The Sunday Fish Wraps And Great Blog Material

Let me tell you folks, Sunday is a great day for blogging because the local fish wraps provide so much material.
Sometimes, I have to take a while to decide which story I will write about.
But today is a tough one because there are two that catch my eye and I think worth commenting on.
The first is courtesy of the Pasadena Star-News and lefty columnist Tim Rutten.
Today in Mr. Rutten's column, it is a lefty lament about politics today.How it is sooo terrible that nothing is getting done politically. How there is anxiety across the Great Land. Well, on that point he is correct. But let me show you how he frames it:

Too many remain jobless; income disparities continue to grow alarmingly. The rewarding middle-class American norm now seems out of reach to many and tenuous to those who still enjoy it. Social mobility, economic system's glory and our great guarantor of social peace, has ossified alarmingly. Today, children born into the American working class are less likely to better themselves over their lifetime than those born into an English or French family.

Let me write from the last sentence about American children born today being no better off than those born into an English or French family.
People like Mr. Rutten, a former Left Angeles Times columnist, love the European nations and their politics and their way of life. So why the diss to Europe Mr. Rutten? Is it a sudden realization that maybe they are not all you have cracked them up to be? That the cradle-to-grave welfare is a hindrance rather than a glory?
And the aspect of social mobility, well Mr. Rutten, look to our own state as the example of why things are so screwed-up on that level.
California is seeing businesses and those that can leaving the state due to high taxation, anti-business and bad schools. Those that are coming in, fewer than those leaving, are not contributing but simply those willing to work cheaply or taking in our government benefits.
The same song is happening all across the United States as Blue states see migration to Red states because of some of what Mr. Rutten has written about here.
And now after four years of relatively unchecked liberal policies emanating from Washington, D. C., we are see the income stagnation worsen, not better.
But for the total richness of this piece, this is the kicker:

We look to Washington for solutions and find ourselves alone, peering into the abyss just over a "fiscal cliff." Such are the wages of bitter partisanship and brittle ideology.

Sigh!
Timmy, I want to tell you something.
No, I do not look to Washington for solutions. I do not look to Suckramento, er Sacramento for solutions. I do not look to Los Angeles county for solutions. I do not look to Pasadena for solutions.
For you see, they do not come up with solutions to so-called problems but end up making problems when none exist.
What I really look for is these parasitic entities to leave me the hell alone. And the rest of the citizenry alone too.
The so-called "Fiscal Cliff" was a man-made potential disaster. Because the government had to do something.
The push for new oppressive gun control is due to the horrific Newtown massacre in which 20 first-graders were killed at the hands of a crazy man named Adam Lanza.
Because the government has to do something.
So called income "inequality" is a problem in Liberalland.
The government has to do something about it.
And on, and on, and on.
See, people like Timmy Rutten put all their faith in government and believe that there are crisis's on top of crisis's. When in reality, there are things that just happen in this life and that the government can not do all and be all.

Enough of Tim Rutten!
The Left Angeles Times provides the next bit of lefty propaganda and it appears in the sports section.
Why it is a front page expose on the issue of professional gay athletes. Or really the fact that none are "out" yet.
Again, sigh!
Trust me, I have seen variations of this story over the years. And it is the slow time of year in news because of the Christmas and New Year's break. Only it should not be all that slow as this is the college football bowl season and there is the NBA and college basketball. No NHL hockey yet.
But really, is this a front page into all of page nine in a 12-page sport section?
I do no think so. I mean, yes it will be something that happens at some point. That a male professional athlete who may be a baseball, basketball, football or hockey player will say that he is a homosexual.
Yes, like in all other aspects of the great gay outfest, it has people down with it and some not so down with it.
Take former Anaheim Angels* outfielder (no pun intended!) Torii Hunter.
Mr. Hunter is a committed Christian. As he sees it from what he has come to believe, homosexuality is wrong. The sexual act that homosexuals engage in is what is wrong has he believes it.
Here is how Mr. Hunter puts it:

"I will be uncomfortable because in all my teachings and all my learning, biblically, it's not right. It will be difficult."

Like it or not, it is how Mr. Hunter feels about the possibility of playing with an openly gay team mate. Mr. Hunter's view is more than likely a prevailing one but to varying degrees.
Of course to the pro-gay folks, it is just wrong, sexist and of course homophobic. One can not believe that having sex with someone of the same sex is wrong. It is totally cool.
And there is a sense of inevitability expressed by one football running back Arian Foster of the Houston Texans:

"People are more accepting of it. . . .I don't think it will be long."

And Mr. Foster is probably right. Yes at some point a male pro athlete is going to say that he is gay.
But that does not mean everyone is going to be cool about it. But trust me, those that are not will be ostracized. Made to feel much less than human than the gay athlete who says he is gay.
The article points out that the ones that have said that they are gay have done so after playing in their respective sport. And none are anyone that are household names.
The fact is that I am certain that there is probably a gay player on almost every team in pro sports. In the article, Tennessee Titan quarterback Matt Hasselback said that he must have played with a  "closeted" teammate during his NFL career.
But understand this about the four major pro sports in the United States.
It is team focused. Sure, there are some players better than others and they are superstars. But when the team does not work together, they play lousy. It is not about the player that is a druggie or drunk. Sure, they get help if it becomes a distraction. If they want it. It is about the team. Or let me put it in this context.
The Washington Redskins have this quarterback Robert Griffin III. He is on his way to being a star quarterback. But that is not just because he or his coaches call great plays. Or that Mr. Griffin has a great arm. He needs to have that offensive line block the other team so that he can either hand off to the running back or pass to the right receiver. He needs that running back to gain yards to  move the ball down the field. He needs the same from his receivers. If one does not have good linemen, receivers and running backs, he is not all that.
The point is that any distraction is a detriment to the team as a whole.
So imagine that some player decides that he has to tell all that he is a homosexual.
It will, no matter what, be a distraction. No amount of political correctness, wanting to be inclusive, etc. will make it non-controversial.
FWIW, I think those that choose not to be open about their sexuality do so for that reason. That they realize it is about the team and not their own self.
But that does not mean we do not get this kind of article more than we need to. For the gay left, this is one of the last hurdles in their mind for total acceptance. And this will not be popular for me to write but it is all about them and their so-called issues. Never mind what pro team sports is all about. Why a gay has to be open and "proud" and everything else be damned.
Thus I do believe that it will happen and probably pretty soon. Most people will yawn because they are, as Mr. Foster put it, more accepting.
But I do not think that this warrants a huge article in the sports section. A part of the fish wrap that is for stats and stories and analysis of games and those that play them. For at the end of the day, it is about who an athlete has relations with. And that should not be big news.
But I am thankful for the local fish wraps because they just provide some great blog material on a Sunday.

To Quote Metallica, You Know It's Sad But True

Yup, if one wants to see the nation's largest state governance and see the disaster that it is, yes as Metallica has sung, this column by Steven Greenhut is sad but true.
In my home state, where I was born, grew up and am still living in, the left-wing Democrats have something that they have never had so much of in my 48 years on God's Green Earth.
Total control of state government.
Yup, the Dems have all constitutional elected offices. The state legislature and by now super-majorities that make the Republicans, BTW, who are they now?!-totally irrelevant.
Led by Gov. Jerry Moonbeam Brown, every single bad idea from the hard-left of the Democrat party will be voted on and thus we will endure at least three-plus years of Democrat ineptency.
So what stands out in Mr. Greenhut's column to me?
Well for one, it is his prediction number two. About the overstating the state budget projections. The reality is that according to the state controller, John Chiang (yup, a Dem), tax revenue projections are off, surprise, by 10.8% this past November. And trust me folks, this will not vastly improve which leads to Mr. Greenhut's prediction number three.
That the Democrats will tax everything that they can. What ever moves. Does not move. Alive. Dead. Everything.
And where did the first trail balloon start?
With the car tax, of course.
Well, it is officially known as the Vehicle Registration fee. Doesn't that sound a lot better than a tax?
California state senator Ted Lieu (D-San Francisco, of course) flew the trial balloon of tripling the tax. Yes tripling it. So, are little Hyundai Tucson, a 2005 one, we pay a "fee" of $122 this upcoming year. If Sen. Loon's Lieu's plan were to go into effect, that $122 would triple to $422 dollars. Four hundred and twenty-two frickin dollars! In a state where for the most part the car is a total necessity, how does this help?
It does not.
But the Democrat crack-whores in Suckramento, er Sacramento, don't seem to care. They would suggest to take public transportation. Or live closer to one's place of employment. Trust me, they think that they have all the answers.
Yet it was former governor Gray Davis wanting to increase the car tax that doomed his second term.
Imagine all those that voted for Brown, the Dems et all somehow thinking why, this is cool?
Go ahead Dems, go ahead.
And while I do worry about Mr. Greenhut's prediction number five, "reforming" the innitive process, once the slew of tax hikes occur, trust me, many of these voters will clamor to do something about it. And that will be two-fold.
Voting for something to end many of the tax hikes and getting rid of Dems in some of the few marginal districts left in the California legislature.
Mr. Greenhut is spot on about the California liberal pundits blaming the Republicans.
But, that cow will not fly.
The state Republicans are totally irrelevant in the legislative process. Only the most absolutely low-info voters will buy into it.
And this is where I quibble with Mr. Greenhut and his prediction number nine.
That the California Republican party will continue the downhill spiral.
I actually believe that this will be the absolute rock-bottom for them. Not that they will rise completely in the next statewide election. But they will make a good move in getting former state senator Jim Brulte to be the next party chairman.
Like it or not, Mr. Brulte is a former legislator. He will make a good spokesman for the party. And I think that he realizes that some of the positions on illegal immigration will have to change. Of course it is more tone than anything that keeps the party from making headway in non-White communities. Like it or not, the Republican party can not win any election statewide in the once Golden State without the votes of Hispanics and Asians. Mr. Brulte gets it. And where he will be able to succeed is when the Dems raise every tax imaginable. It is when historically voters look to the Republicans to keep them down. And I believe that Mr. Brulte can do a good job in candidate recruitment than Mr. Greenhut believes. Yes, it may be that there will be some self-financed candidates for some elections. That does not mean they are all moderate mushes as Mr. Greenhut indicates. That is where a good chairman of the state party can seek a good, conservative candidate that can win a statewide election.
Yeah, it is a tall order in California. But not insurmountable.
It will be a truly painful two years of total Democrat governance almost everywhere in California as Mr. Greenhut predicts. But it is sometimes what is needed. True Democrat governance to remind people how God-awful it can be. It is how a rejuvenated California Republican party can make a difference.
But mostly, as I started this post, it is sad but true that Democrats are ruining running everything and it will be not good for the people of this once Golden State.

Yes, We Will Go Off The Fiscal Cliff And It Is Time Middle Class Americans Realize The Cost Of Big Government

I know that as I write this, there is a very small chance that the powers that be in Washington, D. C. will cut a horrible deal to avert the so-called Fiscal Cliff.
But chances are much less as the hours go on.
So, I stand by my thinking that we are not going to get a horrible deal and that the United States is going over the Fiscal Cliff.
I think that it is going to be a lesson that the middle class would rather forget, but it is necessary for the middle class to learn that big government costs real money.
And once again, Marc Thiessen of the American Enterprise Institute and Washington Post columnist explains it clearly. Clearer than House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). Clearer than Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Let's take what Mr. Thiessen wrote here:

During Obama’s first term, federal spending grew to more than 24 percent of GDP — the highest it has been since 1946. Yet almost no one in the country (except smokers and those who frequent indoor tanning salons) saw their taxes rise.

Very true. At least at the federal level most Americans have not seen taxes rise yet the size of government is, well continuing to be out of control.
Again, from Mr Thiessen:

160 million Americans saw their payroll taxes reduced from 6.2 to 4.2 percent.

Very true.
And for a Happy New Year, when the Dear Leader, President Obama, drives the United States off the Fiscal Cliff, that 4.2% payroll tax goes back to the 6.2%.
And as noted in the column by Mr. Thiessen, one of the big reasons that we have not felt the pain, we middle class voters, is because the administration has been essentially borrowing money from our children and grandchildren.
And he should have mentioned borrowing from Red China in the form of treasury bonds.
But what is an eye-opener is that Mr. Thiessen essentially believes that it was a mistake to extend the so-called Bush Tax Cuts.
Why, pray tel?
Because while it did seem to be a quick win for the then newly majority Republican congress, all it has done is continue to let the Dear Leader, President Obama, and his policies off the hook.
In a way, it is big government on low taxes.
But, we all know that the Dear Leader, President Obama, wants to increase taxes on the eeeeevvvvviiiiilllll, filthy, stinking rich folks. The once one percent and now two percent of Americans that make a lot of money. Well, those that are unfortunate to earn $250,000 or more.
Ok, will that solve the problems of spending and taxation at all?
Oh, it is estimated that if the Dear Leader got everything he wanted, it would amount to 30 weeks of savings over 10 years. About three weeks a year.
So, again, why not drive over that Fiscal Cliff and let the middle class understand the brunt of expanding government? And let's throw in that the reality is about wealth redistribution? Something that most middle class Americans do not even realize is up President Snidley Whiplash Obama's sleeve.
Trust me folks, my state of California is on this course.
The passage of Proposition 30 was touted as saving education. And a tax on the rich.
Only that is not the fact.
The fact is that the tax revenue will be raised by not just taxing the rich but increasing the state sales tax a 1/4 cent per dollar. Which means that Californians minimum sales tax is now 7.5%. In Los Angeles county where I live, we now have the pleasure of paying a sales tax of nine percent.
Now that does not seem like much, but if one wants to make a big ticket item like appliances, a new car, something along those levels, people may start to think twice.
The point is that government costs real money.
And at some point, people need to realize that.
And maybe, driving over the Fiscal Cliff is the only way to make Americans realize the real cost of having Barack Obama as president.

I Saw A Crime On Chirstmas Night

Christmas night 2012 seemed like any other quiet night.
It was little before 8pm and your humble blogger was getting ready to take Cashew, the Little Guy and Scout the Wonder Dog for their long evening walk.
As I was walking along our street, I saw a silver vehicle speeding down the road. It was being chased by a police car.
Now before the speeding vehicle caught my eye, I did hear a tremendous screeching sound before hand. Then saw a silver vehicle that I thought was one of those big two-ton Ford type pick ups. Apparently, it was an SUV. And what followed was a totally black police SUV with lights and sirens blaring chasing the truck/SUV.
What happened next is very haunting.
Two lights from where I was with the dogs I saw and heard it.
The suspect truck/SUV hitting another car. I could not tell what kind of car was hit. But it turns out to have been a minivan.
It was vicious. The sound. SLAM! And losing sight of the minivan that was hit, yet seeing the suspect vehicle spinning around down the street halfway over the freeway bridge to the next light.
It is all reported here in the local fishwrap.
Yet until reading the article, I did not know that anyone had died. For I did have my dogs with me. A rambunctious puppy and an oldster dog that can barely keep up. So I dared not go further as it was dark and I did not know what to expect.
The police SUV that was chasing the suspect SUV had come to a stop. The sounds of sirens began to screech as I turned down the other street where we continue our walk. It gnawed at me the rest of the night. What was the car that was hit? Were the person or people in that car OK? What about the person or people in the SUV that hit the other car?
The other thing that I thought about in the whole thing is how fast these things happen. But I knew that the minivan that was hit was simply trying to make a left-hand turn. Maybe to get on the freeway for Maple Street is a freeway frontage street. But they had no idea that they were about to be smashed by a speeding SUV. There was no way that they could have stopped as they were proceeding to turn to avoid the speeding SUV. And two people ended up being killed. More than likely they were on the side of the minivan where impact occurred.
But a family's life is ruined. And four people who were breaking the law by evading the police did commit an even worse crime by speeding in one of their SUV's and smashing a minivan of innocent people.
And I saw it all. And I do have a haunting feeling knowing that people died. The closest I have seen this kind of death. And I hope to never see anything like it again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012

Well, since the Mayan Apocalypse did not occur this past Friday, thank God, we have made it to Christmas, 2012.
And what better way to share what Christmas is all about than with Linus Van Pelt and his explanation from the best television Christmas special, A Charlie Brown Christmas:

 



And here to read it from Wikipedia:

 

"'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'

 

And I can not say it better myself!

To you and yours,

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

 

Sen. Tim Scott And The New South

Today, history was made as South Carolina's first Indian-American Gov., Nikki Haley, appointed the first Black senator from the state in Rep. Tim Scott (R-Charleston).
And it is reflective of the New South.
A South in which it appears that the once God-awful race battles have given way to some pretty amazing changes.
It starts with Rep. Scott.
He won his Republican nomination for South Carolina's first congressional district over the scion of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond. The same Sen. Thurmond who desperately tried to block the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Tim Scott beat Sen. Thurmond's son, Paul Thurmond, in a Republican primary in 2010 and easily won outright election to the seat. In 2012, he has the highest vote percentage of South Carolina Republican congressional delegation in cruising to reelection.
And without a doubt, then Sen. Scott will win election to the seat of the retiring Sen. Jim DeMint outright in 2014.
And then there is Gov. Haley, the first Indian-American to win the governorship in South Carolina in 2010. She defeated a panoply of Republicans and was horribly dragged down by many of those that lost the GOP gubernatorial nod to then Mrs. Haley. She won a tough election campaign and has had her problems since being elected. But she should win reelection as well in 2014.
But imagine that the state that fired the first volley at Ft. Sumnter to begin the War Between the States, better known as the Civil War has an Indian-American governor and will have a Black senator. And both Republicans to boot.
It is indicative of what is the New South.
A South that has elected another Indian-American as governor in Bobby Jindal from Louisiana.
A South that has elected Cuban-American as senator Marco Rubio from Florida.
A South that has elected another Cuban-American, Ted Cruz, as senator from Texas.
A South that has elected all of the above under the banner of the Republican party.
The reality is that while the GOP is having trouble winning in areas of the United States entrenched by the Democrat party, they are winning the South and with candidates that as short a time as 20 years ago would have never been considered seriously.
I think that this is where the GOP starts in reaching out to those who have been for whatever reason, alienated from the party in recent years.
All of the above earned their stripes.
All those that have been elected fought in bruising primaries when they were told that they could not win.
Who can forget that the whole Republican establishment lined up to support that douchebrain Charlie Christ over Marco Rubio? Yeah, look how that worked out what when the actual Republican voters went with Mr. Rubio?
It amazes me that while the GOP is demonized for being racist, sexist, etc., etc., and yet have elected these fine people to high office.
It appears that the South has been ready for positive change and willingly electing people of color where the old timers off to the Glory are rolling in their graves.
It is really the New South and Gov. Haley and Sen. Scott are the positive developments of it.

Carnage In Connecticut

UPDATE:

It is not often that I will praise anything written in the Left Angeles Times. And much less from one James Rainey. But here, on this occasion, he addresses the main thrust of this post. The poor reportage of the media in misidentifying the the killer. The internet and social media are truly great tools, but that does not replace the point that facts need to always be corroborated by at least a second source. Especially in situations such as this. And before anyone goes off blaming Fox News or anything like that, numerous media got it wrong and all over the spectrum. Mr. Rainey's article is worth the read.


Good Lord Almighty.
What can I or anyone else say about this horrible crime that took place today in Newtown, Connecticut?
Look, we know that the left is already salivating and pushing gun control and the right is saying not so fast.
That is for another day and time.
However, I believe that, once again, the media committed gross media malpractice in trying to get the story out and for some, to be first.
For hours, the media reported that the shooting rampage was done by one Ryan Lanza. Yet it was not RYAN Lanza, but his brother, ADAM Lanza that killed 28 people, his mother and himself.
Why is that important? I mean, so they got a name wrong, no big deal because the story was running fast and furious?
Well, no matter how fast and furious a story is breaking, it is always, always important to get important facts such as who committed the act right. Thus, it should not have been reported that the shooter was Ryan Lanza when it was his younger brother Adam that committed the dastardly deed.
If there is one thing that I learned in journalism classes and has stuck with me is why the what, when, why, who and how is important in every story. And how important it is to have multiple verification of information before going public with it.
Remember the Aurora, Colorado movie house shooting? Remember when the name James Holmes was announced? Well the first James Holmes that ABC news reporter Brian Ross picked out of his rump was one connected with the Tea Party political movement. And he reported it on the air. Yet he did not act with due diligence as it turned out the James Holmes was a mentally ill graduate college student.
Now many people will point out, and I do think that this may be true, that Mr. Ross focused on a potential Tea Party angle in an effort to discredit the conservative political movement. But whatever the case, an innocent man's reputation was at the very least tarnished and possibly something more negative than that.
Same for Ryan Lanza.
As it turns out, Adam Lanza somehow had identification that he was Ryan Lanza on his person.
But again, how did it get reported and reported wrong in the first place?
And this leads to another criticism that I have about reporting blatant criminal activity.
The use of the word tragedy over murder.
Usually, I do not like that kind of wording but this story, well it is different.
Twenty children, a whole classroom, were murdered in cold blood by Adam Lanza. Because it was elementary school children, yes it does make it  a horrific tragedy.
In this case, it is correct to use the word tragedy. Yet it should be also reported accurately that this was an act of murder. That a young man, whether or not he had a mental disability problem, did have the presence of mind to kill his mother in cold blood, steal her car, drive to the school that she taught at and kill the school principal, several other adults and the 20 children. This man, Adam Lanza murdered 27 people before killing himself.
So I would suggest that while the culprit of this act is dead, let us not simply refer to his crime as a tragedy. It cheapens the fact that he committed murder of defenseless, innocent people.
And now I have other thoughts.
No parent get their kids ready in the morning for school and thinks that it is possibly the last time that they will see their kid alive. No doubt these parents, husbands and wives, did not think that when they said goodbye and went off on their day.
Yet in the span of several minutes, one deranged individual killed people and ruined countless lives.
It is why I utterly believe that we should always remind the people closest to us that we love them. In my case, I always tell Mrs. RVFTLC every day as I leave for work that I love her. And in most of our e-mail correspondence to each other, the same thing. These kind of events remind me even more how important that is.
It is also very, very important for all of us to take a deep breath, mourn for those dead and those left behind and not spout off on how this could have been prevented.
There is a time and place for that but no way and not in the hours and immediate days of this murderous rampage.
And one more last thought.
Hold on to your hats, but I thought the statement from President Obama he gave at the White House was not only appropriate but clearly that of a caring, loving father.There was nothing political in it. I felt that this one was from the heart. I think it important enough to leave you with this video link to see it.
May God bless those lost. May God bless those left behind. May God bless Nancy Lanza. May God bless the people of Newtown, Connecticut.

A HOMELESS Bill Of Rights?! Only In California. . .

I am not amazed in the least about this proposal from state Assemblyman  Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco, of course) to give the homeless people of the once Golden State a "bill of rights".
This Assemblyman Ammiano fellow was also pushing to legalize marijuana. You know, because it could be taxed to the hilt of course as a way to "solve" our perpetual budget fiasco.
But this, well this almost wants the pot to be legal because then I can use it to numb my mind to the dread that this state has become that this, more than likely, will get serious consideration in the legislature next year.
In general, the reality of homelessness is something that no society should be proud of. There are multiple layers of reasons why people are homeless. There are three major reasons why there are homeless people. One is mental illness. The overwhelming majority of homeless fall into this category. The two that follow, drug abuse and alcoholism, can be part of the mental illness. In that case, many homeless have the unfortunate trifecta. But some have one only of the three major factors.
So keep this in mind as I present the thrust of this bizarre legislation.
Here are the "highlights" of Assemblyman Ammiano's homeless "bill of rights":

-- Sleeping in public spaces such as sidewalks and parks
-- 24/7 access to bathrooms, showers, water and clean syringes.
-- Car camping on city streets without restrictions
-- "Life sustaining activities" such as urinating and collecting recycling trash
-- Welfare cash payments
-- Meditating or praying in public
-- Panhandling
-- Payment for possessions seized in a roust
-- Right to refuse the offer of a homeless shelter
-- Right to a lawyer in most encounters with the law

Oh goodness, where to start.
I guess I will go into the middle of the 10 "rights" this would start and that is welfare cash payments.
Nothing encourages homelessness more than allowing them to be on welfare of any kind and not in some kind of housing. Pray tell Assemblyman Ammiano, how is said homeless person to obtain welfare payments? Since most people who get public assistance are given a debit card, should we just start issuing John Doe or Jane Doe and guess how much to hand out to the homeless? And where will they be able to get one? Should they have a bank account? Inquiring minds want to know.
Oh this is a gasser. That the homeless can meditate and or pray in public. Hey, dude. When children are allowed to do the same in public schools, come back to me on that one.
I really, really love the "life sustaining activities" that include, I kid you not urinating and collecting recycling trash. I note that it stops at urinating and not number two, aka pooping, dumping and you know the rest.
I digress because this reminds me of something I saw a few years ago here in my fair, homeless-friendly burg.
In front of the local First Methodist Church along Colorado Blvd, the Rose Parade route, a cleanly homeless man whipped out his member in front of the church and proceeded to live life the way that Assemblyman Ammiano thinks the homeless should live. By taking a wiz right on some plants.
While the rest of us, you know, those that are not a special class by actually doing things right, would have been arrested for at the very least indecent exposure.
If this God-forsaken bill were to pass as is and signed by Gov. Moonbeam Brown, why it would create a two-class system.
One of my big issues is panhandling.
I hate it.
In the past, those that asked for a quarter or any change would be nice about it. Sheepish because they knew it was not a good thing to do. But now, now these people will ask for whole dollars. And not just a buck. Some have accosted me and asked for five bucks. Five frickin' bucks! Really?! It has happened. And many times, they do not take kindly to the no. They will follow and harass until people breakdown and give money. And let us not forget how some get a little inventive and think that if they have a squeegee and a bucket of water, that gives them a right to come up to your car, wash your windows and, yup, ask for money. Oh, and one is not always asked if they even want their car windows washed.
And here is another digression.
As a purveyor of public transit, let me share with you about the guy who just sits there and harasses people as they get on the bus for quarters. Yup, two Thursday's in a row, this dude who does not seem all that homeless is sitting there really bothering people that the bus driver has had to tell him to lay off.
But, in the old days, said dude would have been thrown off the bus. Not anymore. For those "on the margins" have extended rights us eeeeeevvvvviiiiilllll middle-class folks do not.
The "car camping" is not only wrong-headed but a clear threat to public safety to the homeless and the citizenry. What if a criminal should break into a car and end up killing a "car camper"? What would we say about that? And how about someone using car camping to stake-out places to rob? Ever think about that Assemblydude?!
But here is the kicker.
The "right" to refuse the offer of a homeless shelter.
The reason that there are homeless shelters is to give people a temporary place to stay rather than to be out on the streets, especially in inclement weather. These are places that help, not hurt, homeless people. The fact that most homeless are alcoholics, drug abusers, and mentally ill, a combo or all three is even more reason that they should be encouraged to get off the street.
This is what is wrong with modern liberalism.
They never want to address root causes of problems but they want to create unimaginable "rights" that no civil society can tolerate.
Giving the homeless "rights" to pee openly on the street, harass people for money, taking their lives and the lives of others to risk is not the way to go.
If Assemblyman Ammiano is serious about the homeless problem, he would seek ways towards getting the homeless OFF the streets, not encouraging more of them. What Assemblyman Ammiano should be doing is seeking ways to find common ground that will get as many homeless off the streets. If that means more state funding for mental health programs and hospitals and the like, we need to figure that out.
Treating the homeless like a different, yes privileged class, is not the solution. That means we need to write our legislators and tell them to vote no on this terrible proposed bill.
Because if not, then what would only be in California will spread across this nation. And that would not be a good thing.

The Peggy Joseph Of Politicians

You remember sweet Peggy Joseph from the 2008 presidential campaign, doncha?
Well, if you do not, here is a little palate cleanser of a reminder of Miss Joseph.

In case you forget, here is how Miss Joseph viewed voting for then Sen. Messiah Barack for president:

I won't have to worry about putting gas in my car.

But I do recommend watching the whole short but sweet video. I do wonder if Miss Joseph realizes that she is still paying her mortgage and gas?
But that is just the warm up for this Detroit city councilman, JoAnn Watson.
What did Miss Johnson have to say?

Well, here is some of her thinking of the Dear Leader, President Obama, and what he should do to save her cash-strapped city.

"Our people in an overwhelming way supported the re-election of this president and there ought to be a quid pro quo and you ought to exercise leadership on that," said Watson. "Of course, not just that, but why not?"
How does one unpack this crap?
What does Miss Watson mean by "Our people"? The fact that the city of Detroit is overwhelmingly Black? What about the non-Blacks? Do they count in the 75% that voted for the re-election of the Dear Leader, President Obama?
One will have to go deep inside that gal's mind.
And what kind of leadership would be shown in bailing out a city that is now perpetually cash-strapped? Can't pay it's bills? Has contracted population of over 1,000.000 since 1950? Whole neighborhoods no longer exist. It is so bad that there have been serious proposals to turn vast swaths of vacant land into, I kid you not, urban farms.
Detroit was once a booming, vibrant city in 1950 after World War II. The auto industry was a sign of that boom. In fact, the population of Detroit in 1950 was 1,849,568. By the 2010 census, the population contracted to 713,777 people. It is a staggering loss of almost 1,136,000 in 62 years.
Yet the Motor City seems to think that it is still the Detroit of the 1950s.
It is the only reason I can think of that they are not able to have enough money and then some to pay their bills and hell, have a surplus.
Ahh, but the fact is that Detroit, well there is little if any business left outside of the truncated auto industry. Hence they do not have many fat-cat businesses, you know, those one percenters, a.k.a the eeeeevvvvviiiiilllll, filthy, stinking rich folks. And with whole neighborhoods gone, don't count on much in the way of property taxes.
The background of the plight of Detroit is necessary to explain in the briefest of ways because it is why people like Miss Watson basically asks the federal government to bail out her city.
This is a sad case of demographics=destiny.Take a peek here to see what I mean.
Miss Watson is symptomatic as to a huge problem in the United States.
And that problem is dependency., she would have a big-government sugardaday
Back to Miss Joseph really thinking that if she voted for Barack Obama she would have her big government sugar-daddy take care of all her bills.
And Miss Watson, an elected city councilman, perpetuates that dependency by all but begging the Dear Leader, President Obama, to bail out an economic basket case that Detroit has become.
No ladies, what you both need is a wake up call.
What we do not need is to have a Peggy Joseph in elected office in the person of JoAnn Watson.
We do not need to have the Peggy Joseph of politicians.

You Mean The Barefoot, Homeless Dude Is. . .NOT. . .Homeless?!

The above photo of New York City police officer Larry DePrimo performing an act of kindness to a homeless man made the rounds last week.
The act of kindness Mr. DePrimo did was to, out of his own pocket mind you, go to the nearest open shoe store, a Sketcher's, spend at least $75 and buy the barefoot, homeless man a pair of boots so he did not have to have another night of cold feet.
A very nice, heartfelt gesture indeed.
On the surface, it is an act of kindness that many people do not and would not do for such an individual.
But, as the late great Paul Harvey would say, there is the rest of the story.
It turns out that homeless dude, well he is not quite really homeless.
According to this article in the New York Daily News, homeless, shoeless dude is named Jeffrey Hillman. And what's more, he actually has a publicly subsidized apartment in The Bronx borough of New York City.
Now before you scream, "Oh no! Not another homeless-bashing post here!" I am sorry to disappoint you.
This is not a typical case even with all the new reportage.
Clearly, Mr. Tillman has some kind of mental problem. What it is we do not know. But why would someone take assistance in the form of Section 8 housing vouchers, social security disability, and veterans benefits for housing and roam the streets and panhandle? And, rarely if ever use said apartment for shelter?
Why would Mr. Tillman refuse assistance from family members from his hometown of Nazareth, Pennsylvania? That includes his two children.
Again, this line in the article seems to sum it up:

"He needs help beyond mere handouts."

Yes, but because he refuses, he can continue to live his bleak, meager existence. Yet his having housing that he rarely uses because he is out on the streets panhandling and wandering is selfish because a person that can and wants that apartment does not.
What Mr. Tillman needs is to be committed in a mental facility that can address what his mental state actually is and he could be put on medication that will, hopefully, help him find his way back.
I know, the law seems to side with Mr. Tillman and his vagabond existence. And that if he shows any fleeting moment of supposed sanity, he can avoid the above solution.
This is not freedom.
This is someone that is a prisoner to something that most of us can not imagine. Because most people can not and would not want to live the way that Mr. Tillman is currently living. Something is wrong with his mind. And he is not getting help because he is a prisoner of a system that is at best indifferent and a society that ignores the homeless problem because it really does not affect them.
Now Mr. DePrimo, he did nothing wrong. He saw a human being in a bad way and thought that he could do a little something to help. Mr. Tillman seemed to be appreciative. But it is what he said later that is well, what do you make of this:

"After the story of DePrimo's generosity went viral, Hillman turned up again still on the streets and still shoeless. He told a reporter he hid the boots that set DePrimo back $75 so they wouldn't be stolen."

Sooo, if Mr. Tillman would be back at his apartment, they would NOT be stolen.
But again, we who think this way are thinking logically. A person with mental illness will NOT think logically.
And that is what is wrong with this story.
That a homeless, barefoot man who does not have to be homeless is acting as such. That a man with clear mental problems is basically swept under the rug because he refuses the help.
Somewhere there has to be some middle ground that eventually leads to helping Mr. Tillman. That would be the best outcome of this story.

Goin Off The Fiscal Cliff With Linkin Park And "Burn It Down"

Yup, I have liked this Linkin Park song, Burn It Down, since it came out earlier this year.

And now, it seems rather appropriate as we, I really believe hopefully, go off the manufactured "Fiscal cliff" that our esteemed political leadership "negotiated" earlier this year in a debt-ceiling hike.
I think it is a pretty cool video. Doncha think so?
Anyhow, I think it is great to do a little sing along, especially the chorus, because if you really think about it, it is exactly what the Democrats and the Dear Leader, President Obama, wanted to create.
A crisis.
Because as the current mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel, once said, you should never let a good crisis go to waste.
And it is a sure one for Republicans.
As I have noted here, the Republicans will be blamed no matter how this turns out. So instead of meaningless negotiations, I have now thoroughly come to the conclusion that we on the Republican side, and especially us conservatives, need to let the truck go right off this "Fiscal cliff".
And yes, the private economy will for sure suffer.
And the theme song is, Burn It Down.
Lets just get to the awesome chorus:

We're building it up
To break it back down
We're building it up
To burn it down
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground
So, how does this relate to the so-called "Fiscal Cliff"?
Here, lets break it down, so to speak, from Team Democrat.

We're building it up=building up the government. Creating big government.

To break it back down=having big government, whether they realize it or not, breaks the private sector in many ways. Especially in taxes. Thus the economy will not be about growth in the private sector but how to get money to pay for the public sector.

Let's skip the second Building it up and jump right to this one.

To burn it down=raising taxes and not just on that two percent we keep hearing our Dear Leader, President Obama, and the Democrats rant and rave about. After all, again as noted here, if the feared sequestration does take place, it will not be that two percent to feel the pinch. It will be almost all of us.

See, no matter what the Democrats say about this so-called tax "fairness" in getting that eeeeevvvvviiiiilllll two percent of the stinking, filthy rich, they know deep down that they can not pay for all their big government without more money from the suckers that voted for the Dear Leader, President Obama taxpayers.
Do you like that child tax credit that is now $1,000? Forget it because if sequestration occurs, it goes down to $500. It does not go away, but it gets cut and means more money for the feds.
And expansions of the Earned Income Credit and the Dependent Care Credit, well they go away and it goes back to what it was before.
How do you like only getting only 4.2% taken out of your paycheck for Social Security? Well, that goes back to 6.2% if sequestration happens.
And if you like government tax credits for "alternative" fuels and community development, bye bye!
But see, all this occurs if nothing is done as of January 2, 2014. And the best part for the Democrats is, as duly noted, they will blame the Republicans because they would just not allow the hike in taxes for the two percent of the eeeeevvvvviiiiilllll, filthy, stinking, rich folks.
But if they get this money that they need to keep the government going and let some phantom cuts occur in all but defense spending, they think that they can get the win.
Now the Republicans have to go on the offensive and drive it home that they do not want to raise any one's taxes. That they want to keep the tax rates as is and have true tax reform that will benefit all taxpayers and not just put some against each other.
In the meantime, the Democrats can and I think will just let it go. They will not let a good crisis go to waste. They will burn it down to get what they really want.