MCT: Monday, August 5, 2019

• Cooling Ahead
• Motivational Speaker
• FB Renaissance
• BobFest 2019
• Monitoring PG&E
• Beachcombers
• Utility Jockeying
• Hellish Healthcare
• Heed Marbut
• Yesterday's Catch
• Improve Medicare
• Cat Rescue
• Thinking Class
• Summer Everlasting
• Shooting Story
• Politicize Guns
• Homegrown Terrorist
• Mass Shootings
• Stop Hate
• Found Object

WARM, DRY AND SUNNY INLAND conditions can be expected Monday and Tuesday, with cool and cloudy conditions along the coast. Interior temperatures will gradually cool Wednesday through the end of the week, with slightly increasing chances for a few thunderstorms by the weekend. (National Weather Service)

ROCK THE HALL

by Rex Gressett

Out on the streets of Fort Bragg, a food truck entrepreneur was starting to go for it. Kerry Jane DeVito, who started the food truck “Renaissance” back in March with Councilman Bernie Norvell’s strong behind-the-scenes backing, has been parking her incredibly cute little blue food trailer right in front of the Fort Bragg Credit Union — as close to the smack dab center of things as you can get. Kerry Jane’s Sugar Coated Catering blew up the relevant chapter of the Development Department’s “anti-anything” regulations and launched herself directly into the commercial mainstream. She earned her success and helped her city immensely.

More fabulously exotic, high expertise, food truck vendors are soon to follow. Wait till Fort Bragg gets a load of Chef LaGran (Grand?) and his stunningly beautiful partner Rain. They are aiming at a spot behind the company store. I don’t know what they are selling, but I’m buying it (I think it’s Caribbean). In a long line of callously boring city council meetings — “street celebration” has been too far out of the box for deadhead public administrators to love.

Last Friday, the first open-air “Block Party” on Franklin Street went off like a firecracker, public participation in the mill site planning has been meaningful and intense for the first time in 20 years. The Council met in closed session to talk among themselves about getting in on the bargain basement GP mill site sell-off that Harvest Market and the Skunk were the first to understand and exploit.

The City’s Anti-Development Director, excuse me, Development Director Marie Jones is in full retreat.

Civic opportunity is suddenly everywhere. Doing nothing for 20 well-paid years suddenly seems a bit odd. Ms. Jones is trying, with trademark condescension, to adapt — sort of. Meanwhile, the Pattons have pulled their application for Hare Creek. The Patton family dumped hundreds of thousands into Marie’s permission machine and still could not get through the regulatory barbed wire. Said wire was made fatally lethal by semi-shadowy Jacob Patterson, our prize new wannabe-low-key-ivy-league-local-activist-attorney (WLKILLAA). The same person who has shot so many holes in so many things governmental this year. Jacob thinks rocking City Hall to its foundations on any given day is standard operating procedure.

In the midst of so much revolution, I personally have been conspicuously low key. Hell, the fact is, you don’t need me anymore.

You can find me at Headlands hunkered over my latte like an embittered ex-spy past his useful prime mumbling about council transparency and my thwarted compulsion to clap and boo.

At the Saturday morning Special Meeting of the City Council on the mill site, I “cursed the mayor” as he piously described the outrage. “Screw you,” I think was the direct quote. Can't have that. It shut down the meeting while they immediately recessed and took a walk to regain their shattered composure.

The meeting, which I saw later from exile, made headway. George Reinhardt and his newest front group, the Noyo Headlands Consortium, made their points and the public comments were all cogent and all about the same thing: Open space for god's sake. How hard is it?

At some point, prior to the special Saturday morning meeting, George had engaged Jim Tarbell to write a somewhat rambling, but generally interesting, chronology of the mill site with a steaming slice of indictment for GP motives and probity. The piece covered a lot of historical turf, but graciously did not touch on Mr. Reinhardt’s once persistent support of Development Director Jones previous proposal for “Me-Too” mansion mega-development. That was the “Specific plan” of unfortunate memory.

At some point, George had a long, dark night of the soul. Now, he just wants to daylight the creeks. Marie has announced, with no small disdain, that daylighting the creek would take at least 14 years. George Reinhardt, Marie Jones and Supervisor Dan Gjerde (that would be silent Dan to you readers) ran the “Specific Plan” up the regulatory flagpole a few years back and got creamed by the Coastal Commission.

With dexterous intrepitude, Ms. Jones still managed to get GP to spring for a couple of $mil in payment for what was, after all, a truly imaginative synthesis of overplanning and overdevelopment. At least GP paid.

The Development Department was glad to get the money and even more glad to keep it. Success of a kind. Dan Gjerde (whatever did become of him? oh yeah) and Reinhardt sang persistently in Ms. Jones’s choir. The Tarbell piece could have run in that beacon of freedom and journalistic excellence the AVA. (I am pretty sure.) They ran it instead in the giveaway real estate magazine where you can see pictures of houses you can’t afford.

It certainly stood out in that esteemed publication. Perhaps not so much in the AVA. They handed out copies at the meeting to ensure dissemination.

You can trace it all back to councilpersons Jessica Morsell-Haye and Bernie Norvell. The food trucks, the mill site, the open-air bash, the possible purchase of mill site property, the new transparency. Councilman Lindy Peters and Mayor Will Lee are tagging along like the tail of a kite and Tess Albin Smith is dragging dead weight.

Maybe you do need me.

PG&E NEEDS TO BACK OFF RATE INCREASE

When PG&E in December announced it would seek a massive rate increase from California ratepayers, the idea went over like a lead balloon. Under their proposal, base rates would increase by $1.058 billion or 12.4% for 2020 with subsequent increase of $454 million and $486 million for 2021 and 2022. Base rates are fixed costs that are not affected by fluctuations in the amount of energy sales.

This rate increase was proposed before PG&E started going around the state to tell us they plan to shut off our electricity whenever they think some act of nature might put them in danger of liability. Since the increase was proposed, we see no evidence that PG&E has lifted a finger to really avoid liability by actually making their transmission system safer.

In our opinion, PG&E is still failing to make an honest effort to repair the system, improve the lines, or make reasonable changes. The Wall Street Journal had some great suggestions based on what Canada, Colorado and Australia were doing. Things like taller power lines to get above the tree lines, triple insulation or double insulation on power lines in fire prone areas.

The whole idea of the power shut downs deflects the public from seeing that they are business as usual when it comes to powerline safety. It’s a PR campaign to help make them look like the good guys.

Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new $21.5 billion California wildfire fund is being seen as a big victory for the governor. The legislation offers a reasonable approach to solving the complex liability problem of who should pay when utilities cause destructive infernos.

But there’s a catch. And it’s a big one.

The success of the bill hinges on forcing PG&E to start putting safety before profits. The governor and the Legislature believe that incentives in the bill, AB 1054, combined with the appointment of a new California Public Utilities Commission president, Marybel Batjer, provide the tools to compel the utility to change its ways.

Good luck with that. When it comes to safety, PG&E has an abysmal track record.

• For a 14-year period, PG&E dumped more than 350 gallons of chromium-tainted wastewater into unlined ponds around Hinkley. The ensuing contamination resulted in a $333 million settlement.

• In the wake of the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, investigators discovered the utility had diverted ratepayer funds intended for gas pipeline maintenance to executive bonuses and shareholder dividends.

• PG&E knew for seven years prior to the deadly Camp Fire that the nearly 100-year-old transmission tower that caused the blaze needed to be replaced. But the utility did not fix the problem.

This level of ineptitude explains why we have repeatedly called on the governor and the Legislature to replace or break up the utility. Instead, they are counting on the new legislation and the new president of the PUC to put a halt to the utility’s costly calamities.

Here’s where it gets sticky. Batjer, the new PUC president, has a track record of revamping state operations but has zero experience on utility industry issues. Californians shouldn’t forget that even Michael Florio, who brought a strong reputation as a consumer advocate when he was picked to become a PUC commissioner, was quickly swallowed up by the agency.

Batjer will work with the newly created California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board, which is charged with reviewing and approving a utility’s annual safety plan. In the event of a wildfire, the utility would have to prove that it complied with the safety plan in order to receive any of the $10.5 billion contribution from ratepayers into the wildfire fund. The governor will appoint five members of the seven-person board.

The other two will be picked by the Assembly speaker and Senate Committee on Rules. It’s absolutely essential that the board have both the expertise and the willingness to hold utilities’ feet to the fire when both crafting and enforcing the safety plans. The alternative is continued failure on a massive scale at the expense of California ratepayers.

(K.C. Meadows, Editor, Ukiah Daily Journal. Courtesy, the Ukiah Daily Journal)

BIG BEAUTIFUL RIVER

NEVER A DULL MOMENT WITH PG&E

by Jim Shields

You don’t need me to tell you that California is deep in uncharted, perilous seas with this PG&E calamity.

Governor Gavin Newsom and a rubber-stamp state legislature, bypassing the very people who will be paying un-tallied billions of dollars along with future generations, rammed through in record time AB 1054, a historically far-reaching ratepayer bailout for our three privately-owned electrical monopolies. And they accomplished this massive public indebtedness by short-circuiting adequate public review and comment.

All of this was done in the name of public safety, i.e., establishing wildfire protections that in reality were mere camouflage for leaving ratepayers on the hook for untold billions.

In the past two weeks, there have been new developments in this ever-changing melodrama.

Believe it or not, two contending groups of the super-rich have emerged with offers to buy PG&E. Both groups argue that PG&E has been mismanaged and are proposing plans that they say will return the company to profitability while paying off fire victims’ claims.

Both buyout attempts are being fought by a third group of well-heeled types who are currently large shareholders of PG&E.

The proposed buyouts are now before the bankruptcy court that PG&E fled to last January.

A quick note about the bankruptcy proceeding to date.

PG&E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy which means it will reorganize the company in accordance with a plan that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali must approve, along with the company’s creditors, and the California Public Utilities Commission. PG&E says bankruptcy was its only option because of an estimated $30 billion in liabilities from the 2017 and 2018 wildfires.

Sarah Foss, a legal analyst at Debtwire, agreed with the move, saying it was “really the only option the company had considering the massive liabilities it was facing …Once the company files for bankruptcy, the litigation that the company is currently facing in connection with the wildfires will be stayed. Customers should continue to receive their natural gas and electric service uninterrupted during PG&E’s bankruptcy. However, it is likely that PG&E will be seeking a rate increase for customers as part of a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.”

A colleague of Foss’s at Debtwire, Tim Hynes, head of North American Research, proffered another motivation prompting PG&E seeking bankruptcy protection. He said he thought PG&E may just be “using the threat of bankruptcy in order to get better liability protections from the California state legislature.”

Both analysts appear to be on the right track regarding the bankruptcy filing.

A report in the Sacramento Bee explains the three-way tussle to control PG&E.

A group of insurance companies that say they’re owed a combined $20 billion by Pacific Gas & Electric filed a proposal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, calling it “the only path forward” to reorganize the utility.

The insurers’ proposal comes on the eve of a hearing Wednesday (July 24) in bankruptcy court at which another group, PG&E’s bondholders, will fight for the right to formally submit their takeover plan to wildfire victims and other creditors.

The bondholders have offered to spend $19 billion to buy 85 percent of PG&E’s stock, giving them control of a company that could be an investment gold mine once its debts are cleared up. The bulk of the money would go to paying claims stemming from the 2017 and 2018 wildfires that have been blamed on PG&E equipment.

PG&E and its major shareholders are resisting the bondholders’ effort, which would significantly diminish the value of existing shareholders’ investment. PG&E is expected to submit its own repayment plan later this summer and normally would have first crack at making its case to the assorted creditors.

Among other things, PG&E has floated an idea to borrow the billions of dollars needed to pay fire victims. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has indicated it doesn’t support that plan.

So just who are these folks who want to acquire an ostensibly bankrupt company?

The bondholders’ group, are owed roughly $10 billion by PG&E, are led by a dozen major Wall Street investors such as Apollo Global Management, Pimco and Elliott Management.

The insurance group, according to court filings, include heavyweights like Farmers Insurance, which is owed $2.4 billion; and State Farm, which is owed $2.5 billion, and the Boston hedge fund Baupost Group LLC, which has acquired nearly $3.4 billion worth of insurance claims against PG&E and owns $460 million in PG&E stock.

The shareholder alliance attempting to stave off the unwanted buyouts from the bondholders and insurance companies, is comprised of three hedge funds that own a combined 10 percent of PG&E’s stock, worth just under $1 billion.

Bankruptcy Judge Montali has given state officials a deadline of August 7 to review and comment on the various proposals. He gave PG&E until September 26 to submit its reorganization plan to the court.

Care to guess what the outcome of all these schemes to seize control of PG&E will be?

Care to guess who remains just a pawn regardless of who wins control of PG&E?

(Jim Shields is the Mendocino County Observer’s editor and publisher, and is also the long-time district manager of the Laytonville County Water District. Listen to his radio program “This and That” every Saturday at 12 noon on KPFN 105.1 FM, also streamed live: http://www.kpfn.org.)

HEED THE MARBUT REPORT

To the Editor:

"There are a number of homeless service providers who do open their doors to clients during the day."

Deputy Ukiah City Manager Shannon Riley

“Considering the size of the community and the number of individuals experiencing homelessness, it was very surprising to this researcher to identify many areas of service duplication. For example: Currently, within Ukiah, there are three functioning “day-centers” (e.g., locations that provide a variety of day-time services). Two are formal operations, the first is at MCAVHN (Mendocino County AIDS/Viral Hepatitis Network) and the second is at Manzanita Services, Inc’s Wellness Center. The Ukiah Library also operates as an informal defacto third daycenter. Looking to the future, a fourth day-center is planned to be opened by RCS adjacent to the Ukiah Winter Shelter. Additionally, Nor Cal Christian Ministries has submitted an application to the City of Ukiah to operate what would be a fifth day-center in South Ukiah.

In addition to general services, most of these service centers provide specialized niche services to specific groups. As a practice, in most cases, individuals beyond the targeted service groups have also utilized these service centers. The current situation has not been strategically coordinated.”

Robert Marbut, Mendocino Homeless Assessment

Re: Measure B Oversight Committee

I just wanted to follow up on an article I posted the other day about Sonoma County reducing available bed space at their Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) because of a 4 and a half million dollar over cost than the already allotted 8 million dollars budgeted to operate the facility last fiscal year. Apparently, folks were being left at the facility for over 23 hours and any stay over 23 hours is not reimbursable through Medi-Cal and/or other funding sources so the County was stuck with the bill. Clients were kept at the 23 hour facility for longer periods (days) because the CSU was unable to find beds in a 72 hour facility, better known as a PHF (Psychiatric Health Facility). Although the reduction of beds at the CSU doesn’t make since in a therapeutic sense, the move does make good sense from a fiscal standpoint, less beds equals less cost for the County. The CSU will now only have 12 beds instead of 16.

“After reviewing the health department’s approved budget for next year, Robinson said eliminating beds from the crisis unit was the least disruptive option. The department managed to spare a few of its behavioral health programs Sonoma County supervisors slated to cut during county budget negotiations in June, but to accomplish that the crisis center lost four of its 16 beds.”

Now back to Mendocino County. From my understanding, for a PHF Unit to built in Mendo it could take years, maybe as much as seven years once it clears all the red tape. If that is the case, is the Measure B committee prepared to cover the cost of a failed CSU until a PHF could be built? It cost Sonoma County 13 million dollars last year just to operate their’s, there were no savings by having it. Building and operating a CSU in Mendo could easily consume every Measure B dollar ever collected, and them some.

Where’s the money Camille?

James Marmon MSW, Former Social Worker V Mendocino County HHSA

Ukiah

CATCH OF THE DAY, AUGUST 4, 2019

RICARDO ARENAS, Fort Bragg. Assault with deadly weapon with great bodily injury.

KEVIN BECKMAN, Hopland. Parole violation.

DOMANIK BLANCAS, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

ANTONIO CONTRERAS, Ukiah. DUI.

JESSICA EWING, Philo. Concealed dirk-dagger, probation revocation.

CENOBIO GARCIA, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

JACK KUYKENDALL, Laytonville. Failure to register, probation revocation.

MICHAEL LOCKETT SR., Ukiah. Controlled substance, felon-addict with firearm, probation revocation.

PHILLIP LOPEZ JR., Ukiah. Parole violation.

JAMES MATTERN, Ukiah. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, probation revocation.

HARRY MILLER, Anchor Bay. Attempted murder. (Booking associated with recent conviction.)

SUSAN MILLER, Anchor Bay. Harboring, concealing or aiding a principal wanted in a felony. (Booking associated with recent conviction.)

PATRICK O’ROURKE, Willits. Domestic battery.

CHRISTOPHER RICHARD, Willits. DUI-alcohol & drugs.

ERICK RODRIGUEZ-TELLEZ, Sonoma/Ukiah. Disobeying court order.

JESSICA ZARATE, Windsor/Ukiah. DUI.

MEDICARE NOT FREE

Editor,

Since getting on Medicare in 2017, I am puzzled by the term “Medicare for All” from Sen. Bernie Sanders and all the Democrats who back that proposal. It makes Medicare out to be free for those on this federal government program and a single payer. Here is the reality on Medicare:

It is a hybrid program that Medicare administers and pays much of the costs. First, working people pay 1.45% of their total income to Medicare, and so do their employers. When on Medicare, recipients pay a monthly premium, which is taken out of their Social Security check.

But there are coverage caps on medical and drug prescriptions. As a result, many people pay for a supplemental policy with a PPO or an HMO. These policies vary in coverage and cost. The services are usually administered by third parties from the private sector, although it can come from a municipality. Not from Medicare.

What Sanders wants is a Department of Veterans Affairs-style program. The federal government provides the services directly, owns the facilities and employs all the health care workers and administrators. And no cost to those using the system. So why not call it “VA for All”?

Andrew Smith

Santa Rosa

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

The progressive intellectual cup-board is bare. And it’s bare because people purporting to be society’s “thinkers”, (regardless of political affiliation to be fair) are, in the best case, mediocrities in the sub-basement of creativity, the ability to discover new things, the ability to reconsider established knowledge, the ability to repackage what’s known in order to shed light on old problems (like Einstein did), to follow logic where logic goes without regard for convention.

In the worst case, so-called “intellectuals” of the progressive bent are careerists in the service of monied interests and of a societal hierarchy of privilege, concerned first and foremost with their own positions, throttling free-thinking, free discussion, acting to impede the advancement of knowledge, acting to suppress rather than promote the dissemination of understanding, acting to obfuscate rather than illuminate.

So we get this so-called “thinking class” doing race hustling. They can’t think of anything better, such is their degraded state. Some say this isn’t a new problem as western philosophy since the ancient Greeks is just a series of foot-notes to Plato. And when did Plato die? 347 BC? I’m no philosopher but that’s what they say.

And, oh yeah, the removal of fetters on personal behaviors no matter the impact on others and society as a whole, aka the nuts ‘n’ sluts agenda. Unthinking masquerading as its opposite brought to you by the “thinking class”. Polyamory anyone?

SUMMER EVERLASTING

Update by Karin Uphoff

Late summer blooms give their best burst for fun and frivolty as the sun continues to shine long and strong. Now we pick to preserve fruits and vegetables and herbs that cheer us into the darker months. Shown here is Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) , common to disturbed edges and roadsides. It's hard to differentiate from California cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum), except the later usually has shiny flower bracts and more oily leaves (and a sweetish smell). Both are in the sunflower family with overlapping ranges and are used interchangeably. Pick them before they open and show the yellow flower inside for best medicine and flower arrangements. Flower tops will dry well and keep for two years (thus the ‘everlasting’ quality).

Tea made from leaves and flowers is a soothing anti-inflammatory and reduces edema and other swellings. A poultice of the flowers or whole plant can be applied to burns, sores, ulcers, bruises, swellings and rheumatic joints – or used in a bath for those reasons. It has a slight antihistamine effect and can be added to nettle tea for allergy relief. An infusion of the leaves can be used as a steam to inhale for the treatment of headaches, while the dried leaves were used by Native Americans to flavor smoking blends, along with mullein and coltsfoot. Save flowers for winter tea combined with yarrow as a way to break up mucus and encourage productive coughs and unplug sinuses. This cheery plant is safe and generally palatable for all ages and can help treat diarrhea, stomach flu and irritated esophagus. The leaves are host to the caterpillars of the Painted Lady butterfly so don't pick if you see the cocoon!

UpComing Events

September 30th 6:30-8p – The Power and Persuasion of Plant Oils

How do plant oils whisper to our bodies and influence the nervous and immune systems? Your noses knows – at least that’s what it’s designed for. Learn how to incorporate aromatherapy into your life, care for your sniffer and hone its abilities. Come to the Center for Spiritual Living in the Company Store, Fort Bragg, CA - tea will be served!

Mendocino County Herb Guild - are you a herbal craft and product maker? We are planning our 2nd annual Herb Craft Fair this fall, please contact me by email if you wish to be involved! Learn about the guild and join us at www.mendocinoherbguild.com

GUNS

Editor,

Every time we have a mass shooting in this country, and statistically we are nearing one a day, the push back from some politicians is, “Don’t politicize this!” With Americans still trying to absorb the horror of shootings in El Paso and Ohio, a day after the slaughter of innocents, there is the acting Chief of Staff at the White House, Mike Mulvaney saying, “Don’t make guns political.” Well, what planet is Mr. Mulvaney living on? Of course guns are political.

We are told all the time that the shooter is just some lone wolf, a loner, a person with mental problems. So, gun-rights politicians gin up their mantras—it is people not guns, law abiding people don’t shoot people, the sky will fall if people don’t have guns, everyone has the right to protect themselves, yada, yada, yada.

On the other side we have politicians who see an opportunity to get air time decrying the mass killings, blaming those opposed of being the problem.

Clearly, if we are ever to get some relief from this ongoing horror show, some things must be done. We can ban assault weapons and the ability to make them, limit ammunition sales for such weapons, have real waiting periods for would-be gun purchases, require that guns are not sold to those under 21 or who have a history of mental problems, domestic violence, racist rants on the online media outlets that allow hate speech to spread.

Oh, we all can come up with a list.

In the meantime, as nothing is done, we can all think of what the next trip to Walmart might turn out to be.

The prospect of going to a concert or food festival, whether our appearance is such that we might be mistaken for someone of the wrong faith, ethnic background, as someone who has made it versus losers. Any category you might fall into is now open season to disaffected young men with too much testosterone to control their imagination.

Meanwhile, the hate blogs continue to grow. The President is content to say that what is happening is terrible, while he takes in gun lobby donations and roils up xenophobic twits and speeches. Democrats wring their hands, yet see the opportunity to rile up their bases of support.

Yes, once and for all, let’s politicize this issue and settle upon serious reform of our gun laws. Some people will feel that their side is losing something in the deal. Well, is that not what political life is about? Those who win on an issue and those who feel they did not get what they want. Welcome to America!

Franklin Graham

Rancho Navarro

A GUIDE TO MASS SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA

There have been at least 114 in the past four decades—and most of the killers got their guns legally

motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map/

IT'S THE LIBS...

Editor,

In the 1940s and 50s we had summers that were so hot I could have fried hamburgers on the sidewalk at the Apple Fair in Boonville. You couldn't even sleep in Comptche at night, too miserable. Where was the climate control 70 years ago? I can remember a winter when it was so cold that the frog pond near my place here froze completely solid, 19 inches of ice. I was a freshman in high school. Climate control?

Gruesome Newsom wants to be a big hero by starting some fire rules and giving tickets to landowners with brush around their place so they lose their homeowner’s insurance. Meanwhile, local highways have grass growing up to the pavement at least 4 feet high. They mowed a little, but not much. If a fire started along the roadside and burned a house, or killed somebody, who is responsible? The state!

Same thing with Mendocino County. Every county road has grass and brush to the edge and they are supposed to have a 15 foot right-of-way clear. If a fire started on the Comptche-Ukiah Road it would burn hundreds of acres. In the spring they could use highly nontoxic pesticides and spray for 15 feet along the edge of the road to kill the grass for a firebreak. But oh no! The environmentalists would put a stop to that even though the herbicides they use would be harmless.

Just drive on 253 and look at the edge of the highway and see how easy a fire could spread to hundreds of acres of grass at least 4 feet tall. The danger is everywhere, Branscomb to Ukiah. Fish Rock Road. Mountain View Road. The county has all kinds of equipment to do this and hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax money is not being spent on the infrastructure. What the hell is going on? They give themselves $20,000 a year raises and buy new pickups for their employees but they don't do a single stinking thing for the roads! And the people of Mendocino County just stand around and say Who cares? Typical Republicans. No balls.

In all my years I have never seen such hypocritical, rotten, stupid asinine people as the Democratic Party running California. Some of the stupid rules they make could make a child laugh. Now they are trying to interfere in football practice and get President Trump off the ballot in California.

The climate change heroes at California Air Resources Board, CARB, have ruined thousands of lives in Northern California by taking away their trucks that they've had for 30 years. We keep our trucks for years and work on them and fix them. I have a truck that's 33 years old that looks brand-new; it was in the parade last year. It doesn't smoke. What would you do if somebody ruined your life? Wouldn't you like to get even?!

You can put me in jail if you want. I'm 83 years old, nothing to lose, hundreds of people will back me up.

Gruesome Newsom told people that the bullet train was not worth the money and he was going to stop it to get the votes. Now he's pushing it through. He's getting so much money from the CARB and their BS, that he's got too much money to spend. Newsom and Mary Nichols and the rest of his administration should get on that train to nowhere and ride it to nowhere. Billions of dollars of taxpayer money for nothing.

The liberals are already calling the El Paso shooting a hate crime. People like Newsom and O'Rourke and Harris and Castro are screaming President Trump. Liberals better listen closely because if this was a hate crime you people might all be next. Think about "hate."

To stop mass shootings you have to get rid of people like Gavin Newsom and Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters and the Squad and the other anti-Americans. That's what's causing the hate that they are creating. And that causes the shootings. People have had enough of this liberal opposition to our way of life. There's no other way to stop it. Thousands of people in our country hate what's going on. You'll never get all the guns! For every gun that is picked up there are 10,000 to take its place. So the best way to stop the hate killings is to stop the hate by getting rid of the people who make the stupid laws like I just mentioned. They don't know what they're doing and they are creating a lot of hate in Americans. Stop the hate — stop the liberals!

Jerry Philbrick

Comptche

FOUND OBJECT