We the iSheeple

George Rebane

The RR category ‘We the Sheeple’ has been renamed ‘We the iSheeple’ in order to keep up with the times that require starting certain words with the lower case ‘i’.  Except for some outrageous ideas wrangled in these pages, RR has been pretty staid in its approach to format and matters of eye candy.  During the life of this commentary there has been a steady rise in the number of media reports that acknowledge, nay, confirm that we live in a land of the ill-informed, insouciant, inane, ignorant, insane, and idiotic – hence the real reason for adorning Sheeple with an i, for it gives meaning and therefore belongs there.

For the few that may care, the i that metaphorically broke this camel’s back was a couple of insane non-sequitors in the 3jun13 Union.  It seems that a band of idiots gathered recently to deny elephant rides to children attending this year’s upcoming Nevada County Fair.  These same people are the local representatives of known regional and national organizations that concern themselves with such things as ethical treatment of animals and children’s safety, and other matters that in their daily round iSheeple are not capable of handling themselves.

And then we come to a local moving & storage company that now has to get rid of its perfectly good trucks and replace them with new ones prescribed by CARB, the enforcer of our state’s mega-albatross job killer AB32.  To the tune of $1.3M they will comply with this certifiably insane legislation and accede to the mandated purchase of fourteen new vehicles that purportedly will sport cleaner engines.  The result of the costly exercise will have absolutely no measurable effect on any clean air metric you care to dredge up, let alone any effect on providing a better quality of life to earth’s inhabitants.

Of course I could go on, and perusing my past posts shows that I have done so in abundance.  More than ever, and with each passing day it is beyond any lingering reasonable doubt that we have become a nation of iSheeple - the ill-informed, insouciant, inane, ignorant, insane, and idiotic.

Comments

[Michael Anderson]

Good stuff, George.

"Doctor Allenby: This won't hurt a bit.
[Sticks Chance with a needle]
Chance the Gardener: It did hurt.
[Riding in a car for the first time]
Chance the Gardener: This is just like television, only you can see much further.
[With other poor black seniors, watching Chance on TV]
Louise: It's for sure a white man's world in America. Look here: I raised that boy since he was the size of a piss-ant. And I'll say right now, he never learned to read and write. No, sir. Had no brains at all. Was stuffed with rice pudding between th' ears. Shortchanged by the Lord, and dumb as a jackass. Look at him now! Yes, sir, all you've gotta be is white in America, to get whatever you want. Gobbledy-gook!
Chance the Gardener: I like to watch."

[Ryan Mount]

It does seem we're wasting a few hundred years of progress, not to mention our dwindling hegemony and colonization efforts, on a bunch of unworthy dorks. All that work for nothing! (It's like a plot out of a Monty Python or Mel Brooks film) I think I would be more tolerant of these nihilistic dorks if they actually understood what hegemony and post-colonialism meant and were attempting to unwind that, for better or worse.

But instead, as George I think has rightly pointed out, it's all bread and circuses for the masses of well-fed, well-entertained* (yet bored), entitled slobs.

* I took a risk the other day and asked someone who was on unemployment why they needed a data plan for their iPhone. Or even a smartphone. (I realized I was channeling my Calvinist Mother.)

His answer was, "In case I get a call for a job."

I asked, "How many job offer calls and interviews requests have you received in the past 3 months?"

"None," he said.

We used to joke that we're the only people on planet Earth with overweight poor people. Now it's more like we're the only people on planet Earth where one can be unemployed and have a $79.00 mobile data plan.

[Bill Tozer]

"We used to joke that we're the only people on planet Earth with overweight poor people. Now it's more like we're the only people on planet Earth where one can be unemployed and have a $79.00 mobile data plan."

Excellent! Yes, the solution to our urban decay and falling apart urban infrastructure is to go mobile, lol.

Just saw my step brother who I haven't seen in years at a funeral. He is 50 and went out and plunked down 80k for a used cement truck 4 years ago. He is struggling to make the payments and has cleaned out his savings to stay afloat. Now, he has been told that his cement truck needs to go to the junk yard and he must to come up with $180,000 to buy a new shinny California Compliant cement truck. Kinda hard for a one man business. He asked me if I was hiring. He figured he would be better off in the long run just going working somewhere punching the ole time clock.

Old joke: Son says to father "Daddy, I have the smallest ding-ding in the entire high school. Is it because I am Asian Daddy, is it?" The Father replies "No son, it is because you are 11 years old."

[Russ Steele]

A new Gallup poll reports that only a very small majority of Americans are closely following what is happening with the Obama Administration’s scandals. Why should individuals who do not pay taxes worry about corruption at the IRS? Why should MSNBC and CNN worry about what happened to Fox News Reporters. I think it all goes back to our schools, who are run by administrators and teachers that are not much more smarter than the students they baby sit each day. We now have two generations of dumbed down students, who are now ethically and culturally damaged. They do not have the ability to understand the significance of what is happening, if they even took the time to care.

[Steve Frisch]

Hey Michael, you manage to get all of my favorites out here eventually. I am often reminded of Chance when I drive by here.

[Gregory]

Et tu, Jay?

JAY LENO: President Obama says he’s renewing his efforts to close Guantanamo Bay. Guantanamo Bay? How about closing the IRS? Why don’t we do that?

[Thunderous applause]

How about shipping the IRS to Guantanamo Bay? That’s what we, yes! That’s how you do it.

[Thunderous applause]

Well, more problems with the IRS. A new report has found that they spent $50 million on employee conferences and retreats in just two years. They would have investigated sooner, but it turns out, you know, they don’t belong to any conservative groups. So nobody really noticed. They didn’t really see it. A little odd, yeah.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/06/04/crowd-erupts-thunderous-applause-when-leno-says-obama-should-close-ir#ixzz2VGEFafXC

BTW, the applause really was thunderous.

[Account Deleted]

So who is hurt and who is helped by the new regs for 'clean' diesel engines? Small and independent businesses will be hammered or put out out of business. The large, 'evil' corps that the left hate will be helped by their competition being eliminated. Once again, the left blows some part of their body off and then blames the R's.
Another problem is the left subscribing to the 'broken window' theory of economic growth. Having to replace the perfectly good trucks is great for the economy, they believe. Since the money comes from a printing press, it's all good.
If you need any further proof of total stupidity, look at the new gun laws coming down the pike in good ol' Kalifornia. Before you shoot up a bunch of school kids, you'll need to pay 50 bucks and get a background check. That will be the only way in the world you can get ammo in this fine state. Yessir! And you'll only be able to buy 12,000 rounds of ammo a month. The authors of this nonsense admit it won't do a bit of good at stopping another Sandy Hook, but "it will at least make it a bit harder". I feel so much better.

[Russ Steele]

Agenda 21 to become California law:

Proposed State Senate Bill 1, by Steinberg, would allow regional governments to create “Sustainable Community Investment Authorities,” unelected bodies with no voter oversight or approval. These non-voter approved “Authorities” would be ruled under the Community Redevelopment Law, essentially re-creating redevelopment agencies with the ability to use tax increment funds and eminent domain powers.

[Bill Tozer]

That other IRS scandal...you know the one where they sent millions of tax payer smackers to host a conference....well, it turns out not to be just any ole' IRS shin ding. Nope. The IRS conference where they stayed in $3,500/night rooms and spent thousands parting down in the line dance was a special conference. That conference was for IRS employees who deal with the Small Business and Self-Employed Division. hahahaha. Talk about being out of touch. I should not laugh. The joke is on me and they get to keep their jobs. Truly the Great Divide is between the ordinary working folk and those that love the Gooberment.

[George Rebane]

RussS 1109am - I wonder how our liberal cricket brigades will respond to such news, now that we've been repeatedly assured that we have nothing to worry about being subjected to A21 provisions.

[Steve Frisch]

Re: Russ Steele 04 June at 11:09 AM

SCIA's have nothing to do with A21.

SCIA's are about creating TIF powers at the local government level to fund local projects, and the SCIA's are made up of elected officials, under the same provisions as any other joint powers authority such as a regional sewer, transportation or economic development authority, and are subject to the Brown Act.

Russ, correct me if I am wrong, but you served on the Nevada County Transportation Commission, which is a JPA, and are an employee of SEDCorps, which is also a JPA. So you support the existence of what you characterize as "These non-voter approved “Authorities”, when you sit on them and are paid by them, but object to them when they have powers that you may not feel are appropriate.

I might note that the diagram explaining what the NCTC does looks eerily similar to the ven Diagram of sustainability. Is the NCTC an agent of A21?

http://www.nctc.ca.gov/About-NCTC/index.html

The same mechanisms for holding local elected officials accountable exist in this case that exist with any other board or commission that local elected officials sit on; don't like what they do and you can show up, speak in public, make your issues known, and ultimately punish them at the ballot box.

[Account Deleted]

Yeah - right, Steve F. "and ultimately punish them at the ballot box."
And who is stuck with the tab? We already have city and county govts with
taxing and spending authority.
Anything that has the words 'sustainable' and 'investment' in the title
involves investments folks won't make with their own money and is sustainable
only with some kind of govt bailout that wasn't talked about up front.

[Account Deleted]

I just read the proposed bill. It is nothing more than another redevelopment agency done up with some fancy language about 'walkable communities' and 'energy saving'.
It's lipstick on the pig. One thing you can be sure of is that the folks that happily vote for this pork will never live in or anywhere near one of these utopian villages.
I noticed that before they even get to the text of the bill, they make sure we understand that the prevailing wage law will be enforced. Redevelopment agencies haven been proven to be disasters. Brown ended them only to grab their money to help to 'balance' the budget. Now they're trying to crank them up again.

[Russ Steele]

Steve Frisch@11:54AM

Neither of the organizations you mentioned have taxing or eminent domain powers. When I was on the Transportation Commission, when the issue of sustainability came up, I wanted a definition, and what I often got was just some A-21 talking points. The goal of A-21 is the development of regional governing agencies that do not have any elected control. Under some cases these agencies may not have to comply with CEQA, such as the high speed rail transit villages (modern ghettos) that are being forces on communities along Gov. Brown's wet dream Choo Choo Train tracks.

[Ben Emery]

Ralph Nader calling America what it has become, fascist. We can also call it corporatism.

http://www.democracynow.org/2013/6/4/american_fascism_ralph_nader_decries_how

"It is not too extreme to call our system of government now 'American fascism.' It’s the control of government by big business, which Franklin Delano Roosevelt defined in 1938 as fascism," Nader says. "We have the lowest minimum wage in the Western world. We have the greatest amount of consumer debt. We have the highest child poverty, the highest adult poverty, huge underemployment, a crumbling public works — but huge multi-billionaires and hugely profitable corporations. I say to the American people: What’s your breaking point? When are you going to stop making excuses for yourself? When are you going to stop exaggerating these powers when you know you have the power in this country if you organize it?"

[Russ Steele]

Steve Frisch@11:54AM

For the record, when I was on the Transportation Commission the second time, I was not on the Transit Commission JPA. The NC Transportation Commission was created by the Legislative, it is not a JPA.

Normally all the TC Members are part of the Transit Commission JPA, however the local left was very much against my rejoining Transit Commission as I had asked many difficult questions during my previous tenure about the cost of transit. There was a deal cut. I could join the Transportation Commission, but not the Transit, that seat would be reserved for a more liberal person, who was more about feelings than the hard numbers. I kept pointing out how much each one of those empty seats is costing tax payers every day and the transit buses weave about the community Not cool.

Let take this event and extend it to a regional joint powers authority. Just like in my case their would be a concerted effort to stock the board with many feeler, and no sharp thinkers who would be interest in doing some cost benefit analysis. As a result the tax payer would be left holding the bag for what ever the promoters of Agenda 21 think we need, rather than what the tax payers want.

[George Rebane]

BenE 432pm - Hope this doesn't come as a shock Ben, but citing the worldview of Ralph Nader as some paragon of penultimate perception isn't going to give you much traction here. No one doubts his sincerity, but to most of us his prescriptions are worth about one warm bucket of spit.

[Bill Tozer]

Hello Brother Ben:

Ralph Nader made most of his mula (that green stuff) investing in tech stocks. Tech stocks? You know them evil multibillion dollar corporations with few employees who are the USA's biggest tax skirters. You know, them outsourcing off shore dudes who dream up ways to have a pizza delivered quicker to your apartment which is the meaning of life to them and their ilk.

If some oil company ever, ever even got close to skirting the amount of taxes Apple does, all hell would break loose. MSNBC's Rachel Mylax would be snarling at the cameras every darn night and the Hill would be all a'twitter with Congressional hearings. CNN's hosts would appear appalled and Maxine Waters would be shrieking (again) about nationalization and spewing misstatements and jumbled words (again) trying to read the talking points. Boxer would be screaming for another carbon tax and Ralph Nader would be skipping all the way to the bank. Pull your head out.

[Russ Steele]

I thought that State SB-1 proponents should know about the next big meeting to marry climate change and agenda-21.

The city of Bonn, Germany is currently the location of a big meeting for the United Nations and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Two climate change conferences are being held there from June 3 through June 14. Bonn is also hosting UN climate talks aimed at creating a binding climate treaty by 2015.

But the planet is not warming. It has been cooling for sixteen years at this point despite Kerry’s lies that “the science is screaming at all of us and demands action.” Kerry will set the agenda for the U.S. delegates to the UN climate talks.

As many readers of this blog know the ICLEI was formed in 1990 for the purpose of promoting the UN’s vision of ‘sustainable development’ as embodied in a document called Agenda 21 You may think that it does not have any impact you locally? Wrong.

Those advocating Agenda 21 “insist that every societal decision be based on environmental impact, focusing on three components; global land use, global education, and global population control and reduction.”

In addition to worrying about the lack of global warming the ICLEI and UN delegates are in a sweat over the success of the Tea Party and other grass roots organizations who are pushing back on the work of local ICLEI committees. Add a few conservative think tanks who are dealing in real world data, some blogs like Watts Up With That and the fear gets palatable. Even this blog maybe adding to the concern.

Given the reaction of the Obama Administration, who set the IRS on the Tea Party and other conservative organizations, I can see why the UN and ICLEI are worried. The Tea Party is changing the game. We need to oppose SB-1, it is just more implementation of Agenda 21.

[Ben Emery]

George,

"but citing the worldview of Ralph Nader as some paragon of penultimate perception isn't going to give you much traction here."

It should, Ralph Nader is one of the biggest fighters against tyranny be it by governments or corporations on the planet. He has saved millions of American lives with his consumer advocacy . He is one of if not the most intelligent and educated person in our nation on how our government works and how corporations use the government to benefit themselves over the people. I didn't think fascists/ corporatists like yourself and many of the "conservative" regulars at RR would be swayed but figured you would like to know what is being said about your ideology.

[Ben Emery]

Here is another group being targeted. I am sure you all will be outraged.

"On May 20, 2013, DBA Press and the Center for Media and Democracy 
released the results of a year-long investigation: "Dissent or Terror:
 How the Nation's Counter Terrorism Apparatus, In Partnership With 
Corporate America, Turned on Occupy Wall Street.”

 The report, a distillation of thousands of pages of records obtained
 from counter terrorism/law enforcement agencies, details how
 state/regional "fusion center" personnel monitored the Occupy Wall
 Street movement over the course of 2011 and 2012.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Government_Surveillance_of_Occupy_Movement

[Bill Tozer]

Brother Ben, you finally posted something which is a good use of taxpayers dollars, lol. Welcome to Chicago style politics where no one is safe and only the government is above the law.

Nixon had his dirty tricks that was limited and focused in scope, but Chicago style government is unprecedented in our nation's history. Welcome my brother to the real world.

For the low information voter, please use the 6 brain cells you have left and realize the Constitution is ALL about limiting the power of government, not limiting the power of the people. Brother Ben, we can now join hands and shout Amen!

[Bill Tozer]

PS to my Brother Ben: To be fair, OWS imploded under its own diverse weight. When that Councilwoman from Oakland joined their ranks and slept a night in the Occupy Park, she came singing a different tune. Even Queen Nancy changed her "power to the people" sympathetic attitude in short order. Occupy Wall Street just turned into a homeless camp by day and a good old fashion carnage fest by night. Throwing a couple of chairs through a Starbucks window ain't going to start the revolution, especially when so many OWS sympathizers are rather fond of Starbucks. And trashing the local ATM's kinda made it rather inconvenient for the locals trying to get cash to make posters and buy Marxist literature. But, when the revolution does come, my brother, there will be no more bull pucky or want or poverty or money or evil banks or hunger and life will be just one big love fest...until that naughty thing called pride and human nature rears its ugly head and the control freaks emerge once again, spouting poetry.

[Account Deleted]

Gee - the lefties here have their undies in a bunch about 'fascism'. Been tryin' to point that out for decades - just sayin'. How about trying to follow the US Constitution? Just maybe? Course it means no more goodies for the free loaders and loafers, so whoops - maybe you lefties will find fascism not so bad after all! Flip flop - flip flop.

[Account Deleted]

"He has saved millions of American lives with his consumer advocacy"

Really?

Name two.

[Ben Emery]

Scott,
You have to kidding right?

Have you heard of a seat belt?

Maybe if his advice was taken 3,000 lives on 9/11 could have been prevented with a small safety feature of reenforced cockpit doors. The Bush campaign gave him the nickname "Captain Cockpit" for this advice. You should read

Collision Course
The Truth about Airline Safety

Excerpt of review of the book by Publisher Weekly
"Their findings are sobering: planes of the major airlines are aging and sometimes corners are cut on inspections or repairs. Additionally, airports are increasingly overcrowded, which has an impact on both security and on airplane landings. Then there's the FAA, whose performance is ``inadequate.'' Nader and Smith point out that the FAA is required by an executive order (enacted under Reagan) to conduct a cost/benefit analysis before promulgating safety regulations: i.e., the agency must weigh the expenses of new measures against possible loss of life. Concluding that the level of passenger risk is growing, the authors offer recommendations not only for the industry but also for individuals on making air travel safer."

[Ben Emery]

Bill,
I have been an activist for over two decades and being targeted is nothing new, except for groups like the Tea Party who have been asleep for most of their lives. The revolution is taking place all over the planet including the US. It is happening incrementally at the moment but when the dollar crashes, which it will most definitely, the sh!# will hit the fan. We will see global chaos, which will result in bio regionalism on a political and resource scale. Unfortunately there will much suffering in the transition. Hopefully we can pull our heads out of our arses in time to minimize the hard times for billions of people.

[Ben Emery]

Bill,
Here is another example going on in Turkey right now. Peacefully protesting the tearing down of a park to put up a mall and they are getting hammered. Eventually young activists or just people getting fed up with the bs will begin to return the violence. That is what happened with Occupy in many cases also police provocateurs incite violence getting the ball rolling for a way overreach push back by police.

http://news.yahoo.com/woman-red-becomes-leitmotif-istanbuls-female-protesters-215621314.html
"In her red cotton summer dress, necklace and white bag slung over her shoulder she might have been floating across the lawn at a garden party; but before her crouches a masked policeman firing teargas spray that sends her long hair billowing upwards."

[Bill Tozer]

Yep, the dollar will crash eventually. Can't keep living on borrowed money and expect no consequences. Like the law of gravity, what you sow is what you reap. But no one wants to take the medicine. Even "austerity" has become a dirty word. Sustainability is grand if you got a chest of gold buried in the back forty.

The only reason we have the Fed and Central Banks across the world doing the monetary thing is cause governments refuse to do the fiscal thing.

Many years ago I read the Civil Defense plan in case of an all out nuclear attack on us. Pretty short document. Basically it said to pass out morphine to the masses. After pondering that for years, I have come to the conclusion that that was the best plan. Short and sweet. Give the masses morphine to ease their pain.

When the dollar crashes, it may be like the rescuers who traversed the Sierras to save the Donner Party. First thing they heard was a weak voice uttering "bread". Yes, I omitted the Truckee Indian part.

So, what shall we do? Form some committee or think tank and come up with a plan that is better than morphine and bread? OK, no more big banks and no more lobbyists and no more....fill in the blanks. After coming up with the plan to save us from ourselves,, we look around and some killjoy asks "Where are we going to get the money to fund this project?" After throwing out ideas, we decide to get a grant from the gooberment, hire a lobbyist and....fill in the blanks. We have become "Da Man", our foe. The enemy without has become the enemy within. And then there is the issue of the pesky US Constitution. The living document that refuses to die a quick death.

[Account Deleted]

Hey Ben - seat belts? That would be those things that my father put in our 58 Rambler. You said millions and I asked you to name 2 and you couldn't name one. Not one!
I can back my postings with fact, reason and honesty. You can't back a blind mule off a cliff.
Car And Driver loved to post yearly listings of how many human lives could have been saved if folks had just used the seat belts in the cars they drove. The number went so far past your 3K for your sainted Nader it isn't funny. Every freakin' year. Year after year. And they thought Ralph was an idiot. So your 3K don't look so hot, does it? You want to talk lives saved? Actually, I don't think you really do. Because Bush would soar so far past the sainted Ralph, you'd have to apologize. Bush's initiatives against AIDS in Africa are recognised as saving tens of thousands of lives. So what are your metrics here? Number of lives saved? Or just left wing BS? 3K is peanuts compared to what others on the conservative side have saved. Try again.

[Bill Tozer]

Ben, thank goodness that fine young Turkish woman does not live in Iran or Egypt or Saudi Arabia or Libya or Iraq or Somalia or....fill in the blanks. She has a good pair of legs that looks rather splendid in her lovely red dress, if I may say so myself. Maybe the police security forces were just trying to blow some smoke up her dress to see if she had any suicide bombs in her undies.

I am so glad the UN is concerned about this terrible situation. Don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight, but I probably will knowing the UN is on top of this travesty of justice. Its not fair. Am looking forward to seeing more of her. Peace out Bro.

[Ryan Mount]

Sometimes I get the feeling that some folk secretly, and not so secretly I guess, want the world to come apart into an all-out societal bar fight.

For some, it's just a case of "I told you so" satisfaction. For others I suppose, they see no other course but to burn the barn down and start over. There are some would like to hasten the return of some savior who will come and put the barn back together for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQqq3e03EBQ

[Steven Frisch]

Russ Steele | 04 June 2013 at 02:30 PM

Well Russ, since you are playing the "guilt by association" game so popular amongst some segments of the populist revolutionary right, why does the very "Commission" you sat on use the Venn Diagram, the overlapping three circles that has become the virtual brand of the sustainability movement, as its primary outreach tool to explain their work? Why do they embed within that circle Nevada City, Grass Valley, Nevada County, Truckee and Caltrans? Could it be that they are engaged in "regional planning" for transportation? Isn't it true that Caltrans is not elected, they are appointed, and they sit on the Technical Advisory Committee for the "Commission"? Isn't it true that many unelected people sit on the various committees that set policy for the "Commission"? And although the Commission itself does not have the power to tax, don't the people who sit on the "Commission" have the power to tax through their individual jurisdictions? Are you saying the "Commission" has no power over the jurisdictions that make it up? Funny I seem to remember that that is exactly what happened in the past: the "Commission" set regional transportation goals, and the Cities that make up the "Commission" put tax measures in front of their voters? None Dare Call It Conspiracy!

[Steven Frisch]

Russ Steele | 04 June 2013 at 04:38 PM

"For the record, when I was on the Transportation Commission the second time, I was not on the Transit Commission JPA. The NC Transportation Commission was created by the Legislative, it is not a JPA."

So let me see if I have this straight, you were for it before you were against it? And you were against it only because ordinary citizens who questioned your judgement denied it to you?

The NCTC is both a "Commission" which includes unelected public members making decisions about how our tax dollars are spent, and a JPA making decisions about Transit. And you served on the JPA during you first stint, but not your second stint, but only because, " the local left was very much against my rejoining Transit Commission".

So you, as an unelected member of the public served on both a "Commission" which allocates tax dollars to transportation projects and a JPA that makes decisions about allocations of Transit dollars. So you were for it. But now you are against it? I'm a little confused, are you John Kerry or John Galt?

[Steven Frisch]

Steve Frisch | 04 June 2013 at 11:54 AM

"...and are an employee of SEDCorps, which is also a JPA. "

Oh, and one more thing, you did not answer my question about being an employee of SEDCorps. Are you an employee [or contractor] to SEDCorps? I think you are, or at least have been in the recent past. Isn't SEDCorps a JPA? Isn't SEDCorps a private non profit corporation on whose board several elected officials sit? And don't unelected private citizens also sit on the SEDCorps board? Don't they receive tax dollars [and ratepayer dollars] and redistribute them according to "need"? And isn't SEDCorps also a JPA, making decisions regionally? And didn't you receive funding from SEDCorps to provide a service? And didn't the funding to pay you come from the taxpayers and the ratepayers as part of a surcharge on their telephone bills imposed by the CPUC, another unelected entity?

I ask all my Tea Party friends out there, do you want to pay a surcharge on your phone bills so an unelected private non profit body can redistribute wealth and give it to Russ to run a blog for SEDCorps?

Really Russ, it is kind of hard to tell where your pocketbook ends and your ethics begin.

[Steven Frisch]

Russ Steele, "Commissioner", ex-member of a JPA, ex-member of a regional governance organization that uses the Venn Diagram of Agenda 21 as part of its brand, getting paid by unelected people ratepayer dollars as part of a wealth re-distribution scheme.

This game is fun!

[Ben Emery]

Scott,
Yeah your dad had to put the seat belts in the car. Ralph Nader made it so seat belts were in all cars. Crash tests, non metal dashboards, safe windshields, gas tanks, and so on. All of which save lives and injuries every year. He was such a threat to the automotive industry, especially General Motors, they hired a team of private investigators to dig something up on him and when they came up with nothing tried to set him up.

In 2003 my wife and daughter lives were saved by the auto safety standards of today. Does that work for the two you were looking for.

I liked the Bush administration increase in Aids Relief but on just about every other issue he was horrible for humanity.

[Ben Emery]

Ryan,
"Sometimes I get the feeling that some folk secretly, and not so secretly I guess, want the world to come apart into an all-out societal bar fight."

I wouldn't say "want" but have accepted the idea that it is going to happen despite all the effort to prevent it from happening.

[Account Deleted]

"Ralph Nader made it so seat belts were in all cars"
And Gore invented the internet. GM made a nobody famous by spying on him.
Nader was a threat to GM? In what way? I'm sure he was an annoyance to some of the folks that managed GM, but we have already shown that the massive amount of regulation that the govt imposed on the car manufacturers helped GM by getting rid of smaller competing companies.
I'm not aware of the details of what happened to your wife and daughter, but will take your word that they were saved from injury or death because of the design of the car they were in and I'm glad to hear that. I seriously doubt that the design of that car had anything to do with Nader. Auto safety didn't start with Nader and he only got to be a player of note because of GM's stupidity and the resulting publicity. Americans can have far safer cars than what we have now and could always have had safer cars. It's all a matter of what their collective priorities are and how much they want to be inconvenienced and how intelligently they want to drive.
Americans were far more interested in A/C and power steering and automatic transmissions and that's what GM delivered. GM has always been happy to sell whatever the public wanted. If GM doesn't have what you want, you are free to buy from some one else. In fact, that's what happened and GM went broke. Now we taxpayers are 10 billion poorer so we could bail out the auto worker union at GM.
So GM is still making cars nobody wants. Since free market principles are not followed, we go downhill.
A govt run the way Nader wants would be a awful. He means well, but doesn't have the intelligence to understand the end result.

[Ben Emery]

Scott,
I get it you really don't understand how movement politics works and how citizen groups can really educate and affect legislation. Unfortunately money has overshadowed the needs/ wants of the average American so we are stuck with a government controlled by big business, which is screwing medium and small businesses. Those regulations that you don't like are written by big business because only those with access to huge sums of capital can afford to comply. Or companies like Monsanto will receive an exemption from the regulations all together by getting a get out of jail free card.

My wife and daughter hit a tree going 50mph after my wife blacked out while driving. My wife was sandwiched on three sides with her door, engine/ dash/ and her seat. The seat belt kept her in her seat, the door/ seat being securely mounted to the frame kept her in the vehicle, and having a crash safe frame/ bumper reduced the impact. Our daughter broke her back in two, ruptured her intestines, and fractured her skull. My sister in law who is a doctor gave her a 50/50 after seeing the x-rays and reading the reports of her injuries. She was unfortunate enough to sit in the middle seat that only had the lap belt that morning but with no seat belt she would have perished for sure, so we are thankful. The recovery took years and dealing with the Blue Cross/ Blue Shield took even longer and was even more stressful once we got passed the first few critical days.

Our daughter graduates Nevada Union on Saturday possibly with a 4.0gpa and will be attending university in SF in the fall.

[Todd Juvinall]

I see the Frisch thinks he has some sort of "high ground" on Russ Steele since Russ was a Transportation Commissioner. What a hoot. Grasping at straws thgere Frischie. At least he did something good for his community. You on the other hand suck $100,000 a year plus from the taxpayers in your 501-c3. Shameful.

[Steven Frisch]

First, Todd, I do not get paid by the taxpayers, I get paid by a private non profit corporation who sometimes does business with the state, which comprises about 20% of our revenue, .....just like Russ. Second, you do not get to decide which activity is "good for [his] community", that is a judgement made by all of the people. Sorry, you don't get to exist in a baby state where you stomp your feet and get your way.

So if you are going to ding me you have to ding Russ at the same time.

As Greg pointed out here recently, being a member of a 501c3 is freedom of speech, protected by the Constitution since our founding, and a quintessentially American right.

Finally, I find your obsession with how much money I make hilarious.....it really sounds like class envy to me....similar to the class envy you said motivated liberals who critiqued Mitt Romney..... perhaps you should do something useful in life instead of sitting on your fat arse and hurrumphing all the time.

[Steven Frisch]

I should have known that Todd would not get the nuance of my posts.

By the way George, weren't you on the planning commission, both here and in Simi Valley? Didn't you serve on a citizens committee that wrote a General Plan in Simi Valley?

So the planning commission in Nevada County makes quasi-judicial decisions about individuals ability to exercise their property rights. Were you elected? No. You were appointed.

[George Rebane]

It appears that both the Left and Right foresee a high likelihood for blood in the gutters, and for pretty much the same reasons. The isheeple will be extremely distressed when Obama's stash (or its future equivalent) runs out. DHS and FEMA are preparing for it.

Re implementation of A21 provisions. It's not so bad if the 'commissions' get the people (even the isheeple) to vote on their propositions. The distinction that our Left misses is when such unelected bodies are able to get their dictates directly (and surreptitiously) into laws, regulations, and codes without the mediation of any consideration by the electeds or their constituencies.

[Todd Juvinall]

Steve Frisch doth protest too much. You rent seekers are all the same. I hear your testimony on the political shows and you all get the same talking and walking points. Just a bunch of sheeple as George has said. If you had a unique idea about the world then perhaps we would not dismiss you as easily as you make it happen. Regarding money and me. No, I am not jealous, I have all I need SteveF. I have seen scoundrels like you too many times try and twist words and their meaning to fit you illegitimate behaviors. (tax evasion etc.)

I usually blow by you absurd comments but trying to equate public service by Russ or George with your placing $100,000 a year in taxpayers money into your bank account is just too funny.

[Account Deleted]

Ben - I wasn't being facetious about the accident. I was taking you at your word. My point was that Nader was not involved in any meaningful way in the design of the car your wife and daughter were in. He's just a blow hard that got lucky with GM.

I'm quite familiar with your pie in the sky vision about how to be governed.
Money controls our lives and our govt only to the extent that we allow it to be the only honest player. Folks can talk and talk, but when it comes time to pull out the wallet, truth emerges. In a free market, money is just a convenient way to express a variety of things of value. Food, energy, labor, comfort - stuff. We need some of these things and so we need money.
Money doesn't "control" politics any more than it ever did. If the electorate would invest time and energy to learn how things work, read about candidates, and ignore TV and radio soundbites, the total amount of money being spent on elections would go down but the wealthier campaigns would still (mostly) be winning. Popular causes and candidates attract more money than less popular ones. Every time I hear about 'getting the money' out of politics, it always ends up being a way to stop the conservative side from spending and the left is free to spend all they want. In fact, there is no way to get money out of politics any more than getting money out of our lives. As long as we have an uninterested and uneducated electorate, we'll have bad govt. Money is just a symptom of the problem not a root cause. But if we take care of the root cause, you won't like the results, so you just go after symptoms. And the disease rages through the body. And yes, violence is in the offing. I want a govt that primarily protects innocent citizens and their rights as outlined in the US Constitution. The folks that wrote the Constitution knew all about 'redistribution' of wealth. And they tried to forbid it in the fed govt. It will always lead to bad things. Always. There is no magic, proper way to do it. You want something going in a different direction.
Eventually, something has to give. Not looking forward to it and don't know if and when it will happen. Just noticing that 2 trains are on the same track headed towards each other doesn't mean we want a collision. We learn from history or we repeat it in some way.

[Ben Emery]

Scott,
Thanks for the thoughtful response. The role of government isn't to redistribute wealth but shape and form our economic system to benefit the most people. Why? Because we are a democratic republic and our government should be representing the interests of the people not a small few that have been able to accumulate wealth morally or immorally. Free Trade is a perfect example of this phenomena. Free Trade Agreements have not served a majority of Americans well and in fact it has destroyed the middle class in my opinion. Both parties support them while a majority of Americans oppose them, who are our representatives serving? In supporting such policies who are our representatives serving, us or big money special interests? I could handle living in a conservative run nation if that was the will of the people but we have one of the most progressive electorates and yet have one of the most conservative governments in the developed world.

[Russ Steele]

Gee Wiz Ben, I did not know that citizens really did not like the lower priced goods at WalMart, Costco, Kmart and Target. I was unaware that they did not like the jobs that exports provide. Thanks for keeping me informed on these critical issues. /sarc

[Account Deleted]

Ben - Artificially propping up wages for a minority of union workers is redistributionism because free choice for me to support or not support those wages is eliminated. Nobody has a Constitutional right to any wage whatever outside of what they earn in the free market. If a worker has to compete against another in Columbia then that's life. If anyone's choice of goods or services is restricted by trade barriers, then they are being made to hand over money against their will. Your 'progressive' electorate votes to shop at WalMart. Remember my little talk there above about when the wallet comes out? That's your progressive electorate voting and they're voting for free markets. The Constitution is for everyone, but it doesn't say everyone gets what ever they want. And there is nothing in the Constitution about everyone having a certain level of material goods. You have rights - not the rights to goods.

[Ben Emery]

Scott and Russ,

Where in the Constitution does it give permission for a non government non treaty organization or entity to have authority over US policies?

Do you guys understand the WTO courts supersede US law?
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/11/28/175797/as-trade-rulings-against-us-mount.html#.UbAVUoVOj-k

[Paul Emery]

Yes indeed Ben.

I've been harping about this for awhile. In my view many on this blog have been getting damp about Agenda 21 when the real takeover and move to world government is taking place under their nose with the sanctions of both political parties and not a squeak of dissent from the Tea Party Types and so called Republican "Conservatives"

Both the Pubs and Dems have bought into this so I'm sure the powers that be are yucking it up watching the froth about Agenda 21 while they pick your pocket and buy out your government.

[Michael Anderson]

Paul, this is the main reason the A21 crapola is so irritating. It is a diversion of resources. I have yet to understand if George is doing this because he has lost his marbles, or because he is an agent of the WTO. Something doesn't add up.

[Account Deleted]

It's very simple, Ben - I never said they did. The US govt can and does freely enter into trade agreements. We were doing that long before GATT and the WTO. You are bringing up a straw man argument. We don't have to abide by any world governing body and that would include a lot of environmental authorities as well. It doesn't mean we can't join world wide organizations for the purpose of diplomacy and dialogue. I've been against the US paying the UN billions of dollars to carry out all sorts of operations that harm American interests.
I see that Paul has decided he doesn't like his pocket picked. Welcome to the Tea Party, Paul. There's plenty of room.

[Ryan Mount]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALN7LTeLxtI

Not sure how anyone would spin that for political gain, but I'm certain on this 1984 anniversary that people like the NYT bearded wooly potato will accuse Senator Paul of boy-ish fantasies.

Our regulations have massively out-paced our laws. And the effect of more and more regulations is to weaken our laws and make both unenforceable. And of course, to make everyone a criminal worthy of government inspection.

[George Rebane]

I see that our progressive readers still have a problem understanding the role of the A21 label in focusing the encroachment of government on property and liberties. Some even think that 'fighting A21' is a diversion from the real fight, such as against the extra-national WTO. I think ScottO's 742am sums up that issue very nicely. And the notion of regulations having "massively out-paced our laws" (RyanM 838am) is something to really focus on. Here in Nevada County we are definitely on the losing end of that battle.

[Ben Emery]

Why is it you guys don't get that regulations are a tool through government big business operates? Why is it that big business has never done so well but regulations are unmanageable by your guys standards. The two don't add up unless what I am saying is true.

[Todd Juvinall]

The attitude of those that do not own real property or have never had their personal property confiscated by the government is clear here. Once a person loses their property to government, thru regulations (zoning, general plans etc.) or their money or things thru liens or garnishments, then in my view those people are unable to grasp the concepts as stated here by the host.

The Tea Party is actually the opposite of the ignorant view of PaulE and the business world the opposite of the ignorant BenE. MichaelA is just odd, so I have no explanation for him.

[Paul Emery]

You guys are fiddling while America burns. This is a far greater threat than the silly AG21 diversion. This trade deal is supported big time by the Chamber of Commerce and the WTO, both favorites of the Repubs. Not a peep from the Tea Party types on this one.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/eu-trade-deal_n_2994410.html

"Exactly how broad these corporate political powers will be is undetermined, but one aspect of the agreement, known as "investor-state dispute resolution," would allow a company to appeal a regulatory rule or law to an international court, most likely the World Bank. The international body would be given authority to impose economic sanctions against any country that violated its verdict, including the United States."

[Ryan Mount]

> Why is it you guys don't get

Ben, these guys are bright. They "get it." I think you'll find that most around here are not pro-big business. This gaggle is definitely full of main-streeters.

> [R]egulations are a tool through government big business operates? Why is it that big business has never done so well but regulations are unmanageable by your guys standards.

No one is anti-regulation. Absolutely no one worth talking to. That's a straw man. What they're about is too much regulation that can't (or won't) be enforced.

Passing more laws and regulations that won't be enforced has the effect, again, OF WEAKENING OUR EXISTING LAWS AND REGULATIONS. And it turns neighbor against neighbor. (see above video) Fortunately, there's no enforcement for the reasons I just mentioned. (Better tell officials you suspect a Meth lab, I suppose.)

Take ADA regulations, something I have a dog in the fight. Since the passing of the American with Disabilities Act, which I whole-heartedly support in principle, our government immediately realized that they had no ability to enforce (enforcement is ALL that matters) most of the regulations. So they allowed private citizens to sue other citizens for violating the laws. That is ironically unconstitutional as per the 14th Amendment.

It is the government's job to enforce the laws and regulations it passes on our behalf. Not some vigilante lawyers literally shaking down defendants for court and litigation costs. How about writing people a fix-it ticket instead if their handicapped parking space isn't stood-off far enough from the adjacent space? Madness.

[Gregory]

Where in the Constitution does the Executive branch get granted the power to intercept all communications?

"The order requires Verizon, one of the nation's largest telecommunications companies, on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the U.S. and between the U.S. and other countries."
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130606/DA6O4MG03.html

Big Data Gone Wild!

I'm sure there's a great reason given for it.

[Ryan Mount]

Greg, wasn't this done under the auspices of the badly-named Patriot Act?

[Paul Emery]

The Pubbrs are already coming out in support of the Verizon taps.
This country sure could use a good dose of Libertarian leadership and I don't mean the Rand Paul Liberlite Republican brand.

"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday that he was "glad" the National Security Agency is collecting the phone records of Verizon Communications customers, The Washington Times reported.

Speaking on Fox News, Graham explained that he was a Verizon customer and was happy to have his service provider handing over phone records to the government in an effort to track suspected terrorists."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/lindsey-graham-nsa_n_3396223.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

[George Rebane]

Given the experience of homeland terrorist intercepts and successes (i.e. their presaging overseas communications and connections), I wonder what alternative (to 'wiretaps') approach the feds should take to stop future attacks.

[Paul Emery]

George

Is this Verizon gathering of meta-data blanket collection of phone data part of the AG2020 process of gathering information?

[Gregory]

George, there's a huge difference between "no wiretaps" and "let's monitor it all and let the NSA sort it out".

[George Rebane]

PaulE 1103am - tell us more about AG2020.

Gregory 1107am - agreed.

[Paul Emery]

Sorry

Agenda 21

Is this not all part of the same process of gathering data on all citizens?

[Account Deleted]

"Why is it you guys don't get that regulations are a tool through government big business operates?"
What 'guys', Ben? You have a friend in your pocket? Do you even read our posts?
I've practically beaten that topic to death.
And the way to stop it is to rein in our govt and have it operate according to the Constitution.
People and businesses will always try to game the system in their own favor. Poor, rich, middle class and everyone in between.
All that needs to happen is have the govt stop providing goods and picking winners and losers in the market. That will eliminate just about all of the crap. But it will lessen the power of our dear leaders and they won't like that. It has to be removed from their grubby hands. Have you noticed how smug and insulting the IRS big wigs are? They have no concept of the term 'civil servants'. They have become our masters and we have let them.

[Russ Steele]

While worrying about your cellphone records, you may want give a passing thought to your smart meter records and what might be happening to them as well. You smart meter, installed by a PG&E contractor, has a Zigbee Series 2 chip that operates between 868 to 915MHz at data rates from 20-40Kbits/second. These meter are manufactured by Landu + Gyr These smartmeters communicate with a mesh network operated by Silver Springs Network, with the data stored on PG&E servers somewhere in the Cloud.

There are also Series 2 chips that operates 2.4GHz that are WiFI and Bluetooth compatible, but the one’s you really need to worry about are the chips that operate in the same frequency range as your smart meter, as these chips are capable of forming a mesh network with any other ZigBee chip in the same frequency range. There are 11 channels and when turned on all ZigBee chip scans these channels looking for other ZigBee chips to connect with to form a network. According to the literature this feature is currently turned off in your PG&E meter, but it can be turned on remotely. For example if you bought into the PG&E program to install a smart thermostat that they can turn on or off remotely this feature has been turned on. Now why should you care?

Well, you may also have other appliance in your home with the ZigBee protocol chips including your, dish washer, hot water heater, your TV remote, your VCR and BlueRay player, etc. Here is a list of 90+ companies that are members of the ZigBee Alliance: http://www.zigbee.org/About/OurMembers.aspx

If you have products manufactured by any of these companies, check the placard on the device. The FCC requires a notice on all RF devices. However, it appears that some smartmeter manufactures failed to put one on their smart meters. I cannot find one on my Landu + Gyr meter, thought Silver Springs Network the mesh network operators slapped an FCC number of the meter with a sticker. If you have a device with a Series 2 Zigbee Chip, that operates between 868 to 915MHz, your smartmeter may know about it and be collecting data on how that appliance is used. This data is being stored on a Cloud Server somewhere. Should the government want to know more about when you shower, wash dishes, or what TV channels your are watching, the kind of movies you order up from Netflix, and what your favorite streaming porn channel is, that data is on file and can be requested by the government.

Just be aware. You are leaving more electronic trails than just your cellphone. If you want more data on Zigbee please let me know, I have the spec sheets.

[Russ Steele]

Test Test Test

For some reason type pad is wiping out my posts. This is just a test.

[Paul Emery]

Russ

I've had problems as well for the last couple of days.

[George Rebane]

Disappearing comments on RR - OK people, I think we may be making progress. TypePad support thought that its algo may be marking some comments as spam and relegating them to my spam folder (which they told me how to find). I sent them Russ' 206pm URL after republishing it, and they will advise me if they have fixed the problem. In the interval, please let me know if you lose a comment so I can dig it out of the spam folder and republish it. And no fair writing comments that look like spam ;-)

[Russ Steele]

And you just thought is was phone records, seems they are monitoring our e-mail, our surfing, our Skype, etc. Check out these slides: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-collection-documents/

I put Microsoft on my NO Buy list years ago. Now I am going have to add a few more.

[Ryan Mount]

Testing, 1,2,3. Gene ric Ci ali s. click her e. Testing. Agenda 21. My name is Elena. I live in the Philippines.

Seems to be working.

[Walt]

How many scandals are in play now since the IRS helped rig the elections from within? I have lost count.....

[Bill Tozer]

Listen, we are all sheeple. It might be blamspemy to say this, but them wikeleaks had some positive benefits. The left was sheeple to believe Omaba closed down them vulgar secret CIA prisons. The Right were sheeple believing Obama was licking the toenail polish off every Raghead leader.

But, we were fooled. Them Wikeleaks showed that Obama did indeed close those ghastly secret prisons as promised, but he started up new ones in more remote places. Smart move to hide them in Central Africa where few would ever tread.

I like the fact that these prisons ain't no girlie man water boarding and silly college initiation pranks like that. Nope, Obama ordered the real red meat. Just that thought of taking high voltage wires to some terrorists' gonads sends goose bumps down my leg. I love the smell of burnt flesh in standing water. We have been fooled, but if fooling me was wrong, then I don't want to be right. Smoke em if you got em.

[Ben Emery]

Since this comment doesn't want to stick I will break it up into two. I tried to post it this morning but had to get to work and just got home.

Scott,
The US at least in rhetoric used to pretend not to do business with nations that violate the ideals of what the US stood for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our reps in the Executive Branch and in Congress don't even give us and the international world lip service anymore about standing for something greater than the bottom line.

My brother was just home visiting from Cambodia where he has lived for the last 7 years. He told me that manufacturing going rate for workers is $61 a month. That is 6 days a week 10- 12 hours a day. Here is a story of workers being screwed for over $200,000 in back wages from Walmart. They just shut shop without warning and screwed the workers over. For months the workers protested, camp ins, hunger strike, and eventually won in the courts to receive their wages. In the mean time people suffered because a multinational refused to pay them their slave labor wages that they legally were owed. The Walton heirs and controllers of Walmart are worth $200 billion. This is one factory and one story. Multiply this by thousands and we can see why Walmart can undercut their competition who are doing business according to law. How does this fit into free market?

The cheap crap you and Russ enjoy purchasing at the Walmarts of the world are cheap for a reason. The use horrible material and exploit workers natural and legal rights. I wouldn't say that is smart, moral, or noble use of your spending power.

[Ben Emery]

I guess it is the link that I am trying post so I will leave off the www part of it.

My second attempt at this.

Scott,
The US at least in rhetoric used to pretend not to do business with nations that violate the ideals of what the US stood for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our reps in the Executive Branch and in Congress don't even give us and the international world lip service anymore about standing for something greater than the bottom line.

My brother was just home visiting from Cambodia where he has lived for the last 7 years. He told me that manufacturing going rate for workers is $61 a month. That is 6 days a week 10- 12 hours a day. Here is a story of workers being screwed for over $200,000 in back wages from Walmart. They just shut shop without warning and screwed the workers over. For months the workers protested, camp ins, hunger strike, and eventually won in the courts to receive their wages. In the mean time people suffered because a multinational refused to pay them their slave labor wages that they legally were owed. The Walton heirs and controllers of Walmart are worth $200 billion. This is one factory and one story. Multiply this by thousands and we can see why Walmart can undercut their competition who are doing business according to law. How does this fit into free market?

The cheap crap you and Russ enjoy purchasing at the Walmarts of the world are cheap for a reason. The use horrible material and exploit workers natural and legal rights. I wouldn't say that is smart, moral, or noble use of your spending power.

.warehouseworkersunited.org/cambodian-garment-workers-expose-illegal-abuse-at-walmart-supplier/

"After the factory abruptly closed, many workers have been evicted from their homes because they cannot pay their rent. Workers believe that the factory closed with plans to reopen once it sheds long-time employees who have seniority and benefits.

They say the new factory will be similar to other Walmart suppliers internationally and domestically that rely on temporary workers who will work on 3-month, short-term contracts. Such a scheme will prevent workers from forming a union or having any job security."

[Ben Emery]

Bill,
You are correct that we are Sheeple to a certain extent. I think it has more to do with we don't to think that those we support in ideals would be more about their political party and power than actually fighting and upholding the their campaign promises. I have been over the two parties for a long time but Obama has put the final nail in the coffin for me that we have any sort of democratic republic. We have a government that is up for sale to the highest bidder and saving frogs, redwoods, clean air, and preserving open spaces doesn't generate much profit so it is an uphill battle to say the least for those of us on the true left not Democratic Party center.

I find the ending to your comment disgusting but give you a nod towards being honest. Obama and especially the Democratic Party are just as power hungry and are just as much war mongers than the Republican Party and I would have voted for Ron Paul this time around if he was on the ballot despite my disagreements with him on social and domestic issues. Were we find ourselves today I think those issues are secondary to our civil liberties being stripped and our exporting death and destruction around the planet with impunity. I guess the radical Muslim is some push back but very little on a state level.

[Bill Tozer]

Cheap and affordable stuff at Walmart. People don't go there to buy expensive stuff or overpriced stuff. They shop at Walmart for 4 reasons: 1) its all they can afford. 2) It really does help stretch the food budget in these inflationary times. 3) its fun to save money and shop, aka, a national pastime. 4) They are hoping to been seen in "People at Walmart" internet videos. Truly Wal-Mart is a great melting pot of shoppers and goods from around the world. Soon they will be selling cheap solar panels and other factory discontinued sustainable items.

[George Rebane]

Walt 601pm - Yes, it is hard to keep count. Today two more were added. Have you heard of PRISM?

[Ben Emery]

Bill,
Every human being as far as we know for sure has one life on this earth. Let that sink in for a moment. You, me, George only have one life as far as we know. Our comfort should not come at the expense of other discomfort. Why do we believe since we live in the US a persons life in Bangladesh is less worthy so they should have to live in primitive conditions while working "slaving" 10 - 12 hours a day? To give the administrators and shareholders a quarterly profit? So shoppers can have the illusion that the products they are purchasing are inexpensive?

At what point to we disconnect the treatment of their employee's and our patronage? Once again there are thousands of examples where Walmart mistreats their employees or breaks laws to get an upper hand over competitors, so the existential question then becomes what responsibility do we have towards the plight of our fellow humans. And what responsibility do we as citizens have towards allowing our local, state, and federal government give these companies tax breaks or subsides? http://www.walmartsubsidywatch.org/

It is not just Walmart is virtually all of the big trans/ multi nationals that have this business model.

[George Rebane]

BenE 648am - You (and the links you provide) seem to claim that Walmart has conducted its business outside the laws. If true, they should be indicted and prosecuted. Or are your arguments based on moral grounds? If so, we should then enter into a discussion of our different mores and their relative worth, significance, and relevance to our quality of life for openers.

[Bill Tozer]

Ben, I don't care if they work 18 hours a day for 3 grains of rice just as long as I can buy cheap junk and not pay one red cent more. If the slaves don't like it they can flee the plantation.

Just wish Wal-Mart could eliminate the sales tax as the State don't need that money. Causes all kinds of problems when the State's coffers are above empty. Not wise cause the State has not figured out how to seperate spending from politics. Such as waste of good ole American greenbacks to sent too much to the State. Its like giving a teenager 50k. Not good.

Ben, I assume you are not a Wal-Mart shopper. Good for you, my brother from another mother. You do not contribute to the suffering of our darker skinned fellow earthlings. Excellent. Now you may go in peace as you have been cleansed from Sam Walton and his Little House on the Pararie folksy clan.

This is economic warfare. The purpose of war is to kill people and break things. If you ain't into sending Ahab to be surrounded by 72 male virgin nerds for eternity, then just go bust something. Its all good.

[Todd Juvinall]

I ran across this comment on the loony blog. This MichaelA is a true ass. This is in regards to A21 and the woman Koire. (I bet she would kick his sorry liberal butt, LOL!)

"Michael Anderson, on June 8, 2013 at 3:11 pm said:

Steve, you have mistakenly applied an expectation of reasonable behavior to this Buzz Windrip wannabe.

She’s either a psychopath or a fascist, and maybe even both. She’s also probably harmless, but her fanaticism deserves close scrutiny."

I think he is responding to the other loon, Frisch who is whining about the woman not agreeing to come and kick his butt in a debate. My understanding is the woman is a liberal.

[George Rebane]

ToddJ 910pm - I have also noticed a number of jolting disconnects with MichaelA, more so when his comments on other blogs are brought to my attention. My post made it clear that "Ms Koire is a self-described liberal Democrat and ‘married’ lesbian who also happens to be an excellent and animated speaker, especially about Agenda21."
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2013/05/agenda21-the-beat-grows-stronger.html

"... more scrutiny" indeed. I bet she's getting plenty of it from our administration's intelligence organs.

[Ben Emery]

George,
My complaint is on legal and moral grounds. How can we celebrate a company that breaks the law and treats its employees so horribly. Does getting away with illegal acts fit into the free market? Or are there no laws outside property rights in your free market world? Walmart was just found guilty of dumping toxic waste in CA and got a $81 million fine, nobody goes to jail but get something that is calculated into the cost of doing business. The real question then becomes what were the results of these toxins being exposed to the public? Did a person get a chronic disease because of it and would they ever know or be able to prove it came from the toxic waste? These are parts of the free market that nobody can calculate outside the lines of "Life ain't fair and sometimes your just shit out of luck". Poor people who cannot afford legal representation are shit out of luck while the Walton heirs are laughing all the way to the bank. Break Up Walmart along with the big banks and Monsanto under anti trust/ competition laws.

[Steven Frisch]

I will point out that just because she is a lesbian, supports gay marriage, abortion, and is a self declared liberal Democrat does not mean she is not also bat shit crazy.

And Todd, she called me out specifically and challenged "to take Mr. Frisch on" head to head in her presentation. If she is so confident, as you seem to be, she has a forum an a wiling counter-point waiting.

[George Rebane]

BenE 1221am - Celebrations aside, is not Walmart being appropriately punished by our justice system for the laws it has broken? Are you making a case that action action should be taken against the company to make up for the failure of said justice system?

StevenF 501am - Your initial charge against Koire was that she is a fascist - an ideology that liberals usually connect with the Right. Pointing out her self-declared membership among liberal Democrats, you now shift to contending that such people can also be "bat shit crazy". I'm not aware that anyone has even opened the discussion of her mental health. It's hard to follow your attacks on the lady.

[Steve Frisch]

Hey George, I have been following Ms. Koire for some time, and was well aware of the fact that she identifies herself as a liberal. Her web site (democratsagainstagenda21) has been bookmarked on my system for more than two years.

I have long contended that she is both a fascist (because she uses the tactics of fascists) AND bat shit crazy. Once again,one is not exclusive of the other.

[Gregory]

Regarding MA, he's his own Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and to go back in time, I doubt I'll ever forgive him for his post on TheUnion blog that caused my wife to literally shake in fear that there was a internet stalker out there with intent to cause us harm.

Regarding Frisch and Koire, I'd say Frisch can be expected to dislike anyone who pulls the curtain to reveal a wizard on his side pulling levers.

[Ben Emery]

George,
We are creeping towards the problem, which will end in the solution. Our justice system and the enforcement of that system is controlled by Republicans and Democrats who are representatives of these very same companies that are breaking the laws. A law does no good when it is selectively enforced.

This is the basis of what I believe is the difference in our world view. Those who write and enforce the laws are usually the ones who don't get prosecuted under them.

Locally we continue to see more and more laws against the homelessness without directly going after the homeless. Same idea. Anti loitering laws would make it illegal to be in town if a person is not shopping, at the discretion of local police. Seems very Jim Crowish to me. There are already laws in place that make obstructing sidewalks illegal and so on. But they continue to keep attempting to pass broader laws giving them cover to profile, intimidate, and trample on the civil liberties of a specific group of people. My guess you wouldn't oppose this tactic, hopefully my guess is wrong.

[Bill Tozer]

Ben, the Supreme Court ruled against vagrancy laws and I benefited from it in the early 70's. Before that, if you were hitchhiking through some small town and you did not have enough money on you to buy a Motel 6 room, they could haul you in on "vagrancy laws". Especially a low life long haired freakazoid like me.

The assault on the homeless as you put it has two sides to the coin. Just check out what civil liberties lubbing Berkley has done to fight the problem of unruly mentally ill addicts taking over side walks and benches.

When a person like me goes into a park and am confronted by our lovely fellow citizens that I have to leave or else "cause this park is for homeless only", then there will be some push back. They get very territorial. Just recollect of the problems Nevada City had when it opened public bathrooms on cold nights. The bathrooms got very, very territorial to those that did not want to share.

I was in old downtown LA years ago and slipped into an alley to take a piss. The foul overwhelming smell of urine made even me wonder if I could hold my breathe long enough to relieve myself. The whole place in the old part of LA reeked of urine. Turn the page and I read just a couple years ago how some local businesses wanted to hose down the sidewalks in front of their businesses each morning. Seems customers were complaining about all the human waste they had to step over to get inside and of course the smell. The businesses were blocked from washing down the sidewalks because it was an "assault" on the homeless.

Before you get your lily white linens are wrinkled, I have made no secret that I was homeless myself more than once. Not for some whimpy week or a month, but several years. Even had two twin daughters living in an old VW Rabbit each and every night. That is why I say if you have a car (running or not), you always have a roof over your head. But don't trounce on my rights to walk into a public park and expect no push back. That be asking too much.

[Paul Emery]

Stephen

You are a little dramatic in characterizing Ms Koire. I take her more as an entertainer, a one night stand book seller, motivational speaker and hit and run carnival barker who never allows challenges or debates even when she advocates a call to action like she did when when she was here.

“If a nonprofit supports the kind of sustainability development or receives funding from Agenda 21-related organizations, cease supporting them, she said.

Koire implicated the Sierra Business Council and Nevada City’s Sustainability Team as such organizations.

http://www.theunion.com/news/6627158-113/koire-agenda-development-tuesday

[Steven Frisch]

Paul Emery | 09 June 2013 at 11:47 AM

Although it is true that she may be a carnival barker, the impact of her words, and the actions of the people she leaves behind as she travels the country selling her abysmally written book will remain. Here are my comments from the blog of 'he who shall not be named" this morning:

"Watch the two hour and tell me what “benefit of the doubt” her position still warrants. Of particular interest was her response to the gentleman who asked her, “how do you tell the difference between a community that just wants a bike lane because they like biking and want to be safe and Agenda 21?” Ms. Koire’s response is, “look at the motivations of who is supporting the bike lane.”

Really? So we are to make policy based on a third party interpretation of individuals and organizations motivation?

Policy is based on law, crafted in a democratic republic through representative bodies and the courts. Policy should be based on facts and a rational investigation of the facts, through both deliberative bodies and the maximum amount of public participation possible.

Have you watched the videos of Ms. Koire and her allies shouting down meeting presenters and other members of the public at the One Bay Area Sustainable Community Strategy meetings? Is that democracy?

CABPRO is organizing its forces to intervene in the Nevada County General Plan process and use these same tactics to impose the will of a vocal minority of the community on the majority. They are poised to use the same tactics that they have been using to maintain some semblance of power in our county for years: creating a ‘straw man’; whipping up irrational fear about that straw man and framing all opponents of their preferred policies as organs of the straw man; demonizing their opponents by naming them as fascists/communists/corporatists/; packing the room with people trained to appear more representative than they really are; shouting down those with a different point of view thus discouraging their continued participation; bullying and intimidating those who do speak up; and finally, threatening recall, referendum and initiative as a punitive action against elected officials and jurisdictions should they support policies that they oppose.

All of the tactics mentioned are clearly within any individual or organizations constitutional rights and are protected as free speech, assembly, and under California’s political system; but the aggregate effect of these actions is to obstruct and subvert legitimate planning processes and democratic processes.

As long as people of good will and with a sense of civility allow the forces of incivility to reign, they will have a disproportionate representation in our County."

[Paul Emery]

Stephen

In my view she does more to turn people off to the advocacy of the A21 UN takeover crowd than advance its following. Friends of mine who are Republicans by and large regard this as a loony fringe that has a big voice because they speak often and loud. They never advance political candidates and have a dismal record at the ballot box.

[George Rebane]

StevenF 1200pm - "Policy is based on law, crafted in a democratic republic through representative bodies and the courts."

Actually there is a totally different understanding about the relationship between policy and law. Adopting policy precedes the legislation of laws. Policies define broader objectives and goals of governance which are then implemented by various laws, codes, regs, etc. Policies can be and have been introduced and adopted by both governmental and non-governmental institutions without the context of any existing body of law, leaving that task as a follow-on to when the policy gains political traction.

Just thought I'd throw that out there as another difference between the worldviews expressed in these pages.

BenE 1035am - My previous experience with vagrancy laws was in (the People's Republic of) Santa Monica. The seaside city adopted very inviting, inclusive, sensitive, ... ordnances that attracted every bum (ancient term for 'homeless') this side of the Colorado River. After the town was covered in human filth, driving away tourists and shoppers and ..., all those inclusive and sensitive citizens started howling for their police to do something.

Plan A was to simply sweep them up, stick them in a van, and dump them in San Berdoo, Riverside, or Orange counties. That worked until their police and sheriffs started reciprocating, and Santa Monica wound up with more, or shall we say, a surfeit of bums who removed the last prospects for sustainable sanitation in public spaces.

Plan B was to set up the brass dolphins to collect monies for 'homeless shelters' to which the indigent are now hustled from public view. The tourists and shoppers have returned since the parks and parking structure stairwells are covered with less kemosabe. However, the jury is still out because the costs to residents are high and SM is as inviting as ever. Bottom line, don't buy their municipal bonds.
http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/cgi-bin/id/city.cgi?city=Santa%20Monica&state=CA

Exit question. How can the GVNC public areas be kept inviting to residents and tourists without offending the sensitivities of our progressive environmentally concerned citizenry, while not becoming an attractant for out-of-county norCal bums (to be differentiated from locals who fall on hard times)?

[Todd Juvinall]

It is fascinating to me that libs like PaulE, MishaelA and SteveF get all paranoid when a woman takes it to them. It appears to me they are misogynists since they have decided this accomplished woman is a threat to them.. Name calling a woman by these two or three men must be common place in their daily thoughts and lives.

Though the woman is a liberal, I think she represents the finest example of a person, male or female, who takes up a just cause and runs with it. She does not appear to be a rent-seeking sponge like Steve Frisch. She does not appear to be a woman who knows her place as PaulE thinks she should be. She does not appear to be a doormat that MA wants here to be.

Too funny. Left wing men have no respect for the gender that gave them life.

[Paul Emery]

George

Can you give me an example of a policy in place that does not have the support of law.