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Articles from
August 2007
Legislature needs to act on a real Water Bond
Friday, August 31, 2007 ::
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As the Legislature is about to close things down for the end of the year one of the key topics for me is the possibility of a real water bond.
You might ask -- didn't we just have a water bond on the ballot? The answer is that we had a bond on the ballot that was called a water bond but did not include any storage. It was really an environmental bond that was called a water bond for political purposes.
Here is the Governor's issue paper on a real water bond.
Any "water" bond that does not include storage from this point forward is a bunch of nonsense.
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Senator Larry Craig -- get out
Wednesday, August 29, 2007 ::
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This things with US Senator Larry Craig is actually my last straw. There are a number of elected officials that I think have not business in office. So far I have kept this list to myself.
Larry Craig is the most recent edition to the list but the first one I am publishing here. I am going to keep going in further posts. See Idaho Statesman coverage here.
Get out. Don't come back. We don't need you.
I am confident that Idaho has someone else that is able to do a fine job representing the state in the United States Senate.
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Youtube Madness
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 ::
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For those of you that regularly watch You Tube please forgive me. I ran into some people tonight that had not seen either one of these.
This is the Miss South Carolina video with subtitles. This thing is sweeping the country. I actually feel sorry for this woman. I have a comment about a Sugar Queen Contestant from the early 1980s that I will keep to myself.
This is why you never want to mess with a water buffalo. My favorite part is when the lion is airborne. This has been viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube.
If you have not seen both of these videos then you are missing something right now.
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Gang Injunctions in Riverside
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 ::
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Check out this story from the Press Enterprise in Riverside. We have some gang injunction issues in Yolo County that are nothing like this madness.
I know Rod Pacheco. The people that did this are messing with the wrong guy.
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UMM...that smell
Saturday, August 25, 2007 ::
2 Comments
I personally have never experienced it but I am told that the odor that haunts the area of town by CHP office is back. Anyone else having that problems with odors?
We know Georgia Flory is...but that is not the same issue as the one above.
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Playing at the Park, Pot, and Police
Saturday, August 25, 2007 ::
5 Comments
So with Jenn at the church retreat today I have  the kids. My strategy from the moment they woke up was to wear them out, feed them well, long naps, and play music all day.
So at around 9am we head to City Park. We walk down there...the long way. Then I turn them loose. Lord help the people of Woodland. Abbie goes down the slide at least twenty times, Adam chews on sticks....life is great.
Two park employees come by and pick up the trash in the park. They do a great job.
Then five teenage kids start hanging out on the swings. Still no worries. Adam is trying to climb up the slide the wrong way and Abbie is building a sand castle for some new princess. I am informed the castle even has an elevator or some such thing.
Then the kids on the swing start dropping F-bombs. I get up and say, "Please watch the language around my kids." I thought that would solve the problem. A little command presence. A little deep voice. Marine Matt is awaking.
Then these kids start throwing a bottle back and forth. No big deal until they direct it at Abbie. I have now had enough and start to stand up. I call Abbie over to me and grab Adam. I am planning to make it perfectly clear that I am not going to tolerate this in the park when my kids are there.
Before I can head over there two more kids arrive smoking pot in the play area. The one kid enters the play area by saying F*** You. I can barely see straight now but instead of saying anything I just start taking pictures with my camera. That gets their attention. A couple of the kids turn their backs to me, a couple then figure out I am dead serious about ruining their day and take off. I just click away until I have pictures of all of them. A couple of them are smart enough to hide their faces...that was ok.
Meanwhile, Abbie is standing there saying "Those girls are bad." Very subtle.
Then I call the police. When the teenagers hear that, they all take off. The two girls get half way across the park and then turn around and come back. They ask "Sir, did you take a picture of us?" I told them I sure did and that I was looking forward to showing their parents. They were in a complete panic.
They wanted to know if I would be ok if they picked up the broken bottle. I told them that would be nice but it really was going to depend on what happened when the police arrived. To their credit they did pick up the bottle.
Two Woodland Police officers arrived a short time later. Abbie was very impressed by the female officer. I actually was happy a female officer responded too. It is a good role model for Abbie. The cops did a very professional job. They talked to the girls and called their parents. When Mom arrived it was pretty clear that some major punishment was going to be doled out at home -- a far better outcome in my mind.
The sad part is that the girls refused to identify the boys that were there and the primary source of the problem. This anti-snitching thing is really causing a problem for law enforcement.
I'm just trying to spend a Saturday morning playing the park with my kids. In my opinion it is reasonable to expect that Abbie and Adam not to be subject to foul language, dangerous stunts with glass objects, and exposure to illegal drugs.
If my kids are ever behaving like that I hope all of you will call me right away and let me know. I am not going to publish the pictures of the kids but I will be looking for them the next time I am in the park.
Both kids are sleeping now. Abbie actually fell asleep eating lunch...that is a first. We will continue the madness as soon as they get up.
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Bridge to Nowhere -- Solano County
Friday, August 24, 2007 ::
0 Comments
It turns out the bridge to nowhere in my post from last weekend is actually in Solano County. Duane Chamberlain knows all about it and so do several other people that I was shocked to learn they read this blog.
Don Shor offered this one piece of history on Liberty Island.
More on this later. I was going to drive down there this weekend but I am going to be watching Abbie and Adam by myself so Jenn can go to a church retreat. If you hear any cries for help -- that would be me running from my kids.
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Budget Tomorrow
Thursday, August 23, 2007 ::
0 Comments
So tomorrow I am headed over to Sacramento to attend a meeting on Corrections Reform issues. One of the things I will be doing is filming a video for the Governor on the importance of keeping the Williamson Act funding in the budget.
I will link to the video here when I get it.
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LAFCO Today
Thursday, August 23, 2007 ::
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I finally got to run a meeting again. The LAFCO Chair could not make it so I got the gavel.
We were done with the entire meeting in less than 4 minutes.
That may be the one and only meeting I run in the Board Chambers. It was nice for once but I really don't miss running the long hearings.
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Yolo County 101 -- update
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 ::
0 Comments
We have some good stuff happening on the Yolo County 101 front. The teachers are confirmed. More on that later.
Dotty is looking for another classroom as the waiting list is now about 20 people.
In the class we have --
- former Woodland Mayor (not me)
- mother and her 13 year old daughter
- current local Mayor is on the waiting list - we have standards
- someone from Sacramento
- someone visiting from Hawaii
- a local reporter
- a new city manager
- a couple Woodland employees
- a Deputy to a County Supervisor
This thing is rolling. Once again, Dotty should be very happy about the way this came together.
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Teeny Tiny: Another book that is wrong
Sunday, August 19, 2007 ::
1 Comments
On out way to Minnesota for vacation we break out Abbie's back pack full of books. We have 3 hours with a 3 year old so reading has got to be part of breaking up the time.
Abbie pulls out a new book -- "Teeny Tiny" by Jill Bennett/Tomie dePaola. If I am writing about it here -- it is crazy. So prepare.
Here is my least favorite passage --
So the teeny tiny woman
opened a teeny tiny gate
and went into a
teeny tiny churchyard.
In the teeny tiny churchyard
she saw a teeny tiny bone
on a teeny tiny grave
and the teeny tiny woman
said to her teeny tiny self,
"This teeny tiny bone
will make some
teeny tiny soup
for my teeny tiny supper."
Note: Right. I want to teach Abbie to take a bone she finds on a grave and take it home for her soup.
When will this stuff end?
Later on in the book some ghosts hunt the teeny tiny woman down and bother her so much in her sleep by saying "GIVE ME MY BONE" that she eventually gives in and tells them, "TAKE IT!"
Great stories for a 3 year old.
Teaching all the great points about grave desecration, potential cannibalism, scavenging, and giving up to ghosts. Lovely.
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Sensei -- RIP
Sunday, August 19, 2007 ::
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It was hard to read about Dale Sussendorf in the paper over the last couple days.
It has been a number of years, but he was my last martial arts instructor. You can read the story in the Democrat here.
Tonight I will be having a beer for him. My prayers are with his wife and son.
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Storm Drain Fees
Sunday, August 19, 2007 ::
3 Comments
My family voted in favor of the increase for storm drain fees.
Today in the Democrat Dudley Holman with the Taxpayers Association and the Jim Smith in an editorial make the case in favor of the increase.
Meanwhile, Ed Hernandez continues to be against everything -- and does not even understand it.
These are enterprise funds. The only way to put it in the black is to raise the fees. If you have a problem with the fee increase you have to show that the work plan is not acceptable. The fee is set to finish the plan that is presented for the fund. This same issue also confused Councilman Jeff Monroe after more than five years on the City Council with the MPFP.
Instead of digging in the details and pointing to real potential changes some people are simply using confusing terms to describe the situation. If it does not pass we will still be in the red and it will remain that way until the fees are paid.
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Abbie attacks Davis
Sunday, August 19, 2007 ::
3 Comments
Ok --- before any SPCA/PETA folks start calling my house or running out of Duane Chamberlain's office --no animals were hurt by Abbie. I don't need her hauled off to the slammer quite yet.
Abbie loves animals and could not control herself at the Arboretum. Lucky the ducks saw her coming and got out of Dodge.
Now isn't this beautiful? Shouldn't it be preserved for all to see? Forever? Seems like a great place for wild and scenic designation to me.
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Ed Hernandez called
Sunday, August 19, 2007 ::
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So yesterday I got the call from Ed Hernandez. Happened after I got home from the boat tour. Guess I am just lucky.
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City Loan
Sunday, August 19, 2007 ::
4 Comments
I wanted to take the time to respond to a comment that was made by Dino Gay on my post about Ed Hernandez. it got pushed to the back page so I am going to respond in separate post here.
It is a good question and needs to be answered.
This is Dino's comment --
On the other hand, can the city explain the $2,500,000 "pay back" included in the rate increase? Can the city use Enterprise Funds to pay for unknown future services, because that is essentially what it comes down to.
The $2.5M was "borrowed," "transferred," "reallocated," "redistributed," or "taken" from other services - so those services were never rendered. With $2.5M of the proposed storm drain fee increase going to "pay back" the "loans" to subsidize those lost opportunities, the city will be putting themselves in a situation where specific Enterprise Funds will be used for undefined future services that aren't part of the Enterprise Fund.
I'm not opposed to paying more for improved infrastructure, but the city has done a poor job in communicating exactly what funds were used for what purposes and exactly what funds will be needed for improvements, maintenance and regulatory requirements. I don't believe past budget shifting should be part of the formula for improving our storm drains from here on out.
Maybe someone can coordinate a "City of Woodland 1a" course.
I will not argue the city communication system or the potential for a "City of Woodland 1a" course but I think I remember the loan. I have (and sometimes Flory joined me) in opposing the "information campaigns" run by the city at election time. I tried to enact an ordinance to restrict city money from going to this purpose but could not get even one more city council member to support that effort. Flory, Dote, Monroe, and Peart all refused to support the effort.
The majority felt that the city had the right and obligation to put forward "information" about a ballot measure. I disagree. I think the newspaper ads, fliers, and presentations amount to nothing more than campaigning on public funds. I think this is wrong.
Here is the deal on the loan from memory. I will check on Monday to make sure and clarify if this is not right.
The storm drain fund in an enterprise fund. Other enterprise funds that the City of Woodland has include water and sewer and several others. The money that comes into these funds comes from designated sources -- almost always fees paid by rate payers for that specific service. So, when the city increased water fees it did that to provide for upgrades or o/m to the existing water infrastructure. It does not go to parks, city council salaries, or anything else but the water system. They have separate accounting systems that make sure we account for each dollar that is spent and raised for this service.
On the storm drain fund it is the same thing. Any expenses charged to the account have to be related to storm drains. The revenues in the account come from storm drain fees. It is that simple.
In terms of a loan to another fund....it happens all the time. Local governments and businesses borrow money between accounts all the time. You may see money moved to a payroll account in order to cover a delay in accounts receivable or a short term loan to cover a pension obligation due to changes in payroll or retirements. These all are considered acceptable accounting practices as long as you document it.
In the case of this loan I believe it was because of a major repair along East Main Street (or at least that was included in it). Clearly a reasonable person would not want the city to face the liability for the flooding of businesses and homes because the city would not do a fund transfer to be able to get to the next election. That would be a prospect far greater than the administration costs associated with lending money to ourselves.
Dino -- you are implying that the money should not have been moved by calling it a "slush fund" and describing it in a negative light. Despite this, I will bet that if the city had simply not done the millions of dollars in repairs and let our homes and businesses flood in a storm event you would have been even more critical of the city. So how does the city win with you? Make the repair with money in the city's own pocket --get criticized. Don't make the repair and people have water all over the streets -- get criticized.
In the end they have to act and make the best decisions possible with the information available. I voted with a unanimous City Council on at least part of the funds transfer and would do it again in a heart beat. It was the best business decision available to repair an important part of the infrastructure of Woodland. Any business person would have had to do exactly the same thing.
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Bridge to Nowhere
Sunday, August 19, 2007 ::
0 Comments
Yesterday on my EcoTour I was teased about the Yolo County "Bridge to Nowhere". I thought it was a joke and they were really talking about Alaska. Here is a little information on the Alaska project for the Heritage Foundation, a You Tube presentation from the place in Alaska, and the CS Monitor.
So here is the picture of what they were referring to on the boat yesterday. I am told that it is at the extreme end of Yolo County and you can get there by driving down Mace Blvd as far south as you can go.
Does someone have the history on this? I know nothing about it butid does appear to go to a place that is not so desirable.
I have a picture of it below. The area on the right is south. That seems like a pretty remote location for such a bridge. It is the Shag Slough Bridge.
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Hartland Ecotours
Saturday, August 18, 2007 ::
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Several weeks ago I told you how I took a tour of the delta with Dotty and Lind Flack. It was a really good tour. One of the tips I got was about the EcoTours offered by Jeff Hart at Hartland Nursery in Ryde. Today I did the 4.5 hour tour of the Delta. I really enjoyed it.
Pictures of the trip are below.
If you are interested in going you can contact them with their website. I strongly encourage the trip. It helped me learn some things about the Delta.
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State Fair - Yolo County
Saturday, August 18, 2007 ::
0 Comments
Yolo County has a booth at the State Fair. On Friday afternoon I went over to the award ceremony. Yolo County got a gold ribbon. There is a picture of the float and then one with me and Rex Hime. Rex serves on the State Fair Board.
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Candidates for Office
Thursday, August 16, 2007 ::
0 Comments
Well now. This is interesting. Here is the link for the list of candidates filing for local offices up for election in November.
Some interesting ones.. Pam Miller, the County Social Services Director is running for school board in Esparto.
Joe Mueller and Lynnel Pollock are both running for Fire Board.
Cirenio drew a challenger for County School Board in Cecelia Calmes.
It looks like four people filed for two seats on the Woodland School Board. I know Carol Souza Cole and will be supporting her for sure. I know of Evis Morales. He works for the City of Woodland. I don't know Michael Blackwood and Rosario Ruiz-Dark.
I am not sure this list is up to date because some of these names are not what I am hearing in the community.
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The Fair
Thursday, August 16, 2007 ::
2 Comments
So the Rexroads hit the Fair tonight. That is always a good thing.
We saw the Realist, a Bottom Dweller, the Tamblyn family, Becky Brandt, and a host of others. Abbie got her traditional ice cream after dinner. What a mess.
We rode the ferris wheel and Abbie rode a pony.
I just love the Fair.
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Yolo County 101
Thursday, August 16, 2007 ::
0 Comments
Dotty and I sat down this afternoon to talk about Yolo County 101. We have some teachers and some great topics. I am not teaching anything. We have a bunch of good instructors. At this point we have one or two more classes to firm up and then we will announce the line up.
At this point, we have 33 people that are signed up and the phone keeps ringing. Dotty is going to try and get a larger room for the course. We have people from Dunnigan, Woodland, West Sacramento, and even Sacramento signed up.
Due to space reasons, we are not going to be taking any more class sign ups. Instead, we are going to start a waiting list. If you want to enroll please call Dotty.
The problem we have right now is that we still want to put five or six high school students in the room. That alone puts us over the capacity.
This is working out well....and some of you doubted this. You watch. We are going to end up running two of these each year.
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Ed Hernandez at it again
Thursday, August 16, 2007 ::
1 Comments
An automated phone call went out today against the storm water fee increase. The return number on the call was (530) 662-1378. That number belongs to Ed and Maria Hernandez.
If I was a gambling man I would bet that Ed could not explain the process of the vote nor what an Enterprise Fund is.
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The guy that wants to repalce LaMalfa
Thursday, August 16, 2007 ::
0 Comments
Sam Wakim is the only other announced candidate than Jim Nielsen for the Assembly seat to replace Doug LaMalfa. The article below was in the Sacramento Bee today.
I will never support him for other reasons. This will just add to the list.
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LA Times over the Democrat...look for lightning
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 ::
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Today I just about fell over dead. I was standing in Duane Chamberlain's office when I opened the Daily Democrat to find out that the editorial included was the same as the one that I posted below from the San Jose Mercury News. Good grief.
Then I do a little research and find the editorial from the Los Angeles Times.
I can't believe the say has arrived when I agree with the LA Times on an issue more than the Woodland Daily Democrat.
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That sound you hear is coming from Davis
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 ::
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That sound you hear is a lynching that is about to occur in Davis.
Personally, I think Davis Enterprise columnist Bob Dunning is excellent. I may not agree with him -- but he probably has the best sense of humor in Davis. Some of those folks take themselves way too seriously.
People read emotion into his writing that is not always there. I have the same problem from time to time.
Check out this article in the Sacramento Bee about Dunning in the paper today.
I realize that my support or appreciation of Dunning does nothing to help him....although he is part of reason I subscribe to the Enterprise at home.
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Tuition and Financial Aid for Illegal Immigrants
Monday, August 13, 2007 ::
0 Comments
The San Jose Mercury News has an editorial today in favor of a bill by Senator Gill Cedillo. The bill would extend Cal grants and tuition waivers for illegal immigrants.
This is the kind of thing I am totally opposed to. I don't even agree with the in-state tuition that is afforded to students that may "reside" in California but are not citizens.
I have a hard time understanding why a student from Reno that is here legally has to pay out of state tuition but a student from Mexico that is here illegally does not.
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Reward Offered - Sugar Queen Pics
Monday, August 13, 2007 ::
3 Comments
I am told that at one point about 25 years ago Yolo County had a Sugar Queen candidate named "Dorothy Pritchard". I am interested in getting some posters, announcements, newspaper articles, and/or pictures of that particular Sugar Queen contest.
I am offering a reward...let me know what I need to do.
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Finding my birth parents
Monday, August 13, 2007 ::
0 Comments
So on Saturday I got the letter below in the mail. This is more information about my birth parents than I have ever known.
ChildServ_Letter.pdf
This should help the search. Some of the subjective terms may be editorialized --but oh well.
This should help the folks I am working with locate them. My real objective is to get health information for me and my kids.
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More backpacks -- the good stuff
Sunday, August 12, 2007 ::
0 Comments
So everyone (that showed up) had a great time at the Backpacks for Kids event. Good to go. Huge kudos to Dotty and Leticia for making that happen.
So here are some pictures of the good stuff -- the backpacks and stuff that was donated to the kids of Yolo County. The Huber boys were the ones who did much of the work delivering this stuff with Dotty and Leticia on Friday.
More than 250 kids have gotten school supplies as a result on this event.
Good deal.
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Ag buffers? I don't get it.
Sunday, August 12, 2007 ::
0 Comments
One of the things on my desk when I returned from vacation was a briefing on agricultural buffers. It was very well done. However, I am not sure that I support the use of buffers.
We are a right to farm county. In fact, Woodland is a right to farm city. That means that residential development should not prevent a farmer from operating on the land near cities. That is pretty clear to me.
So why have a buffer of open space? To me this just takes more land out of agricultural production -- which is what we are trying to stop in the first place.
The use of buffers of 100 to 1,000 feet are used in different circumstances. That is a lot of acreage.
So a couple people have told me that some of the folks in the city complain about farming operations near their homes. I have not gotten a single complaint in just about five years of elected office on this topic. To me, those that complain are moving to what they consider is the problem. It is their own fault.
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Sacramento Airport
Sunday, August 12, 2007 ::
0 Comments
I really like the Sacramento airport. As someone that travels regularly I like Sacramento and Ontario. Both are easy to get in and out of. On the other hand, I can't stand LAX. I will do everything possible to avoid flying there. Burbank, Long Beach, Ontario....anywhere but LAX.
Last week I got a letter in my office about the Citizens Advisory Committee for Terminal Modernization. They are having a meeting on Monday, AUgust 27th at 2pm. I am not on the committee but got a courtesy copy of the announcement.
For those of you that don't know the current airport is going to be undergoing a huge modernization. They are even going to LEED certify their buildings.
The committee is an impressive group. I recognize several names from the membership roster including Woodland resident Tom Stallard.
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Vacation in Minnesota
Sunday, August 12, 2007 ::
0 Comments
The Rexroad family spent a little more than a week in Otter Tail Lake, Minnesota. It was far more beautiful than I ever could have guessed.
We flew into Minneapolis at about 1630 on August 1st. By the time I rented the car, installed the car seats, loaded the luggage and headed west it was 1730 or so. Then our cell phones started ringing. The people that knew we were there called to find out if we were part of the "bridge problem". Nope -- no idea.
Well it turns out we just missed it. Thank God.
Anyway -- we had a great time. A couple of pictures are below.
One is a picture of Adam in the fishing net. He loved it. The other is Abbie. Yes, her hat says "bite me".
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State budget hold up
Sunday, August 12, 2007 ::
0 Comments
Much has been written about the state budget and the delay in adoption.
Many people argue that Legislators should not be paid and then forfeit their compensation for the time that the budget was delayed. I actually disagree.
The last thing I want to see is some Legislator voting in favor of some huge change in state programs or a large tax increase just so they won't lose $2,000 or $10,000 in salary because the budget was delayed. We have to allow these people to vote what they believe...if you don't like what they believe then vote them out of office.
The funny thing is that this year I am really not sure what the fighting is about. It does not appear to be tax increases or other things that are usual sticking points. If the Labor education program at the University of California is so terrible -- then why was it included in other budgets that these people voted for?
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GOP Presidential Debate on YouTube
Sunday, August 12, 2007 ::
0 Comments
I have decided to submit a question to the GOP Presidential candidates via YouTube. I am looking for some input on the question I ask.
Here are a few possibilities --
Do you believe that global warming is a real threat to the environment? What piece of evidence would you point to that supports your conclusion on the issue?
Yolo County administers many federal programs. Why do you feel that you can tell us how to run the best programs for Yolo County? Shouldn't you let us figure that out locally? Yolo County is very different from Washington DC, Atlanta, or Denver. Do you want strings on federal dollars sent to schools, cities, and counties?
I was in Iraq in 2003 with the Marine Corps. Clearly the intelligence estimate about Iraq was pathetic -- at least the information that was provided to the Marines on the ground. What will you do to make sure Marine recruits today at Camp Pendleton will have the basic information necessary if we go to war again in the future?
Let's just assume that you will all vote for yourselves when you vote in the Republican primary. If you could not vote for yourself and had to support someone else on the stage with you tonight -- who would you vote for and why?
If you have other suggestions please send them my way.
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Back in the saddle
Sunday, August 12, 2007 ::
0 Comments
I just got back from my final family vacation of the summer and am digging out of a huge pile of papers.
Lots to post on.
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Dan Walters on voting machines
Tuesday, August 07, 2007 ::
0 Comments
Dan Walters: Ruling on e-voting irrational
By Dan Walters - Bee Columnist
Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, August 7, 2007
It's a long-established principle that someone charged with a crime can be convicted only if the case is proved beyond a "reasonable doubt." California law defines it this way:
"It is not a mere possible doubt; because everything relating to human affairs is open to some possible or imaginary doubt. It is that state of the case, which, after the entire comparison and consideration of all the evidence, leaves the minds of jurors in that condition that they cannot say they feel an abiding conviction of the truth of the charge."
Secretary of State Debra Bowen, a lawyer by trade, should reread that section of the Penal Code. She cast aside the principle of reasonable doubt when she tried and convicted electronic voting system manufacturers of making unsecure devices -- delivering her verdict in an odd, post-midnight news conference Saturday.
Bowen decertified the machines that California counties had purchased to quiet concerns about the security and accuracy of paper ballots in the wake of the 2000 presidential election's hanging chads. She directed local election officials, in effect, to return to paper ballots for all but disabled voters.
Why she did it is more than a little difficult to understand, at least by any reasonable standard. But it may have something to do with her campaign for secretary of state last year.
After Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Republican Bruce McPherson as secretary of state, he certified the electronic machines. Democrat Bowen, then a state senator, made it a cornerstone of her campaign against him. She alleged the machines, especially those made by Diebold, didn't offer sufficient security. Among other things, Bowen included items about electronic voting on her Internet site and aired a campaign ad showing thieves stealing a voting machine.
Whether heartfelt or opportunistic, her position reflected the "black box" paranoia that had developed on the fringe left about Diebold's touch-screen machines, with conspiracy theorists alleging that they were used to deliver Ohio's electoral votes to President Bush in 2004. It's somewhat akin to -- and about as rational as -- those who worry about an invasion of space aliens in flying saucers.
Having raised fears about voting security in the campaign, Bowen could hardly ignore it after taking office. However, she insisted in an interview with Bee columnist Dan Weintraub after the election that she didn't want to abandon electronic voting but make it safer and more user-friendly.
This year, Bowen commissioned a "red team" from the University of California to test electronic voting systems. The team found them to be vulnerable -- which is not surprising, given the less-than-reasonable, unrealistic circumstances of the tests. Among other things, the hackers were supplied with source codes and other confidential information, and they ignored the security procedures that election officials employ.
Based on what the California State Association of Counties calls "flawed analysis" of the systems, Bowen decertified them, drawing sharp criticism from officials who must now scramble to put voting systems in place for the Feb. 5 presidential primary election and from Diebold, the chief target of the review.
"Secretary Bowen's top-to-bottom review was designed to ignore security procedures and protocols that are used during every election," Dave Byrd, president of Diebold Election Systems, said in a statement. "Her team of hackers was given unfettered access to the equipment, the source code and all other information on security features provided by (Diebold) to the Secretary of State's Office."
Bowen, it might be said, disregarded reasonable doubt and embraced the "imaginary doubt" that criminal law forbids.
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More Backpacks for Kids photos
Monday, August 06, 2007 ::
0 Comments
The first set of photos were sent to me from Duane. This set is from webmaster Bob. A couple are classics.
We have --
1) The Jim Smith "evil eye"- reporters probably are frightened
2) Art Pimentel's searching his roots in the 60s - Wait. He was not even born until the 80s
3) Dotty cheating with Chief Sullivan - and with attitude as usual
Click here for photos.
Again ...thank you to all who helped.
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Monroe Post Part #2
Monday, August 06, 2007 ::
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The details following the post below about backbone, Woodland City Councilman Jeff Monroe, and the backpack for kids event are a little messy. I won't bother you with those.
However, I would like to point out that the readership soared that day. The post must have been e-mailed all over the place. Thank you for all the e-mailed comments and support.
For those of you that stepped in to pick up the slack -- thank you.
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Voting Systems
Sunday, August 05, 2007 ::
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Reasonable people can disagree about the use of electronic voting systems and what should be allowed for use in California or other states. Security, accuracy, and ease of use are the key issues.
So on Friday night Secretary of State Debra Bowen issued her order on voting system standards in California.
I will not go into the logic and reasons for her opinions. Those are hers and that is the way it goes.
Two things bug me about this policy area in California.
First, I question the objectiveness of Bowen. She made it very clear that she opposed Diebold and other voting systems when she ran. A judge in similar circumstances would be removed for bias. This is more like a judicial determination than a legislative actions.
Finally and more importantly the idea that security is breached if it is used by all election day voters but will not be a problem if used by disabled voters is silly. If the machines are bad...they are bad. Get rid of all of them.
All of the fear over these machines seems silly to me. The decision by Bowen basically was a half effort on security with a total disregard for accuracy.
Disclosure: I ran the campaign of Secretary of State Bruce McPherson against Debra Bowen last November but lost.
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Backpacks for Kids
Sunday, August 05, 2007 ::
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 Well from the reports I got it sounds like all the work that Dotty and Leticia put into the Backpacks for Kids event was a huge success.
The Daily Democrat has a brief article and pictures here.
Some people really were a big help. Some were petty but most were awesome.
You can see Woodland City Councilman Art Pimentel on the left and Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig in the dunk tank below.
Thank you to everyone that helped a bunch of Yolo County kids get some new backpacks to start the school year.
I don't have any reports yet on the amount of money made when Art was in the dunk tank but if the fire fighters were there I would imagine it might have been pretty high.
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Sac Bee: Rexroad Wins!
Friday, August 03, 2007 ::
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Sometimes you are good. Sometimes you are lucky.
Rexroad wins! Rexroad wins!
Capitol Alert Staff
Published 11:09 am PDT Friday, August 3, 2007
Whether it's because he's a pessimist or a realist - or maybe both - it doesn't really matter: Matt Rexroad, a Republican political consultant and Yolo County supervisor, is the winner of the 2007 Capitol Alert budget-guessing contest.
Sure, the state doesn't have a budget yet.
But since Rexroad picked the latest guess in the Capitol Alert contest - today, August 3 - for passage of the budget, we can declare him the winner.
"Wow, that's really pathetic," said Rexroad, who said he should have been even more pessimistic.
For his not-quite-right but closest to the mark guess, Rexroad will receive five positive stories about his clients on Capitol Alert (kidding!) and a Starbucks gift card worth $25.
Except Rexroad, as a county supervisor, says he has a policy against receiving gifts of any kind - even to hand out to his staff.
"I don't take gifts," he said.
We just thought coffee would help keep him awake for the next Senate all-nighter.
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