May 26, 2010
California Commentary
Welcome to the Real World
by Jan Coupal
In the real California, taxpayers
and homeowners are struggling
to survive. Unemployment is
12.6% and those lucky enough
to have jobs are having their
hours and benefits cut. Credible
threats of foreclosure hang
over the heads of millions of
homeowners and even a slight
bump in their personal financial
situations could result in them
living on the streets.
In the real California, small
businesses are faring just as
poorly. Thousands of shuttered
shops fill strip malls and main
streets throughout the state.
While some indicators suggest
that the residential real estate
market has bottomed out,
the same cannot be said for
commercial property. A tidal
wave of foreclosures looms on
the horizon.
But in fantasy California,
nothing is wrong. Employment is
secure, budgets are at or close
to historic highs and an air of
entitlement continues to be the
norm. New programs continue
to be enacted without concern
about future costs. Sure, in
fantasy land, some have had
to take one day a week off but
that has allowed and extra day
of skiing at Lake Tahoe. And,
of course, health care benefits
and pensions continue to be
the highest in the nation. All is
glorious in fantasy California -
also known as government.
Well, after decades of warnings
from those in the private sector,
those in fantasy land are about to
get a rude awakening. Governor
Schwarzenegger's new budget
revision, also known as the "May
revise," is chock full of harsh
realities. Starting with a $19
billion budget shortfall (larger
than the entire budgets of several
states) and ending with wholesale
termination of social welfare
programs including CalWorks, it
is readily apparent that those in
charge of state government are
quickly running out of gimmicks
to paper over the problem.
Another harsh reality for the
tax-and-spend lobby is that,
unlike last year when a budget
deal forced a massive new tax
increase on Californians, that
option is not available this year.
Part of that deal was to put an
extension of the $12 billion tax
increase to the voters to see if
they would accept another $16
billion in higher taxes in exchange
for a weak spending limitation
measure. Despite being backed
by the collective political elite
from both parties, voters rejected
the tax increase last May by a 2-1
margin.
What all this means is that, for
the first time, those who want
bigger government and more
perks for public employees are
faced with the harsh reality that
we have limited resources and
that - gasp - we are actually
going to have to prioritize
spending. In otherwords, those in
government, and those employed
by government, are going to get
a taste of what it is like in the real
world. Perhaps not completely,
as the generous pension benefits
they receive are entitled to some
measure of protection and
most government programs will
continue to receive sufficient
funding to remain operational.
But the rest of society is fed up
with the entitlement mentality
of those in government and will
demand more efficient use of our
tax dollars.
How this plays out will be
interesting. For the tax and
spend lobby, there will be a
huge competition between public
employee unions and those
advocating for preserving social
programs for California's most
vulnerable. Given who provides
the most amount of campaign
contributions to the legislators in
control, it would be foolish to bet
against the unions. But if nothing
else, this competition for tax
dollars will help expose the true
nature of public employee unions
as just another special interest,
not an altruistic force for social
justice.
Jan Coupal is president of
the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers
Association - Cafifomia's largest
grass-roots taxpayer organization
dedicated to the protection of
Proposition 13 and the advancement
of taxpayers' rights.
Kaaren Terr)' .lanet Gastil Ltrre St. Andre
cell 619-417-0481 cell 760-445-1829 cell 619- 922-9687
Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the
land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.
-- Albert Einstein
R.ED.
by Mike Marland
r!'-ouND- c
Week y SUDOKU
by Linda Thistle
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Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way
that each row across, each column down and
each small 9-box square contains all of the
numbers from one to nine.
DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: *
* Moderate ** Challenging
*** HOO BOY!
© 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.
County Ads
Self-Serve.
Kiosk To Help
Speed Up Land
Use Process
Technology Will
Shorten Lines for
All Customers
The Building Division of
the Department of Planning
and Land Use (DPLU) has
introduced another new service
to make it easier for customers
visiting our land use offices: a
computerized self-serve kiosk
that will automatically direct
many customers to the correct
counter.
Until now, all land use customers
have started out at DPLU's
manned central information
booth, where staff members
determine which counters
customers need to visit, and in
what order. The central booth
serves an important function
because many customers have
complicated business that can
entail visiting several counters in
varying orders.
However, regular customers
who understand the land-use
process, and inexperienced
customers who have simple
business, can get stuck waiting
in line while staff members
help people with complicated
business. The self-serve kiosk
will help avoid that problem and
speed up the process for all
customers. With the click of a
few buttons, the machine will
direct experienced customers
and those with simple business
to the right counter, automatically
"queue" them up for service and
print them out a service ticket. As
a result, those customers won't
have to wait to find out where
they need to go, and customers
with more complicated business
will enjoy shorter lines at the
central booth.
The self serve kiosk is the latest
improvement that DPLU has
introduced to make the land use
process easier for customers.
Last year, the Building Division
improved its permit process
by cutting the number of lines
customers needed to wait in,
speeding up the process by
allowing applications to be
reviewed sooner, and offering
pre-application meetings to
identify project issues early.
The department also introduced
online tools to help customers
conduct business without having
to come to County offices,
including links to: research
property and building permit
histories, check developer
deposit accounts, estimate
building permit and plan-check
fees, and file some building
permit applications. Those tools
and more can be found under
"Online Services" at www.
sdcounty.ca.gov/dplu.
Find the good--and praise it.
-- Alex Haley
The Julian News 13
MOISteN
HOMES, CABINS, LAND. RENTALS, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. VACATION RENTALS
2019 Main Street www.julian-realestate.com 760-765-0111
$259,000 Whispering Pines, 3 bedroom,
2 bath, fenced 1/2 acre, wrap-around
deck with built-in play equipment, dual
pane windows, FA/AC
Whispering Pines - $245,000
Income Opportunity, Live in top unit
and help make your payments with
downstairs rented,
Upstairs: 2 bedroom, 1 bath, large
open floor plan with loft, wall of windows
looking into the forest and large deck,
Wood burning stove, all appliances
including washer/dryer,
Downstairs: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, full
kitchen, large deck all appliances
including washerdryer,
© As Heard On The Streets Of Julian ©
by Eric Stamets
Julian Residents Demand
Writer Take Vacation
After reading in the Julian News about what's really going on in the
town of Julian, the State of California and the rest of the world, Julian
residents have demanded that a certain writer take a break. One
person said, "1 mean I watch the TV news and I read in the San Diego
Union about how grotesque and messed up everything is. Do I have
to understand why too? Give me a break."
On Hiatus - For those of you who are unaware, Eric Stamets is the
owner of the Warm Hearth on Main Street. For the last four years he
has been comminuting up an down the hill to various medical facilities
fighting cancer. He had prepared a number of columns in advance so
they could run without interruption. He is again undergoing a series
of aggressive therapies and has asked if he can take a break until his
strength returns.
We are keeping Eric(and Linda) in our prayers as he continues to
put up a battle for his life.
ACROSS m 4 5 -- continued from page 1
1 Yuletide
drink 9 middle schools, two are high
4 Sch. org. schools, and two are K-12 school
7 Tittle districts. One of the winners is
8 Stumbles 14 a career center, another first in
10 Fess uP11 Devours l --i 2° the 12-year history of the NSOC
13 "Here today, program. Most National Winners
gone are located in suburban settings,
tomorrow" l although three are urban and
celeb I three are located in a rural area.
16 Turneror 128 353o A number of the NSOC have
Koppel student populations that may
17 Overact be de§cribed as low-income; 5
18 Expert have one-third or more of their
choice students eligible for free-and
20 Obtains reduced-price lunch.
21 Spectrum The 2010 NSOC represent 11
creator 4o states. Three states have two or
23 Sprite more National Winners: Missouri
$ 710,000 - Julian Estates
3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 2 car,
2460 sq.ff. 2 story, 4.32 acres,
Large barn and corrals.
reactions
26 Gives
temporarily
28 Oktoberfest
souvenir
29 Redhead's
secret?
30 Use
31 They're
often
connected
32 Pigpen
34 "Holy cow!"
35 Eastern
potentate
$159,000 Kentwood II- 2 bedroom, 1
bath 2 car garage, fireplace, hardwood,
dual-glazed windows, FA/AC,
$469,000 Julian Estates
3 bedroom, den, 2 bath, 2
car garage, 2200 sq, ft,, 4,47
acres, Wood Interior, Lodge
Feeling,
(3), Florida (2), and Pennsylvania
(2). In 2010, 29 states
participated in the State Schools
of Character awards program,
a preliminary step in reaching
the national competition. All 15
National Winners were from one
of these 29 states and named
State Schools of Character in
their states.
If people will not speak up for other
people's rights, there will come a
day when they will lose their own.
-- Tony Lawrence
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fillers evidence partner
26 Hawaiian 41 Desiccate 9 Evening
necklaces meal
27 Coal carrier DOWN 10 Sternward
28 Clip wool 1 Wanderer 12 Celebration
30 Billboards 2 Elevator 14 Mosque VIP
33 Make a deal name 15 Ph. bko data
more 3 Reaps 19 Again, in
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contents church predatorily
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39 Has a bug 7 Between 24 Dunce
jobs 25 Surprise
© 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.
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-- King Crossword -
Answers
Solution time: 25 mins.
