elections upcoming.

 

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=294 Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:39:40 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=294#cmt I've often thought that the new bankruptcy laws have created a new indentured servant class. Those that are making minimum wage (that $200 an week or I'll replace you with an illegal alien) but can get easy credit. Or the middle class couple that got used to the pre-Bush lifestyle of easy income and easy spending, but has had to borrow off their house and credit cards to keep it up.

The new bankruptcy laws stopped deadbeats from claiming bankruptcy. It also stopped people like Terri Schiavo's husband from claiming bankruptcy from high medical bills. However, the laws didn't put any limits from committing usury and charging interest rates in the 30%s, late fees, and other penalties. Not to mention my retired mother living on Social Security who recently had her balance raised to 24% because she wasn't using her card often enough.

The Federal Reserve is still raising Fed Fund Rates with no stopping in sight, despite no real signs of inflation. Other than the high price of gas that Middle East unrest has pushed sky high.

With the Fed raising interest rates variable home mortgages and other prime linked consumer loans are going to be following.

As the middle class and lower end homeowners feel the squeeze from higher mortgage and other loan payments, they may start defaulting on their mortgage payments. Home ownership is great, but if you can't pay you can just walk away and start over, right? The bank takes the house, and you find a rental apartment somewhere that you can afford. Just pack your stuff and leave the keys.

It seems that you might as well leave your stuff too. Since so many California homeowners have added refinanced loans, second trust deeds and home equity lines of credit, they've made the rest of their assets vulnerable too.

And what the banks don't take, the IRS will go after.

But in California, refinanced loans, second trust deeds and home equity lines of credit are generally considered recourse loans. In these cases, a lender can file suit and go after almost any of the borrower's assets once they obtain a court judgment.

"They can literally go after everything you have," Hall says.

There are a few limited exceptions. Retirement accounts are excluded, and declaring bankruptcy could protect some homeowners.

In the past, lenders have been reluctant to go after borrowers personally because it takes time and can involve costly litigation, but Hall says things might be different this time, especially if a borrower has substantial assets.

The tax man

Even if a lender doesn't go after a homeowner's personal assets, a foreclosure can trigger income tax consequences.

Barbara Boxer has started worrying about our military's mental health while they're taking the majority of the burden of the Afghani and Iraq war. There are reports that our troops are being sent into combat while on anti-depressants.

Here's a good synopsis with some links to articles.

That was very nice of him. It seems that Representatives Ken Calvert and Gary Miller promoted earmarks in bills that profited real estate deals they were involved with.

A Republican House member from California, meanwhile, received nearly double what he paid for a four-acre parcel near an Air Force base after securing $8 million for a planned freeway interchange 16 miles away. And another California GOP congressman obtained funding in last year's highway bill for street improvements near a planned residential and commercial development that he co-owns.

Have no life? Want the latest dish on your local Congresscritter? The new Congresspedia web site sponsored by the Sunlight Foundation is just for you. For a more conservative slant try Judicial Watch.

 

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=293 Wed, 12 Jul 2006 21:31:46 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=293#cmt Wondering if we've made a difference in the every day lives of Afghanis? Here's proof that they've already fallen under the influence of Western democracies.

This Reuters photograph is from their first women's fashion show.

All of the models showing the conservatively cut clothes that included designer burqas were expatriate women, to the disappointment of some in the audience.

The organizers said they did not want to court controversy in what is a deeply conservative Muslim country by having Afghan models.

Kudos to San Francisco Gavin Newsom for stepping up in the war on government invasion.

City officials are investigating AT&T's alleged cooperation with the National Security Agency and considering possible "consequences" the company could face in its extensive municipal contracts here if it is violating civil liberties, Mayor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

"If what I'm reading is true, I've got some serious problems as a San Franciscan, as a taxpayer and as mayor," Newsom said in interview with The Associated Press. "And I don't like it."

An arrogant politician? Go figure.

As politicians go, Phil Angelides isn't a particularly sympathetic figure. He's aggressive to the point of arrogance and often condescending and evasive about what he'd do if elected governor of California.

That said, one could almost feel sorry for Angelides, the Democratic challenger to Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, because whatever momentum he gained from June's primary election has evaporated and he's being ground up by Schwarzenegger's ruthlessly efficient campaign apparatus.

What Californians do well, they like to overdo.

In the past two years, campaign and political action committees controlled by Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) paid ever-larger commissions to his wife's one-person company and spent tens of thousands of dollars on gifts at stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. and a Ritz-Carlton day spa.

The use of such committees, especially "leadership" PACs, for purposes other than electing politicians to Congress is a common and growing phenomenon, but campaign finance watchdogs say Doolittle has taken it to new heights.

Sounds like once again Democrats are their own worst enemy.

This is what the slash and burn Democratic gubernatorial primary in California wrought.

The California GOP is now running an ad that resurrects the entire quotes from Steve Westley's attack ads.

The tagline? "Quotes from Democrat Steve Westley about Phil Angelides."

The announcer signs off the ad, "What if Steve Westley was right?"

That temperature change that is only a natural cycle and isn't affected by man made activity so we don't need to make business do anything or even reclassify CO2 as a pollutant may destroy the California Wine Industry.

Global warming and its potential to harm premium wine-grape production is beginning to get the attention of California growers.

A study released Monday by the National Science Foundation, NASA and Purdue University, said that warmer temperatures could significantly reduce suitable grape-growing areas — by as much as 81 percent — by the end of the century. ...

Stacie Jacob, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, said global warming is not a topic that's widely discussed here.

"However, the growers who do track the weather ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=292 Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:41:13 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=292#cmt I'm a vet. I served for the basic freedoms listed in the Bill of Rights. One of those is Freedom of Speech. The other is to have a quiet cup of coffee without being harrassed by a bored security officer.

"This afternoon, drinking a cup of coffee while sitting in the Jesse Brown V.A. Medical Center on Chicago’s south side, a Veterans Administration cop walked up to me and said, "OK, you’ve had your 15 minutes, it’s time to go."

"Huh?", I asked intelligently, not quite sure what he was talking about.

"You can’t be in here protesting," officer Adkins said, pointing to my Veterans For Peace shirt."

From Selves and Others

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=291 Fri, 07 Jul 2006 09:18:45 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=291#cmt The news of Bills Gates stepping down to run his foundation full time and the contribution to the foundation of the bulk of Warren Buffets wealth was certainly good news for world health. I wish them luck in their mission to find cures for many of the world's worst diseases.

It was actually Ted Turner who embarrassed Bill Gates into becoming a bigger player in the world of philanthropy. In April of 1997 he had chided both Bill Gates and bridge partner Warren Buffet for being too miserly with their money. To up the ante, in September of 1997 he donated $1 billion dollars to United Nations programs.

Larry Ellison followed Ted Turner into the world of yacht racing, but evidently he's not very competitive when it comes to parting with his money and toys. In today's news:

Ellison Pulls Plug on Harvard Donation. Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison has decided not to give Harvard University a planned gift of $115 million, a company spokesman said Tuesday.

Ellison canceled the gift because Lawrence H. Summers stepped down as Harvard's president this month after a stormy tenure at the university, Oracle spokesman Bob Wynne said. Summers announced his resignation in February, after being embroiled in controversy throughout 2005. Wynne said Ellison began to reconsider his donation when it appeared that Summers would step down.

Now I guess he'll just take his toys and go home. You're making California look bad Larry.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=290 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 19:54:33 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=290#cmt Today's Rant

NSA wiretapping, Iraq troop withdrawals, immigration, social security and medicare restructuring, port security, recort federal debt and trade imbalances. So which of these important issues did the Senate decide to take action on today?

None of the above. Today it's all about S.J.RES.12, more commonly known as the flag burning amendment.

Not to belittle an issue that is important to people on both sides of the issue. But to me, this is just another example of how the senate is more focused on their own re-election than the business of the people.

I had a manager, Chuck, in the Air Force that believed strongly in protecting the flag. If Chuck saw a damaged flag flapping in tatters or one left out in the night or rain, he would stop his car to advise the home or business owner on the law regarding treatment of flags. Don't let him find a flag in the trash either. Abuse of the flag was illegal and he felt strongly enough to do something about it when he saw it. If Chuck stood up and took a stand against flag burning I'd listen to him.

But listening to these politicians to whom nothing but their own tails is important seems to be the heighth of hypocrisy. They stand not to protect the flag, but to sound patriotic and great defender of this nation. As long as they think the polls support them. Republican Senator Dianne Feinstein took the opportunity to cater to the Orange County and Central Valley conservatives and took a brave position in coming out stronly for the amendment. Were she to be so brave in condemning the Iraq war or Free Trade agreements that prevent American interests from using trade to influence Central American pollution standards.

The flag is important as a symbol. But we've long let this icon slide into commonality by using it on swimming suits, patches, tableclothes, napkins, and about anything else merchandisers can fit it on. Yet we would now limit it's use in free speech. This I don't understand.

But whether or not I am for or against this amendment is of relatively little importance. This country has many more important issues at hand and it is about time federal politicians got off their tails and down to the serious administration of this great country that the American Flag flies over.

News Bits

Five days before the beginning of a new fiscal year, legislative leaders and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Monday they had reached an agreement on a state budget that includes compromises by Democrats and Republicans. sacramento bee

Unsuccessful in getting prisons into the state's infrastructure package, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is asking the Legislature to convene a special session to give him more than $1 billion in bond money to build two new institutions to depressurize the correctional system's overcrowding crisis.

Scientists OK Gore's Movie for Accuracy. The nation's top climate scientists are giving "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's documentary on global warming, five stars for accuracy. SF Chronicle

San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, after declining to enter a plea in his first court appearance since being indicted last week on corruption charges, said Monday he is innocent and will fight efforts to oust him before his term expires at the end of the year. SF Chronicle

Concluding an eight-month investigation, the Ventura County Grand Jury announced Monday that it had found no merit to a county supervisor's claims of corruption at Channel Islands Harbor near Oxnard.

In a 13-page report, grand jurors said they failed to uncover evidence that Harbor Director Lyn Krieger made a "sweetheart deal" in recommending a harbor lease to the Board of Supervisors. LA Times

Two local congressman have authored a bill that would allow the city of San Diego to sell the Mount Soledad cross to the federal government, a step they hope will preserve the La Jolla landmark.

Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and Brian Bilbray, R-San Diego, introduced the bill late Monday, according to Hunter's office. SD Union Tribune

Mars ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=289 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:11:36 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=289#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=288 Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:10:18 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=288#cmt Are you a software or hardware engineer? Have experience in data mining or splitting telecommunications signals? Voice recognition?

The NSA eavesdropping program is expanding rapidly and is looking to recruit. The following ad appeared in the Washington Post.

Software/Hardware Design Developers

The National Security Agency has exciting career opportunities available for entry level and experienced Software/Hardware Design Developers. As a Developer, you will be part of a team tasked with delivering a revolutionary data collection and analysis system. The work carries a high level of importance, and offers direct participation in unique problem solving, testing approaches, and extensive research.

Qualifications
Ideal candidates should possess at least a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics, a minimum 3.5 GPA, and experience with some of the following:

•Data Indexing/Information Retrieval

Don't worry about contacting them. Just pick up you phone and say "I want to work for the NSA". They'll contact you.

Nancy Pelosi has stepped up and is becoming more vocal on the Iraq war. She's been taking a lot of heat for not showing the leadership skills to become the Speaker of the House. Ergo, say the Republicans, make sure you don't vote in the Democrats. I'd rather Pelosi took a stand on something and showed leadership than the continual shifting to make moderates happier. I may not agree on everything that Senator Barbara Boxer stands for, but at least she stands for something.

U.S. inflation may be worse than what is showing up in government data and the Federal Reserve may have to keep raising interest rates if it persists, a Fed official said Friday. So said Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President William Poole. Inflation and a slowing economy. I'd say the Feds have been pumping too much cash into the economy, but since they stopped reporting M3 we man never know. But since our economy has been bought with record debt I'm not even that impressed by the "robust" economy. And the stock market certainly doesn't reflect any great confidence.

 

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=287 Fri, 16 Jun 2006 10:22:23 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=287#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=286 Thu, 15 Jun 2006 18:34:48 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=286#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=285 Sun, 30 Apr 2006 21:31:30 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=285#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=284 Sat, 22 Apr 2006 23:56:38 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=284#cmt The FDA has issued as statement saying that there is no medical benefit to marijuana. Of course, this is the same administration that says there is no global warming, abstinence is the only sex-ed that needs to be taught and that the air around the fallen Twin Towers was safe.

The New York Times has an article today talking about the statement and how it contradicts a 1999 review by the Institute of Medicine.

The article also lists efforts by the administration to prevent controlled studies that might support the medical effectiveness of marijuana and quotes researchers that say there are no indications that marijuana is a gateway drug.

It's interesting that a so called conservative federal government is against state rights and their attempts to allow doctors to prescribe it to some patients.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=283 Fri, 21 Apr 2006 05:34:33 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=283#cmt Today's Rant
Neither a borrower nor a lender be. So said William Shakespeare and this bit of wisdom has been repeated everywhere, even showing up on an episode of Gilligan's Island.

Yet today debt is a part of every day life. The federal government is in debt, the country is in debt to China and Japan, the state says they balance the budget but there's a new bond initiative every election.

We've been borrowing money from the equity in our homes to keep up with a lifestyle we can no longer afford. And there's a new bankruptcy law that makes sure we can't shirk our debt.

I knew the Senate and Congressional actions for Terri Schiavo were pure political stage work when in the same week congress critters were voting to save the unfortunate Ms. Schiavo they also voted to stop an amendment that would have allowed her husband to claim bankruptcy. This same action condemned other patients who were unplugged because their families could no longer afford mounting hospital bills.

What a difference if everyone was allowed a once in a lifetime opportunity to get out of debt.

Yesterday on Meet the Press Rabbi Michael Lerner brought up Jubilee. This is an event that happened every 50 years in ancient Jewish communities. Slaves, which were more like indentured servants, were freed. Debts were forgiven. Lands sold for income were returned. The poor were given a second chance. And wealth was pried from the hands of wealthy land holders, perhaps giving them a second chance also.

What would it be like if California lands were returned to the mexicans or Native Americans? What if the millions that CEOs like Lee Raymond, John Chambers, or the billions of a Bill Gates were redistributed throughout the country?

Would political families like the Kennedy's and the Bush's lose advantage in elections? Would the rich get a chance to see the every day lives of the poor? Would the poor get health care and would their children go to bed full at night? Was their more wisdom in earlier cultures that all our technology covers up today? And why do religious leaders rant about people paying tithes and the sin of homosexuals but stay so silent on the sharing of wealth?

Today's News

Speaking of debt, Californa Congressman Doolittle continues to garner attention. His wife's income from political fundraising made the Washington Post. I guess this political family isn't like the Clintons, buy one, get two.

In other financial news former Assemblyman Tony Strickland is accusing opponent state Sen. Abel Maldonado of financial mismanagement. Plugging Maldonado's name into a database of people owed money by the state, he found Maldonado was owed $2,000. Is that mismanagement or is it that the state senator is so skilled at raising money he has trouble keeping track of it?

If a Democrat wins the gubernatorial election expect a lot more money to be spent on schools. Candidates Steve Westly and state Treasurer Phil Angelides are trying to out buy the education vote. The Sacramento Bee gives an analysis of Westly's latest ad.

While I wish no one ill will in this weird and strange weather (two fellow classmates in my calculus class), it does seem a bit ironic that Texas is experiencing rolling blackouts. I just hope PG&E ends up getting sued.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=281 Mon, 17 Apr 2006 18:23:01 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=281#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=280 Sun, 16 Apr 2006 16:12:23 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=280#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=278 Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:20:37 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=278#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=276 Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:06:17 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=276#cmt I just noticed that there's a new X-Men movie coming out.
Not only are the usual cast of characters back, but they've picked up a new mutant that will be familiar to fans. Beast is here. As is Angel and a re-emergence of Jean.

Magneto is back as the super villain. Isn't he getting tired yet? Let's just hope he's even nastier than usual.

The release date is set for May 26, 2006. And there's speak over at marvel of a Wolverine movie next.

There's also a trailer available at the official site or Apple.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=275 Sat, 01 Apr 2006 21:02:34 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=275#cmt Have you caught Time Magazine's new article on Global Warming? The recent super storm to hit Australia has put global warming back in the headlines. Things are speeding up in feedback loops kind of like a microphone placed in front of a large speaker. What first started with a little push, is now accelerating like a snowball down a very large mountain slope.

We still aren't sure what causes global warming, but I think everyone agrees that the earth is going through a major climactic change, and it's happening a lot faster than we thought it would. soem reasons cited for the change:

• Major causes have included
• Bovine Gases
• Greenhouse Gases
• Fossil Fuels
• Solar Cycles
• Extra CO2 Released from Dirt
• Extra Active Bacteria
• All the Above

Interestingly enough, a group at the Marshall Space Flight Center involved in the prediction of solar cycles has a large banner that says they've lost funding. I guess we're now officially supporting the 'head in sand' global warming prevention method.

There was this note that a new prediction method is predicting that the next cycle will be 30% - 50% stronger than the last cycle. And we've been in an up-cycle since the 1950s. So things will be interesting.

Wikipedia has a little article about that time period with no solar flares and a coincidental mini-ice age. It's called the Maunder Minimum.

I'm just glad I sold that house on the seashore.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=273 Mon, 27 Mar 2006 01:49:06 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=273#cmt San Diego's race for congress in the 50th district continues to be interesting. The election is to replace convicted congressman Randy 'Duke' Cunningham. But just because Cunningham is gone doesn't mean that the sleaze went with him.

The California Republic Assembly, a Republican Volunteer Association, has created a web site sliming Congressional Candidate Brian Bilbray.

They seem to be trying to connect liberals and crooked lobbyists, quite a feat since Abramoff has a staunch Republican background and personally only donated to Republicans. They've also gone out of their way to try and connect the worst lobbying practices with Bilbray, though I've written marketing material with less spin.

I've said before that when you use sleaze to go after any politician you go after all politicians. It works in the short run, but fouls the nest in the long run. But evidently for the CRA the only important goal is getting their Republican candidate, Bill Morrow, elected. Granted, there are a lot of Republicans running (13), but all Democratic Candidate Francine Busby has to do is stay above the fray and let the Republicans attack each other, which allows her to focus her large war chest on herself.

It would be nice if they worked that hard to re-establish the integrity of the office first. We'd all be better off for that.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=272 Sun, 26 Mar 2006 12:59:35 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=272#cmt Roseville Congressman John Doolittle certainly seems to have a bit of an uphill battle protecting himself from the backlash of the K Street Lobbyist corruption battle.
From the Sacramento Bee

Struggling to climb out from under what he described as "a million dollars' worth of negative publicity" related to the Jack Abramoff scandal, Rep. John Doolittle surrounded himself with dozens of local elected public officials Thursday to announce his bid for a ninth term in Congress.

Never did Doolittle mention his friendship with Abramoff, the disgraced former Washington lobbyist who pleaded guilty to three felony corruption charges last month, or San Diego businessman Brent Wilkes, who has been implicated in the November bribery conviction of former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

In addition, Doolittle's wife has done work for Abramoff and Doolittle felt compelled to help Indian tribes in Iowa and Massachusetts by writing letters to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, who has recently announced her resignation.

Of course, a lot depends on the Democrats running against Doolittle. But with the Abramoff trial not set to begin until after the elections, this is a cloud that's going to be hanging over Doolittle's ark for a while.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=271 Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:23:57 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=271#cmt Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk.
Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday.

The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission’s Carolyn Beck.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=270 Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:56:15 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=270#cmt It's not the failure of government to allow competitive pricing by letting us purchase prescriptions from Canada or Mexico, it's not that the government hasn't tried to organize a single payer system, or that the education system for nurses is so under supported that schools have backlogs of years before potential nurses can get in.

No, the reason we have the most expensive health care system and one of the lowest life expectancies of any industrialized nation is because you use your benefits. And because the government can't tax those benefits.

At least that's what State Senator Dick Ackerman would have us believe in his newest letter. If we all had a health care savings account and had to pay for these services, we'd control these health care costs. I guess this is by arguing with every unnecessary test that doctors seem to request we take these days. And we'll ask for that really cheap drug instead of the one that works.

Of course, if you're living on minimum wage, heavily in debt, and barely getting by you'll now have to set aside an amount for your health care savings account. And if you don't have an income, well, tough luck. Minimum health care to save our aging and decrepit emergency care system? Fahgettaboutit.

How about this Dick? You open up competition in drug costs by allowing us to purchase at Canadian rates, or even do a collective cost negotiation. Then create a string of clinics that provide basic health care and prevention. And maybe a few central hospitals for catastrophic care. Then we can talk about health savings plans for all of those nips, tucks, and teeth whitenings that your friends think so much of.

I've never seen you taking a homeless person to a free clinic and waiting to see if the maximum number of patients have been seen for the evening. But as far as lecturing us on why we we're the only industrialized nation that doesn't provide basic health care, save it.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=269 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:03:07 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=269#cmt Put a New Airport in the Desert
Having attempted to convert the city of San Diego's underused and poorly managed Brown Field municipal airport into a privately financed and managed air-cargo facility, I can share some realities with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, and the public, about airport development.

First, regional airports are big economic generators. Really big. All the econo-geeks agree. You pretty much can't do anything more economically stimulating. It allows promising area businesses to become great. It attracts far more new companies than, say, a sports stadium or baseball park. It produces a tsunami of well-paid, career-type jobs, white and blue collar, union and non-union.Voice of SD

Ed:Wasn't Los Angeles supposed to put an airport out by Palmdale? With high speed rail access? What ever happened to that?
Denver did put their new airport out in the middle of nowhere. 22 miles out at first, though of course the area has built out to it. But they had room to build a very large, very nice facility.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=268 Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:26:07 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=268#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=267 Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:05:03 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=267#cmt Five days after he announced his impending retirement from Congress, U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly said Wednesday he has changed his mind and will run instead for an 11th term this fall.

The Simi Valley Republican said doctors have assured him the health scare that caused him to consider retirement isn't life-threatening and would not keep him from doing the job if he is elected for two more years.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=265 Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:25:06 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=265#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=264 Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:21:00 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=264#cmt censure measure that even Howard Dean is avoiding like the plague.

"On Monday, Democratic Senator Russ Feingold introduced legislation to censure the President for breaking the law by creating a secret domestic spying program. Agree or disagree with his proposal, as a Senator -- and as an American -- he has the right to speak his mind and express his views without Republican Senators questioning his patriotism." - Howard Dean

Republicans have been allowed to spin the censure as a pro-terrorist move. It's not. It's about all houses of government submitting to review and oversight. Eavesdropping on Americans with terrorist contacts isn't a problem. Implementing an NSA program that could result in the phone calls of millions of Americans being monitored to winnow out the few phone calls to record and pursue without seeking judicial oversight is a problem. At least to me.

More than anything I'm a libertarian. Too often I've seen the abuse of powers by egotistic leaders that think they're above the law. They start out thinking that rules are restricting them from doing their jobs. Then as they start breaking the laws, they start using their new found powers to serve themselves.

Look at how a lack of oversight has allowed the problems of sexual abuse to continue in the Catholic Church for decades.

So the president is more than welcome to do his job. I just want to make sure someone is watching over his shoulder.

We've heard the accusations of the California National Guard and other military organizations forming domestic spying units to monitor local peace activists.

Tonight Keith Olbermann will host a segment on:

"FBI documents acquired under the Freedom of Information Act and provided to reporters show that the FBI conducted surveillance of the Pittsburgh-based Thomas Merton Center for Peace & Justice during antiwar demonstrations and leaflet distributions in 2002 and 2003. "

So go ahead President Bush, conduct law enforcement activities. But can someone find a transplant doctor that can install a spine in congress to force them into conducting their oversight responsibilities?

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=262 Wed, 15 Mar 2006 14:09:16 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=262#cmt Congressman Elton Gallegly's Friday night retirement announcement surprised everyone. Party leaders, staff, and constituents.

But a bigger problem is that the announcement comes too late for anyone else to register to take his place. Leaving only Michael Tenenbaum as registered to run in the primary.

Now Roll Call is saying that Gallegly will go ahead and run in the upcoming election. A statement is expected sometime today.

This year looks to be very disorganized and full of surprises. Stay tuned for more.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=260 Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:22:14 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=260#cmt
"The next time you hear someone in government, or big business, rather casually use a number that includes the word 'billion', think about the actual volume of a 'billion'.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend.

One advertising agency did a rather good job of putting that figure into perspective in one of its releases:

A billion seconds ago it was 1974.

A billion minutes ago was 74 years after Jesus died.

A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
A billion days ago no creature walked the earth on two feet.

But...a billion ! dollars, lasts only 8 hours and 20 minutes at the rate the government spends it."
]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=259 Mon, 13 Mar 2006 14:13:30 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=259#cmt No articles this week until I get taxes done. Just some random articles. I couldn't pass up this one.

Air district rule doesn't attack ammonia from dairies.
The valley's existing dairies aren't being regulated for ammonia emissions.

Dairy cows produced 219 tons of ammonia each day in the San Joaquin Valley in 2005, more than all other sources combined, according to the valley air district. Ammonia reacts with nitrogen oxides to form fine particles, which university researchers have repeatedly linked to premature deaths.

Even so, ammonia is not being targeted by a rule released recently by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=258 Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:42:54 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=258#cmt There's a disturbing report on Huffington Post that Pomona College professor Miguel Tinker Salas and his students were paid a visit by a couple of sheriff's officers that identified themselves as part of "L.A. County Sheriff's Department/F.B.I. Joint Task Force on Terrorism ".

Professor Salas is an Arango Professor in Latin American History and Professor of History and Chicano/a Studies, with a specialty in the goings on of Venezuela.

We've had reports before of police officers working with the FBI and getting a bit over zealous, but we're also getting a lot more reports of the FBI and defense intelligence agents monitoring and harassing domestic protest participants and other persons of interest.

Why are we so worried about the Professor's knowledge and possible connections to the leader of Venezuela, a person that Department of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has branded as being like Hitler?

Well:
1) He has close relationships with the Communist Government (but aren't we in bed with Communist China? Shhh, go in the other room Johnny) of Fidel Castro, whose small island country is a clear threat to the United States.

2) Though popularly elected and even re-elected by a popular majority (at least he can say that) by his people, he refused to leave when the United States funded businessman's revolt failed.

3) He's nationalized parts of his nations oil companies and heavily taxed foreign oil operators working in Venezuela (just when US oil companies are burdened with record profits)

4) Worse, he's used the money earned from these oil revenues to provide national health care and subsidized food for the poor (imagine if that idea caught on in the US).

5) He's used oil revenues to offer loans to other countries in the region so they can reject funds from the World Bank and the IMF, loans that came with requirements that have lead to one of the worst economic declines that South America has ever seen.

6) He's given poor Americans along the East Coast subsidized prices on heating oil to help them through the winter (another idea we'd hate to have catch on).

7) He's invested in weapons systems to help prevent an attack supported by the country that tried to have him overthrown (the US). I guess China and Venezuela aren't supposed to invest in weapons, only the US is allowed to do that so they can preemptively attack other countries like Venezuela, Syria, and Iran.

I doubt Hugo Chavez is any angel. He's done some things that have angered a lot of people, but mostly the wealthy. Like purchasing and redistributing their large land holding to poor farmers. He's a true man of the people, and one of my favorite photos is of him and a bare breasted woman nursing a child while talking about food aid. Can you imagine what George Bush would do in front of such a natural sight?

There are reports of him contributing money for food and assistance to Afghanistan while under the control of the Taliban, but most of those reports come from right wing idealogues. There are reports that he has curtailed the media, but the media is mostly owned by Chaves opponents and constantly editorialize against him.

He has passed legislation to increase the country's Supreme Court, allowing him to pad the bench with supporters. There are also reports that he plans on lifting term limits for the presidency, allowing him to keep his position indefinitely.

It seems that the more President George Bush tries to bully foreign countries into following his directions, the more he unites those countries against the US. Ye ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=257 Sun, 12 Mar 2006 14:06:58 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=257#cmt Chicago Requires Driver's Ed for the Blind.
Most high school students eagerly await the day they pass driver's education class. But 16-year-old Mayra Ramirez is indifferent about it.

Ramirez is blind, yet she and dozens of other visually impaired sophomores in Chicago schools are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam in order to graduate — a rule they say takes time away from subjects they might actually use.

Granny told to remove hat in pub.
A granny has been told to take off her hat in a pub - because it posed a security risk. Betty Willbraham, 82, was told to take off her hat if she wanted to be served at the Hereward pub in Ely, Cambs. Staff insisted everyone in the pub is asked to remove their hats so their faces are visible to CCTV cameras in the event of trouble. Betty had popped in at lunchtime for a meal and half a pint of Guinness.

Stop for Directions Foils Alleged Thief
A man accused of stealing a car was arrested after stopping to ask for directions at the car owner's father's house, authorities said. Michael Chapman, 54, is accused of stealing a car on Wednesday morning in Hopedale, about 130 miles east of Columbus near the West Virginia state line. Chapman drove east for three miles, then pulled off state Route 151 needing directions to a nearby town. He stopped randomly at the home of Thomas Eltringham.

Turns out bank robbery isn't much of a joke.
A man wearing a ski mask walked into a bank and demanded money, then told tellers, “just kidding,” authorities said. The 20-year old man surrendered to police Monday night, said Sgt. Mark Hanson, a Williston police detective. The man was formally charged Tuesday. ]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=254 Fri, 10 Mar 2006 18:26:03 +0000 Friday Night Fun /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=254#cmt Today's Rant

I was looking at travel forums last night and ran across one about travel related photography. Ah ha, thinks I. I know a bit about that and maybe I can learn something too. So I register, then run down to introduce myself and add a few links to my work.

It didn't take long to get a condescending note back that my entry had been censored because I hadn't earned the right to post my link. The owner really wanted me to post my photos on his site so more people would go there to look. Silly, but his right and in the rules at the bottom of the page if I'd scrolled all the way down.

What I can't understand are political forums like Arianna Huffington's forum. A known conservative converted to far left liberalism, her articles regularly berate the Bush administration for civil liberty abuses but her site censors each article. A few unpopular articles get through, but you can see regular references to articles having been banned in previous columns. Each and every article is examined before it's allowed through, often requiring hours or a day to get posted if it is approved. This can be a real discussion killer as there is no real time conversation allowed. While I enjoyed the essays from a wide array of contributors, I've given up on getting anything of real value from the site. Only cheerleaders allowed.

The right is just as bad. Little Green Footballs and Free Republic are known as having a hair trigger when banning liberal trolls, who can even be moderates or RINOs (Republican In Name Only). Both sides purport to support the Great Democracy, yet seem to have a tenuous grasp on what it is that has made it great.

Today's News

Court: Bias has a price for Scouts
In a unanimous decision against a division of the Boy Scouts, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that groups receiving government subsidies may be required to pledge compliance with anti-bias policies - including those that protect atheists and homosexuals. Sacramento Bee

Education nominee hits snag
On the eve of confirmation hearings for his place on the California State Board of Education less than three weeks away, Alan Bersin is facing questions about expenditures from an educational fund he oversaw while superintendent of San Diego schools. Sacramento Bee

Coastal panel hears Pebble pitch
Supporters and critics of a controversial golf project on the scenic Monterey Peninsula did little Thursday to settle their differences, even after a long day of testimony by two celebrity developers and their opponents before the state Coastal Commission. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Honig, Quackenbush, Shelley, Davis - and now Rob Reiner?
Four statewide officials have been driven from office since 1993, and the common thread in all cases was the misuse of public funds. Sacramento Bee

Ortiz files for secretary of state race
State Sen. Deborah Ortiz on Thursday filed papers to launch her candidacy for secretary of state. Sacramento Bee

Ira Eisenberg: Will the real conservatives please stand up?
Like many of you, I have watched with growing alarm the ominous starboard tack of our ship of state under the command of President Bush. But when the debate over presidential power erupted following revelations that this administration has been secretly spying on Americans in violation of the Constitution and federal law, a troubling question occurred to me. Where have all the conservatives gone? SF Chronicle

Editorial: No Refuge. Help the kids, follow the law
If you asked the 86,000 foster children in California what laws their legislators have passed to help improve their lives, many of them would have no answer. SF Chronicle

Berkeley p ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=252 Fri, 10 Mar 2006 11:47:43 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=252#cmt Today's Rant

Off photo taking. There may or may not be an issue Friday.

Today's News

Exit exam option fails
The State Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to reject alternatives for "highly proficient" students who fail the California High School Exam, echoing state Superintendent Jack O'Connell's staunch support of the test. Sacramento Bee

Business boosts infrastructure plan
Business interests took their infrastructure game plan to the airways Wednesday, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce paying for a TV ad to tout Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's record and his proposal to revamp the state's highways, schools and levees. Sacramento Bee

Prop. 36 funding increase sought
With advocates claiming that 60,000 Californians will graduate from Proposition 36 programs by July, a Senate panel opens hearings today into requests to increase state funding for the initiative requiring treatment instead of prison for drug offenders. Sacramento Bee

Assembly GOP picks its leader
Assemblyman George Plescia was elected Assembly Republican leader without a dissenting vote Wednesday, replacing Kevin McCarthy, who is launching a bid for Congress. Sacramento Bee

Ludlow Pleads Guilty to Violating Campaign Law in '03 Council Race
Former Los Angeles City Councilman Martin Ludlow pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge that he conspired with the head of a school workers union to illegally funnel union funds into his 2003 council campaign. LA Times

Labor to Put Muscle Behind Angelides in Democratic Primary
The California Labor Federation vowed Wednesday to put its political forces to work for state Treasurer Phil Angelides in the Democratic primary for governor, but stopped short of pledging the sort of huge television ad campaign that unions waged last year against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. LA Times

Patt Morrison: Free-trade liberals are selling out
The econ wonks are right: Economic nationalism is bad for us. So why are Democrats going down that road? LA Times

Maybe Bush is angry because Chavez treats Americans better than Bush does.
Mark Weisbrot: Why are we so mean to Venezuela?
Hugo Chavez is winning popularity contests across Latin America.... The majority of the country now has access to free healthcare and subsidized food, and education spending has increased substantially. LA Times

Bilbray allowed his consultant title
Former Rep. Brian Bilbray won his legal battle to be called an “immigration reform consultant” on the 50th Congressional District special election ballot. SD Union-Tribune

Another Manager Bails.
Ellen Oppenheim officially jumped from the city of San Diego's teetering ship March 6, sending a letter of resignation to Mayor Jerry Sanders and the City Council.

IBA: Not the Time to Raise Taxes
The council's independent budget analyst praised a local think tank's study that showed San Diego is a low-revenue city, but suggested it not ask voters to raise fees and taxes. Voice of SD

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=251 Thu, 09 Mar 2006 09:08:12 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=251#cmt While I was in Pahrump last year taking photographs of Death Valley I ran across quite a bit of information on Yucca Mountain. One of the most interesting points to me was a list of items going into Yucca Mountain. Topping the list were depleted uranium (DU) containers, despite the fact that DU is supposed to be perfectly safe. I get the feeling that DU is about to become the new Agent Orange, with a much longer persistance rate.

Senator Barbara Boxer is wading in to this very hot (pun intended) controversy. Here's a press release from her.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Statement of Senator Barbara Boxer
Environment and Public Works Committee
Yucca Mountain Hearing

March 1, 2006

Mr. Chairman, protecting public health and safety should be the primary test in assessing nuclear waste disposal options. Yucca Mountain continues to fail that test.

The focus of the hearing today is the status of the Yucca Mountain project, including the establishment of radiation standards that will ensure that public health and the environment are protected.

EPA’s first effort to establish radiation standards was largely struck down by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals for failing to comply with National Academy of Sciences recommendations.

EPA’s current proposal for radiation standards at Yucca Mountain has yet to be finalized, but it has drawn criticism from an expert on nuclear issues for failing to ensure that the public does not face unacceptable cancer risks.

Technical problems with the Yucca Mountain project continue to raise red flags.

A January 2006 order from the Department of Energy (DOE) has stopped all work on the repository because of quality assurance problems. Whether the plan to address the problems is successful remains to be seen.

On February 9, 2006, the National Academy of Sciences called for DOE to further analyze and account for potential terrorist acts on the transportation of nuclear waste before large shipments take place. The National Academy of Sciences also called for, among other things, additional analysis of safety measures for high-intensity fires.

Clearly the potential risks associated with this project remain high. My longstanding concerns about this project have not been addressed.

My state of California is one of the most affected by the Yucca Mountain project, which is only 17 miles from the California border and Death Valley National Park.

Studies have shown that the groundwater under Yucca Mountain flows into Death Valley, one of the hottest and driest places on the earth. If radiation contaminates this groundwater, it could be the demise of the national park and the surrounding communities.

The threat posed by nuclear waste transport in California is also clear. Over 7.5 million people live within 1 mile of a possible nuclear transport route.

Yucca’s geology also remains a concern. Two active faults run through Yucca Mountain, though they do not cross the repository. Quakes of 5.6 and 4.4 on the Richter scale occurred in 1992 and 2002 just 12 miles away.

Strong science, good planning and public confidence must be part of any solution to the nuclear waste disposal problem. We have not achieved this at Yucca Mountain.

A nuclear waste repository poses dangers that have no parallel in human history. We must not short-circuit the vital scientific and public processes needed to address these dangers. No nuclear waste disposal project should move forward until health and safety of the public are assured.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=247 Wed, 08 Mar 2006 20:00:20 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=247#cmt Today's Rant

 

Today's News

New boss for Prop. 82 drive
Previous manager was casualty of uproar over preschool ad campaign. LOS ANGELES - The campaign manager for Proposition 82, the universal preschool initiative on the June 6 ballot, is stepping aside from his position amid a growing controversy about tax dollars spent on ads supporting preschool. Sacramento Bee

Private land for levees?
The state of California could move to seize private land to repair eroding levees under the authority of a recent emergency declaration, a revelation that worries some observers. Sacramento Bee

Plescia set to assume Assembly GOP helm
Assemblyman George Plescia is expected to be named Assembly Republican leader today to guide his 32-member caucus through touchy negotiations on a controversial state budget and the upcoming legislative election. Sacramento Bee

David Ignatius: Global warming heats up
The warnings are coming from frogs and beetles, from melting ice and changing ocean currents, and from scientists and responsible politicians around the world. And yet what is the U.S. government doing about global warming? The answer, essentially, is nothing. That should shock the conscience of American citizens. Sacramento Bee

East Bay parks agency to use eminent domain at shore.
East Bay Regional Park District directors voted unanimously Tuesday to use eminent domain to acquire 218 acres on the Richmond shoreline from a developer. SF Chronicle

Talks fail over voting machines.
City lacks contract with Oakland firm for June primary. An Oakland manufacturer of voting machines will not administer the June primary in San Francisco because contract talks broke down Tuesday. SF Chronicle

Schools measure proposed.
Administrator wants to ask voters for $435 million. Randy Ward, state administrator of the Oakland public schools, wants to place a $435 million bond measure on the June ballot to pay for school building improvements and construction, he announced Tuesday evening. SF Chronicle

S.J. toughens lobbyist disclosure rules; some say not enough
It will no longer be enough for lobbyists in San Jose to report that they're raising money for a candidate for office. They'll have to disclose whom they approached and how much they raised. SJ Mercury

Laborers get a way to combat cheaters.
The city of Santa Cruz, which often takes controversial approaches to social issues, has now established what is believed to be the nation's first hotline for day laborers -- most of whom are undocumented -- to report unscrupulous employers. SJ Mercury

Angelides Draws Scrutiny as Well as Support
Political insiders are asking if the candidate is being aggressive enough to fend off Steve Westly as the two vie for the Democratic nod in June. LA Times

Anyone who has been reading my posts for a while know that I believe that sunspot activity has at least some influence on our weather. At least a period without any sunspots was said to have caused a mini-ice age.

While probably not up there with carbon dioxide gases and methane in influence, I've noticed what looks like a corelation between the approximate 11 year solar cylce and storm events on the west coast.

There's a new report just issued by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (disclaimer, I was an employee there for a short term. I was what was then called a 'Tape Ape') explains the results of new modeling to predict sunspot activity for up to the next 22 years.

The next sunspot cycle will be 30-50% stronger than the last one and begin as much as a year late, according to a breakthrough forecast using a computer model of solar dynamics developed by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Predicting the Sun's cycles accurately, years in advance, will help societies plan for active bouts of solar storms, which can slow satellite orbits, disrupt communications, and bring down power systems.

The scientists have confidence in the forecast because, in a series of test runs, the newly developed model simulated the strength of the past eight solar cycles with more than 98% accuracy. The forecasts are generated, in part, by tracking the subsurface movements of the sunspot remnants of the previous two solar cycles. The team is publishing its forecast in the current issue of Geophysical Research Letters.

The Sun goes through approximately 11-year cycles, from peak storm activity to quiet and back again. Solar scientists have tracked them for some time without being able to predict their relative intensity or timing.

note: I believe the image was courtesy NOAA's SOHO satellite

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=245 Tue, 07 Mar 2006 15:45:16 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=245#cmt Today's Rant

Old age, the only federal term limit. The retirement of Kern County congressman Bill Thomas was quite a blow to area residents. His influence as head of the House Ways and Means Committee has brought a lot of influence to bear concerning Central Valley issues. Last year he was able to direct $726 million in highway funds he secured to Kern County in the transportation funding bill, which was was a third of all the money Congress earmarked for California. This in despite of the fact Kern County only has about two percent of the state's population.

The Ways and Means Committee isn't as powerful as the purse strings focused Appropriations Committee, but it has much more than most other committees. We're seeing the results of its work in the new Medicare Drug Coverage with its questionable benefits to seniors but a real boon to pharmaceuticals.

With incumbents locked in by gerrymandering and corporate donations, there's very little chance of a politician being thrown out of office for questionable ethics or just because it's time for new blood. In fact the only blood will be that flying during the fight to replace Thomas as chair.

I had a friend that recently tried to obtain appointments with his representatives in Washington. He owns a small business, supposedly the backbone of our economy. Not only could he not get an appointment with the officials or any of their staff, most of them wouldn't even return his phone calls.

Perhaps if a few of the older politicians were thrown out, the newer politicians would remember just who it is they're representing in office. And a hint, it's not the corporate donors or K Street lobbyists.

Today's News

Democrats put heat on governor
The Legislature's two leading Democrats called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday to pressure his Republican colleagues in the Assembly if he wants to get an infrastructure bond plan on the June 6 ballot. Sacramento Bee

Rep. Thomas vows to retire next year
WASHINGTON - Bakersfield Republican William Thomas on Monday announced he would retire next January, leaving a big hole in the clout, though maybe not the heart, of the California congressional delegation. Sacramento Bee

Preschool ballot measure leads early
Most Californians haven't heard about the universal preschool initiative on the June ballot, but more than half of likely voters say they're inclined to support it, according to a Field Poll released Monday. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: California will lose a chunk of its hard-won congressional clout
California surpassed New York to become the most populous state four decades ago. As its population doubled thereafter, it acquired not only the nation's largest congressional delegation (53 seats) but the largest any state has ever had. Sacramento Bee

Man's death sentence reversed
SAN FRANCISCO - The California Supreme Court reversed a death sentence on Monday because the jury may have been biased by an Orange County judge's failure to exhibit "the patience, dignity and courtesy that is expected of all judges." Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Delgadillo's sin: Helping lure Wal-Mart to L.A.
The two leading Democratic candidates for attorney general are accusing each other of being too nice to Wal-Mart. That's to be expected these days from Democrats, since bashing the giant retailer seems to be a requirement for party membership.Sacramento Bee

Editorial: A search for truth
THE U.S. ARMY has conducted four investigations into the death of Cpl. Pat Tillman, and questions still persist about what really happened to him in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. SF Chronicle

Editorial: Rep. Bill Thomas announced Monday that he will not run for re-election. He is ending a 28-year career and has become one of the most powerful members of Congress.

The congressman was first elected in Nov. 1978. Thomas represents California's 22nd Congressional District which covers most of Kern and San Luis Obispo Counties and part of Los Angeles County

He was elected Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in January 2001.

Thomas wouldn't say whether or not he would take another Washington job. (I'll) “take a look at what's available.” Some have guessed that Thomas might either take an administration post or become a lobbyist.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=243 Mon, 06 Mar 2006 17:27:46 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=243#cmt Today's Rant

I just talked with the Public Relations office at Vandenberg AFB. There's an aircraft based rocket launch on March 17, and a Minuteman III April 7, 2006. All dates are tentative and subject to change.

The airman I talked to said neither event is going to be a major viewing event, but there should be some Delta rocket launches later in 2006. These are the more impressive launches that can be viewed along the coast. We'll keep our eyes open for these.

We try to keep a schedule and news posted on our Rockets Page, but if you think we've missed something let us know.

Today's News

Teens with disabilities enjoy last-ditch reprieve. A collective sigh of relief swept the state on Jan. 30 when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill freeing students with disabilities from having to pass the California High School Exit Exam this year. Sacramento Bee

Concerns mount over higher rates on student loans. The Republican-led Congress and President Bush are facing growing anger on college campuses as students and their parents prepare to pay higher borrowing costs because of new changes to federal student loan programs.

Congress narrowly passed a deficit-reduction bill last month that cut $12 billion from student loan programs, which was signed by the president. The new law will slash subsidies to lenders and raise interest rates on loans taken out by parents. SF Chronicle

Dan Walters: Highways vs. transit - commute study adds fuel to debate. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $107 billion transportation improvement plan - nearly half of his $222 billion infrastructure scheme - is taking heat from left and right. Sacramento Bee

The Buzz: Ambitions revving up for GOP leader's seat. A fight to replace Assembly Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is raging full force, with six candidates jockeying for position, burning up the phone lines and twisting arms. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Bonds or bust? Legislature: Focus on flood control, schools The Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have until March 10 to agree on any bond proposals for voters to consider on the June ballot. Sacramento Bee

Have some leisure time? Fight your parking ticket. You can still fight City Hall -- but you'd better be willing to find a seat and bring a cushion. Thanks to a combination of staff shortages and higher ticket fines, San Francisco is experiencing a six-month backlog. SF Chronicle

Hundreds of bridges still need quake fix. State says it doesn't have money, despite hefty federal match. Nearly 550 bridges, many in Northern California, could collapse in a major earthquake because the state has stopped contributing to a program paid largely by the federal government to reinforce them. SF Chronicle

Schwarzenegger vows to get bond measures on ballot. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed resolve on Sunday to close a deal this week with legislators to bring his massive infrastructure bond measures before voters in June, saying that both sides should "stay in the Capitol ... until the deal is done." SF Chronicle

Editorial:

Bike Band Sticker Causes Bomb Scare. Authorities shut down four buildings at Ohio University after a police officer noticed a sticker that said "this bike is a pipe bomb" before finding out the message was the name of a punk rock band, a university spokesman said.

Police noticed the sticker on a bicycle early Thursday, then blocked streets around a university-owned restaurant where it was found, spokesman Jack Jeffery said. A bomb squad came from Columbus, about 65 miles away. SF Chronicle

Feisty Rooster Rules Punta Gorda City Hall. A rooster, believed to be an orphan of Hurricane Charley, now rules the roost at Punta Gorda city hall. The feisty copper-colored fowl has interrupted city meetings and prompted neighbors to call animal control after he woke them at 5 a.m.

But mostly he's won the hearts of city employees. Washington Post

Robber Beaten by Beauty Students Sentenced. It seemed like a good idea, but all robbing a beauty school got Jared Gipson was the beating of a lifetime and 25 years in prison.

When he tried to hold up Blalock's Beauty College last June, the would-be victims attacked Gipson, pummeling him with curling irons, hair dryers, a table leg and their own fists. He had to be taken to the hospital and had 21 cuts stitched up. Washington Post

City battles invasion of the tree-snatchers. In the dead of night, shadowy figures armed with axes, drills and poison are leaving a trail of death around Sydney's wealthiest suburbs.

Their victims are trees, and the perpetrators are property-obsessed Sydney homeowners seeking to increase the value of their land by adding or improving views of the city's world-famous harbor and beaches. Yahoo News

Living dead win Oddest Book Title award. Bookseller magazine gave the award Friday to a self-help book on being haunted entitled "People Who Don't Know They're Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It." Yahoo News

Woman enters exhibit, elephant smacks her. A 25-year-old woman climbed past barriers and into an elephant's zoo exhibit, then crawled out with minor injuries after the 6,000-pound animal smacked her with its trunk.

"That's how an elephant reacts to something they would perceive as a threat," said Cameron Park Zoo director Jim Fleshman. SJ Mercury

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=238 Fri, 03 Mar 2006 19:47:26 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=238#cmt Today's Rant

 

Todays News

Off with their heads.
Field Poll: Poll finds steady support for death penalty. Support for the death penalty remains high among Californians, with those favoring capital punishment outnumbering opponents by a 2-1 margin, according to a Field Poll scheduled for release today.

In the wake of two recent executions, support neither rose nor fell much from levels reported by the polling organization since 2000. Sacramento Bee

I'm surprised they didn't just buy LA
Wal-Mart a campaign issue Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, who is battling Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown for the Democratic nomination for state attorney general, expressed regrets Thursday about his role in recruiting Wal-Mart to Los Angeles. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Population growth underscores urgency of infrastructure projects
It's still very uncertain whether Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislators will agree on some version of the governor's 10-year infrastructure improvement plan. Sacramento Bee

Head of House military panel opposes ports deal. Republican chairman pledges legislation to prevent Dubai's acquisitions in U.S. The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Thursday that "Dubai cannot be trusted" to manage U.S. ports because of what he called its long record of assisting in the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine (San Diego County), promised after a hearing to reverse a $6.8 billion ports deal expected to be completed soon. SF Chronicle

Tell me again why they call it a border?
Immigrant dilemma divides senators. Judiciary panel begins tough debate on future of border. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., indicated she remains opposed to Bush's guest worker plan because it might attract more illegal migrants.

The Western Governors' Association unanimously adopted a resolution this week urging a guest worker program, and governors met with Bush privately to press their concerns. SF Chronicle

Editorial: Let the fountains flow One of the surest indicators of a great city, or even a great civilization, is fountains that work. And one of the surest indicators of their decline is when their fountains crumble, and get used as trash receptacles or as rest stops by pigeons.

That's what so disturbing about the perpetually dry fountain in the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, slap in the middle of Berkeley's downtown. SF Chronicle

Jill Stewart: Will state school board stand tough? As tough as I've been on former Gov. Gray Davis, I've taken pains to single out his remarkable efforts to fix the public schools and their disastrous teaching methods, even in the face of intense opposition by labor unions and his own California Democratic Party.

With Davis gone, leading Democrats in Sacramento are shamefully gearing up for another major assault to roll back public-school reform. And it's not at all clear that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is as focused as Davis was on stopping them. SF Chronicle

Hey, it's not like it's their money.
San Jose loses rounds in court. < ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=237 Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:36:55 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=237#cmt Today's Rant

Public Citizens Clean Up Washington web site has put together an article on Representative John Doolittle. Included in the topics are:

1. Is under investigation by the Justice Department for his ties to Jack Abramoff.
2. Steered defense appropriations for technology the military did not request to a major campaign contributor.
3. Took action supporting Jack Abramoff tribal clients that contradicted his “anti-gaming position,” while taking
4. Tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Abramoff and his clients.
5. Took action supported by two lobbying firms that employed his wife.
6. Short-circuited an FDIC investigation into the primary owner of a failed S&L that cost taxpayers billions:

I'd ask his office for their response to these accusations, but of course they don't accept email from anyone outside their district. A policy that has often annoyed me as these representatives hold positions that affect voters nationwide.

Today's News

No-confidence vote on electronic system
Dan Ashby's button asked, "Who did your voting machine vote for?" Michelle Gabriel held a sign accusing Secretary of State Bruce McPherson of flip-flopping on voting security procedures. Sacramento Bee

Lungren holds a spirited forum
Rep. Dan Lungren spoke on topics ranging from flood control to port control during a spirited town hall meeting last week in Carmichael.

Some audience members were skeptical and others supportive of the Bush administration during the meeting attended by about 100 citizens. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Al-Qaida vs. El Niño. Here, homeland security means levee fixes. One hourlong aerial tour of Northern California river levees was enough for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The governor, who was joined in the helicopter by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, saw some of the 24 critical weaknesses that have been identified along Northern California levees, most of them along the Sacramento River. At the current pace of maintenance, it will take about four years just to patch up these known weaknesses. Sacramento Bee

Lawmaker collected fee from firm his bill could aid. L.A. Dem denies work for Anschutz's company improper. One of the nation's largest owners of professional sports and entertainment properties paid $20,000 in consulting fees to a state senator while the lawmaker pushed legislation aimed at providing more public assistance in financing such venues, records show.

Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Los Angeles, said the December payment from Anschutz Entertainment Group was for legal services unrelated to his bill. SF Chronicle

Governor reveals eclectic gifts from '05. 'Terminator Dog' statue, chopsticks, chocolates, cigars. A bottle of booze shaped like the Kremlin. An 18-inch steel statue dubbed "Terminator Dog.'' A 14th century Armenian Bible. SF Chronicle

Cops jolted into new reality. Amid heated calls to stem violence with more officers, mayor and chief pitch task force to snuff out hot spots. She shook as she recalled being put on hold by a 9-1-1 operator as she frantically tried to get to her car and away from the young teenagers threatening to open fire. Oakland Tribune

Gov.'s Race Shows Deep Pockets. Financial disclosure forms filed by incumbent and two Democratic rivals reveal millions that can be tapped for campaign. Three millionaires running for governor disclosed Wednesday that they have far-flung investments in high-end hedge and venture capital funds, real estate and stock — money that may end up helping to finance their political campaigns.
..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=235 Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:19:03 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=235#cmt Field Poll: Public works projects backed
Voters strongly back Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plans to rebuild California's public infrastructure - even if they remain lukewarm on the governor himself, according to a Field Poll released Tuesday.

By a 56 percent to 27 percent margin, voters are embracing the $222 billion package of public works projects Schwarzenegger proposed in his State of the State address earlier this year. Sacramento Bee

Perata changes mind on Prop. 82
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, one of the state's leading Democrats, on Tuesday withdrew his support for a universal preschool ballot proposal in another blow to actor Rob Reiner's initiative.

Perata, at a breakfast meeting with The Bee Capitol Bureau, said his reversal on Proposition 82 was unrelated to mounting criticism of Reiner's dual leadership roles with the First 5 California Commission and the political campaign to pass the $2.4 billion initiative. Sacramento Bee

Bigger levee bond urged Failing to get U.S. pledge of help, governor wants voters to approve the full $6 billion. Arnold Schwarzenegger, after lobbying the White House without immediate success Tuesday for help in fixing Central California levees, proposed asking voters to approve $6 billion for repairs rather than wait for federal help.

Schwarzenegger originally had proposed a state bond package that included raising $2.5 billion for flood control over 10 years. That plan would have relied on another $3 billion from the federal government and $500 million from local governments. In a letter late Tuesday to Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, he proposed that the state front the full $6 billion cost. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: AWOL: Prison reform Governor gives in to legislative gridlock. Prison reform in California is in its death throes, a casualty of election-year politics and powerful interests in Sacramento. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: McPherson's choice In certifying the controversial Diebold voting system with conditions last month, California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson moved too slowly but finally did the only responsible thing he could do. San Diego County is set to hold a special congressional election April 10. The June primary is fast approaching when every county must have a state-certified voting system in place. Local elections officials were beginning to panic. Sacramento Bee

Bill would make corporations get shareholder OK for political donations. Measure mirrors failed tactic that focused on unions. SF Chronicle

Editorial: Breakthrough in foster care. At a news conference held by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Assemblywoman Karen Bass, D-Baldwin Vista (Los Angeles County), at the state Capitol on Tuesday, there was no sign of the benign neglect that has left California with a fractured and inconsistent foster-care system. SF Chronicle

Sales tax hike headed to Santa Clara County voters. Santa Clara County voters will be asked to approve a half-cent sales tax increase on June 6 after the board of supervisors decided Tuesday night to place the measure on the ballot.

The supervisors said they had made no decision on whether they would use the money to help rescue the financially troubled BART extension to Silicon Valley, but business and labor leaders who lobbied the board expect a portion of the money to go to BART and other transportation projects. SJ Mercury

Senator ties Guard to spy plan. A special California National Guard unit that was disbanded last year amid suspicion it was engaged in domestic spying may have been part of a nationwide effort to monitor the activities of U.S. citizens, a state senator charged Tuesda ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=233 Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:02:55 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=233#cmt Just out in The Sacramento Bee. Who thinks this story will make the evening national news?

An FBI informant repeatedly pushed a terror suspect to attend an al-Qaida camp while he was in Pakistan, at one point yelling at him in a telephone conversation: "Be a man -- do something!"

The suspect, 23-year-old Hamid Hayat of Lodi, is charged with lying to federal investigators about attending the camp and is standing trial in U.S. District Court in Sacramento. Transcripts of secretly recorded telephone conversations between Hayat and the informant were read to jurors Tuesday.

Update: This story didn't even make it to morning intact. The original story was:

Tapes: FBI informant pushed Lodi terror suspect on camps

it's now

FBI informant says Hayat talked of militants in U.S.

However, there is an Associated Press report that uses portions of this story.

Tapes show informant pushed terror suspect about attending camps.

Mistake, or a headline that wasn't politically correct?

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=232 Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:14:22 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=232#cmt Dan Walters: Highway program moves ever closer to pork barrel politics
Anyone who's familiar with private land development and public transportation construction knows that the two are intrinsically connected and their symbiosis creates greater potential for political chicanery.

As California embarked on its massive and historic expansion of its highway system after World War II, it wisely maintained layers of political insulation on where and when the projects could be built. Gasoline taxes, the primary source of construction funds, were held in a special, constitutionally created fund that could not be tapped for other purposes. And while politicians could press for particular projects, and often did, final decisions on which were built were largely left to professional highway engineers and the State Highway Commission. Sacramento Bee

Troubled Corrections loses its boss California's corrections chief Rod Hickman shocked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration over the weekend by announcing that he is quitting his job.

Hickman informed the administration Saturday that he was stepping down as secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after a tenure that corresponded almost to the day with Schwarzenegger's November 2003 inauguration as governor. Sacramento Bee

Border protections imperil environment. Last wilderness area south of San Diego could be damaged. One of the last stops before you hit the Pacific Ocean on the American side of the U.S.-Mexico border is the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Here, amid watery grasslands bordered by bright yellow bush sunflowers and pale, feathery deerweed, snowy egrets dash their beaks into the shallow waters -- just one of more than 350 species of birds that use the estuary as a nesting and breeding ground. Twenty kinds of fish also live in these waters, as do a plethora of endangered species. SF Chronicle

Reiner takes leave from commission on children. Film director at center of flap over use of public funds. Director Rob Reiner has taken a leave as chairman of a state children's commission amid concerns that it may have improperly spent public funds to promote the universal preschool campaign he is heading.

In a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Friday, Reiner said he would step down from the First 5 California Children and Families Commission until after the June election on Proposition 82 "to avoid any political distractions." SF Chronicle

Fire Victims Feel Burned by Lawmakers Tied to Insurers Karen Reimus' San Diego house was obliterated by the 2003 wildfires, leaving nothing recognizable except a charred jogging stroller and her daughter's burned bicycle.

Yet her insurer insisted that she catalog each of her family's destroyed personal items — down to pens and tampons — if she wanted to be reimbursed.LA Times

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=231 Mon, 27 Feb 2006 11:49:42 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=231#cmt Customer service, long on life support, ended it's battle for life today.

It had been waning for a while. You've heard the whispered rumours. I'm sure you've seen the signs. First not being able to find a clerk. Then it was long lines at check-out, moving to the self help check-out counters that always seem to break down and leave you waiting for help, taking four times as long to finish.

I recently went in to a Home Depot to get a post. I tried the self checkout, even though I've never had much luck with them. The printer ran out of paper and the register showed a system malfunction on the screen. I finally got the attention of the clerk that's supposed to be overseeing the registers. She made a call to someone not even in the area, then she and her chat group scrambled to leave the area. Several minutes later a clerk finally showed up to replace the roll.

As customer service has worsened over the last few years, it has gotten very grouchy. How many times have you had store clerks try to run you over with a cart, you're very presence in the store an annoyance. "Go away" they seem to say. "We don't want you here. Go shop on-line".

Then there was the new commercial for a Citibank card where you can call and talk to a live person. Imagine that. Actual customer service. Of course, you've got to give up all the other perks like frequent flyer miles and rebate points. Costly, alive by artificial means, but there was a glimmer of hope.

Today while out on a business trip I stopped by a store called Belk to get a shirt. A $40 dollar dress shirt? No problem. Try it on? Absolutely not. We'll measure you. But they couldn't even get that little bit of customer service right and now I get to return the shirt, hope for a real human, beg for mercy. Their website says their mission is " Belk stores want their customers to have a feeling of confidence that they will receive honest and fair treatment", of course, nothing about feeling well taken care of.

There was a report today of an undercover investigation by a CBS news crew. They went in to 38 Miami-Dade and Broward county police stations and asked for forms to file a complaint against an officer. 35 stations refused to give the undercover reporter a form and several officers threatened the reporter. I guess customer service isn't only dead there, but is deadly too.

 

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=230 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:30:27 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=230#cmt Kiss Sends Man to Prison - for Life. It may have been a borderline call, but it was still a third strike. The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a ruling that sent Nicholas Meyrovich to life in prison under a 2001 three-strikes law. Meyrovich got his third strike, a felony sex offense, for delivering an unwanted kiss.

Meyrovich, in his appeal, claimed that a life sentence for the kiss violated the Oregon Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Meyrovich, 60, an exterminator, was inspecting the home of a Salem woman in October 2003 when he suddenly grabbed her and kissed her. The woman pushed Meyrovich away, but he took hold of her again and sucked her on the neck, stopping when a neighbor walked in. SF Chronicle
Ed. just as a side note, I know a two timer that threated someone with a sawed-off shotgun while using meth, and he got 6 months.

Must've been lunch time.
Student cited after honking at police A college student has been given a lesson from a judge after his day in court - don't correct the police. Clay Palmer, a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, honked his car horn when he saw police stop their patrol car, turn on blue flashers to go through a red light and then turn the flashers off. He got a ticket for violating the city noise ordinance. SJ Mercury

Unhappy drug buyer seeks German police help. Cops charge man, 52, with possession of ‘bad marijuana'. A 52-year-old man from the German town of Darmstadt tried in vain to get a refund for 400 euros (about $475) worth of what he said was “bad marijuana” from his dealer before turning to the police for help, according to authorities. MSNBC

Man gets 3 years in newlywed carjacking. San Mateo, Calif. - A man accused of carjacking a newlywed couple with the bride in her wedding dress still in the vehicle was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading no contest to charges Tuesday.

Alan Ticas-Soto, 22, initially pleaded not guilty on Nov. 29 to one count of carjacking and one count of being under the influence of a controlled substance, but changed it to a plea of no contest, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. Miami Herald

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=229 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 23:11:25 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=229#cmt Doolittle to run for ninth term in Congress Struggling to climb out from under what he described as "a million dollars' worth of negative publicity" related to the Jack Abramoff scandal, Rep. John Doolittle surrounded himself with dozens of local elected public officials Thursday to announce his bid for a ninth term in Congress.

The 55-year-old Roseville Republican laid out for the cheering crowd gathered at a privately owned Auburn Airport hangar the basic tenets of his conservative political philosophy, then said those beliefs are why he is under attack. Sacramento Bee

Environmentalists attack bond plan Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $222 billion infrastructure plan came under attack Thursday from one of his chief political opponents and from environmental groups for what they said are its failures to direct more money to public transportation, parks and open-space projects.

State Treasurer Phil Angelides, a Democratic candidate for governor, criticized Schwarzenegger's plan as promoting sprawl, shortchanging mass transit, locking out public investments in open space, failing to promote conservation and underfunding efforts to clean up air pollution linked to port traffic.Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Next crisis: Health care for retired public workers For decades, California's state and local governments have been promising their workers health insurance in retirement. But those same governments have never set aside money to pay for these benefits or even bothered to tally up how much that promise might cost future taxpayers. Sacramento Bee

Mayors look for housing money. S.F., San Jose and L.A. top officials visit the Capitol. As lawmakers and the governor try to forge agreement on a multibillion-dollar infrastructure bond to put before voters, the mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles joined forces Wednesday to ask that the plan include money for affordable housing.

"We have an affordable housing crisis in the state of California. It's particularly acute in the San Francisco Bay Area," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said in Sacramento. "We have a responsibility, moral and otherwise, to do something about it.''

He held a joint press conference in the Capitol with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and California's Democratic leaders in the Legislature, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez of Los Angeles and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata of Oakland. SF Chronicle

Oakland Mayor De La Fuente's debate plan is first dustup. Opponents not consulted; Dellums' side calls its 'sleazy'. Oakland mayoral candidate Ron Dellums' campaign, in the first controversy of the campaign, blasted rival Ignacio De La Fuente on Wednesday for distributing flyers announcing a debate that Dellums had not agreed to, calling it a sleazy tactic and an unfortunate effort to mislead voters.

The flyers appeared in recent days on doorsteps in the Temescal District, inviting residents to an "unscripted, unfiltered, unmoderated" March 4 debate at 7 p.m. at the Temescal Library. SF Chronicle

Pain of transportation tops council poll again. Infrastructure plans by state's leaders called a good thing. Bay Area motorists who have developed a nasty habit of pounding the steering wheel as they inch toward the Bay Bridge toll booths, creep along Highway 4 in the East Bay or endure any of the region's other chokepoints can rest assured. Theirs is not a unique affliction.

Transportation -- traffic, in particular -- is proving to be not only the Bay Area's largest problem but its most persistent obstacle, according to the annual poll by the Bay Area Council. The 2006 version of the poll, released today, rates transportation as the region's worst problem.

Again

SF Chronicle

Editorial: Beyond bilingual ed. Those multiple initiatives that California voters have approved with s ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=228 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 08:48:43 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=228#cmt Today's Rant

Just a thought. I keep hearing how the economy is doing so well, but then I keep meeting past white collar employees now working at Home Depot and Target.

Are we as a country doing well? Or is American business doing well from it's moving operations off shore while consumers at home continue to take out ever larger mortgages to make up for an income loss created when they had to take lower paying jobs?

Americans' net worth grew between 2001 and 2004, but not nearly as strongly as it did between 1998 and 2001, according to the Federal Reserve's triennial Survey of Consumer Finances released today.

Why? While household assets increased largely due to increased home ownership and higher housing prices, debts – especially home debt -- rose considerably more. What happens now that the housing market is slowing? The new Fed Chairman plans to continue rate raises, which will put even more pressure on home mortgage rates.

Certainly we're not going to see a booming Silicon Valley like the 90's, but was that just an unusual time? Are we doing well, and all the doom and gloom speak just Democrats hoping to replace their Republican counterparts on "It's the economy,stupid"?

Feel free to stop by the blog and let me know what you think.

Today's News

State budget windfall likely But the $11 billion should be used only to cut deficit, build reserve, analyst says. California residents and businesses are doing so well financially that the state is likely to collect about $2.3 billion more in tax revenue than Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger predicted when he released his budget in January, the Legislature's nonpartisan budget adviser said Wednesday.

But in her analysis of the governor's proposed budget, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill cautioned that lawmakers should refrain from spending the extra money on anything but reducing the state's deficit and creating a reserve fund in case the economy sours. Sacramento Bee

Reform at top of UC vowed
Top University of California administrators will be fired if they knowingly violated policy by paying out secret executive severance packages or other compensation deals.

That was one of the promises Gerald Parsky, chairman of the UC Board of Regents, made Wednesday during a Senate Education Committee hearing on the UC pay scandal. Sacramento Bee

Court backs state in ad fight
California can use part of the tobacco tax money it collects to bankroll its aggressive anti-smoking advertising campaigns, the U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Next crisis: Health care for retired public workers
For decades, California's state and local governments have been promising their workers health insurance in retirement. But those same governments have never set aside money to pay for these benefits or even bothered to tally up how much that promise might cost future taxpayers. Sacramento Bee

Sheriff to retire after decades of service
Alameda County Sheriff Charles C. Plummer, who has led the 1,600-person department for two decades, informed his staff Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in June and will retire in January.

Plummer made his decision public at a meeting with the department's top brass, telling about 50 people that his retirement will become effective at 12:01 p.m. Jan. 3 — the end of his fifth term. Oakland Tribune

Bush insists outsourcing to India has its benefits. To people in Silicon Valley and around the country concerned about the outsourcing of jobs to India, President Bush on Wednesday offered something to make the practice more palatable.

Pizza.

It's just one of the U.S. products that India's rapidly growing middle class is developing an appetite for, Bush said in ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=227 Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:17:54 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=227#cmt Today's Rant

 

Today's News

The Halliburton Model. After all, that's worked so well.
State's bid process on review. The governor favors a "design-build" plan he says would save time and money.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to spend $105 billion on roads and highways over the next 10 years, unfettered by what some consider to be the Holy Grail of public works projects - competitive bidding.

Instead of letting out contracts to the lowest qualified bidder, Schwarzenegger's transportation plan envisions the projects being awarded under the auspices of "design-build," the buzz-concept now sweeping the Capitol that supporters praise as getting projects finished more quickly and giving taxpayers better long-term value for their money.

Pursuit of cash outlives defeat. Voters rejected a redistricting plan last year, but its opponents are still trying to pay off loan. Sacramento Bee

California lawmakers are still pouring money into a campaign to defeat redistricting reform, four months after voters supposedly resolved the matter.

This is one fight where the checkbooks remain open even if the polls are closed.

With San Joaquin Valley Democratic congressmen helping lead the charge, a committee originally organized to defeat last year's Proposition 77 has raised more than $1.2 million this year. The money has come in big chunks, like the $10,000 each given by Democratic Reps. Dennis Cardoza of Merced and Jim Costa of Fresno. Sacramento Bee

Bill opens flood debate It would require most Sacramentans to buy insurance coverage. Virtually every Sacramento home or business owner, and hundreds of thousands statewide, would be required to buy federal flood insurance under a new legislative proposal. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: State has used Enron-style accounting tricks to cover its deficits The allegations against former Enron Corp. chairman Kenneth Lay and others involved in corporate scandals, such as WorldCom, generally revolve about creative accounting - hiding liabilities, inflating revenues and assets, etc. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Breaking free from employer-managed health care Imagine for a moment that your employer was required by law to buy a plan to manage your nutrition needs - rather than simply paying you a wage, out of which you buy the food you want to eat. Sacramento Bee

Momentum shifts back to governor. Democrats failing to inspire 'fire in the belly' of supporters. Democratic Treasurer Phil Angelides arrived in San Francisco last week with family and supporters to formally kick off his run for California governor -- again. The candidate showed up in the Democratic bastion to herald his big moment -- taking out petition papers at City Hall. The problem: Just two reporters were there to watch. SF Chronicle

Editorial The value of family ties. To Grandmother's house these foster children went, and on Wednesday, to the governor's steps they rallied.

More than 300 grandparents and grandchildren with bright yellow T-shirts that read "We care for our kin" gathered for a rally and later attended the second in a series of public hearings held by Assemblywoman Karen Bass, D-Baldwin Vista (Los Angeles County), and her Select Committee on Foster Care.

One by one, they sat in front of a microphone and shared their stories with the committ ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=225 Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:26:47 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=225#cmt Today's Rant
Pension funds raided, Medicare in trouble, retirement benefits being annulled. And so far the only plan being put forward is privatization of Social Security. Personally, I think Social Security is the least of our problems.

With the problems in the parts of the retirement benefits that are already in the private sector, I don't see any real future in moving the last refuge of retirement into the stock market. The only benefit I can see in this is in ensuring the stock market indexes keep rising, always used as an indication of economic health by ambitious politicians.

But government monitoring has done little to ensure pension fund liquidity. We find that current pensions aren't funded, companies are using loopholes to sue beneficiaries tying up funds for years while they stop making payments, the government continues to raid retirement programs, and the new Medicare program is costing California an extra $150 million, rather than saving $120 million.

Capping malpractice suits might help in that doctors won't order as many CYA tests, certainly a large part of what's driving up health care costs. Universally defining 'lifetime' as used in 'lifetime benefits' would be a help too. Who would think that lifetime benefits would mean lifetime of the contract, not of the beneficiary. But some state courts allow companies to use this loophole to cancel benefits just when they're need the most.

Finally, and probably most unpopular, we need to ensure that priorities for health care go to our children, not those that are terminally ill. We'll need our children to pay for all those benefits. If anything is left when we're done.

Today's News

Defense tries to clear air on clemency plea. Lawyers representing condemned inmate Michael Angelo Morales embarked on a damage-control campaign Thursday - three days after they attracted national publicity by withdrawing clemency documents that may have been forged.

In a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Web logs and an invitation to a press conference this afternoon at San Quentin State Prison, the lawyers tried to shift the attention away from themselves and onto their client, repeating contentions that Morales was framed and "has had nothing to do" with the suspected forgeries by a defense investigator. Sacramento Bee

Angelides' clean dream. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful unveils plan to cut state's oil use by 25 percent. Vowing to be "pro-business and pro-environment," Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Phil Angelides unveiled a "Clean California" plan Thursday that seeks to cut the state's oil consumption by 25 percent over 10 years.

His ambitious proposal would change the type of cars Californians drive, the way their communities grow and the energy choices they can make. Sacramento Bee

CalPERS board votes to oppose pension bill. With little fanfare, trustees of the California Public Employees' Retirement System voted Thursday to oppose a revamped plan to overhaul public pensions across the state.

A constitutional amendment, proposed by Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Northridge, would give future state and local government workers both a guaranteed pension benefit and a voluntary, employer-matched 401(k)-style account. The defined benefits would be less generous than those offered today. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Twin reports refuel political angst over workers' compensation. Arnold Schwarzenegger's only noteworthy accomplishment as governor so far has been an overhaul of California's massive - and massively troubled - system of compensating workers for injuries and illnesses related to their jobs.

Two years ago, with momentum from his election still strong and backed by an employer-financed initiative campaign, Schwarzenegger bulldozed the Legislature into tightening up on benefits and medical treatments with the aim of reducing sky-high workers' c ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=224 Fri, 17 Feb 2006 13:55:50 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=224#cmt Thank goodness he won't be in pain as we kill him.
State OKs anesthesia expert at execution Trying to stay on track for an execution next week, state lawyers agreed Wednesday to place an anesthesia expert in the death chamber to verify that the condemned man, Michael Angelo Morales, has been rendered unconscious before he receives the potentially painful drugs that will kill him.

The lawyers' decision appears to satisfy conditions set by a federal judge for permitting the execution to proceed as scheduled at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Sacramento Bee

I'd like to target them all right.
Capitol targets sex offenders
Sexually violent predators in Texas are supervised constantly, followed with satellite tracking devices, given lie-detector tests and required to undergo intensive treatment. In Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, research by the California State Library also has found, more than 90 percent of the sexually violent predators complete therapy programs designed to treat their disorders.

But in California, only four of about 500 sexually violent predators have completed treatment in the past decade inside the Atascadero State Hospital, yet 54 nonetheless found ways to win release, and with only minimal supervision. Sacramento Bee

How about a bill that makes Cal-Trans work for their ridiculous wages?
GOP proposes relaxing rules on contracting
Assembly Republicans on Wednesday announced a package of bills that would relax state contracting practices and environmental regulations, and they said they wanted them considered as the Legislature debates Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to submit billions of dollars in public works bonds to voters this year. Sacramento Bee

You mean like Indians and BLM payments?
Editorial: Royal giveaway. Some get oil from federal lands for free. Webster's dictionary defines "addiction" as a "compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance."

President Bush rightly noted in his State of the Union speech that America is addicted to oil. What he didn't mention is the drug barons - large oil companies - are getting a very sweet deal when they extract oil from federal lands. In many cases, they pay no royalties to the federal Treasury, even when oil tops $70 a barrel. Sacramento Bee

Of course, this means gas prices will go up.
Requirement to add ethanol revoked. EPA frees state from mandate for fuel additive After nearly a decade of complaints and lawsuits from California political leaders and environmental groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday revoked a long-standing mandate that oil refiners put additives like ethanol into their clean-burning gasoline.

"This is great news for California,'' said San Francisco Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has led the battle with the EPA in trying to get rid of the requirement in California. "The announcement means that California refiners will finally be allowed to make gasoline that is cleaner burning than what they're making today." SF Chronicle

I'd rather learn how to make government better.
Editorial: How to make a disaster worse. With the100th anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake two months off, we'll likely hear that government up and down the tree is ready to handle a repeat.

If Hurricane Katrina is any guide, it's time to think again. Authorities from the local level all the way to Washington bungled the hurricane response, deepening a disaster for which there was ample warning, pinpoint plans, and a newly tooled Department of Homeland Security poised for action. The hurricane was a chance for the nation's brand-new domestic security system to shine, not founder. SF Chronicle

More college grads! Someone has to pay for my retirement.
Núñez: Get tougher on sex offenders. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez called Tuesday for a radical overhaul of how the state handles its highest-risk sex offenders, proposing that they be forced to undergo therapy before they can win release. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Vote-hungry politicos exploit posts for election-year publicity
This is an even-numbered year, which means it's an election year - one in which California voters will decide whether to keep Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor and fill a flock of other statewide, legislative, congressional and local offices. Sacramento Bee

GOP's activists accept a deal No longer fighting his endorsement, Republican conservative activists will settle for airing their opposition to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's bond, budget and minimum-wage proposals and raise questions about his judicial appointments at the upcoming GOP state convention. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Forests: Not for sale Sell off public lands for budget? Forget it. The Bush administration has sent the debate over the future of the national forests in a new and dangerous direction. Sacramento Bee

First jury is selected in Lodi terrorism case. Father, son accused of lying about stint at Pakistani camp Lawyers selected the first of two juries Tuesday in the case of a Lodi father and son accused of terrorism-related charges in U.S. District Court in Sacramento.

Hamid Hayat, 23, is accused of supporting terrorism when he allegedly attended a training camp in 2003 and 2004 in Pakistan. He is also charged with lying to FBI agents by denying going to the camp. SF Chronicle

The Chinese firewall Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco Systems -- are due to explain to Congress today why they aren't selling out to censorship in China. It should be a revealing performance.

Censorship should be anathema to these firms, built on the Internet's free flow of ideas, opinions and information. Instead, each has kneeled to Beijing to win a toehold in the biggest future market in the world. SF Chronicle

Angelides makes his run for governor a reality. There were no red construction paper hearts in sight when Phil Angelides strode up to the county elections office here on Tuesday. Nary a long-stemmed rose or a decadent dark chocolate to delight the senses.

But Angelides, the 52-year-old state Democratic treasurer, delivered voters his earnest version of a valentine as he filed paperwork to run for governor on the first possible day:

California, will you be mine?

Democratic primary voters will get to answer in June as they choose between Angelides, a former Sacramento developer, and state Controller Steve Westly, a onetime eBay executive from Atherton. Whoever emerges from that bruising battle will probably square off against Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November. SJ Mercury

Record Independent Campaign Spending Sparks Concern. Last year's Los Angeles city election set a record for independent expenditures by unions, corporations and individuals, for a total of $4.9 million spent outside the city's system of campaign finance limits, according to a study released Tuesday.

Organized labor accounted for 86% of the independent spending, including nearly $640,000 by the California Teacher's Assn. to support then-City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa for mayor, the city Ethics Commission review found. LA Times

Jedi Helps Democrats Strike Back. As they begin girding for November's midterm elections, Democrats are hoping that the Force will be with them — and they looked to a Jedi master Tuesday to ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=222 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 12:15:18 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=222#cmt Today's Rant

President Bill Clinton once said that the Republicans attacked him about the Lewinsky affair because they weren't getting anywhere on the issues. As long as they kept the affair in the headlines, Clinton couldn't push through his agenda.

I don't know if that's true, but the politics of personal attack has become a part of everyday life. And what happens at the federal level sooner or later trickles down to all the other layers.

Today's Sacramento Bee has an article concerning the attacks on Assemblyman Mark Leno. I have no doubt we're seeing the after affects of those strategies at council, mayoral, and into even family life.

Personal attacks aren't anything new. But the prevalence and acceptance of them are. We need to stop, look into our opponent's eyes, and debate on the issues. This win at all costs policy is going to make everyone a loser.

Today's News

Is there a better investment than our kids?
The Buzz: Governor's allies divided on preschool issue. While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking a duck so far on the preschool initiative on the June 6 ballot, several of his consultants and allies are not.

Richard Riordan, the governor's former secretary of education, and his wife, Nancy Daly Riordan, are among Proposition 82's leading supporters. Some of the big donors to the governor's campaigns - Robert and Elizabeth Lowe and Warren Hellman - are also lending their names to the campaign to tax high earners to pay for universal preschool. Sacramento Bee

Out of the goodness of his heart.
Doolittle defends helping Iowa tribe. When lobbyist Kevin Ring brought dissident members of Iowa's Meskwaki tribe to Rep. John Doolittle's office in early June 2003, it was a good bet that the Roseville Republican would be helpful.

Ring was a former staff aide to Doolittle and his employer then, lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was a friend of the congressman and at the pinnacle of his ill-fated power.

The letter Doolittle wrote to Interior Secretary Gale Norton a few days later pressed for elections that would end an escalating tribal dispute - just what Ring's clients wanted. Sacramento Bee

I'm right, you're wrong, end of discussion.
Dan Walters: Politics today: With minds made up, facts only confuse. Surveys of voters indicate that relatively few consider themselves to be true-blue liberals or red-blooded conservatives, and voter registration data prove that ever-fewer voters align themselves with either of the two major parties.

The largest single bloc of voters - not a majority, perhaps, but substantial, nonetheless - is, one might conclude, somewhere in the middle, conservative on some issues, liberal on others and agnostic on still others.

The ambivalence, and perhaps alienation, that many voters exhibit is, however, rarely reflected in the public discourse, which is dominated by the take-no-prisoners rhetoric of radio talkers, television pundits and media-mongering politicos, not to mention the high-volume screeds of single-purpose interest groups. Sacramento Bee

Nothing like a bridge out to focus attention.
Suddenly, infrastructure is hot. Governor's overhaul plan is getting good poll numbers as rivals offer their own versions.

He's pitched it to police chiefs in Palm Springs, school administrators in Monterey and business leaders in Los Angeles. He's campaigned for it next to freeways, in train stations and even on a levee in Rancho Cordova with 35,000 cubic feet of the American River rushing past him every second.

Generating buzz and passion, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is all in, and then some, for what he has helped make one of the leading issues in the state this year - infrastructure. Sacramento Bee

Oh boy, more spin!
Governor's team adds former Rove protege. Political 'artillery shell' joins re-election effort. Steve Schmidt displa ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=220 Mon, 13 Feb 2006 11:03:32 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=220#cmt Thieves Take 186 Tux Jackets, No Shirts. Police can't classify a break-in at Beau's Tuxedos as a white-collar crime: the thieves stole only tux jackets.

The burglars broke into two vans early Wednesday at the parking lot of the store on busy Rogers Avenue. Missing were 186 black tuxedo jackets. No shirts or any other items were taken, Fort Smith police spokesman Sgt. Jarrard Copeland said Thursday.

Paw and Order: Kitten Helps Bust Vet Scam. He came from the streets of Brooklyn, a cool customer on four legs, the perfect bait for a sting on a fake veterinarian.

Meet Fred, undercover kitten.

Authorities on Wednesday introduced the 8-month-old former stray cat that posed as a would-be patient while police investigated a college student accused of treating pets without a license.

Cricketers in 'haunted house' get injured. Five first-class cricketers sharing an alleged haunted house in the South Island city of Dunedin have been hit by a "spooky" run of injuries since taking up residence in the former home for the terminally ill.

Otago provincial representatives Greg Todd, Aaron Redmond, James McMillan, Neil Broom and South African Jonathan Trott have all suffered injuries while living in the former hospice, now converted into a five-bedroom town house.

Todd dislocated his right knee and broke his leg in a freak bowling accident, Redmond dislocated his knee taking a catch while McMillan, Broom and Trott suffered serious muscle strains in a two-week period which left the five players laid up simultaneously.

X-rated fortune cookies top off fundraiser. There is great embarrassment in your future. A box of X-rated fortune cookies was mistakenly delivered to a fundraiser hosted by a Brooklyn politician.

The 350 cookies stuffed with "the most graphically lurid" fortunes got mixed up with a batch of 1,750 cookies ordered for the Chinese New Year event, Borough President Marty Markowitz said Friday. Some guests "were stunned, to say the least."

The annual event - to raise money to send poor children to summer camp - was attended by some 700 guests Tuesday evening, but only about 80 were still there when the dirty cookies were opened, Markowitz said.

Man OK After Falling 130 Feet From Copter. A man plummeted 130 feet from a helicopter Monday but escaped injury because deep snow cushioned his fall.

The 42-year-old was suspended from the helicopter by a rope to make repairs when the knot came undone and he slipped free, police in the Upper Austria town of Hallstatt said in a statement.

 

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=218 Fri, 10 Feb 2006 18:19:22 +0000 Friday Night Fun /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=218#cmt I bet Senator Dianne Feinstein was sweating this one. This was close.

Sheehan won't challenge Feinstein for Senate. While criticizing Sen. Dianne Feinstein for supporting President Bush's war policies, Cindy Sheehan said Thursday that she won't run against the popular California Democrat because she could be more effective as a vocal anti-war activist.

"I, as an American and as the mother of a hero, pledge to do what I can as a citizen to end the occupation of Iraq," Sheehan told reporters. "I am not running against Senator Feinstein, but I will continue to be a thorn in her side and a thorn in the side of any representative who is not stridently working for peace."

I'm not a great Feinstein fan, but this one was a non-starter.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors joins the city council of Santa Cruz

In case you're short a hot topic tonight, Bill O'Reilly, take a look at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors -- which is working up a resolution calling for the "full investigation, impeachment or resignation'' of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The Pennsylvania Avenue Pair's alleged crimes: -- Waging an unnecessary war in Iraq.
-- Authorizing torture of terrorist prisoners.
-- Failing to respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina.
-- And not to be forgotten -- ordering the secret wiretapping of U.S. citizens without a warrant.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=216 Fri, 10 Feb 2006 06:10:55 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=216#cmt Today's News

Fund hike for flood aid urged A 2007 federal budget released by the White House on Monday seeks $65 million for Sacramento-area flood control work, a 40 percent increase over what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will spend this year.

Much of the increase will go toward ground preparation for construction of a bridge over the American River near Folsom Dam. Sacramento Bee

Big cuts proposed for state President Bush's proposed budget steers money away from California, though he's not likely to get his way.

Fiscally tight and politically vulnerable, Bush's 2007 budget would cut by 80 percent a widely used police grant program favored by dozens of Central Valley cities. It would stop reimbursing California for imprisoning criminal illegal immigrants. It would curtail some farm subsidies and establish new entrance fees at places like Pine Flat Lake. Sacramento Bee

Mixed news for the valley. President Bush's proposed $2.77 trillion budget released Monday offered mixed news for Silicon Valley and California -- spending boosts on tax credits for high-tech companies, physical science research and border security, offset by cuts or flat funding for biological research and a program that reimburses state and local jails for holding illegal immigrants.

Overall, federal money to California for programs ranging from Medicaid to homeland security would increase slightly, from the $42.5 billion authorized by Congress for 2006 to $43.3 billion in Bush's 2007 proposed budget.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=214 Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:34:50 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=214#cmt Today's Rant

You hear it all the time. Red State, Blue State. Democrat vs Republican. The news media clearly wants the appearance of a contentious United States with ballot armed volunteers keeping watch over distinct state borders.

But as Dan Walters points out today, we aren't clearly broken in two. While states may lean one way of the other, elements within those states are pretty evenly divided and it's more about the local person, not national party, that defines the party.

Even in the heart of the south North Carolina has a Democrat Governor and Florida has very liberal congress critters. California has both Barbara Boxer and Duncan Hunter.

I was talking to one of those Southern Republicans the other day. He can't stand the politics of Senator Boxer. But he had to admit that in this day of waffling politicians, her consistent stand on issues and willingness to stand up for her beliefs put her above many of the Republican incumbents. So while he doesn't like her politics, even he might vote for her in the right situation.

A very wise minister once told me of the battle between Catholics and Protestants "We need to focus on what we have in common, not in what separates us".

So why all the bickering? At the end of the day, aren't we all just a bit purple?

Today's News

Dan Walters: Voter data suggest California may be more purple than blue. The conventional wisdom these days is that California is a solidly blue state - based on Democrats' near-sweep of major political contests over the last decade and especially George W. Bush's two million-plus-vote losses in the state. More accurately, however, California is a purple state, as new voter registration data indicate.

California's 15.8 million registered voters now divide themselves into 6.7 million Democrats (42.68 percent), 5.9 million Republicans (34.68 percent), 2.9 million independents (18.8 percent) and a smattering of minor party adherents. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Protecting property not partisan issue. The California Democratic Party has quietly thrown its weight behind a movement to stop the government from using eminent domain to buy people's property against their will and then handing it over to another private owner.

The campaign, which has been picking up steam nationwide since a Supreme Court decision on the issue last year, is more often associated with Republicans, who tend to be more concerned with protecting property rights. Democrats in the Legislature shelved legislation last summer that sought to tighten restrictions on the use of eminent domain in California. Sacramento Bee

Dems seek adjustments to governor's bond plan. Need for investment in infrastructure not an issue, cost is. As negotiations over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to pump $222 billion into the state's aging public works system enter a crucial phase, Democratic lawmakers say they want to rein in the size and scope of the governor's plan. SF Chronicle

Push to open up mayor's races in S.F. Public financing measure designed to level playing field. After watching Gavin Newsom outspend their leading candidate by a 5-to-1 margin on the way to a narrow victory in the 2003 mayor's race, San Francisco's liberal progressives are on the verge of a political victory they hope will level the financial playing field for the next election.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is scheduled to take up -- and is expected to pass -- a public financing measure for candidates running for mayor. SF Chronicle

Low-profile candidate learns ropes in tiny town.Steve Westly began his campaign for governor last week in this tiny Butte County town, a place small enough to cushion his mistakes as he prepares for what promises to be a grueling race.

The locals seemed flattered and obliged with the media coverage Westly covets to fill in the blanks of his almost an ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=211 Mon, 06 Feb 2006 11:23:34 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=211#cmt A fun way to end a long week.
For more see Dons Blog of California Politics.

---

Woman Accused of Driving Bloodmobile Drunk. The driver of a bloodmobile ran a red light on her way to a blood drive and has been charged with drunken driving, police said.

Sharon Renea Dunlap, 46, told police she quit drinking about 3 a.m. Wednesday, and took some pain pills. She was pulled over about 14 hours later after a Jacksonville police officer saw the Florida Georgia Blood Alliance bloodmobile run a red light, police said.

Police said Dunlap failed a field sobriety test and was charged with driving under the influence and running a red light. SF Chronicle

Porn mags may have distracted motorist. Man charged with running woman off state Route 840. A man glancing at pornography while he was driving Friday on state Route 840 was arrested for allegedly forcing other motorists off the highway, a sheriff's deputy reported.

David Kennedy, 33, of Old Hickory was charged with felony reckless endangerment after motorist Deborah Dotson of Buckingham Drive obtained an arrest warrant against him Friday evening. Tennessean

Punching Horse May Land Man in Deep Doodoo. Oroville, CA. A 24-year-old man could be shoveling horse manure as part of his punishment for punching a police horse.

Butte County Superior Court Judge Stephen Benson sentenced Robert William Huff, of Chico, to 20 hours of community service and 24 hours in jail after he pleaded no contest Tuesday to a charge of assaulting a police horse. AP

Woman Misspells Name on Forged Check. A woman who was arrested for forgery after an alert cashier noticed a misspelling in a company name on fake check may have some time to brush up on her proofreading skills.

Julie Kay Russo, 32, was arrested Monday on 20 forgery counts after she tried to pass an allegedly forged payroll check at the S & S Superstop. The store clerk became suspicious when he noticed the word "independent" in the business name was spelled incorrectly as "indapendent," Van Buren police Cpl. Rob Rogers said. Washinton Post

Pastor gets 18 months for selling church and buying BMW. Manteca, CA- A pastor accused of selling the town's oldest church pleaded guilty to embezzlement on Monday and agreed to 18 months in prison, court officials said.

Randall Radic, 53, entered his plea as part of a deal in which prosecutors agreed to drop nine other charges.

Radic had preached at First Congregational Church in Ripon for nearly a decade before he sold the church last October for $525,000, allegedly using the money to buy a BMW. He also faked documents that gave him possession of his house, which was owned by the church, then used the property to take out loans, authorities said. ABC Local

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=208 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 18:16:13 +0000 Friday Night Fun /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=208#cmt Today's Rant

There's an interesting debate going on over at The Washington Note about bloggers and their professionalism, or lack there of. Blogshares.com is currently tracking over 7 million blogs. Over 3,000 are specifically identified as being politics blogs, but many have yet to be indexed and many others haven't been added yet.

In addition, many politicians are starting to run blogs. Both Harry Reid and Denny Hastert have their own blogs, though only Senator Reid's blog accepts comments. Here you know what their bias will be. But there are other sites like schwarzenegger.com which looks official but isn't explicit about any connection to Governor Schwarzenegger.

There's less opportunity for bias on Don's Blog. Here I mainly list topics from local newspapers that I think may be of particular interest. But there is some bias even here in the articles I either select or discard. I believe that I tend to be moderate, but biases tend to be like accents. You think everyone but you has one.

Blogging continues to grow in importance. There are even conference calls specifically directed at bloggers going on from Washington. Which blogs are truthful? Which do you choose to read? I think like newspapers, people will choose a few blogs over time, and the authors of less successful blogs will give up and go away. we'll probably even see some consolidation as commercially successful blogs purchase readership from other blogs. What we're seeing is a migration from a physical distribution to a virtual one over the Internet. And like so many other new industries a natural maturation will occur over time.

The difference here on the blog, you get to write an immediate letter to the editor. Feel free to comment.

Today's News.

Prison reform: Legislator slams lack of progress. Heated words swapped as panel hears a report on rehabilitation efforts.

Despite reforms promised last year, the state corrections system hasn't moved quickly enough to improve its rehabilitation programs for inmates, state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, said at a hearing where she grilled top prison officials Thursday. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Despite disavowals, Doolittle has several links to Abramoff. As politicians go, John Doolittle is something of an odd duck - a congressman who shuns media attention and consciously alienates large blocs of his constituents, even his fellow Republicans.

Maybe it has something to do with the odd way in which he first gained office in 1980. Doolittle, a little-known, 29-year-old Capitol staffer, challenged one of the state Senate's most senior members, Sacramento Democrat Al Rodda, without doing any of the usual political spadework. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: The Pocket predictors The other night at the Sacramento City Council, the future was revealed. Council members Rob Fong and Lauren Hammond will run someday for higher office. Take that to the bank. History is filled with recent examples of council members pandering to a certain community, the Pocket, and returning later to seek its votes. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: A clean-money plan. Here's the latest appalling statistic on money and California politics: More than $300 million was spent on eight initiatives that all failed last November.

It puts a new price tag on political futility, but it makes a bigger point. Elections are way too costly, letting big money take over where public debate should rule. SF Chronicle

Falun Gong's S.F. parade status sparks firestorm. The fireworks aren't supposed to explode for another nine days, but this year's Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco -- the largest Asian c ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=205 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 11:27:47 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=205#cmt Today's Rant.

I'm just back from our nation's capitol, and I'm happy to report that ego, arrogance, and hubris are well and growing rapidly there.

Walking the street of DC, I keep thinking of the words of New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He cleaned up the city by going after every infraction, no matter how small. He believed that those who thought they could get by with a little would come to believe they could get by with a lot.

In Washington DC they don't seem to think they've seen a traffic law they can't break. Pedestrians regularly jaywalking in front of moving vehicles, the walkers daring the cars to hit them, cars running traffic lights, trucks blocking intersections, just a subset of other laws regularly broken in the city. No wonder we have the Abramoff, AIPAC spying case, David H. Safavian corruption case, Libby investigation, Valerie Plame leak case, Frist stock sales case, among others. It seems too often those who write and enforce the laws come to believe they are exempt from them.

The Blackberry phenomenon is real and growing too. When pedestrians do stop at a light, especially around the Whitehouse, they immediately pull out their Blackberry to check messages.

Now the U.S. Justice department is stepping in though Blackberry has been found to be illegally infringing on patents held by RIM. "The U.S. Justice Department urged a federal judge on Wednesday to refrain from any plans to shut the BlackBerry portable e-mail service over patent infringement until the government gets more assurances its users will be exempted."

They're special, you evidently, are not.

Today's News

States to sue over Rx funds Lockyer, others challenge U.S. plan to reclaim savings from Medicare drug program. California and as many as six other states will file a lawsuit this month challenging the federal government's plan to take back states' savings from the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said Wednesday. Sacramento Bee

Doolittle coffers filling at rapid pace. The Jack Abramoff scandal has not impeded Rep. John Doolittle's ability to raise contributions for his 2006 re-election campaign, new reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show.

The report shows that the Roseville Republican pulled in $183,500 in the last three months of 2005, which a campaign aide said is a record for the period. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: An alternative to raising the minimum wage. It now appears all but inevitable that California will raise its government-mandated minimum wage at some point this year. Either the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will get together on the issue or voters will be presented with a ballot initiative that is almost certain to pass.

The current minimum of $6.75 per hour likely will be raised to $7.75. The only question is whether the change will come with a built-in escalator that will increase the wage annually to keep pace with a cost-of-living index. Sacramento Bee

2 ejections from House denounced. Capitol police chief apologizes to G.I.'s mom, lawmaker's wife. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan said she had just settled into her front row seat in the elevated public gallery surrounding the House of Representatives chamber awaiting President Bush's State of the Union address when a U.S. Capitol police officer noticed her T-shirt.

"Protester!" he yelled, before he "dragged me out of my chair, pinned my arm around my back, and roughly pushed me up the stairs," Sheehan told The Chronicle Wednesday. SF Chronicle

Adult Diaper Sales Soar in China. Alongside food and fire crackers, Chinese are adding a new item to their lunar New Year shopping: Adult diapers. Sales have soared ahead of the holiday as travelers prepare for long trips home aboard trains so crowded that even the toilets are jammed with people, newspapers said Tuesday.

In Foshan, a southern industrial city with a large migrant population, supermarkets report diaper sales have risen 50 percent since the main travel season began on Jan. 14, the papers said.

The problem arises from the need to sell twice as many tickets as there are train seats to accommodate the crush of travelers.

Malaysia Creates Team to Track 'Bigfoot'. A southern Malaysian state will appoint a team of scientists and experts to hunt for a "Bigfoot" beast after the reported sighting of three giant human-like creatures, officials said Thursday.

Johor Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman said the state will form an official Bigfoot-tracking team in a serious bid to find evidence of such a beast following the reported sightings late last year in the Endau Rompin National Park forest.

"The mystery of Bigfoot's existence has attracted a lot of interest," he was quoted as saying by the Bernama national news agency. "We hope the expedition will be able to prove its existence."

Thailand couple with creepy passion to wed. - It was love at first sight for Thailand's Scorpion Queen and Centipede King. The couple with a soft spot for creepy crawlers -- and publicity stunts -- is planning a Valentine's Day's wedding at a haunted house, and to consummate their vows in a coffin.

Kanchana Ketkaew, 36, who set a world record in 2002 for spending 32 days in a glass cage with 3,400 scorpions, plans to wed 29-year-old Bunthawee Siengwong -- who set a Thai record for enduring 28 days with 1,000 centipedes.

Spider Mom Piggiebacks Her Young. No one had ever photographed a baby Kauai wolf spider being carried on its mother's interlocking back hairs until two Hawaii scientists caught the shot.

The endangered Kauai wolf spider is rarely seen, and the spiders themselves are blind. Researchers had previously known that the spiderlings use a row of teeth on their claws to grasp their mother's back.

But they had never been able to capture the moment.

The pictures were taken by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Gordon Smith. In November, he and graduate student Wendy McDowell found a female spider whose egg sac had just opened.

Alleged Motel Burglar Leaves Room Number. A man on a weekend getaway was arrested after allegedly burglarizing the Fort Bragg motel where he was staying, then leaving a note indicating where to find him.

Enrique Rodriguez Vasquez, 37, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of methamphetamine after police confronted him at the Best Western motel room he'd described in the note.

University Phone Line Takes Sexy Tone. Seton Hall Says Phone Numbers Were Accidentally Transposed. Applications sent by Seton Hall University to prospective students overseas unwittingly contained a toll-free number offering chat with "hot, horny girls."

The Catholic university said it accidentally transposed numbers in admissions application sent to possibly tens of thousands of applicants.

"Spark up your days and nights with stimulating talk," the recording says. It then refers callers to a second 800 number, a phone-sex line selling conversations with "students, housewives and working girls" for 99 cents to $2.99 a minute.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=202 Fri, 27 Jan 2006 17:50:20 +0000 Friday Night Fun /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=202#cmt Migrant measure's reach is feared. Some who assist illegal workers may risk felony charges. One of the illegal immigrants Luis Magaña has tried to help is a San Joaquin Valley farmworker whose leg broke when a ladder collapsed beneath him.

The man's supervisor didn't want to drive him to a hospital because there were more fruit trees to prune, Magaña says. The laborer didn't get to a doctor until that night, when he was in agony, his wound was festering and he needed emergency surgery. Sacramento Bee

Official: Fix state's emergency plan. Scrutinize warning and evacuation systems, says governor's point man. Before a big disaster strikes, California needs a proven strategy for evacuating cities, a comprehensive statewide warning system and a good plan for taking care of the elderly and disabled, the director of the governor's Office of Emergency Services said Thursday.

"There are some things that are wrong that need to be fixed in California," said Henry Renteria, whose office coordinates state agency responses to major disasters. Sacramento Bee

Governor's bid to cut raise for needy rejected. Democrats on budget panel amend bill to restore SSI increase. It will be months before lawmakers approve the next state budget, but the Senate Budget Committee on Thursday took an early stand against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to withhold a cost-of-living increase for needy disabled, blind and elderly Californians.

Schwarzenegger's $125.6 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1 would save $233 million over the next two years by withholding federal funds intended as a raise for about a million recipients of a cash assistance program known as Supplemental Security Income. Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Arrogance of power. President Bush's public-relations offensive on behalf of his warrantless surveillance program is an insult to the intelligence of the American people.

The White House is obviously counting on Americans to absorb the sound bites -- without bothering to look at the specifics -- in trying to turn an abuse of power into a political plus for Bush. SF Chronicle

Peter Scheer: American Indians and the Abramoff Scandal. When transparency might have saved millions. Jack Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy and wire fraud, is not typical of big-time Washington lobbyists. I refer not to his slimy methods or capacity for deception -- which, regrettably, are in abundant supply among lobbyists, both Republican and Democrat -- but to the magnitude of the fees he charged his clients: casino-owning Indian tribes. SF Chronicle

Last chance, little help. The justices of the 6th District Court of Appeal agreed that Timothy Parle suffered from one bad ruling after another during his trial on charges he murdered his wife. But as in so many cases the court reviews, they did not consider the errors bad enough to do anything about them. SJ Mercury

Editorial: Working out stem-cell issues must take time. Putting a man on the moon took the better part of a decade and the focus of an entire nation.

Developing cures for some of life's most debilitating diseases through stem-cell research is an even bigger challenge, fraught with engaging questions of morality. Californians should not be discouraged that their $3 billion stem-cell research investment is off to a slower start than expected. Nor should they fret because legislators are still working out the details on how the initiative will be implemented. SJ Mercury

L.A. Mayor, Key Democrats Discuss Reply to Bush's Address. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa huddled Thursday with Democratic leaders from Congress to discuss his Spanish- ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=200 Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:17:07 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=200#cmt Today's News

Plan offers option to bonds. Republicans propose allocating state funds to fix infrastructure, avoiding debt under Schwarzenegger plan.

Unhappy with the amount of debt that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants the state to take on for public works projects, Assembly Republicans said Wednesday they were introducing their own plan to pay for construction with funds set aside from the state budget every year. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Voters - even Republicans - like governor's plans. California voters like what they have heard about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's agenda for the coming year, and they are more inclined now than last fall to approve of his performance in office, according to a new poll the Public Policy Institute of California expects to release today.

But the governor's ratings are still well shy of where they were a year ago, and he likely faces a tough battle to win re-election in November, the poll suggests. He is also more dependent than ever on cooperation from the Democrats who control the Legislature and who will decide the fate of his proposals. Sacramento Bee

Bullet train likely chugging to derailment. $9.95 billion bond could be taken off of November ballot. While nations from Mexico to China are investing heavily in high-speed rail, California's dream to shoot 220 mph bullet trains from San Francisco to Los Angeles is beginning to fade.

Detractors in the Legislature and outside it say it's better for the state to attack existing congestion than gamble finite dollars on the possibility of whisking commuters from Northern to Southern California in less than three hours. San Francisco Chronicle

Governor's move toward political center paying off. Approval rating up for the first time in months, poll says. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's approval rating has climbed for the first time in months following his recent move to the political center, according to a new Public Policy Institute of California poll.

While the higher numbers are good news for the governor, he still has a long way to go to reach the same level of popularity that he enjoyed two years ago. San Francisco Chronicle

Debra J. Saunders: Don't be Google.Google gives life to the Eric Hoffer observation, "People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them."

Google painted itself as heroic in refusing to help the U.S. Department of Justice's efforts to reinstate a 1998 federal law on online child pornography, then revealed that it was going to help the Chinese government suppress free speech. That sort of goes against the company's informal corporate motto: "Don't be evil." San Francisco Chronicle

Cinnamon Stillwell: Ammiano's Health Care Proposal: Bad for Business. San Francisco officials often decry the city's shrinking business community. Yet there's little acknowledgment that the very policies local government tends to push have the effect of undermining business.

The latest anti-business proposal to hit the table was put forward by Supervisor Tom Ammiano last November. The proposed ordinance would affect non-union businesses and nonprofit organizations that have at least 20 employees and don't provide medical insurance. San Francisco Chronicle

Port shows interest in power grab.Commission considers buying piece of Valley gas generator to protect against energy crises. It already owns an airport, the fastest-growing maritime port on the West Coast and acre upon acre of waterfront land.

Now the Port of Oakland wants a piece of the power business.

In a move port officials said could stem the organization's rising power bills, the port is looking to join a group of like-minded agencies in the purchase of a Central Valley power plant. Oakland Tribune ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=199 Thu, 26 Jan 2006 13:57:31 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=199#cmt Today's Rant.
Too often these days groups try to appose a viewpoint they disagree with by preventing the other side from speaking. Whether it's out shouting speakers at public forums, limiting protestors to specific fenced in areas, or purchasing media outlets to influence the topics that are presented, this seems to have become official policy on both sides of the fence.

The one true right we have is the right to free speech. That may not include the right to threaten, lie, or panic someone, but it's the pillar that enables all the other rights we have as US Citizens. It is also what allows the so called fourth sate, the press, to do their job.

That is the reason that foreign despots first take over the newspapers, and now television and radio. If they can control the flow of information then they can lead the public in any direction they desire. We see this in North Korea, China, and more recently Russia has retaken control of their press. That was also the fear as US companies like Clear Channel were allowed to take over hundreds of new radio stations and virtually control entire markets.

Open discussion and debate is vital to a robust democracy. While stopping discordant views is tempting, it is an action that is sure to doom any democratic state.

If nothing else, let us stay alert to bribes to columnists, the spying on of simple protestors, and the the people that threaten our every day right to express our opinion. And if you find yourself wanting to cut off someone because you disagree with them, might I suggest you join one of the six million bloggers that have found a corner of the Internet in which to express their opinion.

Today's News

Governor hires Bee reporter. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has hired Sacramento Bee staff writer Gary Delsohn as his chief speechwriter.

Delsohn, who covered the governor for The Bee Capitol Bureau, will earn $110,000 a year in his new job. Sacramento Bee

Governor sidesteps assisted suicide. Schwarzenegger says the decision should be left to voters, not state officials. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that voters, not elected leaders, should decide whether California legalizes assisted suicide.

"I have all along never really put my own personal opinions into making policies and making those kind of, you know, especially difficult decisions like that," Schwarzenegger said at a Sacramento Press Club luncheon. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Schwarzenegger's newest approach - channeling Gray Davis?

Gray Davis was the most risk-averse governor in recorded California history, carefully avoiding any position or topic that he thought might generate significant controversy - but learned that practicing finger-in-the-wind politics was the riskiest strategy when voters recalled him from office in 2003 for allowing energy and budget crises to fester. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Riding the revenue rollercoaster up, again. What a difference six months can make.

Last summer, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers were haggling over a few million dollars here and a few million there as they struggled to close a deal on a state budget plan that would feature about $90 billion in general-fund spending. Sacramento Bee

Litter tax proposed for fast-food places near city's schools. Fed up with kids dropping burger wrappers, beverage cups and french fry cartons on the streets and sidewalks surrounding the city's schools, the Oakland City Council is poised to take the unprecedented step of taxing fast-food joints and convenience stores to help clean up the mess. San Francisco Chronicle

LA mayor to give Spanish-language response to Bush speech. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give the Spanish-language response to President Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday, Democratic congressional leaders announced.

..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=197 Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:00:58 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=197#cmt /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=196 Tue, 24 Jan 2006 02:51:32 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=196#cmt Dan Walters: Power play looms over bringing in liquefied natural gas. ames Connaughton, President Bush's top environmental adviser, strongly touted shipping liquefied natural gas from Australia to California during a two-nation conference in Sydney this month, saying that the White House wants to overcome political inertia and environmentalist objections.

"We have a dedicated commitment to opening up the opportunity for a lot more LNG to America," one Australian newspaper quoted Connaughton. Sacramento Bee

Charged up over battery disposal? Few people seem to be, even as new hazardous waste rules approach.

For every Californian who throws household batteries into the family trash, here's some bad news: You'll soon be breaking state law.

Beginning Feb. 9, consumers won't be able to dispose of household batteries in the comfort of their own homes.

You'll need to take them somewhere - to a household hazardous waste facility, a universal waste handler or an authorized recycling center. Sacramento Bee

Candidates facing new money rules. To run for governor, they need more donors or deeper pockets. The three known candidates for governor are all out trolling for millions of dollars in campaign funds, but no big, six-figure checks will be flowing into their accounts.

Not unless the checks are written by the candidates themselves.

For the first time in a California gubernatorial election, there are limits on how much individual donors can contribute to a campaign. Under Proposition 34, which took effect for statewide offices after the 2002 election, individual contributions to a candidate for governor are capped at $22,300. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Weintraub: Turning to the people to fix politics. Assemblymen Keith Richman and Joe Canciamilla have long since worn out their welcome in the Legislature. Richman, a doctor from Northridge, and Canciamilla, a funeral director from Pittsburg, have tried and mostly failed to breathe new life into a vital center in Capitol politics. They have won few battles and even fewer friends.

The two lawmakers are pushing a constitutional amendment that would create a "citizens assembly," chosen at random like a local grand jury, to work for a year on reforms to the way the state elects its legislators and statewide officials. The product of the assembly's work eventually would go on the ballot and, if passed by the voters, could fundamentally change politics in California. Sacramento Bee

Going for broke in battle over gay vows. Many activist groups fear federal case could undermine their state-by-state strategy. Orange County attorney Richard Gilbert says the lawyers fighting for same-sex marriage across the country are leading the gay and lesbian community astray.

The widely accepted strategy for legalizing same-sex marriage -- to push for legislation and court victories state by state -- is too timid, Gilbert said at his office in Santa Ana, the county seat of one of California's conservative bastions. He thinks they should be fighting nationally and has sued Orange County in federal court, saying the U.S. Constitution guarantees a marriage license to his clients, a gay couple. SF Chronicle

An Alternative to Incarceration. Behavioral Health Court offers counseling to criminal defendants with psychological problems. Cheaper than jail, it's changing lives. By all accounts, Derick Dawson should be dead or in prison.

He grew up on the mean streets of Hunters Point, stealing, taking hard drugs, doing time in youth homes -- and suffering from schizophrenia. SF Chronicle

Slip sliding away. Strategist easing away from fray. Governor's longtime ally yields campaign reins to Texan who managed Bush run.

Mike Murphy, who helped elect Arnold Schwarzenegger governor in 2003 and also was chief strategist for his failed special election campaign last year, has told Schwarzenegger he wants a much-diminished role in a tough re-election bid. Sacramento Bee

Now if he'd just felt this way about medical marijuana. Governor presses state's case for prescription drug aid. As California pays to continue medication benefits for low-income residents, leaders try to line up federal reimbursement.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took what aides described as a "forceful" tone in a meeting Thursday with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, saying the federal government must reimburse California for its emergency bailout of the federal government's flawed new Medicare prescription drug plan. Sacramento Bee

California looks at stopping the death penalty, Texas puts in an express lane. Death penalty pause effort falters. Backer of failed bill to put executions on hold undeterred.

Legislation to suspend executions in California until January 2009 died Thursday in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Assemblyman Paul Koretz, a West Hollywood Democrat who proposed Assembly Bill 1121, said he hasn't given up on the idea. Sacramento Bee

I bet the kids are the only ones happy. District preparing for strike.Oakland schools chief seeking temporary help in case teachers decide to walk if contract talks fail. Oakland schools State Administrator Randolph Ward is not waiting around to see if the district's 3,000 teachers will go on strike. He is planning for it.

With less than a month left before a new contract must be signed, Ward and his top lieutenants at district headquarters are working on plans to keep schools open and parents informed about any labor strife. Oakland Tribune

Whatever normal is. Housing market 'getting back to normal'.Area median price drops in December, but buyer-seller dynamic balancing out

The Bay Area housing market got hit by a double whammy in December: the ninth consecutive month of slowing homes sales and a $16,000 month-to-month drop in the median home value, a real estate information service said Thursday.

But while home prices dropped from a record $625,000 in November to $609,000 in December, the median price rose 14.3 percent on a year-to-year basis, according to DataQuick Information Systems. The median is the price at which half of the homes sell for more and half sell for less. Oakland Tribune

More Big Brother News. Google says no to data demand. Government wants records of searches. Watch what you search for on the Internet. It could come back to haunt you.

That point was hammered home in recent court filings by the federal government demanding that the Internet's major search engines turn over vast amounts of data about what people have searched for.

Mountain View's Google, the industry leader, has promised to fight the order, which is part of the Bush administration's effort to resuscitate laws protecting children from Internet pornography, blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court two years ago. San Francisco Chronicle

A guest worker program doesn't sound anything like manual labor. Missions project clears hurdle. Suit to halt federal funds for restoration is dropped. A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a $10 million, five-year program to restore and preserve California's deteriorating historic missions has been withdrawn, opening the door for Congress to begin funding it.

The development comes just a day after the mission in the worst physical shape, Mission San Miguel, received notice that it has been named to the National Historic Landmarks registry. Sacramento Bee

Cal-EPA's leader set to retire The Schwarzenegger administration learned Wednesday that Alan C. Lloyd is retiring as secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and will be stepping down from his position next month.

Lloyd, 64, whose wife lives in Reno, cited personal and family reasons for his retirement, which will be effective on Feb. 28. Sacramento Bee

Call for head of stem cell institute to resign. Biotech watchdog says Prop. 71 agency needs a fresh start. An East Bay biotechnology watchdog group on Wednesday called for the resignation of Robert Klein, chairman of the Proposition 71 stem cell agency known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. San Francisco Chronicle

Governor's appearance at King breakfast angers city's labor leaders. Local labor leaders are fuming over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's last-minute appearance at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast in San Francisco -- and a lot of their anger is directed at former Mayor Willie Brown.

"We've spent a year and a half, and millions of dollars fighting this SOB,'' San Francisco Labor Council head Tim Paulson said of the governor. "For him to come to this breakfast was an absolute insult." San Francisco Chronicle

Debra J. Saunders: A giant step backward for women. When social conservatives argue that legalizing same-sex marriage could lead to legalized polygamy, same-sex marriage advocates either laugh or sneer. It's a scare tactic, they say. It'll never happen. Last year, however, as Canada legalized same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Paul Martin commissioned a $150,000 study to debunk the polygamy argument. Big mistake: The study confirmed the scare tactic by recommending that Canada repeal its anti-polygamy law. San Francisco Chronicle

Why Stanford prof is suing Bush over NSA spying. U.S. Agency possibly watching his work. Every day on the Stanford University campus, Larry Diamond teaches his students that the president of the United States is not above the law.

Which is why Diamond decided to sue President Bush when he learned that the president had authorized spying on Americans without consent of Congress or the courts. Diamond believes he is among the targets of surveillance. SJ Mercury

Governor Goes on Road to Mend Fences in GOP. sequestered at an elegant Newport Beach hotel, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday began an election-year campaign to rehabilitate himself among disaffected supporters.

At a closed-door luncheon with about 40 donors in this wealthy Republican enclave, Schwarzenegger sought to ease their fears about the direction his administration has taken in recent weeks. In an interview after the event, the governor said: "We can work through anything, because we're from the same party." LA Times

Today's Rant.

Are conservative judges really? Yesterday's victory for state's rights in Oregon is being hailed by conservatives today. While death is always a delicate issue, who gets to decide what is legal?

Many conservatives would have the Supreme Court strike down Roe v Wade and return the decision to the states. But in a case that closely models that issue, the Bush administration would have those decisions kept at the federal level, and Bush friendly judges Scalia, Thomas, and Roberts support that view.

So which is it conservatives? State's rights or federal powers?

News.

Move over Joe Camel. Flavored malt drinks under fire. Legislation and lawsuits target 'alcopops' and link them to teen drinking. Two state senators and numerous groups concerned about underage drinking announced a two-pronged attack Tuesday against sweet-tasting alcoholic drinks that they say are marketed to youth.

Democratic Sens. Carole Migden of San Francisco and Liz Figueroa of Sunol joined nonprofit groups in announcing litigation and legislation targeting flavored malt beverages. Sacramento Bee

Politicians & cameras, always a bad mix. Dan Walters: It's not news - just governor and Democrats posing together. So why did Arnold Schwarzenegger, the four legislative leaders and representatives of medical care groups assemble themselves before the Capitol press corps, including 10 television cameras, on Tuesday morning? Sacramento Bee

Now look at what they started, or ended. California lawmakers renew effort. Backers hope ruling will boost support for assisted death. The Supreme Court's ruling backing Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law has energized advocates pushing a similar measure in the California Legislature, where the thorny moral question appears to be the most contentious social issue lawmakers will debate this year. San Francisco Chronicle

Supporters of the bill, which stalled last year, said they hope the legal ruling will help win over lawmakers, especially moderate Democrats, who had previously expressed doubts.

Now they'll be popping up everywhere. Cell-phone tower law struck down. Cities can't prohibit antennas because of looks, court rules. A cell-phone tower or an antenna attached to a light pole may strike some neighbors as an eyesore, but there's not much the local city council can do about it. San Francisco Chronicle

Bickering like school yard kids. State sets Feb. 24 deadline to review anti-terror request. With time quickly running out, officials from Bay Area cities and counties are still debating who will have say over a grant application they must jointly submit for federal homeland security funds and they have yet to tackle the nitty-gritty details of the request.

For the first time, 12 Bay Area cities, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, along with Alameda and Contra Costa counties, must work together on a request for anti-terrorism and disaster-preparedness funds potentially worth tens of millions of dollars. San Francisco Chronicle

Jerry's done it. Mayor says he's accomplished most of his goals. Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, delivering his last state of the city address, told the City Council on Tuesday that he has largely accomplished the goals he set when he took office seven years ago and the city is a more dynamic place because of it. San Francisco Chronicle

It would be nice to know the machines work. Delay worries county registrars. Local election officials around California are getting more antsy ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=191 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 12:21:14 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=191#cmt Today's rant.

I finally found some new $.39 stamps. And again, the US Postal Service has issued a generic with no price that would tell you that yes, this is the new stamp. Worse, this is a flag based (more flag waving patriotism at all costs) stamp similar to the $.37 stamp. Anyone with vision problems (like a large set of our aging population) is going to have trouble telling the difference.

Why is it that the USPS can't create a new stamp, slap a new price on it, and have them in the machines and stores weeks before the price increase?

This inability in government to move in a timely matter is growing worse as the government grows larger. More layers of administration created by empire building bureaucrats implies more signatures and comments for anything that needs to get done. And obviously, neither Democrat or Republican can stop this behemoth that is becoming ever costlier. Which results in higher prices affecting what we can purchase here, but even more importantly, what we still manufacture and export to other countries.

Today's News

We'll just outlive them to death. Age grows as issue on death row. Just after midnight, the state of California is scheduled to execute a man unlike any inmate who has awaited his fate on San Quentin's death row.

Clarence Ray Allen, who turns 76 today, would be the oldest man put to death in California since voters restored capital punishment in 1978 and the second-oldest inmate executed in the nation in more than 30 years. He has spent nearly a third of his life on death row for three shotgun murders in Fresno. Sacramento Bee

Or more pot hole filling photo-ops. Dan Walters: Finally, we may be ready to remedy state's congested highways. Northern Californians see Highway 65 as a very busy - and often very dangerous - commuter link through explosively growing Placer County. But motorists in Kern and Tulare counties, hundreds of miles to the south, know it as a rural highway that runs northward from Bakersfield before ending abruptly near the small farm town of Exeter. Sacramento Bee

A Day to Remember. Thousands commemorate legacy of civil rights leader Events include S.F. rally, bus tribute to Rosa Parks and Oakland prayer service.

Thousands gathered Monday across the Bay Area to celebrate the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., remembering the slain civil rights leader's accomplishments and acknowledging what needs to be done to achieve his dream. San Francisco Chronicle

VIPs aren't the only ones looking for handouts . VIP largesse not only for airport parkers BART, Gate Bridge district and the Muni pass out thousands of freebies

Those VIP parking passes at San Francisco International Airport aren't the only transit freebies with a long tradition around here.

BART allows its 3,130 workers and 1,430 retirees -- along with their immediate families -- to ride the trains for free. The agency's nine directors get the same perk. San Francisco Chronicle

Speaking of Perks. In the wake of reports that the University of California gave employees millions of dollars in hidden pay and perks, a state senator wants to find out how much California college leaders are really paid.

Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County) plans to introduce a bill today that would give the California Postsecondary Education Commission more power to find out how much state college executives are paid ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=189 Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:04:31 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=189#cmt This is probably the best blonde joke I've heard in a long time.

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The Blonde's Year in Review

January - Took new scarf back to store because it was too tight.

February - Fired from pharmacy job for failing to print labels. "duh".. bottles won't fit in typewriter ! ! !

March - Got excited.....finished jigsaw puzzle in 6 months..... box said "2-4 years !"

April - Trapped on escalator for hours.....power went out ! ! !

May - Tried to make Kool-Aid.....8 cups of water won't fit into those little packets ! ! !

June - Tried to go water skiing.....couldn't find a lake with a slope.

July - Lost breast-stroke swimming competition.....learned later, other swimmers cheated, they used their arms ! ! !

August - Got locked out of car in rainstorm.....car swamped, because top was down.

September - Lost a TV quiz show. The capital of California is "C"... ..isn't it ? ? ?

October - Hate M&M's.....they are so hard to peel.

November - Baked turkey for 4 1/2 days.....instructions said 1 hour per pound and I weigh 108 ! ! !

December - Couldn't call 911....."duh".....there's no "eleven" button on the phone ! ! !

What a year ! !

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'Vampyre' Candidate Backs Public Impaling.

One gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota is giving a whole new meaning to the "dark side" of politics. A man who calls himself a satanic priest plans to run for governor on a 13-point platform that includes the public impaling of terrorists at the state Capitol building.

Jonathon Sharkey, also known as "The Impaler", plans to launch his gubernatorial campaign on — when else? — Friday the 13th. He'll make the announcement in Princeton.

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Police: Bank robbery suspect had 'FINDME' license plates Arlie Bichlmeier discovered his license plate turned out to be an effective command.

Bichlmeier's plate reads "FINDME," and thanks to it, authorities were able to locate him about 90 minutes after they say he tried to rob the Security National Bank branch in Laurel.

The suspect walked into the bank about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and indicated his intention to rob it, the State Patrol said. There was no weapon shown and the suspect fled the bank without any money, the Patrol said.

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Caught on Tape: Police Chase 7-Year-Old Driver. (Shelbyville, TN) - When police in Tennessee first spotted a truck weaving through town, they thought they were dealing with a drunk driver. But, he wasn't drunk. In fact, he wasn't even old enough to have a driver's license.

The chase, which started out slowly, quickly gained momentum; causing a scene for neighbors as more patrolmen joined in the pursuit.

"There were probably five city cars and then five county cars and the state trooper," said witness Susan Daniel.
]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=187 Sat, 14 Jan 2006 16:47:01 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=187#cmt How many skeletons? Ethics probe pushed for Doolittle, Pombo. Pelosi issues a call - but admits she isn't sure of her facts. The top House Democrat publicly suggested Thursday that Republican lawmakers Richard Pombo of Tracy and John Doolittle of Roseville should face a "fair and robust" investigation by the House ethics committee.

The call by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi escalates the partisan fighting surrounding the collapse of admitted felon Jack Abramoff's lobbying empire. Pelosi stopped short of actually filing a formal complaint with the House ethics panel. which has been moribund for the past year. Sacramento Bee

It's about the children. Governor affirms after-school plan. He won't agree to any changes in the program that he set up with a 2002 ballot measure. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday he opposes any change in the after-school program initiative he championed, saying he would not support asking voters to delay or reduce state funding mandated by Proposition 49.

Schwarzenegger, standing on an unpaved offramp that is part of a highway construction project, said voters who approved the ballot measure in 2002 were aware of the importance of after-school programs and that their decision should be respected. Sacramento Bee

Hey, no problem. I have your credit card. Pay down debt, urges legislative analyst New spending in governor's budget proposal is criticized. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget "moves the state in the wrong direction" by spending part of a revenue windfall on new programs instead of paying off debt, the Legislature's nonpartisan budget adviser said Thursday.

Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill said Schwarzenegger's spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1 uses money that might decrease in the future to ratchet up new financial commitments by about $2 billion. Sacramento Bee

Just send money. Governor seeks anti-terror cash In a letter to the nation's homeland security chief, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger argued Thursday that the Bush administration is wrong to cut anti-terror funds for Sacramento and San Diego.

Schwarzenegger's letter comes a week after the Department of Homeland Security announced it was concentrating most of its counterterrorism money on the nation's 35 most at-risk areas, and that Sacramento and San Diego weren't on the list. Sacramento Bee

Just what we need. Daniel Weintraub: Governor's budget would make a tax hike likely. The proposed budget Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled Tuesday is an election-year document that seeks to appease his enemies while doing as little as possible to offend his allies. It might not succeed at either.

But the bad news for the governor is that even if his plan does work, and he is re-elected to a second term, he will have to deal with the consequences. If he is defeated, of course, whoever succeeds him will get to clean up the mess. Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Governor complains about autopilot spending but embraces it. Then-Gov. Pete Wilson coined, or at least adopted, the phrase "autopilot spending" in the early 1990s as he struggled to close an immense state budget gap and confronted political and legal barriers that made it nearly impossible to reduce spending even when revenues had plummeted. Sacramento Bee

Big changes sought in how UC raises pay. Regents asked to give president more power to set salary levels. The University of California's governin ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=185 Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:22:20 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=185#cmt Arnold - The Social Conservative? Schwarzenegger's budget proposal: Spending on the rise But governor's plan would cut state programs serving the needy. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday proposed a $125.6 billion state budget that would shower a windfall of new revenue on schools, public works projects, debt repayment, prisons, and children's health care while cutting programs that serve the poor. Sacramento Bee

In it up to here. The Sacramento region's flood defenses would get a significant boost - ranging from bulldozers and dump trucks to engineers and maintenance workers - under the governor's proposed budget for next year. Sacramento Bee

Saving the bad news for later. No raises for state's rank and file included. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new budget unveiled Tuesday contains no pay raises for the 156,000 rank-and-file state employees whose contracts have expired or are scheduled to run their course this year. Sacramento Bee

Me first, me first. Robert Scheer- OH WHAT a tangled web these no-longer-young Republicans weave when first they practice to deceive! The plumb line that runs down through the cesspool of the festering Abramoff-DeLay scandal is the conceit that the scions of the Reagan Revolution, a generation of young Republican activists summoned by God and party, were morally superior creatures, who had only pure ideological motives for cutting the country's social-safety nets in the name of "small government." San Francisco Chronicle

The European trend. Scores of civil rights, religious groups urge court to overturn state ban. More than 250 religious and civil rights groups and individuals have filed eight friend-of-the-court briefs urging the state Court of Appeal to end state laws denying same-sex couples the right to marry. Oakland Tribune

The vote is in the mail. Other counties join push for all-mail voting
Supervisors urge state legislation, and neighbors show an interest; effort likely a hard sell in Capitol. Even as Alameda County decided Tuesday to lobby for an all vote-by-mail primary in June, local elections officials in a dozen other California counties were talking about the same thing. Oakland Tribune

I just want to get the PR contract. Union Ads Say Mayor Is Crying Wolf Taking another jab in its labor dispute with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a union representing 8,000 Los Angeles city employees began airing a radio advertisement Tuesday that accuses the mayor of planning to raise taxes unnecessarily. LA Times

The Duke is back. But is that Doonesbury or Randy? Cunningham lawyers blast secret taping report. In pleading guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion in November, Randy "Duke" Cunningham pledged to do "undercover work or tape record conversations" if instructed to do so by a federal agent.

Time magazine says that he did, and that his former congressional colleagues are nervous about it. Cunningham's lawyers struck back Monday in a statement criticizing the story. Prosecutors and FBI and IRS officials investigating the case declined to comment. Governor comes face to asphalt with healthcare problems. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, speaking through swollen lips from a motorcycle accident a day earlier, announced Monday that he would propose spending $72.2 million to increase enrollment in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs. Sacramento Bee

License? I don't need no stinkin' License. Schwarzenegger admits the lack of a 2-wheel permit. The governor, through a spokeswoman, admitted he never obtained the M-1 or M-2 endorsement on his license that he needed to legally drive a two-wheel motorcycle on the street - despite the fact that he's done so for years. Sacramento Bee

He has credibility? Dan Walters: Schwarzenegger's credibility at risk as he repositions his image. "Anyone who says I am changing positions is totally wrong," Schwarzenegger said last week. But while he has always had infrastructure improvements in mind as a lasting legacy, they were supposed to come after he had balanced the state budget and reformed the political system; having failed on those two initial goals, he's now proceeding to the third phase of "restore, reform, rebuild." Sacramento Bee

So much for peace, love, and Flowers. Appeals court rebuffs Flowers. Gennifer Flowers lost another round Monday in a defamation suit against advisers to former President Clinton when a federal appeals court ruled against her. Sacramento Bee

That is, if they spent the money on scholarships instead of raises. Daniel Weintraub: Cutting student fees doesn't really help the poor. One of the most difficult ideas to kill in California's Capitol is the notion that low student fees are the best way to promote broader access to higher education for the poor. The opposite is actually the case: Lower fees are a boon to the wealthy and the upper middle class, providing subsidies to the well-to-do that would be better spent on the needy. Sacramento Bee

Social conscience over a million dollar condo? Nah.Tenant-friendly housing issues before supes. New rules for condo conversion, eviction disclosure on agenda. San Francisco Chronicle

Of course he was. And Nixon really needed those files. Lawmaker defends his hampering of probe. U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, said Monday he was justified in using his powers to help thwart a government investigation against a prominent Republican political contributor because a "corrupt agency" was trying to "extort" the man's land through illegal means. Oakland Tribune

A billion here, and billion there. Pretty soon it's real money. Democrat Says $68 Billion Plan Too Small. reasurer Phil Angelides, a Democratic candidate for governor, accused Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday of thinking too small with his proposal to sell $68 billion in bonds over the next 10 years.

Despite the hoopla over the size of the governor's proposal, Angelides said the governor's plan actually would not increase the rate of investment from current levels. San Jose Mercury

A real renaissance guy. Garcetti Is Ready to Take the Reins. L.A. City Council's new president believes his role can effect real change. His varied background should come in handy. L ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=181 Mon, 09 Jan 2006 19:32:51 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=181#cmt I always like grid locked politicians. But Dan Walters speaks out against the California Legislature today. The deterioration of the California Legislature as a policymaking body over the last few decades is an incontrovertible fact.

Simply put, the Legislature became endemically incapable of responding to the difficult political issues that naturally arise in a society that's growing and changing as rapidly as California's - such as educating an ever-diversifying population for an ever-changing economy, handling the crushing demand from population growth for water, housing and transportation, or coping with sharpening socioeconomic stratification.

Isn't indexing what has the California budget in such a bind? Minimum wage jousting. Labor leaders and legislative Democrats, eyeing a politically wounded governor trying to steer toward the middle in an election year, see an opportunity to get a longer-term benefit for low-income earners - a guaranteed, annual raise.

A check-up on San Francisco Mayor Newsome's promises. In his inaugural address, Newsom even provided a checklist of the problems he vowed to tackle: "homelessness, affordable housing, high wage jobs, safe and stable neighborhoods, clean streets, promoting a creative city, excellent schools, excellent parks and playgrounds, a clean environment and a cleaner city government.''

Time for a change. The political game for 2006 is musical chairs.

Term limits are sending eviction notices to some local officeholders and creating opportunities for newcomers. But the likely outcome of the June and November elections for county and legislative offices will be familiar political faces in new places.

When did that happen? The healthiest city in the United States is Baltimore, but Oakland is inching up the chart, Men's Fitness magazine declared Friday in its annual healthy cities survey.

The magazine ranked Oakland 19th on its healthy city list, up a notch from 2005, but still behind two other California cities — San Francisco at No. 7 and Sacramento at No. 11.

Cashing in on the family name. UFW Charities Cash Inon the Chavez Legacy. From their remote perch amid rolling hills and gnarled oaks 30 miles east of Bakersfield, Cesar Chavez's heirs run a thriving family business that has prospered even as the labor union has floundered. They have capitalized on the Chavez name and developed a complex financial web that helps enrich the organizations they oversee.

What's happening in our schools? Defense attorney Al Stokke , pleading on Friday for Judge Richard Toohey to sentence teacher Sarah Bench-Salorio to only three years in prison, made the same argument for leniency I would have: "Where was she when I was 13?"

And so, too, I thought before Friday. That's when I listened to the sobbing mothers of two of the three students Bench-Salorio, now 29, had sex with. One of the kids, by the way, was only 11 when they started having sex.

Fighting back. U.S. attorney Lam has reputation for winning big cases. She's a smart, fearless prosecutor willing to take on politicians, big business and drug kingpins.

---

Links in today's articles:
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14054277p-14885560c.html
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14054276p-14885561c.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/08/MNGHGGK8O21.DTL
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/ ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=180 Mon, 09 Jan 2006 11:08:28 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=180#cmt I'm finally catching up with things and am back to California Politics. But I'm going to try something a bit different this time.

I'm going to start an entry in the morning and add to it throughout the day. At the end of the day I'll send it out to my California Blog newsletter as a digest.

Are you from Bakersfield? Are you embarrassed about being from Bakersfield? This is the topic of the day at the Bakersfield Californian newspaper web site. So far "No way! This is the only real American town in this crazy state. I'm proud to be a Bakersfieldian." is winning by
32%. But 45% of responders are hesitant to tell people where they're from.

Speaking of Bakersfield. A Buttonwillow Elementary School seventh-grade teacher pleaded not guilty Friday to two counts of annoying or molesting a child under 18 -- a much lesser charge than what she was originally accused of.

Bullet train left at station. Construction of a bullet train to zip commuters from Sacramento to San Diego at speeds up to 220 mph would be derailed indefinitely under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new strategic growth plan.

The governor's plan jeopardizes a project that has consumed an estimated $30 million in public funds, but one whose soaring price tag has raised questions about its viability.

Stopping California's crumbling infrastructure. After two years of quietly gearing up, California's governor is proposing a $107 billion overhaul of the state's crumbling transportation systems.

Some $12 billion of the money would come from bond measures Schwarzenegger hopes to put before the voters - the first in June.

Great news for the new year. Mayor Doesn't Rule Out New Taxes. While heralding $27.5 million in tax breaks that kicked in for Los Angeles businesses with the new year, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa declined Wednesday to commit to no new taxes when his first city budget is released in April.

---

Links in today's articles:
http://www.bakersfield.com/
http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/5813580p-5829742c.html
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14046763p-14878181c.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/socal/la-me-tax5jan05,1,4515419.story?coll=la-news-politics-local

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=178 Sat, 07 Jan 2006 15:00:55 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=178#cmt From the new blog site for Breasts not Bombs. I guess whoever is behind the effort to stop this group is learning new lessons on freedom of speech.

I've had people try and shut down my sites for various reasons over the years. Why is it we believe that the best way to convince people to take our side is to make sure they don't hear the other?

As far as a naked breast goes, I used to see women openly breastfeeding through-out the Middle East while I was there. If even a culture as repressed as that can honor the breast, why are we so shocked?

QUOTE:

Well folks...We've had a day in court and here's the decision of the D.A.

Lt. Allen settlement
California Highway Patrol
1801 - 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

suspect Sherry Glaser
suspect Renee Love

Dear Lt. Stallman:

This concerns the above cases, submitted to our office for prosecution. In the course of a political demonstration on the grounds of the State Capitol, both suspects completely exposed their breasts. They were arrested for violating Penal Code section 314 (indecent exposure), 647(a) (lewd act in a public place), and Government Code section 14685 (violation of CHP regulation on state property).

Both section 314 and section 647(a) require a sexual intent. Nudity without sexual intent does not violate these statutes. See Robins v. County of Los Angeles (1966) 248 Cal.App.2d 1, at 10-11; Barrows v. Municipal Court of Los Angeles (1970) 1 Cal.3d 821; Boreta Enterprises v. Department of Alcholic (sic.)Beverage Control (1970) 2 Cal.3d 85, at 99; In re Smith (1972) 7 Cal.3d 362, at 366; Pryor v. Municipal Court of Los Angeles (1979) 25 Cal.3d 238, at 255-57; In re Dallas W. (2000) 85 Cal.App.4th 937. The conduct here clearly had a political, not a sexual, intent.

As to Government Code section 14685, no CHP regulation for the use of state property prohibits mere nudity. The permit for the demonstration was sought and granted in the name of the organization "Breasts Not Bombs." The officer who granted the permit discussed breast exposure with the permit applicant, and the permit itself refers to "any person who exposes private parts," but both the pre-permit discussion and the written permit expressly referred to violations of sections 314 and 647(a). Since the conduct here did not violate those statutes, we do not believe a jury would conclude the applicant either mislead the officer who issued the permit, or violated the terms of the permit.

Under the circumstances, we will file no criminal charges in this matter.

Sincerely yours,

JAN SCULLY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=174 Wed, 28 Dec 2005 22:58:22 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=174#cmt The California Blog will be on hiatus while I go traveling.

Where am I going? Stop by my RV Travels blog to see posts.

-Don- ]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=167 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 22:21:56 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=167#cmt It's fire season in California. The Chatworth fire is certainly the one most broadcast, but others are breaking out in places like Redlands.

CNN reported a new government web site where you could monitor the fires, but I guess it's using Microsoft servers, it immediately crashed. www.geomac.gov

Could this be the most expensive sewer in history? Its costs have soared to over $150 million for this community of 14,000 people.

The unincorporated community voted to create a CSD and voted in a board, who then decided to locate the sewer in the middle of town next to Morro Bay without asking them about it. Now they've voted to oust their local community services district board and re-examine it's location.

With a new board and philosphy newly elected, Roger Briggs of the state's Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is accusing the whole town of voting to break the law.

There are nitrates leaking into the Bay and the RWQCB assumes it's the area septic tanks that are causing the problem. They're now threatening to slap $10,000 a day fines on the town and individual tanks.

This is an ongoing soap opera that have lasted for decades. The cost has gone up to over $150 million and missed many grants by stalling. We'll see where it goes from here. More coverage in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Yeah, but why not minimum wage? Just after the LA Times ran an article that states families need to earn $70,000 a year just to get by, Governor Schwazenegger vetoed the minimum wage bill as well as the gay marriage act. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed two of the most controversial bills of the legislative session Thursday, rejecting measures to make gay marriage legal and to raise the state's minium wage.

The gay marriage legislation, Assembly Bill 849, passed earlier this month after emotional debates in the Senate and Assembly. It made California the first state in the nation to enact legislation that would have made it legal for gays to marry.

No more snowy plover beach closures? The House on Thursday passed some of most sweeping changes in the Endangered Species Act since the landmark environmental bill was born 32 years ago.

The House approval by a 229-193 margin marks a triumph of persistence for Tracy Republican Richard Pombo, who has unsuccessfully sought changes in the law for over a decade. But with environmentalists and moderate Republicans still skeptical, the bill's long-term prospects are uncertain.

Breaking - Judith Miller out of jail. Awwww. I was enjoying the peace and quiet. I guess her career is saved. It's now said the Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff Scooter Libby is the person she spent 80+ days in jail for.

Both Senators Boxer and Republican Senator Feinstein voted against the Supreme Court nomination of John Roberts.

Bird flu threat. Democrats are now active in preventing an epedemic of avian flu in this country, with Barbara Boxer releasing this letter today.

Who's in charge here? Rep. David Dreier looked like the top pick to succeed House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. But at the last minute the post was awarded to GOP whip Rep. Roy Blunt. Dreier became a popular spokesman during the Gray Davis recall election and is often seen on pundit shows.

Lots of blogs are asking if questions concerning Congressman Deier's personal lifestyle had anything to do with it. The mainstream media seems terrified to comment about his sexual bia other than an allusion by Wolf Blitzer. His office says he turned down the position because of the hopefully temporary nature of the vacancy. The Chronicle article.

And finally.... Boulder Creek, California. Eviction Escape: Man Flees, Pig Attacks

Senator Feinstein Calls on President Bush to Reinstate Federal Wage Laws for Workers Rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today urged President Bush to reverse his suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act so that workers who are hired under federal contracts to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are paid the prevailing wage.

Federal contractors are allowed to pay their workers lower wages under this suspension of the law, however, they are not obligated to pass on the savings to the government, and ultimately taxpayers, from their lower operating costs. This means that federal contractors would be able to profit from the suspension of laws that are intended to protect workers.

I guess as long as Bush keeps the CEO's happy, he doesn't have to worry about poll numbers. Or for those supposed Christians, Leviticus 19:13 Do not [unjustly] withhold that which is due your neighbor. Do not let a worker's wages remain with you overnight until morning.

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Combat Human Trafficking. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation establishing human trafficking as a crime and increasing the severity of punishment for those that commit or benefit from this crime. The legislation also strengthens the ability of the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board to collect monetary restitution for crime victims and establishes a task force to study and evaluate human trafficking in California.

"The practice of trafficking in human beings -- modern-day slavery -- is a horrific crime that our society cannot abide," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "By finally making the practice of human trafficking a crime in our state, and by increasing the penalties for the criminals who engage in it, we send a clear message that this practice will not be tolerated in California."

Governor pulls request for 'bad teacher' stories. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign pulled a form from its Web site Wednesday that asked Californians to report stories of horrible teachers to support the ballot initiative to lengthen teachers' probationary period.

Posted on the campaign Web site, , the form asked: "Have a story about a teacher who just might not be cut out for the job, yet nothing can be done because of tenure? Please tell us. We'd like to share the stories of Californians like you!"

Holy cow -- Title Town! On a night when their shots weren't falling, when they were outrebounded and when they were dreading another cross-country flight, the Sacramento Monarchs nevertheless put crowns on their heads and wore them proudly.

"A 7 a.m. flight to Connecticut -- I don't think so,'' said Yolanda Griffith, whose team needed every one of her 14 points and 10 rebounds to hold off the rugged Connecticut Sun 62-59 Tuesday night to win the Women's National Basketball Association Finals, 3 games to 1.

Peace activist's anti-war campaign arrives in Washington. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan pledged Wednesday to "force change to happen" during protest speeches outside the White House and Capitol.

Sheehan arrived in Washington after a three-week cross-country bus tour that began near President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. The Vacaville, Calif., mother is expected to participate in an anti-Iraq war rally Saturday that organi ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=163 Wed, 21 Sep 2005 21:35:13 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=163#cmt Okay,
This is just waaay too much fun.

Go to Google. Search on "failure". Here are the results.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=162 Wed, 21 Sep 2005 14:32:05 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=162#cmt

A Press Release forwarded by Sherri Glaser

In Solidarity with United for Peace & Justice
A.N.S.W.E.R
Code Pink
Global Exchange
Veterans for Peace
Mobilization for Peace in Washington DC
Breasts Not Bombs in a Demonstration to show the difference between what is decent and what is not wIll be present on Saturday Sep 24th at the Peace and Justice Festival, Washington D.C.
&
Monday September 26TH for direct actions at the Capitol Bldg., Senate, and White House.
Exact time and locations to be announced.

PLEASE BRING SIGNS!!!

For Instance:

WAR IS INDECENT -
WAR PROFITEERING IS INDECENT -
TORTURE IS INDECENT -
LYING TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS INDECENT -
ELECTION FRAUD IS INDECENT -
DEPLETED URANIUM IS INDECENT -
THE PATRIOT ACT IS INDECENT-
KARL ROVE'S BEHAVIOR IS INDECENT-
CONDELEEZA'S OIL TANKARD IS INDECENT-
FEMA'S EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS INDECENT.....

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US TO BARE WITNESS TO THE OUTRAGEOUS DANGEROUS CORRUPTION OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND UNWILLING TO BE SILENT OR BULLIED INTO SUBMISSION.

BARING OUR BREASTS IN POLITICAL DEMONSTRATION IS PROTECTED UNDER THE 1ST AMENDMENT. JOIN US IN A DISPLAY OF SIMPLE EMOTIONAL THEATER AS A NON-VIOLENT RESPONSE TO THE PAIN AND INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD

contact me for organzing information mothersmilk@mcn.org

Why Breasts not Bombs?
Why are we baring our breasts today?
What do breasts have to do with the Iraq war?

We say this war as indecent. We reject that exposing our breasts in public is indecent
We say torture and cluster bombs are indecent. We say using depleted uranium in our military hardware and spreading radiation throughout Iraq and in the bodies of own soldiers is indecent. We say that there is something terribly wrong in a culture that easily allows the media to show thousands of violent images daily to our children but says women’s breasts are offensive.

We are here to bring attention to the fact that our young men and women have been sent to Iraq under false pretenses and are needlessly killing people there and being killed as well - over1,900 of them to date and over 15,000 more are terribly injured.

We are here to bring attention to the fact that well over 28,189 Iraqi women and children and men have died since the beginning of the war.

We are here as women who are the bearers of life and responsible for nursing into maturity, stand opposed to our children being killed around the world.

We are here to symbolize that we can live in a culture of nurturance (symbolized by the breast) not a culture of war. We are offering an alternative to war.

We will use our feminine nature to wake people up, to cause a stir, to arouse people from their (apathy, complacency)slumbers.

We find that baring our breasts brings about a dialogue beyond our usual scope and results in astonishing bridge building and surprising moments of peace.

We stand in a long line of women who have used their bodies, their femaleness to bring attention to a dire situation, among them:The brave women of Nigeria who won concessions in 1984 and 2002 from international oil companies who were destroying their towns and their communities. Several thousand women disrobed in 1984 and hundreds threatened to disrobe in 2002 at the oil facilities. The companies met their demands.

We are not exhibitionists here to entertain perverted pleasures. We do not do this action easily or blithely. We know women’s bodies are used, abused and humiliated in this country and around the world. We know we are subject to this energy. But we cannot sit silent while this war continues. We will use our bodies to bring attention to the immoral injustices of war, its torturous prisons and obscene profits.

We know this is controversial and that we will be criticized.

To our critics we say, if this action is not for you, please find one that is. Do not waste your energy in judgement of us; use it to further the cause of peace in our world. The world needs us now to take a stand. We believe that if women were safe to walk through the world with their breasts exposed we would all be safe. We are sick and tired of war. We are heartbroken over the senseless and ongoing loss of life.

This is our stand. What is your ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=161 Tue, 20 Sep 2005 18:48:48 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=161#cmt Important Passport Security Enhancement: Effective September 26, 2005, as an additional security enhancement, Passport Services will no longer amend valid passports. Instead, customers requesting name changes, extension of validity for limited passports, or correction of a printing error will apply for replacement passports.
If the change is within one year after issuance, they will submit a U.S. Passport Re-Application Form (DS 5504), together with the passport that needs the change, the documentation required, and new passport pictures. There will be no charge for routine processing.

If the change is more than one year after issuance, customers will need to submit an Application for Passport By Mail (DS-82), together with the passport that needs the change, the documentation required, and new pictures. The cost includes the $55 application fee and $12 security surcharge, for a total of $67 for routine processing. Of course, if the requested data change is due to a printing error by Passport Services, there will be no charge.

Obtaining passports has gotten easier as post offices have extended hours at their passport offices, but they can still be a nightmare of paperwork. A friend of mine signs his name by printing it, not in cursive. After multiple trips to the nearest post office, waiting long periods, letters of reference, they still haven't been able to understand that yes, that's really his signature.

In addition, I see the IRS may assign a $500 penalty if you forget to include your social security number. There's nothing like big government.

Speaking of being heavy handed, the British took tanks and broke into an Iraqi jail holding two British soldiers working clandestinely. Were they trying to get the soldiers, or worried about the troopers talking about their mission. The soldiers were found with an anti-tank missile and native Arab costume.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered a Los Angeles, Calif., business to stop selling and distributing two unregistered pesticides, "MoldWash" and "MoldWash Household," products that claim to control fungus and toxic molds.

"When an unregistered product claims to kill mold and mildew, consumers might falsely believe they are protecting themselves against serious heath problems," said Enrique Manzanilla, director of the Communities and Ecosystems Division in the EPA's Pacific Southwest Office.

The label and promotional materials for "MoldWash" and "MoldWash Household" claimed that the products could remove mildew and mold -- including "black mold" -- from household surfaces. Claims included: "eliminates dangerous molds such as stachybotrys and aspergillus; "proven to kill 99.9 percent of most molds in less than 5 minutes; and "prevents, removes, & provides protection against mold growth."

In May, 2005, investigators from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation discovered that Morwear Manufacturing, Inc., located at 620 Lamar Ave. in Los Angeles, sold and distributed the two unregistered pesticide products. The company now faces possible fines of up to $6,500 per offense.

Under the terms of a recently entered consent decree, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will receive over $8.25 million from eleven companies who allegedly contributed to groundwater contamination at the Puente Valley Operable Unit of the San Gabriel Valley Superfund site in Los Angeles County, Calif.

The U.S. v. Acorn Engineering Company, et al. Consent Decree was entered by the District Court for the Central District of California on September 8, 2005. The money can be used to fund EPA's groundwater cleanup costs. The EPA site cleanup plan calls for pumping and removing contaminants from a major drinking water source.

"The entry of the Consent Decree gives us funds which EPA can use for future cleanups in San Gabriel Valley," said Keith Takata, director of the EPA's Pacific Southwest Superfund Office. "The EPA is committed to ensuring that parties responsible for contamination pay to address it."

State sees rise in whooping cough. Whooping cough cases have mushroomed in California, spurring health officials to call for adolescent ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=160 Tue, 20 Sep 2005 16:05:37 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=160#cmt This could be rumor, but it would be disheartening if it's true. Too often Americans are accused of rigidity and hauteur. It's being reported by the British Mirror.

HUNDREDS of tons of British food aid shipped to America for starving hurricane Katrina survivors is to be burned.

US red tape is stopping it from reaching hungry evacuees.

Instead tons of the badly needed Nato ration packs, the same as those eaten by British troops in Iraq, has been condemned as unfit for human consumption.

And unless the bureaucratic mess is cleared up soon it could be sent for incineration.

One British aid worker last night called the move "sickening senselessness" and said furious colleagues were "spitting blood".

Food from Spain and Italy is also being held because it fails to meet US standards and has been judged unfit for human consumption.

And Israeli relief agencies are furious that thousands of gallons of pear juice are to be destroyed because it has been judged unfit.

Good news for California Seniors. California seniors can expect to pay the lowest premium for Medicare's new prescription drug coverage in the United States, but they will have to sift through a profusion of 40 plans to make the right choice.

As the plans have developed, the monthly premium has dropped from a projected $35 to an average of $25 in California, officials with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said.

Limiting Unions. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, cheered on by hundreds of grassroots Republican supporters, expanded his Nov. 8 special election reform agenda on Saturday and endorsed Proposition 75 -- the initiative aimed at curbing the political clout of overwhelmingly Democratic public employee unions.

"Public employee unions' members should not be forced to contribute to causes, candidates and controversial issues that they don't believe in," said Schwarzenegger, in remarks during a luncheon before hundreds of supporters at the California Republican Convention at the Anaheim Marriott. "That's not a contribution. That is a tax."

Attorney General Bill Lockyer today (Sep 15) sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for failing to impose effective controls against destructive insects that enter the country in shipping pallets and other wooden packaging. A new rule issued by the USDA requires the use of a marginally effective pesticide that damages the environment and is being phased out of use under an international treaty.

"Methyl bromide is a potent and dangerous chemical. It helps destroy the earth's ozone layer and exposes those who come into contact with it to the risk of cancer,” said Lockyer. That is why health experts called for a complete ban and why the U.S. agreed to an international treaty to phase out its use. It simply doesn't follow that USDA officials are proposing to ramp up its use, and endanger air quality and public health, especially when there are proven non-chemical alternatives."

Assault on Endangered Species Act. Legislation introduced today by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Cal.) would severely undermine the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and punch loopholes in the law on behalf of greedy developers, oil companies, and other special interests. Ironically called the “Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005,” this legislation strikes at the heart of our nation's wildlife conservation efforts.

“If Rep. Pombo's legislation were part of the original Endangered Species Act, the recovery of the bald eagle, grizzly bear, and peregrine falcon would have been extremely difficult if not impossible,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife. “The bill contains provisions that would se ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=158 Mon, 19 Sep 2005 17:45:08 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=158#cmt With oil going over $70 a barrel and gas topping $3 a gallon, it looks like more people will be spending time walking or bicycling.

I like walking. I'm often seen along roads going here or there for fun. Yesterday I ended up taking a 7 mile walk for groceries and shopping. I start and just keep going. I enjoyed the day out and took care of business at the same time.

I was watching drivers hop in their cars and immediately pick up their cell phone. We've become such a rushed society it seems we're always trying to do two or three things at once, we're rushing through life without even noticing life waving at us from the side.

But to my rant. City planners have been unfriendly to walkers for decades. We've been left with sidewalks that go no where, when we have sidewalks at all.

Too often sidewalks seem to be an afterthought for modern city planners. The strips of concrete start and end in completely arbitrary locations. Yesterday I even saw sidewalks running into block walls, a trail across a grassy area nearby showing that people do indeed walk through this area. Unfortunately, it would seem planners just didn't care.

Many of the older sidewalks buckled from weather and tree roots are left in a dangerous state of disrepair. Despite flexible sidewalk systems made from recycled tires now available, cities put their scant resources into fixing potholes and street signs, not pedestrian thoroughfares.

The modern movement seems to be to leave out sidewalks altogether. Have you tried to walk into shopping centers lately? These gathering places of humanity don't have any access but the driveways that lead into them. Evidently the belief is that anyone who can afford to shop in them is driving.

When I lived on the Central Coast the planners didn't want that finished sidewalk and gutters look, so they stopped all sidewalks from being built. This left children walking in the middle of the street on their way to school every day.

Even worse than just leaving out sidewalks, obstacles are sometimes put in the way to make it almost impossible to walk through areas without conquering hills or playing matador with oncoming traffic.

There's an industrial park I've seen that puts hillocks between buildings, leaving pedestrians to climb over the grounds from parking lot to parking lot while watching for invisible holes caused by sprinkler systems. There are frequent bus stops in this area, but there are no convenient ways to get to them without walking from a driveway into a very busy street.

We're obviously going to be changing our driving behavior as the demand for oil by new economies around the world bid for a diminishing supply. While switching to more economical cars will help, breaking out the loafers and walking to the corner market will become an ever more frequent sight. I hope planners take this into account and realize more voters will become frustrated over their myopic viewpoints.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=157 Mon, 19 Sep 2005 14:15:19 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=157#cmt "Maybe you know something I don't know," Mr. Bush said. "I've been working." While this quote was about the resignation of Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Brown,which insiders say President Bush did know about but didn't know was public, I was impressed by the idea that he had to point it out. Feeling a bit guilty about that five week vacation I guess.

Renters to lose eviction shield beginning Jan. 1, landlords will no longer be required to give 60 days' notice before evicting some tenants without cause.

A temporary law, which took effect in 2003, will expire. It requires landlords to give 60 days' notice to tenants who have done nothing wrong, have lived in the unit at least one year and do not have a lease.

Landlords are required to give at least 30 days' notice - based on a state law adopted more than a century ago - to tenants who've lived in a unit less than a year.

Dan Walters: Groups steer California on a path New York knows all too well. Assembly Bill 593, sponsored by Treasurer Phil Angelides and carried by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Los Angeles, would create two new entities, the "California Hope Public Trust" and the "California Hope Endowment."

The former would assume control over unspecified state-owned lands and buildings, and be empowered to issue bonds, do deals with private developers and build facilities for both state agencies and private tenants. Its profits would go to the Hope Endowment, which would, by some unspecified means, spend them on "increasing the number of Californians who attend colleges or universities and receive degrees."

As Ophelia approaches North Carolina, reports are that preparations are being checked detail by detail.

San Francisco Disaster response chief welcomes audit. The deputy director of the city's lead disaster response agency told a Board of Supervisors committee Monday that an audit of the Office of Emergency Services was welcome.

The call for the audit by Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin came last week in the wake of destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Peskin noted that the Office of Emergency Services, which falls under the mayor's office, had not been audited since 1991 and that its staff had grown from four employees to more than 20 while receiving more than $80 million in federal homeland security grants and contracts.

Richard Shortall, deputy director of the agency, told the board committee that his office was looking forward to cooperating with the audit. The study will be performed by the office of Budget Analyst Harvey Rose at a cost of $180,000.

Pot guru challenges drug convictions Attorneys for Ed Rosenthal, the self-described "Guru of Ganja" who has written books on how to grow marijuana and avoid getting caught, asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to overturn his drug convictions.

Rosenthal, convicted two years ago of growing and distributing hundreds of marijuana plants, says he was authorized to do so by the city of Oakland under a 1996 California medical marijuana law. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer refused to allow a jury to hear that defense, and Rosenthal was prosecuted and convicted of being a major drug supplier.

Public Support Is Waning for O.C. Human Rights Agency. A little-known public agency assigned to help foster racial and ethnic harmony in increasingly diverse Orange County now finds itself under attack by officials who question its effectiveness and its need for public funds.
At issue is the Orange County Human Relations Commission, set up in 1971 with a tiny staff to fight intolerance and discrimination. Today, with public and private money, the commission and its nonprofit have a $1.8-million budget, a staff of 22, an office in Santa Ana and a broad agenda.

Although the commission is not well known, "it doe ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=153 Tue, 13 Sep 2005 22:42:36 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=153#cmt

A computer engineer who lost his job because he ate two pieces of pepperoni pizza left over from a company meeting has been named the winner of an offbeat Internet contest that solicited stories about outrageous firings.

A panel of Silicon Valley judges assembled by Simply Hired, a Mountain View startup that sponsored the contest, picked Jim Garrison's strange tale from more than 1,000 entries submitted during the past month.

Police in West Hartford, Conn., arrested Matthew Flynn, 46, in August for allegedly threatening to castrate a Melly's ice-cream truck driver with a pair of hedge clippers because the driver blared his jingle on and on and on, even though Flynn told him that no kids lived on the street. And David Owen Rye, 48, was arrested in Los Angeles 10 days earlier for allegedly firing at least three bullets into a Toyota Camry in an apartment-house parking lot because its car alarm wouldn't shut off. [Hartford Courant, 8-22-05] [Daily News (Los Angeles)-AP, 8-11-05]

Singing lesbians to rescue opera house. The troubled English National Opera plans to sing for its survival with the world premiere of a new opera about lesbian lovers that features nudity and sex.

ENO, which is only now emerging from a period of deficits of millions of pounds, is pinning hopes on The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, an operatic adaptation of the 1972 film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, the cult German director.

The all-female production tells the story of a fashion designer, von Kant, who develops a crush on Karin, one of her models. It also portrays von Kant's mistress/slave relationship with her mute assistant.

Promotional posters and flyers for the opera promise “sexual desire, dominance and submission”. They feature pictures of a semi-naked woman caressing a female mannequin.

Invading parakeets warm to wilds of suburbia. It is dusk, and the parakeets are coming in to roost. Just a few at first, brief flashes of green against the glowing sky at the end of a blistering late-summer day.

Steadily the numbers increase, then suddenly the sky seems to turn emerald as thousands swoop down, cawing and cackling, to cluster, jostling, in the tall trees. The poplars are now alive with raucous parakeets, chattering, nibbling, hanging upside down. The noise is deafening.

We might be in the forests of India, except that we are in the grounds of Esher Rugby Club in suburban Surrey, witnessing the latest, and loudest, evidence of global warming: an astonishing mass invasion of these exotic little parrots. The wild parrot population has exploded in Britain. The colony at the edge of the rugby ground in Esher is the largest in the country, with an estimated 7,000 Indian ring-necked parakeets ( Psittacula krameri .

And Finally... $1,133 hospital bill for toenail work prompts class action lawsuit. SEATTLE (AP) - A lawsuit challenging a hospital's $1,133 US bill to clip a toenail and run tests has been certified as a class action that could include other patients charged similar fees by the hospital.

Lori Mill is challenging a $418 fee included in the bill for "miscellaneous hospital charges" because she had her toenail clipped to check for fungus at Virginia Mason Medical Center's downtown complex rather than at one of its other clinics.

The hospital has not yet provided how many patients were assessed such a fee, Mill's lawyer, John Phillips said Friday.

Virginia Mason Medical Center says its downtown complex is authorized by Medicare to charge higher fees because it is licensed as a hospital. It maintains that such charges are standard practice elsewhere.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=151 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 00:01:21 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=151#cmt My $.02 worth.

Many lifetimes ago I helped manage an emergency response office in the Air Force. This was a crew of 105 construction workers, heavy equipment operators, supply and administration people.

In approximately 24 - 28 hours we could have everyone packed, vaccinated, in line and ready to board a cargo airplane ready to go anywhere in the world.

There was of course a lot of work before that event to get everything ready and ensure people were prepared. There were hundreds of regulations to read and follow, supplies to order, inspect, and warehouse. Training had to be scheduled and tracked. Checklists were created. Then we had to create reports that told headquarters how prepared we were and if there were any shortfalls, like to many welders and not enough electricians.

When something did happen, this administration office was important to the mission, but didn't lead the mission. Officers trained and experienced in leadership and disasters took control and barked commands to others in the chain of command that were experts in their area. They relied on the preparations, followed checklists to make sure nothing was forgotten, but most importantly they knew how to get things done.

This was an early lesson to me that administrators that were good at regulations, processes, and paperwork weren't good at actually commanding the force. And that people that were good at commanding weren't good at reading regulations and needed preparations like checklists to make sure nothing was forgotten.

We seem to be seeing this very problem in the Gulf.

I'm not surprised that things didn't get done or were forgotten. That happens in the panic of an event. But who was in charge of preparations?

If they knew the Superdome could be an evacuation site, why weren't supplies prepositioned? Even basic supplies like crackers, candy drops, water, and port-potties would have made a major difference. Why weren't checklists created and followed, items like pre-positioning buses, bulldozers, and water processing trailers?

Why in the world did FEMA director Michael Brown try to stand up as the person in control? His job is to manage FEMA, not control a disaster. The person with the most expertise should have been on-site director (or commander). What resulted was a group of people unsure of themselves trying to control the uncontrollable and getting in the way of people who did know what to do.

Trucks from Wal-Mart carrying water were turned away, a Coast Guard ship with diesel was sent off, offers from New Mexico and Chicago were rejected, firemen were sent to Georgia in preparation to become public relations officers.

This whole mess speaks of of the grossest example of mismanagement and ignorance of the basic principles of disaster response.

While there is plenty of finger pointing, if the federal government is going to be able to go into any US location, they are going to have to take the lead and create a homogenous set of guidelines for local governments to follow. Names are going to have to be placed against positions of authority, and then drills are going to be needed until everyone reacts by instinct.

I'm sure there are good people ready to make sure these things happen. But clearly, it's going to take an outcry from we the people to ensure that administrations quit abusing their authority and perform their basic function of keeping us safe.

So how's the weather? Senator Rick Santorum has some pretty bad timing. After Brian Williams reported on the Daily Show that NOAA had put out a warning predicting everything that happened in the Gulf, Santorum is trying to accuse the weather service of falling down on the job. A possible motive? Accuweather, a badly managed online weather service, has been a large donator to Santorum and has been lobbying him to stop public access to the National Weather Service.
http://witf.org/temps/FM/news1.shtml
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Sunspot 798 is quite the fire breathing dragon, spewing some incredible large coronal mass ejections. So far they've just been brushing the earth, but they're causing satellites grief nonetheless. As the sunspot comes more directly in line with the earth you could see more outages. News reporters have already been talking about trouble.

More northern resid ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=149 Fri, 09 Sep 2005 14:22:44 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=149#cmt The Senate on Thursday (Sep 8, 2005) rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's nomination of a veteran state employee to head the Department of Motor Vehicles, saying California needs a "political leader" in the post to prepare for tough driver's license security requirements.

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said the nominee, Joan Borucki, had had a "very solid career with the state of California."

"(But) this is not a job for a bureaucrat," he added. "This is a job for a political leader ... someone who knows how to marshal forces of political clout to make sure we are safe."

Borucki, a Democrat appointed November 2004, first made headlines when she suggested drivers be taxed by their annual mileage.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=148 Thu, 08 Sep 2005 19:16:57 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=148#cmt Did you see it? The moon, Venus, and Jupiter create a line across the twilight sky. Look to the south-southwest just after sunset.

Can you hear me now? A returning sunspot flared and knocked out HF radio transmissions yesterday, and that's while it's still on the edge of the sun. Look for more interruptions this week as the sunspot spins across the surface of the sun and comes into position to fire right on us.

All shook up. The one week count of earthquakes in the continental US, Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico continues to dwindle as the Brawley Seismic Zone Swarm fades into history.

Someone in power really doesn't want to see Saddam Hussein get a chance to speak in public. The US military refused to let the media record audio in his earlier testimony, then the idea came up that he'd be tried on the killings of Kurds and immediately hanged, and the most recent is that he's confessed and won't need a trial at all. Could that handshake with Donald Rumsfeld in the '80s have something to do with it?

Saddam Hussein's chief attorney denied on Thursday that the ousted president had confessed to ordering executions and waging a campaign against Kurds in which thousands of people are said to have been killed.

"There was no confession by the president and all the investigations in this case do not implicate him at all," Khalil Dulaimi said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told state television on Tuesday that an investigator who questioned Saddam told him he had extracted important confessions from him and that the ousted leader had signed them.

I guess he won't. Gov. Schwarzenegger is going to punt on the new gay marriage bill. His position is that the people of California have already voted against gay marriage and the legislation is trying to do an end run around the popular vote. He's calling for either activist judges to make the decision or another vote. Hey, maybe we could have another special election.

Yea Abel!. Will the governator punt again? The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday to increase the minimum wage by $1 over the next two years and tie future increases to the pace of inflation, though it faces a likely veto by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Senate passed the bill on a mostly party-line 26-13 vote with just one Republican, Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, supporting it. The Assembly approved the minimum wage increase in June, so the measure now heads to the governor's desk.

Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, said the bill's intent was to alter natural market forces that determine what employers were willing to pay for labor.

"In the world of reality, the Legislature cannot do that," he said. "It may as well command the tide not to come in."
(Easy to say, when you're not doing your job on illegal immigration, eh Tom

Are we shooting the messenger? Animal Defense League protestors have been targeting the home of Police say activists are stepping up their harrassment of a high ranking city animal control official, whose neighborhood has been hit by graffiti, stink bombs, threatening late night phone calls and a bomb threat.

The protesters' target is David Diliberto, Field Commander of the LA Animal Shelter, who they blame for not stopping the city from euthanizing thousands of stray dogs each year. In July, police took five reports related to animal activists at Diliberto's home, including the bomb threat.

I've seen the Castaic shelter and was very impressed. Perhaps the fault lies with those that don't have their pets spayed or neutered or that throw out their animals after they get bored with them.

All alone.

On the other side, Congress Critter Nancy Pelosi has gone on the attack:

Pelosi: ‘September has Become Synonymous With a Lack of Preparedness, Whether in New York or New Orleans'

Web sites of congressmen and senators varied, mostly just providing links to more informatio, for the web sites that were updated at all.

My favorite quote was from Congressman Ann Eshoo:

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well as their families and friends. The country must now show humility, compassion, generosity, and unity in order to successfully grieve and recover. We can and must do more to provide immediate assistance to the families and communities devastated by this terrible disaster.”

That would truly be good to see.

BTW, a pet peeve. The Internet is becoming a primary source of information for young and old alike. Yet many politicians still don't get it. Senator Feinstein's press releases often aren't linked correctly, some aren't updated for months and even years, links to sites are inconsistent, and they're often difficult to navigate. Many won't even let you sign up for email updates unless you have a local address. What exactly would letting someone outside your district hurt? It's free!

Republican Senator Feinstein has decided it might be a good time to look at our own levees. With damage from Hurricane Katrina in mind, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Rep. Richard Pombo of Tracy called Tuesday for stepping up work to strengthen the levee system along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

"As we've seen in New Orleans, it would be a dramatic mistake to further delay the repairs that are necessary to protect communities from the ravages of floodwaters," Feinstein said.

Speaking of things that save lives. This could be a good thing, depending on how you feel about HMOs. Conceding that California isn't ready to shift 500,000 aged and disabled Medi-Cal patients into HMOs, the Schwarzenegger administration has agreed to forfeit $90 million in federal funds so the state can have more time to plan, officials said Tuesday.

Legislators, who originally faced a deadline this week for voting on the proposal, will not consider it until January.

There are some wonderful stories of Californians opening their doors to evacuees from the Gulf States. David Mince was born and raised in New Orleans, but he now plans to call Los Angeles home.

"It will be easier to start over here," said Mince, 50, who fled his home after Hurricane Katrina hit last week. "I love L.A."

Mince is temporarily staying at the Dream Center, a church-sponsored facility in Echo Park that has already taken in about 90 people. But he said Monday that he plans to begin searching for a place to live and a job as a marine electrician.

Will he or won't he. And he. Five years after Californians overwhelmingly voted to limit marriage to a man and woman, the Assembly approved legislation Tuesday to permit gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Assembly Bill 849 now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who must decide whether California becomes the first state to sanction gay marriage without court intervention.

Supporters lined up to hug Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, after his bill passed the Assembly by a razor-thin margin following nearly 90 minutes of emotional debate.

Yeah, right.

On the other side, Congress Critter Nancy Pelosi has gone on the attack:

Pelosi: ‘September has Become Synonymous With a Lack of Preparedness, Whether in New York or New Orleans'

Web sites of congressmen and senators varied, mostly just providing links to more informatio, for the web sites that were updated at all.

My favorite quote was from Congressman Ann Eshoo:

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well as their families and friends. The country must now show humility, compassion, generosity, and unity in order to successfully grieve and recover. We can and must do more to provide immediate assistance to the families and communities devastated by this terrible disaster.”

That would truly be good to see.

BTW, a pet peeve. The Internet is becoming a primary source of information for young and old alike. Yet many politicians still don't get it. Senator Feinstein's press releases often aren't linked correctly, some aren't updated for months and even years, links to sites are inconsistent, and they're often difficult to navigate. Many won't even let you sign up for email updates unless you have a local address. What exactly would letting someone outside your district hurt? It's free!

Republican Senator Feinstein has decided it might be a good time to look at our own levees. With damage from Hurricane Katrina in mind, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Rep. Richard Pombo of Tracy called Tuesday for stepping up work to strengthen the levee system along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

"As we've seen in New Orleans, it would be a dramatic mistake to further delay the repairs that are necessary to protect communities from the ravages of floodwaters," Feinstein said.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/13529334p-14370167c.html

Speaking of things that save lives. This could be a good thing, depending on how you feel about HMOs. Conceding that California isn't ready to shift 500,000 aged and disabled Medi-Cal patients into HMOs, the Schwarzenegger administration has agreed to forfeit $90 million in federal funds so the state can have more time to plan, officials said Tuesday.

Legislators, who originally faced a deadline this week for voting on the proposal, will not consider it until January.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/13529335p-14370174c.html

There are some wonderful stories of Californians opening their doors to evacuees from the Gulf States. David Mince was born and raised in New Orleans, but he now plans to call Los Angeles home.

"It will be easier to start over here," said Mince, 50, who fled his home after Hurricane Katrina hit last week. "I love L.A."

Mince is temporarily staying at the Dream Center, a church-sponsored facility in Echo Park that has already taken in about 90 people. But he said Monday that he plans to begin searching for a place to live and a job as a marine electrician.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-lagives7sep07,1,790180.story?coll=la-news-politics-california

Will he or won't he. And he. Five years after Californians overwhelmingl ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=145 Wed, 07 Sep 2005 17:03:52 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=145#cmt

Keeping the flame of hope lit. Bob Denver passed away today at a young age of 70. At times it was hard to accept that with his boyish charm and endless energy the actor would ever suffer from the maladies of age like the rest of us.

Why do I bring him up as the lead story with all the other news flooding the world today? Because I believe his character on Gilligan's Island represented the innocent hope that we need now and is a part of the American psyche.

Gilligan often stumbled, fouled things up, and was the target of blame even when it wasn't his fault. But through out, he picked himself up and got ready to start again.

We have a lot of unsettling news today. Disasters and crisis fill the cable news shows. But after all else Americans, like Gillligan, will pick ourselves up and begin again.

Executive Life Insurance policyholders have feuded with state Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi over his 1991 seizure and resale of the company. They may find themselves in the same leaky boat, however, as the long-running financial, legal, diplomatic and political wrangle over billions of dollars in insurer assets nears a climax.

Thousands of policyholders, many of them retirees and disabled who are dependent on income from annuities, are increasingly unlikely to receive a substantial recovery from the French businessmen who acquired Executive Life and its fat portfolio of junk bonds.

Oh good, more political commercials. Governor Schwarzenneger is preparing for election battles on TV while unions get ready to rumble on crucial ballot measures.

"This is a battle on TV," said Jaime Regalado, executive director of the nonpartisan Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs. "I don't think anyone in the Schwarzenegger camp gauged the effect the TV blasts against him would have on his profile. So he starts in a hole he's never been in before."

You can pay me now, or you can pay me later. In a lesson learned in New Orleans, San Joaquin County officials responsible for protecting endangered or threatened species proposed a 73 percent fee hike for building on open space.

Leaders with the San Joaquin Council of Governments, which administers the San Joaquin County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation and Open Space Plan, said the hike in the fee paid by builders would help keep the program afloat financially.

The agency spends about $4,300 an acre to preserve habitat, but gets less than half that amount per acre of habitat converted to housing, said Andrew Chesley, the agency's interim director.

I'm so glad I was born male. Drug companies make $2.5 billion a year selling Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to help men enjoy sex. Since more women suffer from sexual dysfunction than men, developing a drug that could double those sales would seem to be a no-brainer.

Yet the pharmaceutical industry has failed women miserably - there isn't a single sexual dysfunction drug on the market that can help them. Pfizer Inc. last year abandoned an eight-year Viagra study involving 3,000 women, conceding that its famous blue pill only works for men.

"I hate to say it, but women are much more complex than men," said Beverly Whipple, the sex researcher who co-wrote "The G-Spot."

What, a labor issue on Labor Day? Sixty-one union members and sympathizers staged a sit-down at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at Union Square in San Francisco to call attention to a yearlong dispute with 14 hotels over new labor contracts.

They were arrested, charged with misdemeanors for interfering with a place of business, and released. As police fitted them with plastic handcuffs, several hundred pickets marched on Stockton Street, chanting union songs and slogans.

Mike Casey, the president of Local Two of UNITE HERE!, the union representing Bay Area service employees in the conflict, was one of those arrested.

Who's side are they on? /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=143 Tue, 06 Sep 2005 17:47:57 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=143#cmt The Gulf Coast disaster is horrendous, and our prayers are with the victims.

A big question is one of preparedness. I've heard Aceh tsunami victims were getting food drops on day two of the disaster, evidently it's taken television reporters going ballistic to add a sense of urgency to this disaster.

When I was in the Air Force, I helped manage a team of construction workers called Prime BEEF, an acronym for the Base Engineering Emergency Force. We could be equipped, packed, vaccinated, and on a plane in about 24 hours from initial notice. We had tools, tents, generators, welding equipment and weapons with us. The Air Force had pre-positioned trucks and tent city kits all around the world. Air crews had food, equipment, and other materials ready for palleting and air dropping.

Once on the ground we could erect tent cities with medium sized general purpose tents with cots for sleeping and meeting rooms, mess halls, and hospitals. We could build runways and bring in even more troops with communication and other advanced equipment.

While our primary mission was military response, we were prepared for natural emergencies also. The Reserve and Guard were even more expert at responding to natural disasters.

So where are they? After all the money, time, and training, we see a slow roll-in of National Guard and Coast Guard. Are all our resources sucked up by the Iraq war? Are we really that unprepared for another disaster? There's absolutely no excuse for tens of thousands of people in sports stadiums when they could be in mobile cities with 10 - 12 people per tent, heating and air conditioning, regular hot meals and medical treatment.

It seems like we've lost all sense of priority in this post 9/11 world. If fighting terrorists results in thousands or tens of thousands of deaths from natural disasters, what have we gained?

Will events in the Gulf affect levee projects here in California? There are levees and dams along the American River in need of work. Within the next few weeks, however, the House and Senate negotiators will finish a compromise 2006 spending bill for the corps. There is no indication yet that the bill could be refigured to help pay for New Orleans work.

"We were in meetings on the 2006 spending bill Thursday and it's business as usual," said Torrie McAllister, spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' South Pacific Division in San Francisco.

Key among the items in that package for Sacramento is some $29 million for continuing work to strengthen levees on the American River, improvements to Folsom Dam and about $7 million for a new bridge over the American River at the base of the dam.

Gas prices will certainly dampen holiday spirits. In Los Angeles, while Arco was charging $2.85 for gas, an Alliance gas station I drove by was charging $3.19. Is a $.34 cent difference market forces or price gouging? Attorney General Lockyer would like to know. He's opening an investigation. You can email suspected violations to gaspricinghotline@doj.ca.gov.

There have been hundreds of earthquakes over the last week in an area just south of the Salton Sea known as the Brawley Seismic Zone. I've seen at least two 5.1 earthquakes and dozens of 3s and 4s. In between three fault zones, these earthquakes don't seem to be a pre-cursor. But they make me wonder what would happen if another disaster struck right now.

I wonder if the "You don't speak for me, Cindy!" group from Northern California left Crawford, Texas to help in Mississippi or Louisiana after traveling all the way from northern Californa. We know Cindy Sheehan and group are continuing on their anti-war tour. I'd think they all could take a timeout and lend a hand.

The state Senate, in a historic vote watched across the country, approved a bill Thursday that would legalize same-sex marriage in California.

The vote was the first time a state legislative body in the United States had voted to approve same-sex marriage. Massachusetts issued marriage licenses to gays and lesbians only after a court order, while Vermont courts have allowed civil unions.

If you can't pass a bill one way. Nobody was surprised that state Sen. Carole Migden voted in favor of her own cosmetics bill. The problem was that she did it in the wrong legislative ho ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=140 Sat, 03 Sep 2005 16:10:21 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=140#cmt Everyone's still talking about Vacaville Mom Cindy Sheehan and high school exit tests, so let's look at ... solar power.

I looked in to solar panels for my house, and use them to power small appliances now. I'd like to use more. There have been tax incentives to help pay for installation in California for a while, though a salesman called to tell me some of their incentives dropped in 2004.

Now Governor Schwarzenegger, along with legislators, iis pushing the million solar roofs bill. There's some question of whether this is bill is the best place to put taxpayer money, but at least it's doing more than the federal energy bill to encourage alternative fuels.

The California band, Cake, stepped up to the microphone last night in support of solar power. At their Anaheim Concert Sunday night, Cake donated a portion of their profits to Environment California in support of the campaign to pass the Million Solar Roofs Bill, SB 1, and gave concert goers an opportunity to take political action as well. The band joins a large list of elected officials and groups supporting the landmark solar bill including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Martin Sheen, Ed Norton, Ed Begley, Jr. Sharon Lawrence, mayors of nearly all of the state’s largest cities, as well as more than 200 businesses, labor unions, and environmental and community organizations.

The Million Solar Roofs Bill, SB 1, is authored by Senators Kevin Murray and John Campbell, and Assemblymember Lloyd Levine. The Senate passed the bill on June 3rd by a vote of 30-5. The Assembly Appropriations will hold a hearing on August 24th and is expected to vote on the bill by August 26th. If it should pass this final committee, the Assembly will have a floor vote on the bill by September 9th. The upcoming votes come on the heels of President Bush signing one of the dirtiest energy bills in recent history.

And now NASA has a wild idea on what to do with the hangar at Mountain View's Moffett Field. Wrap the 200-foot-high landmark with a solar-paneled skin that pumps out electricity. The Silicon Valley icon could become the largest solar-powered building in the state by the end of next year, generating enough juice to power 3,000 homes and house a new aerospace museum.

That is, if the U.S. Navy -- charged with the toxic cleanup -- doesn't decide to demolish the hangar first.

Cindy Sheehan's husband has filed for divorce, local residents are planning to petition a court to have her and the group thrown out, neighbors have fired guns, driven through a field of crosses, and conservatives continue their smear campaign, but Cindy seems undaunted and anti-war protestors on both sides of the aisle have clung to her as an icon that gets attention to their cause.

 

What a surprise. Pentagon investigators have cleared the California National Guard of creating a domestic intelligence unit to spy on U.S. citizens, according to a Guard general who saw the Army report and who currently runs the state Military Department.

But the state lawmaker investigating spying allegations could not verify the finding and said even if it's true, California's Legislature needs to create an intelligence oversight committee, just like Congress watches the FBI, CIA and others. He said the focus should be on how such new units are paid for.

Secretary of State Bruce McPherson signaled Monday that he intends to run next year to retain the post he assumed amid turmoil after Democrat Kevin Shelley's resignation in March.

McPherson stopped short of declaring himself a candidate for the $131,250-a-year post whose duties include overseeing California's elections, but he said an announcement could come soon.

"I want at this point just to conduct the special election," he said. "I think we're doing the job that the general public wants. ... And if I feel this way after the special election, I'll be announcing my intention to run."

I like Bruce, and wish him the best of luck. In fact, ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=134 Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:50:53 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=134#cmt Monday's Rant.

Are we turning from the land of the free and becoming the land of the angry? I was watching people's actions (and over reactions) on the highway the other day. A car was sitting in the blind spot of another, a habit I detest. When the other car didn't see him and starting to lane change the usual exchange of honking and swerving occurred. No one was hurt, in fact it wasn't really close. I might even understand the hand gestures from the passenger, an older and supposedly wiser lady, in the car approached. But a string of cars behind her had to get in on the act too, making gestures and honking their horns.

We have road rage, freeway shootings, red vs blue, evangelical vs everyone else, anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-liberal rage, smear groups, and just plain angry people.

Not only are we angrier, but too many times this anger turns inwards also. While suicide in general has decreased since 1992 thanks to wide-spread use of antidepressants, it has remained relatively stable in 35 - 54 year olds and actually started increasing in 2001 - 2002. We know that white males have the highest rates of suicide. Are we seeing the results of being an angry white male?

Anti-depressant use has become so widespread that they have been blamed for altering sperm levels and spawning patterns in marine life.

We have more than ever, but with high divorce rates, record prescriptions of antidepressants, and an uncertain job market we're feeling the stress and have fewer people in our lives to help us relieve the stress.

Maybe we should all take a day from our hectic schedule, turn of the television, get outside and take a walk or invite neighbors over for a barbecue. If we ruin our mental health what good is all that material wealth?

State News

The state legislators are back in session today.

Highlights to appear in the Senate this week.
-Assemblymember Laird’s AB 1400 to discourage discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation.
-Assemblymember Leno’s AB 849 which would end marriage discrimination.
-Senator Romero’s SB 586 to exempt students with disabilities from the requirement of passing the high school exit exam to receive a high school diploma.
-The Senate Rules Committee will discuss whether to recommend confirmation of Joan Borucki as DMV Director and William Kempton as Director of CalTrans.

A key decision about the the San Joaquin Valley's polluted air will be awaiting lawmakers when they return from their summer recess Monday.

A controversial bill pending before them would shake up the valley's air board by adding members to represent the region's larger cities and bring expertise on air pollution and its health effects.

The measure puts Kern County's two Democratic lawmakers -- Sen. Dean Florez of Shafter and Assemblywoman Nicole Parra of Hanford -- on a political hot seat.

It is being pushed by clean-air advocates who say the current board is too close to farmers, developers and oil producers to impose the tough rules that are needed.

Looks like the redistricting measure is back on the November ballot.

The California Supreme Court handed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a major victory Friday, putting back on the Nov. 8 ballot his initiative to change how legislative district lines are drawn.

The brief order, issued by a 4-2 vote, ends a month long legal battle between supporters of the initiative, Proposition 77, and Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer. The attorney general had won two rounds in lower courts. Those judges accepted his argument that the measure should not be voted on in November because its backers had violated election law in the way they got the measure on the ballot.

Vacaville resident Cindy Sheehan is still the talk of the blogs and Sunday news programs. The question is, is this a movement or the results of little news in August. There are reports that the Secret Service drove past the protestors 5:30 this morning with horns blaring, which makes me wonder about the professionalism of the Secret Service. Other than a frustrated shotgun wielding neighbor, this has been a peaceful protest.

Now she's organizing nationwide vigils starting Wednesday night.

The Governator is feeling more heat today from accusations concerning friend's profits in natural ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=132 Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:16:05 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=132#cmt
Photo Courtesy NASA

Los Angeles was awakened with a double bang Tuesday morning as the shuttle Discovery headed for its alternative landing area in California. Our congratulations to the entire team on the successful completion of their mission.

News on terrorists in Lodi. Deportation hearings are scheduled for Shabbir Ahmed today and his protege Mohammad Adil Khan is already scheduled for voluntary deportation. Indictments still stand on Umer Hayat and his son, Hamid for lying to the FBI about training at and/or visiting al Qaeda terrorist and jihadi training camps in Pakistan.

Grover Beach is becoming the new bastion for adult store freedoms as it continues its attempt to throw out Diamond Adult World. Having lost its rights to keep its doors open locally, owner Steve Diamond has asked to stay open while he appeals to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco . It's hard to believe the liberal Appeals court will shut them down. Steve Diamond is no stranger to the legal process as he successfully fought for years to keep his Atascadero store open.

As state Senate Bill SB 803 goes before a key legislative panel - the Assembly Public Safety Committee the question arises, do drug treatment plans work better than jail terms for repeat drug offenders. Addicts leave treatment are more likely to get jobs, but just as likely to end up back in trouble. Part of the problem may be in getting people to complete or even enter treatment, 34 percent of those who enter treatment never finish, and 25 percent never actually show up. I've been around addicts, and they're so used to lying and abusing the system that I'm not surprised.

Oakland is trying to get CalTrans to do something other than accept fat checks. I've complained to CalTrans before about their propensity to create more problems than to solve in their maintenance operations and hit a "we've always done it that way" brick wall. They have no accountability to the people they serve.

Breaking new legal ground, Oakland filed a public-nuisance lawsuit against Caltrans on Monday alleging chronic blighted conditions along highway ramps, overpasses, vacant lots and yards.

Russo and a host of residents from Maxwell Park, Fruitvale and East and West Oakland hope the lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, will force Caltrans to clean up litter, debris, graffiti and weeds on its properties throughout Oakland. Illegal dumping on Caltrans property beneath overpasses is also an issue, residents said.

Dozens of activists were arrested this morning in front of the west gate at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory as part of a protest honoring the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

The march and rally, entitled "Nagasaki Never Again!," drew nearly 100 protesters -- about half of the number that showed up for a similar rally Saturday evening at the lab.

Looks like once again American Indians are getting the land no one else wants. For years, Cindy La Marr lobbied for a first-rate museum that would tell the whole story of California's Indians.

La Marr is resigning after the state task force she chaired voted 7-1 July 26 to build the 60,000-square-foot museum on Northgate Boulevard along the American River Parkway. LaMarr was the lone dissenter and resigned after the meeting.

She insists the Northgate site is rife with practical and political problems, from sitting in a low-lying flood zone next to the river to displacing residents of a trailer park that city officials are eager to see disappear. By La Marr's count, it adds up to years of bureaucratic wrangling and delays.

And Last... A man who left an accident scene was tracked down with the help of some cheerleaders who witnessed the crash and turned his license plate number into a cheer, police said.

I know there's a blonde joke here somewhere.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=129 Tue, 09 Aug 2005 16:16:13 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=129#cmt

According to the Sacramento Bee's Gary Delsohn GOP leaders aren't content with the problems we already have with the Governor, they want him to announce his re-election campaign. The Guv has been very pro-business and special interests, so I guess they think he's their best choice.

They may be right. Who will the Democrats run? The could run a Republican wanna-be like Dianne Feinstein, or look to more moderate leaders. I'd think Arnold has enough on his mind already.

Their quote of the week:

Maybe my administration hasn't yet reached out enough to Latinos. Maybe we haven't done enough, and we will correct that. That is fair because as you know, this is on-the-job training."
- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a Univision interview

I wish more politicians could admit this.

National Republicans seem to like their platform and are planning on keeping the same platform while reaching out to more minority groups, normally a Democratic stronghold. While Californian representatives at a national meeting in Pittsburgh may not agree with Key Speaker Senator Santorum's views, they believe their platform is solidly built on Governor Arnold's more socially liberal views.

Just as I finished my section on the Bronson Caves from the original Batman Show I read The Oakland Tribune's Ray Orrock's article on big box office hits and accounting practices. Will Warner Brothers lose another $20 million if Batman Begins is a success?

As people from around the world remember the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Vacaville resident and Gold Star Mother Cindy Sheehan was camping out in Crawford, Texas asking to speak with the president. A misleading Drudge Report quote has further flamed the controversy on her activities.

A lot of people are speaking highly of war widow Amanda Villatoro. Her husband's funeral was held last Saturday in Bakersfield. Luckily members of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas were a no show, though I'm sure their threats didn't make this day any easier. Fortunately they didn't, but Bakersfield did show up to show support for her and Army Pfc. Ramon Villatoro Jr.'s sacrifice.

Is there anyone in San Diego that isn't a mayoral candidate by now? The Chicano Federation says San Diego mayoral candidate Jerry Sanders has stepped aside as chairman of its annual gala dinner in September, citing concerns over politicizing the event.

He will be replaced by Ignacio De La Torre, an executive with SBC California and a member of the organization's board of directors.

And finally: Police issued an alert in Austria Wednesday for Vienna's residents to be on the lookout for a man with a big nose in his mid-20s or early 30s after he held up a gas station. The cashier who was robbed told authorities the thief was rather nondescript with one notable exception: He had a giant nose.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=127 Mon, 08 Aug 2005 19:48:50 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=127#cmt

Arlington West at Santa Monica Pier. This week the Veterans for Peace set up 41 blue crosses, indicating 41 deaths of American military personnel in Iraq last week.

The red crosses stand for 10 individual deaths, they've run out of room at the beach for more white crosses.

Like me, the members of this veteran's group discovered that before the war most people would ignore any idea that was contrary to President Bush's call to battle. But having actually been in combat, they knew the high cost that would be paid by America's sons and daughters. A price that had never been justified by this administration.

Because of their efforts, week after week thousands of passers-by see the increasing number of deaths in Iraq. Now most Americans believe this war was justified by a pre-packaged set of lies fed to the American people.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=126 Mon, 08 Aug 2005 01:41:16 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=126#cmt Free if you're naked. The famous Leopold Museum in Austria has an interesting promotion going on right now. Their latest exhibit features works by three of Austria 's most renowned artists and is being called, "The Naked Truth." So if you show up naked you get in free. No kidding. Of course it doesn't hurt that temperatures in Austria this time of the year are in the high 90's. ( Ananova )

Two women who took turns steering a broken-down vehicle face drunk driving charges after their slow-moving car crashed into a parked car.

Kaylyn Kezy, 34, of Gary, was pushing the disabled car, while Melissa Fredenburg, 32, of Chesterton, steered from the passenger seat, police said. The two were moving the car into a parking lot at a nearby motel early Friday in the city about 10 miles east of Gary.

Police said both women had a blood-alcohol levels of 0.17 percent, more than twice the state's legal limit to drive.

Authorities said the women were operating the vehicle while intoxicated — even though the car's engine wasn't working.

A Kenyan says he offered Bill Clinton 40 goats and 20 cows for his daughter's hand in marriage five years ago -- and is still waiting for an answer.

Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor told the East Africa Standard newspaper last week that he wrote Clinton asking for Chelsea's hand in 2000 during the then-president's visit to Kenya.

The crime spree in one southern California community has a name - Jason Wines. Officials in Thousand Oaks say the 25-year-old college dropout is responsible for about half of the city's 13 percent increase in major crimes this year.

He's pleaded guilty to eight felony counts and has been sentenced to a year in the Ventura County Jail. Sheriff's officials say Wines confirmed he was responsible for 65 thefts or burglaries.

Many of his victims were students at California Lutheran University. That's where Wines went to school before turning to a brief life of crime.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=123 Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:54:53 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=123#cmt

August recess is coming up and politicians everywhere are racing to spend our money as fast as they can. The House just passed a bill that will spend billions on energy research, ease building of new nuclear energy plants, and allow pre-drilling on the coast. What it doesn't do is give corporations a free pass on their involvement in pushing the use of MTBE despite prior knowledge of problems.

Congressmen Waxman and Capps have summarized their issues with the bill.

Also tucked into the massive energy bill passed by the House of Representatives Thursday is a provision that would open the rest of a Kern petroleum reserve to drilling.

The provision, pushed by Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield, would transfer operation of the Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 2 near Taft from the Energy Department to the Bureau of Land Management.

Next up is a new $286.4 billion highway bill that will boost road spending in California by nearly $1.2 billion a year. There are over 5,000 projects that include virtually every congressional district in the country In all, California is expected to receive $21.6 billion in guaranteed highway funding over the next six years.

Biddding is due to start for the new span of the Bay Bridge. Total costs are expected to be i n the $1.5 billion dollar range. Of course, as in all government contracts that mean $2 - $3 billion.

The bridge is also under continueing investigations because of allegations of faulty welds.

Borderland is dangerous country. Rival drug cartel gunmen fired bazookas, tossed hand grenades and raked each other with machine gun fire in a battle at a home near the U.S. border, police said Friday. This was near Laredo, Texas. But it has to have other border communities worried.

Expect more solar activity over the next week or so. A new and very active sunspot has appeared on our side of the sun. Solar storms and aurora activity could emerge as it turns our direction.

Finally, no more roasting marshmallows near volcanoes. That timely warning comes from worried government officials who say American tourists are risking life and limb to toast marshmallows on the slopes of some of the world's most active volcanoes.

Safety officials say three visitors from Kansas were severely burned while performing the traditional campfire ritual atop 10,990-foot Mount Etna in Sicily.

Bout time for this year's Darwin Awards entrants, isn't it?

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=122 Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:40:40 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=122#cmt

I'll guess from seeing my logs go crazy that the Breasts not Bombs group protested today. They'd publicized an event for last Saturday in Berkeley, but I haven't heard any news about that one.

I guess Sherry and the troops in Iraq haven't heard we're not at war any more. Instead it's the Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism, or G-SAVE for short.

CAFTA has passed the Senate and will be signed shortly. Next up is billions of dollars in tax breaks to energy companies. Senator Feinstein is even right of Schwarzenegger on business these days, so plan on sending even more of your tax dollars to special interest groups while the rest of our jobs head off-shore or south.

Free speech is a big topic these days. Art work in Sacramento has caused an uproar with conservative groups in state Department of Justice cafeteria. If we're not fighting for free speech, what are we fighting for these days?

A little more important is a campaign to reinstate Freedom of Information Act. The Associated Press and other news organizations are encouraging Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to rescind a policy restricting public access to government information.

The change was put in place by Gonzales' predecessor, John Ashcroft, shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

''Where agencies were once encouraged to disclose unless disclosure would do harm, they are currently encouraged to withhold if there are legal grounds for doing so,'' AP president and chief executive officer Tom Curley said in a letter to Gonzales. ''We think this change was a terrible mistake.''

Speaking of separation of church and state. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has secured a $300,000 grant for the California Missions Foundation that will go to help repair Mission San Miguel Arcangel, which has been closed since a 2003 earthquake.

Approval of the money was announced Wednesday by Feinstein and Sen. Barbara Boxer, both California Democrats, as work concluded on a compromise 2006 spending bill for the Interior Department.

The mission is an active Catholic Church, novitiate, and retreat house and the priest in charge refuses to make changes to keep it historically accurate with modern touches like his tennis court. This seems like a real hand-out to the Catholic Church.

This makes as much sense as Feinstein trying to force the city of San Francisco to accept the USS Iowa a war museum.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=120 Thu, 28 Jul 2005 17:40:47 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=120#cmt My father was a teamster. I remember the impact that the big trucker's strike in the '60s made to my family. Although my father had over 20 years with his company, we were struggling to get by. My family was two boys, a stay at home mom, and dad. I had two pairs of pants, and two pairs of shoes. One for church, one for the rest of the week.

Dad did great in the summer, but there were many times in the winter when it was impossible to pour the concrete his truck carried. Construction in the mountains and even the plains came to a halt when day time temperatures couldn't get over freezing.

During those weeks in the winter mom would come and ask me what I had squirreled away from allowance and summer jobs so she could by milk and bread. We usually had potatoes, jams, and jellies that mom and grandmother had prepared in the late fall.

We got by. But as young as I was I knew it was difficult.

Then the strike came. With no really money in savings and the strike stretching on, we wondered what would happen. But then an agreement was struck and Dad was back to work.

It wasn't a big raise, but it was a living raise. We now had a bit more for clothes, a better car, things around the house. We got to eat out a little more often, though it was still McDonalds or the Pancake House. That little bit made a huge difference in our house.

Now those same unions are fighting for their lives. On top of that two ideas have caused a schism in their organizations. Too often I've met union leaders that are more interested in their own political careers than in the families that they're working for, just as the politicians in government do. But personally I hope they can come out of this and once again fight for that small family struggling to get by.

Senator Rick Santorum was on several talk shows tonight. The normal questions were asked about his fight against gay marriage. I would think there are many more family oriented issues he could be working on.

If he's so for heterosexual marriage, why doesn't he work to bar divorce? Like homosexuality, his church is against it. And there are more families affected by divorce than sexual orientation.

How about getting all those heads of household out of jail for marijuana posession? Too many men are incarcerated by a policy that should be focused on methamphetamine, not marijuana.

How about working on a living wage, or even updating a minimum wage that hasn't changed since 1996? A minimum level of health care for workers that aren't covered now? Or better tuition assistance programs so our kids are ready for those jobs that are supposed to be created now that both our blue collar and white collar jobs have fled the country? We'd all like the $60 some thousand that he collected for home schooling from a state he didn't live in.

By focusing on a divisive issue like gay families Santorum hopes to bring people to his cause. But in the long run he's ignoring the real problems he should be working on.

Dianne Feinstein was on Hardball talking about using the Israeli model for stopping terrorists. One, it hasn't helped Israel much. Two, why do I cringe whenever she opens her mouth?

San Diego continues to have political problems. But now that they're national, I'm not going to say anything.

California has led the country in keeping sexual predators off the street. After prison, the most dangerous are incarcerated at Atascadero State Hospital as mental patients. Now a new facility is getting ready to open in Coalinga. This is hard, dangerous work and I hope the new facility makes worker's lives safer and easier. Atascadero will return to its primary mission of working with criminals or criminal suspects declared mentally incompetent, legally insane or mentally disordered. Many new positions will be opened in both facilities as adjustments are made.

Governor Schwarzenegger officially appointed 35-year veteran Brigadier General William H. Wade II as the state's new adjutant general of the Army National Guard.

And Finally...

The owner of pet pigs has been convicted of violating the city's nuisance ordinance following complaints from neighbors about the obnoxious odor of the animals.

Debra Fields kept two 300-pound hogs - Bacon and Molly - as family pets in her home in the northwestern Indiana city. Earlier this month, during a court trial on the nuisance charge, she argued that under c ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=119 Tue, 26 Jul 2005 02:00:11 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=119#cmt Whooppee cream. A prominent eating disorder expert who collapsed in a supermarket after allegedly inhaling propellant from whipped cream cans applied for a special form of probation Thursday.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, West Hartford police were called to a grocery store May 29 and found Berzins lying on the floor and bleeding from her head. Berzins told police she did not know what happened.

Investigators concluded that Berzins inhaled from three cans of whipped cream containing nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, the affidavit said.

ET couldn't even do this. The nation's largest direct marketing group set up a registry Thursday to remove dead people from its telemarketing, e-mail and direct mail lists — for $1.

The Direct Marketing Association, which has more than 5,200 members in the United States and 44 other countries, said its Deceased Do-Not-Contact list was designed to help families dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Friends, relatives, and caregivers of deceased individuals are encouraged to register the information on The DMA’s Consumer Assistance Site at: http://preference.the-dma.org/cgi/ddnc.php.

Like chinese firecrackers. Two undercover policemen and a shooting suspect fired at least 103 rounds during an early morning shootout Saturday (June 4, 2005) that jolted residents of a Homewood housing complex, but resulted in no injuries.

"All I heard was 'Pow! Pow! Bing! Bing!' Then you started hearing the police," said Homewood resident Tracey Taylor, who was in bed when the shooting started. "We thought they were at war up here -- shooting out car windows. It was crazy."

Irish prisoners lose maids. Prisoners in Irish jails will no longer be permitted to hire servants or order in private supplies of food and alcohol under new draft rules published today by the justice ministry.

In the first update of Ireland's prison regulations for almost 50 years, the proposal would also rule out punishments, which are now considered inhumane, such as a restricted diet or corporal punishment.

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=117 Sat, 23 Jul 2005 17:27:49 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=117#cmt

Hot time in the old town tonight. Temperatures are blistering, not only across California, but across the whole nation. Is it global warming? There's enough evidence now global temperatures are going up. And faster than previously thought.

Most people had thought the Gulf Stream current wouldn't break down until later in the century. The Gulf Stream is the Atlantic current that comes up from the Caribbean and gives the United Kindom its temperate weather. Now I'm seeing estimates of 2020, not that many years away.

There's still speculation as to what is causing the global warming. Microbes, fossil fuels, even solar eruptions. They're probably all contributing to the problem. But what's clear is that fossil fuels contribute to the problem and is the one source we can do something about. But Bush and cronies in the Senate like Pete Domenici are still calling for voluntary limits.

This parrot's pushing up daisies. There's a disturbing article on changes in the Pacific Ocean ecosystem this year that could be foretelling of events to come. "Marine biologists are spotting ominous signs all along the Pacific Coast this year: higher nearshore ocean temperatures, plummeting catches of groundfish, an explosion of dead birds on coastal beaches, and perhaps most disturbing, very few plankton - the tiny critters that form the basis of the ocean's intricate food web."

Gas Prices. Speaking of fuel oils, I don't like the idea of markets setting the limits on vehicle size. All those people running around in SUVs and hummers are driving up the price I pay for fuel, stepping on my toes. Government is there to do the unpopular and as an arbiter, and it's about time they got to work on vehicle fuel efficiency.

Is your teen-ager in their sites? Recruiters are trying to get high schools to release personal data on this next year's high school seniors before they get a chance to opt-out of the pestering. In keeping with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, high schools are required to give names, home addresses, and phone numbers of seniors unless their parents opt-out of the recruiting experience. Parents will get that that option when the forms are mailed out in August.

But recruiters in Fairfax, VA are requesting and getting the student's information early to start sending out mailers over the summer. There are also other phone directories and databases available to recruiters in their rush to sign up new cannon fodder for the Iraq war. Seniors are getting calls even if they have opted out of the high school program.

California Representative Michael Honda is trying to hold back the recruiters straight out of Heinlein's Starship Troopers. He's trying to make the release of information an opt-in program, not opt-out. But it doesn't sound like it would make a whole lot of difference.

No cigars in the tent tonight. A judge has shot down Schwarzenegger's redistricting initiative because of differences between petitions he submitted to Attorney General Bill Lockyer and the one actually used for signing. Judge Ohanesian, a Republican Gov. George Deukmejian appointee, said proponents should have known about the differences.

Of course there will be appeals, but it looks like the responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the Governor's Office. Federal politicians are not going to be happy with Arnold. The initiative was to secure more Republican congressional seats as out-of-cycle redistricting measures have in Texas and Colorado.

A stinking mess. San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales got caught in a cover-up today concerning prior knowledge of the costs of Norcal's recycling program costs. Seems like he agreed to support a pay raise before the council even approved the contract and hid information on the long term costs of the contract.

I'm glad I don't live in Santa Barbara. $2.7 m ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=116 Fri, 22 Jul 2005 15:40:14 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=116#cmt

One of the alternative reasons for invading Iraq offered by those that didn't believe in WMD was Saddam Hussein's move to the Euro as a trade currency. This may seem rather inane on the surface, but it could have exposed what many believe is the Achilles' heal of the United States.

The ability to carry almost $8 trillion in foreign debt depends on other countries holding debt notes and currency reserves. Since the US dollar is used internationally as a standard instrument for trade, foreign banks hold a substantial amount of dollars in reserve.

Were a lot of dollars to suddenly be released on the market, this sudden abundant supply would depress the US dollar and raise the cost of foreign goods in the US, and drop the price of US goods overseas. This would be a severe blow to US companies that have been moving production overseas and then bringing them back to the US duty free through Free Trade Agreements.

It would also cause other holders of US debt to sell notes, putting more pressure on the US dollar and more notes to be sold.

Rob Kirby at the Financial Sense web site already shows some evidence of the US "cooking the books" on foreign purchase of US debt. The only reason to do this would be to bolster flagging confidence in the US dollar.

What happens if the dollar suddenly and drastically loses value? Besides panic on the streets and stock traders jumping out windows, runaway inflation, and mass unemployment, it means the US loses its credit card. US consumers would no longer be able to buy overseas goods, the US couldn't go into debt to send money to Iraq, consumption as a life style would go away.

Which of course may not be so bad in the long term. A slow down in consumption would mean a better environment, a more intelligent use of resources, families coming together to share resources, and a simpler and less competitive work environment.

This would affect even the über rich since even their foreign holdings would decrease in value when the US buyer is suddenly taken off the scene.

Saddam Hussein actually made the switch from the Dollar to the Euro in November 2000. William Clark in his essay The Real Reasons for the Upcoming War With Iraq writes about the effect this could have on the US government and the world.

Now that a puppet government is firmly installed (after a delay in reporting election results to ensure everything is set up correctly) the US had thought it was safe. Indonesia has been threatening to move to the Euro for a while, Russia actually has started to move some of its currency, but so far there's been no mass move.

Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea are the largest holders of US debt. China won't change significantly because too much of its own growth depends on the strength of the US dollar. But I think South Korea is getting tired of Bush's incredible bungling of relationships with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Now Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates could link the proposed single currency to the euro, or to a basket of currencies.

I think the message is clear. Having destroyed the goodwill the US had overseas, countries are looking at their weapon's arsenal in taking down the US. Countries wanting to avoid direct confrontation are working at whittling away the US power base, just as the US did to the former Soviet Union.

Countries more willing to confront the US are doing so on a military front. Russia is in talks to sell its cold war friend Syria Iskander-E missile systems, Kornet-E, and Metis-M antitank missiles. These missiles would be a direct threat to US border operations in Iraq and long term ally and political lobbying muscle-man Israel.

Many think the conviction of Mikhail Khodorkovsky of the Russian oil conglomerate Yukos was a poke in the eye to the US for trying to buy Russian assets on the cheap.

China has been building a full global military complex with submarines, new weapons, and a space program. This last week Chinese General Zhu Chenghu directly threatened the US with nuclear retaliation if the US interfered with domestic affairs. This would include an invasion of Taiwan, which China regards a renegade Chinese territory.

It looks as if the US is slowly dying the death of a thousand cuts. And the voting citizenry isn't even paying attention as it slowly bleeds ..]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=111 Sat, 16 Jul 2005 21:03:41 +0000 Politics /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=111#cmt A round-up of news of the strange and eerie

Can you get a refund?
From lingerie to lawn mowers, Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer prides itself on offering its customers truly one-stop shopping. Now, customers at a Roanoke, Va., Wal-Mart can peruse the aisles for something extra: a date.

Singles can head to the Roanoke Wal-Mart tonight for the third of the store's weekly singles nights, held every Friday evening. Billed as a way singles can meet their match while filling their cart, participating customers select shopping carts adorned with red bows identifying them as singles looking to mingle. The rest is up to them.

Then it's off to McDonald's for dinner.

Aloha Aloha Easy Pickings.
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii - A tourist from Connecticut reported he was mugged twice within five minutes while walking Alii Drive, Big Island police said.

Derrick Schull, 50, was walking south on the oceanside-street at 3:25 a.m. Wednesday when a dark-colored sport utility vehicle pulled alongside him. Three men in their 30s got out, forced Schull to give up his wallet and drove away, police said.

Five minutes later, Schull reported that four males, including two juveniles, emerged from some bushes and demanded his wallet. When he told them he had no wallet, two of them started punching and kicking him, police said.

What happens when she frowns?
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - For $10,000, Kari Smith has gone ahead and had her forehead tattooed with the Web address of a gambling site. Bountiful, 30, who sold her unusual advertising space on eBay, said the money will give her 11-year-old son a private education, which she believes he needs after falling behind in school. "For the all the sacrifices everyone makes, this is a very small one," she said. "It's a small sacrifice to build a better future for my son," she said. "To everyone else, it seems like a stupid thing to do.

On those really hot, sticky days
NEW YORK (AP) - An attempt to erect the world's largest popsicle in a New York City square ended with a scene straight out of a disaster film but much stickier.

The 7.6-metre-tall, 16-tonne treat of frozen Snapple unexpectedly quickly melted in the midday sun Tuesday, flooding Union Square in downtown Manhattan with pink fluid that sent pedestrians scurrying for higher ground.

Firefighters closed off several streets and used hoses to wash away the sugary goo as the giant Kiwi-Strawberry flavoured pop gushed liquid.

Cunning little rat.
(07-12) 19:05 PDT Minot, N.D. (AP) Police say they spent several hours surrounding an empty trailer home here, after a man escaped by tunneling out the house and calling a cab.

"We negotiated and everything and nobody was there," said Sgt. Darin Egge. "Our negotiator talked about an hour to nobody."

Egge said police responded to a domestic disturbance at the mobile home at about 7:30 a.m on Tuesday. A woman at the home told police a man had a rifle and was threatening suicide, he said.

SWAT team members later surrounded the home.

Sgt. Winston Black said the man apparently crawled through a hole in the mobile home's bathroom floor, and then through the trailer's skirting.

"He was definitely there, " Egge said. "We figure he slipped out before the SWAT team got there."

]]> /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=110 Fri, 15 Jul 2005 23:32:14 +0000 General /blog/Don_Blog.php?id=110#cmt HP was big news today as the news of mass lay-offs was leaked to the press. How many? We're not sure. But Good Morning Sili