These are certainly interesting times.
Javier Lopez is trying to raise $50,000 to run for Ceres mayor. Not only is that a lot of money to run for mayor of a small city, he’s going about it in a most unconventional way – GoFundMe.
Typically a candidate would raise funds by appealing to supporters, hosting local fundraising dinners or other events and through personal networking. While the governor has put the kibosh on public events, I’ve never seen anybody raise money by appealing for an anonymous audience through the donation collection website – which skims 2.9 percent off the top.
In case you’re wondering, Lopez raised $0 in his first five days.
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Sing this to the tune of the Wonder Dog cartoon but instead of singing, “Here he comes to save the day,” sing: “Attorney General Xavier Becerra to save the day…”
Yeah, I’m being facetious. Becerra is one of the worst attorneys general in California history. He abuses his powers. I get to see what he’s up to since his office is good about promoting himself to the media through releases.
Good old Xavier. He and Gavie unnecessarily – but gladly – have shut down the California economy and caused people massive unemployment and business failure and no way for ease the pain of their draconian control over our lives by making the mortgage companies take it in the rear. You see, to Democrats businesses and corporations deserve to take it in the shorts. No tax is too high, no regulation too burdensome for California businesses as they wield their control. Landlords and mortgage companies are seen as greedy folks because they want to make a profit; (but odd how renters aren’t considered greedy when they expect to live in somebody else’s property without paying rent or paying at rents lower than what the owner needs to charge to cover their costs and turn a profit.)
A press release from August 4 has Becerra tooting his own horn about reminding 33 mortgage companies that they’d better not dare think about foreclosures and failing “to adhere to mandatory homeowner protections” or face enforcement actions by his DOJ. In other words, he’s telling landlords and loan companies: “Tough s*** if you own property and you don’t have payments coming in from the renters or home buyers occupying your dwelling. You have to feel the pain, not them, because we Democrats don’t give a rip about you.”
What about the landlords and mortgage companies covering their costs? Do Democrats care?
That’s what gets me about officials like Becerra, who has no problem requiring California taxpayers footing the bill to pay for the healthcare costs for illegal aliens. Yet, if you’re a healthcare provider and you have moral objections or religious beliefs about, oh let’s say aborting and killing babies, tough s*** for you, too.” He doesn’t think they should have the right to refuse to do abortions.
Becerra is a true tax-and-spend liberal who just last week also called on Congress to pass the Student Loan Fairness Act (S. 4237), to extend Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act relief to all federal student loan borrowers. Does anyone in power today see a fundamental problem with continuing to provide bailouts to their favorite constituencies even though Uncle Sam is now literally buried in trillions of dollars in debt with no way to pay it back? We are $26.6 trillion IN THE HOLE!
The national debt to gross domestic product ratio in 1960 was 53.59 percent. In 1980 it was 34.63 percent. In 2000 it was 56.9 percent. Now it’s at 136.53 percent. Does that concern any of these Democrats and Republicans?
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California is governed by such politically correct liberals who’ve caused agencies like Caltrans to take on Liberalspeak. I refer you to a news release received two weeks titled, ‘Caltrans Approves More than $146 Million for 166 Public Transportation Projects to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Expand Services.”
The release talks about approving $146 million in money extorted from business under this cap and trade policy to hand out as free city bus rides throughout California, including $1.79 to San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties to expand free or reduced fares.
Caltrans stated: “These projects will improve the sustainability of transportation systems and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately $140 million for 158 projects will benefit disadvantaged communities most affected by climate change.”
Disadvantaged communities most affected by climate change? In case you didn’t know it “disadvantaged” is Democrat code word for blacks and Hispanic voters. The implication is that the lungs of a black person in Fresno are affected more by air pollution than a set of white conservative lungs in Sonora or Mariposa.
The truth is that the level of use of public transit systems doesn’t justify the millions of dollars in costs to the taxpayers! Meanwhile, Stanislaus County has evening rush-hour traffic backing up because government has not kept up with expanding lanes for those who work and pay taxes. Don’t believe me? Try getting onto southbound McHenry Avenue from River Road at 4:30 p.m. or down Santa Fe Avenue into Riverbank.
I’m not saying that people who ride buses don’t work but public transit is a horrible business model subsidized by corporations and anyone who pays taxes.
Caltrans bureaucrat Director Toks Omishakin lives in La-La Land if he truly believes his own swill: “Greater access to transit options will lead to decreased dependence on driving and cleaner air for all Californians.”
So according to him, many of us will be giving up our cars to ride the bus now that public transit has been gifted millions stolen from California businesses.
Who is he fooling?
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We all keep hearing about systemic racism but lots of us aren’t seeing it anywhere. Take the example of Toks Omishakin, one of three black persons appointed by Gov. Newsom to state jobs.
Caltrans Director Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin makes $200,000.
Yolanda Richardson, a black Democrat was appointed Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency. She makes $217,292 a year.
Democrat Rick Callender, who is also black, was appointed CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. He makes $326,352 a year.
If you believe systemic racism exists, I have oceanfront property in Arizona to sell you.
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The indoctrination continues. More liberal ideology being shoved down the throats of college students comes in the form of Cal State Universities proposed to require students to take an ethnic studies or social justice class if they want to graduate. The one-course requirement can be met through a broad spectrum of courses, including classes focussing on race, ethnicity, class, religion, and immigration status. Courses that address Africana literature, Native Californian perspectives, police reform, are among those that would count, said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. It’s obviously the aftermath of BLM and Antifa pushing their agenda after the death of a one George Floyd.
Maybe the next time we have a mass shooting in a church – such as the 2017 shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas that killed 26 and wounded 20 – the CSU system will require students to meet a one-course requirement to study the importance of religion and the peaceful religion of Christianity. You’ll never see that happen.
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It’s a shame that we live in a liberal state where COVID-19 has to step in and do the work that state officials have forbidden Death Row to do. Eight men on Death Row have died from coronavirus. San Quentin inmate John Beames, 67, died last month. He has been sitting on Death Row since 1995 after he was convicted of beating his girlfriend’s 15-month-old daughter to death in Tulare County. The animal was allowed to live 25 years longer than the baby he snuffed out.
Also taken by the virus was Troy Ashmus. If you feel sorry for this despicable human – after hearing that in 1984 he raped a 7-year-old in Sacramento, killing her and shoving her shorts and a plastic bag down her throat – I can’t help you.
Then there’s COVID casualty David John Reed, 60, who died July 7. Feel sorry for him – he died stabbed a black homeless man to death in a racially motivated attack in Palm Springs.
Why are sick puppies like this allowed to escape capital punishment? Because of people like Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom.
The people of California voted to keep the death penalty in 2012 (Prop. 34) and in 2016 (Prop. 66). When he was running for governor, Newsom point blank told the Modesto Bee that he favored the death penalty. It was a lie! In March 2019 after his election, he did a complete aboutface and halted all executions.
This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or Morris Newspaper Corp. of CA. How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com
