bbbbmer comment-31164 2010-06-24T08:26:16Z 2010-06-24T08:26:16Z I did too... ROFLMAO!!! bbbbmer 2010-06-24T08:26:16Z bbbbmer comment-31163 2010-06-24T08:25:45Z 2010-06-24T08:25:45Z I predict, and I don't do so often, that he takes a job in DC for the DOE and Arne Duncan's charterization push in public ed. Of course, it too will be about as successful as KJ's SMI.... Good riddance... bbbbmer 2010-06-24T08:25:45Z bbbbmer comment-31161 2010-06-24T08:19:45Z 2010-06-24T08:19:45Z The only 'speciousness' was KJ's rationalization of the benefits of his proposal, with not ONE SCINTILLA of evidence to support his claims. I believe Rob Fong captured it best when he challenged the veracity of the claims of '50,000 people' who 'signed a petition', given not only HUNDREDS of anecdotal refutations of just what subject matter was discussed when petitions were presented to signers, but also several investigations and actions against Arno Political Consulting, the signature gathering firm, for similar violations of law and simple human decency..., and the notion that this measure was anything about a 'vote of the people'... when in fact, it was one helluva shady process cloaked in the dark of night and secrecy of the backroom to paint deception as 'accountability' and the work of a few well heeled corporate thieves as 'the people'... This whole SMI debacle is filled to the gills with corruption, and attempted to open a pandora's box of insidious enabling of a willing petulant stooge of a mayor to abet such deeds... Frankly, I find the arguments, nay, demands, of those who voted 'no' on the measure to be most compelling -- First, there was no hue and cry to move this measure AT ALL, despite claims to the opposite by KJ and his crowd. Second, like it or not, process matters, especially when amending a city's charter/constitution, and there are quite deliberate steps provided in our state's constitution for doing so -- NONE of which were either acknowledged or adhered to by the SMI's backers, who seem cast aside the constitution of our state as some sort of pesky aside, in order to cynically bamboozle the same stupid people who voted for KJ in the first place, given the profound amount of evidence in his background that should have set off an atomic bomb of red flags against doing so... That the SMI's original drafters flaunted their attempted bypass via the inept drafting of such an instrument should, if the backers were so inclined, result in an errors and omissions claim against the firm and its manipulative Hiltchakkak (sp??? whatever...) in chief for just plain stupidity. Third, Thursday night's presentation of SMI backers, especially the cheap sales pitch by Kunel Merchant and that cheaper San Diego rep (who I am sure was paid more than he was worth by the measure's backers -- under the table, of course), was so fraught with lies and deceptions about the construct and comparisons of the measure that one could easily have driven a Mack Truck through the holes in the deal... It would have been interesting, and fun, actually, to have had an Oxford style debate on the matter, fully evidenced, and fully penetrating the flawed logic to leap to an SMI solution for problems that simply would never in a million years be enhanced by its adoption... In essence, the SMI has been our city's first incursion into 'big lie' territory, all on this very public stage... And KJ got caught in his abetting of the 'big lie', and demonstrated ever so clearly during his pathologically passive aggressive diatribe at the hearing's closing, overcompensating for just how culpable he really has been.... To paraphrase Shakespeare, methinks the KJ doth protest too much.... bbbbmer 2010-06-24T08:19:45Z bbbbmer comment-31100 2010-06-24T02:25:08Z 2010-06-24T02:25:08Z Mayor Meltdown's little lecture was better than a GLEE rerun, for sure.... bbbbmer 2010-06-24T02:25:08Z bbbbmer comment-31082 2010-06-23T22:51:51Z 2010-06-23T22:51:51Z KJ is a featured speaker at some charterization shindig hosted by the DOE next month, and Duncan has been courting him to mayoralize public ed in America for months. Duncan is no prize either,for he is reflective of the way Obama has turned his back on the progressives who 'brung him to the dance', on nearly every front, including healthcare and the sellout to ins co's and big pharma with no public option, Wall Street reform with no derivatives oversight and with a consumer protection agency hanging on by a thread in the Senate, with big oil and sanctions for deepwater offshore drilling until this BP thingy, and with public education and Duncan's 'charterization madness' in light of mounting evidence that charters just won't work for everyone -- of course Duncan has never taught in an elhi classroom in his life and is just a well placed well heeled Harvard lawyer associated with the DFER (Dem's (DINO's) for Ed Reform).... Btw, when you seem a Dem talking ed 'reform', head for the hills, for it's 'code' for 'charterization/privatization/choice' and union busting.... Given the Obama administration's 'magic hands' intervention to protect KJ from what would most certainly have resulted in a federal prosecution from the IG's report, I'd say that Duncan would indeed 'risk' appointing KJ to a federal makework job... They've attempted to conceal what really happened at St. Hope, and that's a fitting thing to do for someone 'in grooming mode' for some ephemeral post in DC.... I voted for Obama, and fundraised for him as well. I am PROFOUNDLY disappointed in his administration on almost all fronts.... However, the alternative, with Uncle Fester and his bimbette sidekick, would have been worse... bbbbmer 2010-06-23T22:51:51Z bbbbmer comment-31060 2010-06-23T20:46:51Z 2010-06-23T20:46:51Z This has nothing to do with the Arizona law, which is perhaps the ONLY thing KJ has ever gotten right in his doomed incumbency.... Rumor has it (and just like Kathy Griffin says, "that's good enough for me"...) that KJ's going to 'pull a Palin' (and quit the mayor's office) to accept a makework job in DC for the Dept of Ed's Arne Duncan's effort to 'mayoralize' public education in America -- which is 'code' for 'charterization/privatization/choicing' of public schools, gutting what's 'public' in public education... and to be close to his 'fixer in chief', Michelle Rhee, Das Chancellor of DC schools... ('fixer' is one who aids in covering up crimes, btw, as was her role in 'fixing' allegations of child sexual abuse against KJ when KJ was a school marm -- this, per the IG's very interesting report on all things St. Hope).... For why this gutting of public ed won't work, please see Diane Ravitch's DEATH AND LIFE OF GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOLS -- this year's must read policy wonk book on public ed in America..... Hopefully Ravitch will be visiting Sacramento this fall, btw..... bbbbmer 2010-06-23T20:46:51Z bbbbmer comment-31059 2010-06-23T20:39:36Z 2010-06-23T20:39:36Z So, the IG's report into misuse of federal funds and mishandling of child sexual abuse allegations, collusive loans from the district to keep his teeny tiny nonprofit afloat because of abysmal financial management, shilling for a small group of well heeled real estate and corporate interests, and his public appearances denigrating his predecessor for everything from flood zone issues to world hunger... didn't raise a red flag for ya??? Some people shouldn't be allowed to vote -- and it appears those who voted for KJ are prime examples... bbbbmer 2010-06-23T20:39:36Z bbbbmer comment-31023 2010-06-23T16:06:30Z 2010-06-23T16:06:30Z I spoke with people who were there late last night and early this morning, and whatever little 'boo's that were heard paled compared to KJ's tantrums... And no, I don't attend city council meetings. I write emails that get read by members, and use this new fandangled thing we call a 'television'... bbbbmer 2010-06-23T16:06:30Z bbbbmer comment-31024 2010-06-23T16:05:36Z 2010-06-23T16:05:36Z Sheedy is far more honorable than KJ any day... She has never been accused of child sexual abuse, corruption, or running a teeny tiny little nonprofit into the ground... I'd say she's doing far better than poor ol' KJ... bbbbmer 2010-06-23T16:05:36Z bbbbmer comment-31015 2010-06-23T15:19:47Z 2010-06-23T15:19:47Z His 'speech' had all the heft of the dribblings of one of K Streets paranoid schizphrenics, complete with jacket removal to expose enormous pit stains, as he strutted and strode to rationalize his misrepresentation (to put it mildly) of the SMI and the 'public input' he claimed as part of its manufacture.... Basically, he lied, and did so in an amazing piece of twisted and mangled jibberish unseen or unheard of in Council, save some of the paranoid schizphrenics to offer their wisdom on more festive occasions.... It was truly high theater - I wish I had had popcorn made.... bbbbmer 2010-06-23T15:19:47Z bbbbmer comment-31013 2010-06-23T13:59:36Z 2010-06-23T13:59:36Z Rhonda, I saw you on TV at the meeting -- good show!!! You were magnificent as always!!! Look below for my comments... Oh what shall we do with poor old Kevin.... bbbbmer 2010-06-23T13:59:36Z bbbbmer comment-31012 2010-06-23T13:27:25Z 2010-06-23T13:27:25Z At last night’s Sacramento City Council hearing with regard to Kevin Johnson’s newer kinder gentler SMI-lite thingy, and after a blistering 7 to 2 vote against requesting City Attorney Eileen Teichert to draft language to ballot the measure, Kevin Johnson launched into one of the most mangled twisted lies of his career, attempting to justify any benefit to be gained from the initiative. He lapsed into an historical diatribe that conflated his initial SMI, crafted and drafted in the dark of night by Republican lawyers as inside the GOP as one can get, hired by the ranks of the measure’s largely GOP (and DINO) backers, with the parallel efforts of the Council appointed Charter Review Committee, which he sought at every turn to derail while fronting for the campaign of his backers to gather signatures based on whatever convenient explanation was given to obtain as many signatures as possible, even if those explanations were outright lies. Now, his ‘team’ drafted a couple of pages of bullet points for Council consideration, having had his initial measure defeated in the courts for constitutional ineptitude and error, and drafting for ballot. After the damning vote, he read each member of Council their respective beads, in his own brand of argot that is as clumsy and pathological as any paranoid schizophrenic I’ve witnessed on the streets of downtown, punctuated by “but I accept your position”, or words to that effect. He was at once a petulant brat issuing epithets and drivel and anger at the discovery by Council that he had profoundly misrepresented his initiatives, seemingly in utter denial of press exposure and healthfully skeptical minds, and a defeated King Lear, reviled by his perceived ‘children’ on the dais, as he descended into madness… I must say, it was delicious to watch ��“ high theater, and all that. But he also appeared like the delusional Kelly Bensimone of the REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK, flailing about in utter nonsense while attempting to rationalize what could be done if he was only declared king, and not making a whole lot of coherent points along the way. In ways, last night’s endgame was tragic, in other ways, it was just the silliness of a very naïve, very sad, and utterly inarticulate moron as mayor of this city. He is simply unfit for public office. bbbbmer 2010-06-23T13:27:25Z bbbbmer comment-30939 2010-06-22T23:33:51Z 2010-06-22T23:33:51Z Potentially, yes. Their use of the water would have ordinarily required CEQA environmental reporting as a part of their permit process, which could potentially have taken years. This was acknowledged by the city attorney, and seconded by a report from the State EPA. The city's possible collusion was to allow Nestle to go forward without a permit, and therefore, without CEQA EIR's and the like, which was then stopped after the city attorney noted a potential violation of state law. The issue was 'accommodated' by allowing Nestle to go forward, for which KJ apologized to them, much like Joe Barton apologizing to BP, as an aggrieved party, rather than scolding them, and those who enabled them (including possibly his own office -- and perhaps he himself), for violating the permit process. The CEQA process could potentially have stopped the 'deal', for its use of water has impacts on water rights, aquifer access, and rate payer inequities, and how the 'deal' came forward in terms of process with absolutely no sanction by the city council. So, yes, much could have happened to prevent Nestle from getting that permit. bbbbmer 2010-06-22T23:33:51Z bbbbmer comment-30941 2010-06-22T23:31:46Z 2010-06-22T23:31:46Z It isn't 'dereliction of duty' at all. The teabaggers caught wind of a legal term they'd like to bandy about knowing nothing of the elements of 'dereliction' in this case, or defining conduct as a violation. It's just more ridiculousness from ridiculous people who are probably racist, and would like to punish anyone who seeks to address the racism of the Arizona law. bbbbmer 2010-06-22T23:31:46Z bbbbmer comment-30935 2010-06-22T23:18:52Z 2010-06-22T23:18:52Z Um, your logic is flawed. The charter prevents characters like KJ from going even further in backroom deals and the like, for every proposal must be aired in public. The SMI would enable these backroom deals without even being aired in public or being subject to Council approval. As for the Nestle debacle, conversations occurred between the mayor's office, the city manager's office, and Nestle regarding 'getting to yes' in the permit process which allowed avoidance of CEQA considerations, this per an inquiry by Member McCarty, and reported by the Bee -- I believe by Terry Hardy. That you aren't aware of deeper issues involved in this very insidious 'deal' is only germane with regard to your own awareness. bbbbmer 2010-06-22T23:18:52Z bbbbmer comment-30872 2010-06-22T12:32:46Z 2010-06-22T12:32:46Z There is no way in HELL this measure should be brought to voters. This mayor has proved to be the single most corrupt Sacramento has seen - EVER! He has engineered secret deals to sell our already-paid-for water to Nestle at bargain basement rates, for jobs that never materialized, he has been behind scandal after scandal with regard to real estate developers attempts to skirt fees and protective processes, and he as twice now brought forward unprecedented powergrabs to the council, twisting language to Orwellian dimensions, one of which was so poorly drafted it failed constitutional muster. He has also behaved like a petulant brat when challenged by far wiser and saner minds, especially in his conduct toward the Charter Revision Committee, whose recommendations, after spending considerable time and thoughtful effort, are absent from this current SMI proposal altogether. He has been a national embarrassment, the subject of IG reports on the operation of his St. Hope charter schools, having defrauded the Americorps program to the tune of nearly $1 million, covering up allegations of child sexual abuse made against him directly, not once, but seven times, ducking potential prosecution by the skin of his teeth by a cozy federal administration seeking to charterize American schools at the expense of what remains of the 'public' in public education. Our city's charter has operated just fine for eight decades, and aside from minor alterations here and there, it has prevented the kind of corruption aided and abetted by this mayor -- and we need this decentralized authority model now more than ever, with a mayoral incumbent so willing to sell his soul to his backers for whatever he has garnered from them -- perhaps even protection from prosecution for his alleged past deeds with little girls. Perhaps this is why he sought office in the first place. But because of his odious performance in office, and for any future pretenders like him, we must not change Sacramento's fundamental constitutional charter, for to do so, and to do so in the manner Mr. Johnson seeks, with no available document of his proposal available to date, rushing to vet his proposal in one night, in a vain attempt to slide this greasy proposal in at the last moment knowing how it would grant unprecedented authority in one very corrupt figure, would be an abomination to this city's history of profound dimensions, and an injustice to the far more thoughtful minds that preceded this mayor and his tribe of thugs. CITY COUNCIL -- PLEASE VOTE NO ON THIS MEASURE! bbbbmer 2010-06-22T12:32:46Z bbbbmer comment-30739 2010-06-18T23:51:30Z 2010-06-18T23:51:30Z Mo Mohanna's abusive ownership WAS the 'free market'... That didn't go so well.... bbbbmer 2010-06-18T23:51:30Z bbbbmer comment-30719 2010-06-18T20:06:48Z 2010-06-18T20:06:48Z Now THIS is going to be FUN! not to mention all that eye candy.....=)....... bbbbmer 2010-06-18T20:06:48Z bbbbmer comment-30718 2010-06-18T20:05:00Z 2010-06-18T20:05:00Z If Al Gore had won a relatively simple court case that should never have been tried in a federal court, in 2000, none of this would have happened. bbbbmer 2010-06-18T20:05:00Z bbbbmer comment-30715 2010-06-18T20:03:02Z 2010-06-18T20:03:02Z That's true about at least the bar at the Julia Morgan. I guess I was caught up in the drama... Hell, I even drink there myself, on occasion... though they could ease up on the prices.... But that hotel is an abomination. It's unfortunate however that a more organic thing didn't develop over the years, even despite Mohanna's obfuscation... I hope the new plan works, whichever one is selected -- but I fear it won't. bbbbmer 2010-06-18T20:03:02Z bbbbmer comment-30717 2010-06-18T20:02:05Z 2010-06-18T20:02:05Z This project is 'convenient', with hopes of something more, but with a whole lot of skepticism tempering its results, now having four generations of failed contrivances. I would argue the 'fiscally prudent' part -- perhaps given the amounts spent before on such design don'ts, it may very well be. It's unfortunate that a plan couldn't have been worked out organically, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was a profoundly uncooperative parcel owner, along with the passage of time and the increased costs dictated by it, to reuse as much as possible of the sturdy stock of space available on the block, and to minimize new construction as much as possible. Perhaps if this alternative had been conceived earlier, say, oh, about three decades ago, when Portland's natural cuteness was first being contemplated, the fear of these contrived solutions might have been avoided. I hope it works... but I have my doubts... And David Taylor -- yes, he gets 'em built, but look what schlock he's erected.. Blah, blah, blah.... I know I'm going to pay for that little remark... bbbbmer 2010-06-18T20:02:05Z bbbbmer comment-30657 2010-06-18T10:12:11Z 2010-06-18T10:12:11Z Unless there is something organic about this 'fix', it will fail.....again.... Dropping and even subsidizing the rents of long dormant space to below market rates, to reuse existiing infrastructure without the massive amendment proposed, inviting communities of interest, like the artists and the homeless and business incubators to pitch their aspirations here as these potential small firms attempt to take root, will result in longer term survival as a community, with all the benefits community entails.... Plopping yet another contrivance fashioned from the 'planner/developer' mindset, will result in the fakery that has plagued this poor street for nearly five decades... and place far too many public dollars in the hands of this select group of bourgeois Babbitty little snobs who have all the community sentiment of ...well... Babbitt... Whence one David Taylor, who gutted Julia Morgan's stunning Public Market for a bar -- a tasteful bar, but a bar nonetheless, and then plopped that Kleenex box of a hotel next door... THIS is not a good thing.... bbbbmer 2010-06-18T10:12:11Z bbbbmer comment-30643 2010-06-18T03:02:35Z 2010-06-18T03:02:35Z Oracle honey, you're no Democrat... In fact, you're not much of a human being. You're more like a pet rock -- from Wal Mart... bbbbmer 2010-06-18T03:02:35Z bbbbmer comment-30611 2010-06-17T18:37:19Z 2010-06-17T18:37:19Z Braziel can't run -- too many people believe that he covered up allegations of child sexual abuse against KJ and the mishandling of the investigations into those allegations, as cited in the IG's reports against St. Hope.... Braziel can't even pass the vetting for the police department of another jurisdiction, and no doubt just painted a happy face on Seattle's selection of another candidate. Braziel probably couldn't even be elected to his current position if it was put to a vote, given a proper airing of his mismanagement in office... I'm sure KJ has a place on his staff for him -- he needs a 'fixer' at his disposal at all times, it seems... bbbbmer 2010-06-17T18:37:19Z bbbbmer comment-30610 2010-06-17T18:30:33Z 2010-06-17T18:30:33Z Now if only they'd cut your welfare payment. bbbbmer 2010-06-17T18:30:33Z bbbbmer comment-30582 2010-06-17T05:33:14Z 2010-06-17T05:33:14Z "Clown college"... I rest my case. bbbbmer 2010-06-17T05:33:14Z bbbbmer comment-30468 2010-06-17T01:35:37Z 2010-06-17T01:35:37Z Rob Fong WILL be our next mayor, and h is inauguration may arrive sooner rather than later....and thank God for that....especially if that makework job offer materializes from charterization freak and head of the DOE Arne Duncan, lead buffoon on the charterization of public education in America... so he can be wed to his 'fixer in chief' in DC... bbbbmer 2010-06-17T01:35:37Z bbbbmer comment-30487 2010-06-16T17:18:46Z 2010-06-16T17:18:46Z Nah, I just have good taste -- there is a difference... But I'm guessing that level of discernment isn't a metier among y'all.... I think most of us are afflicted with loneliness, so in that regard, I'm quite normal -- but that makes you in denial of life's little quirks... And, lastly, I hate no one -- but expressing my views in expressive language that transcends the grunts and groans of a 'vox populi' of a few misinformed poor possibly crossbred Natomas critters is not 'hate' -- here on planet earth we call it good citizenship.... in English... Again, clearly not a calling of those who just can't stand that I write better than they do... Qu'elle dommage.... bbbbmer 2010-06-16T17:18:46Z bbbbmer comment-30479 2010-06-16T17:13:30Z 2010-06-16T17:13:30Z Test the mayor's loyalties??? What loyalties??? Aside, of course, from those dedicated to his real estate developer and corporate interest backers sponsoring the SMI-lite thingy (which doesn't appear even close to a ballot vote at this point (Thank God!))..... bbbbmer 2010-06-16T17:13:30Z bbbbmer comment-30486 2010-06-16T17:11:30Z 2010-06-16T17:11:30Z No, I take one aspirin daily, as usual. For its blood thinning benefits, and its aiding of mental blockages, you might try it as well. bbbbmer 2010-06-16T17:11:30Z bbbbmer comment-30474 2010-06-16T15:26:04Z 2010-06-16T15:26:04Z "How are the mighty, fallen..." Samuel 1:19... ....espeicially when "Image is everything..." Andre Agassi bbbbmer 2010-06-16T15:26:04Z bbbbmer comment-30473 2010-06-16T15:19:46Z 2010-06-16T15:19:46Z Scully is jurisdiction dumping in an attempt to lighten her load but receive the same, or slightly modified, budget dollars -- PERIOD. Such a proposal would be an administrative nightmare for the AOC, and for the City, especially with no commensurate funding granted to Teichert for staff and infrastructure necessary to adjudicate such infractions. Scully is just going to have to make due with the bucks she's given, which shouldn't be all that difficult since she's always focused on easier cases and less on the hard to crack crimes that plague her bailiwick. bbbbmer 2010-06-16T15:19:46Z bbbbmer comment-30472 2010-06-16T15:13:38Z 2010-06-16T15:13:38Z My condolences on the failed campaign of Robbie "Hiccup" Waters... Now he's free to join his buddies at Brownie's for a morning blotto with his friends, save one Mr. Villanoweth, who now resides in a very very sad place indeed. bbbbmer 2010-06-16T15:13:38Z bbbbmer comment-30470 2010-06-16T15:11:08Z 2010-06-16T15:11:08Z Yeah, how's that 'Boycott Sac' thingy workin' for ya??? This thing has been up and about for a few weeks now, and your move has mustered up, what, say, $50 bucks in business boycotts??? I predict this will go the way of that petition by 'JoeSac' to do whatever, having grown exponentially from 2 hits to 11, in what, three weeks??? Besides, what kind of midwestern dullard severity would it take to avoid Freeport Bakery, in all their luciousness, or Taylor's best meats in the region and one of the finest fine dining experiences this town has to offer, and so many other wonderful firms that provide Sacramento with what its culture has become??? I'm betting you're an 'Outback' or "Olive Garden' aficionado... bbbbmer 2010-06-16T15:11:08Z bbbbmer comment-30467 2010-06-16T15:03:36Z 2010-06-16T15:03:36Z Cowardice. bbbbmer 2010-06-16T15:03:36Z bbbbmer comment-30466 2010-06-16T15:02:58Z 2010-06-16T15:02:58Z I have never been more proud of Rob Fong, not only for addressing the bigotry behind the Arizona law and its supporters, but for marshalling the votes necessary to pass these sanctions in our own city council... Now, HE would make a GREAT mayor! bbbbmer 2010-06-16T15:02:58Z bbbbmer comment-30071 2010-06-15T18:38:21Z 2010-06-15T18:38:21Z Are you drunk again? 30 hours a week?? Oh pish posh... My sister's a physician and she knows a LOT of nurses -- they work like slaves and far more than a 30 hour work week... You watch too much Fox.... bbbbmer 2010-06-15T18:38:21Z bbbbmer comment-30370 2010-06-15T18:36:17Z 2010-06-15T18:36:17Z Funny that every one of the professions you mention are represented by some form of union or professional association, and without that, there probably would be no regulations or oversight of their work product, no standards for safety, and certainly no wage equity... You yourself are probably so represented, though you seem to live in denial of that fact, since you're obviously a 'rugged individualist' who has 'made your own way' without the intervention or help of your fellows or your community.... Btw, I have some cheap land out in Natomas I'd like to sell to you.... bbbbmer 2010-06-15T18:36:17Z bbbbmer comment-30363 2010-06-15T18:17:34Z 2010-06-15T18:17:34Z "...and he broke out into poetry....nay... verse..." Jacob Bronowski Wit is hard -- leave it to the professionals honey... bbbbmer 2010-06-15T18:17:34Z bbbbmer comment-30249 2010-06-14T12:58:36Z 2010-06-14T12:58:36Z What PR firm planted and paid for THIS story??? bbbbmer 2010-06-14T12:58:36Z bbbbmer comment-30134 2010-06-12T10:49:57Z 2010-06-12T10:49:57Z If more empty downtown spaces were opened up to innovative uses, like those of the artists, for low rents -- which is more than owners would receive if left vacant -- the area would become a mecca for creative expression and creative reuse of these long dormant buildings -- up to and including the DTPlaza... Perhaps there's the potential in all of this to aid an evolutionary redevelopment for K Street, and other areas, rather than yet another hyper-planned contrivance just plopped in place and calling it done... bbbbmer 2010-06-12T10:49:57Z bbbbmer comment-30069 2010-06-11T19:25:36Z 2010-06-11T19:25:36Z If the Maloofs repaid their $70 million debt to the city, there would be only the need to phase in this repayment over the number of years it will take to see the economy start growing again. But, I guess KJ needs his arena for the overpaid basketballers and irresponsible owners and his developer backers who are as broke as churchmice these days... bbbbmer 2010-06-11T19:25:36Z bbbbmer comment-29999 2010-06-11T11:28:22Z 2010-06-11T11:28:22Z Few professions take their work so nobly as nurses. They are our health guardians and our saviours. And the CNA has striven nobly for legislation to advance universal coverage for decades, culminating in Sheila Kuehl's SB840, which passed both houses but was vetoed by Das Gov. It was the nurses who orchestrated Michael Moore's visit to Sacramento when premiering his film SICKO which demonstrated just how bereft of decency our medical infrastructure and practices are, especially given their abysmal management by insurance companies and big pharma... The nurses are not necessarily advocating higher pay, but rather a reversal of overbearing hospital administrators compounding patient load oversight on the backs of nursing (and physician) staff, at a rate that is not only unsafe for patients, but harmful to the practitioners and caregivers themselves, in a system which is deliberately overpriced to put more money in the hands of the corporations that oversee operations. Healthcare in California and America is in a very sad state, even despite attempts to open up coverage to millions more. The actual practice still costs too much and breaks the backs of both patient and practitioner... Thank God for the nurses -- they are at the vanguard of changing this broken and profiteering system.... bbbbmer 2010-06-11T11:28:22Z bbbbmer comment-29972 2010-06-11T00:46:37Z 2010-06-11T00:46:37Z You think they're bad??? You might try the tactics used by Townsend Raimundo or the Bell, McAndrews HILTCHAKAK (sp??? whatever...) who authored the now constitutionally discredited SMI, who supported KJ and his tribe -- two words -- they're worse... bbbbmer 2010-06-11T00:46:37Z bbbbmer comment-29922 2010-06-10T18:55:28Z 2010-06-10T18:55:28Z Ryan Lillis is KJ's favorite reporter, and now, by proxy, Ashby's.... His stories are fluff and puff -- in fact that's his 'nickname' of sorts in the blogosphere, because they're so lightly lobbed and 'prettified' for public consumption of these two less than savory folks... While I'm disappointed with the SNR's endorsement of and Cosmo's massive rationalizations about Ashby (he wrote a not very nice response to one of my comments about her), Mr. Garvin is the thread that is 'representin' investigative journalism in Sacramento's city beat -- and hopefully he'll keep up this important work... For a certainty, there will only be enough truth in Ryan Lillis' pieces to paint the prettiest of pitchers about these two folks, for they both front for the same corporate and real estate development interest groups that brung them to this party.... bbbbmer 2010-06-10T18:55:28Z bbbbmer comment-29921 2010-06-10T18:48:38Z 2010-06-10T18:48:38Z As a supporter of Kevin McCarty, with his lawn sign still up in my yard, I couldn't agree more... Years ago, when Dickinson ran against Debra Ortiz for this same AD9 seat, and lost to her, his crack staff (or staff on crack) released information they they thought pertained to Ortiz' lax tax filing and debt -- but the info they released was about another Ortiz -- not the Debra Ortiz running for the seat... And he's not all that 'progressive' -- don't blame US for his incumbencies... We like him about as much as we like KJ, which ain't all that much... Kevin McCarty will do just swell, if he can prevail in the primary -- and I'm praying HARD for that.... bbbbmer 2010-06-10T18:48:38Z bbbbmer comment-29887 2010-06-10T15:26:04Z 2010-06-10T15:26:04Z Um, no. § 28 Vacancies. (City Charter - Ordinances) A vacancy on the city council other than the office of the mayor shall be filled by special election to be called by the council as provided in Section 154 of this Charter, unless such vacancy occurs within one year of the next general election at which such office would normally be filled, in which case the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by a majority of the remaining members of the council. A person elected or appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term of the former incumbent. So, no, KJ doesn't have that authority -- thank God... But because we're dealing with what will be a divided council for some time, it will take five votes to seat a replacement if McCarty wins in November, if he succeeds Dickinson in the primary... But hopefully by then Ryan Chin and Patrick McCarty will have enough votes in their respective district tills to counter ANY and ALL moves by KJ to accrue and accumulate more and more authority, especially in attempting to change the city charter to do so... bbbbmer 2010-06-10T15:26:04Z bbbbmer comment-29886 2010-06-10T15:09:19Z 2010-06-10T15:09:19Z Ryan Lillis of Das Bee is reporting that 'most of the votes have been counted', but provided no quantification of that... Didn't the registrar's office state that it wouldn't be until Friday before all votes would be counted??? Is there any quantifiable status update??? Also, why isn't their website working? Correction: it's working now, but perilously slowly... bbbbmer 2010-06-10T15:09:19Z bbbbmer comment-29881 2010-06-10T13:13:24Z 2010-06-10T13:13:24Z Interesting that the cop, pictured here in two shot with the alleged perp, who will not release the critical path, even in its redacted form, of the investigation of allegations of child sexual abuse against KJ, is going to stay on..... Whatta guy.... bbbbmer 2010-06-10T13:13:24Z bbbbmer comment-29880 2010-06-10T13:09:50Z 2010-06-10T13:09:50Z These observattions are not monolithic and there are all sorts of hybridizations... The negatives against Prop 16 and 17 caught the eyes of many... On the other hand, how on earth did an administration as corrupt as that of Bush and Cheney win a second term, disregarding vote manipulation in Ohio and Florida... ??? Or, the election of our current governor??? My take on it is perhaps a bit capricious, but the case can be made that some pretty stupid decisions are made by stupid voters, but once in a while, sometimes a great while, a glimmer of wisdom shines through... If only we could capture THAT magic and use it more universally... bbbbmer 2010-06-10T13:09:50Z bbbbmer comment-29798 2010-06-09T19:50:12Z 2010-06-09T19:50:12Z Not really -- just better informed than you... Wallow in your ignorance... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T19:50:12Z bbbbmer comment-29797 2010-06-09T19:48:21Z 2010-06-09T19:48:21Z Runoffs in all their forms favor more progressive candidates because conservatives generally vote more regularly in primaries than do more progressive voters, and progressives usually turn out for general elections, even for midterms... This bodes well for both Kennedy and Chin, and if Ashby and Tretheway go to runoff, for Tretheway. bbbbmer 2010-06-09T19:48:21Z bbbbmer comment-29796 2010-06-09T19:43:27Z 2010-06-09T19:43:27Z "loose" is spelled "lose"... and 'relief' is spelled 'runoff'.... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T19:43:27Z bbbbmer comment-29795 2010-06-09T19:41:47Z 2010-06-09T19:41:47Z I just sauntered back here today after what was thought to be an Ashby win, but may turn out to be a runoff.... HALLELUIA!!!! bbbbmer 2010-06-09T19:41:47Z bbbbmer comment-29756 2010-06-09T14:51:58Z 2010-06-09T14:51:58Z This is only going to make matters worse, but just as with Bush/Cheney, this will no doubt provide even more exposure of the corruption of KJ's backers... that is, if there's an active investigative press at work, and not asleep at the switch or bought off to be silent.... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T14:51:58Z bbbbmer comment-29753 2010-06-09T14:48:44Z 2010-06-09T14:48:44Z You're very welcome -- it's magnificent... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T14:48:44Z bbbbmer comment-29592 2010-06-09T12:46:52Z 2010-06-09T12:46:52Z I find Ashby loathesome as most here know -- but LOTS of people earn law degrees but never take or pass the bar exam -- there are many fields a law degree is helpful in, but the most beneficial is in writing good expository prose, being able to knowledgeably hire good counsel, and protecting oneself should some lunatic fringe jerk threaten a frivolous lawsuit... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T12:46:52Z bbbbmer comment-29746 2010-06-09T12:41:55Z 2010-06-09T12:41:55Z Too bad his bike didn't get a flat... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T12:41:55Z bbbbmer comment-29744 2010-06-09T11:15:13Z 2010-06-09T11:15:13Z I actually agree that most voters are, 1) ill-informed or not informed at all; and 2) easily swayed by manipulative and carefully crafted campaign statements and public pitches... But I also believe that this phenomenon is compounded during times of economic strife, which I believe is perhaps the most profound effector of electoral outcomes... Mostly Republicans and conservaDems depend on 'low information voters' to support policies and candidates presented in pretty pitchurs and speakin' and Orwellian twists of language by the likes of Frank Luntz, nationally, and Sacramento's own, Steve Maviglio, who has become perhaps the most ethically challenged political jerkoff in this city... Political manipulators also depend on economic tides and the angst they bring to such LIV's to marshall them into the pigpens of groups like the teabaggers and other faux-purpose groups of rather insidious origin. I believe this combination of LIV's and LIES is a toxic sludge of a politics richly endowed with corporate largesse and money, far greater than that of more people-interested unions that would, under consideration of reasonably prudent minds, represent the true economic and social interests of LIV's, but for the counter of corporate cash... Corporate cash and its political extension also depends on socialization of LIV's -- such as only obligatory education, relatively low income, a perception of the world molded by media hype and passively entertaining cultural definers, such as Foxnoise, or even more passific, avoiding 'news' altogether, only to absorb all the social and cultural depth of 'Dancing With The Stars' or 'Real Housewives'... that is, if they can afford their cable bill.... In so many ways this is a tragedy of people of modest means, even though many, if not most, people of modest means see through the obvious manipulation... But, the flip side of all of this, is how does one measure some quotient of LIV disqualification, and ultimate disqualify them from voting??? This touches on constitutional territory, and as a staunch constitutional believer, I believe there just isn't a way to move such people away from ignorance-based voting to a more considerate position before actually exercising their prerogatives intelligently... I believe this is the province of a less corrupted and more responsible media, to be more truthful in the exercise of election practices and information dispersement, and challenging any lies put forth with rigorous debate and collective good will... Any other means would amount to something other than constitutional democracy, and that would be bad... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T11:15:13Z bbbbmer comment-29743 2010-06-09T10:51:44Z 2010-06-09T10:51:44Z It's all fine to be 'polite', but the stakes at risk in this race couldn't be more dramatic. Schenirer is a KJ suckup and will support the corrupt agenda of this mayor... He enabled the start of the whole St. Hope debacle, including arranging covert loans and other deals unbeknownst to the public... He's basically a liar, and when most of the district's diluted vote recasts in November, hopefully they will have a truer vision of this godawful jerk before the election.... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T10:51:44Z bbbbmer comment-29739 2010-06-09T10:40:03Z 2010-06-09T10:40:03Z Beware of press services counting votes rather than official sources... bbbbmer 2010-06-09T10:40:03Z bbbbmer comment-29637 2010-06-08T19:40:04Z 2010-06-08T19:40:04Z Of course, yesterday, *I* was the 'political insider'... I guess my celebrity is fading... just like KJ's.... Ben, why haven't you applied the same accusation to this Fort Natomas ninny??? He's like an everready powered rat.... bbbbmer 2010-06-08T19:40:04Z bbbbmer comment-29639 2010-06-08T19:18:31Z 2010-06-08T19:18:31Z It's truly one of the most magnificent vineyard settings in the world -- and I mean it... Here's their website: http://www.fortrossvineyard.com/fortross/index.jsp Really hard to get to, but worth it..... bbbbmer 2010-06-08T19:18:31Z bbbbmer comment-29638 2010-06-08T19:14:06Z 2010-06-08T19:14:06Z Once again, our paranoid visitor visits.... bbbbmer 2010-06-08T19:14:06Z bbbbmer comment-29593 2010-06-08T16:26:23Z 2010-06-08T16:26:23Z As are Ashby operatives.... Lord, honey, you really are paranoid... Forget your meds again??? bbbbmer 2010-06-08T16:26:23Z bbbbmer comment-29591 2010-06-08T16:21:40Z 2010-06-08T16:21:40Z How about ill-informed and very confused... bbbbmer 2010-06-08T16:21:40Z bbbbmer comment-29559 2010-06-08T14:29:43Z 2010-06-08T14:29:43Z LOL..... you remembered! Those new bikes do indeed look comfy, though -- though their website doesn't indicate pricing -- a bad sign... bbbbmer 2010-06-08T14:29:43Z bbbbmer comment-29554 2010-06-08T12:13:31Z 2010-06-08T12:13:31Z She will owe many favors -- count on it. And if she wins, it's the public's turn to do what she did to Ray Trethway. She deserves it. bbbbmer 2010-06-08T12:13:31Z bbbbmer comment-29543 2010-06-08T08:20:23Z 2010-06-08T08:20:23Z You might try Fort Ross Pinot Noir Reserve... it's sublime... but it's also about $40/bottle... not exactly 'two buck chuck'... but i know this wine very very well... it's worth every penny.... bbbbmer 2010-06-08T08:20:23Z bbbbmer comment-29458 2010-06-08T00:16:56Z 2010-06-08T00:16:56Z Your lack of knowledge about optimum organizational design and democratic governance is astounding... How have you gotten this far in life knowing so little about the basic institutions that we live in and work for... You read contradictions in a vain attempt to defeat my statements, only demonstrating just how utterly ill-informed you are... I find your statements so pathetically ill-informed and conflating that it's simply unintelligible to attempt a response... You perhaps think you're making an opposing argument, but the diametrics you put forth are simply nonanalogous and absurd.... For example, your statement about Bush's administration resulting from democracy, when democracy is complicated by the electoral process, with your implicit remedy to toss democracy... And then you drift off to Ashbyland with regard to council votes and the SMI... citiing the SMI proposal as inaccurately as a blind person -- to wit, under the only proposal that has been revealed by the SMI-litethingy barons, the mayor retains ultimate authority, barring override -- do have any idea how difficult such a situation would be to sustain this process??? You think this would be beneficial for this town??? You think this is a better system than building consensus and buy in from a whole host of diverse viewpoints and opinions??? And what if your 'strong mayor' is as corrupt as someone like KJ and his backers??? What do you do THEN, once policies have been initiated by the corruptor leaving the council to play constant catch up to override the political will of one bad all-powerful mayoral actor??? Have you no foresight at alll??? You seem to seek an Ayn Randian 'strong man of action' with some 'vision', a John Galt or Howard Rourk, which are btw, fictional characters and rarely take human form -- which is typical of right wing thinking, to somehow marshall by demand the ideas and wishes to counter representative government or any form of collaborative judgment. Basically you seek fascism. Mussolini and Hitler were 'strong men' too -- and look what they did, and what happened to them.... And Ayn Rand ended up being one of the most reviled thinkers of the 20th century, especially considering that when people cite her, it's usually because they haven't read anyone else...or expressed an original thought... We do NOT need a single city with a single direction formed by a single mayor, for if in the hands of someone like THIS mayor, the ideas and wishes of a preponderance of others who foster far more creative and original and uncorrupted thoughts would be marginalized. You do not know enough to weigh what you believe is an optimum system against what our city charter provides now... You simply do not know enough... And yet you drift forth in nonsensical twisted and tortured rhetoric -- nay, it's not even 'rhetorical' -- it's more the leanings and stompings of a bratty kid who insists they are right when they don't consider that they could just possibly be profoundly wrong, to justify your wish for a strong mayor... In the end all you've done is present a tautological emigma -- a strong mayor would be better because... and that's about it.... And frankly, that's all there is to it, because democracy, the decentralization of authority, ALWAYS works better, and is a fundamental principle of our nation and core ideas behind its founding. But then again, I take it you're not exactly a student of such things... bbbbmer 2010-06-08T00:16:56Z bbbbmer comment-29399 2010-06-07T21:37:09Z 2010-06-07T21:37:09Z ROFLMAO!!! Isn't that the same stomping off tantrum we heard from Steve Maviglio??? Four whole replies since 9am this morning.... yowsa... and two of those by Ashby insiders who 'got caught' lying or cheating or bending/breaking campaign rules... groundbreaking... Oracle, you behave as if this site was your Mecca -- it is not mine. A 'beatdown', whatever that is, isn't going to stop me expressing my views, here or anywhere... and I've dealt with far greater challenges than a little local website... You must live in a very small small world... This little 'petition' drive reminds me of the line from AUNTIE MAME spoken by local southern girlabouttown (hooker) Sallie Cato MacDougal, when she says, "I'm just gonna HOLDMY BREATH until DAWN TOMORROW".... And I would reply similarly to Rosalind Russell's infamous response: "Do that, honey....".... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T21:37:09Z bbbbmer comment-29462 2010-06-07T20:54:43Z 2010-06-07T20:54:43Z Is it for 'festive occasions' or do you just wear it when you're shopping at WalMart? bbbbmer 2010-06-07T20:54:43Z bbbbmer comment-29453 2010-06-07T16:17:03Z 2010-06-07T16:17:03Z She (MB) drinks, ya know... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T16:17:03Z bbbbmer comment-29452 2010-06-07T16:14:17Z 2010-06-07T16:14:17Z I have a very old, 1990, Specialized Hardrock Ultra, that resembles more of Mack Truck on two wheels than a bike... I *LOVE* this bicycle!!! But, as I've aged (and widened) I find especially the seat INCREDIBLY 'uncomfortable' -- to say the least... I'd LOVE to find something more comfy to ride, for I truly LOVE bike riding, especially in this magnificent city, and especially very early in the morning while the city is still asleep... It's truly a great experience, one that I'm sure would be enhanced by a much more well padded seat... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T16:14:17Z bbbbmer comment-29451 2010-06-07T16:10:38Z 2010-06-07T16:10:38Z The mayor serves as a presider -- not as a decider. We HAD a 'decider in chief' in GWBush, and look how THAT turned out.... Shared collaborative decisions are the best -- there is buy-in from a multiplicity of sources, a shared dream and vision, and it is likely that such 'visions' are an amalgam of those represented by leaders under such circumstances, rather than a dictate of one person, especially when that person is so often compromised, as in the current incumbent's case. If you had had experience in a senior post in a corporation, or had read salient literature on optiimum business practices -- my favorites are from Paul Hawken, or Tom Peters, both of whom I either knew or studied under a few decades ago -- among many many others, who vie for collaborative decision making, even in stodgy old fart run corporate settings. Collaborative management models check the excesses of dictatorial bosses and leaders, who as humans, are subject to err on occasion. This is why democracy is a very good model for running an organization, and the more democratic, the better, especially where there is a lively exchange among the demos of the democracy... Democracy also checks not only error, but also corruption and insidious conduct of leaders, and there is no greater example of this than how this city's charter has operated over eight decades. Sure, democracy is slow at times, frustrating, and at times stresses the patience of Job... But it also protects us from the greed mongerers who are seeking backroom largesse instead of trampling through the protective messiness our current city charter provides. And I believe this is a profoundly good thing... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T16:10:38Z bbbbmer comment-29441 2010-06-07T14:09:02Z 2010-06-07T14:09:02Z I'm not fond of Scully, and I knew of her late husband fairly well... I think she targets easy to win cases and leaves vital investigations and prosecutions for much more serious crimes to the fray. But you do realize that elections, or even recalls, are far easier ways to oust bad actors in office than prosecuting them for dereliction of duty in office. The standards of proof are high and complicated, and frankly, I doubt anybody really wants to work that hard for such a small payout... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T14:09:02Z bbbbmer comment-29440 2010-06-07T14:04:01Z 2010-06-07T14:04:01Z I have my doubts that you know much of anything, let alone about Ray Tretheway... LOL! bbbbmer 2010-06-07T14:04:01Z bbbbmer comment-29439 2010-06-07T14:02:31Z 2010-06-07T14:02:31Z ROFLMAO!!! Fort Natomas is acting like John Belushi's characterization in the old SNL skit, 'The thing that wouldn't leave'.... and in caps no less... A 'B.S. in criminal justice'.... yowsa... Again, I'd have been honored to serve Tretheway's camp, or that of Mr. Gutierrez... Alas, they couldn't afford me.... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T14:02:31Z bbbbmer comment-29438 2010-06-07T13:53:13Z 2010-06-07T13:53:13Z I absolutely do NOT find the SP to be a 'slimy operation' IN THE SLIGHTEST, this, despite constant excising of my own brand of hyperbole facing that of 'the other side'.... I believe, despite past skirmishes, that the SP is a unique form of community expression, and I would bet it's going to be around for a long long time, and I thank GOD for that... I learn more here about the community than any other media outlet, save the SNR. The Bee is a moribund press arm with vested corporate interests, partners, and other relationships, and their news reporting and ed board are far too cozy with those they should be scrutinizing... This little media experiment that is the SP is at least lively, terribly entertaining (at times, in a masochistic sort of way), and I think it's fabulous that thems' that make this little thingy possible have dedicated time and effort and cash in doing so, and I think, despite my own pissiness at some of the excisions made of some of the more peppery of my own little blurbs, they deserve a flood of community applause... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T13:53:13Z bbbbmer comment-29429 2010-06-07T08:44:00Z 2010-06-07T08:44:00Z He's probably running over to Townsend/Raimundo or Bell/McAndrews to find out what to say.... I had no idea who Mr. Tyndale was -- but now it's making abundant sense. Among those groups seeking SMI and the covert mayoral backdoor deals, are not only the real estate developers and corporate interests -- it's the cops and fireguys too... Very VERY interesting.... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T08:44:00Z bbbbmer comment-29427 2010-06-07T08:40:19Z 2010-06-07T08:40:19Z Though I'm disappointed in the SNR's endorsements of Ashby and Cohn, and Garvin's defense of that editorial policy, I do believe his article on the SMI-lite thingy is spot on...and that he is singularly the best reporter on Sacramento's city beat... And Mr. Tyndale, I hate no one. Not even a fraud and alleged child molester like KJ. Challenging such measures and their motivations and backers is not HATE -- here on planet earth we deem this GOOD CITIZENSHIP.... I'd suggest you try it.... And if you're on first name familiar bases with Kevin Johnson, I have no doubt that you probably have a vested interest in a positive outcome for the SMI rather than for the benefit of this city.... Unconstitutional measures, or measures of odious origin, like the SMI, SMI lite thingy, and even PROP 8, should not be brought before the voters without scrutiny by our elected leaders and courts. For example, Prop 8 should NEVER have been brought before the voters for it violates a number of constitutional provisions, despite the error of the SSupremes to the contrary. We shall see how this plays out on the national stage, but what has resulted by Prop 8's passage is a form of mob rule, a tyranny by the right wing using stupid people's bigotry and ignorance to pass apartheid sanctions against an entire class of citizens. SMI, and its demon spawn, are the creations of an elite group of people seeking to hookwink 'low information voters' into carrying water for real estate developers and corporate interests seeking mayoral largesse unchecked by a more democratic process -- nothing more... This is also known as corruption... and granting unprecedented authority in someone of the compromised past as KJ is irresponsible, unthoughtful, and potentially unconstitutional... So, stop crying victim on behalf of your patron. Questioning KJ and his backers is not hate -- once again,, it's just GOOD CITIZENSHIP. bbbbmer 2010-06-07T08:40:19Z bbbbmer comment-29428 2010-06-07T08:31:06Z 2010-06-07T08:31:06Z There is absolutely no need to amend the charter's main points -- none. Johnson's camp is indeed fearful of public exposure of their new proposal, for it doesn't change much from the last one, is every bit as toxic, was carved out in secret, and was backed by the same 'gang of 60' as before... He's trying to control its rollout in order to compress the time for council consideration -- basically a month -- as if there is some big rush by the community to give him more authority... There is not, and even the 'grass roots' organization that sponsored the original SMI, was merely astroturf and fake, and was deemed so by the community which is why they changed the name.... It's still the same old plastic grass it was before... and there IS NO public groundswell to give KJ or any other mayor unprecedented levels of authority whatsoever... It's all just a BIG LIE, based on the cynical premise of fooling enough stupid people to pass the measure, just as they did during KJ's campaign for mayor... In Dante's Inferno, there is a special place in Hell for the deceivers... and it's not a pleasant gig... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T08:31:06Z bbbbmer comment-29426 2010-06-07T08:23:07Z 2010-06-07T08:23:07Z Ya know, Strichy, I know you read, or attempt to read, every word I write here and elsewhere -- barring a very likely problem with comprehension of quality expository writing, I should think you would have picked up a concept or two in what I have written... But I guess you just continue to seek animus... and attention from smarter and wiser people than yourself as some sort of pathological 'bad boy' who doesn't make an awful lot of sense justifying your positions on the SMI or much of anything else, particularly after you disclosed that you 'admire' Ayn Rand, when you wouldn't be given the time of day by a Randian objectivist because of your limitations in so many spheres... Just once, it might edify you to READ what YOU write, to see the crazy mixed up addled thoughts you randomly slap together... Every time this discussioin pops up, it's impossible to regurgitate the mountains of prior comments on this matter, just because you can't remember or didn't understand or suffer from some sort of cognitive dissonance or rigidity... That doesn't make those of us who oppose the SMI, and have repeatedly voiced our views on the matter, somehow lesser than the views you yourself express -- it makes us clearer, smarter, and more articulate than you... and perhaps just a little higher up on the food chain than someone who would swallow this issue whole, spoon fed by some right wing mythology unique to your brain function. bbbbmer 2010-06-07T08:23:07Z bbbbmer comment-29425 2010-06-07T08:14:03Z 2010-06-07T08:14:03Z yes bbbbmer 2010-06-07T08:14:03Z bbbbmer comment-29418 2010-06-07T05:44:10Z 2010-06-07T05:44:10Z ...not to mention one helluva lot of eye candy.... oo lah lah... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T05:44:10Z bbbbmer comment-29417 2010-06-07T05:42:52Z 2010-06-07T05:42:52Z Yeah, let's slap up any old piece of unconstitutional garbage that would abandon democratic institutions and concentrate all authority for this city's governance in a mayor who ran his own teeny tiny nonprofits into the ground, covered up allegations of fraudulent use of federal funds and child sexual abuse, abetted by a handful of 'fixers', and ruinously executed, budgetarily or outright, every single development project he undertook in old Oak Park, where even there they knew better than support his bid for mayor... Yeah, let's do that, honey... and put THAT to a vote... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T05:42:52Z bbbbmer comment-29416 2010-06-07T05:33:48Z 2010-06-07T05:33:48Z PT, there is no 'legal matter' between JoeSac and myself -- his crowd are a bunch of right wing losers that stomp their feet when confronted and shout "I'LL SUE YOU!" or other empty threats, knowing nothing of just how complicated doing so is, especially because it opens their own doors to scrutiny... I would welcome such a filing if only to publicly demonstrate their idiocy and potential collusion with folks in this town who seek to undermine democratic process and embarrass far more honorable people, like Ray Tretheway... Now THAT would make a VERY interesting summer project, and a reason to be in Sacto during the heat of the season.... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T05:33:48Z bbbbmer comment-29415 2010-06-07T05:26:49Z 2010-06-07T05:26:49Z Um, among loftier legal circles, McGeorge is known as "McLawSchool', with a very poor bar passage rate... It's perhaps a 4th tier institution among law schools... bbbbmer 2010-06-07T05:26:49Z bbbbmer comment-29397 2010-06-06T23:51:26Z 2010-06-06T23:51:26Z Forty's ideal sanctuary city seems to be derived from Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy... Too bad you probably can't afford a time and distance travel ticket and had to settle for Natomas... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T23:51:26Z bbbbmer comment-29265 2010-06-06T23:44:53Z 2010-06-06T23:44:53Z Did you expect me to just accept your threat of litigation as substantive and not fire back??? What world do you live in that you hypocritically lob threats and invective and massive hyperbole, most of which is untrue, at others, and expect people to just accept your ridiculous ranting fiats??? Mars??? No, the SP did NOT remove my comment -- *I* did....and I did so just for the sake of peace... I also amended my statements to include "I believe..." that you were compensated to lambaste Fargo, and now Tretheway... and i do believe that.... I believe you in fact were paid by KJ's camp, and that you may very well be paid NOW by Ashby's camp... And as a quasi public figure before the law, a belief about an issue is a defense to a claim of defamation, especially when you have lobbed outlandish hyperbole against other public figures. Filing a lawsuit given your flimsy claims is easily defensible -- bring it -- don't just talk about it... But remember that such claims require 'clean hands' -- and the discovery process can reveal much about just how 'clean' your hands really are.... You should learn something about legal process before issuing your empty threats -- you're bound to run into someone who knows what they're doing... and just how impoverished your empty threats are... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T23:44:53Z bbbbmer comment-29325 2010-06-06T23:40:01Z 2010-06-06T23:40:01Z My email address is in my profile and has been there for months... Write away.... Btw, JoeSac, the only thing that would have made your little tantrum funnier is if you stomped your foot and put your hands on your hips.... That's just how ridiculous you sound....LORD you must be a yutz... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T23:40:01Z bbbbmer comment-29400 2010-06-06T23:38:22Z 2010-06-06T23:38:22Z Do you work for Townsend, Raimundo, or Bell, McAndrews? bbbbmer 2010-06-06T23:38:22Z bbbbmer comment-29395 2010-06-06T23:00:27Z 2010-06-06T23:00:27Z Rhonda, you truly are an angel walking amongst us... This is an ugly strategy accompanied by ugly campaigns for ugly purposes brought by ugly people of ill will who can dish it out but can't take it... This in itself is just one indicator of how pathological their desires are... My hope is that in heaping out my contribution to the blowback against this insidiousness, I can also do it comedically -- I love to laugh, especially at the hypocrisy and hate and bile heaved forth by right wing intenders like KJ (he may be a registered Dem, but he's as Republican as they come, in reality), Ashby, and their supporters, who seek a strategic domination of this city that is anything but healthy for most folks... Hence we're told to conserve water, in order to sell it to Nestle in a cheap sweet deal engineered by Das Mayor... among other braintrusts... Let's hope reasonably prudent people counter the cheap and blatant goals of greed shills like KJ and his surrogates, like Ashby, and do so with just a touch of humor -- for they really are kinda funny, in a pathologically ridiculous and hateful way, when it comes down to it.... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T23:00:27Z bbbbmer comment-29332 2010-06-06T15:28:31Z 2010-06-06T15:28:31Z Henry Rollins is soooo HOT! And his show on IFC is fabulous! bbbbmer 2010-06-06T15:28:31Z bbbbmer comment-29327 2010-06-06T15:18:31Z 2010-06-06T15:18:31Z Oh poppycock.... Though I'd LOVE to meet some of these clever union guys, to have a laugh and strategize, I merely support what they do, though I am not among them.... That's just your paranoia acting out again, Forty... They have pills for that, ya know.... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T15:18:31Z bbbbmer comment-29326 2010-06-06T15:16:36Z 2010-06-06T15:16:36Z Thank you PT! You're right, Tretheway's supporters, or anyone who sees through the political tactics of KJ's crowd, including this Ashby critter, who have lobbed untold thousands of unjust accusations at Heather Fargo, and now, Tretheway, all pretty much lies or variants of lies, blaming them for everything under the sun from flood issues in Natomas they have absolutely no control over, to the economy and whatever else they wish to dish -- along with insults about their physical beings and disabilities, do so ad nauseum, and call it 'satire'.... But when it's done to them, they cry victim, and wimp out in a pathologically passive/aggressive and paranoid manner -- witness the above from one of Ashby's ardent blogisphere wannabes... They just sit there and LIE and then kvetch and whimper when they face even wittier pushback... Basically KJ's crowd, including this Ashby critter, seem a bunch of professional victims with serious delusions and coached by manipulative jerks like Steve Maviglio, with aid from super scary consultants like Frank Luntz...at least at a distance... And look what good KJ has done.... but don't hold your breath.... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T15:16:36Z bbbbmer comment-29298 2010-06-06T06:56:43Z 2010-06-06T06:56:43Z I have to agree -- Matsui's CSR's suck... I had a similar problem dealing with them about a Comcast cable issue after every regulatory agency that one might expect should handle oversight complaints, including local, state, and federal agencies, all denied oversight jurisdiction... It was a lovely Catch 22 situation. Her CSR's did basically nothing... I still believe she's an effective representative of the interests of most citizens of this congressional district... She's also a neighbor whom, with her late husband, we have known for decades, and I respect her very very much...despite her CSR's.... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T06:56:43Z bbbbmer comment-29297 2010-06-06T06:53:07Z 2010-06-06T06:53:07Z Tretheway....as does the Sacramento County Democratic Party. bbbbmer 2010-06-06T06:53:07Z bbbbmer comment-29296 2010-06-06T06:52:17Z 2010-06-06T06:52:17Z Um, KJ's largest contributor is AKT. Have you ever read RICO??? I have my doubts -- no wonder you're one of Ashby's paranoid right wing supporters... She deserves you... bbbbmer 2010-06-06T06:52:17Z bbbbmer comment-29295 2010-06-06T06:48:07Z 2010-06-06T06:48:07Z Obama wouldn't have won if he hadn't taken corporate cash, as odious as that process is. But if he had not won, we'd have Uncle Fester as president with his sidekick the braindead beauty queen as VP...and those of you who are currently unemployed would not have received your 99 weeks of UEI payments to survive over the past 1.5 years... Now go ridicule Obama for THAT.... What hypocrites! bbbbmer 2010-06-06T06:48:07Z