Today, 5/27/09 I had yet another incident while shooting pictures on taxpayer funded properties. This last incident happened at Brand Park in Glendale, CA 1601 W. Mountain St, Glendale, CA. I was asked by a very polite worker not to take pictures because I didn’t have a permit. There was one little sign, I mean little sign that is difficult to see when driving in. OK, the cities argument is that the sign is posted. Posted where and how big is the sign? OK, If I was doing a commercial shoot like a wedding photographer or for a print advertisement I could understand that a permit and liability insurance are required for that type of activity as I would be making a profit off of those pictures. However, I am a casual hobby photographer that just likes to take pictures. I was not taking pictures of people in the park as to invade anyone’s privacy. Why do I have to pay $30.00 to take pictures in a public park that is funded by tax payer dollars?
So my advise is not to patronize the Parks in Glendale California until they let the non-commercial tax payers use the park without paying any additional fee besides taxes.
This is yet another example of Huge Greedy Government usually run by Democrats who just love Taxes and Fees.
The events that are unfolding in California today (5/23/09) are unprecedented and will affect every state in The United States of America. The people have spoken and they have said “NO MORE NEW TAXES” A catalyst for a perfect storm on Tea Party Day July 4th, 2009.
What has transpired over the years in California that I have been in here (1980) is nothing less than tragic.
I moved to a state that was relatively easy to get a job if you really wanted one. If you didn’t want to work and wanted to be on welfare it was a lot more difficult to accomplish that goal.
California was led by the Democratic party from a land of sunshine, plenty of work and an occasional earthquake to a land of excruciating high taxes, huge numbers of illegal immigrants, easy welfare accommodations for anyone, strong control by theEPA (Environmental Protection Agency) andSCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) and radically powerful, strong unions that have crippled the work force with a total disregard or understanding of how the economy works. Every day now there are protests in the streets by these unions demanding that their particular financial interests should be continually supported by the California government that is fiscally broken. They fail to see that the economy in California has completely collapsed.
Due to the Democratic mantra of “Tax and Spend” California has become the most unfriendly environment for both small and large businesses to flourish in. Consequently a lot of businesses have closed or have left California for other states and more than likely other countries.
An example of this is when Lockeed closed down it’s Burbank facilities instantly putting 15,000 people out of work. That is the figure just for Lockeed. It doesn’t address all the subcontractors for small parts and materials that went into the building of the aircraft in that facility.
Another example of that is the General Motors Plant in Van Nuys, CA. Built in 1947 and closed in 1992.
This plant towards the end built some of the worst cars ever assembled by General Motors. The Chevrolet Corvair, Camaro, Nova and Firebird.
While it is true that the plant was old, the property and the location were ideal for GM to build cars specifically for the California market. With some effort the palnt could have been rebuilt and modified for newer assembly line could have been built. How ever the decision was made to move this assembly plant to Sainte-Thérèse Assembly in Quebec, Canada.
So the issue at hand is jobs. As I have written about in the past, government does not create jobs. private enterprise creates jobs. The Democrats have completely damaged the business environment here in California. In the process of damaging the business environment the Democrats have diminished the tax base dramatically at the same time they have tried to make up for the lack jobs by huge tax rates for the people that still have jobs and businesses that are still open. The squeeze has to end somewhere or sometime and that somewhere and sometime is now.
I voted for Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) hoping that he could get the job done. In the beginning he was doing a great job. But the Democrats saw his power and popularity as a threat and stone walled his every move and he finally capitulated to the Democrats and agreed to raise State Income Taxes, DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) taxes, and State Sales Tax which is the most destructive tax a legislator could ever raise. This has exacerbated the crumbling economy here in California.
As long as California is a Democratically controlled state it will never ever regain the grand status that has left us in the late 70’s and the 80’s. The Democratic stranglehold on the State of California will be very hard to break because of two simple facts. 1. The number of business owners that would lobby against the Democrats is dwindling. The number of employees that expect their employers to provide all kind of services for free greatly out number the employers. 2. The number of people that expect the California Government to provide everything for free is in control of who is put in office.
In fact California is so damaged that there is serious discussion about rewriting the California Constitution. The California Constitution is not broken, the Democratic party that is interpreting the California Constitution is broken.
How is rewriting the California Constitution going to help the people of California get new jobs created by new companies that start and flourish and old companies that expand and grow and hire people?
I’m sure that with the state of California being run by Democrats, the “New and Improved” version of the California Constitution will be so severely flawed and skewed towards the Democratic mantra of “Tax & Spend” that the State of California will just continue to deteriorate at a much greatly increased speed.
Here is the next thing to think about. California has always been on the leading edge of trends that eventually move through out the rest of the states. If the California Constitution gets re-written will the following happen?
1. Will the Democrats in the other 49 states try to rewrite their own states constituion?
2. Will Barack Obama and the Obama Administration try to rewrite the US Constitution making the United States an even greater ‘Land of Entitlement”? Thus creating a land that contains a plethora of welfare available to anyone from the United States or any other country just by asking for it and not proving that an individual really needs welfare funds to begin with?
For some reason in past years there has been a fairly complex and sometimes efficient system of checks and balances between the Democrats and the Republicans. But all that has changed with the deteriorating economy.
I have a comment about education in California. I understand and I am in sympathy of what is happening in the schools with the cutbacks and overcrowding. But here is a question. Do you remember what John Kennedy said” “Ask not what your country can do for you, Rather ask what you can do for your country!” I have to admit for a Democrat he was connected to reality more than any other Democrat or Republican for that matter by saying this.
So here is my point. When some one decides to have a child, the responsibility of education should be partially funded by the individuals that have children that are being taught in the primarily the K-12 education system. Junior Colleges and State colleges are already paying tuition. To believe that education can be completely funded by state and local property taxes is absurd. I believe that the parents of these children should pay something towards enrollment for students. This tuition payed can only be used in that school that the tuition was payed to. Not to all the schools in the district. Maybe it is a small amount to subsidize, but it is something that that will help ease the financial burden of the California educational system. Which leads to why I brought up John Kennedy’s famous statement. Not all property tax payers have children in the educational system especially older citizens. Why should the burden of funding people that have children in the system be places on people that are not using the system. This is not to say that people that do not have children in the education system should not pay anything. That is not what I am saying. What I’m saying is that the people that do have children in the education system have to pay some kind of a tuition to offset the shrinking tax revenue do to loss of jobs, poorer paying jobs that does not generate high volumes of income tax and of course the number of foreclosure on homes that is diminishing property taxes. I do not know the numbers exactly but the logic is that the greater majority of people with children are renters and do not pay any property tax yet their children are in the schools. The amount of property tax on a commercial apartment building doesn’t even come close to paying for all the kids in that building. OK so you ask why doesn’t the landlord pay higher taxes? Well the local county could raise taxes…..but guess what? You are right. Rent would go through the roof and people would not be able to afford the apartment that they are renting nor would they have a big enough deposit to move to a different building. In general raising taxes is always a bad thing.
It all goes back to what I believe.
If the Democrats can keep people poor, uneducated, unemployed and desperate they will always have a voter base.
This will explain to you the kindling point when in 1997 Bill Clinton expanded Jimmy Carter’s 1977 Community Reinvestment Act. (60 FR 22156–57)
In a nut shell, Bill Clinton mandated that banks make loans a lot easier for people that could not afford homes so that they could buy them anyway. The usual Socialist Democrat “Creating a land of Entitlement.”
You will notice that I wrote this entry on September 29, 2008.
You will also notice that almost everything that I predicted about Barack Obama came to be true including the relentless blaming of George W. for all the problems with the economy when it was really Bill Clinton that started it in 1997. I will admit that George W. did not battle hard enough against the Democrats in 2004 to prevent the total meltdown of the economy in 2007-2008.
I will bet that you will mention absolutely nothing about what Bill Clinton did in your movie and if you do it will be one line with no coverage of his blunder at all.
This act that Bill Clinton did was swept under the carpet and never mentioned on any news cast including Fox News Network. How did I find out? My cousin sent me the “Burning Down the House” video and I was just so blown away that I spent a month researching it before I wrote my blog. When I got to the mandate in the Federal Register I knew that it had really happened and the rest of the puzzle could be put together by a 12 year old.
This is how it plays out. If Bill Clinton had never expanded the CRA in 1997 and mandated that banks write loans to people that could never afford a home to begin with, The banks would have continued to write safe and secure traditional 30 year loans instead of using creative lending practices like 5/25, 2/28, no down payment, Interest only loans etc. The deregulation opened doors to predatory lenders that took advantage of a very dysfunctional, bad law. None of that would have happened and our economy would not be in the condition that it is in today with Barack Obama making worse and worse every day he speaks.
I hope you are intelligent to see this chain of events and now the Socialist/Democratic way of handling the economy will fail just like it did in 1997 with Bill Clinton except a lot worse. We are looking down the barrel of huge taxes, very high interests rates to combat inflation that will be created by printing all this money that doesn’t exist today and 13% to 15% unemployment. You can’t create jobs with high taxes and excruciating regulations on business. Businesses will not grow or even start to employ people until taxes come way down and restrictions are lifted on corporations to grown and reduce unemployment.
Today Barack Obama continues to use the “Community Reinvestment” theme that failed so miserably in the past.
I hope you are intelligent enough to do your own research and find out more about this.
Thank you,
STMARIE
P. S Nancy Pelosi want to investigate the Bush administration for war crimes, yet she does not want to investigate Bill Clinton for dereliction of duty and crimes against the US economy by providing a mandate that facilitated the destruction of the credibility of the US banking system that eventually spread though out the world.
There has been some concern about the build quality and the cost of labor to assemble automobiles. One if the first things that Government Motors will do is duplicate the IKEA business model. Government Motors will offer an economic and efficient “Kit Car” that will save everyone a lot of money however, it will save no time at all in any way, shape or form. This “Kit Car” will come in several containers both big and small with complete easy to read assembly instructions. In accordance with Federal Law the “Kit Car” will come with tools to assist in the assembly of the automobile. These tools will include two screwdrivers (Philips and flat blade), an adjustable “C” wrench, a small hammer and pair of channel locks. Additional specialty tools required to assemble the car are available starting at $99.00 each at KitCarSpecieltyTool.gov. Barack Obama’s Kit car will save you money and really piss off the UAW, but oh well such is life.
Here is what is included in the “Kit Car” package starting at $9995.00 (European Model) and $39,000.00 (USA Cap and Trade exhaust emission certified version.)
Just what America wanted and needed.
Some years back General Motors, Chrysler and to some degree Ford manufactured the worst automobiles ever made in the United States.
There were many reasons for the bad quality that I do not need to rehash here. Suffice to say that the reasons were primarily the manufacturing techniques and the quality of the union mentality that the employees applied to the manufacturing of the car. But thanks to the pressures of higher quality Asian and German automobiles the big three American manufactures dramatically increased the quality of the cars they built, but fell far short in amenities and what the American car buyers really wanted.
So here are the questions and then a statement.
1. Would you buy a car from a company like Government Motors or Chrysler (Ford did not take TARP money and will survive quite well.) that has a real good chance of not existing in 5 years or less?
2. Would you buy a car that is not as safe due to paring down of materials to make cars lighter and more fuel efficient?
3. Would you buy a car that from a company that is owned and operated buy the government that is manned by really unhappy union workers that had to take a lot of cuts to keep their jobs?
It is reported today that The Obama administration will give GMAC another 7.5 billion dollars effectively giving the Treasury a 35.4% holding of the common equity of GMAC.
The Federal Government now owns approximately 50% of General Motors.
How is Government Motors ever going to be profitable enough to payback all the debit and become a free enterprise corporation again. Simple they will never be able to do that. Again Government Motors will not make cars that people want because the Obama Administration now dictates the specifications for car model built. Other manufacturers will still make less fuel efficient safer cars but The Obama Administration will tax those vehicles with vigor making them undesireable to the middle class what is left of it.
So what is my point? I do not believe that GM will ever be a big player in at least the US Market…. unless, unless the cars are built overseas with much lower labor costs. Then they will be profitable as Government Motors will be competing in a world market just like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi etc.
I think the Chrysler name along with all of it’s subsidiaries will go away. Here is why I think that. The Chrysler name does not have any credibility as Daimler-Benz found out the hard way. Even with some infusion of great German engineering, Daimler-Benz could not make Chrysler profitable. I imagine the Chrysler brand names will go away and maybe the car line will be called FIAT (Fix It Again Tony) or FIAT may come up with a whole new brand name and never seen before car lines. That is a possibility.
Have you noticed that Ford did not take any TARP money, did not allow the Obama Administration to run Ford Motor Company and they do not have any problems. It is true that Ford did a much much better job developing energy saving cars along with the SUVs that Ford eventually cut back on.
In the end there will be only one true American car company and they will be Ford. I’m eating crow now because in the past I have always been a Chevy man. But for me for the rest of my life it will always be a Honda or a Toyota as they have both been just flawless compared to the Chevys that I have owned in the past.
This is an E-mail that was sent to me and It got me to think about this. This is another stupid statement that continues to prove how unpatriotic Barack Obama is and how much he wants to get religion completely removed from the government lexicon.
While it is true that the citizens of the United States do not all practice one religion of Christianity, we as US Citizens uphold the right to believe worship in any religion (most include a almighty God) that we choose. This statement however tells the people of Turkey that we do not believe in or worship any religion. It makes us sound more like Atheists (which by the way is an allowable belief as a US freedom) and that no one in the country believes in any kind of God or Religion. It makes us as US citizens sound like our lives are only driven by non religious ideals like Money and Greed.
As time goes on Barack Obama does something really stupid, unpatriotic and destructive to the economy and the well being of the future for the Citizens of the United States.
It is impossible for me to blog everyday because there is so much going horribly bad now in the US. From the destruction of the free enterprise of our banking system to the way we build cars by the what is left of the American Car Companies.
This is one topic that I had to comment about:
While in Turkey President Barack Obama said :
“We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”
I found this very interesting.
Do you know the Preamble for your state? . .
Be sure to read the message at the bottom!
Alabama 1901, Preamble
We the people of the State of Alabama , invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution.. Alaska 1956, Preamble We, the people of Alaska , grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land. Arizona 1911, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arizona , grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution… Arkansas 1874, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arkansas , grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government… California 1879, Preamble We, the People of the State of California , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom… Colorado 1876, Preamble We, the people of Colorado , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe… Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with=2 0gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy. Delaware 1897, Preamble Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences… Florida 1885, Preamble We, the people of the State of Florida , grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution… Georgia 1777, Preamble We, the people of Georgia , relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution… < /SPAN> Hawaii 1959, Preamble We , the people of Hawaii , Grateful for Divine Guidance … Establish this Constitution. Idaho 1889, Preamble We, the people of the State of Idaho , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings. Illinois 1870, Preamble We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil , political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors. Indiana 1851, Preamble We, the People of the State of Indiana , grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government. Iowa 1857, Preamble We, the People of the St ate of Iowa , grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings, establish this Constitution. Kansas 1859, Preamble We, the people of Kansas , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution. Kentucky 1891, Preamble.. We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties.. Louisiana 1921, Preamble We, the people of the State of Louisiana , grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy. Maine 1820, Preamble We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity .. And imploring His aid and direction. Maryland 1776, Preamble We, the people of the state of Maryland , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty… Massachusetts 1780, Preamble We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction Michigan 1908, Preamble.. We, the people of the State of Michigan , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, establish this Constitution. Minnesota 1857, Preamble We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liber ty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings: Mississippi 1890, Preamble We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work. Missouri 1845, Preamble We, the people of Missouri , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness . Establish this Constitution… Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of Montana , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution .. Nebraska 1875, Preamble We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom . Establish this Constitution. Nevada 1864, Preamble We the people of the State of Nevada , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution… New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. New Jersey 1844, Preamble We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors. New Mexico 1911, Preamble We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty.. New York 1846, Preamble We, the people of the State of New York , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings. North Carolina 1868, Preamble We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those… North Dakota 1889, Preamble We , the people of North Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…
Ohio 1852, Preamble We the people of the state of20Ohio , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common. Oklahoma 1907, Preamble Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty, establish this Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance…. Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing… South Carolina , 1778, Preamble We, the people of he State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution. South Dakota 1889, Preamble We, the people of South Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties … Tennessee 1796, Art. XI..III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience… Texas 1845, Preamble We the People of the Republic of Texas , acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God. Utah 1896, Preamble Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution. Vermont 1777, Preamble Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man .. Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other Washington 1889, Preamble We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution West Virginia 1872, Preamble Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God … Wisconsin 1848, Preamble We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility… Wyoming 1890, Preamble We, the people of the State of Wyoming , grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties, establish this Constitution…
After reviewing acknowledgments of God from all 50 state constitutions, one is faced with the prospect that maybe, the ACLU and the out-of-control federal courts are wrong! If you found this to be ‘Food for thought’ send to as many as you think will be enlightened as I hope you were.
(Please note that at no time is anyone told that they MUST worship God.)
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