George Rebane
Seventy years ago today, in the early hours of 4 May 1949, I stood on the rail of the troop carrier USS Harry Taylor (pictured) with my father, as the ship slid past the Statue of Liberty to dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. That evening on a chicken farm near Plainfield, Connecticut began our new life in America. The description of that auspicious day I recall in ‘Sixty Years Ago Today – 4 May 1949’.
Earlier today Jo Ann and I attended a farewell party for our friends Stan and Elaine Meckler. They are the latest Californians who see no reason to stay in this state of galloping socialism, rapacious taxes, and a badly fractured society with dysfunctional values and no identifiable culture. After the 2008 election we worked with the senior and junior Mecklers and a few other Nevada County families to found the Tea Party. In the following years, their son Mark Meckler became the recognized co-founder and prominent national voice of the Tea Party. Jo Ann and I are sad to see another family of friends disappear over the horizon to greener pastures.
And finally, this afternoon we also said good-bye to a long-time friend and poker buddy Gil Gray who died about six weeks ago. Gil’s wife Dee asked me to deliver the eulogy at his celebration of life held at the Gold Miners Inn in Grass Valley. Gil was a kind good-hearted person, and always a gentleman. Gil’s passing marks for many of us a tragic 12-months, during which we now have lost three from our band of Brothers of the Green Felt, who attend monthly psychostochastic seminars around the beloved octagon, a tradition now in its 25th year.
I can say many of us are glad you became a great addition to this country. America is much better since you came here. And all legal! LOL! Sorry about the Mecklers but many are leaving. My daughter and her hubby, both liberals, are also leaving. They are having a home built near Boise Idaho and the cost of living there will be one half of San Jose.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 04 May 2019 at 06:51 PM
"They are the latest Californians who see no reason to stay in this state of galloping socialism, rapacious taxes, and a badly fractured society with dysfunctional values and no identifiable culture. "
When I first moved to Nevada county I was told of the 'pine factor'. According to this creed people who wanted to live in such beautiful surroundings should expect to pay more for goods and services and make less money. The same kind of logic should apply to California as well. If a person doesn't like the political and social climate of CA then those folks should elect, as the Mecklers, to move to more comfortable climes where they can live without getting pissed of every day at the fact that CA does not operate to their liking. People who want to do business in CA should recognize that California has some of the strictest environmental regulations in the country as well as 'sanctuary cities' and other issues not all folks agree upon. That is the cost of doing business in CA, like the 'pine factor'. If said business person does not like CA regulations they are free to take their business to what they perceive to be a more friendly region as are disgruntled citizens.
Posted by: Robert Cross | 04 May 2019 at 06:55 PM
The "pine factor" story you were given was BS, "Bobbie".
The love it or leave it story for California is even more BS.
The economics of the state and county and cities and school districts is unsustainable, but as long as they can write checks, they will pretend all is well. Until they can't.
Posted by: Gregory | 04 May 2019 at 07:15 PM
Bobbie... you are Michael P. Anderson, aren't you?
The pine factor story was their way of getting folks to work for below market salaries.
Posted by: Gregory | 04 May 2019 at 07:17 PM
Booby at 6:55 - not even close moron.
Leaving CALIFORNIA. Not just Nevada County. Of course rural areas have higher costs for some items, but we're talking about the whole state.
Care to pay attention and read George's post?
And thanks, George, for the timely mention of the anniversary of your arrival on our shores.
A LEGAL immigrant (caps for the low IQ lefties) who appreciated the opportunities (not any freebies) that our nation offered. That is the kind of people our nation was built on. If you don't like it, I hear Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea would welcome you.
They have what you lefties talk about, why not go there and be in hog heaven?
Posted by: Scott O | 04 May 2019 at 07:39 PM
When we had public hearings on a proposed project when I was a Supervisor, the lib/hippy types would testify the same BS. "I moved here and took a pay cut to minimum wage so I could live in this beautiful place" they would say. The next breath was they wanted a pay hike since they could not afford it. A bunch of flatlanders without brains.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 04 May 2019 at 07:43 PM
Last week or so I lost another good life long friend to another state. They stopped by on the way to their new destination and life and spent the night before driving on.. This couple saddened me greatly as I felt a best friend had died.
For them, it was not politics as they are non-political. They probably never heard of Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders. It was not business regs as he is quite successful. No, it is the regs on daily life. For his lovely gentle spirited wife, it’s now being afraid to walk into Starbucks for fear of the homeless and drug attics filling the store. Not a safe place. It was putting the garden hose on a trickle to deep water a rose bush, forgetting about it and inadvertently letting it run (again, on trickle) all night...and receiving a $500.00 fine. It’s the disrespectful trespassers on their property, it’s being very careful and fearful over what PC pronoun offense she might say at work (works as a librarian), it the politicization of every aspect of daily life outside the home from the Book Club to grocery shopping. For him, it’s the endless craziness. He was born and raised in CA, as was his father and mother. In fact, his sister lives in the house that their grandfather built in the 30’s or 40’s.
It is best to move somewhere all excited and jazzed. But not so with my friend. The destination is not as important to him and his wife than the great relief that they finally made it out of CA. Better late than never. Instead of going TO some place, they are fleeing FROM some place. Big difference.
This one hurts. I feel the void and loss daily for a couple weeks now. But, they are fulfilling their dream.....the dream of getting out. Most won’t be so fortunate for a variety of reasons and can only dream of someday getting out of The Golden State. They made it out. That makes 4-5 friends and acquaintances in the last few months that I personally know. Opps, call it six or seven. Add another born and raised in CA friend I have known since before high school (both his parents were born in CA as well) closes escrow this month on a home with some elbow room out of state. What makes this couple’s determination to leave so informative is they are leaving all loving family members behind, including kids, many siblings, and grandchildren. That is the proof in the pudding. May the wind be at their backs. Once you leave, there is no coming back...
Posted by: Bill Tozer | 04 May 2019 at 08:56 PM
BT 8:56 - As a 4th gen Cali I get the sadness. You Euros might smirk, but do the math. For us, it's a real loss but we have to follow what brought our predecessors to Ca in the first place. Freedom and opportunity. Onward. CA is becoming (is) a fascist state. Our Euro ancestors had no slaves nor did we kill any indigenous people. We were simply displaced due to our willingness to work hard and play fair. For that we were labeled evil. So we left.
Posted by: Scott O | 04 May 2019 at 10:28 PM
It seems that the concept of analogy is lost on some of you. no surprise there.
Posted by: Robert Cross | 05 May 2019 at 08:50 AM
RobertC 850am - Mr Cross, I for one have always sought to follow your high thoughts - albeit often without much success. Nevertheless, I continue the pursuit. For us slower students, could you please expand on your "concept of analogy" that so eludes? Specifically, what were you analogizing?
Posted by: George Rebane | 05 May 2019 at 09:10 AM
The left always toss that kind of poo hoping it will stick. All it shows is they are all morons.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 05 May 2019 at 09:42 AM
"...could you please expand on your "concept of analogy" that so eludes? Specifically, what were you analogizing?"
Give him some time George, he's trying to figure it out himself.
Posted by: Scott O | 05 May 2019 at 12:11 PM
I think the analogy Mikey/Bobbie was making was of the type "a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle".
Specifically, he got conned into taking less pay than he wanted with a bogus story about how everyone here agrees that to move here is to make less money, and then the completely unrelated story of how people who don't like the dysfunction in Sacramento (and the Rude Center) should move to another state and stop resisting the will of the Progressive minority.
Posted by: Gregory | 05 May 2019 at 12:26 PM
"the pines"? What a load of BS.. people all over the state are giving the finger to ca. The flat lands don't have "pines".
Your excuse for Frisco Babs? See anyone taking a pay cut for the privilege of living there?
Go sell your snake oil on Fatboy's page
Posted by: Walt | 05 May 2019 at 03:28 PM