After years of effort and prodding from Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Susan Peters (and a looming budget shortfall) the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors finally tackled a multi-million dollar budget problem by eliminating costly “extra” benefits for future retirees.

It’s a start — but it’s not the only budget busting pension issue: Sacramento County has nearly $950 Million in pension obligation bonds that have to be serviced from the General Fund – at the same time they’re facing significant budget cuts.

The scary thing is, Sacramento is not alone – all across California, bloated and under-funded (how did they manage to do both?) pensions have spawned a financial monster; and with few exceptions, no one is dealing with it. Public employee retiree pensions and benefits threaten to swamp already stretched budgets – throwing taxpayers into a fiscal nightmare. It’s the monster under the bridge everyone tries to… Read More

After years of effort and prodding from Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Susan Peters (and a looming budget shortfall) the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors finally tackled a multi-million dollar budget problem by eliminating costly “extra” benefits for future retirees.

It’s a start — but it’s not the only budget busting pension issue: Sacramento County has nearly $950 Million in pension obligation bonds that have to be serviced from the General Fund – at the same time they’re facing significant budget cuts.

The scary thing is, Sacramento is not alone – all across California, bloated and under-funded (how did they manage to do both?) pensions have spawned a financial monster; and with few exceptions, no one is dealing with it. Public employee retiree pensions and benefits threaten to swamp already stretched budgets – throwing taxpayers into a fiscal nightmare. It’s the monster under the bridge everyone tries to… Read More

In an effort to emulate my colleague Duane, and post something up on this blog that has nothing to do with politics, I thought I would throw out there my new dilemma.

Recently I picked up a new LG "Chocolate" cell phone. I have only been using it for a few days, and we’ll see if it is an improvement over the RZR or not. I won’t go into any more of that for fearing of being too "Duane-like" in this post.

While monkeying around with the phone, I found out how to download ring tones from the ether — and after spending nearly an hour listening to snipets of cool music, ultimately settled on downloading "What’s Going On?" by the amazing Marvin Gaye (pictured), whom I consider to have been one of the most amazing contributors to the music industry of all time (despite his left-wing politics).

There was also some irony my phone ringing out with "What’s Going On?" when someone… Read More

A judges decison this week to shut off the Delta pumps that 25 million Californians rely on has sent a shock wave through the water user community, [which is everyone in California]

This additionalbit of judicial policy making, was ostensibly to save the all so handy species du jour, a fish calledthe Delta Smelt.

Thankfully we Californians can draw from reservoirs, such as San Luis,that store water for when situations that affect available water supply, such as drought caused by weather or by activist judges. 50 years ago, leaders had a vision for providing for future needs with our State Water Project. The elected legislatures reaction weeks ago when this possiblejudicial action first came public?

Why, it was to vote down a bill in Senate Water Committee that would build more of the reservoirs that store water that a million Californians, new to this stateeach 2 years, will need!

Maybe we’ll luck out and have a ‘climate change’ that causes it to rain more in the summer. What was it Albert Hammond said about it back in… Read More

In my "vacation" mail I received an unexpectedinvitation to a fundraiser for Harry Sidhu, the Anaheim City Councilman who is running for the 33rd State Senate seat against GOP stalward and conservative Assemblywoman Mimi Walters. The event is a special seating at an Angels game, but it featured recently-elected Board of Equalization member Michelle Steel as a cosponsor. Michelle Steel is a leading light in the Republican Party, like Walters,and the highest ranking Korean-American elected official in the nation. Like her husband, Shawn, she is a "hard-core" conservative. The fact that she is co-chairing a fundraiser for Sidhu (whom I do not know) seems to be significant, given Walter’s conservative credentials. Can an endorsement for Sidhu from former GOP state chair Shawn Steel also be in the offing? My head is realing! Is this seat really up for grabs?… Read More

Santee Councilman Brian Jones is taking a hard look at an anticipated open 52nd Congressional seat next year, and has filed committee paperwork with the FEC. Brian tells me "I am planning onmaking an announcement the first part of July…I am still makingcontacts and generating support."

As posted here several times, the media and blogs have been rife with stories about son Duncan D. Hunter taking a shot at dad’s seat. Several other lookers have been mentioned, but movement has been relatively slow.

Congressional Quarterly details Jones’ foray into the realm of the "big boys" today (see CQ article). Brian notes to me that his background in the story should be "ministry leadership" instead of "industry leadership," as he previously had six yearsexperience on staff at Sonrise Community Church. (The CQ reporter subseqently corrected this… Read More

The College Republicans continue to be the major voice of clarityagainst the Jihadists on campus.

Thursdaynight the College Republican club at the University of California, Irvine, sponsored an unforgettableevent… It was held at the Bren Center withover 1300 paying to get in. It featured excruciating stories of three former terrorists [PLO and an early Hezbollah]. Each man is marked for death. One carries wounds of one assassination attempt. I have never heard such realistic and credible evidence spoken in public.

UC Irvine boasts the largest number of Muslim students in California, estimated to be several thousand. Naturally it has a militant Muslim Student Association. Hamid Algar, a Western Muslim scholar of impeccable academic credentials, who is qute hostile to Israel, still charged the MSA as being similar to Comintern financed by the Saudi government.

Walid Shoebat… Read More

The College Republicans continue to be the major voice of clarityagainst the Jihadists on campus.

Thursdaynight the College Republican club at the University of California, Irvine, sponsored an unforgettableevent… It was held at the Bren Center withover 1300 paying to get in. It featured excruciating stories of three former terrorists [PLO and an early Hezbollah]. Each man is marked for death. One carries wounds of one assassination attempt. I have never heard such realistic and credible evidence spoken in public.

UC Irvine boasts the largest number of Muslim students in California, estimated to be several thousand. Naturally it has a militant Muslim Student Association. Hamid Algar, a Western Muslim scholar of impeccable academic credentials, who is quite hostile to Israel, still charged the MSA as being similar to Comintern financed by the Saudi government.

**There is more – click the link**… Read More