Is it our turn yet?

George Rebane

Some readers point out that there seems to be more money coming in to the county than what they report.  The cities may be doing better.  But I hope that we're not being kept from sticking our snout into a trough that has already been slopped.  It would be no fun to spend the rest of the year staring at an array of tightly packed butts, all snarfing it up, with no opportunity to get in there ourselves.  Here's what the county says on www.mynevadacounty.com, right above the place from where I lift the numbers for the weekly chart shown above.

"This is the official site of the Nevada County government. We hope you'll make this your home for information on everything here in our part of California's Gold Country. Stop by often!"

 

Comments

[Bob Hobert]

Whoa! Where did you find that picture of CA public safety employees at the retirement trough?

[RL Crabb]

...An array of tightly packed butts? George, your porcine imagry leaves little to the imagination. And by the way, how come only guys write in to this blog? People are going to talk...

[George Rebane]

Good question BobH. This little photo was taken at lunch time during an all day pension benefits workshop at the offices of the public service employees union hall ;-)

Agreed that the genders are a bit tilted, as you point out BobC. But I do have the occasional distaff comment gracing these posts. Would love to have more, though my emails run about equal. Do you think it's my licentuous language, mangled metaphors, or atrocious allegories that contribute to the imbalance?

[Jeff Pelline]

"Bob" C raises the better question, though. Not a very diverse group of posters. Why?

[Mikey McD]

I think having a distinct ideology which does not pander to sponsors, would-be voters in the blog authors campaign, and valuing integrity more than making new friends may account for the focused demographic. The meaty topics (instead of gossip) may not be in demand by all demographics.

[NC_Guy]

Try complaining to the Republican owned construction company that is getting the contracts. Tell them to not accept the Obama pork.
THEN show them the above image. I'm betting you land at least 30 feet from the door.

[NC_Guy]

""Bob" C raises the better question, though. Not a very diverse group of posters"

The circle of admirers is small.

[George Rebane]

Diversity and size have orthogonal semantics. And then, perhaps RR appeals only to a small group of civil discussants with a certain level of intact literacy skills.

[NC_Guy]

I think the word is engrained, not intact.
discussant |disˈkəsənt|
noun
a person who takes part in a discussion, esp. an arranged one.

I prefer not to be arranged. I try to avoid being arraigned.

As to orthogonal semantics, I avoid all suggestions of the "right" angle ∴

[George Rebane]

NC Guy - I meant precisely 'intact', but you probably meant the more current 'ingrained'. But the 'engrained' does show a certain classicity of the order of two centuries or so. And a discussant, even by your cited definition, is not restricted to participate in only arranged discussions. Finally, people who participate in an arranged discussion are not presumed to have the development of their discussion (pre)arranged. Every scheduled interview is an arranged discussion with no presumption of being choreographed. Orthogonal semantics is short for the use of words that have independent meaning, the variability in one not affecting the other. I have never seen it applied with the intent to indicate a political perspective. Then again, perhaps your remark was in jest. And I too try to avoid being "arraigned".

But what this does illustrate is the wide variance with which you and I understand and interpret the king's English.

[Steve Enos]

From KNCO:

In the 1930's following the Great Depression there was another stimulus plan offered by the government. It was called the Works Progress Administration or WPA for short.

Historian and author of "The 1930's No Depression Here," Gage McKinney, says even though Nevada County was rich with mining activity in the 1930's and thousands of mining workers supported the local economy, the county still saw a large number of public works projects.

“There were a lot of new deal projects because there was a very effective congressman named Harry Engel bright who was Republican whip in the House of Representatives. He was a native of Nevada City and he was able to bring so many new deal projects home with him.”

McKinney says a stroll through Nevada City will reveal many of those projects still in use today.

“Nevada City Elementary School, the Hennessey School in Grass Valley, the Nevada City City Hall, a complete expansion and renovation of the county courthouse to give it what was then a modern 20th Century look so different from its earlier look, and then, of course, Pioneer Park which I think of as being the crown jewel of what new deal projects did in our county.”

[George Rebane]

Steve, do you have a conclusion for that interesting piece of history? Do we know who paid for all projects Harry Engel brought into the county?

[NC_Guy]

Put out of work people to work or have to shoot them as revolutionaries.

[George Rebane]

Agreed NC Guy. The question remains how we 'put' them to work, or how we create an environment where they can find fulfilling jobs on their own. In 1939 FDR's Sec Treasury Morgenthau had some enlightening words for Congress on this after 'putting' people to work for seven years.

[Steve Enos]

“There were a lot of new deal projects because there was a very effective congressman named Harry Engel bright who was... REPUBLICAN... whip in the House of Representatives. He was a native of Nevada City and he was able to bring so many new deal projects home with him.”

History... it's good to review history before you bash Obama.

[George Rebane]

Steve, progressives come in all party flavors. In my book, being a Republican does not exonerate anyone. Quite the contrary, I turn a gimlet eye on them because their talk makes more sense than the Democrats', but as we have seen, their walk doesn't always match their talk.

Was that your answer to my two questions?

[Steve Enos]

The public funds, taxpayers funds used for WPA projects were capital investments in our communities and our people. Most projects remain today. They have endured because they were good investments into the infrastructure that builds community, a nation and a feeling of self worth. .

As one example, the WPA work in our parks did many things, short term and long term things, good things. The stories of the WPA workers are very moving. Their journey from out of work, depression and feeling worthless to feeling useful, hopeful and fulfilled is powerful. It wasn’t just the projects WPA built, but the lives and futures for many broken people and a common, positive, shared effort.

Not only do the WPA projects still stand and serve, those WPA workers moved forward to success as a nation with hope and faith and determination. The WPA and its legacy of enduring works projects and uplifted, enduring people is one of our Nations finest moments.

[George Rebane]

Well said Steve, but the argument ignores the effect it had on the nation's economy and the unemployed. And most importantly, it illustrates the classical overlook of the alternatives for the funds expended, because these alternatives are never realized, therefore providing the selection bias arguments for what state spending did since it was the 'only game in town' mandated by the state's force of arms. Please also see F. Bastiat's 'That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen: the Unintended Consequences of Government Spending'.

[Steve Enos]

Ain't no perfect world, ain't no perfect solution.