Dear Readers: My last post featured mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio, who initiated a sensible and well-developed SAN DIEGO PENSION REFORM Ballot measure in an attempt to stave off fiscal disaster for the city.
Therefore, I was delighted to hear LaDona Harvey report that, despite a union-backed attempted to remove the measure from the June election, a judge has ruled that the properly filed petition to place the roadmap in front of the voters can go forward. Details can be found here: Judge: Pension Reform Initiative Will Stay On June Ballot.
I don’t expect the union elites to just let this go, however: They will cheat, manipulate, and prevaricate to protect their power and perks.
Speaking of unions, let’s now feature a win for parents against the enormous behemoth that is the education bureaucracy! Mark Meckler reports on a new law:
Parent Trigger Laws Force Education Reform on Underperforming Schools
This is from the website, ParentRevolution.org: “What is the California Parent Trigger?
The California Parent Trigger is an historic new law that gives parents in California the right to organize and demand a real change at their child’s failing school. Under the Parent Trigger, parents at persistently low-performing schools can organize and transform their school based on what’s good for children, not adults. If they are able to gather 51% of parent signature at their school their district must implement one of four turnaround models (including in-district reforms such as staff changes and out-of-district reforms such as charter conversion).”
In other news, I am delighted to see some serious citizen-pushback against eco-activists. For example, KFMB-CBS-8 News tried to generate some faux outrage against the California Fish and Game President, who legally bagged himself a fairly sizable cougar. I was delighted to see so many comments supportive of the hunter’s legal right to hunt. I will also point out that mountain lions are becoming habituated to humans, and some of these powerful animals are stalking us as prey. Frankly, I like being at the pinnacle of the food-chain, and I am not inclined to let eco-activists persuade me otherwise. For a reminder that this threat is real, here are some news clips:
Mountain lion reported near schools
SAN DIEGO – Two schools and a Boys and Girls Club were locked down Monday after a mountain lion sighting was called into authorities, deputies said. The mountain lion was seen on Winecreek Road in 4S Ranch just before 1 p.m. causing Oak Valley Middle School and Stone Ranch Elementary School to keep students inside, according to the San Diego Sheriffs Department.
Big Bend mountain lion attacks boy, 6
A 6-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion while walking near the lodge at Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park with his family Sunday night. The boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries — scrapes and puncture wounds to his face, according to park officials. His father was able to fight off the cat by stabbing it with a pocket knife.
I am second to no-one (well, perhaps KT) in my love of felines. But I personally want cougar hunts re-established in California. We need these animals to relearn their fear of us. They aren’t pets: They are high-end predators.I do not want any child sacrificed on the altar of eco-activism.
I am also bone-tired of reasonable fuel-policy being scuttled based on the theology of man-made global warming. It seems that the citizens of California got a break, as the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives authorized the Secretary of Interior to resume oil and gas leasing off the Santa Barbara/Ventura and Santa Maria coasts beginning no later than July 1, 2014. Hopefully, with a new Senate and new President in elected this November, this may actually reopening would re-employ Californians.
In related news, Shrine friend Roger Cohen is, again, featured in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Concerned Scientists Reply on Global Warming
In summary, science progresses by testing predictions against real world data obtained from direct observations and rigorous experiments. The stakes in the global-warming debate are much too high to ignore this observational evidence and declare the science settled. Though there are many more scientists who are extremely well qualified and have reached the same conclusions we have, we stress again that science is not a democratic exercise and our conclusions must be based on observational evidence.
The computer-model predictions of alarming global warming have seriously exaggerated the warming by CO2 and have underestimated other causes. Since CO2 is not a pollutant but a substantial benefit to agriculture, and since its warming potential has been greatly exaggerated, it is time for the world to rethink its frenzied pursuit of decarbonization at any cost.
This publication is especially timely, especially in light of recently uncovered Man-Made Global Warming Fraud. Blog-father Instapundit summarizes the latest installment of scientific quackery related to this — Global Warming Fanatic Blames Victims for His Abuse (Click Here for Glenn’s list of related links).
Finally, there are reports of a Worldwide Tea Party being planned (rumor has it April 14th). Caesar Charles has a report and a video featuring citizen activists working for fiscal sanity, smaller government, and personal liberty around the world.
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- WC Varones: Devaluation is like the weather
- Left Coast Rebel: Rick Santorum Unveiled
- Beers with Demo: Your Tax Dollars at Work
- B-Daddy: Concerns over China
Two last notes:
1) I am sick of being viewed as a mobile pleasure vehicle by both of our national parties. I AM TOTALLY UNCONCERNED ABOUT NOT HAVING ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES for a wide variety of reasons. See my list of concerns ABOVE! Lipstick Underground hits it out of the park with this piece: Quit Making Me Root for Romney.As the Final Four are gearing up for yet another debate, let’s hope they have balls enough to return the dialog to where it belongs: TRUE CRONY CAPITALISM and CORRUPTION, JOBS, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND SENSIBLE BUDGET POLICY.
I will be ranting more about this shortly.
2) After venting, I now direct you to Word Warrior for a little humor: NEW TERMS FOR AMERICAN WORKPLACE. A sample —
BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.
SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.
ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.
Temple of Mut 