Shake, Rattle, and Roll

The California earthquakes are on their way again. I was able to “predict” the last big earthquake in our area, and am about to do it again. Yes, I expected the San Simeon/Paso Robles earthquake of 2003, but didn’t expect it so close. I did give a window of time when it would hit, and was right. You can tell by the placement of stress along our plates what is going on and how soon. What does that mean?

Last time, I saw earthquakes building up through the state. Bear in mind that earthquakes below 4 are really not that big a deal (in the relative earthquake world), and below 5 they kind of shake things up but are not very notable. However, even these quakes from 3.5 and above tend to allow movement of the ground and release pressure at one point. When they do this, the pressure has to go somewhere.

Faults are pretty much a line. If you lose something in one place, it needs to go down the line. Although some of the faults are not in the same direction, it still indicates there is stress movement happening in the plates. No, I am not a scientist, nor am I trained in Earthquakology. Well, I guess if I make it up, I can say I am trained in it. I am simply observant, and like dark chocolate. 

Keep in mind that the bigger earthquakes are usually found in the Western Pacific. We don’t have the real deadly ones and tidal waves that other parts of the world have. We are so fortunate. But keeping this in mind, the smaller earthquakes are relatively important. Here are the earthquakes as they led up to our local quake:

Jan 22, Offshore Colima, Mexico, Mag 7.6
Even though this was not in california, it was a substantial quake off the west coast.

Jan 25, Keene, CA, Mag 4.7
No, this was not a major quake, but 4.7 is enough to cause damage if it is centered near population. Keene is east of Bakersfield. Not many people know that Tehachapi was home of several big quakes a long time ago. As a matter of fact, towns were destroyed by earthquake, flood, and fire. There is a lot of info in the museum in Tehachapi.

Feb 22, Big Bear City, CA, Mag 5.2
 Southeast of Victorville and south of Barstow – between there and Palm Springs.

March 11, 29 Palms Base, CA, Mag 4.6
This is east of the last earthquake, showing a concentration in the desert area. This released a lot of stress in the area, having all of these in the same area.

May 24, Brawley, CA, Mag 4.0
Although this is on the smaller side, this one  is significant, which you will see later. Brawley is down near the border of Mexico, north of Mexicali.

May 25, Santa Rosa, CA, Mag 4.2
The next day, this one was pivotal. It is the first one north of our area. This shows a different area of stress relief. That means movement on both ends of the area influenced by the San Andreas fault.

May 26, Seven Trees, CA, Mag 3.8
Again, 3 days in a row. South of Santa Rosa, centered near the bay, it is obvious that stress was being relieved in the area.

May 26, Muir Beach, CA, Mag 3.4
Again, a smaller quake, but the same day as Seven Trees, and south. The bay area is apparently being shaken at that point.

August 15, Humboldt Hill, CA, Mag 5.3
After quite a stretch of time, we got another quake. This one was way up the coast, but can you remember the warnings of a tidal wave that day? They cleared some of the beaches around here. This was still at the right angle in line with all the other quakes. If you mark a map with all the other quakes, you will see that this one was pretty much in line with the others.

Sept 5, Piedmont, CA, Mag 4.9
A couple weeks later, we get hit in the bay area again. The concentration of quakes in this area are ominous at this point. This really caught my attention, after seeing the concentration in the south. 

Sept 11, Mexicali, BC, Mexico, Mag 3.7
Again, Mexico is still in line with our stresses, and just south of the one in Brawley.

Sept. 13, Simi Valley, CA, Mag 3.4
Near the Ventura area, working back up the coast. This is not along the San Andreas, but still indicative of stress movement.

Oct. 7, Imperial Beach, CA, Mag 3.6
Back down the coast, this area is west of Mexicali and Brawley. I am starting to see the pattern at this point, and then wondered when we were going to have one toward the middle of the State. North and south were getting releases, that made me think the pressure was building up in the middle.

Oct. 19, Orinda, CA, Mag 3.5
The last earthquake north of us. After this, there was an ominous lull in quakes. At this point, I started to really wonder about the progression of quakes.

Let’s recap things at this point. We see that both north and south had been releasing pressure, so what about the middle? There had been a 2 month absence for June and July. Once we got through October, I started to wonder. When we got through about the middle of November, I was worrying. That is when I figured something would happen in our area by the end of the year. I anticipated about mid December, but the window was through the month. Dec 22 was the tragic date.

What about the moon? What does the moon have to do with it? The moon has an elliptical orbit. That means there are times when the moon is closer to the earth. I didn’t bother to check the placement of the moon, as I didn’t take my concerns so seriously. Guess what date the moon was closer to the earth. 

Dec. 22, San Simeon, CA, Mag 6.6
Notice that this earthquake was alone. All of a sudden, the pressure gave up and it burst. No earthquakes nearby, before or after. None. What does that tell you? The pressure was due to give up, and it happened when the moon was close to the earth. Yep, you heard it here.

Are you amazed yet? That is not the goal of this post. My goal is to get you prepared for the next big one. Yep, we are going to have another, and I’m afraid it may be even bigger than the last one. Did you notice that the San Simeon quake was the biggest one in the state that year? The only one bigger was the one down at Mexico. That’s right, we got the brunt of all the pressure releases.

What’s going on now?

You can’t really say we have been getting into a cycle again. Let’s see how it is going. The pacific rim is hot again though. There have been many 7.0 or larger quakes near the Western Pacific and Asia. In fact, it has been somewhat active for large quakes. That is an indicator that the “ring of fire” is active again. It has been 5 years since the last cycle. I will be watching activity and see if I can predict the next quake window.

Scientists will tell you that it may be quite a while because in geological time we are only here for a short while. They might play it down. On the other hand, I think there is going to be something coming up in the next 5 years. If this quake we just had is an indicator, it could be sooner than that. 

I just want you to keep an eye on earthquake activity. Don’t get too worked up over it, but if it keeps going, you should keep an eye on my blogs here. In the meantime, you have time to get your home ready. Remember not to turn off your gas in an earthquake if you don’t suspect a leak. That makes it hard on the gas company. They will have a lot of work, and you may keep them away from other work they have to do.

Don’t forget to have water and food ready just in case. Also keep batteries rotated so you keep a fresh supply for flashlights and radios. Yes, a radio is important. Of course now we can’t be sure we will get TV because it is all going digital and you need to have a special tuner for it. Thank goodness radio is still normal. I suggest one that gets AM as well as FM so you have your choice of entertainment or news. In a major disaster SW is good to have, but that is up to you. Don’t store them with batteries in them as they may tend to corrode.

I suggest buying gallons of water and putting a date on them so you can rotate them. How much water you save, you need to decide based on your personal usage. Just keep rotating it and keep it fresh. Then you will also want to have canned and boxed food, non-powered can opener, and some sort of cooking device like BBQ or grill. Remember to keep pasta and boxed food in a cool dark place, and check it often for bugs. Rotate it often.

I won’t get into specifics, you can get all of that on pages about disaster readiness. If you ever want to see what is going on with earthquakes and look up info after you hear about them or even get email every time one happens, you can go to:

USGS Earthquake Site

See how earthquakes develop in time  Be sure to click the button to start the animation

Here are some other useful sites:

Solar System Calculator will show you the relative position of planets, and you can check distance of the moon from earth by dates.

Be Prepared for Earthquakes with the list here. There are some other resources from here.

American Red Cross earthquake preparedness

I don’t want to get too deep into it here. I just want you to see that we can indeed see what is coming, even though they tell you earthquakes cannot be predicted. It is simply a matter of common sense. I did warn people that I was concerned about a quake locally just prior to the San Simeon/Paso Robles quake. I will not tell you that I am going to predict another one, because it may have just been coincidence. We will see next time. I may even post it here when I have an idea of the next big earthquake.

Don’t rely on this. Live each day like something could happen, because it could happen any day. People say they don’t want to live here because they couldn’t live with earthquakes. How about tornadoes, hurricanes, lightening, tennis ball sized hail, snow, freezes, mud slides, floods, and other disasters? I would rather live here with our fires and earthquakes when I know it may happen every now and then, when everyone else knows their problems are going to happen every year.

How about mosquitoes and muggy weather? I love California, and especially the Central Coast. I know there will be an earthquake here, and I believe we will survive it. Just be sure you are ready and things should work out. Let’s not be like cavemen about this whole thing.

The Opinionator

They Think They Can Dance

So you think YOU can dance? Whether you do or not, they have had over 400 million callers vote. To me, that menas a lot of people have no life. Who has time to call in several times and vote for a dancer? Now if you had voting on Gilligan’s Island, I know how those votes would have gone. People would have voted for the Professor (Roy Hinkley) and Marianne Summers. Yep, you may think the Howells would have won, but only if they could buy the votes. How about giving me your votes here? Don’t forget that the Skipper’s name was Jonus Grumby and Gilligan’s first name was Woody. Mrs. Howell was Eunice – Lovey was her pet name by Thurston. 

Back to the reality show. Of course, for the slow among you, we are talking about the reality TV show, “So You Think You Can Dance” on FOX. I am really happy for these dancers, and that they have the opportunity. This is an amazing chance for them, and highlights something other than gangs, sex, and violence. Yes, some of the outfits are provocative, but that is not unusual in dance. I am glad to see all the different styles of dance represented. However, I do believe it is a way to legitimize hip hop, but I don’t think that is an agenda here. I think it is just a reflection of today’s styles. I think they actually get people interested in dancing again. I am especially impressed with the Mambo, Salsa, and Samba in high heels. I mean the women, of course.

I enjoy watching these styles, and seeing how much they work on it. It is easy to see their inexperience and nervousness. Many times they do not reach the level of emotion and passion in their dancing, but sometimes they hit it just right. Then there is the mechanical problems. I know I’m not telling you anything new here, but my criticism is not about the dancers. I have something to say about the judges.

Before I go there, I was just thinking that maybe they should have had voting on Star Trek. Then you could vote for your favorite alien and they could have them back on another episode. How about the two guys with black and white faces. You remember one was white on the right and black on the left, while the other was black on the right and white on the left. Of course they were totally different people and one was superior. I wonder what that was supposed to mean. Do you think that was a statement on the condition of prejudice in the US at the time? Nah. Hey, comment here to vote for your favorite alien. Don’t forget to remind us what the episode was about. Not all of us are Trekkies.

The show starts out with a strong theme song and graphics, then comes into the host, Cat Deeley. Yes, she is a looker, but she doesn’t really bring energy or interest to the show. She does not have the excitement I would like to see each episode. Perhaps she is getting tired of this gig, but I don’t remember her starting it with energy and emphasis. She is just a cue card reader. People knock Ryan Seacrest, but every time I saw him on American Idol I had to give him props. He always brought an interest, attitude, and energy to the table. When you watched him, you wanted to know what he was going to say next. It didn’t seem so scripted.

I don’t get that feeling from Cat. Even through the show, she only reads the cue cards. If you watch her, you can see she is glued to the teleprompter, even for the most simple of announcements which she should already know she is going to say. It is as if she has no idea what she is going to say. You would think that by now she would know what she is going to say, and only need to read every now and then. Even when she addresses the judges, she often has to look to see what she is going to say next. I don’t know where she got her talent, or who she auditioned with, but I am sure it is not from experience. 

When they come out of the titles and theme, they need to have someone with some power and energy to carry the viewer through to the show. They need someone that cares about what they are going to say and will make me care too. They need someone that is convincing us that they really care about the dancers and their job. I really think she was a poor choice for this job, but she is not the biggest problem I have with the show.

Before I get going, I want to give props to Toni Basil. The judges aren’t really judges. They are cheeleaders with no impact on the vote or selection at all. They don’t really have any purpose at all, other than a bit if narrative and taking a little time up. I think this is obvious when watching Toni Basil. Hey Mickey, you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind. Hey, in that video she was a cheerleader too. I guess it is only fitting that she is a cheerleader on THIS show. 

Then you get to watch other ‘B’ performers like LL Cool J. I won’t say he isn’t good at what he does, but come on. Couldn’t they get someone more current? He is trying to make a come back. One of two things is going to happen. Either he is going to be left behind because nobody wants to hear his old style, or he will betray his success and style and try a new style. Come on, LL. You don’t need to sell out. Didn’t you make good investments with the money you made the first time around? Jump… jump… jump… jump… jump.

I need to say that the most ANNOYING person on the whole show is the judge, Mary Murphy. Could this woman be even more annoying? She is nothing more than a cheerleader, and not a good one, either. Her knock knocks and attempts at comedy and surprise fall way short of entertaining or surprising. Then on top of that you add her voice and the way she speaks, and it makes me want to cringe. Wait, we haven’t gotten to the good part yet. Does anyone like to hear her screams and yells? Not a single act goes by that she doesn’t annoy me. Even when she tries to be serious, I don’t buy it. She has no apparent use other than to yell and scream, and get picked on by Nigel. She is so predictable.

Someone less annoying but just as predictable is Nigel Lithgoe. He really doesn’t add anything to the show. You would think he could at least give some creative criticism. He does try to balance out the cheerleaders, but he is not effective at it. I do like to hear what he has to say when he is first to speak because he starts to tell us what he thinks. When he comes after the other two, he just spouts babble and references what the cheerleaders said. It is as if he follows their lead like a good husband. It is as if he is just there for the show business aspect of it. Is he just trying to get to be a household name in America? Nigel, keep giving critique and talk about technique and ability. I really do appreciate that part of you, and am sure the dancers would like to know what they are doing right and wrong.

Adam Shankman is alright. He is a bit full of himself, and almost annoying. I am glad Toni replaced him for a while. Fortunately, there is not much season left, so I don’t think he will be a factor for long. I hope they replace him with someone who is more interested in helping the dancers and talking about their technique and ability.

I can summarize my feelings about this show by saying it is fine for a novelty, but I am surprised they have kept the format alive for 4 seasons. It is a bunch of tripe, but I appreciate the showcase for young dancers. It is good for them to have a place to show off their talents and actually show traditional styles of dance and how fun they can be. Dancing really is fun, especially when you learn how to do it. The different styles seem rigid when you watch them in competition, but when you see it applied creatively in this show, it really makes you see the value of the different styles.

As far as the production value of the show, I think it is a good stage and format. I just think the principle people need to be changed. Mary and Cat have to go. Mary is just so annoying. She goes from talking normal to yelling to normal to yelling, and I am tired of it. No, make that SICK of it. I cringe when she comes up. I wish they would get rid of Mary. They need someone with some class and knowledge in there, not a cheerleader. Also, they should get a new host, or let me go give her some lessons on how to be a good show host. Maybe I can take the show from her like Seacrest did to Dunkleman (WHO?) in the first season of Idol.

Now let’s talk about Pants Off Dance Off…

The Opinionator

Should DeVaul or Mulholland Go To Jail?

You are aware of the controversy over Dan DeVaul’s Sunny Acres ranch, I am sure. If you are not, let me give you a quick rundown. 

Man owns property. Man helps recovering addicts. County encourages man to continue. Man uses ranch as he wishes. City Councilwoman doesn’t like looking at ranch. City Councilwoman pulls all her power to shut him down. County shuts down barn from man. County tells man to clean up ranch. County charges man with violations of codes. County threatens to clean it up and charge man with costs. DA takes case. Two judges recuse themselves in the case. Man may go to jail. Simple enough?

Now for more of an overview to get you on the same page here. The Devaul family has owned a 72 acre parcel on Los Osos Valley Rd. near Foothill Blvd. for several years. In fact, Dan DeVaul was born and raised on this ranch. He left for about 20 years, returning in 1985 and started Sunny Acres after that. This man has been helping recovering alcoholics and addicts in our area for about 9 years. In that much time, there have not been any police incidents out there. In fact, the one time they came out there, it was to pick up someone for something that happened before this person came to Mr. DeVaul. The irony is that they knew where to find this guy because Mr. DeVaul had been keeping him clean and sober.

He calls it a clean and sober recovery center. This is for people who fall through the cracks because they cannot support themselves or don’t meet certain criteria to be helped by other organizations. Of course, as with any program, there is a failure rate, and there are those that stay with the program for several years. They have varying levels of recovery. They pay a little bit for rent, and work the ranch. Of course, the money is spread around to help those that cannot pay their way. That means it is more of a communal pot of money, to which Dan DeVaul adds to the pot to keep things going. 

Over the last 9 years, the government has even referred people who need help but SLO County cannot take care of. He started out with about half a dozen people, so he flew under the radar. As County Services got involved, they even brought a trailer out to the property to help him with a particular person they brought to him. To me, this seems like approval for the operation he had going there.

A few years ago, SLO County started after him to move dirt, remove trailers, and clean up the property. He did some of this then got a lawyer. SLO County and Army Corps of Engineers approved what he did. He tried to get a conditional use permit to add on to his home, but it would cost $400,000 including the studies. When he went before the planning commission, he found out that SLO City Councilwoman Christine Mulholland and neighbors were raising hell, and making such a stink that the County didn’t want to deal with him. In fact, that’s when the problems started.

I can’t help but believe that maybe things got worse in the process of building the Temple next door. You will notice that they have hidden their building form the highway. In fact, they recently had our local representatives, Abel Maldonado and Blakeslee, at a ceremony celebrating the Temple. I don’t really think they would start anything with a neighbor or make things worse, but they may have brought County inspectors for their project that may have been prejudiced against Mr. DeVaul. Let’s not dwell on that possibility, though.

You don’t give SLO County money and spend $400,000 to jump through their hoops and they don’t like you any more, I guess. His operation got up to 75 residents, which is a good sized operation. You could run a successful ranch operation and make it a viable business. By February 2008, he had pared it down to 55. The problem is, they want him to get rid of all the housing for these people, and don’t want to let him use the barn for housing. He just wants to be able to run his operation, get permits to make it happen, and move forward. Sure, SLO County only charges $10,000 for the permit, but the studies associated with that permit cost so much that it makes costs about $400k. 

Here is a man that grew up here, and is now at odds with the transplants from outside our area that live in homes that were developed in the last few years. What ever happened to being aware of where you are buying your home? If you buy a home near the airport, then you have to accept the noise, right? Nope. If you buy a home near the train tracks, you have to accept the noise and vibration, right? Nope. If you buy a home on a busy street, you have to put up with the traffic, right? Nope.

The city and county governments will listen to the loudest people. If you don’t like airport noise, we will make them cut noise at night. If you don’t like the trains, we will make them cut back on trains coming through. If you live on a busy street, they will put in signs and make the road smaller to slow people down. If you have money and a big mouth, you get whatever you want. Never mind the fact that these are the same conditions they put up with when they lived in OC or wherever they came from. They moved here to get away from that stuff, but didn’t bother paying attention to where they were buying their new home. They got taken by the developers. Make the developers pay for not disclosing these things to you when you bought your home.

What kind of government doesn’t listen to the majority? That brings us to my point about the government official that is using her position, clout, and connections to get this railroaded. You realize that this is being spearheaded by one of your government officials ONLY in her own self interest, right? I wonder how much city resource is used up with her time and other costs to make this happen for herself. I wonder what favors she is going to have to owe after this or has already given.

This is all after the way she treated the County with disrespect. I was at the SLO City Council meeting where she totally dissed the SLO County over a board they were convening for city input on something. Ms. Mulholland also went to a meeting the county had and caused a big ruckus. She seems to me to have a big mouth and not know how to contain herself. I watched her one time during a city council meeting almost jumping up and down, raising her voice, ranting like a child because other council members didn’t agree with her. It was such a childish display that I was embarrassed for the youth that were there watching this meeting. It was worse than junior high school (they call it “middle school” now, so the kids won’t feel inferior, I guess).

Let’s get back to the numbers and how Christine Mulholland mixes in here. Christine happens to live where she has a view of Sunny Acres. Of course, she has the city throw all sorts of money to the ECOSLO Maxine Lewis Shelter every year, thousands of dollars, in fact. Of course, Christine lives in a nice expensive home in a nice expensive neighborhood. “I have and you don’t, so go someplace else” attitudes are sickening. That is exactly what seems to be happening with Christine Mulholland. Oh, she is a good liberal, though. She supports the environment and people. Right.

Let’s take a look at Christine’s past. She has been in charge of ECOSLO. That organization takes money from the city, and she votes for it every time. Is it coincidence? But is she fair with other causes and needs?

When it comes to Maxine Lewis shelter, she votes more and more money. When the SLO PD came with a binding arbitration for fair pay, she said, ”It’s not a fair increase. It’s far beyond any increases that other groups have gotten from the city negotiations.” Well, Ms. Mulholland, maybe it was because you did not give fair increases before all of this. You were too busy throwing money to your friends at ECOSLO.

Talk about an eyesore, have you ever gone by that place around 5:00 p.m.? When they start letting people in for their meals, you see them walking down the sidewalk smoking like chimneys, coming out of the creeks (almost getting run over crossing Orcutt Rd.), parking their motorhomes/campers/live-in cars on the street and around the corner, dirty rags, smoking, filthy, and representing the neighborhood. Oh, maybe we should put one of those where Christine lives, and see how much money she throws at it. Oh wait, Mr. DeVaul has a cleaner operation and she doesn’t even like that. I guess “Not In My Back Yard” explains it all. NIMBY Mulholland. 

Remember when KSBY first got the peacock mascot costume and had a contest to name the mascot? They came up with “KiSBY” for it. As I recall, it was a contest for kids, but I seem to remember an adult winning. Maybe my memory is wrong, but that is just a side note anyway. What adult competes with kids? Selfish ones like maybe Ms. Mulholland might be? I think we should come up with a mascot for Councilwoman Mulholland. Let’s make it a wrinkled up pumpkin with a scowl on it’s face and call it NIMMBY for “Not In Ms. Mullholland’s Back Yard.” That works for me. Of course, you can submit your own entries by comments on this blog. Maybe we should send the results to NIMMBY Mulholland. Let’s just call her NIMMBY for short.

Back to the massive amounts of money NIMMBY sends to her friends at ECOSLO. Who were her original supporters for her office? You know she is a member of the Green Party, right? Dr. Richard Kresja is a former SLO County Supervisor, Cal Poly professor, and noted greeny. This means he puts the flora and fauna above all needs of humans. She was also supported by Kurt Kupper, another former SLO County Supervisor (for the district that Greeny Adam Hill won – I can see more money for ECOSLO coming!), and Director of ECOSLO. He also owns the Establishment, a student housing unit near Gus’s Grocery. He goes before the city regularly for more money and the use of city property for ECOSLO. In fact, he typically gets a 5 year agreement for city property on Prado Rd. Then he has the nerve to complain that it is windy. He has also worked steady to end growth in SLO County.

Do you see a pattern emerging? Maybe when Mr. DeVaul operates his center, ECOSLO is afraid they will lose money and people. After all, if you put all those people out on the street, then ECOSLO will count them in their pleas for money, and get more cash. Look, it is one thing to be competitive when you have a business, but shouldn’t ALL organizations help the homeless and needy? It shouldn’t be about ECOSLO getting more money for their programs. If they become self sufficient through Mr. DeVaul, then ECOSLO doesn’t get the numbers they would otherwise have. Can you imagine how much more money ECOSLO would get if they had those 55 people in their system? That is a lot of money. THAT is what this is all about. I think we just broke the case.

NIMMBY was also supported by the Santa Lucia Chapter of Sierra Club and has been pretty consistent in her opposition to growth. She has been against raising the height of buildings downtown because we will lose our views from the sidewalk and around the city, she opposes other projects almost consistently, but not effectively. In fact, it is almost as if she pays lip service to her supporters to look good, but doesn’t really do anything about it… unless it is in her back yard. How can I say that when she has opposed so many projects?

Compare the way she handles her personal pet problem with the way she handles the things she pays lip service to. If she was truly opposed to these things, she would go about it with as much vigor and gusto as she does for her own NIMMBY project. Yep, that’s right. When it involves her, she turns up the heat. When it doesn’t, she just wants to look good. Her voting record may appease her supporters, but her actions should show that she doesn’t truly believe in her own votes. She would be much more proactive and effective if she did. PROOF that she is a fraud when it comes to appeasing her supporters? It appears so to me.

Speaking of why she is so adamant and pushing so hard for this to be done right away, we are coming up on a deadline for her. She will no longer be able to bring the forces of the city upon Mr. DeVaul and the county after this year. Why not? She is up against term limits. THAT is perhaps why this is stepped up so much. She has one last hoorah to make herself look good before moving on in politics, or retiring sadly to her home life (I doubt this is the end of NIMMBY, let’s watch ECOSLO and what they pay her). In fact, to possibly hedge her bets to keep this going, just this year she made cash donations to Adam Hill and Jim Patterson. Might as well invest nearly $500 to get her way. That is pretty cheap these days. By the way, those are the same candidates Dr. Kresja supported with donations.

So, here we have a rancher that has junk on his property. He intends to help people, and make this a good facility for them. The County goes after him for compliance. Let’s take a look at what this means.

• By September 1, DeVaul must remove all people living in mobile homes and RV’s on his property.
• He must close his roadside stand, unless he sells at least 50% grown or produced on the property.
• By October 1, DeVaul has to remove commercial vehicles, mobile homes, and reduce outdoor storage.
• He must keep the number of cars down to two (just like the Cal Poly students renting homes on the other side of the hill from him).
• By December 1, DeVaul must either demolish the barn, or get permits to make it inhabitable.

Can you believe that they are actually taking this man to court and want him to spend time in jail for those things? That’s right, they are trying to prosecute him. The problem is, they keep losing judges. The DA took this case to prosecute, because they have nothing more important to do, like investigating fraud in the CPS and Foster Care services in this county. The most pressing issue for them is to put Mr. DeVaul in jail. I think they should put NIMMBY in jail for misuse and abuse of her powers and position as a politician. I think that is much more criminal than Mr. DeVaul’s actions. 

They can’t even get a judge to hear the case. First Judge Dodie Harman recused herself and said she didn’t believe Mr. DeVaul had violated any laws. Then Judge Jac Crawford recused himself citing conflict of interest. The new judge has set things another month away. That gives him a month to find an excuse to drop out also. I don’t think any of the judges really want to do this to the man. I think they see what is going on here and are having their own version of a “blue flu” epidemic. Too bad they don’t do that on other cases that make no sense.

Last of all, you need to look at the way this is being handled. Can you tell me that there are no other ranches in this county that have the same circumstances other than a neighbor named Christine Mulholland and a recovery center? How many ranches have extra trailers and mobile homes? How many ranches have junk on their property? How many ranches have farm equipment and vehicles on their property? How many ranches have excess dirt and debris on their property? How many ranches have even more conditions on their property that should be taken care of? I am warning you. If you are one of those ranches, all it takes is to have a Christine Mulholland move into your neighborhood, then YOU will be in trouble too.

Oh wait, I wonder what she has done to her neighbors. If she hasn’t done anything yet, they better watch out. If she gets more time at home, she may find something there to complain about, too. They better take this time to spiff up their own yards.

Be a smart voter. Go to http://www.smartvoter.org/ and input your zip code to get your ballot. As you can see, you get what you vote for, and you deserve what you get. If you fail to vote, you fail to contribute to your future. You need to take a stand. Support common sense, support the right politicians, and support Dan DeVaul. Let Christine Mulholland know how you feel about her opposition to this fine project. Email her and let her know you support Mr. DeVaul and resent her use and abuse of power and position for personal benefit and that of ECOSLO, as well as the trust of voters and constituents. Christine Mulholland (805) 781-7598 or Email her at cmulholland@slocity.org

If you don’t do something, then you don’t deserve fair representation. If you let another Greeny in there, it will be business as usual. Because you get rid of Christine Mulholland due to term limits, you have a clean slate and a chance to make a better future for the residents of the City of San Luis Obispo.

As far as Dan DeVaul, I have this to say. Mr. DeVaul, I know you removed some eucalyptus already, but I think you need to line the highway with eucalyptus trees. Once you do that, they won’t have such a clear view of your property. Unfortunately, it may also obscure their views of the lake and foothill, but I do believe you have that right with your property. Start a eucalyptus farm and sell the leaves on eBay. People will buy it to line their dog’s beds for fleas. Maybe Christine could use a few around her bed. I hear dirty dogs have more fleas. 

So I ask you, should Dan DeVaul go to jail for keeping a messy ranch, or should Christine Mulholland go to jail for misuse and abuse of power? You make the call.

The Opinionator

Are We Really THAT Cheap?

How much can you be bought for? Apparently very little. Have you ever really analyzed what you buy, and how much you spend on it? People cry out loud about cheap Chinese imports, low quality, and Walmart. I can tell you that Walmart is no different than Kmart or Target. This article isn’t about Walmart, but I want to get something cleared up here first. People say, “I won’t shop at Walmart because they sell cheap foreign stuff, undercut competitors and shut down little stores, don’t allow the union in for fair wages, don’t give benefits, don’t give enough hours for a living paycheck, and encourage their employees to get food stamps,” to which I ask, “How is that different from Kmart or Target, Kohl’s or Mervyn’s, Sears or JC Penney, or anywhere else you shop other than the grocery stores and big chain foreign owned drug stores?” Take a look for yourself.

Also, there is a myth that unions provide benefits and fair wages in the retail world. Ask anyone who has a grocery store job since the last contract negotiations. I won’t get into that here, but you know I will later. What does that have to do with this article? We created this mess because we are cheap. We shop bottom dollar because we are on budgets. We buy our cheap stuff wherever it is lowest price, no matter who made it. For instance, let’s see how cheap each area on the Central Coast is. We can compare with dollar stores.

Let’s start with Paso Robles. Paso has a Dollar Tree next to Target, shared with Templeton. There have been a lot of nice homes built up there, and you would think they could afford to shop at a decent price, without having to resort to the Dollar Tree. Amazing enough, this is the least busy Dollar Tree I have ever seen. When I go in there, they have people shopping, but not in the quantity I see at other dollar stores. Maybe some of them are in there for the air conditioning, or maybe I just haven’t been there at busy times. They do have a big Walmart that is busier than any place else in town, and a Kohl’s with mid priced stuff. There seems to be a middle priced shopping experience that would indicate they have more than just cheapskates in town.

However, they still have a Dollar Tree, and it apparently is busy enough to stay open. Yes, they sell the cheap stuff there, usually made overseas. However, most places you shop at any more have stuff from overseas. Pay attention to the labels. You will see that you cannot escape it, no matter where you shop. It is what it is. We are cheap. So, Paso and Templeton share a Dollar Tree, how about other areas?

How about Atascadero? They have a cheapskate’s shopping paradise together. You can shop at the Dollar Tree, Food 4 Less, and Goodwill without having to leave the parking lot. There is also some fake dollar store about a block away from there. They have cheaper stuff  but charge more. It’s one of these “dollar or more” type stores. I’ll deal with those in the Santa Maria section. Yep, you are going to get it too.

Atascadero Dollar Tree has lots of coolers with food, and every time I go in there, it looks like they are running out of cold stuff. I guess the people in Atascadero love their cheap shopping. You can get your food, clothing, furniture, figurines, and toys all in one center. How convenient is that? Cheapskate Mall. They even have a Kmart in town, something Paso hasn’t had since about 1980, if my memory serves me well. Atascadero would be a better cheapskate zone if they had a Walmart though. It is coming, despite the best efforts of the naysayers that are fighting it. Don’t they realize you can’t fight city hall, and you can’t fight a big company with money and lawyers? Maybe they need Erin Brockovich. Didn’t she live around here for a while? Never mind. These people are probably too cheap to pay her to research all of this anyway. By the way, did you know that Hillary Clinton was on the board for Wal Mart while her husband was governor of Arkansas? That was back when Wal Mart had lots of growth and profits. Coincidence? Back to our fascination with cheap junk.

Morro Bay has a small Dollar Tree, and for the size, I would say it keeps rather busy. Maybe it’s because of the retired people trying to scrimp and save that dime that is so precious to them in their old age. I am not even talking about summer, when all the tourists are here. Of course, I mean however many tourists manage to afford the gas to get here. They are cheap anyway, because I think the valley may be where the dollar stores were born. Maybe not, but I will just say it anyway. That is where I first encountered them. I remember shopping at one in Hanford on my way home several years ago. Ah, Hanford. There is a wonderful place to shop. They have built that up so much, they now have almost a super center Walmart there. They have so much cheap shopping available, it almost makes me want to move there. Then I remember… IT’S HANFORD!

So anyway, Morro Bay seems to be pretty cheap, but I am willing to cut them some slack because we must respect our elders, and if they want cheap Chinese figurines that have eyeballs painted on the nose instead of where they belong, plastic serving utensils that melt, or imitation Jordache cologne they can mix with the perfumes they buy at garage sales, then more power to them. I applaud them for being resourceful and banging their own drums. At least they are making it. I wonder if Jack LaLanne shops there.

A number of years ago, there was a place in Morro Bay that sold dents and bents. It was a little grocery place that had things from surplus and damaged items. It was pretty cool to be able to go in there and buy things real cheap just because it had a dent in it, or because nobody bought it at the real store. Of course, that meant you loaded up on a lot of off brand stuff and stuff with weird names and flavors. It was still good, though. 

San Luis Obispo has a larger Dollar Tree, but no coolers. The only food they have would cause cancer in a rat if they ate too much. Well, if they ate too much, it would probably make them explode first, but it’s all junk food, with a few cans of soup and bread. How am I supposed to survive on that? They get some good selection of other stuff, though. Sometimes I find little treasures that I have to buy, like the full line of Tiki stuff to decorate my home. Now I feel like I live in Hawaii without the endless beach and bikinis. Have you seen how long the beaches in Hawaii are? Neither did I, I was watching all the bikinis like you were.

There was another store over by the college called Buck Wild. I figured it would do real well because it was over by the cheapskate students. I would think they would be the first to clean out the place. Once the price of gas started climbing, they had to sell things for $1.25 instead of a dollar. SLO is so cheap, they didn’t want to pay the extra quarter. How cheap is that? If they would have sold kegs, they would have had more students shopping there. Let that be a lesson for anyone that wants to stay in business in that part of San Luis Obispo. Kegs.

Then we have the Dollar Tree in Arroyo Grande, next to Spencer’s and the new Applebee’s. First of all, I haven’t been in that Applebee’s, but I can’t imagine 5 cities needing a Huckleberry’s, Applebee’s, Chili’s, Baja Fresh, AND Little Caeser’s. Okay, I guess pizza doesn’t fall in the same class with the others, but I love that $5 pizza they have. I guess that makes me a cheapskate, too. I love it when the Santa Maria Little Saeser’s has the mascot on the sidewalk. Pizza pizza. I missed them when they left Kmart. Oh yea, they also have Kmart and Walmart there. I guess 5 Cities must be pretty cheap. They have a bunch of thrift shops, too. Oh, and don’t forget the Cookie Crock Warehouse for cheap groceries. 

I notice that they have so much cool stuff in there. I think the company sends cool stuff to Arroyo Grande, then sends the rest to the other stores. How fair is that? That means I have to stop in the Arroyo Grande Dollar Tree every now and then to see what I am missing. Oh, and don’t buy just one thing to see if you like it. It won’t be there any more when you go back if it is any good. You need to buy a bunch the first time. If you don’t like it, make gift baskets with the rest of it. You can buy the baskets there for a dollar, too.

I guess Arroyo Grande takes the cake for cheap stuff, right? Wrong. Besides, all the residents seem to be spending money on food, so they can’t be THAT cheap. Who is cheaper? Lompoc. Wait, I’ll get back to Santa Maria in a bit. I want to visit Lompoc, because they have a really big 99 cent store. Is there a Dollar Tree there? I get lost in their 99 cent store, so I haven’t explored for a Dollar Tree. They also have a huge Wal Mart. It’s not as big as the one in Hanford, but for the size of the population, it is really big. I remember I used to travel through Lompoc on my way home from Santa Barbara just so I could stop in the Wal Mart there. Santa Barbara does not have a Walmart. In fact, I don’t think they have a Dollar Tree or 99 cent store. I guess they aren’t cheap there.

Of course, we have to remember that the reason they built such a big Wal Mart is because they expected the shuttle launches to bring a lot of people into the area. They had no idea that the thing would blow up and cause a rethink of the whole space program. I still don’t see why they had to cancel the west coast operations. That stinks, after all the money they spent modifying the base to accommodate the shuttle. I was looking forward to seeing our crowning achievement “in-your-face-you-commie-cosmonauts” proof of our space dominance multiple use space vehicle take off from our home venue. Who am I kidding? I probably wouldn’t get up that early anyway, and just watch it on the news like I do now.

That brings us back to Santa Maria, the commuter town for Santa Barbara. It would appear that people who work in Santa Barbara have to shop at cheap stores when they come home to Santa Maria. Maybe that is why there is a Wal Mart, Kmart, Kohl’s, Mervyn’s, Dollar Tree, Grocery Outlet, 99 cent store, and the day old bakery stores. I love shopping there. I won’t spend the money on their products in the stores because I think they are too expensive. Every now and then, I will pop into the bakery stores and load up. Yummmm. Don’t forget that Santa Maria also has about 6 thrift shops, including a Goodwill. There are a BUNCH of wannabe dollar stores and a couple malls there, too. Have you seen those?

The Dollar Tree there is really big, and next to it is a wannabe dollar store, and a mall. You walk in there, and see people at their little booths like a mini swap meet waiting for customers to come in. They have cheap stuff, especially the electronics stuff. The clothing and underwear are much like you would find at the Nipomo Swap Meet, including socks in bundles. There is another one of those places just down Broadway on the other side of the street, and another one on Blosser. You walk in and wonder how they have enough business to keep them open.

I mentioned the wannabe dollar places, and there are a few of them. There is one really big one in what used to be a bank building on Main St. It is amazing how cheap the area is. Maybe it’s because it is hard to get a good paying job in Santa Maria. Maybe it is because the commuters to Santa Barbara spend so much on gas. Maybe because it sucks to live in Santa Maria. Who knows? I am not saying that Santa Maria sucks, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot to do around there. Where are all the good paying jobs? Not in the mall, not at the restaurants, not at Wal Mart. I guess maybe Wal Mart is no different than any other employer. What do you think? 

People think small, shop cheap, and complain big. Think about what you are doing in your own shopping habits next time you complain about Wal Mart or Kmart. Look at the cheap junk you are buying. They will continue to sell us that junk as long as you are willing to buy it. You will never have change as long as you are willing to buy their stuff. If you are going to complain about one store, don’t shop at the others, either. They are ALL the same. That is why we are so cheap around here. We buy cheap and encourage cheap employers. We need an educated employment base to encourage good paying jobs to come to the area.  I don’t think it will change soon, though. I give up. 

What is my point here? We are cheap, we live cheap, we think cheap. Everything we do is because we think small. We don’t look at the big picture. We look at our immediate needs, then complain when we don’t like what we see. Get real, and look around you. Be aware of how you contribute. Yes, we really ARE that cheap. You bring it here, you encourage it, and you support it. We will always be cheap.

I remember when San Luis Obispo had an enclosed mall attached to Gottschalk’s. In fact, I was there the night the jewelry store got robbed. I was only a few stores away when I heard the crashing glass, screaming and yelling. That night I had been in a store called “Just A Buck” or “Only $1″, I don’t remember which one it was. Santa Maria had one, and SLO had the other. It was funny because instead of scanning things, the cashiers simply counted items and put the quantity into the register. I remember commenting to one of them that they must have the easiest job in town, but they didn’t like my comments. They especially didn’t like that I kept walking up to them and asking how much something was.

They had quite a variety of things, but didn’t make it. There is some speculation that the one in SLO didn’t make it just like all the other stores in that mall because the guy that owned the mall was chasing out tenants, knowing he was going to be foreclosed on. I just think they didn’t make it because there wasn’t a call for it at that time. I say that because they were not terribly busy, and the one in Santa Maria closed also. I think that qualifies as a determination that our Central Coast was not as cheap then as it is now. How cheap are we? You KNOW you are cheap when you wait to find something at the 99 cent store instead of the Dollar Tree because it is cheaper there.

The Opinionator

Will the Mid State Fair Survive?

Hey, it’s fair time. Smell the corn dogs, cotton candy, beer, and bullwhat? Oh, and how about those garlic fries? Okay, that is my own peeve. I grew up with garlic in just about everything I ate (except my cereal, that explains why I ate a lot of King Vitamin and Quisp). I remember my mother putting cloves of garlic in slits she made in the roast. Not only did I have bad breath, I had bad garlic breath. How can you kiss someone after they’ve loaded up on those garlic fries? You can smell those from all around when they are cooking them.

Anyway, that’s not what this post is about. Are you going to the fair this year? I went to the Santa Barbara County Fair this year and for the last couple of years. It is more of a carnival than a fair. Heck, there are a couple of barns, a couple rows of vendors a building of products (which was pretty pathetic this year), and a couple buildings with displays of art and plants. Oh, and let’s not forget the kid display this year. That perpetual ball thing was really captivating. I must have got lost in it for about a half hour each time. The carnival part was the biggest part, but most of the rides weren’t very interesting. Did you see the giant alligator?

Did you go in the poultry barn? How sad was that? If you weren’t vegetarian before that, it makes you either want to become one, or want to go eat as much chicken as you can to put those poor stupid things out of their misery as quick as possible. What’s with the tons of turkeys they had? Did you know our national bird was almost the Turkey? Thanks, Ben. I think we should have put the turkey on the $100 bill instead of Ben.

Anyway, it wasn’t much of a show. I cannot believe that is all they can muster up from all of Santa Barbara County. Maybe it’s because of the location, maybe it’s because SB County is not so much agriculture any more. Maybe they need to do like the Mid State Fair and concentrate on entertainment instead of community service. I think that is what they did this year. Can you imagine free shows from Edie Money, Chubby Checker, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Craig Morgan, and Peter Frampton? Damn! That’s entertainment! Good going, guys!

That brings us back to the Mid State Fair, the leader in entertainment. Oh wait, not so much this year. In fact, there aren’t many good free shows this year. What happened? The headliners took up too much of the budget? I think it is a combination of that, and the fact that attendance is not as strong as it used to be. I am going to a few shows, but not any of the headliners.

Are you doing the same thing? At up to $84 a pop for tickets, who can afford to go there? I would rather spend that same money at Chumash, Tachi, the Pac, or the Santa Barbara Bowl to see a FULL show, not the fair version. You don’t think there is a difference? If you have an artist putting on a horse show at the fair, or you have 2 artists in that show, you are getting it abbreviated.

That is my first point about the fair. It seems that there is a lot of competition for entertainment around here now. We have all those places to go see a show then either gamble or go home without the hassles of bumping into crowds of people and fighting them to get out of town. It is so much easier to do.

I have to give the old fair board credit, though. They did a great job of attracting artists in the past. My question is, can it be continued? Will the shows sell out? Is there enough interest in Weird Al and Fergie? Or maybe Weird Al lampooning Fergie? Is there enough interest in Toby Keith?

We get a young jazz player (I guess we couldn’t get Dave Matthews) and pay $36-52 for his show (his tour listing looks like a who’s who list of “who cares where I am” towns), $2 more for Toby Keith (before he hits Vegas ~ the most cowboy town I know), Steely Dan (at least he will be performing at cities that have their own airports), Stone Temple Pilots (such a bargain at $22-48), Alan Jackson (finally a big name in country), Matchbox 20 (great comeback, guys!), Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams (part of the “Wrinkle-While-You-Work” Tour – Have you seen those guys lately?), Fergie (is she really on the right stage? People will think they are in the barn when the stink hits), Boz Scaggs (he’s at the artsy unplugged stage of his career – that’s the point just before they find out people want it the way it used to be, not the way it is in their head), and Sawyer Brown. Does anyone remember when they were a FREE show at the fair? How do they feel sharing their ticket money with a bunch of bulls?

What ever happened to shows like Ray Charles, Charlie Rich, Doug Kershaw, and Kenny Rogers? Even Diana Ross, Julio Iglesias, Huey Lewis, and the Beach Boys had real draw. I remember when shows sold out weeks before the fair. In fact, they have put scalpers out of business. I don’t see them in the classifieds for $100 more than they originally cost any more. Maybe that was their plan all along. Offer entertainment that is just so-so, and scalpers won’t get rich. Now you have to consider the price of gas in your entertainment dollar, too. Live in SLO? You better have an extra $20-30 to spend to get there.

Is there anyone I really like? Yeah, the free shows. Come on, think about it. When they get to the free show point in their career, that is when they revert back to the band they were when we loved them. Chubby went through some cr@p songs, then came back to his roots. Now he is interesting again. This is like Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Blood Sweat and Tears, The Spinners, and Grand Funk Railroad. How real is that?

Yep, I’m going to see them, but how am I going to get there? Here is the second point of my post today. They set up some buses to run routes and disperse parking around town. Oh boy. I can ride on a school bus and feel like a kid again. What I don’t like is worrying if I am going to get a seat on the next bus back to my car. I also don’t want to pay $7-10 to park in someone’s yard. So they get part of their rent paid that day. What gives them the right to go into the parking lot business? Why doesn’t the city crack down on this?

Is it because the city actually WANTS the parking near the fair? That means they are on CONTRACT with the city. If the city fails to stop them, that means the city endorses it. Hey there is a deep pocket in case someone messes up your car while parked in Billy Bob’s front yard between the dead grass and the broken bicycle. These people make money every year. If you figure 12 days of letting people park for $5 each, and you can easily park 3 cars in your yard (some even block off the street in front of their yard), that means $15 a day for 12 days for a minimum of about $150 (round number) plus if someone leaves and you rent to two new cars, you could make around $250-300 during the fair. Hey, let’s get a case of Jack Daniels!

Of course, you have the museum, the fair, church, clubs, and organizations getting money for parking in the lots, too. They get to make a few bucks on the side. What is it like to live near the fair? The noise, the traffic, the people, the parking, is it wonderful there? I guess when you live near train tracks anything is fine. I won’t reveal my little parking secret. Let’s just say that I have only paid for parking about half a dozen times over the years I have gone to the fair.

The city should do something about it, but they won’t. They want people to have the parking so they will come to Paso. Never mind the fact that they don’t buy anything else while they are there except Taco Bell or KFC. I think I’ll hit A&W this year. I used to love those Papa Burgers and frosty mugs. Have you seen that giant burger they serve now? Ask them for the gigantic one and see if you can eat it all. Anyone for a $5 foot long instead? The city of Paso Robles is not really what you call proactive.

The other problem I have with the fair is the carnival. I actually spotted a loose bolt on the kiddy ferris wheel. When I pointed it out to the ride operator, he didn’t seem to care. After all, it’s just a kid ride, how far can they fall? Each year they have a new ride or two. I wonder if this year it will slam you around, beat you up, turn you upside down and spit you out. Oh wait, that’s the fighting I am thinking of. That’s another issue I’ll deal with. Oh, and they took out the waterfall fountain access! How lame is that? I used to love taking a little walk up and around that. Were kids necking up there too much?

Back to the carnival, though. No more dime toss, the basketball game is rigged because the rim is oval instead of round, you can’t win the big prizes until you win several games (and spend more than you would buying the thing at Walmart!) and the carnies get scarier each year. Not only that, but the people who operate the rides don’t even bother watching what they are doing. They set the timer then glance around until something catches their attention. I guess I should be thankful they do all of that for our pleasure. “All hail the mayor of Carnietown!” Keep their spirits up, Your Honor. No, I don’t mean Pismo Beach this time.

So let’s come back to the main part of the fair. Food and vendors. The fair makes a lot of money on businesses that want to display their goods at the fair. They have several buildings and outdoor areas for them, and the food stands line the walkways like the Vegas Strip in lights. Corn, egg rolls, lemonade, those darn garlic fries, hot dogs, corn dogs, pizza, oh, the indigestion. How about a Rolaids stand? I could never see myself standing in one of those trailers with the funky outfit and hat the girls wear at Hot Dog On A Stick. I mention this because I have actually seen a GUY working at the one in Santa Maria. OMG, I had to hold myself back. I almost died, and wanted to run up there so bad, but I controlled myself. I’m not saying I wanted to get with him, I wanted to make fun of him. Get real.

The vendors come from around the country to sell their stuff. It dices, it slices, it shreds, it sucks, it turns purple when you squeeze it. There used to be all sorts of fun things sold there. Ginsu, TV Chopper, back massager, and the latest greatest cooking system ever shown on late night TV. The guys and gals are always upbeat, make you laugh, and put on a show. Now you don’t see so many of them. It is mostly local businesses just trying to get a head start on sales. It is such a hassle too, because they have to get someone to watch their stores while they come to the fair. Then they sit, and sit, and sit, and sit. How boring is that? I think I’ll go out and get a snack.

Of course, food and drink is overpriced, and that is why people go across the street. Well, maybe that and the fact that there have been Hepatitis scares with food vendors at the fair. Have you tried to use the restroom at Taco Bell during the fair? Do yourself a favor and use the dirtiest porta potty you can find before you go there. You’ll be glad you did. People are so disrespectful and dirty. They don’t care that they ruin the experience for other people. What ever happened to kindness and common courtesy?

Back to the fair. That kindness and courtesy is maintained at the fair by police and security. You see jackets with “PROBATION” on the back, you see uniforms, badges, bad ass people (serving the beer) and you feel so secure. Right. They aren’t paying as much attention as you might think. I find them all the time talking with pretty girls, laughing, flirting, just being part of the scenery. Hey, over here! Did you see that guy take her purse? Stop flirting and chase him! Okay, I’ve never seen or heard of a purse snatching there, but I could see it happen anyway with the security they have.

That brings us to the animals. Now here is where the fair shines. Shiny bright high schoolers and junior high schoolers bringing their animals to the fair to show them off and sell them to get slaughtered. Yep, get the animal to trust you and like you then ship it off to get chopped up and wrapped in Saran Wrap. I’m sure there are times when they would rather do that with their siblings, but that is how kids are. Never mind that these kids go out and drink, have sex, do drugs, and get into fights when they are not around their animals. What? You say they don’t do that? I say you haven’t raised any kids in 4H or FFA, or you did and thought they were all as nice as your kids.

Fair is a time for them to run off together, hold hands, and do whatever the heck they want while you are at the concert or back at the motel room catching some TV. I know what I have seen, and there is nothing any security guard can do about it. Yes, they carry on. But it’s good that they are there with their animals, being responsible young adults. Let’s hope they are responsible enough to use condoms.

Do I like the fair? Yes I do. My other concern is that they cannot keep this up. It will implode sooner or later. They will spend too much, and get too little. Attendance has dropped. Is that why show tickets seem a bit cheaper this year? Maybe that is why there are not so many BIG names like they used to have. They used to attract the real entertainers, performers that were hot on the radio right now. Now they are lucky to get a couple of the real big big names. They cost money, you know. Even with the great entertainment they had at the Santa Barbara County Fair, attendance was down 4.5%. Will that be the case at the Mid State Fair?

It’s no secret that the true benefit of the big names is to boost general attendance. If you sell out a show, you get bigger fair attendance at the main gate, too. This drives sales for the vendors, carnival sales, and makes everyone want to do it every year. Why did they go from Butler Amusements to Davis Shows? To save money? It just doesn’t seem as good as it used to be. Well, if you cut back on the rides and attractions, people won’t be as interested in coming. Oh, but they do have a wine garden. Give me a break.

Is this thing getting long yet? I have a lot to say. I don’t think the Mid State Fair is going to drive attendance this year. I think with tourism down, gas prices up, people’s interest waning, I think this year will be the worst year yet. I see a spiral starting, and I hate to see that happen. Ever since the change in leadership, this fair has been borderline. It has become cheap, predictable, and uninteresting. I will still go for the free shows and my cinnamon rolls, and to see what is new in the vendor areas. I don’t care about the carnival any more, either. Oh, that reminds me to talk about the fights.

A friend and I were by the carnival. This tall guy comes up to bum a cigarette from my friend and he gives it to him. The next thing we know, some skinhead joker comes up and yells at my friend. It turns out the string bean was his 17 yr old son, and he was mad at my friend for giving him a cigarette, even though he probably got them all the time anyway. If you could judge a book by it’s cover, this book would be about trailer trash, drinking, and fighting. It wouldn’t be a suspense novel, I can tell you that for sure.

Anyway, they started yelling at each other again. My friend watched in case something happened, and I got the attention of some police that were around the corner. They calmed down, though. The point is, any time you get beer, idiots, and tempers together, you have a show. It used to be that you would see fights every now and then. Now, they crack down on people right away. Maybe that is another reason they are having money problems, the amount of security they need to hire. I say let the beer vendors pay for security, and just charge an extra buck per beer. People will pay it but drink less, and have less trouble.

Maybe that’s too simple of a solution to that problem. We’ll just see how the fair goes, right? My prediction? Low numbers, high debt, and a change in management. I foresee a total change in the way the Mid State Fair operates for next year. I think they will get smarter after this, and realize they need to get more attractions in there, and make it more interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised if they bring in the local roller derby to put on shows every night. Hey, that would get me to go more. Wham, bam, bang! Check out the chick in the pink dress beating up the one in the blue dress! Now THAT’s entertainment. Sometimes it’s politics, too.

The Opinionator

What’s up with these ratings?

They aren’t technically ratings, they are page views. I get to see how many people look at my pages (oh, don’t act so shocked, you know “the man” and “big brother” are all over) and I am questioning your choices. When I started this blog, it was meant to be about the Central Coast of California, things to do, ratings, opinions, with both good and bad for you to see. I am interested in the numbers I see, and wonder what you are looking for.

I’m not saying that I will write only what you want, because this is MY blog, and the Opinionator gets to write about whatever he wants. I see the highest numbers for Pismo politics, dating, gas, religion, and tomatoes. You don’t seem interested in the Baby Boomer’s event at all. Maybe I should post a few more blogs about places and stuff to do, and see what happens.

I don’t care about any popularity contest, but I do care that I am addressing things people care about. After all, you are what drives the opinionator. I do this because you need to be informed, you are starving for information, you have nothing better to do than to read my crap. Oh, sorry, that sounds mean. Well, it’s the truth. Sometimes I do the same thing.

Anyway, leave some comments on some of these pieces and tell me what you think. Yes, I may make fun of you, but don’t be a sissy about it. Leave your notes so I know what the feedback is. I don’t care if you like it or not, I just care why you are reading it. That tells me what I should write about.

Hey, if you decide not to comment because you don’t want me to write about something you disagree with, and a bunch of people write that agree with me, you just lost your vote. Ha ha. Just do it.

I’ll write something more tonight or tomorrow. Whenver I get to it I will get to it. Whatever I choose, you should read it because when I write, it means something. Yeah, I do sound like I’m full of myself, but would I be doing this otherwise? Think about it. Do you really want to read some tripe from a meek little reporter that just wants to please, or read some b@ll-busting piece that hits a nail from someone confident enough to post it?

No, I mean REALLY think about it. Most of the newspapers out there cowtow to some higher power and only print stuff that won’t offend advertisers, subscribers, or politicians. Heck, I don’t feel I am doing a good job unless I am offending someone. Of course, that doesn’t mean in a personal way, I mean offending their opinion, their political belief, their sensibility.

Everything in life is either pleasing or offensive. Some offensive material makes us think, and helps us form our opinions. Some of it is just crap that should never have been written in the first place. If it is meant to be hurtful or hateful, pass it up. If it is offered as information or opinion, that is different.

Don’t be afraid to let me know what you think, good or bad. Let me have it. If you make a fool of yourself, that is even better yet. Do me a favor and look stupid when you post a comment. Don’t use proper english, don’t use spell check, and don’t use facts. I would love to see what you have to offer.

The reason you are doing it is to let me know what means something to you. Sure, let me know if you agree or disagree. It won’t have an effect on me, but maybe you can convince someone else not to listen to my opinions (good luck with that). I want to know what means a lot to you, so I can either build it up because I like it, or shred it up because I don’t.

Actually, I will tell you up front that it really has nothing to do with whether I like something or not. Do I like Lois Capps? Do I like Pismo politics? Do I like gas prices? I don’t write it based on my likes, I write it based on my gut feeling and what is going on here on the Central Coast. I want to write about things that will draw you in, make you think, give you some energy to yell and scream one way or the other.

Comment on my stuff and give me ratings. I don’t care good or bad. I am going to do what I am going to do. Just show me that it means something to you.

The Opinionator

Between Fairs, the Pismo Political Carnival Begins

Well folks, I did it. I picked a hotbed topic that is timely and thought provoking before it even made the news. Did you see my piece about the Pismo Beach City Council and the shell games they have played? How about the way they fooled the citizens of Pismo Beach? That was just Round 1.

Okay, everyone, get ready to see the barbs, harpoons, and clamshells fly. A runoff between Mayor Reiss, Councilman Rabenaldt, and a yet-to-be-decided dark horse candidate running for mayor. The question is, how big will the carnival get? I can see the campaigns now. Do you honestly think this won’t get dirty? Perhaps the candidates do not intend to make it so, but what about the polarized public? Only two candidates for mayor, and neither one of them stands out in a positive way in my opinion. Well, the opinion of the Opinionator matters. Here is what I would like to see.

I would like to see a candidate run as the “NOT ME” candidate. For instance, how’s this for a campaign?

Who put parking in the middle of the street? NOT ME
Who raised sales taxes in Pismo Beach? NOT ME
Who started charging for parking with coupon machines near the pier? NOT ME
Who violated Coastal Commission rules and will cause fines against the city? NOT ME
Who is allowing them to take away valuable parking space for a tall building near the pier and push parking underground? NOT ME
Who is allowing the people that run many huge commercial projects to build 3 stories downtown and lease to the city? NOT ME
Who spent $80,000 to steam clean and seal the sidewalks in downtown Pismo? NOT ME
Who spent taxpayer money to fly to Washington DC to talk to our representatives instead of dealing with them locally? NOT ME
Who had too much to drink and got up on stage in front of hundreds of tourists? NOT ME

How about that? Don’t run on what you CAN do, run on what you DIDN’T do. Of course, neither of the current candidates for mayor can do that. They are the “I DID IT” candidates. What did they do? Have they shown sound fiscal policy? Have they shown an ability to work together and communicate? Mayor Reiss would have you think so. Councilman Rabenaldt says he has been the communicator. Is this a p***ing contest? Stand back!

Bill would have you think he has overcome some mystical curse to move up, so let’s forget the past. No, Bill, you got drunk and made a fool of yourself. I don’t care whether you were a representative of Pismo Beach or not. That is not the point. The point is that you showed poor judgment. However, I am not going to harp on that because I don’t want Mayor Reiss to get an advantage. After all, isn’t the Opinionator supposed to be fair and balanced like Fox News says THEY are? Geraldo, let’s open up this vault and find the treasure. Ooops, another person that failed to hit the mark. Do you think people will ever see Geraldo as a legitimate newsman without constantly referring to Capone’s vault? Sorry Bill, the same thing will happen to you.

Oh, that reminds me of a dirty joke about a Scottish wall builder, but I won’t put that here. Sorry. Go find it yourself. Let’s just say he will always be known by the one stupid thing he did in his life.

I will give Bill some kudos for dissenting on the parking boxes, and wanting to work it out so the city would not go up against the Coastal Commission. Now, THERE is a government body with ultimate power, who makes blood run cold and strikes fear in the hearts of all who come under it’s pervue (almost like the IRS?). Uh oh, I see another one of those p***ing contests coming up at the end of summer about placement of the ticket boxes. I bet the commission waits until near the end of the tourist season to do something about it. If they do it now, the city will stall anyway, and make it look like the Coastal Commission is the bad guy. Maybe it will throw a wrench into the election if it goes public just before November.

Who will pay the legal bills for the stupid mistakes they made? You will. Well, maybe the tourists in part. It’s a good thing for you that the city got that sales tax increase passed. That means you can rest assured that at least 3% of the legal costs will be paid by tourists. That was a close call.

Bill, the people of Pismo Beach won’t forget about your stage event either. Oh wait, they will. That is one thing about the voting public. You can always count on them to forget things. How about who is more active on the council? Mayor Reiss is on 9 council subcommittees while Rabenaldt is only on the California Space Authority subcommittee. I guess if Diablo ever blows up we need to know what it will be like to be blown into space. Either that or maybe outer space is where the heads of the City Council are and he wants to be able to lead them there.

What does this look like? The city of Pismo Beach got a real politician at it’s helm. She took town by firestorm, made some headway as she pushed to show she was worth the recall, but then the sails went flat. Yep, she is a real estate agent that benefits from budget decisions she makes. Is that fair? Wouldn’t you like to have influence over matters in your town that would make your career more successful?

We want more people to come to Pismo Beach to buy property, don’t we? Let’s not worry about the ones that are just stopping in because it’s a beautiful place to visit. Put in some big ugly underground parking structure to keep those tourists in one place. Make the rest of Pismo and Shell Beach attractive to help property values and get people to want to buy a home here.

Doesn’t that make Pismo like LA? Where did Mayor Reiss come from? The last time I went to Venice Beach, I had to park a couple blocks away from the beach for $5, and walk to the water. I was fortunate that I got there early enough to be that close, and not have to pay $2 more (they change the price as demand goes up). The parking lot runs for a few blocks. Maybe people down there are willing to pay $5-8 to park and walk to the beach, and maybe that is what Mayor Reiss thinks will work for Pismo, but I don’t think the citizens (not just residents, as a resident only lives there ~ a citizen cares) of Pismo will want it to go down that path, but it will be too late by the time they get to say anything.

Her stated political philosophy back when she was running for Mayor was “Continuing our downtown revilization including resolution of parking and traffic issues . Streetscape and other enhancements along Shell Beach Business District and James Way . Addressing long-term infrastructure needs-streets, storm drains, beach access and bluff protection . Exploration of bringing cultural/civic uses to the downtown core . Ensuring Mobile home rent stabilization . Protecting our environment and special qaulity of life . Exploration of a convention center . Balancing the needs and interests of residents and tourists“

Oh yes, downtown revitalization turns out to be politicospeak for “build a big office building and expensive parking structure to make Pismo Beach look like the beaches around LA”. Nevermind that many of the residents of Pismo Beach now came from the LA area, so they won’t care. Make them feel at home. Also, that bit about bringing civic uses to the downtown core… does that mean you want to lease from Westpac when they have built the new office building near the beach? Then on your lunch, or between city business, you can run your toes through the sand. Oh, and don’t forget to feed the pigeons while you’re down there.

If people are focused on the pigeons, they won’t look for the real stupidity. What ever happened to removing the birds by taking their eggs? I knew that would never happen. I was looking forward to pigeon omelets. You could have sold the eggs to JJ’s. Oh, how about Honeymoon Cafe? They are proud of their local breakfasts, and they can go get the eggs themselves. How fresh and local is that? Yummmmm. I am sure Chele’s or Brad’s can work it into some gourmet treat, and even offer a sample at the next city council meeting. It’ll be so tasty, you will cooooooo over it. Ah yes, how about Rosa’s? I am sure they can be creative with fine dining. “Mi scusi, volete qualche piccione soffio per la cena?”

Also, what about this streetscaping in Shell Beach? What streetscaping can be done in Shell Beach? Let’s put a few planters by stop signs and call it good? Does Mayor Reiss live or have her office up in that area? Maybe she lives off of James Way, or goes to church up there at New Life. Is that corridor really as important as the area tourists see? After all, Pismo Beach depends on tourists.

She also claims she wants to protect “our environment and special qaulity of life” but how do you do that when building a convention center? Plow over Dinosaur caves park? The hillside above McClintock’s? Use eminent domain to take away homes then hire Westpac to build it? Maybe fill in the creek or build it in the last parking lot on Addie Street so we lose about another 130+ parking spaces? I am sure they will be creative about it.

Also, what about this idea of long term infrastructure? Is that what the sales tax is for, or is it for fixing a budget gone bad again? There are so many questions to ask when you look at her philosophy of a couple years ago and where she has led the council now.

Then again, Mayor Reiss is used to criticism, like the way she went after Bill Rabenaldt last time, taking away his laptop and credit card. Wah. It’s our computer and you can’t play with it, Bill. Oh, and you have to stop buying things with our credit card, too. Wah wah. You were bad, Bill. You should not have talked with the Coastal Commission, we have chosen as a group to ignore their threats. Wah wah wah. Oh, and you need to not knock city employees, even if they are doing stupid things that may cost the city more money later. Shut up Bill. Wah wah wah wah. When will it end?

Maybe this particular election is the best thing to happen to Pismo Beach politics in a while. I suspect someone else will see the opportunity, and in the next week or so you will see a new candidate emerge. Perhaps the shiny cape will catch your attention. Maybe the shield on his or her chest with “NOT ME” embossed on it will tell you this is the wo/man for you. Maybe this time there will be a real choice for the position. Then again, maybe it will be another opportunist, looking to get a seat at the bad fortune of others that can’t get their priorities right. Where’s the mud?

This City Council battle is going to get ugly. You watch what happens. I am waiting to see who throws the first mud grenade. They both talk about communication and leadership. Will it be Mayor Reiss talking about Rabenaldt undermining the city, or will it be Councilman Rabenaldt complaining about Mayor Reiss usurping procedure to railroad a fellow council member instead of focusing on issues? Heck, let’s do them both at the same time so we can get this going. I’m anxious to see where it goes. Call me impatient. When I see the carnival coming, I want to get there fast. Hey, the carnival is in town. Let’s get some cotton candy, a ride wristband, and throw some darts to win a picture of Pamela Anderson or Toby Keith. Let’s just hope the ferris wheel doesn’t come apart.

I’m ready for the big show, how about you? Wait, can you hear the music? The haunting lyrics? Bring in the clowns. There ought to be clowns. Don’t bother… they’re here….

The Opinionator

Does Lois Capps Have Gas?

I can’t believe this. I just got an email from our representative, Lois Capps. Talk about spinning wheels, instead of getting something done. What are these politicians thinking of? Rather than deal with the limited amount of oil driving prices up, they are worried about our investors. Here is the bottom line.

Let’s say I want to invest a few million dollars. I will invest it where I feel I will get the best bang for the buck. I get into something with steady growth, or volatile highs and lows. If I choose steady growth, such as gold has been at times, I get a certain return on my money and am happy. I have less risk, and less reward.

If I want to make the big bucks, I will choose something riskier, such as oil futures. You and I know the price is going to go up. With the supply of oil dwindling or being cut back, and wackos like Chavez wanting to ruin us, it will continue to go up in price. You and I both know that, but do our politicians? Well, I say OUR politicians, but I assure you that Lois Capps is not MY politician. You can have her 100%. In fact, I am willing to sign over the deed to you. That is how disgusted I am with our politicians.

Oh, it’s not just the Democrats, either. I am not happy with Blakeslee or Maldonado, either. In fact, Maldonado has some competition coming up soon. His competitor is getting signatures on petitions downtown SLO at Farmer’s Market on Thursday nights, and at other venues to get on the ballot. I hope he gets on the ballot to at least get issues out there. NOBODY should run unopposed, EVER. Put me on the ballot, and I’ll give you a great show.

The only problem is that he is running as an independent, which means less chance of winning. I don’t care. In fact, I don’t care who the heck he is or what he stands for, he gets my vote right now. Heck, I can’t even remember his name and I already support him. I think it is Tim Ferguson or something close to that. I’ll get some info at Farmer’s Market and let you know for sure, and even where to sign his petitions. Let’s give Abel some work. Let Abel spend his time in our district talking to us. Make Abel EARN our vote and trust again.

Earn our votes and trust? That brings me back to Lois Capps, who I think is way wacko on these topics below. I can’t believe that she actually supports the tripe in this note I got from her. Take a look at what she says, then let me know what you think. It looks like all the Dems want is to get in office and dethrone Bush, even though he is a lame duck at this point. They don’t care about the election against McCain, they want the election against Bush. If you want to beat Bush, you are in the past. Get real. Debate TODAY, not the past.

Okay, on to Lois Capps. You can see how crazy I am over this. This is totally unacceptable. In addition, she has a poll whether you want the ban lifted on offshore oil. The majority of newsletter readers (probably mostly Democrats and Capps supporters) say no, but almost 7% say “not sure”. WHAT? NOT SURE? Wait, why do you vote on something if you are not sure? Moreover, why do you even add “not sure” to your poll? When it comes to politics, make up your mind. That is one thing that is wrong with this country. People don’t know what to do, so they vote for the wrong politicians.

So here is the other angle they are going after. It is obvious they want to get the support of people who have no cars and therefore depend on buses for transportation. Who are they? They are often the masses of lower class citizens and commuters to average jobs. Yep, pandering to those who do not have what they want or need in order to get more votes. Get more votes by going after the masses. Look good by attacking investors that have money and support jobs and businesses. Take from them as soon as you can. Get land back and make it look like you fought big oil. What is that land going to be used for? Nothing different than it is being used for now. The difference? Force oil companies to spend money trying to drill when you know they won’t be allowed to do it. Cost them money, then slap them and take the leases away from them. Yep, go get those bad guys.

We don’t need Reps or Dems, we need level headed honest people in there whether or not they have a party affiliation. When I find one, I will have their info here, believe me. I guess I don’t have to worry about taking up space with that, though. I doubt I will ever find that on the Central Coast. Anyway, back to Lois. Below is the newsletter I got from her. I have put my comments in there, and [made them italic with brackets ~ Op] so you know it is not from her. Get your barf bag by your side, and read on. From here until you see her “signature”, this is all Lois:

FROM Congresswoman Lois Capps, Representing California’s 23rd Congressional District:

Throughout the Central and South Coasts and across the country, Americans are suffering due to record prices at the pump.

I believe these sky-high prices are due in no small part to President Bush’s energy policy. [Okay, here is an example of how they are waging a Bush war, not helping us or running against McCain ~-Op] Over the past eight years, the Administration has focused primarily on opening up public lands for drilling and has paid scant attention to increasing energy efficiency and encouraging the development of renewable and alternative energy sources. I believe that has been a huge mistake and that we should be moving in a new direction with our energy policy.

[Again, crying foul about President Bush, rather than doing something about it. Oh, wait, they did do something about it. They required corn be used in our gas. Never mind the fact that corn is used in all our foods and the diversion of corn to gasoline has caused all our food prices to go up. Oh, and what about Archer Daniel Midland? Don't they make a bunch of money out of that? I wonder who they supported in the last elections. Google Finance says this about them: "Archer-Daniels-Midland Company is engaged in procuring, transporting, storing, processing, and merchandising agricultural commodities and products. The Company’s operations are classified into three business segments: Oilseeds Processing, Corn Processing, and Agricultural Services." Their stock was very high through the first 5 months of this year and dropped sharply in June. Maybe that is because corn is all of a sudden abundant? Maybe farmers saw this coming and planted much more corn for this season. Yay farmers. Oh, and don't get me started on Monsanto. They rake in the cash from all the corn kernels planted that they own the patent on, and many that they don't because of pollination. Maybe I will cover corn and the way small corn farmers are being bullied and run out of business by big companies in another post soon. ~ Op]

Fortunately, Democrats in Congress have been pushing measures to bring about that new direction. Just last week, I supported legislation to crack down on price gougers and Wall Street speculators who experts say are driving up the price of oil and gas, force oil companies to “use or lose” the undeveloped oil leases they’re sitting on, and make public transit more affordable and accessible. These common sense measures will be more effective in lowering energy costs than the recent calls for more drilling off California’s coast.

[I will deal with each of these issues below each listed by Rep Capps ~ Op]

Here’s more information on the energy related bills I voted for when the House considered them last week:

• The Energy Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 6346), would encourage the investigation and punishment of those who artificially inflate the price of gasoline and diesel fuel. The bill establishes criminal penalties for price gouging, and permits states to bring lawsuits against wholesalers or retailers who engage in such practices. It also gives the Federal Trade Commission the authority to investigate and punish companies that artificially inflate the price of energy. Unfortunately, the bill failed to garner the necessary 2/3 support for passage due to a lack of Republican support. The final vote was 276 to 146, and the legislation could be voted on again when Congress returns from the July 4th recess.

[Okay, this is not going to do anything. Who is gouging? There are already laws in place against gouging. It seems to me that this is just a superficial attempt to look like they are doing something. The fact is, there is no way to "gouge" prices if there is competition. Other stations will keep the price down. This is simply a back door to get at the oil companies and sneak in federal regulation. ~ Op]

.

• The Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008 (H.R. 6052) gives grants to mass transit authorities to reduce public transit fares, giving consumers a cost-effective alternative to $4.00 plus per gallon gasoline. The bill’s $1.7 billion in mass transit grants for the next two years could also be used to expand transit services and for the escalating operating costs of public transportation and would be available to both rural and urban areas. The bill was approved by a vote of 328 to198.

[The mass transit in most cities is usually very good. It is outlying areas like the Central Coast where you have to wait 20 to 40 minutes for a bus, and they are usually more than half empty. Why are they empty? Is it because routes suck? Is it because schedules suck? Is it because people don't want to walk a mile and wait 20 minutes and hope they get where they are going with the proper transfer which may add another 20 minutes to your transportation time? Is it because I can walk there faster than the bus will get me there? Why are there escalating transit costs? Poor administration? High admin salaries? Inefficient implementation and routes that are not necessary or wanted? Let's deal with the inefficiencies and stop the bleeding before you throw more money at it. Maybe that means AmTrack can keep operating now. Did Amtrak or the union give Lois much money this time? I know she has fought hard to continue Amtrak operations going with millions of dollars. Then there is the fact that Lois spends a good deal of time with Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, who is also on the board of Amtrak. Her third biggest contribution sector is labor unions AND she is ENCORSED BY THE TEAMSTER UNION which consist greatly of transportation sector jobs such as Amtrak employees. 25% of Amtrak's service is in California and the Northwest, and Lois has worked hard to keep the Goleta and Santa Barbara stations functional regardess of need or viability. ~ Op]

.

• The Energy Markets Emergency Act (H.R. 6377) directs the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use its full authority and most potent emergency tools to curtail excessive speculation and other practices distorting the energy market. Rampant speculation has been cited as one cause of the spike in gas prices. The bill was approved by a vote of 402 to 19.

[Okay people, this is where the rubber hits the road. The whole goal is to CONTROL the market, not fix the problem. If they can use this to control investments in oil, next may be pharmaceuticals, food, energy, hamburgers, fat, or whatever they want. They have opened a Pandora's Box with precedent that allows them to go after anyone by squelching investment. Sulfur matches were run out of business by taxes. "Big oil" will be run out of business by regulation. This is a slippery slope for ultimate control by the government. This is soft regulation. In other words, they regulate it from behind the scenes. They pull the strings, but we only see the puppet. This was a big mistake. I am not a Libertarian, but I certainly don't want the government saying what is best for me then taking my rights away. This is the first step to ending capitalism. Is that good? Capitalism drives our economy. Our economy drives the world. Do away with capitalism, and you take the first step to nationalism and socialism. Higher taxes and rationing are in your future. ~ Op]

.

• The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act (H.R. 6251), or the “Use it or Lose it” bill forces oil companies to produce oil and gas, or diligently develop, the 68 million acres of public land they already have leased, but are not using to produce energy. Unfortunately, the bill failed to garner the necessary 2/3 support for passage due to a lack of Republican support. The final vote was 223 to 195, but the legislation could be voted on again when Congress returns from the July 4th recess.

[This is probably the dirtiest one of all, and is clearly set up to favor environmentalism. Use it or lose it? Are you serious? You won't let them produce oil in this country because of regulation and restrictions. In fact, take a look at Lois Capp's voting record below to see where her true intent is. This is a giant land grab. Once the oil companies lose their rights to use of the land, the environmentalists will win. This is clearly an attack on ANWR and places where environmentalists (and Lois) want to keep oil out. If they have it leased but it is still public land, what is the problem? Isn't it still open space? Isn't that what the people want? This is so blatant, that I hope you will support those that opposed it. There is a reason why something this stupid requires a 2/3 majority. If you want to make them give up the chance to drill and develop, because you won't let them do it, you effectively decapitate us in our ability to produce our own oil in times of emergency. What happens when Israel bombs Iran and the availability of oil decreases again? This is unacceptable, and you should be crying foul too. Instead of losing the lease, they should just be required to prepare the land for use by the public for hiking and camping. That way, we all win. ~ Op]

Prior to last week’s votes, Democrats had taken other important steps to make America more energy independent and bring down the cost of gasoline. You can read about these and other efforts by visiting my website at www.house.gov/capps. As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. Please take a moment to fill out the survey on the right, and feel free to forward this to your family and friends.

Sincerely,LOIS CAPPS
Member of Congress

.

So, let’s take a look at Rep Capps’ voting record and the elements that show she is not consistent with a desire to reduce fuel cost for you and me:

• Voted YES on tax incentives for renewable energy. (Feb 2008)

The problem with this? It denies the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, gas, or any related products. This is totally opposed to domestic oil production, so what about this “use it or lose it” idea?

• Voted YES on investing in homegrown biofuel. (Aug 2007)

The problem with this? How do we decrease that importance of the Persian Gulf region? We move to coal-to-liquid technologies. What is wrong with this bill? Everything. No soy diesel. No ethanol. No coal. Nothing on nuclear energy. No expansion. There is no supply in this bill. We need to ensure the future use of coal in an environmentally responsible fashion. We can talk about biofuels all we want, but the fact is that coal produces half of our electricity for the foreseeable future. Until we deal with coal, which is our most available domestic energy source at present, and the carbon dioxide problems, we will not have a viable energy policy. Develop technology that allows us to have what we have and abundance of, and what is reliable.

• Voted YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC. (May 2007)

The problem with this? It amends the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to declare it to be illegal for any foreign states to act collectively to limit the US price or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product. Denies a foreign state engaged in such conduct sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction of US courts. Okay, what about Chavez? He has openly stated that he intends to ruin us with oil. He has actively pursued our policies and attempted to cause our acquisition, distribution, and prices to be unstable. Also, it only affects OPEC subsidiaries in the US, which makes US oil companies criminals.

• Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jan 2007)

The problem with this? Title I Ending Subsidies for Big Oil Act–denying a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products. Title II: Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act–to incorporate specified price thresholds for royalties on oil & gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico. So we are penalizing domestic oil production? How do we become independent?

• Voted YES on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore. (Jun 2006)

The problem with this? This is clearly about limiting the availability of oil and penalizing Americans for using oil.

• Voted NO on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries. (Jun 2006)

The problem with this? In the last 24 years, our refinery capacity has dropped from 19 million barrels a day to less than 17 million barrels a day. This calls for the President to designate at least three closed military installations as potentially suitable for the construction of a refinery. At least one such site be designated as potentially suitable for construction of a refinery to refine biomass in order to produce biofuel. Part of our problem is the bottleneck in getting oil to gasoline. With this we would have more gas, AND be able to develop more biofuel. Isn’t that a good thing?

• Voted NO on authorizing construction of new oil refineries. (Oct 2005)

The problem with this? Okay, this shows the hipocracy of Lois Capps. She says she wants all this good stuff for alternative fuel and conservation. She voted against a bill allowing the Secretary of Energy to enter into contracts with non-Federal entities to construct or restore new refineries that use crude oil or coal to produce gasoline or other fuel. Again, conversion of coal to liquid is a very viable way to stop our dependence on foreign oil. However, they want to stop or dependence on oil altogether, not just foreign oil. Get out your bicycles. It would also establish a program to encourage carpools by giving grants to states and to evaluate the use of the Internet to link riders with carpools, assist employers establish carpool programs, and market existing programs. Isn’t it a good thing to authorize facilities to use biomass debris as fuel if it meets certain standards? It would also provice $2.5 million to create an education campaign about gasoline conservation. Doesn’t Lois want you to believe this is what she wants? NOPE, she doesn’t want any of this.

• Voted YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR. (Aug 2001)

The problem with this? Well, this is obvious. It is a possible source of 700,000+ barrels of oil each year, and she doesn’t want us to have ANY oil.

• Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases. (Aug 2000)

The problem with this? This is a joke. Even if you believe in greenhouse gasses contributing to global warming, should you be able to buy and sell credits and permissions? Come on. This is a scam from the start. If you want to reduce gasses, reduce gasses. Don’t let your rich friends and businesses buy exemptions and move their permits around.

• Preserve Alaska’s ANWR instead of drilling it. (Feb 2001)

The problem with this? Preserve it? it is already a refuge. It is just supposed to be a nail in the coffin of domestic oil production in Alaska. The indian tribes don’t mind the production. They are just upset at the way they are treated, and want to assure the abundance of caribou and whales. Caribou have been thriving along the Alaska pipeline. This can be taken care of easily.

• Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances. (Feb 2005)

The problem with this? See the permits above. Hey, I have a small footprint, who wants to buy mine? Let’s start the bidding at $200,000. Do I hear 200,001? 200,002? 200,003?

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Alright, there you have it. If this makes you as sick as it makes me, contact Lois or whoever you want, and let them know how you feel. You can post a comment here, but realize that it is not going to do any good other than people reading it. You need to be proactive. In fact, someone send this to Lois, will ya? This is a public statement by her, and I have identified the source which clearly does not restrict the duplication (after all, this was sent from a public official through government resources, so it is public information available for publication, right?). Just do something about all this stupidity. Oh, and here is a disclaimer you will love:

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Be aware that all statements by the Opinionator on the Central Coast are simply for entertainment value, and in no way reflect any reality or opinion of anyone real anywhere in the world. Nobody agrees with this, and nobody cares. There you have it, it means nothing. It is all a bunch of BS. Now go away and leave me alone. I need to read that email again and have a good laugh/cry.

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The Opinionator

Pismo Beach City Council Dances

Okay, can I call them, or can I call them? First of all, I want you to look at my blog about being gassed or hosed. Then read this article about the effects of gas prices on the economy, and what is going on. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/breakingnews/story/404053.html

As you can see, I was completely right in my assessment of what will happen to local tourist economies. Didn’t I call it wheezing? Here is a quote from their article:

Scott Mullikin, who owns a gift and souvenir shop in Three Rivers about five miles from a Sequoia National Park entrance, says he usually sees a steady flow of tourists during the summer weeks. This year, he has noticed spikes on the weekend.

“If I had to make an educated guess, I would say people are taking longer weekend trips versus weeklong vacations.”

This proves out what I was saying. With the cost of motels and food, people will not be traveling as much or as long. Our tourist traffic will slow down, and people will be selective about what they will buy. One of the biggest hit areas will be Pismo Beach.

In the meantime, the Pismo Beach City Council is gloating. According to the Tribune,

Three months after launching its paid-parking program, the city of Pismo Beach has collected nearly $100,000 from its parking kiosks and from citations, according to staff reports, and officials say the program may end up being more successful than anticipated.

The city’s dispute with the California Coastal Commission over the placement of four of those kiosks remains at a standstill, meanwhile, with neither side taking action to resolve the issue.

Revenues from the paid-parking program are ahead of budget projections, according to Randy Bloom, the city’s community development director. Parking kiosks have collected more than $86,000 as of June 9, according to staff reports. In addition, about $10,000 more has been collected from parking citations.

Furthermore;

While the paid-parking program is working out financially for the city, there has been concern that the California Coastal Commission will move forward with its threat to sue the city over the location of four of the kiosks.

Earlier this year, the commission threatened to fine the city $15,000 a day for failing to obtain the correct permit for kiosks placed in the commission’s jurisdiction.

Is the asylum being run by it’s patients? Is there a power play going on here? Does the Pismo Council really think they can get away with anything? I think the answer is YES to all of it. Of course revenue is good, they just had tourists in town for Father’s Day thinking it was the car show weekend, and tourist season is always strong right after kids get out of school. Will it be sustained? What about the off season, when it is just us locals? Will WE pay the money, or just walk an extra block?

Let me show you another article in which you will see how drunk the Pismo council is with power and money (Sorry, Rabenaldt, that isn’t a pun ~ you could ALL be drunk at the same time). Take a look how they usurp the desire of the voters for their own preferences. Read these excerpts from this article from the Tribune,

Now that Pismo Beach voters have increased the city’s sales tax by a half-cent to 7.75 percent, officials there already have ideas of how they’d like to spend the expected $1.1 million annual revenue boost…

Councilman Ted Ehring said that fixing the city’s storm drains should be high on the wish list…

Councilman Kris Vardas said that protecting the bluffs was his highest priority and that if it’s feasible, he’d like to see Promenade IV — the boardwalk area north of the pier—completed. The first phase was completed last summer…

However, repaving bumpy streets in Shell Beach and off Highland Drive would be Mayor Mary Ann Reiss’s first choice…

Councilman Bill Rabenaldt would use the funds to fix “environmental ills” that would include repairing storm drains that contribute to bluff erosion… Ideally, he’d like to see a filter system added to the drains that would prevent harmful materials from making it into the ocean. But he acknowledges that it could be costly…

Mayor Pro Tem Shelly Higginbotham expressed concerns over choosing where the money should go now while the future of the city’s budget remains uncertain.

“My commitment was to infrastructure, but I would want to wait until something comes to form in August when the budget is reviewed,” she said.

RED FLAG ALERT! What did she say? Wait to see where to use the money based on the budget? Uh oh, can we say shell game? Read my “gassed or hosed” article about how the shell game is played. They tell taxpayers that they want money for improvements. Taxpayers say “Yes, fill the pothole on my street” and vote for it, trusting the city. Then the city says “How can we spend this money?” Everyone has their pet projects. Wait, did the voters ask for the boardwalk? Did they ask for drain filters? Did they ask for bluff protection for beach front property owners? Why not ask THE PEOPLE what they want? Hey, Rabenaldt, do you feel a song coming on?

They should hold a special town meeting to discuss problems and issues that the people of Pismo Beach would like addressed. Maybe Ms. Higginbotham wants to wait to see if the Coastal Commission is really going to fine them. She could use those sales tax funds to pay the fines instead. The shell game occurs when they tell you they will use money for one thing, then take away money from that project so the money you give them will be the only money used.

In other words, give them EXTRA money from sales tax to do the work they should have already been doing, then they will take that money out of the budget and replace it with your sales tax money. They did exactly what they promised you, but moved other money around so there is no net change. Shell games are the dirtiest type of politics that can be played. It is bad enough that the Council members want to get pet projects financed, but to play the insidious game of “move the money” is downright dirty.

You know that before this was passed, they were probably salivating and looking at that money to see what they could do with it. They have most likely had their plans all along, INCLUDING Ms. Higginbotham. Yep, I think you were shammed, scammed, and slammed.

This is something that is unforgivable, and I urge the people of Pismo Beach to show them how upset you are. Take pictures of your streets, services, records of things that have not been taken care of in years, funds for public safety and maintenance. Dig in and get the information. Put it out to the public, add it as a comment to this blog, letters to the editor, take it to the City Council. Show them that you are onto their dirty games. Tell them you won’t stand for this shuffle of money. Throw your hands up and throw them out! Say it with me: Dirty, dirty, dirty. Shame on you politicians.

You think I am wrong? Read some more from that very same article:

Higginbotham was also unsure how summer tourism would fare for the city with travelers feeling the pinch of high gas prices and a slowing economy…“I think it’s a little premature to make out wish lists,” said Higginbotham. “We don’t get it until October, and we may need to use it as a buffer.“

Buffer? BUFFER? WHAT? You’ve got to be kidding me! I saw this coming from a mile away! The moment I saw the election results, I KNEW what was coming. I feel like you were bamboozled. I feel like you were fooled. I feel like YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. Don’t take it laying down. Show them that the power lies with the voters, not in their minds.

Look, I can only do so much here. There are only so many hours in the day. If I work 24 hours on something, that is all I get done. If three of you work 8 hours each, you can get the same done. If 12 of you work 2 hours each, you can get just as much done. If 24 of you work only 1 hour each, you have that same power. Do you get the idea yet? Do you see what I am saying? Power is in the numbers. I won’t take care of this for you. In fact, my hands are washed of this. I can do NO MORE about this. It is entirely up to you.

Get those 24 friends, neighbors, voters, to get out there and call people, dig, research, appear at meetings, email. Get out there, and do it. You can donate as little as ONE HOUR AND ONE EMAIL a week and get SO MUCH DONE that needs to be done. Get together, yell, get attention, get your way. Show them that they need to be HONEST with you and do the right thing, not their own thing. Shame on you for electing them.

My next piece is even worse than this. You think what happened here is bad? Wait until I show you what is happening on the national level with Lois Capps!

The Opinionator

If They Would Listen to Me…

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! (Updated July 22, 2008) I am updating this because I was right again. It turns out it wasn’t the tomatoes at all. If our friends at the FDA had followed my advice, there would not be 1,251 people with Salmonella Saintpaul poisoning in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Canada since April 2008.

Sorry, but it’s the truth. The FDA compromised our health, YOUR health in this investigation. They put all of us at risk in this. Now that we established that they had an agenda, let’s get back to living life. Oh, and I hope they check the pepperjack cheese Carl’s Jr. is using. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming, and our previously correct post. We give control of your television er uh computer back to you:

If They Would Listen to Me…

That is my way of saying “I told you so” to the FDA. Did you read my article on the Salmonella outbreak they blamed on tomatoes? I told you where it came from, how to prevent it, and how to find it. They are not going about this search correctly at all, and more people are getting sick.

Yes, if they would listen to me, we could shut down this salmonella thing much sooner. They now are not sure if tomatoes are to blame. Follow the path backward, and you shall find your source. ABC news has written about it, and has videos http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5286358&page=1

How do you say I told you so gracefully? Don’t bother answering that question because I don’t care. I’ll just say I told you so!

I watched this ABC news story http://www.abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5170818 . So the other shoe drops. The FDA is asking for an extra 25 million dollars for better equipment and more inspections. Didn’t I tell you it was the money? They are willing to let us get sick for 25 million dollars. What do you think about that?

I told you so!

Yes, I do love it when the Opinionator is correct. That means I love it 99% of the time. Hey, how many times have YOU said I told you so in your blogs? See, I told you so.

Right again. Geeez I’m good.

The Opinionator