California Dreaming

by Dick Pilling

Those of a certain age – like old – may remember the Mamas and Papas, the 60’s rock group whose song “California Dreaming”  became an anthem for many of that era.

At that time, California was my dream destination but, sadly, maturity reared its head, and I relocated to  Washington State while still retaining wistful memories of my time living “ the dream”.

Now, however, my nostalgia is tinged with relief that I didn’t opt to “live the dream” because yesterday’s California Dream has morphed into a nightmare due to present-day management – mismanagement? – of Governor Newsom.   Although, when you think about it, Newsom’s  California is not much different from Governor Inslee’s  Washington State.

Specifically, Newson enjoyed a $97.5 billion budget surplus in 2022 but, in just two years, turned the surplus into a  $56 billion deficit.(1)  Way more than Washington State’s shortfall of $26 billion (2) but Inslee is trying.

And California’s lamentable deficits also include water because its long-term water security is in question(3) due to controversial dam removals that threaten wells.(4)   And Washington State seems to be moving in the same direction with similarly contentious dam removals.(5)

Sadly, not everything in California is in decline as retail stores “smash-and-grabs”, (6) and car jackings(7) continue to  skyrocket and again, not to be left out, these crimes are on the increase in Washington(8)(9) ranking Washington among the most dangerous states in the country.(10)

There is a phrase “As California goes, so goes the nation” and, judging by today’s Washington, it may well be true.

Sadly…

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1. When budget season arrived in 2022, state lawmakers enjoyed the excitement and possibilities over how to spend a record $97.5 billion budget surplus, a shocking figure coming at the end of a bruising COVID-19 pandemic. But the two ensuing years have played out like a mirror universe as the state stares down a budget deficit yet again, estimated at $56 billion over the next two fiscal years.

https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-budget-whiplash/

2. In the fiscal year of 2022, Washington’s state debt stood at about 26.4 billion U.S. dollars. Comparatively, the state’s debt was approximately 11.73 billion U.S. dollars in 2000.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/305378/washington-state-debt/#:~:text=In%20the%20fiscal%20year%20of,Stated%20can%20be%20found%20here.

3. Heading into 2024, California’s long-term water security remains in question, with critical infrastructure projects and regulations still pending and climate change heightening the potential of extended drought. With additional conservation measures yet to take effect, the impact on water users also remains uncertain.

https://www.globalelr.com/2024/02/california-water-challenges-remain-despite-significant-precipitation-in-2023/#:~:text=Heading%20into%202024%2C%20California’s%20long,the%20potential%20of%20extended%20drought

4. Environmentalists and the State of California are celebrating the world’s largest dam removal on the Upper Klamath River, while their work kills endangered species, destroys roads, threatens homes with bank collapse and is already seeing drinking water wells go dry

https://californiaglobe.com/articles/klamath-dam-removal-its-an-environmental-disaster/#:~:text=Environmentalists%20and%20the%20State%20of,drinking%20water%20wells%20go%20dry.

5. The Columbia River and its tributaries— including the Snake River—impact nearly every resident of the Northwest in some way, providing hydroelectric power, recreation, navigation, water supply, flood risk management, and more (and) Those who call for removing the four dams on the lower Snake River believe salmon runs will be restored but may not consider the ramifications to other river operations.

The (EIS Report released in September 2020) concludes breaching dams is not the best alternative “due to the adverse impacts to other resources such as transportation, power reliability and affordability, and greenhouse gas emissions.”

https://www.nwascopud.org/news-releases/removing-snake-river-dams-deemed-a-bad-idea/

6. Where in the United States Do Smash-and-Grabs Happen?  Once again, California comes out on top of a list that no one wants to win. Los Angeles was the city most affected by ORC in 2022. All told, California had three—L.A., San Francisco/Oakland, and Sacramento—in the top ten.

https://www.deepsentinel.com/blogs/retail/the-epidemic-of-smash-and-grab-robberies/

7. Over that period, Chicago has seen a 115.7% increase in carjackings, Los Angeles has seen a 77.9% increase, San Francisco has seen a 70% increase, and Denver has seen a 61.7% increase. Last year’s rates per 100,000 people were 101.9 in Baltimore, 58.3 in Memphis and 48.3 in Chicago.Feb 5, 2024

w.google.com/search?q=is+carjacking+in+california+increasing+or+decreasing&sca_esv=9102e70e77a48ac0&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS883US883&sxsrf=ADLYWIJMqplKKmjkvkJ9hMB5RQdfG7-Yuw%3A1725559833550&ei=GfTZZoumIfyT0PEPyK3qoAE&oq=is+carjacking+in+california+inc&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiH2lzIGNhcmphY2tpbmcgaW4gY2FsaWZvcm5pYSBpbmMqAggBMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGJ8FSLeEAVCVPliQbHABeAGQAQCYAXmgAcYGqgEDMi42uAEByAEA-AEBmAIJoAKlB8ICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAgcQABiABBgNwgIGEAAYBxgewgIKEAAYBxgIGB4YD8ICBhAAGA0YHsICCBAAGA0YHhgPwgIIEAAYCBgNGB7CAgoQABgIGA0YHhgPwgILEAAYgAQYhgMYigXCAggQABiABBiiBMICBBAAGB7CAggQABgIGB4YD8ICBhAAGBYYHsICCBAAGBYYHhgPwgIFECEYqwKYAwCIBgGQBgiSBwMyLjegB649&sclient=gws-wiz-serp  

8.  Seattle is number 5 in the USA in Organized Retail Crime (ORC)

  1. Los Angeles, CA
  2. San Francisco/Oakland, CA
  3. Houston, TX
  4. New York, NY
  5. Seattle, WA
  6. Atlanta, GA

https://www.deepsentinel.com/blogs/retail/the-epidemic-of-smash-and-grab-robberies/#:~:text=Where%20in%20the%20United%20States,Sacramento%E2%80%94in%20the%20top%20ten.

9.  OLYMPIA, Wash. — Over the past year, KING 5 has reported extensively on smash-and-grabs in Western Washington. While dispensaries and vape shops are the primary targets, gun shops, convenience stores, and other small businesses have also been caught up in this ongoing problem, fueled in part by a social media trend.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Are+Smash+and+Grabs+on+the+rise+in+washington+state&sca_esv=9102e70e77a48ac0&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS883US883&biw=1536&bih=751&sxsrf=ADLYWILja13xzUJEgTfM1C5algs9WaUwKg%3A1725561603965&ei=A_vZZurNOrSDm9cPoIaO0A8&ved=0ahUKEwiq28TzuayIAxW0weYEHSCDA_oQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Are+Smash+and+Grabs+on+the+rise+in+washington+state&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiM0FyZSBTbWFzaCBhbmQgR3JhYnMgb24gdGhlIHJpc2UgaW4gd2FzaGluZ3RvbiBzdGF0ZTIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKsCSJBzUPwWWKxrcAF4AZABAJgBhwGgAbwRqgEEOC4xM7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCFqACrRLCAgoQABiwAxjWBBhHwgIEECMYJ8ICBRAAGIAEwgIIEAAYgAQYogTCAgYQABgWGB7CAgUQIRiSA8ICCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFwgIIEAAYogQYiQWYAwCIBgGQBgaSBwQ0LjE4oAeEUQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

  1. Seattle is one of seven cities across the nation to form new carjacking task forces as part of an expanded program started by the Department of Justice.

 

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/carjacking-task-force-seattle/281-2a3be64f-e3d9-4cbf-a339-86c18e89386f

10.Washington ranked among the most dangerous states in the country, according to new study

As crime rates across the country seem to be decreasing, crime rates in the state of Washington have only increased, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation crime data report. According to the FBI crime report, between 2020 and 2022, the rate of violent crime in the U.S. decreased from 398.5 incidents per 100,000 people to 380.7 incidents per 100,000 people, while the the rate of violent crime in Washington has increased from 293.7 incidents to 375.6 incidents, an 81.9 rate increase.

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article287945530.html

The many faces of Kamala

by Dick Pilling

It’s time to play another fun game of “but then” featuring our favorite would-be President Kamala Harris.

Let’s remember that September 2019 town hall event where she said, “There is no question that I’m in favor of banning fracking” (1)  but then, in August 2020, claimed that she “would not” (2) ban fracking thereby “frack-turing ” her own position.

Then, in June 2020, she wanted to defund the police, (3) calling for a re-direction of resources from police departments and  re-imagining public safety,  but then,  in August 2024, her spokesman  “walked it back” (4) on her behalf.  Perhaps the appropriate footwear for “walking back” may be  flip-flops

Not to mention her unbridled support for Electric Vehicle mandates which would require two thirds of all cars and trucks to be electric by 2032, (5) but then, in August 2024, she announced that she is now opposed to such mandates. (6)  No longer needing to “walk back” her  ideas, she can now “drive ‘em back” and driving a gas-powered vehicle if she wishes.

Lastly, don’t forget her shifting  stance on gun “buy back” programs  whereby she said “It’s mandatory” (7A) but then said “We’re not taking anybody’s guns away.  So, stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.” (7B)  Looks like she simultaneously shot down her own position while shooting herself in the foot.

You gotta’ admire the thoroughness  and thoughtfulness Kamala brings to bear when developing her positions.

She looks at both sides of a question, evaluates both viewpoints, and then speaks out of both sides of her mouth.

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1. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Wednesday that she supports banning the technique of fracking for natural gas to combat climate change.  “There is no question I am in favor of banning fracking,” Harris said during an all-night CNN town hall event focused on climate change

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/1426990/kamala-harris-no-question-i-would-ban-fracking/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Pmax_USA_Magazine_21-June-Intent-Audience-Signals&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw6JS3BhBAEiwAO9waF2VwjIkewNsgLWd7jW-ZeJ5UuPQQlmo5SL7E0NWjXJs6UEYkY14F6BoCIZgQAvD_BwE

2. WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris told CNN on Thursday that she would not ban fracking if elected president.  “No, and I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris told CNN on Thursday that she would not ban fracking if elected president.  “No, and I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking, as vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking,” Harris said in an interview aired on Thursday evening.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/kamala-harris-says-she-will-not-ban-fracking-president-2024-08-30/

3. Vice President Kamala Harris voiced support for “defund the police” in a radio interview in June 2020 amid nationwide protests for police reform, just months before denouncing the movement after she had joined the Biden presidential campaign. CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski reports.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/26/politics/video/kfile-defund-police-harris-campaign-election-kaczynski-lead-digvid

4. The Harris campaign has also walked back the “defund the police” sentiment that Harris voiced in 2020. What she meant is she supports being “tough and smart on crime,” Mitch Landrieu, national co-chair for the Harris campaign and former mayor of New Orleans, told CNN’s Pamela Brown in late July.

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/08/politics/kamala-harris-key-issues-dg/

5. For years, Vice President Kamala Harris has supported some of the most extreme electric vehicle (EV) mandates proposed by her Party. She consistently supported EV mandates as U.S. Senator for California and as a presidential candidate in 2020. For three and a half years, the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pushed an EV mandate that would require up to two-thirds of cars and trucks to be electric by 2032. Despite Harris’ record, just months before an election, the Harris campaign is lying about her beliefs. The campaign now claims the Vice President doesn’t support EV mandates. It’s a pathetic, transparent attempt to distance her from the unpopular mandates she has long supported. That lie should not go unchallenged.

https://alliancetimes.com/an-ev-mandate-lie-from-vp-kamala-harris/

6. Despite Vice President Kamala Harris championing outlawing gasoline-powered cars in her Senate days, her campaign claimed Tuesday she’s now opposed to electric vehicle mandates — yet another walkback on behalf of the California Democrat and possibly the biggest one of them all.

https://www.allsides.com/news/2024-08-27-1615/general-news-harris-campaign-now-says-vp-does-not-support-electric-vehicle

7. (A) On October 31, 2019, Harris called for gun confiscation at a public television candidates forum in Ankeny, Iowa. Responding to a question about gun control, Harris answered, “I support buybacks.” The forum moderator then asked Harris, “How mandatory is your gun buyback program?” Harris made clear, “It’s mandatory.”

(B) During the September 10 presidential debate, President Donald Trump correctly highlighted Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s support for gun confiscation. A visibly defensive Harris claimed, “We’re not taking anybody’s guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.”

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20240916/kamala-for-gun-confiscation-in-her-own-words

Asks questions

We are presently in a period of political discord and confusion but, sometimes, just by asking yourself a few simple yes or no questions, you can clarify your thinking and, thereby, your political position.

For example, there is heated controversy regarding who can use the girls’ locker rooms because, some would say, these facilities should not be restricted to just girls but should also allow equal access to boys who claim to be girls.

Accordingly, the simple question you would ask is, “Do you think that allowing sexually confused boys access to girls’ locker rooms is a bad idea?”  Yes or no.

As another example, the Biden administration struck down many of Trump administrations border controls which has heralded the worst border crisis in American history.

Therefore, our simple question, “Do you think that dismantling/removing our border fencing/ controls and thereby allowing hordes of uneducated aliens unfettered access to our country with it’s very generous social assistance programs is counterproductive to our country?”  Yes or no.

Lastly, shortly after his inauguration, President Biden directed a halt to new oil and gas leases as well as a review of existing permits amid strong opposition from the oil/gas industry.

A final simple question, “Do you think that eliminating/curtailing our fossil fuel industry thereby enriching those countries who bear us ill will may well merit some further reconsideration/” Yes or no.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a conservative or even, gasp, a Republican.

Dick Pilling

Just the facts …

Those of a certain age — like old — will remember a TV show called “Dragnet” wherein detective Joe Friday would say, when interviewing a subject, “Just give me the facts.”

Like Joe, I prefer a news article that “Just gives me the facts” because that’s what I need… facts… Because I want an article that makes me think and not one that tells me what to think. One that explores — not ignores — differing viewpoints. “Just give me the facts” and I’ll make up my own mind.

For instance, provide reports about climate change from all perspectives and not just ones railing how it is a threat to all humanity.   If climate change is, in fact, dangerous, I can figure that out by myself.

Some say it is the most serious issue of our time … that it will cause intense heat, droughts, hurricanes, fires, floods, and rising sea levels. But it hasn’t yet! And may not!

For instance, research reflects that today’s temperatures are lower than those of past times (climate.gov/media/113323) … present day conditions are not noticeably dryer than years past (drought.gov) … major hurricanes striking the U.S. have steadily decreased in the past 80 years (nhc.noaa.gov) … major forest fires are a fraction of those previously recorded … flooding events and magnitudes are decreasing (agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com).

Remember, we’ve a right to our own opinion but not our own facts and, per detective Joe, these are the facts, like ‘em or not.

Oh, and forget your dreams of a seaside home because, darn it, the oceans just ain’t rising that fast (nov79.com).

Dick Pilling

Third World

The term Third World is normally given to those nations that are poor or developing.

And, hopefully, it’s assumed that they will progress from developing to something better.

However, nations don’t always progress to something better but, frequently, regress into something much worse.

And it can happen quickly.

Consider Argentina which, in the early 20th century, was one of the wealthiest places on the planet but, in a few decades, through ever-increasing entitlement/welfare programs and the ensuing depletion of the country’s treasury, Argentina became an economic basket case.

Or, perhaps, Venezuela which, in 1929, was the world’s largest oil exporter and, in 2001, was the richest country on the continent, with more oil reserves than any country – including Saudi Arabia – but, in just 20 years, mismanagement and unrestrained public spending have placed the economy in freefall.

Is America heading in a similar direction by committing unforced errors to the detriment of our economy, which is still touted – for the moment – as the world’s most powerful?

For instance, is our refusal to use our own petroleum but, rather, purchasing oil from foreign sources – at ever-increasing prices – chancing the devaluation of our currency, a la Argentina, thereby adversely impacting our status as a world leader?

And is phasing out our usage of very dependable coal-fired and nuclear electricity generation systems in favor of unreliable wind and solar presaging the electrical blackouts typical of a third world nation like the present Venezuela?

Just remember, if we do what they did, we may get where they are.

Dick Pilling

Bidenomics and Bidenflation

As I see it, under “Bidenomics,” prices seem to be going up a heck of a lot faster than our take-home pay. Studies reflect that average hourly pay increased by 13.6% since January 2021 but, also, inflation increased by 17% — this means that, on average, one had to make an additional $11,434 annually just to keep from going backwards. (cbsnews.com)

But apparently, President Biden has not noticed this because he says that “We’re better situated than we were when we took office, where inflation was skyrocketing”.

Not sure if he was mis-speaking, mis-remembering or mis-leading, but, regardless, it was another example of mis-informing for which he is famed. To set the record straight, when he took office, inflation was a lowly 1.4% and, under his administration, “Bidenflation” kicked in, pushing it to a 41-year-high of 9% in 2022 before dropping back to 3.4%, over twice what it was when he entered office. (blackburn.senate.gov)

To put a finer point on it, prices across the board soared by 17% to include clothing prices (+7%), rent (+ 19%), food (+20%), energy (+ 31%), gas (+ 34%) and mortgage rates are at two-decade highs and, placing this in historical perspective, between January 2010 and January 2021, the price index for food increased less than 18% but since Biden’s election, it rose by 21%.

Bidennomics and Bidenflation are just two different names for the same thing. Rising prices and less money in your pocket. The better term would be Bidendisaster.

Dick Pilling