Posted by Michael Haran on Dec 2, 2013
Commentary
A recent letter-to the-editor of a local newspaper took a columnist to task for calling Ted Cruz a moron. The reader said that Senator Cruz has “advanced degrees and honors from prestigious universities” and that such “derogatory sophomoric” terms are a “departure from civility.”
As most people know it doesn’t matter if a person has advanced degrees that person can still be a moron and for that matter they can also be a hypocrite, sociopath, obstructionist and all around idiot. When someone throws their hat into the ring and runs for public off all is fair, the gloves come off and name calling is part of it. Politics can be a nasty business and if a person doesn’t have tough skin they better not play the game.
Ted Cruz is the type of Politian that comes along every generation or so. The last one like him was Joe McCarthy the communist witch hunter (it’s a little scary how much Cruz even looks like him). Cruz is an opportunist. He is riding the libertarian ideology of small government expounded upon by the Tea Party movement. To the casual observer it would look like Cruz is a moron if he has serious plans to run for president. Presidential elections are determined by the independent vote. Independents can go either center left or center right but they don’t like extremes and will never vote and extremist into the White House.
In true con-man fashion Cruz has been raising a ton of money from his base. You know that base, the people who scream “get the government out of my Medicare!’ and continually vote against their own self-interests (those are the real morons). Maybe Cruz’s goal is to raise as much money as possible so he can hang with the Koch brothers, the high priests of Libertarianism, but one thing is for sure he doesn’t give a damn about governing. Even his hometown newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, has disavowed him. The Tea Party of today is not even remotely concerned with the Middle Class, they are all about money going to money and finding whatever ways they can to keep it for themselves.
The Liberians primary belief is that the market will dictate the human condition. They believe that the federal government should be so weak that it can’t interfere with business. If the one-percent controls so much wealth that the U.S. turns into a banana republic so be it. If a person doesn’t have a job it is their fault because they are lazy and just sucking off the system. Let’s cut $40 billion from food stamps, most of which goes to children, but keep the subsidies for big oil.
What’s sad is that the Republican Party has been hijacked by extremist like Cruz and we have no one to balance check the political Status Quo. With our aging population we are going to need serious entitlement reform but it also has to include serious tax code reform of the wealth’s entitlements and we can’t find compromise with elected officials like Cruz who read “Green Eggs and Ham” on the Senate floor and spout ridiculous conspiracy theories about George Soros secretly partnering with the United Nations to come into our cities and eliminate our right to play golf.
Fortunately the majority of Americans are not morons. Con men have to work in the shadows and as the true agendas of these shills for the rich get exposed to the light of day they will once again slink back under their rocks just like what happened to Joe McCarthy. As Michael Ciric said in his blog, “So believe me, that ain’t no Green Eggs and Ham Ted Cruz is serving up. If anything it’s Green Eggs and Political Scam!”
Read More
Posted by Michael Haran on Nov 24, 2013
Published Healdsburg Tribune 11/21/2013
On a day dialed up by the Point Arena Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, came, saw and listened. I attended Friday’s environmental love fest on behalf of Sonoma County Supervisor Mike McGuire who is running for the 2nd District Senate seat in which the beautiful 1,664 acre Stornetta Public Lands is being considered for a land inclusion into the California Coastal National Monument. McGuire’s time is now limited as he is speaking to the Kiwanis, Rotarians and special interest groups times the seven counties in the district.
But this day belonged to Point Arena, Mendocino County and the California’s north coast. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who accompanied Jewel, was complimented several times for getting the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a resolution to add the land to the Monument. A bill sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer and Diana Feinstein is currently stalled. “There’s a lot of uncertainty in the legislative process,” Huffman said. Having Secretary Jewell visit the area “is basically sending a message that we’re going to make it happen one way or another.”
Secretary Jewell told the crowd of over 200 people that by her presence she was confirming President Obama’s commitment to land preservation for future generations. “I wouldn’t be out here if it wasn’t a high priority,” she said. The twelve mile stretch of land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is open to the public.
The get-together was as folksy as you’d expect in a small town. A group of about 50 elementary students sang “This Land is Your Land,” read environmental poems to the Secretary and gave her framed copies. Dressed in native costume a few of the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians children gave a brief ceremonial dance.
After the representatives of Boxer and Feinstein said that both senators supported the effort, a representative of the Manchester Pomo’s gave an impassioned request to have the BLM do more to preserve some of their historic tribal areas. Jim Keena, California’s BLM director who said the BLM has an archeologist who specializes in these issues and he promised to put the two together.
Next came a steady stream of environmentalist like the Sierra Club, Audubon Society and the Mendocino Land Trust to name a few. District Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro, talked about the California Coastal Trail which he help champion. Many local civic leaders, civic organizations and county supervisors all spoke of their support for the Monument addition. Both the Mendocino County Tourism Bureau and the local Chamber of Commerce said that the addition would help promote job growth in Mendocino County’s largest business, tourism.
Everyone got a chuckle when a local activist presented Secretary Jewell with a petition supporting the effort with over 800 signatures from Point Arena residents, noting how exceptional that was considering a population of 450. When Mendocino Supervisor Dan Hamburg expressed concern for the oil “fracking” off the California coast, Secretary Jewell said that being a petroleum engineer she knows a lot about oil “fracking” and that there is a lot of dis-information out there. She flatly denied it was happening and said that we need a balanced approach to oil extraction and protecting the environment.
In her summation the secretary got a laugh by referring to the local petition as being “Democracy in action.” She then asked for a show of hands for how many would prefer the Monument designation by a Presidential Proclamation or an Act of Congress. Overwhelmingly, people wanted a Presidential Proclamation but then several shouted, “Anyway we can!”
Read More
Posted by Michael Haran on Sep 26, 2013
Commentary
Healdsburg Tribune 9/26/2013
The response letters in the Healdsburg Tribune’s “Letters to the Editor” to Dave Henderson and my letters criticizing Gary Plass for not endorsing a ban on assault weapons made me realize that although there are many people who agree with our opinion there are also plenty who don’t. It was interesting to see the various views on the same subject. Most of us here in Sonoma County are liberals – mostly center-left but liberals just the same. Although we are technically part of the Bay Area we are still a rather rural community which is traditionally conservative. The divergent opinions have led to a healthy discourse which is one of the things that make our American way of life, as Vladimir Putin put it, “exceptional.”
I was worried when the Democrats won a legislative “super majority” in last year’s state elections. I wondered who’s going to provide the checks to prevent a “tax and spend” stampede that the Democrats are famous for. As it has turned out so far Jerry Brown has held to his word on taxes and the legislature has become more responsible with the state budget. I was also concerned whether the Sonoma County Supervisors, all democrats, could cut spending in response to declining revenues but they seem to be doing so.
Conservatives are traditionally rather ridged on dogma and they tend to be closed minded on issues such as gun control, taxes and social welfare. Since most liberals are free thinkers this rigidity drives most liberals nuts and vice versa with conservatives regarding liberal progressivism. Liberals would prefer to be represented by people who can “chew gum and walk” and think outside the box whereas conservatives want people to govern who uphold traditional values.
Traditionally, Republicans have been fiscally and socially conservative whereas Democrats have been fiscal and social liberals. Since the “Great Recession” started five years ago shrinking revenues have force governing Democrats to be more fiscally conservative. As the saying still goes, “If you want to be a social liberal you better be a fiscal conservative or there won’t be any money for your social programs.”
So while the Democrats have learned to become better at handling the public’s tax dollars and cutting waste the Republicans have become worse at handling social issues. In fact, at the national level, conservative have not only not improved on social issues they have in effect marginalized themselves buy becoming socially mean spirited at a time when millions of people have been trampled by the recession and the slow economic recovery. No one wants to be governed by mean spirited people
However, as Gary pointed out, this is not Washington. Here at the local level, we still need conservative points of view on local issues which Gary provides. Plus what fun would it be if we all thought the same way and what would liberals and conservatives do if we didn’t have an emotional issue to argue about? “Small town dust-ups” as Ray Holly calls them and we have two good ones coming up with the hotel and round-about issues. How many small towns in California, or in the country for that matter, would love to have our local issues and the revenue they bring?
Jane St. Claire’s letter “Community paper” gave me goose bumps. She captured beautifully what the Tribune means to our town and how it captures the pulse of our community. One of the great features of the Trib is that dissenting voices can go back and forth in the Letters to the Editor each week. In the Press Democrat a writer is limited to one letter every ninety days which eliminates any tit-for-tat rebuttals. Granted, the PD is a county paper so they really couldn’t handle all the squabbles but that policy does make one appreciate the Tribune. So bring it on people – Rollie and Kerrie are awaiting our rants.
Read More
Posted by Michael Haran on Sep 19, 2013
Letter to the Editor
Healdsburg Tribune – 9/19/2013
There is a stretch of road at the north end of Healdsburg that could just be the worst patch of asphalt in the entire county. It’s about a third of a mile long and it’s in between Simi Winery and Alexander Valley Road. The southbound lane is particularly hazardous to cyclist. As the road crests right at the Healdsburg City Limits sign it begins a deceptive decent. As a cyclist picks up speed he/she swerves to miss the hazardous road conditions looking for the smooth patches to prevent tearing up tires and being thrown to the ground. At the same time southbound traffic is also picking up speed and since the road is substandard with no shoulder it becomes very dangerous for the cycles trying to get out of the way of traffic.
The county has just paved the first two miles of W. Dry Creek Rd., two miles of Litton Springs and the two mile entrance to Geyserville. The River Rock Casino has repaved much of Hwy 128 but this little patch of road remains untouched. I think the reason that it hasn’t been resurfaced is that the city is waiting for the Saggio Hills development to repave the road however that development could be ten years away.
I was thinking that if one of the City council members is a cyclist they could ride the road to see how really bad the situation is but because of the city’s potential liability maybe the city attorney should to ride it.
I’m a fiscal conservative and I think the city should save money where it can but this stretch of road is a serious threat to cyclists. I think the city could wait for the Saggio Hills development to upgrade and repave the road if they would just put, say, a two foot wide strip of asphalt on the south bound shoulder of the road. The north bound lane is also a mess but because the cyclist is pulling a grade it is not as dangerous. So please, please, please help us cyclist and motorist out and Healdsburg just may get that “Cyclist Friendly” designation that was denied us.
Read More
Posted by Michael Haran on Sep 18, 2013
Press Democrat 9/16/2013
Wow! Talk about organic and close to home. I have just finished reading a book entitled “The Great Disruption” by Paul Gilding who was CEO of Greenpeace for 20 years and is now a sustainability consultant to multinational companies.
In Sunday’s PD there were four articles: “Contrarians’ Viewpoint” states that in the worst case scenario there will be “jarring financial chaos” and a steady decline in global living standards caused by unsustainable debt and the end of cheap oil; a “Close to Home” article by Jane Vosburg pointed out that to avoid global catastrophe and preserve the planet we need to stop the fossil-fuel companies from spewing CO2 into the atmosphere and convert to sustainable energy sources; a Paul Krugman article “Failed policy wrought years of tragic waste” on how a lack of government stimulation caused a slowdown in economic growth and unnecessary unemployment; and an article “Vote near on energy zoning changes” on Sonoma County renewable energy development.
All of these articles touch on points covered in the book. Global warming caused by CO2 is real and it will eventually make our planet uninhabitable; “Peak oil” will make fossil fuels so expensive it will collapse the world economy; the world’s growth economy is fast using up the planet’s resources; we need a new system that will provide for near full employment; we have to build communities
that can function in an era of limits; and it will take geopolitical action to convert to sustainable energy sources.
Gilding argues that what we have to do is change from a growth economy to a steady-state economy which is not predicated on retail shopping. The reasoning goes that by converting from a consumption growth economy we will stop chasing our tails in the pursuit of more and more stuff and spend the extra time we will have giving back to the community thus creating a better quality of life. He states that studies show that this type of life style will make us happier since we will have to work less and our creative free time will promote the positive evolution of mankind. Taggart feels the best place to be when this social upheaval happens is in Sebastopol.
A steady-state economy would convert a majority of jobs from growth oriented companies to cooperatives. Cooperatives now employ one hundred million people worldwide 20 percent more that multinational companies.
As Taggart, Martenson and Vosburg point out “peak oil” and continued CO2 emissions will collapse the global economy and destroy our planet as we know it. If we let this ecological and economic collapse happen Gilding says it will take an effort as massive as America’s entrance into WWII to save the planet. Fossil fuel companies will have to be wiped out and replaced with an enormous investment in sustainable fuel sources.
The alternative, as all sources point out, is to start the conversion off fossil fuel and change our life styles now. We need to divest ourselves from non-sustainable energy companies and invest in companies that could produce innovative solutions. For example, Freecycle Network’s seven million members give away unwanted useful goods to each other which reduces landfill waste and the need to buy new stuff. In Australia, the 1 Million Women Campaign was founded with the idea that since women make 70 percent of the consumer decisions they should take the lead in reducing carbon emission by taking simple easy steps.
In planning for local renewable energy development Sonoma County supervisors and city councilpersons seem to be providing the stated leadership that will be necessary to survive and transcend The Great Disruption.
Read More
