This conference was a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate students and others and to promote the concept that Israel has no right to exist.
The University of California has a responsibility not only to the students and faculty, but to all Californians, to refrain from promoting an ideology or personal agendas. The university belongs to all of us and should not be used for the private use of its employees. This is not an issue of academic freedom. It is an issue of academic integrity and honesty. Whether the indoctrination is from the left or the right, it is improper. It needs to be stopped now.
Way to go, Gil Stein.
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(May 24, 2007) For many years, countless numbers of World War II veterans living in Central California, also veterans of subsequent wars, have yearned for the promised Fort Ord veterans cemetery to become a reality. These veterans, many now in their 80s, are referred to as the Greatest Generation – my generation – because we were all involved, we were together as a nation, and victory in war was more achievable then than now when our nation is very polarized and not together. And many have yet to grasp the danger of world Islamic terrorism.
Now, finally, after 14 years, AB3035, the bill to create that Fort Ord cemetery, has been passed, and for that, kudos to State Senator J. Denham, Assemblyman S. Salinas, and Congressman Sam Farr.
The Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery Endowment Fund is now charged with acquiring the initial $4,000,000 to proceed with this project. The yearly maintenance funding for the cemetery, however, will be the responsibility of the state.
So now, why don’t We The People use our creative thoughts and see how soon we can raise the necessary funds?
Kudos also to World War II veteran Paul Ventura of Pebble Beach for caring so much for this project to become a reality that for years he kept the desire alive. Also, he has various ideas about how to raise the funds needed.
If you would like to be involved in this project, call Paul Ventura at (831) 626-0377, again, that’s (831) 626-0377, or email Paul at pfuture@ pacbell.net .
Let’s all get involved in this worthy and much wanted project. It is a way for us to say to those veterans who fought for our us, “With deepest sincerity and appreciation, we thank you for the huge sacrifice you have made by putting your lives on the line for our nation.”
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(February 26, 2002) On Tuesday, March 5, Santa Cruz County voters will go to the polls. The central issue of concern on the ballot is Measure L. Why? Please follow me carefully.
A ‘yes’ vote on Measure L will repeal and eliminate the abusive and illegally instituted, ten-year-old utility users tax.
It is illegal because the law states that only the voters can decide on the merits of such a tax. That never happened.
Instead, the supervisors in office at the time simply ordered the citizens to pay the tax. Un-American? You bet!
But they got away with it for ten years! This utility users tax is charged at the rate of seven percent on top of already huge actual charges for water, sewage, garbage, electricity, natural gas, cable TV, and telephone charges. This evil, unnecessary tax on necessities of life that people MUST USE on a daily basis, generates about ten million dollars per year, or, on a more personal level, it costs each family about 260 extra dollars per year. This money goes into the county’s general fund and therefore may be used at the discretion of the county administrators.
Last year, the general fund was budgeted at 395 million dollars. After all county expenses were paid, there remained a surplus of 32 million dollars.
A ‘yes’ vote on Measure L will remove that ten million dollars generated by the illegal utility users tax, and STILL leave a surplus of 22 million dollars.
Now the supervisors are desperately mounting a well organized, well thought out SPIN campaign to defeat Measure L. They have gotten used to having this extra ten million dollars of surplus play money for the past ten years, so now they’re having tantrums, crying poverty, shedding crocodile tears, and using scare tactics and threatening innocent and uninformed taxpayers that if Measure L passes, many much-needed programs will be eliminated.
This is a blatant lie! Once again, we are being snookered by these administrators and their ilk. And sadly, also much of the media, knowingly or unknowingly, are a party to this canard. While these bleeding hearts, supposed do-gooders are righteously wringing their hands and scaring the people, AT THE VERY SAME TIME, they are busy voting themselves obscene salary raises and padding their retirement pensions, so that by the time they leave office, their pensions will be almost as large as their salaries!
How about a few documented examples? The County Administrative Officer, known as the ‘CAO,’ in February 2001 received a salary of $147,512. In February 2003, her salary will jump up to $190,500, an increase of $43,308 over a two-year period. Not exactly a reasonable yearly cost-of-living increase. Oh yes, the CAO ALSO will receive an additional BONUS of $7,056!
Over 160 county employees make in excess of $100,000 per year, and they retire at 95 percent of their pay? And our supervisors, they are voting themselves a $30,000 pay increase to $91,000 per year. And the list of excesses goes on and on. It’s really sad and disheartening how power, especially long-time, entrenched power, can corrupt and make perhaps otherwise good people cruel, greedy, insensitive, and uncaring.
What is so tragic about the actions of these administrators is that they show no qualms about financing their obscene raises with the very same money they claim will be taken away from hungry children, the elderly, the poor, and the disabled. I hope by now you get the picture.
Let’s go to the polls on March 7, and vote ‘yes’ on Measure L and eliminate the abusive, unnecessary, illegal utility users tax. Much of the material in this editorial was supplied to me by two very special local heroes in our community.
They are Steve Hartman and Ed Mazenko. These two gentlemen are a credit to us. We are DEEPLY indebted to them for working for us TIRELESSLY for years to try to keep our leaders honest, and keep the electorate informed.
If you wish to view details of the individual increases being paid to the top 35 county positions, log on to www.sccu tilitytax.com. To co nclude, KSCO and KOMY endorse a ‘yes’ vote on measure L, a ‘yes’ vote for Mark Primack for supervisor, and a ‘yes’ vote for Kate Canlis for District Attorney.
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(2005) I am totally bewildered by the loud protests of those who object to the recent photo in the Sentinel of the eight-month-old little girl fatally injured in last week’s tragic Highway 17 accident. I saw love, concern, and compassion in the picture of the fireman carrying the little victim away from the scene of the tragedy. It was poignant, human, and so sad – but offensive and insensitive? – nonsense. It was a picture of life, and life happens. We should feel comfort in knowing that our police, firemen, and medics are there to help when help is needed and time is of the essence. It is wrong to verbally assault the Sentinel or Nick Lovejoy for capturing a prize-winning picture of life. It is déjà vu all over again.
There will always be those in our midst who are selective in their human concern and compassion. Seeing pictures of graves full of hundreds of murdered innocents in Iraq elicits no public emotion from these critters, but a picture of an injured or possibly dead infant being carried to safety by a caring fireman being offensive blows my mind. Seems like misplaced and misguided political correctness is showing its foolish ugly head yet again.
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(November 12, 2005) A number of years ago, when Fort Ord was divided, a 175-acre parcel was put aside for a veterans’ cemetery. That was very appropriate. Thus far, nothing has happened to make that a reality. Despite the fact that there are over 40,000 veterans in this area, our lawmakers – federal and state – are in no hurry. So much for misguided priorities.
Veterans of World War II – my generation, the best and the