Post Scripts

by Jack

Well now it’s downright personal. Thanks to ObamaCare my son has been put on notice that his Kaiser health insurance won’t be allowed. This is a policy that my son did a lot of research on and it’s tailor made to suit his family. But, nooooo, big government says it’s not good enough! He will soon have riders on things he says are unnecessary for his family needs, but what is worse the new policy is going to increase his out of pocket costs by thousands of dollars a year. He’s livid, as well he should be. He never voted for Obama, he didn’t want government inserting themselves into his family business, he was against ObamaCare and he sure doesn’t like being forced into a new healthcare policy that isn’t as cost effective as the old policy.

by Jack Lee

Like it or not, we’re only 2 months away from the official start of another Presidential Election cycle.   I know, for most of us we would rather swerve into a tree than endure two more years of candidates posturing, lying and bloviating.

 However, this electioneering is no picnic for the candidates either.   Today’s candidates hold themselves wide open to scrutiny never seen before, from everything in their political past up to and including what we everyday people consider deeply personal.   Clearly,  one must be driven by forces that are hard to imagine to endure what it takes to run for president. Hunter S. Thompson once quipped that you have to be borderline crazy to run for president.

What qualities do you demand for your candidate?    Here are a few of mine for your consideration:  

Honesty…absolutely!   But, how much honesty?  I’m serious.  Have you ever stopped to consider that unflinching honesty makes people vulnerable?   Being too candid can create problems where none need to exist and it make them targets of criticism. I wouldn’t fault a candidate for playing his cards close to his chest on personal family stuff, but outright lying for personal/political advantage is another thing.

Most of us will probably agree, the President must set a high standard if he is going to run a clean administration, develop the needed respect and trust from political colleagues and constituents.

An even temperament or at least a controlled temper is a must. Temper outbursts can be seen as a sign of immaturity or instability and this is a weakness to be exploited. John McCain’s temper got him ridiculed in his election bid. When he’s mad he flares his nostrils and that made him somewhat of a joke. Obama tends to have a slow burn and he has used this to his advantage. For instance while on the campaign trail he said to pestering reporters, “Just let me eat my waffle.” It was said just firmly enough that it was a clear sign to back off and they did. Nixon had a vicious temper, but the public never saw it, so it might as well never have existed. We only learned about his hot temper through the release of White House tapes many years later.

You don’t belong in the White House unless you are politically savvy, this is no place for learning as you go. It usually requires a many years of federal level political experience, coupled to an above average education before people are going to trust the candidate’s judgment. The world is full of shrewd political opponents and that means naivety is a national security issue.

Some might just call this character, but I’ll go with having the courage of one’s convictions. Candidates are notorious for saying one thing and then doing another. Again, this goes to building respect and confidence necessary to lead. When Bush senior made his famous “Read my lips…” statement and later compromised with the opposition to raise taxes, he demonstrated he did not have the courage of his own convictions. He yielded to expediency for what he thought would be future leverage and it backfired. There’s a fine line between standing up for your convictions and being seen as closed minded. So it’s good for voters to understand a candidates most closely held convictions and for the candidate it better be something he really can live with and stand behind. Politics is a game of tactical compromise, keep that in mind when you think about a person’s convictions and how it might affect their ability to lead. On the hand a persons convictions are a statement of purpose.

If a candidate is not a great Statesman, he’ll never be a great President. The art of diplomacy is far superior to the art of war and the American Civil War has to be the hallmark of failed statesmanship. President James Buchanan left office in 1860 as one of the most disgraced presidents in American history thanks to his failure to keep the Union together. Buchanan didn’t have the political capital nor the diplomacy. He was indecisive on critical issues such as slavery and he more than the any other factor divided the Democratic Party and kept them out of the White House for the next 24 years.

Our best presidents were people who exemplified what it means to be of good character. A person dedicated to upholding our best principles of our founding fathers with an ability to communicate clearly with credibility. You can say what you will about Ronald Reagan, but he was a master of communication.  He was amiable and sincere and that all came across in everything he said. No other President in our history could deliver a biting criticism more tactfully than Reagan or sell an idea as if it were draped in the American flag.  His quick wit that remind historians of Lincoln won him a lot of debates, like Lincoln. 

Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., the editor of the American Presidents Series and author of numerous presidential volumes, writes of the qualities of a good president. “Great presidents possess — a vision of an ideal America.” That was Ronald Reagan and he made us feel good about being Americans. He made us believe in our ability to face great adversity and win.

Great presidents will always rise above partisan politics. Their character will never waiver in the face of great adversity and they will never lose their passion to steer our Ship of State of on the right course.

Let us hope and pray the next President in the White House will be such a person!  (Dare I say it… Hope for change?)

Thanks go to Peggy for this submission

The U.S. government has just passed a new law titled “The Affordable Boat Act”, declaring that every citizen MUST purchase a new boat, by April, 2014. These “affordable” boats will cost on average $54,000-$155,000 each. This does not include taxes, trailers, towing fees, licensing and registration fees, fuel, docking and storage fees, maintenance or repair costs.

This law has been passed, because until now, typically only wealthy and financially responsible people have been able to purchase boats. This new law ensures that every American can now have an “affordable” boat of their own, because everyone is “entitled” to a new boat. If you purchase your boat before the end of the year, you will receive 4 free life jackets (but not including the monthly usage fees).

In order to make sure everyone purchases an affordable boat, the costs of maintaining a boat will increase 250% per year. This way, wealthy people will pay more for something that other people don’t want or can’t afford to maintain. But to be fair, people who can’t afford to maintain their boat will be regularly fined. Children (under the age of 26) can use their parents’ boats to party on until they turn 27; then must purchase their own boat.

If you already have a boat and like it, you can keep yours. Period. (Just kidding. No, you can’t.) Even if you don’t want or don’t need a boat, you are required to buy one anyhow. If you refuse to buy one or can’t afford one, you will be regularly fined $800 until you purchase one, or ultimately face imprisonment.

Failure to use your boat will also result in fines. People living in the desert, ghettos, inner cities, or areas with no access to lakes are not exempt. Age, motion sickness, or lack of desire are not acceptable excuses for not using your boat.

A government review board (that doesn’t know the difference between the port, starboard, and stern of a boat) will decide everything — including when, where, how often, and for what purposes you can use your boat, The review board will also decide how many people can ride your boat, and determine if one is too old or healthy enough to be able to use their boat. They will also decide if your boat has out lived its usefulness, and if you must purchase specific accessories (like a $500 compass!), or maybe a newer, more expensive boat.

Those that can afford yachts will be required to do so…it’s only fair. The government will also decide the name for each boat. Failure to comply with these rules will result in fines and possible imprisonment. Government officials are exempt from this new law. If they want a boat, they and their families can obtain boats free, at the expense of tax payers. Unions, bankers, and mega companies with large political affiliations ($$$) are also exempt.

P.S. – WARNING!  From past experiences with government programs, expect the boats to be very leaky.

  The Alamo Scouts were organized on Fergusson Island, New Guinea, on 28 November 1943 to conduct reconnaissance and raider work in the Southwest Pacific Theater under the personal command of then Lt. General Walter Krueger, Commanding General, Sixth U.S. Army.

Named for his beloved association with San Antonio, Texas, and the Alamo, Krueger envisioned that the Alamo Scouts, consisting of small teams of highly trained volunteers, would operate deep behind enemy lines to provide intelligence-gathering and tactical reconnaissance in advance of Sixth U.S. Army landing operations.

During these two years the Alamo Scouts liberated 197 Allied prisoners in New Guinea, and provided forward reconnaissance and tactical support of the Sixth Ranger Battalion in the liberation of the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp on Luzon, in February 1945, freeing 511 Allied prisoners. In addition, the Alamo Scouts captured 84 Japanese prisoners of war.

The Alamo Scouts evolved from a simple reconnaissance unit in New Guinea to a sophisticated intelligence collection group which supplied and coordinated large-scale guerrilla operations on Leyte and Luzon.

In July 1945, the Alamo Scouts were training to conduct pre-invasion reconnaissance of Kyushu in preparation for OPERATION OLYMPIC, the first step in the proposed Allied invasion of the Japanese homeland. Following the Japanese surrender, the Alamo Scouts landed in Wakayama and became part of the occupation army

They were unceremoniously disbanded at Kyoto, Japan, in November 1945, never to be reconstituted.

The Alamo Scouts have the finest record of any elite unit of World War II and, arguably, one of the finest in the history of the United States military.

In 1988, the Alamo Scouts were individually awarded the SPECIAL FORCES SHOULDER TAB for their services in World War II and included in the lineage of today’s U.S. Army Special Forces.

Cabanatuan Raid Story:   When General Krueger began planning the raid on Cabanatuan, he sent for the Alamo Scouts.

Two teams of Scouts were chosen to work the mission. The Nellist and Roundsville teams undertook reconnaissance of Cabanatuan. They gathered useful information on Japanese movements in the camp’s vicinity. In fact, they confirmed USAFFE guerrilla leader Juan Pajota’s intelligence — Japanese activity in the area was tremendous. They concurred that the raid should be postponed for 24 hours.

Nevertheless, they were stymied. They needed better information on the movements within the camp and they couldn’t get near the camp — the surrounding fields were too flat. They were sure to be seen. Time was ticking past; the Scouts were getting frustrated. They needed more information. What could they do?

Lieutenant Bill Nellist hatched a plan. He reasoned that although it was impossible to get near the camp, they could spy on the camp from a higher outpost. He had spotted an abandoned shack that just might be able to provide the vantage. It was risky, but he decided that he and Rufo Vaquilar, a Filipino-American Alamo Scout, would dress up as Filipino villagers and attempt to gain access to the hut.

The plan worked. Nellist and Vaquilar donned straw hats and farmer costumes; they sallied for the shack. Nellist couldn’t have been more pleased. The view was extraordinary; they could see right into the compound. For two hours they made notes, detailing the major features of the camp and the best routes for the Rangers. Then they heard a strange noise — three more Alamo Scouts had come to join them. These daring young men had crawled on their bellies, approaching the shack from the rear. Nellist gave them his report and ordered them to get it to Ranger commander Henry Mucci, on the double.

The information was a godsend. The Rangers completed their plan. That evening the raid began. The Scouts helped evacuate the prisoners. Then they stayed behind, helping with casualties and surveying the area for any retaliatory movements. By February 2, they made their way back to base camp. According to the diary of Alamo Scout Gilbert Cox, they finally found themselves “enjoying life and waiting for the next job.”

Want to read another great Alamo Scout story?  Try this link.

Posted for Veteran’s Day – Monday Nov. 11th 2013

Posted by Tina

His campaign was a long shot; the incumbent had served for 24 years and he was a white Republican in a mostly black, Democrat district. But he was fed up and decided on an unorthodox campaign method figuring he’d never win anyway. His victory does beg the question: Do people vote based on skin color? It happened in the state of Texas:

HOUSTON — Dave Wilson chuckles as he talks about his unorthodox political campaign.
“I’d always said it was a long shot,” Wilson says. “No, I didn’t expect to win.”

Still, he figured he’d have fun running, because he was fed up with what he called “all the shenanigans” at the Houston Community College System. As a conservative white Republican running in a district whose voters are overwhelmingly black Democrats, the odds seemed overwhelmingly against him.

Then he came up with an idea, an advertising strategy that his opponent found “disgusting.” If a white guy didn’t have a chance in a mostly African-American district, Wilson would lead voters to think he’s black.

And it apparently worked. In one of the biggest political upsets in Houston politics this election season, Wilson — an anti-gay activist and former fringe candidate for mayor — emerged as the surprise winner over 24-year incumbent Bruce Austin. His razor thin margin of victory, only 26 votes, was almost certainly influenced by his racially tinged campaign.

“Every time a politician talks, he’s out there deceiving voters,” he says.

Wilson, a gleeful political troublemaker, printed direct mail pieces strongly implying that he’s black. His fliers were decorated with photographs of smiling African-American faces — which he readily admits he just lifted off websites — and captioned with the words “Please vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson.”

One of his mailers said he was “Endorsed by Ron Wilson,” which longtime Houston voters might easily interpret as a statement of support from a former state representative of the same name who’s also African-American. Fine print beneath the headline says “Ron Wilson and Dave Wilson are cousins,” a reference to one of Wilson’s relatives living in Iowa.

I’ve always held that cheaters never prosper but sometimes it takes a long time for the reckoning to take place. In this case I imagine old Dave is going to have a rocky ride as mayor after deceiving the citizenry. But…he’ll have six years to prove himself.

Was skin color the deciding factor? It’s tempting to say it did. What do you think?

by Jack

 The ladies in the picturd are part of a movement to raise awareness about sexual assault and their theme, is, “Take back the night.” They want women to be safe no matter what they wear or where they walk.  I can applaud that, but I think they are pretty much wasting their time with this protest because they people they need to address aren’t listening.

These scantily clad girls are trying to send a message to a certain group of men, that their dress does not imply consent and men should respect their right to dress the way they want and to be out in the night in any area they want.   I respect that part too. 

However, the implication here is that perverts actually give a #$& what they think.  They don’t of course!   You can wear that black bikini and write not consent all over your bare skin, but if you think you’re any safer, better think again. 

The point you ladies are missing is that rape is a violent sexual assault  done by a very  sick person.  He’s not acting rational and you can’t reason with him, like you can most men who DO respect women and who would NEVER think of raping them.   

If a rape law with mandatory prison sentence of 3, 6, or 8 years (CA Penal Code 264)  is not a deterence, then why would you think that a candle light vigil is going to pursuade predators?  We average, normal guys get it, you don’t have to convince us…but then we’re not the problem!   Sexual deviates are the problem and there’s almost no chance of convincing them rape is unacceptable, all we can do is lock them up.   They don’t care about your rights, they don’t care about womens lib or anything else…they are sick, twisted, predators without a conscience.   They would just as soon rape you as they would rape a female cop and most of them probably could if they caught her alone and she carries a gun!  What chance do you think you have alone late at night with your emergency whistle or even pepper spray? 

If they want to target the right people, people who assume the victim was a loose woman or they think its right to punish a rape victim and not just insinuate she was asking for it, then I say they should hold a candel-light vigil in Saudi Araba, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Libya Indonesia, and Pakistan, anywhere the Muslims are in power.  And if they can’t do that, then do it in front of their embassies here!   Those are the kind of people who are desperately in need of enlightenment!    

Here’s a thought to consider, California sentencing guidelines for 1st degree rape is one of the more lenient in the nation.  If you want to protest something why not protest the liberals who relaxed the sentencing from life without parole down to 3 years with 1 year off for good behavior for violent rape?   I would say your liberal pals in Sacramento are not taking your safety seriously, what do you think?

by Chris

So, in addition to the flaws in the 60 Minutes report I pointed out previously, it turns out there were many more. The report has been pulled, and CBS and Lara Logan have now apologized for relying heavily on “Morgan Jones” (real name Dylan Davies), a security contractor who claims to have been at the Benghazi embassy that night, but who previously claimed to his employers and the FBI that he couldn’t get anywhere near the compound.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/60-minutes-apologizes-for-benghazi-report/2013/11/08/6e7b6b9a-487e-11e3-a196-3544a03c2351_story.html

Now, it’s possible that Davies was lying to his employers and the FBI and told the truth on 60 Minutes, but 60 Minutes had a journalistic responsibility to vet his claims and at least disclose the fact that his accounts have been inconsistent. They also had an obligation to disclose that Davies’ upcoming book was published by Simon and Shuster, a CBS-owned company-but they didn’t do that, either.

Threshold Editions, a conservative imprint of Simon and Shuster, has now pulled Davies’ book from the shelves in light of the author’s dishonesty.

After the 60 Minutes report aired, conservatives-including this website-basically went on a victory tour, saying that for an arm of the left-leaning mainstream media (sic) to raise questions about Benghazi validated their previous reporting on the non-scandal. FOX News and even congressional Republicans heaped praise on the report, despite its immediately apparent flaws, such as those I detailed in comment #14.

Now it turns out one of the key witness used to further the “scandal” narrative is a proven liar.

Interestingly, this blog has yet to report on CBS’ decision to withdraw the report.

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on.”

PS  Editors note:  Chris, thank you for the update.  As you know we can’t be in all place all the time, but we strive to stay abreast of the news and your contribution in this case was helpful as it saved me from reporting it.

by Jack Lee

Angela Casler, a managing partner in the consulting firm of SMC and an instructor in business management at CSUC, gave a dynamic presentation to the Retired Public Employees Association yesterday that highlighted the economic health of California.

Casler pointed out a change in California she calls the Great Migration. In part, this includes a significant shift away from manufacturing jobs to service jobs which pay substantially less. The strings attached to running a company has caused some to leave the State while others have simply gone out of business.

The trucking business in California has been particularly hard hit due to C.A.R.B. regulations that have caused trucks to be re-fitted with expensive filters and anti-smog devices that often exceeded the value of the truck. Small business trucking companies lacked the capitol to make the changes demanded and were left with few good choices; sell their trucks to out of state buyers who do not have to comply with such strict emissions laws or stop doing business in California. This will lead to higher overall freight costs that must be passed along to the consumers.

Ironically the costly emission devices that were supposed to lower one form of green gas (nitrogen oxides or Nox) caused another form (ammonia) that has been equally destructive and has been shown to cause holes in the ozone. “A well known example is urea used as a NOx reductant in SCR catalyst systems—emissions from SCR engines can include ammonia, as well as a number of products from incomplete decomposition of urea.” Diesel Emissions by W. Addy Majewski

Casler noted that the portion of California’s population that is dependent on some form of government subsidy has created a significant burden on the funds available for other budgetary obligations. When this is coupled to a low jobs growth (California ranks in the bottom five states) the prospects for an economic reversal become slim. Casler says California is probably looking at at least 7 more years of economic contraction and possibly longer. Other states have been experiencing just the opposite, they’re seeing an economic boom thanks in part to the manufacturing jobs that left California as well as great sell off of equipment and infrastructure at bargain basement prices.

According to a recent employment study by CNN, California ranks 45^th, and Washington D.C. Is 43^rd.

California currently is the most taxed State in the nation and with the declining jobs and business migration heading out of the state, it is expected that government will have no choice but to raise taxes again while making more cuts to services. However, those cost cutting measures won’t be extending to our legislators that are now the highest paid in the nation and ironically have the worst approval rating in the nation.

Governor Brown just signed into law AB 327 which will increase electricity rates about 10% in order to provide a 35% subsidy to low and no income households in Southern California where their hot climate leads to higher consumption than in the cooler regions of Northern California. Businesses will see their rates climb by about 25% within a few years, said Casler.

The cumulative effect of doing businesses in California will all be passed along to the consumers, there is no other option. This will result in taking more discretionary money out of the family budget and ultimately it will have a negative impact on the local economy and the state tax revenues. Contraction in State expenditures are inevitable. Future cost cutting will impact schools, public safety, and other major infrastructure in order to sustain the growing subsidized population against the shrinking tax revenues.

The Great Migration represents a significant change in the State’s employment and economy.  (Thank you democrats!)

More on AB 327…”

Finally, the bill makes clear that a state law calling for utilities to get a third of their power from renewable sources is a minimum, not a maximum requirement.

That interpretation spurred strong opposition from some business groups such as the California Manufacturers & Technology Assn., which complained that California’s already high electric rates would be pushed even higher.

In related actions Monday, the governor signed AB 217 by Assemblyman Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), providing rebates for the installation of solar systems by qualified low-income households and AB 270 by Bradford, requiring utilities to make more information available on ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs.

by Jack

 After exhausting every other conceivable option the City Council liberals finally agreed with our two conservatives and approved the sit and lie ordinance. It’s a baby step forward, but it’s something. When police start issuing citations and the fines start adding up and then the failure to appear warrants are issued and those fines and penalties start getting serious then the worst of the worst will decide to leave town. I saw five blatant violations of the City Code the last time I was at the Civic Park in downtown.  And if I can see them, the police can too. However, they have to be there to actually see the violations and that’s been a problem up till now.

The new police bike patrol has the potential to be a great tool, but only if the Chief decides to start getting tough with the bums. So far Chief Trostle has publicly said he wants to be the great humanitarian and play nice.  It looks like he has placed his finger in the air, determined which way the political wind blows and told our Council what they want to hear, that he will not target bums for violations, that would be selective enforcement and he’ll not do that!   Ah, yes and our liberal councilors practically swooned as he spoke…what a catharsis.

The Chief should be saying, “Okay guys we got a real problem here with these bums taking over.    This is our town, not theirs.   They can take a hike back to wherever they came from, but we don’t want them here!   If you see them smoking a joint – shake em down and write em up.   If you see em peeing on the sidewalk – bust them.   If you see them drunk in the park – bust em.    If you see them littering or illegal camping – bust em!    The only way we will get rid of these bums is to get tough.  We must do saturated enforcement like we do in so many other instances.   Saturated enforcement works!  The bums have got to be sent a message – now go out there and do your job!”

But, this isn’t happening because the City is run by liberals.  In their world those free loading bums pissing in doorways, stealing from stores, stabbing citizens, busting wine bottles on the sidewalk, defecating wherever they feel like it, they are viewed as people who just need a little love and understanding and all will be good.   They don’t want to bust them – they want to reward them!  The libs on the council want us to pay for more bum shelters and more free services…and to make it almost comical, these same liberals have convinced themselves the bums we’re talking about, who are causing all the trouble, are long time residents of Chico who are just down on their luck due to a weak economy.  Ha!

I want you to know that Chico Councilors Randall Stone and Tami Ritter voted against the sit and lie ordinance, and come election time I will hopefully still be around to remind you of that fact.  Councilors Scott Gruendl and Mary Goloff changed their votes on the issue after earlier rejecting it.   Ann Schwab, who owns a downtown business and couldn’t vote earlier, got a chance to weigh in on this one because it encompasses the entire city, not just downtown. She had emphatic words in support of action. Her business is close to the epicenter of the problems, City Plaza, so she knows the issues only too well as do most of our downtown merchants, so she’s now one liberal who finally gets it.

Tammy Ritter ran her city council campaign on the fact she is a mental health/homeless professional and she would therefore be a very valuable asset to the council when it came to solving the problems associated with the bums.   Well, guess what?  She hasn’t done squat and she has had no answers except to support more free stuff for the bums.

Colorado Update

For the first time since the Civil War, U.S. counties have voted to instruct their elected officials to pursue the possibility of forming a 51st state.   Residents of five Colorado counties voted Tuesday in favor of the resolutions.

Colorado has a strong statement in its constitution saying the people have the right to abolish the government anytime they believe it is necessary and form a new state.