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City leaders don’t mention “convention center”
Let's bring Roger Hedgecock in as a consultant and pay him $450,000, to properly deliberate what is best for the City of San Diego. ;o? ;o/— August 11, 2018 7:21 p.m.
Smog checks come to San Diego
Just more control of the people.— August 11, 2018 3:44 p.m.
Study: county pension benefits soar
Hi Don, thanks for your excellent journalism, as always (we need more of you). Seems like we have just returned to 2007/8/9, at Mach 1.5, in looking at all of this. We seem to now live in a world where journal entries do not require a reversing entry out of period, where ledgers have only penciled entries, and lets say lots of funny accounting principles/standards are used these days. The un- and under-funded pension crisis will be much bigger than the Great Recession starting in 2007. I doubt many of those owed and expecting pensions after years in GOV jobs, will be very happy campers. Of course the former salaries, current pensions and many benefits that GOV workers were accustomed to, was unfair and a fairy tale, something most of us in the private sector could never realize (benefit from). Take care Don!— July 30, 2018 9:48 p.m.
Convention Center expansion absurd
Thanks Don, very interesting history/information on Barry Goldwater. I was not aware of that. Goldwater seemed to be a true-to-core conservative. From my studies I think he had our country's best interests in mind, I cannot say that about Trump. Take care!— July 27, 2018 7:32 p.m.
Study: county pension benefits soar
Hi Don, great article, thank you. Since 2007/8, I think some kind of strange accounting (shell games) has kept this problem at bay, and it just keeps getting worse. Black ink is gray, red ink is pink, they just are not accounting for the unfunded and underfunded pensions. It is actually a national contagion.— July 26, 2018 7:13 p.m.
Convention Center expansion absurd
Hi Don, reference your earlier post today, this should be an eye-opener for most Americans, but it likely won't be. I have the book. Here is a review. Take care, Darren [link text][1] [1]: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/diagnosi…— July 26, 2018 6:34 p.m.
Convention Center expansion absurd
Hi Don, no doubt on Nixon. But I believe Nixon still had some moral compass and conscience. Yes, hopefully we are not soon in a Wag the Dog sequence of events. It this all Trump or is he just being handled well? Link below is report of perhaps bombing Iran next month. This will be different than Iraq. How long will Russia stand-by? And with John "Strangelove" Bolton in there, he has wanted to start the NeoCON nation-state take downs for a very long time. He will just say it's "regime change." Take care. [link text][1] [1]: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-26/austral…— July 26, 2018 5:25 p.m.
Convention Center expansion absurd
Hello Don, thank you for the kinds words again. Yes, saw the news tonight about Trump refusing to answer questions from the CNN reporter and then the same reporter banned from a subsequent event where she was to attend. As much as Nixon did wrong, sometimes I think he actually had a moral and ethical compass, eventually resigned, and went his own way. Trump, I am afraid will not, and may try to consolidate power and start some big war, use his executive power, to stay in office. It is really interesting to me that during Obama's campaigning to become POTUS, and then during his tenure and run-up for reelection, so many on the right claimed Cult of Personality saying Obama supporters were in a worship craze of their leader Obama. I was not an Obama supporter, but having witnessed what I see with Trump, the Cult of Personality syndrome is amped-up far greater than it ever was with Obama. And these very people on the right, do not think at all they are falling for the Kool-Aid. Truly amazing, more than showmanship, I call it PsyOps.— July 25, 2018 6:56 p.m.
Convention Center expansion absurd
Hi Don, thank you kindly for your kind comments! You nailed it in your Q&A with SDUT, that series on the war, and interview with Gloria Penner (I miss her). Back in the post 9/11 climate, anyone not agreeing for mindlessly attacking Iraq, was grilled as traitors or terrorist sympathizers. It does seem on Iraq, oil was the goal, but I believe like you, regime changes and destabilizing countries in that region, set in motion a domino effect, and incredible carnage. My speculative mind (at times) has focused on the poppy fields of Afghanistan and international distribution of the product for the purposes of both controlled narcotics and illegal street drugs, thus we have in America (and other nations) a terrible opiate crisis. Both BIG-PHARM and criminal cartels would be beneficiaries of increased poppy crops and distribution. My understanding is the Taliban was destroying poppy fields and prosecuting poppy farmers. The Taliban while many say are from the Stone Age, actually follow more strict Abrahamic religion (though they are Muslim). I am not defending the Taliban by any means, I doubt any of us would want the Taliban in our government or patrolling the streets. There is much conflict in data reportage as to poppy production prior to 2001 and post 2001. I've seen stats that purport America and our allies reduced poppy distribution, other reports stating increased trafficking 2x, 3x, plus. Remember Vietnam and the illegal drug flows (outbound) when we were there too. It is an interesting aspect when considering Afghanistan. I don't claim to be right, I want to question what we are told, understand who benefits, and like you ask why we did not learn lessons from past wars, or those like the invasion of Afghanistan by the then Soviet Union (1979). A matrix for sure. Ever ready the late Zbigniew Brzezinski's book The Grand Chessboard? A rather unique book with insights to today, published in 1997: This is a .PDF format download for the book, it is 10mb-- [link text][1] Sean Hannity and his kind, likely pull out the old scripts of 2001/2002/2003 for his show for the run-up war on Iraq, and can just change 1 letter and use same script for Iran. I often wonder if Hannity is also on the Pentagon's payroll (he's friends with Ollie North). Russia and other countries (including even Germany) have been selling U.S. Treasuries. They are unloading, due to risks they realize. I often think once these wars and follies must be paid for, it is going to be an unraveling here in America. Take care Don!!! [1]: http://www.takeoverworld.info/Grand_Chessboard.pdf— July 25, 2018 10:50 a.m.
Convention Center expansion absurd
Hello Don, I agree, the Iraq War (version 2.0) was a disaster. I was against it starting in 2001, when post 9/11, I could read in-between the lines of what was being crafted as a narrative to attack Saddam and Iraq, which subsequently occurred in March 2003. In May of 2003, Bush-Boy stood on an aircraft carrier off the coast of San Diego, with a MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner over his head, as he was wearing a pilot flight suit. Most Americans (not all, but too many) accepted all the props and lies, thinking we had done so well in 2-months and perhaps even had re-built Iraq successfully. Look at the loss of lives (some say it is over 1-million). Terrible death and carnage on innocent Iraqis that were not foes, never attacked us. Many of our own black ops off-the-books contractors killed, we will never get an accounting for. Look at all the "wounded warriors" who came home missing limbs, cannot find work, PTSD, etc.. Look what happened to Iraq, though Saddam (who had been our buddy) was corrupt (like most politicians) and ruled with an iron fist, Iraq was a rather industrious nation with well educated citizens. Did we really think we would rebuild Iraq into our image? Nation building, I never knew that is what America stood for. Today, where is Iraq, the latest news out of there shows another breakdown in order, Islamic State is gaining new ground, unemployment is skyrocketed. Where were the WMD's. Why on 9/11 were none of the alleged hijackers-terrorists from Iraq? I do not have to tell you this Don, you are well read and discerning, I am only stating it here for the SD Reader folks, many who also seem educated, intelligent and discerning. If I tried to tell this to Sean Hannity on Fox News or his talk show, why I would get 2 seconds of air time then he would call me a traitor or terrorist sympathizer. Bush-II furthered the goals/actions of the Neocons, similar to what Trump is doing too, but perhaps Team Trump in a much bigger way if we go to war with Iran (not to mention the war-by-proxy in Syria that is also now heating up, yes with Russia well involved just like America, Iran, Israel, and many other players). Yes, Bush-II's actions destabilized the Middle East and set-in-motion the Syrian migrant crisis for Europe, and a host of so many other problems now, and in our future. We still have not come close to paying for the wars on Afghanistan (October 2001) and Iraq. But heck, in this time of perpetual and expanding war, it's a great business model until economic forces root it out. Would Fox News would want to talk about the classic WAR IS A RACKET by General Smedley Butler, or the farewell speech by President Eisenhower warning us about the military industrial complex, I doubt it. As much as Trump warned of the swamp, he drank the Kool-Aid and is taking us down the rabbit hole. The biggest dog and pony shows keep happening in American politics. Take care Don!— July 24, 2018 7:34 p.m.