Not Another Bond – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Sanford Motte

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Mike

The following letter to the editor was published in The Beach Reporter newspaper (TBRnews.com) on Thursday, November 1, 2012 in the Letters section. The Beach Reporter has a strict 250-word limit.

Not another bond

Are you as exasperated with yet another school bond as I am? If Measure Q passes, it will be the third bond in the last 11 years totaling a quarter of a billion dollars in property tax hikes for homeowners in Redondo Beach. For people who purchased their homes in the late 90s or within the last 12 years, you will assume an abnormally large portion of this property tax increase. People who have homes valued between $600,000 and $1 million will see very noticeable increases to your already expensive tax bill.

We will need bonds for other civic improvements in R.B. Is it really fair to our fire and police departments to extend ourselves with $253 million worth of school district bonds? They will need infrastructure improvements as well. Will we want to keep hiking our tax bill more or will we say no to other vital civic responsibilities? Can we really keep adding hundreds of millions of dollars to our property tax base every few years to make up the difference?

There comes a tipping point in every household where the bills just start to become too much. If you live in a house that is valued around the average of $750,000 in this city, you will have already added about $700 per year to your property tax bill (with the two existing school bonds, Measure E from 2000 and Measure C from 2008). If we pass this bond, you will be adding nearly $1,000 to your property tax bill in a 12-year span. It doesn’t make you a bad person for saying “enough is enough.” I’ve voted for bonds in the past, but I just cannot keep hiking up my property taxes.

Sanford Motte
Redondo Beach

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Elections, Letters to the Editor, Politics, Redondo Beach, Tax Policy and Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Not Another Bond – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Sanford Motte

No New Taxes – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Mike

The following letter to the editor was published in The Beach Reporter newspaper (TBRnews.com) on Thursday, October 25, 2012 in the Letters section. The Beach Reporter has a strict 250-word limit.

No New Taxes

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 32 and “no” on all tax and bond measures, including 30 ($6 billion/year income and sales tax hike), 38 ($10 billion/year income tax hike), 39 ($1 billion/year tax hike); L.A. County Measure J (another 30 year sales tax hike), and El Camino Community College District Measure E ($350 million in new bond debt, probably costing about $700 million with interest).

Taxes are too high, and we also pay business taxes which are passed on to us as consumers. Bond measures create additional debt and require taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often cost double the amount borrowed with interest.

California, L.A. County, and local cities and school districts have a spending problem far more than a revenue problem. Approving more borrowing (bonds), tax increases and spending only encourages more of the same irresponsible and abusive government of, by, and for the government employee unions rather than the people.

We are repeatedly asked for more taxes and fees to pay for excessive and unsustainable government employee union salaries, raises, benefits, and pensions; to pay for the same things two or more times; and to pay for things promised but never delivered.

The tax increases will be used to pay for these through a financial shell game. Existing money that normally pays for operating and maintenance expenses specified in the tax and bond items will then be used to pay for the continued excessive employee union contracts and other waste (e.g., the unneeded over-budget “high” speed train).

Marianne Fong
El Segundo

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Elections, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No New Taxes – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Supporting Proposition 32 – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Mike

The following letter to the editor was published in The Beach Reporter newspaper (TBRnews.com) on Thursday, October 11, 2012 in the Letters section. The Beach Reporter has a strict 250-word limit.

Supporting Proposition 32

South Bay and other California cities are at much greater risk of bankruptcy than residents are being told. Unrealistic optimistic revenue projections by city finance directors have not come to fruition, just as I warned would happen in El Segundo. City revenues actually declined.

Voters can and must help protect against city bankruptcies by voting “YES” on Proposition 32. It puts voters first by cutting the money tie between politicians and special interests and ensuring every individual contribution is made voluntarily.

Special interests have already contributed $43 million to defeat Proposition 32 with totally deceptive campaign ads. The same government employee unions that have been driving cities and school districts toward bankruptcy with astronomical and unsustainable salaries, benefits and pensions have contributed 98 percent of that campaign money ($42 million).

Proposition 32 will break the stranglehold government employee unions have on Sacramento and local government — that has blocked real and meaningful compensation and pension reform, and Senate Bill 1530, which would have made it easier to dismiss teachers who sexually abuse their students.

It bans automatic employee payroll deductions for political campaign contributions by labor unions, government and corporations, and bans direct union and corporate campaign contributions to state and local candidates for public office. Employees will still be allowed to make voluntary individual campaign contributions as they choose.

The only “loophole” is the one Proposition 32 closes — the one that allows corrupt unions to campaign against Proposition 32 using involuntary employee payroll deductions.

See http://PublicSafetyProject.org/ and http://YesProp32.com/ for more information.

Michael Robbins
El Segundo

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Letters to the Editor, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Supporting Proposition 32 – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

“Empty Chair” Obama After the Election Tsunami by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Mike

Thank you Clint Eastwood for your sensational dialog with “Empty Chair” Barack Obama during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Here are photos of “Empty Chair” Obama after the coming Election Tsunami on November 6, 2012.

Photo of "Empty Chair" Obama after the coming Election Tsunami. Help make this happen! Vote for Mitt Romney & Republicans! PublicSafetyProject.org

Photo of “Empty Chair” Obama after the coming Election Tsunami. Help make this happen! Vote for Mitt Romney & Republicans! PublicSafetyProject.org

Photo of "Empty Chair" Obama after the coming Election Tsunami. Help make this happen! Vote for Romney! PublicSafetyProject.org

Photo of “Empty Chair” Obama after the coming Election Tsunami. Help make this happen! Vote for Mitt Romney & Republicans! PublicSafetyProject.org

Empty Chair Obama

After the Coming Election Tsunami

Many bloggers, Twitter users, and other Internet users have posted various images of “Empty Chair” Barack Obama after Clint Eastwood had his fantastic dialog with the empty chair during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. The Leftist, pro-Obama mainstream media (MSM) tried to mislead their audience members who did not see that conversation into believing it was unremarkable and not worth watching.

Many of those who saw Clint Eastwood’s conversation with the empty chair live or later on the Internet changed their Twitter user icon images to various images of empty chairs, some plain and some ornate. But what seemed to be missing was photos of “Empty Chair” Obama after the coming November 6, 2012 election. So here are the missing photos.

These photos are video frame captures of waterlogged empty chairs drifting aimlessly in the water after the Tsunami. Enjoy!

And please do everything you can to help elect Mitt Romney and Republican candidates to the U.S. Senate and House. This is the most important election in our lifetime to preserve our Liberty, safety, and national security.

The economy, jobs, business climate, $16 trillion national debt, reduced national defense, and foreign policy all indicate it is time for a positive change in the White House.

President Obama’s presidency has been a re-run of a bad movie: Jimmy Carter’s failed presidency with a failed economy, high unemployment, failed domestic policy, and failed foreign policy.

Many people are calling President Obama’s presidency “Jimmy Carter 2.0”.

President Obama’s actions follow a clear pattern to:

  1. Weaken and undermine America;
  2. Weaken, undermine, alienate, and antagonize longtime American allies; and
  3. Strengthen, help, and embolden America’s enemies and competitors.

Be sure to see the movie, “2016: Obama’s America“.

It is a documentary movie that clearly explains what makes Obama tick, and how his upbringing and mentors shaped his world view and his view of America’s future as a downsized, less powerful, less influential, and less important player on the world stage of nations.

For more information, also see:

Obama’s Record: Investor’s Business Daily series of editorials

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State Ballot Measures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Mike

The following letter to the editor was published in The Beach Reporter newspaper (TBRnews.com) on Thursday, September 20, 2012 in the Letters section. The Beach Reporter has a strict 250-word limit.

State Ballot Measures

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 32 (bans direct union and corporate contributions to candidates) and “no” on Propositions 30 (income and sales tax hike), 34 (repeals death penalty), 36 (three-strikes dilution), 38 (income tax hike), and 40 (gerrymandered redistricting plan).

Proposition 32 helps prevent El Segundo and other South Bay and California cities from being pushed toward bankruptcy by city employee unions and corporations that buy influence with politicians who then pay them back with our tax money and raise our taxes and fees to pay for it. Typical payoffs are one million tax dollars for every thousand donated.

Corrupt and wildly overpaid firefighter and police unions are spending millions of dollars in deceptive campaign ads to defeat Proposition 32. These unions have been bankrupting our cities and jacking up our taxes and fees, so they can get total compensation of $150,000 to more than $300,000 per year, and retire at age 50 or 55, with a guaranteed pension paying up to 90 percent of their single highest year salary.

Vote “no” on Propositions 30 and 38 to prevent income and sales tax hikes to pay for wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee union salaries, raises and pensions.

Vote “no” on Proposition 34 to preserve the death penalty, which saves substantial taxpayer money by convincing multiple-murderers to plead guilty to life in prison without an expensive trial.

Vote “no” on Proposition 40 to reject the gerrymandered redistricting plan that creates safe, non-competitive election districts for incumbents.

See http://PublicSafetyProject.org/ for more information.

Michael Robbins
El Segundo

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State Ballot Measures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Stockton Syndrome Found – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Douglas Heitkamp

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Mike

The following letter to the editor was published in the El Segundo Herald newspaper (HeraldPublications.com) on Thursday, September 13, 2012 in the Letters section on page 3. The El Segundo Herald has a strict 250-word limit, including the title.

Stockton Syndrome Found

El Segundo like many other cities in California appears to have some of the symptoms of an affliction now common throughout California. It has been observed in Vallejo, San Jose, San Diego, San Bernardino County and Stockton. I will refer to this malady as the “Stockton Syndrome”. Some of its symptoms include the lack of a balanced budget, loss of revenue from sales and real-estate taxes, investment income and electric utility tax. Other symptoms include unexpected personnel costs. Annual budges that must also cope with ever increasing yearly growth in salaries, pension and medical costs is common. Moody’s has taken notice of this in their recent announcement to review the bond ratings of all California cities.

Other symptoms include problems and debt associated with failed city investments in economic development programs meant to attract new businesses and entrepreneurs in spite of the fact that California State anti business climate is driving them out of the state.

I am certain that our mayor, council members and other city officials are aware of these complicated issues as are the citizens of our city and that the avoidance of bankruptcy is very possible if action is taken while we still have the time to do so as did Rancho Cucamonga. I therefore respectfully request that in this era of transparency periodic progress reports on this subject be included in the city council’s meeting agenda or published in The El Segundo Herald and The Daily Breeze.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Douglas Heitkamp

Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Herald Letters, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Stockton Syndrome Found – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Douglas Heitkamp

Voter Recommendation Summary for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Mike

Voter Recommendation Summary for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Last updated November 2, 2012 at 5:04 a.m. PT.

BALLOT MEASURES

There are extremely good and extremely bad ballot measures for this election.

Here are recommendations for California statewide Propositions 30 – 40; Los Angeles County Measures A, B, and J; and El Camino Community College District Measure E, followed by a brief summary for selected ballot measures.

Check back before you vote for any updates.

Summary Information:


Please vote "YES" on Propositions 32 and 35, and
"NO" on all others, including all tax and bond measures,
all Los Angeles County measures (except neutral on
L.A. County Measure B requiring condoms for adult movies),
and El Camino Community College District Measure E.

Taxes are unreasonably high. We’re forced to pay for
wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee
salaries, raises, benefits and pensions; massive welfare
fraud (at least 25 percent, billions of dollars per year
statewide); and K-12 education costs for illegal alien
children who are not supposed to be in California
(about 40 percent, $20 billion per year).


Prop #  Vote     Type of Measure / Subject / Measure Web Site

30      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Income and Sales Tax Hikes (Jerry Brown)

Tax hikes will only be used to pay for wildly excessive and
unsustainable government employee union and manager
salaries, benefits, and pensions that are bankrupting cities,
counties, and the state.

http://www.StopProp30.com/

31      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Two-Year Budget Cycle & Related Governance Changes
(California Forward)

32      YES      Statute
Prohibits direct union and corporate contributions to
political candidates, and prohibits automatic payroll
deductions for political purposes (Paycheck Protection).

Employees and other individuals can still make voluntary
contributions to candidates of their choice.

Necessary to help prevent city and county bankruptcies
due to wildly excessive and unsustainable salaries,
benefits, and pensions given in exchange for union
campaign contributions.

Government employee unions contributed 98% of
the $43 million in campaign money to defeat it.

http://www.YesProp32.com/

33      NO       Statute
Auto Insurance Price Setting: Driver Coverage History
Proposition 33 repeals consumer protections provided
by Proposition 103. It allows insurance companies to
charge more for auto insurance if you let your
policy lapse for any reason.

34      NO       Statute
Repeals Death Penalty in all cases, no matter how many
victims, and even if murder prison guards or other
prisoners while serving a life sentence for murder.

Prevents saving money by using the threat of a
death penalty to get murderers to plead guilty and
avoid an expensive trial in return for a life sentence.

Put on ballot by long-time death penalty opponents.

35      YES      Statute
Human Trafficking: "Californians for Sexual Exploitation Act"

36      NO       Statute
"Three Strikes" Dilution

37      NO       Statute
Genetically-Engineered Foods: Mandatory Labeling
This is a Trial Lawyers Full-Time Employment Act.

It is a scam designed to allow trial lawyers to extort
money from farmers and grocers using shakedown
lawsuits even when there are no injuries or damages.

http://www.NoProp37.com

38      NO       Statute
Income Tax Hike: Education (Molly Munger)

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

39      NO       Statute
Taxes on Multi-State Businesses: Single Sales Factor

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

40      NO       Referendum
Overturn Citizens Redistricting Commission State Senate Plan
(A "NO" vote is a vote to overturn the gerrymandered
redistricting plan.)
 

Los Angeles County Ballot Measures:

 A      NO       Advisory Vote
Advises changing the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor
from an elected position to an appointed position
not accountable to the voters and taxpayers.

 B      NEUTRAL  Ordinance
Regulation of adult movie industry requiring
condoms for adult movies, public health permit,
proof of blood borne pathogen training course.
Will likely chase adult movie industry to other
counties.

 J      NO       Tax Increase
Measure J is another 30-year sales tax hike after the
previous 30-year sales tax hike approved as Measure R
in 2010. It is dishonest and deceptive to ask for yet
another 30-year sales tax increase in only two years.

Measure 30 will also increase the sales tax if it passes.

California will have the highest sales tax in the
country, pressuring consumers to purchase over
the internet from other states and countries,
reducing sales tax revenues.
 

El Camino Community College District Measure E:

 E      NO       Bond Measure
Measure E is $350 million in new bond debt, probably
costing about $700 million with interest.
Bond measures create additional debt and require
taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often
cost double the amount borrowed with interest.






President / Vice President:
Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan

The economy, jobs, business climate, $16 trillion national debt,
reduced national defense, and foreign policy all indicate it is
time for a positive change in the White House.

President Obama's presidency has been a re-run of a bad movie:
Jimmy Carter's failed presidency with a failed economy, high
unemployment, failed domestic policy, and failed foreign policy.

Many people are calling President Obama's presidency
"Jimmy Carter 2.0".

President Obama's actions follow a clear pattern to:

    

  1. Weaken and undermine America;
    2. 

  2. Weaken, undermine, alienate, and antagonize
longtime American allies; and
    3. 

  3. Strengthen, help, and embolden America's
enemies and competitors.
    4. 


Be sure to see the movie, "2016: Obama's America".

It is a documentary movie that clearly explains what
makes Obama tick, and how his upbringing and mentors
shaped his world view and his view of America's future
as a downsized, less powerful, less influential, and
less important player on the world stage of nations.

For more information, also see:

Obama's Record: Investor's Business Daily series of editorials






United States Senator:
Elizabeth Emken

Her opponent Dianne Feinstein is 79 years old and will be
85 at the end of her six-year term if she is elected.
Feinstein is rabid enemy of the Constitution, Second
Amendment, self-defense rights, and property rights.
She also has been at the center of much corruption.

Feinstein may be suffering from onset Alzheimer's
Disease. She has refused to participate in any
debates or public appearances with Elizabeth Emlkin.






United States Representative:
Bill Bloomfield

Bloomfield is a former Republican who ran as an independent.
He is somewhat liberal, but not as extreme as his opponent,
Henry Waxman.

Waxman iis at best a socialist if not an outright Marxist.
He is a self-described "progressive".
Waxman does not respect individual liberty and property rights.

Detailed Information:

CLICK HERE to go to the Detailed Voter Recommendations for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election.

Posted in California, Elections, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter Recommendation Summary for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Voter Recommendations for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Mike

Voter Recommendations for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Last updated November 2, 2012 at 5:04 a.m. PT.

BALLOT MEASURES

There are extremely good and extremely bad ballot measures for this election.

Here are recommendations for California statewide Propositions 30 – 40; Los Angeles County Measures A, B, and J; and El Camino Community College District Measure E, followed by a brief summary for selected ballot measures.

Check back before you vote for any updates.

Summary Information:

Please vote "YES" on Propositions 32 and 35, and
"NO" on all others, including all tax and bond measures,
all Los Angeles County measures (except neutral on
L.A. County Measure B requiring condoms for adult movies),
and El Camino Community College District Measure E.

Taxes are unreasonably high. We’re forced to pay for
wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee
salaries, raises, benefits and pensions; massive welfare
fraud (at least 25 percent, billions of dollars per year
statewide); and K-12 education costs for illegal alien
children who are not supposed to be in California
(about 40 percent, $20 billion per year).
 

Prop #  Vote     Type of Measure / Subject / Measure Web Site

30      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Income and Sales Tax Hikes (Jerry Brown)

Tax hikes will only be used to pay for wildly excessive and
unsustainable government employee union and manager
salaries, benefits, and pensions that are bankrupting cities,
counties, and the state.

http://www.StopProp30.com/

31      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Two-Year Budget Cycle & Related Governance Changes
(California Forward)

32      YES      Statute
Prohibits direct union and corporate contributions to
political candidates, and prohibits automatic payroll
deductions for political purposes (Paycheck Protection).

Employees and other individuals can still make voluntary
contributions to candidates of their choice.

Necessary to help prevent city and county bankruptcies
due to wildly excessive and unsustainable salaries,
benefits, and pensions given in exchange for union
campaign contributions.

Government employee unions contributed 98% of
the $43 million in campaign money to defeat it.

http://www.YesProp32.com/

33      NO       Statute
Auto Insurance Price Setting: Driver Coverage History
Proposition 33 repeals consumer protections provided
by Proposition 103. It allows insurance companies to
charge more for auto insurance if you let your
policy lapse for any reason.

34      NO       Statute
Repeals Death Penalty in all cases, no matter how many
victims, and even if murder prison guards or other
prisoners while serving a life sentence for murder.

Prevents saving money by using the threat of a
death penalty to get murderers to plead guilty and
avoid an expensive trial in return for a life sentence.

Put on ballot by long-time death penalty opponents.

35      YES      Statute
Human Trafficking: "Californians for Sexual Exploitation Act"

36      NO       Statute
"Three Strikes" Dilution

37      NO       Statute
Genetically-Engineered Foods: Mandatory Labeling
This is a Trial Lawyers Full-Time Employment Act.

It is a scam designed to allow trial lawyers to extort
money from farmers and grocers using shakedown
lawsuits even when there are no injuries or damages.

http://www.NoProp37.com

38      NO       Statute
Income Tax Hike: Education (Molly Munger)

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

39      NO       Statute
Taxes on Multi-State Businesses: Single Sales Factor

Taxes are already excessive and tax hikes will chase
more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of the state.

40      NO       Referendum
Overturn Citizens Redistricting Commission State Senate Plan
(A "NO" vote is a vote to overturn the gerrymandered
redistricting plan.)
 

Los Angeles County Ballot Measures:

 A      NO       Advisory Vote
Advises changing the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor
from an elected position to an appointed position
not accountable to the voters and taxpayers.

 B      NEUTRAL  Ordinance
Regulation of adult movie industry requiring
condoms for adult movies, public health permit,
proof of blood borne pathogen training course.
Will likely chase adult movie industry to other
counties.

 J      NO       Tax Increase
Measure J is another 30-year sales tax hike after the
previous 30-year sales tax hike approved as Measure R
in 2010. It is dishonest and deceptive to ask for yet
another 30-year sales tax increase in only two years.

Measure 30 will also increase the sales tax if it passes.

California will have the highest sales tax in the
country, pressuring consumers to purchase over
the internet from other states and countries,
reducing sales tax revenues.
 

El Camino Community College District Measure E:

 E      NO       Bond Measure
Measure E is $350 million in new bond debt, probably
costing about $700 million with interest.
Bond measures create additional debt and require
taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often
cost double the amount borrowed with interest.






President / Vice President:
Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan

The economy, jobs, business climate, $16 trillion national debt,
reduced national defense, and foreign policy all indicate it is
time for a positive change in the White House.

President Obama's presidency has been a re-run of a bad movie:
Jimmy Carter's failed presidency with a failed economy, high
unemployment, failed domestic policy, and failed foreign policy.

Many people are calling President Obama's presidency
"Jimmy Carter 2.0".

President Obama's actions follow a clear pattern to:

    

  1. Weaken and undermine America;
    2. 

  2. Weaken, undermine, alienate, and antagonize
longtime American allies; and
    3. 

  3. Strengthen, help, and embolden America's
enemies and competitors.
    4. 


Be sure to see the movie, "2016: Obama's America".

It is a documentary movie that clearly explains what
makes Obama tick, and how his upbringing and mentors
shaped his world view and his view of America's future
as a downsized, less powerful, less influential, and
less important player on the world stage of nations.

For more information, also see:

Obama's Record: Investor's Business Daily series of editorials






United States Senator:
Elizabeth Emken

Her opponent Dianne Feinstein is 79 years old and will be
85 at the end of her six-year term if she is elected.
Feinstein is rabid enemy of the Constitution, Second
Amendment, self-defense rights, and property rights.
She also has been at the center of much corruption.

Feinstein may be suffering from onset Alzheimer's
Disease. She has refused to participate in any
debates or public appearances with Elizabeth Emlkin.






United States Representative:
Bill Bloomfield

Bloomfield is a former Republican who ran as an independent.
He is somewhat liberal, but not as extreme as his opponent,
Henry Waxman.

Waxman iis at best a socialist if not an outright Marxist.
He is a self-described "progressive".
Waxman does not respect individual liberty and property rights.

Detailed Information:

Prop #  Vote     Type of Measure / Subject / Measure Web Site

30      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Income and Sales Tax Hikes (Jerry Brown)

Tax hikes will only be used in a financial shell game to pay
for wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee
union and manager salaries, benefits, and defined benefit plan
pensions that are bankrupting cities, counties, and the state.

Increasing taxes from their already excessive and Draconian
rates is both immoral and counter-productive. It will only
chase more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of California,
reducing tax revenues.

http://www.StopProp30.com/

31      NO       Constitutional Amendment
Two-Year Budget Cycle & Related Governance Changes
(California Forward)

32      YES      Statute
Mandatory Public-Sector Union Dues:
Prohibition "Stop Special Interest Money Now"

Vote "YES" on Proposition 32 to help prevent city, county,
and state government bankruptcies and to reduce government
corruption.

For every thousand dollars in campaign contributions,
corrupt labor unions and contractors typically get more
than an extra million dollars of our tax money. 

Prop. 32 prohibits direct union and corporate contributions
to political candidates, and it prohibits automatic payroll
deductions for political purposes (Paycheck Protection).

The corrupt firefighter, police, and teacher unions are spending
millions of dollars in dishonest campaign ads to defeat Prop. 32. 

http://www.YesProp32.com/

33      NO       Statute
Auto Insurance Price Setting: Driver Coverage History
Proposition 33 repeals consumer protections provided
by Proposition 103. It allows insurance companies to
charge more for auto insurance if you let your
policy lapse for any reason including periods
when you did not have a car, or were away on
a work assignment or military duty, etc.

34      NO       Statute
Repeal Death Penalty

Prop. 34 repeals the Death Penalty in all cases, even for
terrorists, mass murderers, and inmates serving life
sentences who murder prison guards and other
prisoners, no matter how many people they murder.

Under Prop. 34, the infamous New York City Nightclub
Mass-Murderer could not be executed.

Julio Gonzalez quickly murdered 87 people using one dollar
worth of gasoline and two matches, when he set fire to the
Happy Land Social Club nightclub in the Bronx, New York City,
on March 25, 1990. He set the nightclub ablaze after he had
an argument with his former girlfriend who worked there,
and was ejected by the bouncer.

Gonzalez was found guilty of 87 counts of arson and 87
counts of murder on August 19, 1991. New York did not
have the death penalty, even though Republicans in the
New York legislature repeatedly passed Death Penalty
statutes, because they were always vetoed by liberal
Democrat governors including Mario Cuomo.

Gonzalez was sentenced to the maximum of 25 years
to life for each count (a total of 4,350 years). It was the
most substantial prison term ever imposed in the state
of New York. However, Gonzalez will be eligible for parole
after only 25 years, in March 2015, because New York law
states that multiple murders occurring during one act will
be served concurrently, rather than consecutively.

(Source: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Land_fire)

Thus, Gonzalez did not get a death penalty, and will be
eligible for parole after serving less than 3.5 months for
each of the 87 murders. That places an extremely small
value on human life.

Under Prop. 34, the movie theater mass-murderer in
Aurora, Colorado who murdered 12 and wounded 58,
also would not be subject to the death penalty had he
committed the mass-murders in California.

Murder is an unforgivable crime, because only the murder
victim can legitimately forgive the murderer, which is
impossible once the victim is dead. The murderer has
stolen the one thing that is of the greatest value and
that can never be returned. Anything less than the
death penalty for clear-cut cases of murder devalues
human life, especially in the case of multiple and
mass-murderers.

Thus, it is absurd and unconscionable for liberal news
reporters to ask anyone, including the victim's family
members, if they forgive the murderer. They only
promote the myth that murder is a forgivable and
less serious crime.

If Prop. 34 passes, prosecutors will not be able save
substantial prosecution time and money, get more
convictions, and keep murderers in prison longer,
by using the threat of a death penalty to get
murderers to plead guilty to a life sentence or a
long sentence as part of a plea bargain.

Additional information on why you should vote NO
on Prop. 34 appears below.

35      YES      Statute
Human Trafficking: "Californians for Sexual Exploitation Act"

36      NO       Statute
"Three Strikes" Dilution

Prop. 36 weakens the Three-Strikes law and allows the early
release of dangerous felons. For many dangerous felons,
their "third strike" is really the fifth, eight, or tenth strike,
if you count violent felonies for which they were not caught
or that were not counted by the criminal justice system.

Many people believe that three strikes is too many, and
there should be at least a 25 years to life sentence after
only one or two murders, rapes, child molestations, or
other violent felonies.

37      NO       Statute
Genetically-Engineered Foods: Mandatory Labeling
http://www.NoProp37.com

38      NO       Statute
Income Tax Hike: Education (Molly Munger)

Tax hikes will only be used in a financial shell game to pay
for wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee
union and manager salaries, benefits, and defined benefit plan
pensions that are bankrupting cities, counties, and the state.

Increasing taxes from their already excessive and Draconian
rates is both immoral and counter-productive. It will only
chase more businesses, jobs, and taxpayers out of California,
reducing tax revenues.

39      NO       Statute
Taxes on Multi-State Businesses: Single Sales Factor

Tax hikes will only be used in a financial shell game to pay
for wildly excessive and unsustainable government employee
union and manager salaries, benefits, and defined benefit plan
pensions that are bankrupting cities, counties, and the state.

40      NO       Referendum
Overturn Citizens Redistricting Commission State Senate Plan
(A "NO" vote is a vote to overturn the gerrymandered
redistricting plan.)

The Citizens Redistricting Commission produced safe,
non-competitive election districts, resulting in entrenched
incumbents who can ignore the voters and taxpayers, and
cater to government employee labor unions, lobbyists, and
other special interests with impunity.
 

Los Angeles County Ballot Measures:

 A      NO       Advisory Vote
Advises changing the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor
from an elected position to an appointed position
not accountable to the voters and taxpayers.

 B      NEUTRAL  Ordinance
Regulation of adult movie industry requiring
condoms for adult movies, public health permit,
proof of blood borne pathogen training course.
Will likely chase adult movie industry to other
counties.

 J      NO       Tax Increase
Measure J is another 30-year sales tax hike after the
previous 30-year sales tax hike approved as Measure R
in 2010. It is dishonest and deceptive to ask for yet
another 30-year sales tax increase in only two years.

Measure 30 will also increase the sales tax if it passes.

California will have the highest sales tax in the
country, pressuring consumers to purchase over
the internet from other states and countries,
reducing sales tax revenues.
 

El Camino Community College District Measure E:

 E      NO       Bond Measure
Measure E is $350 million in new bond debt, probably
costing about $700 million with interest.
Bond measures create additional debt and require
taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often
cost double the amount borrowed with interest.

Additional information on ballot measures:

Prop. 34 – Vote NO – Repeals the death penalty in California

(Continued from above.)

See the abstract and the conclusion in the Criminal
Justice Legal Foundation Working Paper 09-01, titled
“The Death Penalty and Plea Bargaining to Life Sentences”,
by Kent S. Scheidegger, February 2009, at:

http://www.cjlf.org/publications/papers/wpaper09-01.pdf.

It states the following.

From the abstract on page 1:
“Consistently with expectations, significantly
more defendants plea bargain to a life or long sentence
in states where the death penalty is available. The average
county with the death penalty disposes of 18.9% of
murder cases with a plea and a long sentence, compared
to 5.0% in counties without the death penalty.”

From the conclusion on page 15:
“The widespread assumption that repeal of the death penalty
would produce an immediate and dramatic savings in trial
costs is not justified on the information currently available.
If a state repeals the death penalty but is unwilling to accept
a greater number of murderers going free after relatively short
sentences, then greater number of life-sentence cases will
probably have to go to trial rather than being resolved
by plea.”

We at the Public Safety Project believe that Prop. 34 is
supported by radical Leftist organizations and people
who are opposed to the death penalty in all cases, no
matter how many victims were tortured and murdered,
and who have no real interest in saving taxpayer money.

Many opponents of the death penalty believe that criminals
are somehow “victims of society”, and that their violent
crimes are somehow the fault of their crime victims who
are members of society. Thus, they have reversed the
victim-criminal relationship in their own minds.

The death penalty helps guarantee there will be no repeat
offenders, or early releases on technicalities or inappropriate
pardons or commutations for bribes or as political favors for
prisoners sentenced to “life without parole”.

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
commuted the 16-year prison sentence of Esteban Nunez
down to only seven years for the October 2008 stabbing
murder of college student Luis Dos Santos near San Diego
State. Esteban Nunez is the son of Democrat State Assembly
Speaker Fabian Nunez, a personal friend and political ally
of Schwarzenegger.

Esteban Nunez could have received a a life sentence, but
prosecutors accepted a plea bargain that allowed him to
avoid standing trial on murder charges. Schwarzenegger
made the commutation at the very end of his term without
notifying the prosecutor or victim’s family, and later boasted
that he did it to help a friend.

For additional information, see:

California Republican Assembly ballot measure endorsements for the November 6, 2012 General Election
http://californiarepublicanassembly.com/content/cra-endorsements-ballot-measures-november-6-2012-election

California Republican Assembly ballot measure endorsements for the November 6, 2012 General Election (printer-friendly web page)
http://californiarepublicanassembly.com/print/content/cra-endorsements-ballot-measures-november-6-2012-election

President / Vice President:
Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan

Just as responsible American citizens want the next generation to be better off than they are, presidents should do everything possible to ensure that America and Americans will be better off at the end of their term in office than at the beginning. Ronald Regan passed this test, but Barack Obama failed this test. The economy and unemployment are much worse than when Barack Obama took office, they are not improving, and Obama’s polices hinder rather than help in the much-needed economic recovery.

Posted in California, Elections, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter Recommendations for California’s November 6, 2012 General Election

Why “Hate Crime” Laws are Immoral and Counter-Productive, by Michael D. Robbins

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Mike

Why “Hate Crime” Laws are Immoral and Counter-Productive

Hate crime law supporters weakened our criminal justice system and self-defense rights – and now they want to fix the system only for themselves.

By Michael D. Robbins, Director
Public Safety Project
P.O. Box 2193
El Segundo, CA 90245

PublicSafetyProject.com
Twitter: PSP_USA
YouTube: PublicSafetyProject

August 31, 2001

Revised September 4, 2001 and September 1, 2012.

Mr. Robbins is a Jew and the son of a survivor of pogroms (government sanctioned and sponsored torture and mass murder of Jews) in the former Communist Soviet Union.

This is the September 1, 2012 updated version of the article first posted on FraudFactor.com on August 31, 2001 as “Hate Crime Law Supporters Weakened Our Criminal Justice System and Self-Defense Rights”, and revised on September 4, 2001, at http://www.FraudFactor.com/ff_first_draft_0006.html. The original article and all revisions were written by Michael D. Robbins.

Public Safety Project – There are numerous problems with “hate crime” laws that increase the punishment for violent crimes, property crimes, and other crimes including intimidation primarily, if not only, where the victim is Black, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, homosexual, or some other “minority” and the criminal expressed hatred as a motivation for the crime.

Although hatred based on race, ethnicity, religion, or legal but repulsive deviant sexual behavior is rude, vulgar, and despicable, in a free society, people have a right to be rude, vulgar, and despicable – as long as they are not violating the individual rights of other people, especially by directly harming them, their property, their business, or their reputation through slander or libel. The primary purpose of government in a free society is to protect individual rights and freedom, not to infringe on those rights and freedom.

Various compelling arguments have been made against hate crime laws, yet a significant and perhaps most compelling argument against hate crime laws has not been made except by this author, to the best of this author’s knowledge. This new argument is presented below as the first and primary argument against hate crime laws. Additional arguments follow.

Fixing Criminal Justice System Weaknesses Only for a Select Few

The most insidious aspect of hate crime laws is that they fix our weakened criminal justice system only for a select few and not for everyone across the board. Under hate crime laws, the government is discriminating and playing favorites based on race, ethnicity, gender, or homosexual or other deviant behavior (“sexual orientation”). Hate crime laws are promoted by activists in the most Leftist (“liberal” or “progressive”) soft-on-crime political factions that have consistently voted for Leftist soft-on-crime Democrats who have greatly weakened our criminal justice system and eroded our Natural Right as recognized by the Constitution to own and carry firearms for self-defense.

Multiple studies by Professor Gary Kleck have shown that defense with a firearm is significantly safer and more effective than any other method, including non-resistance. A firearm is a great equalizer, allowing violent crime victims to overcome criminal attackers who rely on physical strength superiority, numerical superiority, or both.

The Leftist political factions include Blacks, Jews, and homosexuals, who typically have 80 to 90 percent Democrat voter registration rates and vote as a block for Leftist Democrat politicians.

After weakening our criminal justice system and self-defense rights, thereby increasing violent crime and endangering everyone, Leftist politicians, political activists, and “community leaders” are now trying to fix the criminal justice system and increase criminal penalties only for their own benefit, when they and the groups they pander to become crime victims. They refuse to fix the criminal justice system for everyone across the board. Instead, they create special privileged classes in a patronage system where special privileges and protections are given in exchange for votes, campaign contributions, and other forms of campaign support.

Fix the Criminal Justice System for Everyone

If the penalties for violent crimes, property crimes, and intimidation are too lenient, then the penalties should be increased regardless of the race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual behavior (“orientation”) of the crime victim. This can be accomplished by electing conservative Republican legislators and through voter initiatives in states where voters have the right of initiative. We can make everyone safer by strengthening the criminal justice system with Truth-in-Sentencing and Three-Strikes laws, and sufficient new prison construction to prevent the early release of dangerous felons. If Leftist Democrat governors and presidents have appointed Leftist soft-on-crime judges, then all voters, including Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, and homosexuals, should vote to elect Republican governors and presidents who will appoint conservative tough-on-crime judges.

So-called “hate crime” laws should be rejected in favor of strengthening our criminal justice system where necessary, and restoring self-defense rights by allowing all law-abiding adults who pass the background check to carry loaded concealed handguns in public for self-protection. Thirty-eight states now have right to self-defense laws that require that self-defense permits (“concealed carry weapon” or CCW permits) be issued on a “shall issue” basis to applicants who meet uniform standards established by the state legislature.

This prevents arbitrary denial of self-defense permits to all but a select few politicians, Hollywood celebrities, wealthy corporate executives, and big campaign contributors as in California. In states with “Shall Issue” Right to Self-Defense laws, self-defense permits are no longer arbitrarily denied on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, age, or social or economic status as in California, New York, and other states.

The “Shall Issue” states have experienced significant murder rate reductions with no significant adverse effects. In these states, the right to self-defense does not cease to exist once you leave your home or business, and the criminals know that fact, but they do not know who is armed and who is not. Criminals commit fewer violent crimes against people who may be armed.

Relative Intimidation Impact of Violent Crimes

The argument that so-called hate crimes are more severe because they can intimidate many or all people in the same identifiable group within a community (e.g., same race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or deviant sexual behavior) is weak if not entirely wrong. Crimes of violence and intimidation that do not target any specific identifiable group can intimidate everyone in an entire community regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and deviant sexual behavior, thereby impacting a greater number of people. Crimes that target a specific identifiable group intimidate fewer people than the entire population of a given community, and therefore have a lesser total intimidation effect.

Punishing Thoughts and Speech

Another problem with hate crime laws goes beyond the common criticism that they violate the First Amendment right of Freedom of Speech. Hate crime laws actually punish people for their thoughts. The speech merely provides evidence of what the accused person was thinking. But the punishment is actually attached to the thoughts, not the speech expressing those thoughts. Furthermore, the speech is used to interpret the thoughts, and may be an unreliable indicator of the true thoughts.

Conversely, thought is the precursor to speech, and punishing thought is therefore an infringement on Freedom of Speech.

Punishing thoughts sets an extremely dangerous precedent that can be used to punish and imprison people simply for their thoughts regardless of any actual behavior, and for the government’s perception and disapproval of those thoughts.

Thus, the “liberal” Leftist Democrats are promoting laws and policies that violate Free of Speech and even punish thoughts, and reduce public safety, while conservative Republicans and Libertarians are protecting Free of Speech and thoughts, and promoting laws and policies that actually improve public safety for everyone.

Love Crimes

Yet another problem with hate crime laws is their absurd implicit claim that some crimes of violence and intimidation lack hate. Are we to believe there are “love crimes” of violence and intimidation? Hate crime laws are based on the false premise that for two violent crimes with identical circumstances and outcomes, but with victims of different race or religion, one crime can be more “hateful” than the other and should therefore receive a more severe punishment.

Use the Strongest Arguments to Educate the Public

In conclusion, we should use the strongest available arguments to educate the public on the dangers and discrimination of hate crime laws and on the benefits of the superior alternatives. In fact, under the definition of “hate crime”, enactment of hate crime laws may be considered a hate crime, because these laws endanger and victimize people based on their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual behavior, and in many cases, a hatred for their race, ethnicity, gender, or religion by those promoting and enacting such laws.

First Posted: Friday, August 31, 2001 – 10:06 a.m. Pacific Time
Updated: Tuesday, September 4, 2001 – 11:48 p.m. Pacific Time
Last Updated: Saturday, September 1, 2012 – 6:50 p.m. Pacific Time
©2001 and 2012 by Michael D. Robbins.

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“New and Improved” Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM Machine Crashes and Strands Customer

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Mike

“New and Improved” Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM Machine Crashes and Strands Customer

by Michael D. Robbins
Director, Public Safety Project

http://PublicSafetyProject.org/
Twitter: @PSP_USA

August 27, 2012 at 6:34 PM PT

What do you do when the automated teller machine (ATM) you are using crashes and hangs up on you, freezing your personal banking account information on the display, and holding on to your ATM card? This is exactly what happened to the user of a Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM machine located at 1970 E. Imperial Highway in El Segundo, California on Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 8:16 p.m.

She completed her first transaction, printing an account balance, without any problems. But when she tried to perform a second transaction, the ATM locked up on her and the keypad became non-responsive. No matter which buttons she pressed, the ATM machine would not clear her personal banking information from the screen, and it would not release her ATM card. Bummer!

A look inside the card slot with a flashlight revealed no visible evidence of the ATM card. It was transported somewhere inside the ATM, probably for security purposes.

This raised multiple concerns. If she left the machine, could someone else later have access to her accounts, withdraw cash from each account, and get her ATM card?

The adjacent Kinecta ATM machine had an even stranger situation. It too was inoperable, but it displayed the following error diagnostics information in plain old-fashioned text display mode, with green characters on a black background:

2 Fault(s)         8/26/12 13:35
================================
Faults Menu

1 Card Reader inoperative
2 CDM purge bin is out

<CNL> or <Esc> to Exit

Ironically, a sign displayed on the wall to the left of the two Kinecta ATM machines read as follows, in large black text on a bright blue background:

JUST FOR YOU!

OUR NEW AND IMPROVED, HASSLE-FREE ATM MACHINES

FEATURING:

  • COLOR SCREENS
  • VOICE GUIDANCE
  • 24 HOURS, 7 DAYS A WEEK AVAILABILITY

COME AND EXPERIENCE THE LATEST IN TECHNOLOGY TODAY!

After baby-sitting the ATM machine for more than half an hour, trying the keyboard every so often hoping the ATM would spring back to life, or at least re-boot itself and clear the personal banking information on the screen, the machine remained frozen. It was a Sunday evening, and the nearby credit union office was closed. Fortunately, the Kinecta customer had a cell phone. She called the Kinecta phone number on the ATM machine, since she could not read it from her ATM card held captive deep inside the machine.

It was also outside the regular Kinecta customer service hours. But after going through about three or four levels of menus, she was able to talk to someone about a lost or stolen ATM card. The person said she could not remotely reset, reboot, or turn off the ATM machine. All she could do was cancel and de-activate the ATM card, and issue a new one which would arrive in seven to ten days. Hassle-free? Not really.

The service representative claimed that once the ATM card is in the machine for a half hour, the machine will not release it, and an ATM serviceman has to retrieve the card from the machine. She added that the card will no longer be useful because its magnetic strip will have been erased.

The customer returned to check on the ATM machine at 9 a.m. the next morning, but it was still frozen with her personal account information on the display. She went into the nearby credit union office, but nobody there could reset, reboot, or turn off the ATM. Instead, they taped an “out of service” sign to the machine, covering up the display.

The customer’s name has been omitted from this story to protect her privacy and security. Redacted photos of the ATM machines and the ATM receipt may be posted with this article at a later time.

The moral of the story? Keep a fully-charged reliable cell phone on you whenever you can. Keep a list of credit card account information including phone numbers to call to report cards lost or stolen at home, in your car, and with a friend or relative. You can use a simple encoding scheme to prevent someone from misusing the information if it falls into the wrong hands. There used to be, and may still be, services where you can register your credit card accounts to have one number to call if one or more credit or banking cards are lost or stolen. They would contact your financial institutions for you to report your cards as lost or stolen.

And beware of “new and improved” technology, whether it is an ATM machines or a “smart” electrical meter. Those so-called “smart” meters are not so smart if they catch fire or explode, and set fire to your home or business, or if they create a power surge or voltage spoke that blow out your appliances and consumer electronics. Damage may be caused during removal of the old electric meter and installation of the new “smart” meter, or sometime after installation of the “smart” meter. Those “smart” meters have one or more switches inside that can be operated remotely by the electrical utility.

Always use high quality, high-rating surge suppressors or electrical line conditioners for televisions and other consumer electronics, and not only for computers and computer displays, peripheral devices, and accessories. It is less expensive to replace the surge suppressor or line conditioner than to replace your consumer electronics.

In cases of damage to appliances and consumer electronics caused by electric utilities, the utilities often deny fault and refuse to take financial responsibility for the damage they cause. Pressure must be applied through local or state elected officials, or through litigation. For example, there have been such complaints about Southern California Edison Company (SCE) causing power surges or voltage spikes, damaging the appliances in multiple homes, when they were trimming tree branches near electric power lines.

In addition, “smart” meters may be used to spy on activities inside your home. They can be used to remotely monitor, control, and restrict the use of electricity and appliances in your home. They emit radio waves which may raise concerns about radio frequency interference with other devices, and they may raise concerns about adverse health effects, whether or not there is valid scientific research to support such concerns.

Posted in ATM Machines, Banking, California, El Segundo, El Segundo News, Identity Theft, Security | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “New and Improved” Kinecta Federal Credit Union ATM Machine Crashes and Strands Customer