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Portantino's Criminal Lawyer Talks of DA Investigation, Discussion over Charges
Without a suicide note, or witnesses, we can never be certain that Mr. Portantino's death was suicide. I find it very strange that such an articulate man didn't leave a note attacking his many tormentors. Usually the police are slow to pronounce suicide without a note, especially when someone has so many enemies; How did they determine this?— December 14, 2010 8:55 p.m.
Bankruptcy — Good for San Diego
The timing of the Mt. Soledad landslide was certainly due to city negligence. The ground was soaked by a broken water main during a dry year. Very likely the collapse would have happened during a wet year in the next hundred years. The city could only use the Charlie Manson defense:"They would have died anyway.". Lessons: Consult a geologist when buying hillside property. Don't hire Michael Aguirre if you want your lawyer to lie for you. When mounting a personal attack find a footing more stable than slippery La Jolla clay. Michael Aguirre may be humanly flawed, but no question is a formidable intellect.— December 6, 2010 3:23 p.m.
Mortgage Mess Could Hit Banks, Housing
We rarely disagree nowadays, thanks to a disaster that unites followers of very different economic thought. I will concede that the Fed is probably attempting to inflate investments, they have pursued this policy for over thirty years. I agree that this policy has ended in disaster. We agree that the current stock prices are disconnected from fundamentals, you are right to warn your readers of the danger of a real crash. Nevertheless I endorse the purchase of these bonds because it gets money moving. Even if the purchase of stocks does little, the sellers may well spend the cash pumped by the Fed. The action should improve the Fed balance sheet, since the interest no longer will be counted against it, and the money has been printed already, thats how the bondholders purchased the notes. As for the road to perdition, I believe we are stuck there already. I endorse any idea that might plausibly get us moving, even if it enriches criminals. Except for war.— November 5, 2010 1:24 p.m.
Mortgage Mess Could Hit Banks, Housing
The Fed is trying to induce general inflation, not just in investments, but in prices generally by weakening the dollar against other currencies. According to MSNBC over half the purchased bonds are held by foreigners. The hope perhaps is that investors will switch to interest bearing foreign bonds, strengthening foreign currencies, thereby making our products easier to sell. For nine years now both the Fed and the Government have been printing money furiously at a rate that previously would induce general inflation, but the only inflation was in land and energy prices, and that was followed by a deflationary spiral in real estate, and high energy profits simply puddle into the hands of those who need nothing, and therefore are content to hold treasury notes, and refuse to spend. The Fed is trying to pump money already printed into action. This is worthy, but might not be enough. Phil Graham recently observed that it was WWII and not the New Deal that ended the Great Depression. This is true. He did not mention that for the war years this nation became a Socialist dictatorship. We don't want this.— November 5, 2010 12:48 a.m.
Joan Sutherland, Who Helped Build San Diego Opera, Dead at 83
I learned this first here. No words can describe how great this lady is. Listen to her recordings, ten seconds will say more than the millions of words her singing inspired. Hear Joan Sutherland and learn what Bel Canto means.— October 11, 2010 1:03 p.m.
Hmmm. Lucchino Lauds Private Ballpark Financing
Not only have the Chargers broken every recent agreement, but the NFL has been found to be breaking restraint of trade laws in every contract dispute with the Players Union. The NFL is on very shaky legal ground. Not only do they abuse their players, but they prevent cities like ours from fielding teams after they leave us with empty stadiums built to suit them. In Southern California alone there are enough empty stadiums and talented football players to form a new professional league. The NFL prevents this by monopolistic practices, but an enterprising group could break this monopoly, it's happened before, that's how San Diego got the Chargers. The Stadium is solid concrete, the NFL is criminal conspiracy built on closed books. Properly maintained the Stadium should outlast the NFL by hundreds of years.— July 15, 2010 9:55 a.m.
Hmmm. Lucchino Lauds Private Ballpark Financing
Compared to our Stadium Fenway Park is a dump, but fans love it. Our present Stadium is structurally far more permanent, and there is no reason we can't enjoy it for decades. No one complained about it before the Chargers began their whining shortly after an expensive renovation. The Chargers will break any agreement they sign if past performance is any guide. There was no NFL when Fenway Park was built. If we maintain our stadium, it could outlast the NFL. Sports fall in and out of favor. Well designed concrete structures like our Stadium can remain useful for hundreds of years.— July 14, 2010 4:29 p.m.
Be prepared for second recession in Calif.
I would sell the proposal this way: For years the General Fund has taking money from Social Security and paying a poor rate of interest. Now is the time for the general fund to pay back some of that money, and pay Social Security the interest it deserves. Because families and businesses face tough times right now, we will pay their Social Security from the General Fund for one year, to pay back what they have overpaid before. For the future we will pay Social Security 10% for all money we have borrowed, to guarantee the fund forever. I would call it the Social Security Guarantee Act. The right economic timing would be after the stocks plunge, the right political timing is today. The astute would notice that it will transfer money from the General Fund to Social Security, some will be scandalized, but Social Security has been plundered for years. Granting this fund a generous rate of return is only fair. Long term solvency of Social Security is the best pitch for surpluses we will need when inflation returns. Al Gore's lock box metaphor did persuade, Bush was forced to pretend to agree, then proceeded to pass his tax cuts immediately after the inauguration. Those days seem like a dream now, when the economy was so good and peace seemed so permanent, that the nation's political leadership concerned itself with the President's sex life. A time of happy hilarity that will make us the laughing stock of the ages. We will laugh again, and work again, if we take the right steps to fix our problems.— July 10, 2010 10:54 a.m.
Be prepared for second recession in Calif.
The opposition makes the proposal to temporarily cut Social Security taxes safer than some other tax cuts. The danger in temporary tax cuts to stimulate the economy stems from the effective opposition to anything resembling a tax hike after the emergency is over. Because the Social Security account is the only part of the Federal budget that Reaganists believe should be solvent, it would be easier to restore the account to balance when the crisis is over, by restoring the tax. Trillions have been plundered, so called "borrowed" from the SS account to cover the general fund, now is the time to return some of that money. The 18% of wages collected for Social Security is a drag on the economy we can't afford right now, just as so many cant afford to put money away for retirement right now.— July 10, 2010 7:14 a.m.
Be prepared for second recession in Calif.
To 58 If the Republicans win they will attempt to restore the Bush tax cuts, an act of complete idiocy, but they are what they are. Before this happens I would suggest the General Fund return some of the trillions borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund, for a temporary Social Security tax holiday. This would go only to American workers pay under $80,000, and American businesses that hire Americans. It could win wide support. Most of the relief might go to businesses, but they would be the right type of businesses. Employers.— July 8, 2010 10:29 p.m.